Forgotten

Chapters

Forgotten: A Tale of Moondancer
Forgotten: Soft
Forgotten: Hollow

Forgotten: A Tale of Moondancer

Moondancer sniffled, struggling against tears. Once again, she had been forgotten. Today – this very day, one she had been anticipating for months, spending almost every hour of every day on this very moment – was supposed to be a magical exam. One of the most important ones she could ever hope to pass, especially since it was to be judged by Princess Celestia herself.

But the Princess had forgotten, choosing instead to visit Ponyville for a 'casual brunch.'

"It's nothing unusual," her friend Lemon Hearts had said, walking Moondancer home from an empty auditorium. "She's very busy, you know. She forgot one or two of my exams, also. It happens."

The lavender unicorn sniffled again, wiping the wet tips of her navy-blue hair out from her face. Not even Mopsy, her baby dragon companion, had been able to stay with her today, citing too many errands to run. She gave a loud sigh and rested her head on the floor between her hooves.

Always forgotten.

So deep was she in her grief that she failed to notice a tendril of black smoke crawl from under her front door. The smoke poured into the room, gathering itself up into a small cloud.

"Poor child."

Moondancer jumped at the sultry voice. She looked around, quickly wiping tears away. "Wh-who's there?"

She gaped in shock at the black cloud. It swirled around, taking the form of a pony, an ailicorn, violet-furred, with stark white hair and glowing yellow eyes with no pupil.

"Who are you?" Moondancer cried, shrinking back.

"A friend of the forgotten. A guardian of the neglected. I am the savior of those denied their proper due."

The lavender unicorn's jaw dropped. "It's you! Y-you're-"

The shadow-pony's white hair pulsed with energy. "Listen not to the tales others spread. I am a neutral spirit. Only if one harbors anger can I be used for evil. And, Moondancer, whether knowing or unknowing, you have summoned me here. You have asked for my help, and I only seek to provide it."

"H-have I?" Moondancer relaxed, daring to approach.

"Indeed. You have asked with your heart not to be forgotten. An honest and pure wish, and one I am happy to grant. Trust me, after I help you, no one will forget you ever again, not even Princess Celestia."

Moondancer paused, closing her eyes. On one hoof, she would never be neglected again. No one would ever forget her name or overlook her raised hoof when she knew the answer in class. On the other hoof, how, exactly, did this shadow spirit plan on making her memorable?

"She forgot your birthday," hissed the shadow.

Moondancer's pupils narrowed, remembering the exact moment her life collapsed. Turning from fear to desperation, she cried out to the spirit: "Help me. Make me unforgettable! I want my name spread through the cosmos!"

The shadow-pony smiled a wide, wicked grin.

Spike hummed happily to himself, removing a tray of safflower-seed muffins from the oven. They smelled so delicious and sweet! Later, they would be a good way to wrap up dinner, and the next morning they would make such a filling breakfast for Twilight's full day of studying.

He set the muffins on the counter to cool, beaming with pride. Serving Twilight, though sometimes a thankless job, certainly paid off when she was pleasantly surprised. Safflower muffins were one of her favorite dishes but a rare find, especially since it was so darned difficult to shell all of those little bitty seeds.

But Spike's dedication knew no bounds. Plus, she might bring gems. She was out watching Applejack and the farmponies flatten some land, and who knows what might be found in a large pile of dirt?

He was licking his lips, thinking of some nice, crunchy quartz, when there was a knock at the door.

Still in his happy place, he quickly stepped into the main library. The visitor had already opened the door and allowed himself inside. It was another baby dragon. He was all black with some dark gray on his stomach and spines. As for his spines, they were unusually long and hung about his face like a shaggy haircut. The spines along his back and tail were long, too, giving him a very strange, ragged appearance.

Spike stopped, recognizing the dragon. "Mopsy?"

The baby dragon snapped his head up, staring at Spike. His eyes were completely yellow, like two bright stars. It was Mopsy – it should have been Mopsy – but wasn't Mopsy dark blue with red spines and belly? And Spike certainly remembered that Mopsy had light blue eyes.

Spike felt himself grow a little afraid.

"My mistress requests the presence of Twilight Sparkle. Where is she?" The baby dragon's tone was deep, haunting, unlike the childish voices of other dragonlings.

"Out," snapped Spike, suddenly getting on the defensive. "And I think you'd better leave, too."

There was an uneasy silence. The shadow-Mopsy's yellow eyes bore into Spike's, crushing his brave facade, bringing a looming sense of terror into the purple dragon's heart.

"You will do," Mopsy said with grave finality. Murky black shadows flew from beneath his feet. They caught Spike before he could even budge.

A baby dragon's scream echoed through the wooden walls of the library.

Twilight Sparkle's hooves dug deep and quick into the soft ground of the Everfree Forest. Her heart was pounding almost as fast as she was running. She hadn't collected her friends; the mysterious note left at the library suggested Spike's life may not hold enough time.

She found the fork in the path and skidded to a halt. One way went to Zecora's hut. The other went past Froggy Bottom Bog. The note had been ambiguous on the exact location of Spike's kidnapper, and for a fleeting moment, Twilight allowed herself to distrust the mysterious zebra who lived in the swamp.

A dark mist swarmed from the direction of Froggy Bottom Bog, chasing the thought from her mind. As she galloped down the path, she reminded herself to apologize to Zecora later.

The mist grew thicker, and Twilight followed it, turning away from the Bog on another fork in the path. At last, she came to an open clearing and almost fell tail over head as she stopped.

In the middle of the clearing was Spike, bound with rope and gagged. He flailed uselessly, spotting Twilight as she approached. Holding him down was a vaguely familiar baby dragon with long, floppy spines.

Twilight searched her mind for the name. "M-Mopsy?"

She jumped as another Mopsy appeared behind Spike, who started to struggle harder. Then another appeared. Another. Several more. Soon Spike was surrounded by a swarm of them, black-scaled, jaundice-eyed, glaring with hatred and contempt.

A shrill, insane laugh erupted from the trees. A large unicorn, almost the size of Princess Celestia and certainly twice as big as any pony, stepped out. Her coat was midnight blue, shining in spots as though covered with stars. Her black hair seemed amorphous, wriggling and waving as though it contained its own free will. Her eyes were bright yellow like those of the dragon minions, with little slivers of pupil in the middle. She stood menacingly over Spike, and only when Twilight tried to move did she realize that the shadow-Mopsys were holding her as well. They seemed to come from the ground itself, as though a part of the forest's shadow. Their little claws did not hurt but held fast.

"If it isn't Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's *favorite* student!" The dark unicorn's voice, mature and sultry, sounded very familiar.

"Let Spike go!" Twilight demanded, struggling against the shadows. Almost on impulse, she shot out a magical burst of energy at her captors. They parted but swarmed back twice as fast, as though she had tried to push away an ocean wave. Soon they had her buried up to her belly, immobilized and helpless.

The dark unicorn approached her until they were muzzle-to-muzzle. Twilight sucked in a frightened breath as the unicorn analyzed her intently.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" the unicorn said at last.

"Of course I do," Twilight hissed. "You're Nightmare Moon."

The unicorn let out a high laugh. She stepped back from the captured scholar and flashed her flank, showing her cutie mark: a shooting star crossing a crescent moon. The star was shattered into little shards. Twilight's eyes widened in recognition.

"My goodness, Twilight! I never imagined I'd bear witness to a moment where *you* are wrong! No, not Nightmare Moon. I suppose you could call me...Nightmare Moondancer!" She allowed her shrill laugh to pierce the forest air.

"Why?" Twilight demanded. She shot another blast of energy, breaking free of the shadow-dragons' grip. As they grabbed for her, she teleported a short distance away. Nightmare Moondancer jerked her head up, and all of the shadows vanished into the ground, save the ones holding Spike.

"Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you? And what happened to Mopsy?"

"Mopsy got in the way," the dark unicorn said dismissively, flipping her black mass of a tail. "As he is now, he is much more helpful. I can create hundreds of them, all at my whim. And they will all obey me 'til the end."

Twilight was stunned. "Y-you...you killed Mopsy?"

"I merely subtracted from him. I took his heart. And as for why I am doing this, Twilight Sparkle? Let me tell you."

Tendrils of inky hair shot out, wrapping around Twilight's chest and neck. The dark unicorn picked her up and slammed her to the ground. The world went white and then to dizzy color. The ground under Twilight's cheek seemed to spin and shift. She felt a presence close to her ear.

"You stole everything from me. You made everyone forget me."

Moondancer lifted up the scholar. Twilight, still dazed, made no attempt to struggle.

"We studied together for many years. I was so much younger than you. A prodigy! I excelled in talents other unicorns only dream of conquering. You were never more talented. You were only more powerful.

"Regardless, I was not jealous of you. Hand-picked by Celestia? Yes, we both were. Top students in class? I was always right behind you. Friends? Never."

The tendrils gave Twilight an anxious squeeze, and she let out a small cry.

"You never even noticed me, did you? Every year – every single year – I invited you to my birthday party in hopes that we could speak. You studied so much. I experimented with my powers. Together, our knowledge would be unfathomable! Yet you always shunned my invites. Studies. Research. Always something to keep you away from your classmates."

Twilight's vision came into focus. Her horn shined in an attempt to teleport away. Nightmare Moondancer slammed her against a tree, knocking the breath from her.

"Until this year." Her voice was calm, aloof. "This year was an important year for me. I was going to complete my exams. I was going to become an official Canterlot scholar. Not only that, the Summer Sun Celebration was right after my birthday. So I once again kindly sent you the invite."

'Oh, Spike. You know we don't have time for that sort of thing.' The echo of Twilight's memory rang painfully through her head.

"I-I didn't-"

"Don't interrupt, now!" Nightmare Moondancer snapped, giving her another painful squeeze. "It's so rude to interrupt! Now, once I heard that you were not attending, I canceled the party. What is the point if year after year I invite you and you don't attend? I was a depressing sight; I even turned Mopsy out of the house just so I could sit and cry.

"Evidently, word of my loneliness reached Celestia's ears, because very soon afterward, I received a message from her. Do you want to know what that message said, Twilight Sparkle?"

"I didn't know!" Twilight struggled violently. Moondancer's tendrils held firm. "I thought everypony was-"

Moondancer raised Twilight up and slammed her down hard, leaving a small crater in the earth. She stood over the smaller unicorn, staring down at her with intense yellow eyes.

"Do you want to know what was in the note, Twilight Sparkle?" Her voice was threatening, her words slow and deliberate.

"Wh-what?" Twilight peeped.

"It read: 'Don't worry about the Summer Sun Celebration preparations. It seems you have a lot on your mind as it is. I shall send another pony to Ponyville in your stead'."

Twilight gulped.

"I had considered it a sort of birthday present from Celestia." Moondancer's voice changed, sounding a little more like the old Moondancer Twilight had remembered from Canterlot. "I was finally going to see the rest of the world. I've never been outside of Canterlot, you know. Oh, I suppose you *don't* know, since you never took the time to know me. I had been so excited about going to Ponyville, and now even that had been taken from me.

"As it turns out, Celestia heard you weren't coming to my party. She viewed it – I suppose – as a good opportunity for you to make new friends. You, reluctant, antisocial, sent in my place. I *wanted* to make friends. I WANTED FRIENDS. And you just took them for granted."

Moondancer's voice shifted back to Nightmare Moon. She stomped on the ground with both front hooves, her tendrils flipping Twilight out of them, sending her flying into a tree. She sunk to the ground, wordless, consumed by guilt.

"Moreover, you stole my destiny." Her voice was a guttural growl, savage and low. "I was supposed to meet the ponies you met. *I* was supposed to defeat Nightmare Moon. *I* was supposed to embody the element of Magic! Not you! You were just some xenophobic loser who never set hoof outside her library! How dare you steal my destiny! How dare you!"

Twilight slowly lifted herself up, casting her head downward. "You're right," she said lowly.

The beam of energy Moondancer was building up dimmed into nothingness. "Wh-what?"

"You're right." Twilight looked up at her. "I never paid any attention to my classmates, even when they had a lot of insight to offer. I never even tried to make friends with anypony outside of a book. And I did take my friends for granted when I met them, simply because I did not want to take the effort to know them.

"Most of all, I knew you invited me every year. I never went to your parties because I thought they were just a hassle, a poor excuse to get out of studying. I never thought there was anything more to you. I...I never even attempted to get to know you, just like you said. And I'm sorry for that. If there's anything my friends have taught me, it's that I should try to be friends before I turn anypony away.

"I can't undo what happened to you. I can only hope you'll forgive me."

The Nightmare part of Moondancer seemed to quiet down. Her hair fell limp. Her ears went back against her head. Her eyes were sorrowful and reflective. Inside, Twilight gave a sigh of relief.

'This is it,' she told herself. 'She'll realize that I've learned my lesson and that she's being foalish by going through all this. In a while, I'm sure we'll be sitting in the library, drinking tea and laughing.'

But Moondancer's eyes were cast down on the shadow-Mopsys, still holding Spike at bay. The baby dragon had long since stopped struggling and had now reserved to a state of quiet panic.

"Mopsy," said Moondancer's voice sadly.

She suddenly flared with wild energy, sending a surge of force that nearly knocked Twilight off of her feet. Her horn fired up with a dark power, and she reared up with anger.

"Liar! You feel nothing for me! You never have! Let's just see if you care about something other than yourself!"

And she fired at Spike.

In an instant, Twilight was between Nightmare Moondancer and the baby dragon, deflecting the attack with a spell she had only vaguely remembered. Moondancer let out a terrible laugh, powering up her horn again and rearing.

"I'll take his heart, too! He'll be a shadow, just like Mopsy!"

"No!" Twilight cried. Energy fired from her on impulse, only emotion driving the spell. A white light covered Moondancer from horn to tail, freezing her body. A bright flash covered the clearing, chasing away the shadow-Mopsys and blinding Spike and Twilight. It took a few breaths for the brightness to fade. Uneasy on her hooves, all of her energy drained into that one spell, Twilight collapsed to the ground.

"Twilight?"

The familiar warmth of the voice brought the scholar from sleep. She opened one purple eye to see her baby dragon, a worried look on his scaly face.

"Spike," she groaned, smiling. "You're okay."

"Of course I'm okay," he replied, giving an awkward grin. "You saved me."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Moondancer!" She leaped to her hooves to look for the rogue unicorn. Night had fallen, a testament to how long she had been out. Twilight produced a small ball of light from her horn and hovered it around the area, searching.

It only took a moment to find the petrified unicorn.

Moondancer's body had turned to stone, freezing her eternally in an attacking rear, a terrified expression on her face. Twilight could only stare in shock before tears flooded her eyes.

"No. No! We...you weren't supposed to..." She stomped at the ground. "We should be having tea by now, laughing..."

A thought occurred to her, and she fired up her magic. The unicorn statue was bathed in another white light, but when it faded, Moondancer was still petrified. Twilight tried another spell – curative magic! No, purification spell! Bringing-rocks-to-life spell? She tried again and again, flipping through her memory for every single countermagic and healing spell she could muster. Nothing helped.

"No..." she sobbed, collapsing at the statue's base. "I didn't mean to do it, Moondancer. I never meant to hurt anypony. Was I really so selfish?"

Spike put a claw on her shoulder comfortingly. After a moment, he shook her.

