Shadow opens his eyes to find himself in what appeared to be a fog covered area with the night sky above him.The moon shining down brightly. He looks around as he walks forward a bit trying to figure out where he was exactly. The feeling he was getting wasn’t exactly like he was in a real place. In fact, he wasn’t at all. He was in another one of his odd dreams that he had been having for a while now. He suddenly heard footsteps against the cold cobblestone that was under the thick blanket of fog. He turned to lay eyes upon the figure he had seen in his dreams repeatedly. He was tall, cloaked with the hood obscuring his face completely. From what he could see by the moonlight, however, it was apparent the two had the same taste in clothing.

“How long do you plan on keeping her waiting, Shadow? Your beloved needs you.”

Said the figure who now stood two feet away from him. The being’s eyes clearly focused on Shadow’s. He gazes back in confusion. Clearly, the young stallion was very much in the dark.

“I..do not understand. You have been telling me to ‘wake up’ every night. That I am keeping somepony waiting. But who are you talking about? Please, I am so confused!”

Shadow felt the being’s hand rest on his head. He chuckled lightly in response.

“Your memories will tell you. You just need to unlock them and everything will be clear. I promise, Shadow. And when your memories surface, hers will too. Then you two can be together once more. And hopefully, prevent the tragedy that I sacrificed myself to even let happen. Wake up, Shadow”

Those last three words echoed loudly. The dream began to slowly be consumed by a bright light. Shadow snapped his eyes open and sat up in his bed quickly. Same time as always. Six in the morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise. He places a hand on his head and shakes it lightly. Those words never failed to end his dreams. He truly wishes he knew what they meant. What the whole dream meant in fact. Once he had gotten a shower and dressed for the day, he made his way downstairs where his parents awaited him with a big smile on their faces. Something clearly wonderful must have happened.

“Uh...did I miss something?”

“Oooh, sweetheart. We just got a letter sent by princess Celestia herself. She has asked if you’d be interested in becoming a student of hers!”

Shadow was a bit taken back by the words of his mother. He literally stood there like he had been smacked across the face with a sock with a stick of butter in it.Why would she want someone like him in such a prestigious school? He wasn’t at the top of his class. Sure he got good grades but that was it. He had no real outstanding achievement that would make to talent scouts look his way. So...why?

“I...don’t understand. I am just a regular schoolcolt like anypony else…”

His father smiled up at him as he approached and gently placed a hoof on his shoulder.

“You give yourself too little credit, Shadow. True, you aren’t exactly the top of your class. But, if she is asking for you to come and be part of her teaching. She clearly sees something special in you, my boy. Don’t pass up an opportunity like this. You never know when another will come if not at all.”

Shadow was still caught off guard by the thought. But at the same time, his father was right. Should he take up this offer? He did want his folks to be proud of him. And if something this wonderful has been offered to him, he saw no reason to deny it.

“If I go...that means I won’t be here.”

His mother comes up next to him and wraps her forelegs around him in a hug, snuggling him closely.

“Oh don’t you worry about us. We will come by and visit as much as we can! But a bigger and brighter future awaits you Shadow Strike.And your father and I support you one-hundred percent. We will always be there when you need us. We promise.”

Shadow nods and pulls them closely into a hug.

“I know you guys are my blood parents...but with the way you have raised me and taken care of me as if I was born from your womb...you may as well be. I love you both. And I am happy to have been raised by both of you.”

--A Week Later--

Shadow stood at the train station waiting for the train that was to take him to Canterlot. His parents were there waiting with him when he heard hoofsteps running towards him. He turns to see Rarity racing up to him with a wrapped item in her saddle bag.

“Darling, I have something for you before you depart! I made this over the past few days and wanted you to have it before you left.”

She said as she levitated it over to him with her magic. He blinks a few times and takes it into his hands, his gaze turning back to the fashionista.

“Well, go on. Open it!”

She said as she bounced on her hooves lightly. He nodded and ripped open the paper to reveal a black cloak with royal blue tribal accents on it’s side. The appearance and feel of the fabric were right on the mark. He smiles lightly and holds the cloak close to his body. That familiar warmth and memory popping in his mind

“It looks good as new, Rarity…”

“Oh, it was no trouble, Taylor. Always happy to help a frien-.”

They both open their eyes wide and look at one another. Rarity suddenly felt like crying, tears welling up in her eyes before she charges forward and wraps her forelegs around his body. He kneels down and holds her in his own embrace.

“Oh please forgive me, dear. I...I don’t know why I am crying so much at the moment. But I felt as if I have done this before...and it’s giving me a very sentimental feeling.”

He gently runs his fingers through the mare’s mane and nods

“I understand the feeling. I wish I could explain it myself...but I do not know where these...memories are coming from. But thank you so very much for making this for me, Rarity. I will forever cherish this gift you have given me. Make sure you and the other girls come and visit me as well.”

“Oh you can bet we will. Now go and do your best. And be safe.”

She leans up and plants a kiss on his cheek.

“With a handsome colt such as yourself, I bet you will have all the fillies hanging from your tail.”

