Phantom Son

Chapters

Family and Fractures (Rev. 2)
Freedom (Rev. 2)
Sounds of Music
Apple of My Eye
A Rare Mare Part 1

Family and Fractures (Rev. 2)

Author's Note

Updated 03/04/19

I decided to reread and revise a large portion of the first chapter. I feel that it's a substantial improvement over the original. I'll be updating chapter 2 and 3 as well.

If any of you have any thoughts, please leave it in a comment.

Family and Fractures (Rev. 2)

Everfree, Castle of the Two Sisters Throne Room (20 BCR, Before Celestia's Rule)

A green female maid entered the throne room of the Cosmic sisters. "Your Highnesses. There is an issue in the royal garden."

The eldest stood up, followed by the sibling. "Cloverfield, what happened?" asked Celestia.

"Did something happen to Discord?" asked Luna.

Cloverfield shook her head. "No. Nothing that severe. While the royal guards performed their morning patrols, one of them found someone."

"An intruder, then?" asked Luna.

Cloverfield paused before speaking again. "Something like that. He found an unconscious young colt next to the gazebo."

"Come again?" asked the sisters.

Cloverfield nodded. "It is as I described. The guard found the colt, and we immediately contacted you."

Celestia stepped toward the center of the room along with Luna. "I see. Please, bring the colt here. We would like to see him for ourselves." Cloverfield quickly left, and a few minutes later, a couple of guards brought the sleeping colt in a bundle of blankets. "Thank you."

The sisters began to examine their potential intruder. Luna picked him up to get a better look and blinked at the situation. "This is quite a surprise." The colt's fur was white while his mane, tail, and hooves were black. The shift in movement caused him to shift. A few seconds later, bright blue eyes stared back at Luna. The infants smile pierced through her professional demeanor. "Hello, there."

Celestia shook her head. "The poor child. He must only be about two years old."

"What kind of parent does this?" Luna frowned before she turned to her sister. "Is there any identification on him?"

The first guard, Iron Lance, shook his head. "Sorry, your majesty. No." His reached into his pocket. "The only thing I found on him is this medallion." He handed it to the sister of the night.

Luna examined both sides. One side held a green gem while the other had a gear-shaped symbol. "CW. What do you suppose that means?" The colt in her arms reached for the object and started biting it. Luna chuckled at the childish antics.

Celestia shrugged. "It may be some family crest, but I'm not familiar with anything like it." They have been alive for hundreds of years, so that statement meant a lot. She walked over and allowed the child to play with her hoof.

Luna rocked the colt gently. "If no one claims him, we'll have to send him to the local orphanage?"

Before Celestia answered, the young colt in Luna's arms snuggled onto Celestia's front hoof. She smiled at him. "Maybe."

One month later No one had claimed the young colt. It saddened the sisters that the colt no longer had parents, but Celestia proposed adopting him as their son.

Luna immediately opposed the idea. She argued that it would be a slippery slope. If they adopt this child abandoned on their castle grounds, other parents may leave their children here, hoping for their child to have a better life.

Political issues will also come up. The Noble families in the area would have their reservations about the adoption. Tensions from the old ways still lingered. Compared to the rest of Equestria, Everfree's demographic consisted mostly of Unicorns. This is primarily due to the Star Swirl the Bearded and the other Unicorns initially stationed here to move the Sun and Moon before having Celestia and Luna.

Celestia grew a mischievous smirk. "Well then, I suppose we can't let others know he was left here. As for the nobles, their opinions should not influence my personal life."

Luna frowned. "I'm still against this idea."

"I'm still the older sister here. If anything, I'll be the mother. You can be an aunt or something if you're going to act like that."

The lunar sister sighed, "May Harmony be with us."

The loyal castle guard and staff who found him took a vow with the princesses. The official story would be that they adopted the young colt from a wayward orphanage on their way back from defeating King Sombra. The two princesses were keeping him a secret until the time was right.

