-Princess Luna's POV-

I awoke after a long rest, and saw that I was no longer in the throne room, but was in my bedroom. Turning my head slightly, I saw that Prince Blueblood was sitting next to my bed.

"Blueblood?" I asked. "How long was I out?"

"Almost eight weeks," Blueblood replied.

I gasped.

"What?! Who raised the sun, and moon whilst Celestia, and I slept?"

"I had Twilight Sparkle, and Cadence summoned here to fill in as it were until the both of you woke again. Quite honestly, nopony was certain if either of you would."

"It was that bad?"

Blueblood nodded.

"I don't know how they were able to put up mental defenses against a mind probe from an Alicorn, since there shouldn't be a way to do that unless the pony being mind probed is also an Alicorn, but they did. Near as anypony can tell, you, and Auntie Celestia used up all your magic trying to break through their mental barriers. You succeeded, but at the expense of your health, and it rendered you both unconscious."

"Is Celestia awake yet," I asked, trying to get out of bed, only to be stopped by a raging migraine headache, which caused me to collapse to the floor, and bring my forehooves up to my head.

"Not yet. The castle staff, and guards are under strict orders not to disturb her, or you, since you both need to rest a bit more," Blueblood told her helping me back to bed.

"But the trial."

"The trial has been postponed until you, and Auntie Celestia are well again, and Six String returns from wherever it is that he's gone to."

"Nimble left?"

"Yes. Right after Auntie Celestia uttered aloud that it was his own parents who had hired somepony to kill him. He seemed upset by the whole affair, and rightfully so. Personally, I can't see how someone who has been through such hardship can bear the weight of it.

"It's not easy as easy as it seems my dear nephew. The nightmares, the mental, physical, emotional, and psychological toil it takes on a pony, not to mention the scars it leaves."

"You got through it, because you're an Alicorn, the most powerful of the pony races. Anypony who isn't an Alicorn would have a right difficult time with it. To be honest, I'm actually surprised that he didn't....."

My ears drooped

"He almost did. That was why Celestia, and I became involved with this situation, trying to bring those who had wronged him, and other ponies like him to justice."

-Princess Twilight Sparkle's POV-

In the throne room, I sat on Celestia's throne, while Princess Cadence sat on Luna's Presiding over the day court, as well as the night court. There really hadn't been much activity though since Celestia, and Luna 'fell ill', so it was rather boring to be sitting in one place for such a long period of time. Twilight sighed.

"Is something wrong?" Cadence asked.

"I'm worried about Nimble Hooves. He seemed rather upset when he left here after he found out who it was who had tried to have him killed."

"I'm sure he's fine Twilight,"

"If nopony has seen, or heard from him since he found out who put the hit out on him, and that's cause for concern."

"He's probably back in Ponyville again, or you said he has family in Manehattan, so it's possible that he went there."

"Hmm maybe. I'll send a letter to ponyville asking the girls to check up on him, if he's there, and another to his sister Arabesque."

Cadence nods.

"That's the only way to be sure."

-Six String's POV-

By the time that I returned to Canterlot after an 8 week absence, Celestia, and Luna were well enough to preside of the trial, and the prisoners were all brought in to the throne room, and for the first time in Equestria's history, the press was allowed in to report on what everypony was calling "The trial of the century".

Luna called for order, and everypony who had been talking, immediately stopped, and paid attention to what was going on. First the employees of the camp so many had endured such evil horrendous tortures were brought in.

"YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF NUMEROUS CRIMES AGAINST EQUESTRIA, AND IT'S PEOPLE!!!" Celestia, and Luna said. "THE FIRST WITNESS MAY STEP FORWARD."

I went to the front of the room, standing at the foot of the dais while facing outward toward the crowd. There, I gave my life story from my birth, all the way up to where I was called to testify (Which you have previously read), and before I had finished, there were more than a few gasps of shock, and revulsion from others there who didn't know about what I had been through. I had to stop at certain points to regain my emotional composure. When I was finished, I went to stand off to the side, and Fluttershy, and the other element bearers, who had all traveled to Canterlot with Twilight all embraced me..

"THE NEXT WITNESS MAY STEP FORWARD!!!" said Luna.