She said with a wink as she walks off. He then hugs his parents good-bye as the train approaches and slings his bag over his shoulder.He steps onto the train and takes a seat in one of the passenger cars. As the train start to leave he leans out and waves to his family once more knowing it will quite some time before he sees them again. But he needed to remember, this was to further his future. After this, he could pretty much do anything he wished with a school like this on his record. Little did he know, however, that not only his learning would change, but his life in general as well.

Once he got to the train station in Canterlot, he steps out of the car and looks around. He had been here a few times in his life, but now he was going to be staying here. Definitely a bigger change in what he was used to. Not to mention all the snobbish nobles he was going to have to deal with. He was sure about that. Suddenly two pegasus guard land in front of him and look him up and down. They nod to each other and stand in front of him.

“You must be Shadow Strike, correct?”

“Yes, that’d be me.”

“Excellent, the princesses have ordered us to come and collect you. If you’d please follow us.”

He nodded in response. They all three took to the air and flew towards the castle, Shadow having no difficulty keeping up as his wings were bigger and he had been flying pretty much his whole life after all. Once they made it to the castle, the guards walked him through the large corridors and to a room where Celestia had been waiting for him. The strange thing is, he felt like he had been in this castle before. He knew the twists and turns, the layout of the whole place. He even knew that they were leading him to the royal study. A place that he and the royal sisters frequented the get a bit of peace of mind from everything that was going on. But how did he know this? All these memories, these feelings. They were starting to get a little overwhelming.

“Princess Celestia is waiting for you.”

One of the guards said as he opened up the door to allow him in. Shadow nodded and made his way inside, the guard closes the door behind him once he has entered.

“Hello again, Shadow Strike. I trust you have been doing well since our last meeting?”

Asked a warm and motherly voice from across the room. Shadow turned his gaze to the source, which was Celestia herself. He offers her a slight bow and nods.

“I have been doing alright. I am just surprised that you would even offer to teach me is all. Though I consider it a great honor, I have to ask. Why?”

Celestia gives a gentle smile and scoots over a little bit on her large pillow. She lightly pats the spot next to her with a hoof, offering it to him.

“Are...you sure…?”

He asked in slight surprise. She nods her head in response. He then makes his way over to her and sits next to her. He had never been this close to royalty and when he sat beside her, she smelled nice. Definitely a hint of cake. Her gaze was focused on his markings at first, then the cloak that he had gotten from Rarity that was now resting on his shoulders.

“I brought you here because you are very special to somepony. And you can do things that other pegasi can’t. Can you?”

“W-what do you mean, princess? I am just a regular pegasus like any other. The only difference is I walk on two legs instead of four.”

“It’s alright, Shadow. You do not need to hide your abilities here. Please, show me what I have been sensing from you for a few years now. I have been keeping a very watchful eye on you as you have grown up. And I know that magic grows within you each day.”

Shadow lifts a hand up slowly and opens up his palm. A light spark starts to form within his hand and soon it becomes a bit larger, blue lightning now curling around his hand, then arm.

“Have you really known about this for a long time, princess?”

She gives a gentle nod and brings a wing around him.

“Tell me. Do you have memories come to you that aren’t your own? One of a pony and one of another being entirely?”

Shadow nods repeatedly.

“Yeah! They both appear in my dreams as well, the bipedal being more often than the pony though.”

“And does this castle seem..familiar to you at all? Like you have been here before?”

Shadow nods again

“Somehow I knew that the guards were bringing me here to the royal study. Though I have never been here in my life, I felt like I spent a great deal here once.”

She nods again as she listens to him.

“I brought you here for more than just to teach you, Shadow. Believe it or not, I believe that you and my sister have some sort of connection. What kind of connection it is, i cannot say. All I ask is that if she starts to act strangely around you. Please do not take it the wrong way. Ever since her return, she has found it difficult to really speak or be around anypony. So I ask this as a favor. Would you befriend her? With how you are a bit different and the way that she is around most ponies. I imagine that you two would hit it off nicely.”

Shadow thought about this for a moment. She had him brought here for more than just going to a better school it seemed. And she knew about the dreams and memories that he had been dealing with for quite awhile. And she even knew about his secret he had kept for everypony else. Even his parents. That he could conjure and control lightning at will. Something that pegasi couldn’t normally do. Sure, they control the weather for the most part, but none of them can shoot lightning from their fingertips. He returns his gaze to Celestia and gave a nod to her.

“I can see why you’d think we’d be good friends. Alright. Should I run into her at some point, I will do my best to become her friends. But in the meantime. Where will I be picking back up on my studies?”

“I will be your personal teacher from now on, Shadow. I had thought about sending you to Canterlot High. But I think somepony of your...abilities may be too advanced. And under my teaching, you will be living here in the castle.Now, I must go and get ready for Day Court. Please have a look around the castle and get yourself comfortable. Though if you are the one that these memories and visions say you are. I think you know where to find your chambers.”

She said after a light giggle. Shadow just sat there for a moment, thoughts running through his head. Yep, his life was indeed going to change from here on out. And over his time here, bonds thought to have been forgotten will reform for a third time.

Author's Note

Sorry about the long wait, been busy with Ghost Recon Wildlands as of late. :P

May the darkness grant you peace.