Past vs. Future. Nah I prefer present.

Shadow wakes up, groaning a bit from his exhaustion, soreness and sleepy.

"30 days done... other 30 to go... I hate myself always I open my big mouth..." he sighs. The day he entered the hospital, he though it was just 30 days only...

"Future bitch slapped me with his reality..." he grunted as his breakfast was taken to him. The nurse dropped the dish she was carrying as he saw him . Shadow fast reaction made his horn glow as the dish was surrounded by a red aura, and when I say his horn glowed, his horn glowed... meaning one thing...

"Hey nurse Redheart, uh... why are you looking at me like that?" Fast reaction but slow realization. After a minute of holding the tray with magic, he realized what was wrong with him.

"Y-you... you... you..." nurse said, with an accusing hoof at him. "Are C-c-centreus? "

"I'm a late realizator... ain't i..." He said, looking away. she could see he was scared by the look of his face. She then calmed down as he didn't look at her.

"I'm the one supposed to be scared, instead, you are the one scared." She cleared out. "why?"

"I... have always been scared... it's just that... there are times that I hide them well, but I'm always scared... I've always been hated, wrongly judged and told I was a weak, useless piece of-" nurse Redheart covered his mouth and nodded in understanding.

"You arent useless, as far as I know. Princess twilight sparkle said that you saved her friend, almost losing yours. "

"I didn't do anything... fluttershy was the one who scared the hydra away. I just... distracted the hydra."

"And before?"

"well... maybe I did saved her... just about when she was going to get eaten... but that's it... other than distracting the hydra and almost dying, nothing." He didn't even raised his head when the nurse seated besides him.

"Well, why do you think you are useless in the first place? Don't tell me that's for not having a cutiemark. "

"Err... part of it..." he admitted. The face the nurse gave him, a curiosity face, convinced him to tell her why...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~past~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I told you he wasn't going to do anything. He just cries and cries."

"Hahahahahaha blank flank."

"Crybaby."

It has passed a few days since centreus arrived to Lauren's house. He used an old Pillow that he found at some trash cans as a bed. Lauren putted him in the school celestia and luna were in, thinking it was a good idea. WRONG. It was just his first day of school and he was already bullied. And even more wrong, because who was bullying him was...

"it's our turn to beat him up." Some stallions said. inside a circle of curious ponies , trying to look at something, stood a white coated mare with pink mane.

"Leave us something to punch ,celestia." Another said. She smirked and backed up for the rest to see a beaten up centreus on the floor, trying to stand up. She was the popular mare in the school, just because she had straight 'A' on all classes, helped with the school 'security', became the president of her grade, and because she was pretty and an alicorn.

"W...why..." Centreus asked, holding his eye .

"Simple. You took my mother's free time . She would had teached me and luna how rainbows are created instead of helping you with your problems." She answered. He didn't wanted to tell lauren about this or the director. He feared that she would do worse things.

"Useless crybaby. Waste of space." She said before walking out of the circle. The rest of them returned to their recess time ,leaving him on the floor. He tried to stand up, only to fail badly. His muscles hurts. His bones hurts. His heart hurts.

"Centreus!" A voice shouted. He shook before managing to stand up. "Are you ok?!"

he looked at the hall and saw luna running towards him. She, different from her sister, cared about centreus. She knew how much her sister hated him since the first day He came. Celestia didn't liked him to sleep with her nor in her room. In change, Luna volunteered to let him sleep in her room instead.

"Y...yeah... I think..." he answered, limping towards hIs locker. He trIed to reach it but fails. he had to use a bucket that celestia threw over his head to reach it. He opened, pulled out a notebook and a pencil and Closed.

"You don't see pretty good..." she assured. He then limped down the hall.

" Let's just go to class......" he said as luna followed him. He entered the classroom, behind luna. Although he was bandaged almost everywhere, where he could see His blue coat was mostly coated of almost purple. Bruises from before and now.

"Um... are you supposed to be centreus... the new student?" The teacher said. the teacher was a green coated unicorn, mane and tail were Red and as a cutiemark, an apple besides a ruler. centreus nodded slowly, taking sight of celestia. She was at the front of the classroom, in a seat. She grinned as she saw him but faded when luna came in.

"What happened to your blue coat? The first time I saw you, you were blue coated... maybe bruises here and there ... but.. what happened today?" He asked with a concerned look. Centreus just looked away as luna seated besides her sister.

"Um... maybe the... injures from before... I came here... they just appeared in recess... " he lied.

