A heavy silence filled the room they shared. The form of a young filly slept against her father, her hooves wrapped tightly around one of his.
"I should have told you..." Strawberry began, words failing her as Piper smiled.
"I'm glad you didn't. I might not have been able to leave if I had known." Piper admitted.
"You aren't mad?" the zebra asked softly.
"Not in the slightest." Piper whispered, nuzzling Sugarcane, the filly giggling in her sleep. Strawberry sighed in relief, laying her head against him.
"I told her...you'd come find us someday...and you'd show her how to fly..." Strawberry spoke softly, so as not to wake Sugarcane. Piper smiled, brushing his hoof through his daughters mane.
"I owe her that much..." he replied quietly. Strawberry felt her smile fade a bit.
"Piper please don't go back out there." the zebra begged. Piper froze for a moment and sighed, curling his wind over her back.
"I have to Berry. I'm the only one here who has ever fought in a war, I'm the only one with the experience. I'm the only one who can kill the Beast." Piper said.
"But...what if...what if something happens?" she asked. Piper chuckled quietly.
"Something always happens Berry." he looked down at Sugarcane.
"And its not always bad."
Riku swallowed as his wife rushed to him, tackling him to the ground.
"Riku...oh Riku!" Nyx buried her face in his chest, clinging to him.
"Please tell me this isn't a dream..." she begged, shaking as he wrapped his hooves around her.
"Its not a dream Nyx..." he said softly, kissing her forehead. He grunted as she stomped her hoof into his chest.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" she demanded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Trapped between realms of light and darkness." he said, a bit out of breath. Nyx sighed, shaking her head and laying against him.
"Its always some sort of darkness with you. What am I gonna do with you Riku?" the alicorn mumbled.
"You could stop crushing my ribs." he joked, earning another jab from the alicorn and chuckling quietly.
"I thought I'd never see you again..." She cried. Riku closed his eyes, holding her close.
"I thought so too Nyx...Its thanks to Sora, and your parents, and Piper of course." Riku chuckled.
"You've missed so much. You're a grandfather you know." Nyx smiled at his shocked expression.
"Come on, I'm sure your grandfoal would love to see you."
"No" Dinky said quietly
"But I..." Amethyst tried to argue, stopped by a kiss from the determined unicorn.
"I.Don't.Care" Dinky said simply, hooves on Amethysts' cheeks and holding the drake in place with her magic.
"I haven't earned it..." he sighed
"Don't care. Do it Emy." Dinky said with a smile.
"Mares..." Amethyst mumbled, gasping as Emerald placed a claw on his forehead, his blindfold falling away and his vision slowly returning.
"GAH! Why is everything so bright?" he asked, covering his eyes.
"You've been blind for the better of five years or so Amethyst. You're eyes just need time to adjust." Emerald said softly.
"I think I liked the darkness better." he grumbled. He grunted as Dinky punched his shoulder, Emerald punching the other.
"Welcome back to the light Amethyst." Emerald said softly as she hugged him. He sighed, wrapping his arms around her.
"Thanks Emy..." he whispered. She smiled, letting go of him.
"I'll just give you two some space." she snapped her claws and vanished, leaving them alone in the room.
"Dinks..." Amethyst began, his eyes wide as the mare kissed him.
"Just shut up and kiss me." she whispered against his lips.
"Aww but I'm not even tired!" Aqua whined, letting out a loud yawn. Sunburst chuckled quietly.
"Yes you are little one, now come on, its time to get some rest." the pegasus said softly, nudging the kirin to her bed.
"OK Momma..." she said softly, climbing into her bed and snuggling into her blankets and pillow.
"Goodnight..." Sunburst said as she nuzzled her, the kirin hugging her before dozing off. Sunburst slowly made her way out of the room, bumping into Nova and Emerald in the hallway. Both of them wore smiles as they watched her close the door.
"Emy...I..."
"Hold that thought." the kirin said, holding up a claw. She grabbed hold of Novas' hoof in one claw and Sunbursts' in the other.
"Isn't there something you'd like to say Sunburst?" Emerald asked softly. Sunburst lowered her head.
"I can't...it wouldn't be right..." she said quietly.