"Twilight! Twilight, look!"

She wiped tears from her eyes and looked up. Spike was pointing to a large white object that was quickly approaching. Twilight stumbled to her feet, recognizing Princess Celestia's shape. Guilt piled into her stomach, making her heart pound and her head spin.

"There you are, Twilight! You – oh!" The Princess stopped, seeing the statue. It only took a moment for the princes to identify her student. "This...this is Moondancer. Twilight, what's going on?"

Through sobs, Twilight explained everything, including how she turned Moondancer to stone. Celestia stared in silence at her petrified pupil, scowling. Then, a matronly smile crossed her lips.

"Come, now. I'll fix this up."

The princess's horn lit up, and a golden light bathed the statue. The light flared brightly then faded away in little sparks.

But Moondancer was still stone.

Celestia looked surprised. She tried again, just as Twilight had, using several spells, all with no success. Twilight watched helplessly, feeling even more anxious as Celestia grew frustrated.

"I don't understand," she said, the scowl returning. "I've tried everything. It's as though...wait!"

The princess sat on the ground and closed her eyes. Her body began to glow, but it was a dark glow. Misty purple clouds covered her. Her horn glowed a bright blue and pulsed, as if sending a signal. After what seemed like eternity, the glow faded, and she opened her eyes once again.

"I see. This is a very difficult situation. It appears she wants to be like this."

Twilight started. "It can't be! Oh, this is all my fault. It's all because of me!"

"You didn't know, Twilight. This is one of the reasons why I wanted you to learn the magic of friendship. I had a feeling that you were unaware how your actions affected others. Besides, you are not the only one to blame." Celestia cast a guilty glance downwards. "Her exam was yesterday. I missed it because I was spending time with you. I also had forgotten her – and I know she is not the only student I have neglected."

There was a hollow silence as both reflected on their errors. Finally, Twilight perked up.

"Princess Celestia, is there somepony in Canterlot who can help her?"

"We could try," Celestia said hesitantly. She perked up. "Yes! There are many ponies who study the magic of the mind rather than traditional magic. Perhaps they can convince her to let us help." The princess stood, starting into the woods. "I need to fetch a chariot. Come with me, Twilight."

Twilight stayed in the clearing. Celestia, realizing her pupil was not with her, turned.

"Twilight?"

The scholar sat down at the statue's base. "Princess, I'd like to stay here with Moondancer. I want to make sure nothing comes after her in the forest."

The princess smiled. "Of course, as long as you can protect yourself as well?"

Twilight nodded. She felt a little bruised but otherwise in good form. Convinced, the Princess started back towards Ponyville, fading into the dark trees until she was a tiny white speck in the distance.

"I'll stay with you, Twi," said Spike, but it wasn't long before sleep overtook the baby dragon. Twilight lay beside the statue, and before long she, too, was asleep.

She was in a dark place.

Around her, she heard odd, chirruping sounds, like a swarm of insects moving against each other. She could feel the darkness around her, as though it were alive. She could almost hear its pulse, feel its breath. Somehow, she was not afraid, for even though the darkness was against her, it did not harm her.

Two lights flashed in front of her, a pair of yellow eyes.

"Twilight," whispered Moondancer's voice.

Twilight wanted to call out to the pony but found herself unable. Her mouth would not move. Her tongue was frozen. The pony with Moondancer's voice stood in front of her, so close that Twilight could smell her. But all Twilight could see were the wide, haunting eyes.

"I have committed a terrible crime. It was stupid and selfish of me. I hurt...someone close to me. I hurt Mopsy, who has been my companion since I was young. I loved him very much, and still I did not hesitate to strike against him. Moreover, I accepted this vengeful spirit, the same phantom that brought Nightmare Moon into existence. Even now, I feel her power: dark, angry, hungry for revenge. I could have unleashed her upon the world. My own anger blinded me.

"For this, I must accept my punishment. This land of darkness you see is the heart of Nightmare Moon. I will willingly stay here, keeping her locked away, keeping Equestria safe. I want to be forgiven, Twilight. I want it more than anything else. But until Nightmare Moon no longer exists, I cannot even try."

The two yellow lights started to recede into the inky miasma. Twilight started but found herself unable to follow and still unable to speak.

"I forgive you, Twilight Sparkle. Everypony makes mistakes. I am...happy that you acknowledge yours and are willing to atone for them. Please, Twilight. Please don't forget me."

The blackness became whole once more.

Twilight jumped, waking up, accidentally giving Spike an ungainly kick. She took a few quick breaths, chasing away the fear of darkness and loneliness. Uncontrolled tears ran down her cheeks, even after she caught her breath. Even though Spike was sleeping next to her, her heart felt cold and alone.

Something small and sharp struck the top of her head. Twilight looked up, and another fell on her cheek. She stood up, stepping out from under the statue to look at it in the moonlight. Long, thin streaks of blue were painted down Moondancer's cheek. Small shards of crystal dropped from her jaw, shattering musically onto the ground below.

Moondancer was crying.

Twilight pressed her body against the statue, the only form of comfort she could manage. The stone was cold and unyielding, and soon Twilight was shivering. But she was determined not to leave Moondancer's side.

A loud noise brought Twilight back to consciousness, and for one fleeting moment she thought Moondancer was breaking free from the stone. To her disappointment, it was only Celestia's chariot, pulled by two strong, gray pegasi. Celestia herself appeared moments later. Twilight helped the princess levitate the statue onto the chariot. No words were spoken between them.

The pegasi started off, pulling with some difficulty but eventually carrying the chariot into the sky. Celestia gave a worried sigh and lifted her wings to follow them. Twilight stopped her.

"Princess? Would you mind if I gave you my Friendship Report?"

Celestia paused. "Twilight, there isn't any need. You've been through enough."

"Please?"

The princess smiled comfortingly. "Very well."

Twilight gave a heavy sigh. "Friendship is a very powerful magic. The bonds it forms can last for a lifetime, and with true friendship those bonds are not easy to break.

"Some ponies may have a hard time forming those bonds. Some may not know how to begin a friendship or may fear growing close to others. Some may just act or think differently, causing others to misinterpret their actions. Still, everypony deserves a chance at friendship. Nopony ever deserves be alone. Nopony ever deserves to be forgotten."

Celestia sighed, still smiling. She craned her neck down to be muzzle-to-muzzle with Twilight. "If you want the truth, I have learned something, too. The neglect of a pony can lead to envy and anger. It isn't fair to favor one over the other. I should pay more attention to all of my students instead of my most popular one."

Twilight allowed herself to blush. Celestia again assured that Moondancer would be remedied, lifted her wings, and dashed off into the sky.

"Moondancer," Twilight whispered, watching her mentor fly off into the distance, "I forgive you. But I want to tell you that to your face. I hope you'll visit me soon – as your old self."

Forgotten: Soft

Twilight bit her lip nervously as she checked and double-checked the library shelves. She took another swipe with the feather duster, just in case she'd missed a spot. An error caught her eye, and she hastily switched out Amazing Aerial Acrobatics of the Advance Aviators from Air City and Amazing Alligator Assailants from the Aquatic Association of Azoturia so that they were alphabetically correct. If everything was in order...well, that was one less worry.

"Spike!" Twilight called, agitated, nearly galloping from the library's study area into the kitchen. "The scones aren't burning, are they? Don't bother; I'll get them!"

In truth, Twilight didn't know what to expect. The unknown, the lack of planning made her apprehensive. After all, she'd only received the letter from Celestia a couple days ago, and perhaps she'd been a little hasty in sending an invitation.

A sharp knock at the door frightened a small cry out of her. She froze in the fortress of her kitchen.