"Well then... take a seat... you may sit wherever you like." Centreus then looked around. The classroom was way bigger than necessary... at least for his class. He took sight of many seats in the back of the classroom and limped toward the last one, far away from the rest of everypony. Luna looked at him, worried. She surely didn't know that her sister was doing all these things.

"Well... first of all, welcome, mister centreus. I'm Mr. Rupples, your Science class teacher. "Mr. Rupples said. Centreus was trying to not black out or something like that. Although he was bandaged, he paid no mind to it and payed attention to the teacher. Celestia would give a death glare back at where he was from time to time. Time passed and the bell rang, meaning that school was over . The halls were full of teen ponies, looking for stuff in their lockers. Centreus decided to stay inside the classroom until the crowd diminished. He had planned to tell Lauren what was happening, but his fear of celestia doing worse almost made him change of opinion.

Almost.

"Why don't you get out of the clasroom, centreus? " Mr. Rupples asked.

"I... don't like being... around a lot of other ponies..." he said. Mr. Rupples stood up from his seat and walked to him.

"Centreus, it is a bully problem? " Centreus looked at him, sighed and nodded. " then let me help you. we go to your locker and i accompany you until the front door. Ok?" Centreus nodded. Rupples levitated Centreus on his back and walked out. As they passed through the hall, centreus saw celestia and other boys glaring at him. he held his tail as they arrived at his locker. centreus opened it, took his other 3 notebooks and closed it.

"There... lets... go..." He squeaked .

Who must be bullying this poor foal... Don't worry, centreus. I will help you...

Rupples walked out and putted him down slowly. "If you need something, don't bother to visit me. I live at that house." Pointing at a house. Centreus nodded and limped away, with his notebooks on his back. He could feel a crowd starting to surround him as he hurried out of there.

"Stay away from me!" He said before breaking into a painful sprint. He grabbed his books in his mouth,  being thin. He could feel the air on his face and mane. He could feel the adrenaline inside his veins.

"For a little foal like you, you have amazing speed. " a teen mare voice said. He knew who it was and went faster, breaking his limits. Celestia ran behind, but centreus out ran her, leaving her way behind. He couldn't feel the pain he was feeling anymore. the adrenaline took its place for the pain as he zoomed to the house.

The speed! I can feel it! I love it! Celestia won't catch me now!

he could feel a smile widen on his face as he stops in front of his house, panting. He opened the door and trotted toward luna's room and putted his notebooks in a corner and walked out.

"Lauren! I'm home." he shouted. He entered lauren's room to see his adoptive mother tied up in her bed, her eyes covered as a black coated pony , with a sword in his hooves, was standing besides her. He could see it was an earth pony. He froze in place, not knowing what to do. The earth pony was staring at him, and started walking to him. Centreus backed up to the corner, looking at lauren, struggling. Her horn had a strange ring, explaining why she couldn't use magic.

"Little centreus... is that you?!" The mare asked. He knew that voice. His eyes narrowed as the mare took her ninja suit off. It showed a dark grey coat, a beautiful blue mane and tail and some stranges star on her flanks, meaning she was a ninja.

"A-a-auntie shipper!?" He Couldn't believe his eyes. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was wrong. Nope. His aunt was there, putting away her sword.

"Centreus!" She hugged him tight. He hugged back, crying and smiling.

"How..."

"Our family had a connection sense, and if you are asking how I'm alive, your uncle killed my clone, not me." She answered both questions centreus didn't asked.

"why is Lauren tied up?" He asked, cleaning his tears.

"She ponynapped you, didn't she?" She felt guilt when he shaked his head.

"No. Instead, she saved me... " he said before walking to the bed , cutting the ropes with his claws and taking the ring off, and taking the cloth she had around her eyes as Lauren stood up in a flash and stood in a defensive stand.

"Lauren. It's ok. She though you ponynapped me. " Lauren didn't felt safe but nodded, straightening her body .

"Yeah... sorry... where's your sister, centreus? "Shipper asked. Centreus smile faded and looked away.

"I don't know... last week... we got carried by a river's current and we went different ways... I got carried Here... she... I don't know how she ended or where... i... i... " he dropped to the floor, crying. "I failed daddy..."

Shipper sighed and hugs him again. "Don't worry. I will look for her. meanwhile stay with lauren. and for you Lauren, I will pay for everything you did for him. I see how you are living right now and I'm honestly impressed. please, take this . this will help you and your family. If you want, I can also get you a new home." Shipper gives a saddlebag and takes out a bag. The bag let out the sounds that many bits did when moved.