"If you don't say it then I will." Emerald teased. The pegasus sighed.
"Nova...ah know ah can never be th' mother Aqua deserves, or be her true mother...but ah love you an her more than anythin in th' whole world...an even though ah know ya won't...if'n ya'd have me...ah'd ask ya t' marry me." Sunburst sniffed, gasping as Nova hugged her tightly, Emerald wrapping her wings around them.
"On one condition." Nova smiled to herself.
"You have to kiss Emy." the princess teased. Sunburst stammered and Emerald laughed.
"Just one little kiss couldn't hurt, could it? I'm not that ugly..." Emerald pouted, though Sunburst could see the pain hidden in her eyes. The pegasus hesitated for a moment before pressing her lips gently against that of the kirin. Nova smiling to herself as they pulled away.
"That wasn't so bad was it?" Nova teased, Sunburst rolled her eyes.
"Ah guess not."
"Good, then its settled, you'll marry me and Emerald." Nova said simply before walking away. Sunburst blinked, sitting there in silence as the Princess walked away. Emerald shrugged and giggled before vanishing into thin air.
"Geez, th' things ah get myself into..."
Block, spin to the right, jab with the left hoof, duck under and sweep. The twins fell into their training routine as if it were as simple as breathing. Blocking and weaving through the others attacks, speaking without words.
"So this is what you two are up to." Pip said as he entered their room, both mares turning to look at him and slamming a hoof into the others face. The two groaned and rolled on the ground, their father having to stifle a chuckle at their antics.
The two quickly leapt to their hooves and leapt at him, though the stallion was quick, ducking under both and catching them, pulling them into a tight hug and laughing as they clung to him.
"Pa, ya aren't gonna leave us again are ya?" Penny Apple asked.
"No. Never again. From now on, we stay together." he said, looking past them at Applebloom.
"As a family."
A great and terrible thing had occurred. Atop a hill just outside Fort New Canterlot, sat one Pinkie Pie, alone, and silent. She wore a single brown stetson hat as she looked out at the clouds. Though she had an unexpected visitor. A young stallion sat beside her, staring out at the clouds with a somber look.
"He's not dead." he said softly. Pinkie Pie glanced over at him, though he kept his gaze on the sky.
"He's out there somewhere. He escaped. It was all they talked about for the longest time. How with all their might they couldn't track down one simple little earth pony. I dunno how he did it, but he's stayed under their radar all this time. But I know it...he's alive out there somewhere. And I'm pretty sure he wants his hat back." Piper chuckled.
"I'd like to believe that. But I saw them carry him away...and they dropped him...he fell from so high up..." Pinkie shook with silent sobs, clinging to the hat.
"I ran to him...but all I found was this..." she sobbed.
"Pinkie Pie. I swear to you that I will find him. And I will bring him back." Piper said quietly.
"As a knight of Equestria, and...your future son-in-law, its my duty." he smiled, waiting until the earth pony returned the smile to leave. Pinkie turned her gaze back to the sky.
"I hope he's right Braesy...I hope you are out there somewhere and that you're okay..."
Melody stared at her brothers cloak, laying on her bed and torn in several places. It was an old ragged thing, but it held so much meaning to her. It was strange, having her brother back. Like some kind of fanciful dream that she feared she might wake up from. She smiled as a still recovering Sunshine nuzzled her neck, the unicorn returning the gesture.
"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, Melody laughed and shook her head.
"I should be asking you that." she mumbled.
"You know what I meant Mel." Sunshine said, his smile fading. Melody sighed quietly.
"I never thought...I thought I'd be the one to save him. This whole time I fought to save him and then he just comes back to us. I'm not mad, I'm happy...just..."
"Upset you didn't get to be the hero your brother is?" Sunshine asked. Melody nodded and the pegasus laughed.
"Mel, when I was pinned down by Gryphon soldiers ready to make kites out of my wings, who tackled them to the ground and saved me?" he asked. Melody sighed.
"Me..." she mumbled.
"when Nox was being held by the horn, who came to her rescue and got all of us to safety?"
"Me..." the unicorn replied, scuffing her hoof against the ground.
"Who has saved all of our lives on numerous occasions?"