In the main library, Spike jumped at the knock, and the last saucer landed on the doily-covered table with a sharp clatter. A quick check revealed nothing broken. Spike let out a relieved sigh and headed for the front door. He hadn't been told who was coming to tea, but he always assumed it was Rarity. After all, Rarity was so refined and graceful and beautiful and majestic that it made sense to have her for tea. Whoever the guest, it had made Twilight explosively obsessive-compulsive. More so than usual, anyway. She certainly didn't act like that for Rarity, who was ever so generous and lovely and exquisite and –

"Spike, will you get that?" Twilight called, interrupting his thoughts. The sounds of shuffling plates echoed from the kitchen.

"I'm goin', I'm goin," Spike murmured.

There was no need for a rush. The guest had already entered.

A freezing chill crawled up his spines, paralyzing him with fear. The unicorn before him had a light lavender body stained with dark splotches of midnight blue. Her whole face, from jaw to nose to eartips, was dark blue. Her Cutie Mark, a shooting star crossing a crescent moon, was also blemished with dark spots. The shooting star on her flank was shattered. From her forehead to her poll, her mane was stark white, and a few stray white hairs streaked against the dark blue down her crest. But it was the intense gaze of bright yellow eyes that froze the baby dragon to the spot as he remembered the events of that day.

Spike hardly recognized the pony as Moondancer.

"T-Twilight?" he called, his voice trembling in terror.

"Spike," Twilight snapped, her head appearing from the kitchen doorway, "don't be rude. Invite our guests inside!"

"Guests?" Spike looked again, trying to shake off his nervousness. A small, dark blue dragon with a red belly and long, floppy red spines shyly stepped out behind Moondancer. In an instant, Spike's fear was shaken off like last year's scales. "Mopsy!"

He dashed forward to greet the baby dragon, but Mopsy disappeared behind Moondancer with a squeak. Spike stopped in his tracks, surprised. "It's me, Spike! Don't you know me?"

"I'm afraid he lost his memory," Moondancer said apologetically.

"I'm surprised he's here at all," said Twilight, pushing a tray of tea and snacks into the room. "It's a miracle in itself Celestia was able to bring him back. Thank you for coming, by the way. I know you've been through a lot in these past few weeks."

"Thank you for sending me an invite. You have no idea how much it means to me."

Twilight set the tea items on the table in the middle of the library. Moondancer approached the violet unicorn, touching her neck to Twilight's in a friendly hug. She noticed with some guilt that Twilight flinched at the touch.

"I wanted to see you as soon as Princess Celestia said you were well enough to travel. Would you like a sweetgrass scone?" Twilight hovered one to Moondancer's plate, taking a seat across from her. "Spike made them himself."

Moondancer graciously took a bite of the scone. "Quite delicious! Incredible job, Spike. Perhaps Mopsy could learn a thing or two from you."

Mopsy, separated from his guardian, curled up in a corner, shying away from Spike. Confused and a little hurt, Spike plopped on the floor a few feet away, frowning, making a conscious but not obvious effort to avoid looking at Mopsy's guardian.

"So tell me," Twilight began, diverting her eyes from Moondancer's strange face and concentrating instead on stirring a sugar lump into her tea, "how did you escape Nightmare Moon?"

Moondancer quietly looked into her own cup, took a deep breath, and began:

"The first few days, nothing really happened. I was still stuck in the Realm of Darkness, where I took you when you dreamed. I was aware that Celestia and a few other ponies were around me, but I knew little else. Every so often, Celestia used that strange technique to speak to me, but she wasn't able to do it very long, and her words weren't very convincing. I told her that I'd planned to stay petrified as long as Nightmare was with me.

"That is simply her name, you know. Nightmare. She is a sort of spirit that wanders the world looking for fear, guilt, and shame, off which she feeds. She's been around since the dawn of time, and she'll probably be around until the end of it."

Twilight nodded, staring into her tea.

"Anyway, a few days passed, and one night Princess Luna came to me. She was able to speak to me a lot longer than Celestia, probably because of her experience with the Realm of Darkness. I heard afterward that she was not allowed to visit me in fear that Nightmare would take her again, but our night princess isn't exactly known for taking orders.

"At first, Luna only asked who I was and how I came into this place. I told her, and she left as quickly as she had arrived. I suppose she was afraid of getting caught.

"The second night, she stayed for a long time. 'You don't belong here,' she said.

"'I must atone for my mistakes,' I told her.

"'That may be, but you must not do it here. This is a place where no pony should ever tread. This is a place solely designated for darkness and light.'

"But this is a Realm of Darkness,' I answered. 'How can they exist together?'

"She laughed. 'The Realm of Darkness protects the Realm of Light. All of the darkness you see before you is made up from creatures similar to those that Mopsy became. They have different shapes and purposes, but they are mostly harmless.'

"I said, 'But how can darkness protect the light?' Is that quiche?"

Twilight blinked, surprised by the distraction. "Oh-oh, yes! It is. Spinach and zucchini." She levitated a slice onto Moondancer's plate. The unicorn took a bite.

"This is fantastic. We must get the recipe."

Twilight waited until her friend swallowed before prompting, "So then what happened?"

"'I will show you,' Luna said, and her horn glowed a bright blue. Somehow, she chased the shadows away. I saw the shapes of them, a menagerie of different animals. Some looked like small dragons, some like ponies, some giant ones with broad, bat-like wings, and some small ones that looked like big bugs. They scattered like a flock of birds, opening up the ground below.

"The ground – it was made of light. A gigantic ball of white light. It was warm and happy, and as soon as I touched it I felt love for every single being on the planet. I loved Luna. I loved you. I even loved Nightmare. Such endless joy and hope consumed me, and I fell on the ground bawling, completely inconsolable with happiness.

"The Princess simply laughed at me and closed up the ground. The dark creatures flooded in, hungrily craving the light, and I could feel them all over. Many of them had sharp claws and long fangs, but they were gentle with me, as if they meant me no harm. I began to feel cold and lonely as they lifted me away from the light.

"'This is a place of extremes,' the Princess said. 'You are needed in the world beyond to help the balance of light and dark, like all ponies must.'

"Cradled by the creatures in the darkness, my heart felt such a yearning for the light. I wanted both the light and the benevolent dark. I wanted – I accepted – the balance. At once, I felt myself falling, but I wasn't moving. Luna just smiled at me, and then she disappeared. I could feel the edges of myself breaking away, and it sounds very strange to you, I know. I opened my eyes and saw them, Celestia and Luna, standing in front of me. They had an odd, wavering tint, and I soon realized I was trapped in a large bubble. We were in some sort of research area, like a laboratory.

"Unfortunately, when I woke up, Nightmare woke up, too. I could feel her within me, squirming, raging, a tsunami of hate. I knew she recognized the Princesses, and I could feel this desperate fear within her. She was afraid that the Princesses would destroy her. The bubble around us began to shrink, and Nightmare thrashed within me like a fish in a net. Terrified, I closed my eyes as tightly as I could. The bubble continued to shrink, but it wasn't closing in on me. I was being, for lack of a better word, osmosed, the bubble filtering Nightmare out of me.

"When the bubble reached my head, I felt something hard and sharp under my hooves. I realized that the stone around me had shattered, and now I was standing atop it. I opened my eyes. Twilight Sparkle, to this very day and all my days afterward, I wish I hadn't. I looked into the true face of Nightmare, and I can say this: She is not a pony. She's a black mass of fangs and claws and glowing eyes and fear and anger and hate. She grabbed my face, and…oh, Twilight, it felt as though she'd ripped my skin clean from my bones. I fell out of the bubble, and my face was all bloody. I screamed and cried like a newborn filly. Even though Celestia and Luna were there, healing me, I still felt a tremendous pain."

Moondancer paused. She took a small bite of her scone and ruminated. Twilight looked over her dark face and white-to-the-ears mane, no longer with anxious fear but with gradual understanding. Gulping down more than the scone, Moondancer uneasily continued.

