Taylor walked through the castle corridors on his way to see Luna. It had been a very long day for him. Helping with the royal duties now that he was a ‘prince’. Since he was married to Luna. He was doing things he never thought he’d do in his lifetime. But it wasn’t so bad. He was a wielder of both lightning and shadow magic. He could see clearly like he was never able to before he came here. He has friends, loved ones, thing he never ever thought he’d ever have.

It has been five years since he and Luna got married, and they have been living happily together ever since then. The two eternal lovers spent day after day with each other, simply enjoying their time and company with one another. With the occasional trip to the royal summit every now and then, along with threats here and there. Otherwise, life was good for him, her and all the ponies of the land.

Taylor finally made to Luna’s bedroom, or their bedroom as it has been for a long time now. The guards that strolled past Taylor gave him a bow of their heads. He in turn bowed his back. Walking past them and patting one of them on the back.

Keep up the good work, fellas.”

“Yes sir.”

The both said as they continued on. Once he got to the door, he opened it to see Luna lying on the bed, she seemed to be engrossed in a book that held her attention. Usually when he comes in, she is all over him within a few seconds. This made him chuckle to himself as he watched her. He closes the door and removes his cloak that Rarity had given him long ago. It was one thing he held onto that made him remember ehr and the others from Ponyville. He still sees them from time to time. Even the little fillies who are the sisters to Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow have grown up to be fine mares and are pursuing their dreams.

“Must be a good book to have your attention like that, Lulu. Am I being replaced by a stack of literature?”

He teased as he hung his cloak up in it usual spot. The mare’s ears perked up and her head lifted as well. As her gaze falling upon her husband, she widens her eyes and quickly leaps off the bed and trots over to him, rearing up and placing her front hooves on his shoulders and planting a loving kiss on his lips, her tail swaying behind her in delight.

“You know better than that, silly man. Nothing nor nopony could ever replace you…”

She said as she gazed into his eyes happily. Pressing her body firmly against him as she rested her head against his chest. Taylor chuckled and reached down her back slowly, placing his hands on her flanks and squeezes them firmly but lovingly. Luna let out a soft moan and giggled at him.

“Somepony missed me…”

“Well of course I did silly mare. I always miss you when I have to go and do these boring royal duties that have been assigned to me. But, I suppose being a prince and being married to the hottest mare in all of Equestria is a pretty sweet deal. But these nobles and their whiny, bitchy nature. How the hell do you and your sister put up with it all…?”

Luna giggled lightly as she leaned up and kissed him once more before going back on all four hooves and walks over to their bed and hops back onto it. Lightly patting the spot next to her to welcome him.

“Well, considering the fact that Tia and I have been around for thousands of years, we have grown used to all the nonsense they bring in.”

Taylor nodded and made his way over to the bed and gets comfortable by his wife. She then climbs on top of him and makes herself comfortable as well.

“I suppose that is rational thinking for an immortal being. Speaking of which...I still need to get used to this new...immortality thing. I am thirty years old now, but I still look the same as I did when I came here. And my sense of time is already starting to feel strange.”

Luna gently places a hoof on his cheek and locks her eyes with his.

“I know my love. It can be very disorienting for those who have not lived over more than one lifetime. But you will get the hang of it, I promise.”

He lightly grabs her hoof and squeezes it gently, finding comfort in her words of assurance. She always made him feel like everything was going to be alright. No matter what happened, she was always there to cheer him up or make sure he didn’t worry himself.

“I know Lulu. It’s just. I know I won’t be able to hold onto the friends I make forever. I know one day, that Twilight’s friends will part from this world. That is the downside to being immortal. You lose too many that you care about. I am sure you have dealt with that pain before. Watching those you hold dear age their way to death.”

She nodded and kissed him lovingly.

“That I have. But there is always going to be that one pony who I will never ever lose again.”

She said as she wraps her forearms around him tightly, enclosing her wings around him as well. He brought his own arms around her as well, running his fingers through her mane, which she enjoyed very much. She always turned her flowing mane back into her regular mane just so he could do that for her. The couple laid there for what felt like hours, eventually giving into slumber as they held each other closely,

--A Few Hours Later--

Taylor eyes snap open once he feels the castle rumbling. Something was clearly not right here. He felt a massive surge in magical energy coming from below and with that came a very bad lightning storm outside. Luna lifted her head from his chest and looked out the same window that he did. She felt the energy now as well.

“By the moon...what is going on?!”

They both get up quickly and run to the window. When they look outside, their eyes widen in horror as they see a large black and blue portal forming in the courtyard with big blue eyes looking outside of it. Taylor knew this was bad. He felt an overwhelming power coming from whatever was in there. And if he didn’t act fast, he knew that ALL of Equestria was in danger. Without even saying a word, he leaps out the window and divebombs his way below, taking his smoke form before landing so as to not injure himself.

“Taylor, what are you…?!”

She called out to him as she followed him down. Taylor’s eyes was fixated on the large looking creature. It looked demonic in nature, large horns, large wings completely shrouding in black oily darkness. This is something that he had a vision about. But he merely thought it was a bad dream and never told anyone about. Not even Luna. And the dream wasn’t pleasant. The creature had killed everypony Taylor had come to love,even Luna herself. He wasn’t going to let that happen. The only thing he could do was to end the creature now before it could leave it’s portal. And he saw only one way to do it. He lowers his head and balls his fists, gritting his teeth.