"Me, I get it. You can stop now." She grumbled.
"Why are you so upset? You've got your brother back." Sunshine argued as she turned her back to him.
"It wasn't me! I wasn't the one that saved him! I...I swore I would...and it wasn't me...I just need some time is all. Just...leave me be." Melody sighed, walking past him.
"Mel..." Sunshine hung his head, his ears sticking up as he heard Melody singing outside the room, her voice breaking with held back sobs.
"You are my sunshine...my only sunshine...you make me happy...wh-when skies are grey..." her voice slowly faded down the hall, the pegasus swearing under his breath and chasing after her.
"MELODY WAIT!" he yelled. Melody froze as he zipped past her, skidding and turning to look into her eyes.
"Mel, it doesn't matter. You have your family again and...if you'll allow it...you have me." he said, a bit out of breath. The unicorn laid her head against his shoulder, lost for words as he held her.
"They do look cute together don't they?" Scootaloo chuckled.
"M-Mom!" the unicorn jumped in surprise, seeing her parents behind her. The two of them giggled amongst themselves.
"Don't mind us." Sweetie Belle said, urging them on. Melody shook her head.
"No...There's still a war to fight, I can't..."
"Melody Delia Belle, if you walk away from that colt right now you are grounded." Sweetie Belle declared. Melody swallowed and nodded, sitting next to Sunshine. Scootaloo chuckled quietly.
"She's only teasing Melody, but don't throw this away. Life is too short to be alone." Scootaloo said softly. Melody sighed, hanging her head and blushing as Sunshine nuzzled her gently.
"There's going to be a meeting in the main hall later today. Nova asked us to let you know." Sweetie Belle explained. The two looked at one another and nodded.
"We'll be there."
Piper took a slow breath, looking around the table at his friends and family.
"The Beast is alive." Piper said slowly, everyone's eyes wide as his words sunk in.
"I don't know when it will wake up, but I know its still out there. If we can find it before it wakes up, we can destroy it for good." Piper explained.
"We don't have the resources to mount a search party for it Piper. I understand the threat but first we need to take back Canterlot, gather ourselves and prepare." Nova said, looking over her maps.
"She's right cousin, we can't just go all out on a wild goose chase. Ah say that while that critter is sleepin' we take th' chance to get Canterlot back, while th' Gryphons are still runnin." Sunburst added.
"As much as I hate to say it, they are right Piper. The Beast will have to wait." Emerald said.
"NO!" Piper yelled, slamming his hooves into the table, causing them to jump as his anger flared.
"I've warned you all before and you ignored my warnings and look where we are now. I am telling you now if we don't go after the Beast now we will regret it." Piper growled under his breath.
"Even if we decided to do that Piper, we can't. Not until we take a better position." Celestia said softly. Piper sighed and shook his head.
"Alright, fine. I'll look for it myself." he whispered, standing to leave, finding Strawberry and Amethyst in front of him.
"You aren't leaving Piper. Y-you promised." Strawberry stammered.
"I need to do this Berry." the pegasus said under his breath. Riku and Nyx quickly joined Amethyst and Strawberry, blocking his path.
"Piper, I understand your need to destroy this Darkness. But we are in no position to act towards it. Not yet. But I promise you, as soon as we are able, I will help you." Nyx assured him.
"I'll be with you as well." Riku added.
"And me." Amethyst said with a grin.
"Can't forget us!" the twins said together.
"Oh, I'll help too." Honeycrisp said with a small smile.
"Us as well." Emerald said, throwing an arm around Nova and Sunburst, both of whom nodded agreement.
"You aren't alone anymore Piper. We're here to help you, and we need you to help us." Luna said quietly. The pegasus looked around the room, his eyes stopping on his sister who sat beside his daughter.
"Papa...you're not gonna leave already are you? Y-you said you'd teach me to fly..." Sugarcane said, her lip sticking out and wobbling. Piper swore under his breath and scooped up the filly onto his back.
"I did promise that didn't I?" Piper admitted, smiling as the filly threw her arms around his neck. Piper looked over at Strawberry and smiled.
