It was a rainy midnight. The water dropped down from the cloudy skies, banging on roofs, then slowly draining down, dropping on the ground and making large puddles.
All ponies were asleep, except for one. He ran, often looking back, searching for those who're after him. He knew he was chased after by those who forcefully held him in the place he never wanted to be and where he will never return under any circumstances. The stallion ran, often stumbling and falling in mud. He was panicking, he didn't know where exactly his pursuers were. The only thing he knew is that they would never let him go if they catch him.
The stallion looked terrible. There were a few wounds on his body and muzzle that haven't healed yet, a few bruises on his back. His pale blue eyes seemed to be deep in their sockets, his skull could be seen as his cheeks sunken. His mechanical legs were covered in mud as was his white fur on his body. The body was shaking from the cold.
He was feeling himself terrible as well. He was starving, he was cold, he was aching. All his body was aching, and the pain was driving him crazy. The stallion wanted to stop everything, to awake and find himself in his comfortable bed if nothing has happened.
Suddenly somepony kicked him in the side, making him fall. He tried to stand back on his hooves but was unable to do so as somepony held him against the ground.
"Now now, my little pony, it is time to go back home," the pony who caught him said. His voice was low and menacing. The catcher was wearing a black cape. His legs were armored with the black steel armor. "Somepony is waiting for you."
"No! Please, let me go!" the white stallion screamed. His voice was trembling in fear. "Please, I beg you!"
"Let you go?" the catcher said and made a short laugh. "In your dreams."
He put out a syringe with a strange green liquid inside. He thrust it into white stallion's body.
"Now you will fall asleep, my little pony," the catcher grinned as the white stallion stopped resisting, unconscious. "You will wake up back at home, don't worry. And you'll forget this little escape," the catcher paused. "I hope it won't overdose you like the last time..."
"Hey, what are you doing with him?" a mare yelled from behind. The catcher turned around and was hit by a purple beam of energy. He was thrown aside but managed to get up on his hooves and run away before the mare could do anything. She slowly approached the white stallion who was lying in the mud. The mare was Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. She picked up the stallion and teleported herself and him back to her castle.
Fifteen minutes later.
The stallion woke up in an unfamiliar room and saw an alicorn besides him. He tried to stand up but found himself too weak for this. He turned his head and met alicorn's purple eyes with his pale blue ones.
"Please, don't try to stand up," Twilight Sparkle said. "You're in terrible condition."
The stallion nodded and looked around. He found himself in a large crystal room. The walls, ceiling and floor were made of crystals of different shades of blue. The stallion could see a wooden door which led outside the room, a small table near the wall, a big window right in front of him. The stallion himself was lying on a large, soft bed. His barrel and legs were covered with a thin white sheet. The stallion coughed and tried to say something, but only wheezed.
"Oh, you need some water to drink!" Twilight said in realization. Her horn lit up and soon a glass of water levitated to stallion's mouth. He opened it, and the liquid filled his mouth. He drank all the water, coughed a few times and asked:
"Who are you? Where am I?"
"I'm Twilight Sparkle, you're in my castle. But who are you and what were you doing so late outside your house?" Twilight asked. "And who was the pony who attacked you?"
A few blurry images flashed in stallion's mind as he tried to recall the last events.
"I'm Moonbeam," the stallion answered. His voice was weak and hoarse. "I... I can't remember anything else. Well, it's like," Moonbeam paused. "If I've lost a year of my life somewhere."
"You don't remember that somepony attacked you in the street?"
"Well, I..." the stallion paused as a few unclear images flashed before him. "Yes, but... It's not clear. The last thing I remember is that a pony was holding me. Then everything went black."
"Well, I think tomorrow I will get you to hospital," Twilight said but stopped as stallion's snout showed true terror. His eyes widened and his mouth opened. He fell out of the bed.
"Not the doctors!" he tried to yell. His voice was still weak. "Please, no! Never never never, no sterile rooms and white lab coats! No, no no no, please, I beg you!"
He was rolling on the floor, repeating the word "no".
"Okay, I won't take you to a doctor," Twilight said, backing a little. "Just, please, calm down! You're going to hurt yourself!"