"It was a pain worse than pain. I'm not sure how to describe it. As though my very soul was torn from my body. As you can see, it had its affects on my face. These other spots are from Nightmare ripping at my body, but I don't remember that part. Luna said Nightmare had changed her the same way. Not that we would know, but her Mark wasn't covered in dark fur before she was imprisoned.

"They said I was hospitalized for days, but I only remember the painful emptiness. Luna visited me often, as did Celestia. The bubble containing Nightmare was placed up in some high tower, and I was told it's constantly under guard. I don't think the Princesses had the heart to destroy it, even if it is malevolent.

"After I was healed, they had me speak to one of the 'Magicians of the Mind,' they called them. Imagine my surprise when that 'magician' turned out to be a pegasus! She was the loveliest pegasus I'd ever seen: pure white, with small pink designs all over her; hair of pink, white, and blue; and her wings were as big as Celestia's, with blue-tipped feathers! Her name was Star Catcher, and she's the Princesses' niece, though several generations apart. She didn't do any magic apart from discuss things with me. Things like how I shouldn't hold on to guilt, how I shouldn't be ashamed about the way my body changed, and other subjects of that nature. She was nice, but I didn't understand how this would help me. When I tried to go home and visit my friends, I understood immediately what Star Catcher tried to do."

Moondancer looked sadly at her half-eaten slice of quiche, as if she pitied it. "I had friends, even after you had left for Ponyville. Lemon Hearts, Sparkleworks, Twinkle, and a few other classmates. But once I returned, they wanted nothing to do with me. Many just avoided me; some actually called me 'traitor' or 'monster' or worse. I had lost everything.

Twilight was distinctively aware that the news of Nightmare Moon's return was kept only within the range of Ponyville. It was true that stories of Princess Luna's return had been spread, citing Twilight and her friends as the ponies that "helped to free Luna," but very few others knew that Luna and Nightmare Moon had actually been the same pony. Twilight remembered that Celestia specifically wanted her sister to be viewed as a victim instead of an antagonist.

Nightmare Moondancer, on the other hoof, had made very public appearances in Canterlot and Ponyville. Plus, it was hard to hide the evidence that Moondancer and Nightmare Moondancer were the same pony. All the magic in the world couldn't change public opinion.

"There's something to be said for acting without thinking," Moondancer continued. "'Patience in one moment of anger escapes one hundred days of sorrow'; isn't that the quote? My foalish acts had left me with a broken life. I spent days in my house, alone. Mopsy's absence left me with a sharp reminder that I was responsible for his demise. There was no friendly shoulder. I spoke to Star Catcher a little more, but how can a member of the esteemed royal family know true loneliness?

"Last week, Celestia brought Mopsy back to me. Initially, I was overjoyed to see him. Even now I'm not sure how she saved him. But I was devastated when I found that he didn't remember me. He's a little better now. He knows that I'm his guardian, at least. But he still doesn't say any words, and I fear he'll never be the same."

Twilight glanced over at the corner of the room where Spike and Mopsy were sitting. Spike had finally coaxed Mopsy into playing with him. Spike would blow a burst of green flame, and they would both giggle. Mopsy would blow a noticeably smaller, bright orange flame, and again they would both giggle. It was a hatchling's game, something newborns played, but at least Spike was getting some reaction from his former friend.

Exiled from Canterlot, Twilight knew they had nowhere to go. She was a little uncomfortable with the thought of Moondancer staying in Ponyville. She still didn't know Moondancer that well, even if she was willing to give their friendship a chance. Regardless, what else could she do?

"Moondancer," Twilight began hesitantly, "you and Mopsy are more than welcome to come and live with me in Ponyville. That is, unless you want to finish your magic exams first. Didn't you only have about two or three more?"

Except for the dragons' laughter, the room fell eerily silent. Moondancer gave Twilight a bittersweet smile, and at once, Twilight understood. Her stomach lurched with guilt and pity.

"That's just it, you see. I can't finish the exams."

Twilight looked at the table. For the first time, she realized that Moondancer had never picked up her cup, that she'd bitten the quiche directly from the plate. The once-pristine scone was now squashed and malformed with clumsy hoof indentures. Her heart felt tight in her chest. "M-Moondancer, I'm so sorry."

The lavender unicorn shook her dark head. "There's no need for that. Celestia said – well, she hopes – that it's like Mopsy's memory. One day it'll just…come back." She gave a nervous laugh, but it didn't stop two large tears from rolling down her cheeks. "I never thought how hard it would be to be an earth pony. It's certainly a challenge."

Twilight slid off her seat, stepping over to put a comforting hoof on Moondancer's shoulder. "You didn't deserve this. Nopony deserves something like this, no matter what they've done."

"I-I know." Moondancer couldn't hide a sniffle. "That's what Star Catcher kept telling me."

"Stay with me. I can help you."

The disgraced unicorn shook her head. "I can't. I can't stay in Canterlot, either. That's the other reason I wanted to visit you, Twilight. I'm going on a journey, and I wanted to say goodbye."

"What? Moondancer, stay here. I have a lot of friends, and I'm sure once I explain things-"

"No, that's not the only reason I'm leaving. There's…an emptiness. Just something else I can't explain. I feel like there's something out there, something to fill this void inside of me. I'm happy that you want to help me – in fact, I'm overjoyed that anypony cares for me right now – but I can't accept your offer."

"Then let me go with you. Stop and think about this, Moondancer. You're not prepared to go out there."

Moondancer shook her head, drawing back from the table. "Your friends need you here. If you must do something for me, hope. Hope for me to find what I seek, and never forget me." The lavender unicorn paused, looking at the table. "Also, some more of those scones would be quite nice."

Twilight allowed herself to smile. Spike and Mopsy, distracted from their game, came to see what was going on.

"Spike, will you pack some treats for Moondancer and Mopsy? They're going...on a trip. I want to make sure they eat well, and Moondancer seems to love your food."

Spike blushed as Moondancer smiled pleasantly at him. Those yellow eyes still haunted him in the middle of the night with nightmares he hid from even Twilight. He knew behind those eyes was a pony he had once known a pony that meant him no harm, but the fear was still too much. He scurried off to the kitchen to collect foodstuffs, possessed by a rare case of shyness. Even when he returned with the parcel, he merely handed it to Twilight before disappearing into the kitchen again.

"I don't blame him," Moondancer sighed.

"Oh, Spike!" Twilight chided. "He doesn't hate you. Right, Spike?"

"R-really, I like you, Moondancer," Spike called from the safe recesses of the kitchen. "I just...can't look at you. Ever."

Twilight gave an apologetic look, but Moondancer waved a hoof passively. "It's not the worst thing said to me. I'm not insulted; don't worry."

"I want you to write to me, as much as you can. Don't make me worry about you."

"At least once a month, as long as you write back."

The scholar-pony smiled. "Trust me. Writing letters is my specialty."

Twilight saw her friends off toward White-Tail Woods, bidding them a safe journey. She knew that Moondancer would have been safer staying in Ponyville, but another part of her knew the forsaken unicorn would not have been happy.

After the unicorn and her companion were a tiny speck in the distance, Twilight went back inside the library to chase Spike out of the kitchen. That night, they ate dinner and went to bed as per usual, but there was a hint of a breeze that blew through the library that night, a reminder of the wind that had so suddenly came and so suddenly vanished.

Twilight was looking forward to the first letter.