"But there's one other promise I need to make." He said, setting Sugarcane down and walking over to Strawberry Swirl. Piper flared open his wings, digging through his right wing with his teeth and pulling out a single feather, wincing slightly as it came loose. He leaned forward, placing it in the zebra's mane.
"Strawberry Swirl. Will you marry me?" the pegasus asked softly. Strawberry Swirl looked into his eyes, placing her hooves on either side of his face, letting her own eyes trace the scars that crisscrossed over his.
Despite the scars he wore a hopeful smile and a light that had been missing for so long shined in his eyes. She threw her hooves around him, holding him tightly as tears dripped down her cheeks slowly, whispering a simple
"Yes"
Song and drink were shared as ponies celebrated the return of Princess Luna and Princess Twilight. Together they danced and for longer than any could remember, smiles were shared. Laughter returned to them. Even Pinkie Pie seemed to be her old self again.
"So Piper, we never did hear the entire tale of your grand adventures." a less than sober Strawberry giggled, leaning against him. The pegasus chuckled a little, laying his head against hers.
"She's right. I'd kinda like to hear the rest too." Amethyst added, mulling over a bit of quartz.
"There's not much to tell really..." Piper admitted.
"What about the War of Nightmare?" Emerald asked, crossing her arms. Piper sighed softly.
"I'd rather not..."
"If you don't tell them, then I will." the kirin warned softly. Piper rolled his eyes, smiling as Strawberry nuzzled into his coat, giggling drunkenly.
"It was a while after the incident where Nova nearly discovered who I was..."
Piper panted heavily, watching as his friends and past self rushed toward Discord. Slowly he turned, staring down the Heartless pouring into the hall.
The pegasus stood on his hind legs, roaring with all his might at the growing darkness as it crashed down upon him, spinning through it with shards of ice slicing through the darkness around him. Piper rolled to the side, drawing the Darkness towards himself and away from his friends, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The chance presented itself as the Heartless roared at him. Piper leapt forward, stabbing his sword into the void where the creatures heart would be and let his magic flow through it, freezing the heartless in an instant.
He twisted the blade, causing the ice to break and fall apart, panting heavily as he rushed to meet them in the final showdown with Discord. As he marched forward he heard hoofsteps behind him and spotted the Doctor with Celestia's soldiers marching toward the room. Piper chuckled and fell into step with him.
"Well now, who have we here?" The Doctor asked.
"Just a friend in the shadows Doctor" the pegasus said simply, keeping his face hidden in his cloak.
"Very well then. I take it this is the right way?" He asked, Piper nodding.
"Good! I thought we had gotten lost for a moment there." The Doctor laughed. Together they pushed through the Door, confronting Discord and his lies. Piper hid his smile as Luna and Celestia stepped forward, sealing the monster away within the stone.
Though Piper was too slow to prevent Luna from taking a bolt of pure, dark energy to save her sister. The colt swore under his breath and placed a hoof on his head as he felt Harmonys' tug. When he had recovered he found himself in her realm once more.
"Now what?" the pegasus asked irritably. Harmony sighed softly, waving her hoof, a window opening before them and showing Luna being hit by the bolt of dark energy.
"I had hoped you could prevent this...but it seems Fate has other plans." Harmony said softly as another doorway opened next to Piper.
"When do I go home?" Piper asked. Harmony did not answer him. The pegasus snorted before leaping through the doorway presented to him.
"Just how long was she pulling you around?" Nova asked quietly. Piper fell silent, refusing to look at any of his friends.
"Just tell them." Emerald urged. The pegasus sighed, turning to look at them.
"Four hundred years." he said quietly, his eyes unfocused and his gaze seeming lost. Strawberry nudged him worriedly and he blinked, realizing where he was and chuckling quietly.
"Sorry about that..." he mumbled.
"For four hundred years you ran around as Harmonys' lapdog?" Amethyst asked almost in a whisper.
"Don't even THINK of blaming yourself Amethyst or so help me..." Dinky warned, holding up her Sonic Screwdriver.
"Amethyst for the last bucking time. I made you cast that spell and if you hadn't done it where would we be? Rainbow Dash would be dead, I never would've gone back and stopped Xipper from messing with the timeline, which means we never would've ended up in the past, never would've needed to help Celestia and Luna, never would've created Sweet Apple Acres..."