"Here are, at least, three hundreds bits. I will call one of my friends bring more for you and your family care." Shipper finished.

"I... i... I dont know what to say..." lauren said.

"Just a thank you is enough. You deserve more tho. That's why I'll bring more by the next week."

"What will you do when you find her?"Centreus asked.

"Well, I asked somepony very good at magic to make some magic necklaces. Knowing that your cousin is already full grown, he would follow his father's steps. although I feel bad for Night Teckon, Aka your dead uncle... I found... " she looked at Lauren and sighed. "Sorry, may you show us a empty room? This may get a little Disgusting..." Lauren nodded and took them to the attic, where she left both. "As I was saying, I found him headless... why would somepony did this... he deserved it but... it just ... disgusting..." she laid down and motioning centreus do do the same As his pain returned again.

"A...about that... i... know who killed uncle night..." he said.

"Who?"

He took a deep breath and let it out.

"I did... I saw him kill daddy... I saw him telling daddy how he killed your clone and auntie Cloud... Auntie Cloud didn't use a clone either?" Shipper nodded, saying that she did use one. "And daddy... did he?" Shipper sighed and shook her head.

"He... didn't used a cloning spell on himself... he knew well that whoever was going to kill us, he knew it was going for me first, not having a magic or flying. He also knew when he was taking Sapphire out... but... didn't know when he was getting... killed. And very busy with your false accusation, he didn't had time to investigate. He was lucky to run with you and your sister out of your home... ponies burned your home with no chance of escaping. I just keep wondering how you didn't got caught... maybe because this little town didn't liked having guards or stuff like that... don't get me wrong. that's a blessing." she hugs tightly and notices centreus wincing. She lets go ." Sorry."

"Its...ok... where's aunt Cloud by the way?" Centreus said, rubbing his bruises .

"she's protecting Lightning and Genes. All under disguise , of course. It was a potion we created , but it's only temporary. We already ordered them. Is just a matter of time before we have them. When we know that we all are safe, we will pick get you. But in case that something happens... " she gives a knife to centreus. " it's a fake one so don't use it for defense... you press a button under it and Sapphire will be on her way. Don't worry. we will find her and protect her... " she said . He hugged her.

"Please... be safe."

The next day, centreus went to school, with luna and his bully. He lost his courage to tell Lauren after Celestia intimidated him with killing him, so he stayed Behind the pack. When they arrived, they went to their lockers. This time, when Centreus was trying to reach it, celestia and her pack walked to him, surrounding him.

"Well well well...if it's the small blank flank. Need help ?" Celestia said as she grabbed him and putted him in his locker, and closed it with him inside. he didn't struggled, or banged at the door. He just sobbed inside his locker.

"Yeah... crybaby... cry inside the locker.. that's who you are after all... useless chicken... " she laughed and trotted off to Mr. Rupples classroom, followed by her gang. He sobbed inside the locker, not wanting to come out.

"Welcome ,students. please take seat as soon as you enter." Mr. Rupples said. As everypony took their seat, he noticed that not everypony had arrived.

"Where's centreus? " he asked. Luna looked at the seat where centreus seated the day before.

"Dunno... last when I saw him was in his locker." Celestia said. It was true, she saw him inside it but never revealed by who. Snickers were heard across the room as Mr. Rupples looked at her and went to the door.

"Don't do anything while I'm done." He then exited the class. He trotted toward centreus locker and looked around.

*sob* *sob*

he looked around and stared at centreus locker.

"Centreus? Are you in here?" The sobbing stopped as hooves were heard from the locker.

"Y-yes..." he seated back at the corner of the locker. He started crying as the teacher looked at the lock. It had a small keyboard .

"What's the code?" Mr. Rupples asked.

"C-Crybaby ." He answered.

"I'm not a cry-"

"t-the code. C-crybaby" Mr. Rupples realized and tiped 'crybaby' . The locker opened as he saw centreus crying inside.

"there there... don't worry... I'm here... I'm here..." Rupples said, grabbing him and hugging him.

"I'm scared..." the little foal said, sobbing. a tear fell from Rupples as he made his way toward the classroom... "thanks..."

Centreus said. "for taking me out of there. "

"No problem kiddo."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~present~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh..." nurse Redheart said. Centreus had finished telling why he felt such thing. Nurse Redheart, however, had a Question.

"Wait... Celestia From Princess Celestia? " Centreus eyes narrowed at said words. Princess?

"P-p-princess?"