Moonbeam stopped rolling. He was slowly being levitated back on the bed. The sheet was gone, revealing that most of stallion's body was hidden in the metallic shell, and his legs were completely mechanical.
"Can you tell me more about this?" Twilight asked in trembling voice, pointing her hoof at stallion's metallic shell. The stallion looked at his mechanical part of his body and sighed.
"Well, I... I think they were attached to me. I was born without them, that's for sure."
Stallion's stomach painfully rumbled, reminding that he hasn't eaten in a very long time.
"Please, Twilight Sparkle, give me something to eat," Moonbeam said. "I'm starving."
The Princess jumped and hurriedly went out of the room. A minute later she returned with a plate of hay and a grass soup bowl.
"Here you are, Moonbeam," Twilight said, placing the bowl and plate on a chest of drawers near the bed. "You have emaciation, you can't eat rich food. You have to eat these for a week or so before you can eat something richer."
"Thank you," the stallion smiled weakly. He raised a little, allowing himself to grab a spoon with his magic and eat the soup. He felt himself much better as the soup filled him with every spoon he took. It was flowing down his digestion system, bringing pleasure and satisfaction.
Then Moonbeam ate all the hay at one sitting. He thanked Twilight and fell back on the bed. He quickly drifted asleep, too tired to even speak.
Twilight looked at him for some time, then went to her bedroom. It was on the next floor.
Twilight's room was pretty big. It had three doors: one door to the stairs, one door to the balcony, and one door to the bathroom and toilet.
The room itself had a large window and purple curtains. There was a big bed near the window. The bed was made of crystal and had a soft mattress. The wall on the right had bookshelves with lots of books on different subjects. There was also a big table with ink wells and quills, and lots of paper as well.
Twilight Sparkle walked to her table and started writing a letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I'm very sorry that I'm writing to you that late, but something happened.
This night I couldn't fall asleep, so I went out of my castle to have some fresh air. I heard somepony screaming and ran to its source. I saw two ponies: one was lying in the mud while another one held him forcefully and thrusted something into first one. I saved the first one, whose name's Moonbeam. He's a white unicorn stallion who is wearing a metallic shell with mechanical legs of same material. He doesn't remember the last year of his life, but I'm sure that it's connected with bad doctors. He has a phobia of them, so I couldn't take him to hospital. Moonbeam has emaciation, as if he hasn't ate for weeks. I hope he'll be alright.
Princess Celestia, I need you to come tomorrow evening to see him. I'm afraid I can't return his memory, I haven't studied such a spell yet. Maybe you can help him.
Your former student,
Twilight Sparkle
As soon as Twilight finished writing the letter, she went to Spike's room. She gently touched the sleeping dragon, waking him.
"Uh? Twilight? It's midnight!" he said and yawned. "I wanna sleep!"
"Spike, I'm very sorry, but, please, I need you to send a letter."
The purple dragon muttered something to himself and grabbed the letter. He inhaled and breathed out green fire, sending the letter to Princess Celestia. Then he fell back in his comfortable bed and quickly fell asleep.
Moonbeam woke up as the sunlight touched his face. He yawned and looked around. He was still in the guest bedroom. He sighed, then got up from his bed.
He felt himself much better, although still a little weak. But it doesn't matter if you have mechanical legs. The stallion looked at them and sighed. He hoped that he will wake up back at home as if nothing has happened.
Suddenly the door to the halls opened and Twilight entered the room. She had a plate of food with her.
"Hello, Moonbeam, woke up already? How do you feel?" the Princess of Friendship asked.
"A lot better, thank you," Moonbeam answered. His voice was no longer hoarse and week. Twilight put the plate on the table. Moonbeam looked at it and saw two large red apples and a glass of apple juice. He levitated an apple to his muzzle and took a bite. He found it very delicious. Then he ate the apple bite by bite.
"Thank you," he said and levitated another apple to himself. He quickly ate it and took the juice.
"So, I wanted to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind" Twilight said and set on Moonbeam's bed.