"I GET IT! I was suppose to kill you. Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it." Amethyst growled.
"Nopony said you had to be. Amethyst please let the past be the past." Dinky begged, nuzzling his neck. The kirin blew a bit of steam out of his nostrils, letting it curl around his face before giving a small nod.
"I'll try." he said quietly.
"What went on through all that time?" Honeycrisp asked softly.
"Mostly, moving through the doorways she gave me. It took time to move from one to another. During those trips all I had was time to think and just keep marching forward. Then..."
Piper stumbled out into yet another forest, sighing loudly as he looked around.
"Is it always going to be a bucking dark sinister forest I show up in?" he grumbled under his breath as he continued to march forward.
Eventually he'd reach the Forests' end and find what it was he had been sent here for. He crouched low as the sound of wings beating filled the air. Looking up he spotted a group of the Lunar Guard scouting the area.
"Hey! Down here!" Piper called out to them, hoping they could tell him the situation. He smiled to himself as they landed near him.
"Am I glad to see you. Tell me, whats going on here?" Piper asked, blinking as spears pressed against his throat.
"Tell me stranger, where does your Loyalty lie?" one of the guards asked him.
"With the Princess' as it always has." Piper said, wincing as the spears dug into his skin.
"Wrong answer, I'll ask again. Where does your Loyalty lie?" he growled, Piper gritted his teeth.
"I already told you, you bucking idiot. I am Loyal to Celestia and Luna. You would do well to tell your friends to back off." Piper growled in return. The guard chuckled.
"Bein' in the Everfree I guess it makes sense you haven't heard yet. I'll make it simple for you. There is no 'Princess Luna'. She's tossed away that worthless shell and become our Queen." the Guard explained. Pipers' eyes widened as he realized where he was.
"What you see before you is a contingent of the great Queen Nightmare Moon."
"...WHAT?" everyone yelled, causing Piper to wince.
"I wasn't expecting Harmony to drop me there of all places, and without warning beforehoof either." Piper sighed.
"But it was what happened next that really surprised me. Wouldn't you say so Dinky?" Piper asked, the mare clearing her throat and hiding her eyes behind her hat. Amethyst looked between the two of them confused.
"Dinky, whats he talking about?" Amethyst asked.
"I...may have...bumped into Piper." she mumbled quickly.
"She crashed the TARDIS in the middle of a battle zone, got captured by Nightmare Moons forces and tried to drag me away kicking and screaming." Piper ranted.
"And I can't help but wish she could've."
Pipers eyes began to glow blue, the spears growing a thick layer of ice around them, the stallions holding them gasping and dropping them before backing away from the pegasus.
"What are you?!" one of them yelled. Piper lifted his gaze to the one who had spoken.
"I am The Embodiment of the Element of Loyalty, and you've just pissed me off." Piper roared as he tackled the guard, digging his teeth into his neck and spinning, taking advantage of his enhanced strength to fling the guard into the group flying above him. He wanted to strike as much fear as possible into these ponies.
Scared ponies lacked the ability to fight back. He would have to kill less of them this way. Though they held their ground, rushing toward him headfirst only to have a spear of ice remove their heads as the pegasus spun, sliding under a stallion and jamming his hoofblades into his unprotected stomach, slicing clean through him as he ripped the blades free, chucking the now dead guard over him into a pile of his friends. Piper now stood on his hind hooves, teeth bared as he stared down the guards.
"COME ON! WHO WANTS A PIECE!?" He roared, the air growing thick with snow, a storm brewing around them, in moments a hailstorm had built up, pelting them with massive hailstones. The force of the storm grew until the stones were flying through ponies like bullets, the air whipping around Piper as if it had gone mad.
"RETREAT!" a guard screamed moments before a spear of ice silenced him. Piper chuckled, staring at what remained.
"Run." he ordered them. He waited until they were a good distance away to let his magic fade, the pegasus panting heavily as the adrenaline wore off and the battleshock kicked in.
"...Geez Piper did ya have t' do that?" Penny Apple asked.
"I told you I was a monster. You saw some of what I did Penny." Piper sighed.