"Yes. Princess Luna also. "

Centreus shaked. He knew that Celestia hated him to the top. With her power as a princess, she could order his execution. He was wanted by her too, believing the words his cousin said to her.

"Please... don't call her." He begged.

"Don't worry. "She said, walking to the door. "I won't. "

"Before you go, can you tell spike who I really am, without letting the other know? "

"Sure."

"Sir! Sir!" Lucy ran behind Ryan. He looked at her

"What's wrong lucy?" He asked .

"I think we found him, the pony from the forest, he has the same scar that centreus."

" so it's him... send a group of soldiers to the everfree. And I want you to go where he is, gain his trust and make him reveal his true form. Call me when he does. "

"Yes sir " Lucy said while walking out...

 After a while of talking, shadow had a visit from the ponyville teacher, cheerilee, that gave him some drawings that the fillies and foal did. After that, he ate. The hospital food wasn't the best but was good... in his opinion

"I'm glad you all came here" Shadow said, happy. And all of the sudden, he jumps a little, like pain has attacked him so badly that he moved a lot from the pain. The doctor came in with a medicine.

"Don't worry, the medicine just wore off. " the doctor assured. It was a sedation for the pain." The visit time is over. He will be having the medicine and a sedation spell . " the doctor put the medicine in that little bag as the mane six left... preoccupied about him... but nopony was more preoccupied that spike... he didn't slept that night .

Early at morning, spike hurried with a basket with flowers, a get well soon card, and a saphire he found and jogged toward the hospital. He entered the room and closed the door slowly, not wanting to wake up shadow, not knowing that shadow was in his centreus form.

"Shadow?" Spike called quietly . Shadow wakes up and sits up, rubbing his ears

"Huh? Oh. Hey spike... what happened?" Shadow asked spike, who had his eyes narrowed about what he was seeing. Spike looked at him with fear, because he had seen his face in the wanted paper. He then realized after a while and closed eyes, looking away . "Oh..." was all that he could say...

"You...you... you are c-centreus.." Spike asked ,backing up to exit and tell the autorities.

Shadow nodded. "I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore... "

Spike stayed thinking , the past weeks with him wasn't the same before his arrivel, it has been better. But if he was a criminal, why would he help him and twilight and all of ponyville. He should be a thief, a killer, but he wasnt"You arent a real criminal, right? "Spike said, walking toward him. Spike didn't saw him scared anymore, because if he was a criminal, he would already done something. Centreus didn't said anything, just shaked his head in a no. Centreus opened his eyes when he felt something. Not pain or anything that he waited for. Instead, it was spike hugging him.

"I will keep this secret...I promise" spike said, hugging. Centreus smiled and hugged back. After a while ,centreus turned into shadow as he smiled and said something to spike

"Thanks..."shadow said.

 Spike has been talking with shadow for a while now, asking him a lot of questions, like why he was wanted and if he was half dragon and such stuff. Shadow put a hoof on the side of his stomach, in which it was covered by the blanket.

"It started to hurt..." Shadow said

"Then the sedation is starting to wear off. I will call a doctor" spike said as he walked toward the door "I don't want you to scare us again like yesterday."Spike chuckled, as he went out the door. Shadow smiled .after a while ,spike and the doctor came in, the doctor with the medicine on magic. He felt relieved that spike didn't fake of what he said. The doctor used the medicine on shadow and a sedation spell and leaved

"Thanks spike." Shadow said as his little friend nodded. Shadow was kinda confused, because the rest weren't there... maybe they were busy, rarity with a dress, fluttershy with her animals, pinkie with a party going on scc, aj was bucking apples, Rd practicing for the wonderbolt and twilight... castle? Maybe she had to go to canterlot for some duties. He could understand that they were busy , at least.

"I bought you something" spike said, grabbing the basket and putting it on shadow's lap. He looked at the basket and grabbed it. He could smell the flowers, where dragolines, his favorite.

"How you found these flowers? These are hard to find . " Shadow asked, grabbing one and raising it up to his nose, smelling it.

"Celestia gave me a couple of them, and I planted them behind the castle and then the garden was full of those flowers. I love them,and it seems you do too" spike said. He though he was the only one who loved them , when shadow  arrived, more flowers appeared. He wasn't sure why until now.

"These are my favorite. I remember when I first smelled one, couple years ago, I found them in a forest.. not the everfree forest. I'm glad you gave me these, spike. My hero. " Shadow smiled, rubbed the lil dragon's head and took out the sapphire. It wasn't big enough but shadow didn't cared, he used to do collars with rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and sapphires.