"It's the least I can do for you," Moonbeam answered, putting the glass back on the table. He walked to his bed and sat near Twilight.
"So, you don't remember anything about yourself?" she asked.
"No, I just can't recall this year," Moonbeam answered. "I can tell you what was happening before."
"I am all ears."
"So, about a year ago ponies from my village started to disappear. Once in a week at least one pony disappeared without any trails left. After five ponies gone missing, our mayor sent a pegasus to report to Royal Princesses. It seems he got caught too."
Moonbeam paused.
"We were afraid even to go outside, so we remained still in our houses. But ponies who lived alone started to disappear as well. By the end of the aecond month only six ponies left including me. I lived at the edge of the village, so I was in great danger. But no one could help me to move closer to others. One day somepony broke into my house and knocked me out."
"But why couldn't you move to another house by yourself?" Twilight asked. The stallion frowned sadly and sighed.
"I was born without legs," he said, looking at his legs. "I couldn't move without help."
"I'm sorry," Twilight said, really disappointed in herself. "I didn't mean to offend you!"
"It's okay, you didn't know about that," Moonbeam said, looking straight in Twilight's magenta eyes. "Anyway, I don't know who gave me these," the stallion nodded at his mechanical legs. "Do you know anypony who could do that?"
"I have never seen a technology like that," Twilight replied, touching stallion's legs. "It is made of some kind of metal, I think. But how can you move them? I don't feel anything magical in your legs, so it is only a technology."
"I have no idea," the stallion replied and got up from his bed. "But I need to learn how..." he made a few steps, then stumbled and fell. "To control them."
Moonbeam rose from the floor and made another few steps. Then he walked around the room. He smiled.
"Oh, well, it's not that bad after all," Moonbeam said and walked to his bed. He sat on his bed and crossed his forelegs.
"Well, Moonbeam, you're a unicorn. Why couldn't you levitate yourself?"
"I have no knowledge how to do that," Moonbeam answered. "I tried, but I didn't have enough books to study magic. Our library had only a few books, and I couldn't go anywhere else."
"I can help you!" Twilight said in excitement. "It will be great! You will be my first student ever!"
"Oh, well... If you know how to teach me, why not?" Moonbeam said. "If you help me, I'll be very grateful, and someday I'll repay you."
"Oh no, you don't need to repay me," Twilight disagreed. "I had always been dreaming about having somepony to teach. Well, I taught a few fillies, but I never thought I'll be teaching a grownup."
"Grownup?" Moonbeam chuckled. "I'm only sixteen."
"Becoming a grownup is not something you achieve by becoming older, it's what comes from within," Twilight said. "I see that you're polite, you're quite smart, and you're willing to learn. I've never thought I would meet somepony like you. In fact, you're a lot like me!"
"So, do you like to read a lot too?"
"Of course! I have a library full of books which I have already read!" Twilight smiled.
"Great! I would like to read those books too," Moonbeam smiled back. "I have always been searching for knowledge. Well, I couldn't do anything else but stay at home and read in my free time, but I like that."
"Yes, books store great knowledge," Twilight nodded. "And with that knowledge, we're able to create new!"
"I fully agree. So, will you show me the library of yours?"
"Of course! Follow me, Moonbeam," Twilight said and got up from Moonbeam's bed. The stallion followed her.
They were walking through a big crystal hall. The library's door was right at it's end.
The hall was decorated with beautiful flowers and paintings. Most of them represented the same as stained-glass windows in Canterlot Castle did.
"Are these," Moonbeam asked. "Pictures of what you've done with the help of your friends?"
"Yes," Twilight proudly answered. "We've achieved many victories with the magic of friendship. We've fought many villains and we've won every time. But I wouldn't have done that alone."
"But I can't see your friends here, in the castle," Moonbeam said. "Do they live on another floor?"
"My friends don't live in the castle. I had no choice but to move here," Twilight frowned sadly. "My previous house was destroyed."
"I'm sorry to hear that..."
"It had been my home for four years. But the house is not as important as memories I share with my friends," Twilight smiled. "We shared happiness, fears, sadness. That's what friends are for! You can always rely on them, and they can always rely on you. They gave me something I would never achieve alone. They gave me something that I thought I didn't need."