"No, ah was lookin th' other way an was pretendin' ah was at home helpin' ma with th' harvest instead of bein' surrounded by a dear friend bein' forced to slaughter ponies like some sorta animal gone mad!" she yelled with tears in her eyes.
"T'weren't fair what happened t' ya Piper an...we was right there an couldn't do a buckin' thing t' help ya. Ah'm so sorry..." she sobbed, burying her face in her hooves. Piper sat beside her, placing a wing over her gently, his other wing falling over Hayseed.
"If you guys hadn't shown up, I never would've had the courage to move on." he said softly, smiling as they hugged him.
"Lets skip the gory details and move on Piper." Amethyst whispered, the pegasus nodded as the twins clung to him.
After recovering from his recent skirmish, Piper struggled through the forest, finding a path that led to Canterlot Castle.
"No doubt Luna is waiting in there..." he sighed, marching forward and keeping his cloak up around his head. Slowly he made his way up the path, his hooves nearly silent against the cobblestone road, his steps light and measured. He cast his gaze in all directions, feeling with his senses and smiling to himself. He was surrounded.
"What in th' hay were ya smilin' fer ya ninny?" Sunburst asked
"They had me surrounded, but were too afraid to attack." Piper explained.
"So ya had em figured out." Hayseed giggled.
"I thought I did." Piper mumbled.
Piper stopped as a figure loomed over him. Looking up he saw her. Nightmare Moon, in all of her glory. He had to admit his 'heart' jumped a little at the sight of her. She was beautiful for a mare of darkness and evil.
"So what she says is true. The Loyal Warrior has come to save her." Nightmare Moon mused with a smile.
"Luna, you don't have to do this." Piper said softly. The mare glared at him, throwing out her wings.
"DO NOT CALL ME BY THAT WEAKLINGS NAME!" She roared. Piper closed his eyes for a moment and sighed.
"Of course, you wouldn't hear me in there anyway. It feels good, doesn't it? The Darkness, the Power." Piper whispered.
"What would you know of Darkness? Are you not Celestia's Paladin?" Nightmare Moon asked. Piper chuckled, opening his eyes which had shifted into two massive yellow glowing orbs.
"No, I'm her Dark Knight." he roared, throwing out his wings as Darkness built up around him, swallowing Soldier after Soldier as they leapt for him. Nightmare Moons eyes began to glow as her magic reached for the pegasus, the two powers of Darkness clashing with one another in the air.
Piper stood his ground, pouring all the strength he could muster into his attack, Nightmare Moon soon forced to do the same. Piper grit his teeth which had become longer and sharper with his partial transformation, his hooves growing claws and digging into the ground to hold himself in place.
"WHAT MAGIC IS THIS?!" Nightmare Moon screamed over the torrent of power and rage filling the air. With one last push Piper knocked down the mare of Darkness, panting heavily as he forced himself to return to normal. Steam rose from his coat as he advanced on the fallen ruler of the night.
"It is what I intend to save you from Luna." he said softly.
"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" she screamed, tears in her eyes as he stood over her.
"Fight it Luna. This isn't who you are." Piper continued, Nightmare Moon screamed, lashing out with her magic, though the pegasus flicked it away with his wing, dark energy crackling across his feathers. The mare stared at him in shock.
"What are you...you cannot be a simple pegasus...there is more than that. Yes I see now...a darkness within you. You see the world as I do." She said as she stood, glaring at him.
"You see the world through a cloud of rage and jealousy. This isn't who you are! You are my friend and I won't let the Darkness take you...its already taken enough..." he said sadly, though she only laughed at him.
"The Darkness has not taken me fool, I have called upon its power. It bends at my smallest command, it obeys my will!" she yelled, her mane swirling around her. Piper only chuckled and shook his head.
"If you believe that then you're dumber than you look." he scoffed, rolling out of the way of a bolt of dark energy, his eyes shining blue for a moment, Nightmare Moons wings suddenly frozen to her sides. Piper leapt forward and over the alicorn, vanishing into the shadows. Nightmare Moon spun, finding nothing and screamed in frustration
"RUN ALL YOU WISH WORM! I WILL FIND YOU!" she yelled into the everbgrowing night. Piper watched her from the shadows, his bright yellow eyes scanning in all directions. There was something tugging at him.
