Author's Note

For this chapter and beyond, [ and ] will signify thought.

Return of a Prince

*John's POV*

[It's warm... So comfortably warm... I could feel myself curling up as tight as possible... It was... Wonderful, I felt strangely whole... Until I remembered the Alabaster Angel from my dreams. Then I felt tears roll down my cheeks. What was it about her that always made me like this? Was she important to me?]

"More important to you than you could ever have imagined in the world you came from, young one." A Sweet female voice said.

"Who are you?" I tried to ask, but my mouth wouldn't do what I wanted.

"My name is Faust, and don't worry about trying to speak, I can hear your thoughts quite clearly."

[Faust?]

"That's right. Do you remember your name?"

[....no....wait....what was it?....I can't remember!!]

"It's ok little one. You will remember soon. Likely after your return..."

[Return?! No!! I can't go back to that world!! ......Wait... What? Why am I crying?]

"It is all right." At this I felt something pull me into a hug that I couldn't deny felt wonderful. "Shhh....Its alright...Shhhh...shhhhhhhh....."

I felt something rub the tears from my eyes, and as my eyes adjusted I saw a gorgeous glowing white mare with a burning red mane, a horn and wings smiling at me.... Wait....Mare? Horn and wings?

"Yes, mare. And a little colt like yourself shouldn't be worrying over the beauty of a mare like me."

[Colt? I looked down to my body in the light given off by Faust and saw the legs and hooves of a colt! I was covered in dark blue fur, and my tail was as Alabaster as the Angel's was! But then I saw my wings....I have wings?!]

"Shhhhhhhh....calm down young one....shhhhh...."

[I'll admit she had a way of calming me down, but I don't even know where I am, or what I am, or why I'm crying so much!!]

"It's ok little one." I felt her rocking me slowly trying to calm me down. "Everything will be just fine. If you don't calm down you will cause harm to yourself, and thus your mother..."

[My mother?]

"Yes, you will meet her soon... Or meet her again, I should say..."

[But I don't understand...]

"Shhhh... It will be alright..." I felt her hugging me tighter, and I did my best to hug her back, and she seemed to notice this. "Such a sad thing to see a once proud Stallion turned into such a small and fearful colt..."

I just couldn't stop crying anymore. I felt like her words rung true somehow, but I just didn't understand! "Shhhhhhhh, sleeeeepp"

I couldn't help but feel myself start to nod off into unconsciousness, and so I rested my head into the space between her head and her shoulder, earning a couple nuzzles from the goddess.

"That's it, rest now... When you wake, you will find the family you lost all those years ago. But remember this, you will not do it alone, you will find an old friend shortly after your return... Midnight Shadow...
...
...
...
...

I gasped awake, with two words burned deeply into my mind: Midnight Shadow... My name.... I remembered my name!!! I looked around excitedly for Faust, but to my dismay I didn't see her. I did see a pond and trees surrounding the clearing that I appeared to be in.

Deciding that I should quench my thirst, I tried to make my way to the pond, which was notably tough as my legs didn't want to keep me up for more than a few seconds. After a few minutes of trial and error, I managed to make my way to the edge, and was treated with a shock as I saw my reflection! And then my time with Faust began to come back to me. I took a deep breath and began to study my reflection. Midnight blue fur, a mane that looked like it was pure sunlight, a pair of wings that matched my fur, a spiral horn from the center of my forehead, and eyes that glowed blue like the sky itself. As I felt like I understood my form well enough I began to take a drink from the pond.

"Shadow..." a female voice whispered not far from me, causing me to instinctively take a defensive stance while looking for the owner of said voice.

"Shadow? Is it really you? How are you back? Why are you so young?" a Violet Pony asked as she made her way from the bushes and trees that lined the clearing.

"I...who are you? You seem familiar..."

"Shadow, its me, Twilight Sparkle. Don't you remember me?"

"I think I know you from somewhere... But I just don't know..."

"Shadow... I'm the first mare of your herd..."