Forgotten: Hollow

Twilight didn't have to wait long for Moondancer's letter to arrive. The following week, Spike belched out a letter in the middle of dinner. Twilight was all too eager to open it, foregoing her meal for news of her friend. The letter read as follows:

Dear Twilight;

I have arrived at Alfalfadale, quite a distance from Ponyville. I hope this letter finds you well and eases your worries. I realize our meeting and departure was brief, and I regret not being able to stay and chat with you further. It is with that realization that I only hesitantly call you 'friend.' Regardless, I must find this thing that pulls at my mind, this missing part of myself. Once I do, I will return to Ponyville and will promise to try my hoof at friendship.

Alfalfadale is farm country, and it's good to see such strong ponies at work. Oftentimes I discredit earth ponies for their uncanny endurance. Normally, you wouldn't catch me out of bed before Celestia raises the sun, but these ponies are up from dawn until nightfall. Their work is so strenuous, yet they wear smiles on their faces. They can be proud without being brash, which reminds me of a certain unicorn that visited this place...

The Great and Powerful Trixie came to Alfalfadale recently, and I had the...pleasure...of meeting her. She pulled off a little stunt show, nothing except a few parlor tricks even first-year students could accomplish. She challenged anypony to out-do her in strength and tricks. Without my magic, I couldn't speak up, but a strapping young stallion put her in her place by bringing down a whole two-level barn with a single buck. Of course, Trixie didn't know that the barn had been prepped for demolition, but it was a sight to see her, mouth hanging open in surprise.

After the show, I approached her and asked her to help me re-learn some of my magic. She agreed and taught me at the very least to make a little orb of light. In exchange, she made me listen to her long and vapid tales of derring-do, which any filly could tell were all fabrications. I smiled and endured it, even the tale of how she saved you from an Ursa Minor. I would like to hear the real version of that story!

I have elicited a service to write and send you this note. Mopsy is not as advanced as I'd presumed, and his letter-delivery magic is significantly inaccurate. I shall write you again when I can. In the meantime, please remember me as I shall remember you.

Your friend,

Moondancer

Twilight responded that all was well on her end, encouraged Moondancer again to return home, and regardless wished her well on her travels. She then elaborated on Trixie's 'story,' telling instead what had really happened when the Great and Powerful Annoyance had visited. Twilight couldn't help giggling to herself as she wrote.

The second letter arrived a fortnight later, sweetening an already-lovely summer night. Twilight was on her upper balcony, watching the night sky and sipping cool lemonade when Spike announced its arrival.

Dear Twilight;

I hope this letter finds you and Spike well. I forgot to mention him in my last letter – I'm sorry, Spike! I have been traveling through lands full of earth ponies with no dragons or expert magic-users in sight. I'm in the city of Dalles, far to the north. The store of bits I was given for my journey has long run out. The hospitality of others is my one salvation. Plenty of small towns allowed me to work for some money, and I have been happy to do so. I have gathered so many stories that I am simply bursting to tell you when I return. One letter would do them little justice.

One story I will share, though. One night, I was working in a cafe in Hoofston. A stallion walked in, brilliant white with a white-blue mane. As I went to take his order, he put his hoof on my arm. I swear he said something like, "We are waiting for you," but when I asked again, he merely ordered coffee. I left to place his order, but when I turned around, he'd vanished completely! Nopony else saw him, either. It's impossible to think he was a ghost, but isn't it creepy?

It's far from the strangest thing that's happened. Sometimes, if we're sleeping on the road or in a forest, I wake up to the feeling of somepony watching me. There's never anything there. I feel Luna's protection all around me, so it can't be anything dangerous. It almost feels like when you were a filly and your mother looked in on you when you were half-asleep. Sometimes, I see ponies out of the corner of my eye, always white ones that disappear when I turn to look at them. Mopsy doesn't see them, but he really doesn't respond very much. He never speaks, and when I give commands he looks at me like he doesn't understand. Still, it's better than being alone.

I have practiced magic so much in the past weeks. I think I'm practicing harder now than I ever was during lessons. I can now move things – very light things like feathers and pens and some clothes. I tried to write you a letter with magic, but I didn't get very far before tiring.

The scholar-pony writing this letter is giving me a look that says my time with him has expired. I will write again soon. In the meantime, please remember me as I shall remember you.

Your friend,

Moondancer

Below her name was a scrawled message, messily drawn with sloppy strokes and barely legible. A large ink splatter stained the bottom corner of the scroll as though spilled halfway between refills. Twilight's eyes brimmed with tears and a warm smile crossed her face as she read the addition:

hi tWiLigHt sEE wHat i cAn do love mooNdanCEr

Twilight responded her congratulations with wishes that Moondancer would once again return. She understood the drive to find oneself, but wasn't traveling to the ends of the earth overdoing it a little?

A month passed with no letter, and Twilight began to worry. The second month soon came to a close, and no message was received. However, as the third month passed its midpoint, Spike's afternoon nap was disrupted by a letter's sudden delivery. Anticipating bad news, Twilight hurriedly opened it.

Dearest Twilight;

I have reached Mount Horlais, the griffin stronghold. The griffins here are surprisingly hospitable, but there is a nervous air about them. They never fail to mention that I am a pony under the protection of Princess Celestia, and they say her name with fear and disdain. They have also hinted rather forcefully that I write Celestia and tell her how well I am being treated. Is there some ill will between our kingdoms? Some malicious past? If so, they will not say.

This place is steeped in legend and magic. With the assistance of the ambassador here, a gruff yet good-natured unicorn by the name of Hallow's Eve, I have learned and perfected a little more of my magic. I can write letters with ease, as you can plainly see, and I can lift heavier objects and manipulate things with precision. I have also had time to research the library here, and what I have found surprises me greatly.

I cannot divulge the information I have been given, however. I fear I will needlessly worry you with superfluous details, especially when I cannot prove their validity. Know that I am well, I am far from Canterlot but protected, and, for the moment, happy. I still feel the urge to travel, and it is strong. A few more weeks and I will venture out once more.

As per the griffin's request, I have sent a letter to Celestia. I will tell you the same: I plan to leave Mopsy here, since the ambassador has no dragon of his own. I fear the travel ahead will become increasingly dangerous, and I cannot risk having my baby dragon injured or worse. He deserves a happy life, one with somepony who can help him more than I. Hallow's Eve is a good stallion, a patient one, and he is happy to take Mopsy from me.

I shall write again soon. In the meantime, please remember me as I shall remember you.

Your friend,

Moondancer

"Great," Twilight murmured. "Tell me not to worry – of course I'm going to worry." She sighed as she pulled out a scroll. Her reply would certainly be full of concern.

A week later, another of Moondancer's letters came through. Spike burped it up in his sleep, distracting Twilight from her studies. This one was very short and blotched with the occasional tear stain.

Twilight;

I have not yet left Mount Horlais. Instead, I have been doing a lot of thinking. I was so stupid. So very stupid. I had plenty of friends, but I only wanted you as a friend. What was I thinking? I was no better, ignoring the friends I had just because one pony wouldn't be my friend. In retrospect, it makes me sound like some sort of stalker or weirdo. I promise I'm not like that, Twilight. Not usually.

I'm so sorry to have disrupted your life like I did. It wasn't fair to you or your friends or to my own friends. Nopony deserves to have friendship forced on them.

I feel like some nerd trying to be one of the popular ponies. Even writing this letter feels foalish. I doubt you even remember me from classes anyway. I was such a loser. I can't make things right by just apologizing about it, but I want you to know I'm aware of the way I was acting. I made some really stupid decisions, but now I'm going to make things right.

Thanks for listening. Please don't forget about me.

Moondancer

Twilight frowned at the letter, already having taken up her reply scroll. Her pen scribbled furiously, half-inspired, half-worried:

Moondancer;

First off, don't do anything foalish. Don't hurt yourself; nopony wants that and it won't make things right. I don't think you'd do anything like that, but, well, you're scaring me a little bit.