Twilight looked in Moonbeam's eyes.
"They gave me friendship. Tell me, Moonbeam, do you have any friends?"
"Oh, well..." the stallion rubbed the back of his head. "Not really... No one wanted to play with me when I was a colt. I was too strange for them," he looked down at his legs. "But I had a friend. I don't know if she's alive by now. But she was my most loyal friend. She always supported me and hanged out with me. We had quite evenings with each other, we told each other different stories, sitting by the fire. She always helped me to move myself, and I'm very grateful for that," Moonbeam sighed. "I hope I will find her. Her name's Night Star."
"I'm sure you'll find her, Moonbeam," Twilight said, putting her hoof on his shoulder. "You'll meet again."
"Thank you," Moonbeam said as one tear rolled down his cheek. "Okay, let's go to the library."
The rest of the way to library was walked in silence.
"So, Moonbeam, what book do you want to get?" Twilight asked. She and Moonbeam were in the library among many bookshelves.
"Something about magic, I think," the stallion replied. "I never had a chance to study it. I know how to levitate things and use them but I don't know anything else."
"Oh, well, I can help you with that. My talent is magic, and I'm ready to teach you," Twilight said.
"How about teleportation?"
"It's pretty easy once you get to know it," Twilight replied. "Try to concentrate and imagine the place where you would like to go. Then imagine yourself being there. Try to teleport yourself not too far, or you can get lost easily. My first teleportation ended with me being on the top of the highest tower. Please, be very careful."
Moonbeam nodded and closed his eyes. He concentrated and threw away all emotions, all sounds, all scents. He concentrated and felt magic flowing through him. He imagined his room. He felt the magic being concentrated at the tip of his horn. Moonbeam imagined himself being in that room. Suddenly he felt dizzy as the magic stopped flowing through him. With a loud sound, he teleported somewhere. The stallion opened his eyes and found himself in his bed where he woke up in the morning. He was feeling himself dizzy and a little exhausted.
He got up from his bed and walked out of the room into the hall. He stopped as he saw Twilight running to him.
"Moonbeam, that was amazing! I knew you would be alright!" she said, smiling. "You're making great progress already."
"Well, thanks, but I feel a little dizzy and exhausted," the stallion replied.
"Oh, it is normal for the first teleportation. Once you get used to it you won't feel anything."
"I hope so," the stallion chuckled. "Enough magic for me today, I think."
"I was about to say the same," Twilight said. "You need rest after your first teleportation, of course."
"Oh, it's just morning!" the stallion groaned.
"Don't worry, I'll wake you up when it's dinner."
"Well, thanks for that," the stallion smiled and turned around. He entered his room, walked to his bed and fell on it, quickly falling asleep.
Twilight smiled too and went to her bedroom to write a letter to Princess Celestia.
As she entered her bedroom, she saw Spike reading new cartoon "Supermare" on her bed.
"Hi, Twilight," Spike greeted Twilight. "How's it going with that stallion?"
"He's quite alright," Twilight replied. "He's polite, he's smart. He loves reading books!"
"Oh, I won't outlast two eggheads!" Spike groaned and Twilight giggled.
"Oh Spike, don't worry, we won't interrupt your reading with our egghead stuff," she giggled again. "You read your cartoons, we read our books."
"Whatever, as long as I won't be asked to find the square root of one thousand two hundred sixty six," Spike muttered to himself and resumed his reading.
Twilight giggled, looking at his number one assistant, then she levitated a piece of paper and a quill to herself and started writing the letter to her former teacher.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Moonbeam is quite well, though I still need you to help him to return his memory.
I found out that he was born without legs and the village where he lived was attacked by somepony. They kept kidnapping ponies for something Moonbeam doesn't know what. He hasn't told me everything yet, I think, but you will be able to talk to him as soon as you come to my castle.
Moonbeam is pretty polite and quite smart. He enjoys reading as much as I do! And I am teaching him magic now. And he's making great success!
I hope that you will see it all by yourself, Princess. I know you'll like him.