A powerful heart calling to him. Like a moth to the flame he sought it out, one with the shadows within the moonlit castle. His journey carried him to the great dungeons below.
His eyes pierced the cloak of darkness that hung over the dungeons, revealing a horrible scene before him. Heartless scurried about, unaware of him it seemed.
Though in the center of them sat Celestia, her wings chained to the wall and her hooves shackled to the ground. Piper gritted his teeth, slipping along the shadows and coming up behind her, flourishing his hoofblade and slicing through the restraints that held her.
The pegasus flung his cloak into the air, his eyes glowing as he tapped into its powers. He grinned, seeing Nightmare Moon glaring at him moments before he vanished with Celestia in tow.
"I knew there was something strange about that cloak." Dinky mumbled.
"That cloak is a piece of who I am, or who I was." Piper sighed.
"It is also a part of Discord and Harmony." Emerald added, twiddling her thumbs as the others glanced at her.
"They gave a piece of themselves to you, that's not something done lightly Piper." the kirin finished.
"I know Emy. I know."
"Wait...this all happened BEFORE you came back...does that mean...oh-my-gosh..." Strawberry glanced down at Sugarcane, a heavy silence falling over the group.
"she is a perfectly healthy and wonderful filly Berry."
"The Girl is The Key..." Nova said softly. "Your daughter was conceived when Piper was still a heartless. Its a part of who she is, as well as that piece of Harmony and Discord. We are going to have to keep an eye on her. Berry has anything...weird ever happened with her?" Nova asked. The zebra bit her lip.
"Well...two years ago she tried to fly..."
"Sugarcane no!" Strawberry screamed as the filly leapt from the cliff, throwing out her wings wide and flapping them as hard as she could. The zebra below yelled out in shock as a tree was sliced clean through from the current being tossed around by Sugarcanes wings. The filly screamed as she rolled and fell, Strawberry tossing herself under the filly and clutching her close.
"Don't ever scare me like that again!"
"I-I'm sorry momma...I-I just wanted to see papa..." the filly cried, clinging to her. Strawberry sighed, nuzzling the filly, staring at the tree out of the corner of her eye as it collapsed painfully.
"I told myself the tree was weak...that it had just been waiting for something small to knock it over a-and I put the thought of her being special out of my mind. But I kept her from flying after that." Strawberry mumbled. Piper grinned, nuzzling the little filly.
"She was special already Berry, just because she is ours." he said quietly.
"It makes sense now. The Girl is The Key. Oracle was talking about Sugarcane. That's why the Beast was protecting her, that's why he wouldn't attack her. Because he sees her as his daughter!" Nova smiled as the pieces clicked into place.
"Which means it is going to come after her. It will think we've taken its child from it and it won't stop until it has her back." Piper pointed out, keeping his wing resting over the sleeping filly. He chuckled to himself.
"Here I was worried about hunting it down. But its going to come straight to me." he mumbled.
"You mean its coming to us." Strawberry said, nudging him. Piper blinked, looking at her. He opened his mouth to argue, silenced by a kiss from the zebra.
"You are not doing this alone." she whispered against his lips
"Berry.."
"She's right Piper. We're with you on this. You aren't immortal anymore and you are still injured from the battle with Niare." Nova said with a smile.
"Sorry cuz, but ya'll ain't gettin' rid o' us so easily. Family sticks together. If somepony is comin' after yer lil girl then they are comin' after all o' us." Sunburst added, crossing her hooves.
"Thats' right! Family sticks together through everythin'!" Penny Apple cheered, waking Sugarcane.
"oops." the apple sisters mumbled together. Sugarcane smiled, looking up at her parents, giggling as Piper rubbed his cheek against hers.
"I thought it was a dream...but you're really here Papa..." she said quietly.
"That's right, and I'm not going anywhere." he murmured, kissing her forehead.
"Go back to sleep, k? I'll show you how to fly tomorrow." he promised, the filly smiling as she nuzzled his side and went back to sleep.
"Wow, pretty good with kids huh Piper?" Amethyst asked.
"I had a lot of practice..." he said softly.
"Oh...right...sorry." the kirin mumbled.