Second, I do remember things about you from classes. There was a time you made Professor Brightly laugh so hard that he had to dismiss class. We were supposed to turn rocks into gemstones, but you turned yours into a mouse. It ran around and scared every filly in the room half to death. When he asked you later, you said you misunderstood him, but even he saw the mischievous grin on your face.

That time at the Etiquette Ball where you made Wind Whistler spit fruit juice all over Lady Roseleaf? You told Wind Whistler that Mopsy'd peed in the punch. Then, you made a little sculpture with your cake frosting, and everypony else got inspired and did the same. Lady Roseleaf was so mad! She kicked all of us out, even me. I didn't make a frosting sculpture, though.

Come to think of it, I should have. I really hated that Ball.

I remember when Haberdasher was picking on you one day because you'd stumbled and broken one of Professor Brightly's graduated cylinders. He made you cry, and I felt like giving him a buck in the ribs. I didn't want to get in trouble, though. Lemon Hearts came in and hit him square in the jaw. I don't think I've ever seen a colt cry like that. You two have been friends ever since.

Twilight raised her pen, biting her lip in thought. More memories of her school days came to mind, and Twilight began to notice a pattern of excuses. She never wanted to get in trouble. She never wanted to take the risk. She was too worried about what the teachers would think.

She also remembered the dragon in the cave near Ponyville, its smoke threatening the very air they breathed. She remembered facing the hydra in Froggy Bottom Bog, making sure the creature wouldn't harm her friends. She remembered her first footsteps into the creepy, foggy Everfree Forest, prepared to track down an unknown and dangerous enemy with a ragtag bunch of crazy ponies she hardly knew.

"I've really grown," she said in surprise to no one but Owlowicious, who merely blinked at her. She set her quill back on the scroll.

Sometimes we don't know why we do the things we do. Sometimes we are just foalish and do stupid things. I think that's part of life. I could have been a better friend to you, but I was worried about what everypony else wanted from me instead of what I wanted to do. If I could do it all over now, I would make frosting sculptures and pour fruit juice all over that stupid doily tablecloth. I'd want to make Professor Brightly laugh and pick on Haberdasher's name until he ran off crying, just to show him what it felt like to be teased.

So don't worry about the past. There isn't any way to change it, and all we can do is go forward with the knowledge we've picked up. I think I understand why you had to leave. This is your story, and you have to live it.

Be careful out there, and write to me whenever you can. I'll be thinking about you.

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight sent the letter the next morning, when Spike was awake. A few hours later, she got a reply with a gift – a white feather tipped with violet.

Twilight;

Thanks. I needed those words! The feather is from a griffin. Don't worry, I found it. But if anypony asks, you didn't get it from me.

-Moondancer

The next letter came at the beginning of fall. Twilight was in the middle of a new experiment when the letter came, but she put off reading it since it seemed like quite a long scroll and the experiment was very important. That evening, after dinner, when things had settled a bit, Twilight read the scroll and immediately found herself wishing the day was a little longer.

Dearest Twilight;

I hope this letter finds you at all. I am in a place the griffins call the "Hinterlands." Pony maps call it the "Void Forest" with adequate reason. Black trees are everywhere, leafless, like shadowy cousins of white birches. There is no grass on the forest floor, save a few dry patches at the forest's edge. No creatures live here, at least none I have ever seen. It is a forbidden territory for griffins, and they patrol it from the air only occasionally.

Everything about this forest frightens me. Every instinct in my body tells my hooves to leave, to turn around and never return. On more than a few occasions, my hooves have answered the call, and I find myself back at the griffin stronghold.

The silence is overwhelming and almost deafening. There are no birds, no rabbits or deer. I don't consider myself a coward by any means, but any noise, even a stick crunching under my own hooves, sends me hiding behind the nearest tree. Occasionally, an errant crow or patrolling griffin will send me into a fright.

I write you tonight because I fear this forest is driving me mad. I must remind you again that I am all alone out here, having left Mopsy with Hallow's Eve at the embassy. I fear I now regret that decision. The white ponies are all around me. I can feel them, the same way you know another pony is with you in a dark room. I see them – I KNOW I see them! - but when I turn to look, they fade away. All during evening and into darkness I have chased after them, calling to them until I became exhausted and had to make camp.

Twilight, am I mad?

I fear these ponies. I fear they are ghosts or spirits or some form of malicious magic. I require your sage advice with these matters.

Yours,

Moondancer

I have tried to send my letter but have failed numerous times. Perhaps I was too far away. Perhaps my magic was not strong enough. I had no choice but to continue onwards.

My maps do not exist past the griffin stronghold. These lands are untraveled by pony hoof. I was hopelessly lost, but the white ponies have led me. I still cannot see them clearly, but I noticed that they did not appear if I turned back or started in another direction. A thick fog covered the area, and even the black trees vanished into the mist. The air became colder, a sharp, bitter cold reminiscent of winter. I was fortunate enough to pack a coat and blanket.

I walked for what seemed like days. The sun never appears to rise or set here, and everything is in a constant state of dusk. Suddenly, the white ponies and the fog vanished, leaving me in a large meadow blanketed with snow. I have made camp and rested, but it now feels a matter of choice. I am neither tired nor hungry, and even the cold doesn't bother me so much.

I fell asleep and dreamed I was standing in a moonlit field. A white pony came next to me and pressed against me, like a mare shielding her foal from a cold wind. I felt it return to me, that bit of my heart that has been missing all this time. I awoke with tears streaming down my muzzle and an overwhelming sense of sadness.

It has been a few days since I've written on this letter. I am still unable to send it. I have written one to the Princess as well, and I try to send them on the hour. I may as well add to it, since another impossibility has happened.

This meadow seems to have no end. There is a stream that runs here and there, creating mild hills. Fog blocks out the distance, although I'm sure the field runs on forever. I followed the stream to a crest of rocks over which runs a small waterfall, covered in fog. Sitting by these rocks, I was visited by a terrific sight. Out of the fog stepped a beautiful pony – a unicorn. Her mane was like sunbeams, and her coat was like the light of the moon. Her eyes were solid white and looked like two bright stars. She stood on the rocks above me, and when I moved toward her, she shrunk away. I have been watching for her for what seems like days. Whenever she appears, she runs at my approach.

I don't know who she is, but my heart longs for her.

After hours of thinking, I have realized who she is. Soul Brust. SHE IS SOUL BRUST.

I fear her more than any pony I have ever seen. Still, my heart longs for her touch. The books I read in Horlais told me only Soul Brust will be able to mend my broken heart and shattered spirit. I need her, and I shall wait here until the end of time for her to approach me. Please, Twilight. Please keep me in your thoughts. Your memory is my bravery. Please, even in thought, stay with me right now. Stay with me until the end.

Dear Celestia, please give this letter wings...

Twilight dropped the scroll, feeling her stomach twist. The letter arrived after noon – what had happened between now and then? Had she let Moondancer down? Had her friend been suffering while Twilight was wasting her day?

Flying from her chair, Twilight searched her bookshelf for something on 'Soul Brust.' The name sounded familiar, but Twilight couldn't place its exact meaning. Finding her copy of "Who's Who in Equestria: The #1 Source on Royalty and Legend." she flipped hastily to the section.

"Soul Brust: one of the four 'stars' of legend that will awaken Nightmare Moon. Soul Brust is considered the Northern Star. The other stars, Star Catcher of the South, Prince Astron of the East, Buckhoof of the West...blah blah blah...oh, here: Soul Brust has only been seen by those close to...c-c-close to d-death...w-with accounts of those brought back to life having seen a white unicorn with no mark. Some speculate that Soul Brust is not a real pony at all but an amalgamation of the souls of ponies gone before. A pony of death."

Twilight froze, a fainting dizziness swimming in her head. She teetered a bit, managed to steady herself, and shouted, louder than she meant, "SPIKE!"