Incidentally, one of the reasons Celestia gave to the public on the decision was to give her life some normalcy after battling Sombra and losing the entire Crystal Empire. Luna wasn't going to lie. Both sisters felt at fault for not being there when their ponies needed them. In a way, most civilian families commended them on the act. It helped the princesses feel more down to earth. Sadly, not everypony in the royal family took kindly to the "street rat" being brought into their ranks.

In a way, the young colt filled the void in their lives. After living for hundreds of years and being treated like goddesses, it starts to feel isolated in their personal lives. The two sisters never found love as others held them on a high pedestal. That type of mindset killed relationships, and they never made families of their own. Over time, they took in nieces and nephews. However, the same problems arose. The only ponies they had were each other.

That all changed now. After some debate, the sisters agreed on naming him Dusk. Parenthood and guardianship were both an exciting and stressful change in their routine. Celestia cared and pampered Dusk during the day, and he would sometimes tag along during her duties around Equestria.

Seeing the little one's affection for Celestia develope, Luna got a bit jealous. She wanted to interact with him at night, but the maidens repeatedly told her that it was important for children to get their sleep. This frustrated Luna since she always slept during the day and wasn't around. She was left to do her nightly duties alone for so long. Luna hoped to be able to share her experiences with someone else other than her sister. Little did anyone know, the young pony woke up in the middle of the night and admired the night sky outside his window. Luna started warming up to him once he began bothering her for late night rides.

Luckily, with adversity comes adaptation. A few maids taught the sisters about caring for children. They even recommended that Star Swirl be his godfather. With generous assistance, the princesses raised Dusk to the best of their ability. When both of his sisters were busy, close friends such as Cloverfield and Iron Lance offered to foul-sit.

Star Swirl would educate the stallion on the magical wonders of the world. The wizard was mostly happy to use him as an assistant and subject for his numerous experiments. Clover the Clever noticed this and tried her best to curb her master's tendencies while also taking part in Dusk's education. Cloverfield assisted Celestia in teaching Dusk proper manners and conduct much to his reluctance. Fortunately, Dusk had more exciting lessons with Iron Lance. The two of them would take part in some guard training and camping. When it came to the latter, Luna always stopped by to socialize.

Even though the other families had their contempt for the young colt's addition to the royal family, the sisters and the son were much happier than before. Dusk brought a sense of discovery and excitement back into their monotonous lives.

Sadly, this wouldn't last forever. Even Alicorns make mistakes, and those mistakes would snowball over time into an event that would change Equestria for many years.

Everfree, Castle of the Two Sisters Throne Room (2 Hours BCR)

Dusk walked into Celestia's chambers. "Mom, are you there?"

Celestia looked up from her book. "Ah, Dusk. I've been meaning to ask how your lessons had been going ever since the... incident a few days ago."

"Yeah... Things have been okay. Arkive was boring yet informative as usual. Sonata was nice enough to get me a new bowstring for my viola." He gave a sad chuckle. "Sadly, my last potion attempt with Uncle Star Swirl blew up our study room."

She smiled. "You certainly keep him on his hooves."

"Yeah... I'm sorry if I was disappointing you guys."

Celestia rose from her bed, walked over to him, and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Dusk, believe me when I say that you are not a disappointment. Now, I'm sure there was something else that you wanted to talk about."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted to talk to you about Luna. What happened out there?"

She nodded solemnly. "Ah... I figured that we would need to talk about that."

"When Luna came back to the castle, no one said a word. You said that you would explain later, but that never came."

Celestia sighed. "I would have liked to discuss it with calmer minds, but since then, she's locked herself in her room."

Dusk frowned. "I'm worried about her. She rarely answers to anyone except getting her food."

"I'm worried for her too, Son. We need to have faith in her if we are to get through this."

Dusk looked to his mother with pleading eyes. "What did she do to set everypony on edge?"

Celestia took a deep breath and began. "A few days ago, she-"

Suddenly, a guard ran to the door, cutting her off. "Princess Celestia! We have a situation."