The next witness, who was a Gryphon, stepped up, and gave her testimony in much the same way I had. After she was done, she went she went over to stand with the other witnesses. One by one ponies, dragons, gryphons, and other species all testified against the employees of the camp. The whole time, the employees of the camp were giving the evil eye to everyone who had testified against them, and were mouthing threats against them. While that was going on, I went out through the same side door that Blueblood had come through when Celestia, and Luna had collapsed while trying to find out who had put the hit out on me. Twilight, and the other Element Bearers followed me.

"So where were you?" Pinkie asked. Twilight said you had left.

I nodded.

"I tried from the Wonderbolts Reserves, but spitfire, and Soarin' wouldn't let me."

"What?!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "Why would you wanna do something like that?!"

"Because, Rainbow," I said sadly. "I'm leaving Equestria."

"Oh no!" Fluttershy squeaked. "You're not going to--"

"No, but I've decided that I can't stay here," I told them. "I was going to ask you, Twilight, if you think that the other world that you went to would be accepting, and welcoming to...somepony like me."

"Probably. The other versions of us who live there are about as friendly as we are,"

"And it's not like you couldn't come back someday, darling," said Rarity.

"Ah know why yer leavin', but Ah don't think it's a good idea," Applejack said. "It gives the impression that yer runnin' away from yer problems, even though ya ain't."

I looked over at Applejack.

"You do need to get away from all this though. It ain't healthy to have this much stress in yer life.

I nodded, and Rainbow Dash rested a hoof on my shoulder.

"You're coming back, right?"

Sighing, I glanced over at her.

"Maybe once all of this is done, and over with, but the Princesses need to sentence those criminal scum in the throne room, and the would-be assassin needs to be caught. For all anypony knows, he, or she, just took the bits my parents offered for my death, and ran, not intending to carry out their mission at all."

"B-But we won't know that, until we find out who it is," said Fluttershy.

"Right," Pinkie added. "But once that's taken care of, and out of the way, you'll come back?"

I smiled at them.

"Yeah."

The girls cheered as a Solar Guard approached, and I rolled my eyes.

"What now?" I asked, exasperatedly

"They're ready for you to testify against your parents."

"After the trial is concluded, I'll let Princess Celestia, ad Princess Luna know what I'm going to do."

"Okay," Twilight said.

They all hugged me, and I followed the guard back to the throne room, where Celestia, and Luna were waiting, along with members of the press, as well as Cloud Kicker, and Featherwing. Unlike last time, my former parents were no longer in chains. Princes Cadence was absent though, having returned to the Crystal Empire.

"THY SON HAS PLEADED WITH US TO SHOW THEE MERCY, AND TO BE LENIENT WITH THEE!!!!" Celestia said in her Royal Canterlot Voice. "AND SO WE SHALL!!! ! THOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO EVER SEE, OR SPEAK TO THY SON, NIMBLE HOOVES!!!"

"IN ADDITION TO THAT, ALL PHOTOGRAPHS OF NIMBLE SHALL BE REMOVED FROM THY HOME, AND ANY PHOTOGRAPHS IN WHICH HE APPEARS WITH EITHER OF THEE, OR THY DAUGHTER, ARABESQUE, SHALL BE ALTERED, SO THAT HE DOES NOT APPEAR IN THEM. ANY MEMORIES OF HIM WILL ME PERMANENTLY REMOVED FROM THY MINDS!!!! HE WILL BE AS A STRANGER TO THEE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THY DAYS!!!!"

Cloudkicker, and Featherwing looked bored, and indifferent toward what Celestia, and Luna were saying.....until the Alicorn magic hit them, and all of the memories that they had of me were extracted. When the magic had faded, they blinked at the Princesses, and then looked over at me.

"Who're you?" Featherwing asked "You look familiar.

"Of course I do," I said. "My name's Six String, and I'm a musician."

Cloudkicker facehoofed.

"Of course! Our daughter, Arabesque told us she'd met you when you were in Manehatten recently! he said, grinning.

"It was all purely by chance," I said. "I happened to be walking out of one of the shops there, just as she was going in."

Celestia cleared her throat.

"Now that our business is concluded, I suggest we all retire for the day. All except Princess Luna, of course."

"Wait, why are we here?" Cloud Kicker asked.

"You were here to suggest that the old castle that Mine sister, and I lived in before, and during the time when I had become Nightmare Moon should be repaired to what it once was, and opened as a museum of Equestrian history, as well as preserved as a national landmark, and historical building." Luna told them. "We heartily agree, and it shall be so."

They accepted this, and left, and once they were gone, the Alicorn Princesses, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I should be going back to Ponyville, but before I do, I have to ask you both something."