"Its alright Amethyst. I can't change the past, I learned that the hard way."
"I won't...give them to you.." Celestia said weakly.
"Tia, wake up." Piper said, nudging her. Celestia shot up quickly, gasping in pain and staring at him with wide eyes. Slowly tears began to build up, the alicorn throwing her hooves around him and hugging him tightly.
"I knew you would come..." she sobbed. Piper returned the hug and chuckled.
"You have your mother to thank for that. She would be here herself if she could." he told her. As far as he knew, it was the truth. She sniffed as he pulled away, clearing her throat and trying to make herself presentable.
"Your magic is still weak, give yourself a few hours more Tia." he said, taking a seat and rolling his shoulders.
"Where are we?" she asked, glancing around.
"Hidden in the hedge maze near the castle. I crafted this little spot from the stone and leaves around here after I freed you." he explained.
"Freed me? how?" she stared at him. Piper sighed, putting a hoof against his chin.
"Like I've said before, its complicated. There's a lot at work here that I can't really explain." he said. While she seemed unsatisfied with the answer, she accepted it.
"Those creatures..."
"They are the Heartless. Luna has been transformed by the power of Darkness and her own Jealousy."
"Luna? Jealous? No, she had nothing to be jealous of!"
"You, Tia. The ponies love you and your day more than anything, including your sister and her beautiful nights." he whispered, the pegasus peering through a hole in his small fort, scanning the area outside. Celestia noticed that his eyes seemed to glow yellow, just like the creatures.
"Piper, what aren't you telling me?" Celestia spoke up. He closed his eyes.
"Its not important. What is important is that we get the Elements. There's something you have to do Tia...only you can do it." he turned to her, opening his eyes to reveal they had turned a light red.
"You have to seal Nightmare Moon away before she covers Equestria in total complete darkness."
"You could feel the change?" Dinky asked. Piper nodded.
"They seem to shift with my emotions." he explained. They all took a look at his eyes, noticing they were bright green with a tinge of black and red around the edges.
"Happy with the weight of regret..." Emerald mumbled. Piper chuckled.
"I can still feel it...the Darkness." he said, a crackle of dark lightning running over his wings.
"And I can still touch it."
"Well of course you can. All that was removed was the Beast. But theres a light there now, isn't there?" Riku said, walking into the room with his family around him. Piper grinned.
"I'm sure you know that better than I do." the pegasus replied, the arc of dark energy leaping from his wing and dancing across Riku's outstretched wing. Nyx nudged him and glared, Riku chuckling quietly.
"Its good to know you had things in check, even back then Piper. That Light is more important than you know. After having it for so long...I don't know how I'd ever live without it." Riku smiled, nuzzling Nyx. Piper grinned and sighed softly.
"That doesn't change the fact that the Beast is still out there. And he will be coming for Sugarcane."
"And we'll be here to keep her safe."
"So, I'd like to hear about this war Piper. Its my past too you know..." Nyx said as she sat down. Piper sighed, stretching his wings a bit.
"Well..."
"RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVAHHH!" a soldier screamed as Pipers blade sunk deep into his chest, the pegasus never losing speed as he rushed past his latest victim, roaring and snatching his blade free. He rolled, slicing through an oncoming soldiers forehooves and spun, taking his head in a single slice.
With a powerful flap of his wings he dodged out of the way of several pegasi archers, bolts of ice digging themselves into their chests as he turned to them with his icy gaze. Piper ducked into a tree as more soldiers advanced on him.
"Gotta keep em away from Tia." he mumbled to himself, zipping between branches and rolling about from tree to tree, shards of ice rising up and taking out his pursuer one by one. Finally he skid to a halt, panting slightly as the remaining soldiers encircled him.
"COME ON!" He roared, flaring his wings. With a mighty roar they charged as one, never seeing the flakes of snow falling around them or ever knowing what had silenced them.
Though those that had not joined the charge saw everything, massive shards of ice rising from the ground and piercing through the bodies of the soldiers.
As the monster turned his attention to them they ran, rushing back for their camp and reinforcements. The pegasus froze in place as a familiar sound rang out nearby, a sound he thought he'd never hear again.
The TARDIS.
