The Fearless Warrior

"Rainbow Dash!" An angry Twilight called out. "Why you did that! What in Celestia's name were you thinking!" Twilight said approaching her pegasus friend. Rainbow Dash just snorted and hit the floor with a hoof.

"I was doing what that good for nothing royal guard over there should have done already! Chasing the monster from our city!" She said pointing a hoof towards Steel Head. The angry royal guard walked towards her.
"Now look here miss..." he started but was cut off by her.
"No! You look here! That monster almost killed me and my friends! And I WON'T let that happen again! That... that THING should be in a dungeon rotting! If I see him again a mile away from Ponyvile I WILL beat him up again and then throw him in the Everfree forest from where it came from!" She shouted at the surprised guard and then took off, beating her wings to gain speed and leave the place.
The other five ponies looked at the scene in awe and so did Steel Head.
"Is she... always like this?" He asked to Pink Pie who approached him.
"Nopy! Only when she is face to face with the monster that almost killed her." The pink pony said smiling at the guard as if that was a normal thing.
"I'm sorry you saw that dear, our Rainbow Dash is not this violent. But I must agree with her in one point, why was that creature walking in ponyvile like that? He IS dangerous..." Rarity said to the guard who sighed and answered.

"Princess Celestia asked me to bring him here to live among us. He's not bad at heart, trust me, I know him. He's just scared at this whole situation." Steel said looking at the five ponies in front of him. Aside from them, a crowd of ponies were watching the whole episode. It would make things more difficult for him to adjust there.

"If the Princess let him stay around, I guess he's not that dangerous after all." Twilight said with her hoof on her chin, thinking.

"Are'ya kidding? You saw wha'that creature can do!" Apple Jack said looking at her purple friend and when twilight was going to say something Steel Head interrupted.
"I lived with him for a month, and believe me when I say, he regrets what he did. And those who can feel regret, surly have a good heart." The guard said and stretched his wings. "Just think about it, he could have killed that pegasus using the excuse that he was just defending himself. But he chooses to just run away." With that said the royal guard flew in the sky, heading for his home at the borders of Everfree forest. The five friends stood there, looking to each other not sure about what to say.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X

I saw my house getting close. Running fast, I entered my house to grab my axe and then went outside, heading to Everfree forest again. Maybe there I could meet my end in a fight instead of being just executed. If I could just find another monster, so I could have what my people called a 'good death', to be able to enter Valhalla,

The sun had already gone by the time I reached the forest. The moon was high in the sky and that helped me to see the path. I did not went too far since it would be not nice to meet a monster with so little light. I wanted to die in a fight, not being taken by surprise in the dark. When I decided that I was far enough to not be followed I just sit near a tree and made a bonfire to warm me up during the night. I watched as the fire burned the branches and danced in place. It brought me memories of my father, his words, his training... and his love. He could be a warrior, one of the finest and most efficient in the art of killing, but he was also a wonderful father that was always there for me and my mother.

Lost in the memories of my past I did not see a shadow flying above my head. A dark figure landed in front of me, on the other side of the bonfire. Acting on instinct I pulled both my weapons getting ready to fight.

"If I was you, I would think twice in pointing those weapons towards the royalty." The shadow spoke. It came near and, in the fire's light, I could see a horn and wings. It was a little taller than the average pony. An alicorn, without a doubt, but, it was not Celestia.

"You are not Celestia. I can assume the Princess did not see me worthy enough to be executed by her hands then." I said with a firm voice but my insides were cold with fear.

"If you were going to be executed I would not even bothered to show up." The dark alicorn said and stepped closer. I could see that she had a dark blue fur all over her body. Her tail and mane were ethereal and remembered a night sky full of stars. "My name is Luna, I'm the younger sister of Celestia. I'm the second ruler of Equestria, the Princess of the night." She announced. I lowered my weapons but not sheathed them.

"Then, if you are not here to execute me, what you came for? You must know that I just broke my promise with your sister. I pointed my sword at one of her subjects and not only that, but I did it to the very pony that I almost killed once." I said still standing, looking her in the eyes. I would not deny that I was guilty.

"I know that, and believe me, my sister was really... disappointed at you." She said coming closer.
"Disappointed or mad?" I asked.
"Well more like mad at first but then I talked to her and she calmed down." She chuckled a little.
"I'm sorry..." I started letting both my weapons fall on the ground and then sitting. "...but I had no choice. That cyan pegasus came striking me without warning, and then the other five showed up and I knew that I needed to leave there fast. I just did what I did to escape; I had no intention to hurt them."
She came closer and lay beside me.

"I know...when Celestia told me what had happen and why she was so angry I knew that you did not have the intention to harm anypony." Luna said smiling softly to me. "You know, in a way you are just like me."
I arched an eyebrow. "How?"
"Well... have you ever heard about the tale about the Mare in the Moon? Or the Nightmare Moon?" She asked and I just shrugged. "A thousand years ago, Nightmare Moon tried to usurp the throne and make the night last forever. My sister then, banish her to the moon. Less than a year ago, Nightmare Moon returned. Those six fillies that you first meet, including the cyan pegasus, Rainbow Dash, defeated Nightmare Moon."

"And what about you?" I asked and she gave me a sad smile.
"I was Nightmare Moon" She said. My jaw dropped. "A thousand years ago I was the terrible villain. A creature that every single pony feared. Cast aside as a traitor and target of an annual festival where small children give offerings to a statue of me so I would not come and devour them. They were taught to fear me" She sighted. "And a few months ago I came back as Princess Luna and had to face a thousand years of tradition that pointed me as a horrible monster. I tried to recreate a connection with my subjects in this very festival, to show them who I was. But all I could see was fear… I felt so angry at the fact that I was feared. So I tried to put an end to that festival. But the kind heart of those six ponies showed me that, despite the festival, the tradition, despite all of that, all I had to do was to play along, show them that I was just Princess Luna and not Nightmare Moon." She finished her tale, making a pause before speaking again. "And here you are. You are considered a monster for something you had no control over, for an accident. You pointed your sword towards another pony because you were afraid. A thousand years ago I did the same to my sister, afraid that no one would love me, and then I did again when I saw my subjects afraid of me. But I know that there are ponies that actually want to meet you, and that already like you for who you are."
"I don't think so your majesty." I sighed. "Rainbow showed to me that she will never forgive me for what I did."
"Don't be a foal. She just acted in fear too. Just like you did and just like I did. Fear is a terrible feeling that makes ponies do terrible things. Fear can turn into rage, jealous, greed and even lust. Fear is usually the first step before a sin is committed, so, don't be afraid, don't let despair take your heart. Put yourself together, go back to your house, there is a pony there that is worry sick about you." She smiled at me and I could not hold the smile too.

"You... you are right. I can't let fear take my heart. My father would feel ashamed if he saw me drown in self pity!" I stood up straight. "I'll go back, and try again. Thanks Princess, and say to Princess Celestia that I'm sorry for brake the promise I made to her."
"I will, don't worry yourself with that. Now go back, I made the moon extra shiny this night just for you." She smiled at me.

I took both my weapons and then started to run back home. I felt ashamed now and, at the same time, a fire was burning in my chest. A fire that was giving me determination to do things right, and in Odin's name, I would not fail!