"Please do," said Celestia.

"When you were pulling their memories of me from their minds, did you find out who it was that they had hired to kill me?"

Celestia, and Luna both nodded.

"Discord. They approached him at the Gala."

"What?! Surely you can't be serious!"

"WE ARE SERIOUS NIMBLE HOOVES!!!!" They both said in their Royal Canterlot Voices. "AND DON'T CALL US 'SHIRLEY'!!!!"

Celestia giggled, and Luna winked, while sticking her tongue out at me.

"Okay, I guess I deserved that thrown back in my face after using it on the both of you back in Ponyville."

"Indeed." said Celestia approaching me, and poking my nose with a well manicured hoof.

"Boop!" Luna said, giggling

"I believe your friends are waiting for you." Luna said

"One more question.

"Of course." said the Princess of the night.

"How would I speak to mares in a romantic way? You see, there's a certain pony who has caught my eye, and I would like to ask her out, but I'm not sure on how to do that."

"Just be yourself, and you'll do just fine," said Celestia.

"Thank you."

I bowed to them, and left the throne room to find the girls. on my way, I ran into Shield Bearer, and Quick Strike. They were in their mare forms, and in full armor.

"I'm glad I found you. I'm on my way back to Ponyville with Twilight, and the other Element Bearers, but I'll come back to visit again soon.

"Sounds good," said Quick Strike.

"Take care, hon," Shield Bearer said.

They both hugged, and nuzzled me.

"I will," I told them.

Breaking the embrace, I continued on my way. I met up with the girls , who all seemed sad, because of what I had said earlier.

"Change of plans," I said. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

They were taken aback by my statement, so I explained why as we left the castle, and began our trek through Canterlot toward the train station.

"It turns out that the Princess took my advice about just removing their memories of me, so I had to reintroduce myself to them, which was a bit awkward, but it all worked out."

"So you're not leaving?" asked Fluttershy.

"Nope."

Pinkie Pie jumped up into the air.

"Woohoo!!! He's not leaving! Now we have a reason for a party!!"

"Like you've ever needed a reason before," Applejack drawled.

"That's true," replied Pinkie.

"And when we get back, darling," Rarity spoke up. "I would like to make you a whole wardrobe of new mare outfits."

"That's not necessary, really."

"Nonsense. I insist."

"Good luck with that, bud! Rainbow Dash said barely hiding her glee. "You're gonna need it with al the fru fru stuff Rarity has planned for you."

"I was going to wait until we got back home, but I guess I could ask now."

"Ask what?" Twilight inquired

I turned to face Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, would you like to go out with me?"

"LIke a date?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh I don't understand why you'd want to go out with somepony like me."

"Well, let's see. You're smart, funny, and kind for starters. Not to mention you're adorable as all get out."

She blushed at my compliment, and smiled.

"I'd love to."

"Great. Does Friday Night of next week work for you?"

"That would be lovely," she said.

"By the way, the assassin that my parents hired to kill me was Discord. I guess they though he would annoy me to death, but their plan didn't work, because if it hadn't been for him showing me that alternate nightmare version of Equestria, I would have been worm food."

Our stomachs all growled.

"Speaking of food," Twilight said. "Let's get something to eat before we head back to Ponyville.

"Sounds good to me!" Rainbow dash exclaimed.

The rest of us agreed, and we made a slight detour into Doughnut Joe's. Once we finished eating, I accompanied them as far as the train station.

"I still have business here in Canterlot to tend to, but I'll come back to Ponyville tomorrow,"

"Pardon me for sayin' what we're all thinkin', Six," Applejack stated. "But your parents got off easy , considerin' all they did to ya."

"You're right, AJ. But they were subjected to having their memories of me forcibly extracted. Had I not begged, and pleaded with the Princesses to be more lenient with Cloud Kicker, and Featherwing, they would have been sent to prison, or worse."

"So why did you do it?" asked Pinkie.

"Because even in spite of what they did to me, they're still my biological parents, and I'll love them, even if they hate me, or can't remember who I am anymore."

"Oh,"

"I think that's great that you're so willing to forgive them, darling," said Rarity. "Despite the fact that they basically ruined your life."

"As a wise pony once said, 'Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price on a late pizza'."

The girls all laughed, and boarded the train. I stood there watching the train until it was gone from site. Then I returned to the castle.

Author's Note

One more chapter left in this story. Then It's on to writing about the date night with Fluttershy, and the romance that happens as a result of it.