"Wha? Wha's goin' on?" The baby dragon rubbed his eyes, having just dozed off.

Twilight shoved a pack into his hands. "Start gathering my things. We're going to Mount Horlais. That's at least two days. No, with magic, it'll only take a day. I'll push the balloon non-stop. Oh, why did I wait so long to read that letter? Right now, she could be...could be..." Spike stared at her, clueless. She began telekinetically shoving things into the bag – compass, maps, books, binoculars. "Who cares if the Hinterlands is forbidden? If I fly over it, I can find her. I can find her. I can bring her home. Where is that -"

Twilight jumped as a burst of green smoke and a scroll appeared in front of her. She yanked it open, ignoring the acrid look on Spike's face.

"That taste," the little dragon said, curling up his lip and holding out his tongue. Realization struck as he remembered that particular metallic tang. "Twilight, wait!"

It was too late. Twilight had unfurled the letter and was reading. Color drained from her face. The scroll fell to the ground with a light swish as Twilight's legs collapsed from under her. The letter, stained with little red spots and lined on the corners by red hoofmarks, read as follows:

twilight

i climbed up the rocks to meet her

i have found her she is me she is the heart

i have found my heart i am now complete

thank you twilight thank you for not forgetting me

i will always remember you and everything you have done for me

your friend always moondancer

"I'm...too late." Twilight's head hung. "I forgot her. I neglected her. How could I?"

A loud crash made Twilight jump a foot in the air. She dashed to her upper story balcony, where whatever made the sound had landed. She opened the door to a pair of white, long, and familiar legs.

"P-princess?"

"Hello, Twilight," Celestia said, oddly solemn. She stepped into the library, descending the stairs, Twilight following with an aghast look on her face. "My dear cousin told me something happened tonight, and I thought I'd visit you before you did anything rash." Her gaze fell on Twilight's half-packed bags. "I see I'm just in time."

Twilight gave an embarrassed blush, looking abashedly at her own bags. Celestia saw the crimson-stained scroll laying on the floor and picked it up, giving it a scan before rolling it and placing it properly on a desk.

"I see. It seems you're owed an explanation, Twilight. This is a difficult thing to understand, especially in the state of mind you must currently be in, but I shall do my best to inform you. Please, sit with me."

Twilight shakily dropped to her knees, still stunned by the Princess's ex machina appearance. Celestia dropped beside her and let a few moments of contemplative silence pass. With a heavy sigh uncharacteristic of the fun-loving princess, she began.

"As you're aware, the pony we once knew as Moondancer is no longer of this world. However, she did not die tonight. On the day Luna and I attempted to free Moondancer from the grip of the Nightmare spirit, Nightmare managed to lash out at her one more time in a devastating attack. Moondancer was still weak in body and spirit. We tried to heal her as much as we could, but she died that day of shock.

"And normally, that would have been the end of her story. As I prepared a letter for you telling the events that had occurred, a guard stepped in my quarters to tell me a unicorn named Moondancer was awaiting my council. Imagine my surprise when I saw her in the court, as real as air. She had a few physical changes but seemed to be perfectly fine. I saw no harm in letting her go on her way, but my niece Star Catcher wanted to speak with her.

"What Star Catcher discovered is that Moondancer had, indeed, passed on. However, when Nightmare attacked her, the spirit separated Moondancer's will and...well, let's call it a 'heart,' though it may be closer to what ponies call a 'soul.' With the heart gone, only the will remained, and Moondancer's will was so strong that it allowed her to continue in this world as though she had never died. Are you all right? Are you understanding?"

"I-I think so," muttered Twilight shakily. She was trying to connect the ideas, but her mind was a flock of birds that kept trying to land only to be chased away.

"The Moondancer that came to you, the one you saw walk out into the world, never actually existed. It was only a projection, no matter how physical it appeared, of her strong will and your memory."

"My...memory?"

"Only through your interaction was Moondancer able to stabilize herself into this world. It's been said that reality is merely the perception of yourself confirmed by others. Moondancer's strong will brought her into this world – your memory confirmed her existence, tied her to reality. Because of this, she was able to recover her heart."

Twilight thought for a moment, and Celestia knew much of the conversation was going over her head. She was still a young unicorn and not well-versed on the ways of the heart. After a moment, Twilight asked, "Soul Brust?"

"My cousin," the Princess confirmed, "though not often a welcome visitor. She is not a harbinger of death, as some have said, but a guide for wayward souls. She bridges the gap between life and death. She feared Moondancer was still alive, but I assured her that her guides would not have led Moondancer if that was the case."

Guides? The white ponies, Twilight thought. Her eyes fell upon the red-stained scroll on the table. Celestia followed her gaze, but it was Spike who asked the inevitable question.

"Did...did they hurt her? Was that really blood I tasted?"

"No." Celestia's gentle smile returned. "What stains that scroll is a rare spirit essence found only in Elysium. The path to Elysium and the Void Forest are shrouded with certain magics to deter visitors in the mortal realm. To a mortal, this essence looks like mere snow. It would actually be considered quite valuable in certain circles of study, not that I'd want you to give up such an important letter."

"But didn't I fail Moondancer? Her letter – I put off reading it until just a few minutes ago. She said my memory would be the only thing that would help her, and...and I just forgot about her. I let her down."

"Twilight, why did you put off reading the letter?"

The scholar-unicorn looked at the floor. "Because I was too wrapped up in other things I thought were more important. Because I thought...I thought maybe this letter would say she's coming home, or just some other story. I didn't really think it would be this important."

"Would it be safe to assume that you thought Moondancer would always be waiting for your reply?"

"I guess."

"Then you did not fail her after all." Celestia ignored Twilight's confused look, instead unfurling one of her wings. She tapped Twilight on the forehead with the crook. "You stopped remembering here." She moved her wing down and pressed it against Twilight's chest. "But you started remembering here."

The meaning sunk in, and all at once a floodgate of emotions flowed from Twilight's heart. The reality that Moondancer was really dead – that she would never share the stories of her travels, that she would never return to Ponyville as she'd promised, that she would never study magic or play with Mopsy or drink tea or...or...

Twilight burst out in loud sobs. Celestia recoiled in surprise, not anticipating Twilight's reaction. Surprise gave way to sympathy, and Celestia covered Twilight with her still-outstretched wing, pulling her pupil close.

"I should've gone with her," Twilight sobbed. "I should've tried harder to make her stay."

Celestia pressed her neck to Twilight's, allowing the comment to pass unanswered. It would be tyrannical to deny Twilight the full doubts and 'what-ifs' of her grief. A stream of 'should haves' and 'could haves' flowed from the young unicorn until she seceded into silence broken only by hiccuping sobs.

The fervid tidewave of the day soon ebbed out, and before long, Twilight's full weight rested against Celestia's side. The Princess smiled as Twilight's breathing evened and her body relaxed.

Spike, however, who had been re-reading all of Moondancer's correspondence and trying to make heads or tails of Celestia's words, jumped up, concerned. "Princess?"

"Some tea would be lovely, Spike," the Princess began in her usual professional manner. "And then off to bed with you. Don't worry about Twilight; I'll put her to bed when she's ready."

As soon as the baby dragon was out of sight, Celestia spoke softly in Twilight's sleeping ear. "You ponies with your mayfly lives. You often forget that life is full of meetings and departures, too often neglecting the beauty and joy in the brevity of your days. This world escapes you too quickly. Revel in its majesty, for without you the world does not exist. I'll share with you part of an ancient poem, Twilight, one that comes to mind especially for you:"

Chains of memories do not bind but allow us to ascend.

Every link we forge connects us to a foe or friend.

A heavy mail do these chains make, the weight we can't bemoan,

Because it is this heavy mail that shows we're not alone

And never forgotten.