"Hey spike, have you done collars with these?" Shadow asked. Spike looked at him ,shaking head. Shadow knew what to do, a best friend's forever saphire collar... if spike promised not to eat it.

Twilight and the rest of the girls were very busy that day. Pinkie was making a party for a filly , Rd was needed to deliver something to princess luna, aj with her usual work, fluttershy was replacing shadow with his work while rarity needed twilight with a dress making. Spike was walking happily to carousel boutique, to be with twilight and rarity. Or better yet, to be with rarity alone. (Don't think dirty pwease.)

"Hey twilight" Said spike ,while entering carousel boutique with the sapphire collar centreus did for both ,spike and himself. Twilight was talking about how spike and Shadow has been great friends for just a month On the kitchen table with rarity .

"Hey spike. Was just talking about you right now with rarity." said twilight, smiling. Oddly, it wasn't her normal smile, it was different. Different somehow. Spike didn't knew how but it was different.

Rarity haven't seen her smile. spike shrugged and jogged toward rarity . "How was your visit, my spikey wakey? " rarity said, grabbing spike cheeks, smiling

Spike was finding it difficult to talk when rarity grabbed his cheeks. Rarity said that his cheeks were the cutest cheeks she've seen. When rarity stopped with the cheeks grabbing, spIke smiled . "It was good, shadow is making a full recovery,even with those nasty injuries, so he must be out next week, maybe the other." Rarity smiled but twilight, smiling too, you could easily notice she was faking it. Spike didn't feel comfortable when twilight wasn't acting like she normally do. spike looked at twilight, suspiciously. "Rarity, can you come here a minute?" Spike said, walking out of the kitchen . Rarity looked confused but followed spike, but not after saying "stay here twilight"

"Is something wrong spike?" Rarity asked

"I don't know, I wanted to ask you if you have seen twilight... um... strange?" Spike whispered. Rarity looked at twiliggt, who was poking her wing.

"I... think so... I had to go to get her in the castle, she didn't even remembered she had to come here for the dress... and that I told her half an hour before I left... " said rarity, who was preoccupied.

"Odd ... she never forgets anything ...and if she knows she will forget something, she writes it somewhere she will see it." spike assured. "Just keep an eye on her please."

"I will " rarity nodded. Entering back to the kitchen, spike jogged outside . He knew somehow that smile... he must have seen it somewhere... but where???

After spike had left the hospital, shadow was looking at the dragolines. Spike said that more flowers appeared when he arrived. Shadow's curiosity grew the more he though of it. the dragolines could sense when a dragon or dragon pony was close ? He wasn't sure but he would investigate about them. Who knew flowers could have such senses? He didnt, he knew that. He grabbed the flowers and observed it. Its petals looked like dragon's scales. There are double color, like blue and red, green and yellow, and more, depending from the dragon who had it color. These were purple and green but changed into blue and red, the normal colors of centreus. He smiled , smelled it again and put it on the basket. Then he saw pinkies letter. He grabbed it with magic and when it was close enough , he grabbed it with his hooves. He didn't wanted to use magic around ponies, they could suspect he wasn't normal. He opened the letter as confetti was shot upward . Shadow chuckled , happy and confused , happy because confetti make him happy and confused because how pinkie could put confetti in the letter in a way it was shot upwards. He was going to ask her when he got out or pinkie visited him How she did it.

"Shadow?" rarity said, entering the room. shadow looked at her.

"Oh hey rarity. " Shadow answered.

" I have to ask you something... about twilight.."  Shadow smile disappeared when he head that. Rarity wasn't in her usual voice, instead, it was a preoccupying one.

Rarity started talking about how twilight was being this day. She talked about how she forgot about the dress rarity needed help with , about how she smiled ,how she talked. Shadow had frowned and was thinking. He analyzed every bit of detail rarity gave to him.

"Have you seen her eyes?" Shadow asked. he though it was a changeling, but if rarity said her eyes glowed light blue and turned back to normal...

"no... I havent." Rarity answered...

"Ok... just Try to keep an eye on her please. " Shadow said. Rarity nodded and walked out. Shadow was very preoccupied. What if his thoughts were true? If she was a changeling? He waned to walk around to try and calm down but he changed his idea when he took off his blanket. He was bandaged almost everywhere. He could feel his broken ribs, meaning the medicine was wearing off... again... he covered himself again and forced himself to sleep, hoping this was just a bad nightmare... a meanie bad nightmare

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