"I love you Luna...so so much. And I will never forget you. Even in death."

He then casts a shadow binding spell around her hooves and a blinding spell so she could not see what he was about to do.

“Taylor what are y-?!”

She was cut off by a kiss with his hands cradling her jaw lightly.i He then pulls away and faces the the portal. The monster inside laughs wickedly.

“What can you do to stop me? Once I am free of this portal, I will ravage this entire land!”

“Like hell you will…”

Taylor raises his hands into the air, lightning begins to form in them as his body starts to spark widely. He was turning himself into a lightning rod, storing up as much as he could. The thing is, even though he could control it, it could still hurt and kill him if he took in too much. The ground below him was already crumbling and coursing with an electric flow. By this time, he already had enough lightning to decimate the entire city of Canterlot. Luna was pulling at the binds as hard as she could, trying to break free. She couldn’t use her magic for she could not see either, not knowing what she’d hit. All she could do was call out to him with tears running down her face.

“No Taylor! Please stop! We can find another way to deal with this! Don’t throw away your life! I can’t lose you again!”

She struggled and begged him over and over. Her cries made his heart ache severely. But he could see no other way.

“Goodbye Luna. Even though our time was short. I was happy to be with you through it all. Maybe one day,I will see you once more. Be good…”

He said with a smile before casting himself into the portal and latching onto the beast. He lets out a mighty roar of power as he suddenly detonates like a nuclear blast made of pure lightning. There was a loud explosion and crack of lightning as this happened. The monster within let out a roar of pain as it began to vaporize along with Taylor.

“Remember Lulu, love can transcend death…”

Where his last words before there was nothing left, not even the portal remained. The spells that he had left behind stopped since their caster was no longer alive. And Luna knew this. Celestia and the guards made it outside to find the moon princess sobbing uncontrollably, calling out her husband’s name over and over. Celestia knew immediately what had happened. She to began to weep. She made her way to her sister and wrapped her wings around her. Trying to comfort her as best as possible. He was gone once more.

--In The Void Between the Living And Dead--

Taylor floated through the darkness. Devoid of all senses.

This is the second time I have made her cry because of my recklessness. I should have told her about it. I should have told them all. But it felt like it was just a bad dream. But at least I know they are safe. I guess..this is where I will be spending eternity huh? In a black void? Not like I can go to where ponies go after they die...

“And why can’t you?”

Said a warm motherly voice from within the void. He opens his eyes and looks around, still seeing nothing. But he answers the voice.

“Because, I am not a pony. I am a human. Even with the soul of Shadow Strike, I am sure I wouldn’t be welcomed anyways.”

“Taylor, you gave your life to keep my daughters and all of my other children safe. If that doesn’t get you into the land of paradise, then what will?”

“Land of...paradise? You mean you have a form of heaven here?”

The void suddenly vanishes s a bright light peers through, revealing a land with pure green grass, the sky filled with blues, purples and an everlasting sunset. It was like he was in some kind of unreal land, even more unreal than Equestria. He was then placed on his feet. The man looks around the new place with widened eyes.

“But tell me, Taylor. Why should you be stuck here when my daughter needs you?”

Said a white furred alicorn with autumn red hair and magenta eyes. He knew who this was right away once he saw her.

“Faust…”

He said in surprise. The alicorn smiles down at him, as she was slightly taller than he was. She places a hoof on his shoulder.

“If it were possible, I’d rather go back and be with her. But I saw no other option in making sure that her and the rest of them would remain safe. Would...you really give me a third chance to be with her again..?”

She smiles and nods.

“Taylor, you have been the source of my little Luna’s happiness in two lifetimes. And tragic circumstances have always torn you away from her. But now that I know that you two belong together. I will not sit idly by while her one and only is taken from her again.”

She turns away from him with a gaze from her peripheral vision.

“However, in order to make things right. I will be starting your life over in a new body with time turned back. Before you and her got married, before Terik, before everything since you came to my world. But since your soul has been both human and pony. I must create a form for you that will suit your soul.. And as for your memories…”

Taylor lowered his head and clenched his fists.

“Please..don’t take those from me Faust...I am begging you…”

He said before getting on his his knees and bowing as deep as possible.

“I will give up anything you want. Just...don’t take my memories of Luna away from me.”

That is what he assumed would happen. But he was told otherwise when Faust lightly lifted his head up with a hoof. Giving him a loving gaze.

“I wasn’t going to remove them. I am only going to lock them away in your mind. As you get older, they will slowly resurface. Now, rise back to your feet Taylor. My son in law doesn’t have to beg on his knees. Now, obviously I cannot have you be born from a mare since your body will be a mix of human and pony. So there is only one thing I can do. A divine birth. And with this birth, I give you your old name back.”

With that, she leans down and presses her horn against his forehead gently. She closes her eyes with a warm smile with these final words.

“Back where you belong, my beloved Shadow Strike.”

Author's Note

Here it is, the long-awaited sequel. Well...maybe not by everyone, but for those who have been wanting one anyways.

May the darkness grant you peace.