P.S. No need to answer this letter. I'm just too excited about that stallion I just had to tell you!
Your former student,
Twilight Sparkle
"Wake up, sleepyhead," Twilight said, gently pushing Moonbeam. He yawned and slowly got up from his warm and comfortable bed. "It's six p.m. already."
"Huh? Was I sleeping that long?" the stallion asked and rubbed his eyes,
"Yeah," Twilight smiled. "Oh, and by the way, Princess Celestia is waiting for us in the dining room."
"Princess Celestia?" Moonbeam asked, widening his eyes. "Like, really? Well, it's a little strange to me, but I'll be honored to meet the Princess of the Sun. But how can I go without a suit and with this metallic shell?"
"Don't worry, it's not formal meeting," Twilight said. "She's come here just to see you and help you if she can."
"Phew," the stallion wiped sweat away from his forehead. "I was starting to get nervous."
Twilight nodded and walked outside the room, Moonbeam followed. They walked down the hall and downstairs. They walked down another hall and turned left, entering the dining room where Princess Celestia was already waiting for them.
"Hello, Moonbeam," Celestia said, looking at the stallion.
"Good day to you, Princess," Moonbeam said and bowed. "Twilight Sparkle said that you've come here to see me."
"Yes, she's right. I want to know how are you feeling. Do you feel alright, Moonbeam?"
"Fine, thank you," the stallion replied. "Twilight has taken great care of me. I don't know what could I do without her."
"That's what ponies must do to each other, Moonbeam," Celestia said. "Ponies must help those who are in need. I taught Twilight this and I'm trying to show as much friendship to my loyal subjects as I can. I care about my subjects and I came here to help you. Tell me, do you recall your memories of this year?"
"I don't think so, Princess," the stallion replied. "They're like a big blurry mess. I think I know something but I can't fully remember."
"Let me help you with that, Moonbeam. Move closer to me, please," Celestia said. Moonbeam nodded and walked to her. Celestia closed her eyes and concentrated, her horn started to glow yellow. Moonbeam's eyes started to glow yellow as well. A minute later the glow faded and Celestia opened her eyes.
"Moonbeam?" she called the stallion. He was stuck and didn't even turn his head. "Can you hear me?"
Moonbeam shook his head and turned his head to Celestia.
"My head is aching, that's all," he said, rubbing his head.
The Princess of the Sun sighed.
"Well, that's all I could do. Your memory will return in a week or so. I wasn't sure with the spell, but I tried my best. Nopony ever created a spell powerful enough to cure minds."
"I'm grateful for what you've done, Princess. And I want to ask you something."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever heard about village 'Bright Shades'?"
"Well, I do recall that a pony came from there," Celestia rubbed her chin. "He was beaten up, weak, his clothes and the bag he carried were torn. He's in Canterlot Asylum right now, the doctors have been taking care of him since he arrived. He could only say one phrase: 'I have a very important letter!' But there was no letter."
"And... How is he doing?"
"Not quite well. Nopony could get him to speak again. He was silent for more than half of the year. It seems he can't even notice anypony else. All he does is eating and sleeping. Sometimes he walks around his room. He even tried to commit a suicide but, thankfully, doctors stopped him."
"Can I... Talk to him?" Moonbeam asked.
"No, you can't. No one is allowed to visit him until he recovers. But, if you know anything about him, you can tell me," Princess Celestia said.
"He was the pegasus our village's mayor sent to you to tell you that our ponies were being kidnapped," Moonbeam said and sighed. "But it's too late. Everypony's gone, no one left but me. And I don't even know where can they all be."
"Tell me more, please."
"For two month or so, once a week a pony disappeared. They were gone missing with no trail left. After five missing ponies, our mayor sent a pegasus to you, hoping that you could help us. One day I got kidnapped too. But I don't remember what happened next."
"Well, I will send Royal Detectives there, they will find kidnappers," Princess Celestia said. "By the way, Moonbeam, aren't you hungry?"
Stallion's stomach rumbled.
"Oh, I think I am," Moonbeam chuckled. "Well, let's eat."