"Iron Lance?" questioned Dusk.

Celestia took a professional demeanor and asked, "What happened?"

"Princess Luna's quarters are empty, and the guards stationed nearby have been found unconscious."

Celestia scowled and nodded. "I see. Set the guard to high alert. We need to find her."

"Yes, your majesty." With that, Iron Lance took off to inform the others.

Dusk shook his head. "I have a bad feeling about this. What do you think is going on? What's she doing?"

"I don't know, but I fear the worst." Celestia began trotting through the halls.

Following behind, Dusk voiced a thought. "I think I know where she might be." He led Celestia to the royal throne room, and someone stopped them.

"Not... another step!" Princess Luna appeared from behind her throne.

Dusk looked at Luna innocently, "Luna, are you feeling okay? You've been avoiding Mom and me lately."

"I'm sorry, Dusk, but please go to you're room. The adults have some differences to take care of."

Celestia stood in front of Dusk protectively. "He's not going anywhere. Luna, what is the meaning of this?"

Luna frowned. "Don't think I don't know how the ponies out there think of me, what you think of me! Did you expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light while I wither away alone in the dark?"

Celestia balked in shock at the bold accusation. "How could you say that about me or our kingdom? They love you just as much as me."

Luna walked between the two thrones and scoffed. "I highly doubt that. I've seen the way they all look at you compared to me. You are their beautiful sun goddess while I walk behind in your shadow. Things were never the same after Sombra. The only one who cared about me, understood who I am, and understood what I do is your son, Dusk. It comes down to this. There can only be one ruler in Equestria! And that ruler will be me!"

(Ponyphonic - The Moon Rises)

So why is it that now, When all is quiet and at rest,

When candles glow and all the world Is at its very best,

The ponies of Equestria Should lock themselves away

To shun the moon and wait Instead for sister's sunny day.

Am I so wrong to wish that They would see things like I do?

And am I so wrong to think That they might love me too?

Why shouldn't they adore me, Is it not within my right?

I'll not be overshadowed.

Mine is not the lesser light!

I've waited long enough now For them all to come around

And though the sun may plead and threaten, The Moon will stand her ground!

It comes to this at last, I will no longer yield the sky

If they cannot love but one princess alone!

See, the moon is rising.

She has come to claim the heavens For her own.

And all will know the wonders Of my dark and jeweled sky

When all the world is wrapped in an eternal lullaby!

So say goodnight of this, the final setting of the Sun

Tomorrow dawns in darkness, The Night Time has begun!

With a stomp of her hoofs, he eyes glowed in rage, and the wall and stained glass window behind shattered, revealing the sun. A dark shadow crept through the room. She rose into the air with her front hooves held high. Outside, Luna raised the moon, blocking out the sun in a total eclipse. Once complete, dark energy poured from the eclipse and drew into Princess Luna. The energy coalesced around her into a black sphere. The energy began to burn as storm winds ravaged the room. The aura changed from black to midnight blue. It soon expelled, leaving the Alicorn for all to see. Her fur and feathers shifted to a deep black. Her pupils narrowed. Teeth sharpened. A maniacal laugh filled the air as she touched back down to Earth.

Dusk hid behind his mother. "Mom, what's going on? Why does Luna look like that?"

Celestia placed a soft hoof on his shoulder. "Just stay behind me, son. I'll keep you safe."

Malicious cosmic energy swirled around her. Focusing her power, she shot a beam at Celestia's statue and the ceiling. Chunks of rubble crashed down from above.

Celestia cast a small shield to protect them from the debris.

When the dust settled, several guards ran into the throne. Iron Lance and his fellow knights were at the ready after seeing the sky and hearing the crushing stone. They spotted a strange black Alicorn attacking Princess Celestia. As their duty to protect the castle and its inhabitants, they attempted to hold back the strange being until more help could arrive.

Celestia turned again to Dusk. "I need you to hide. It's too dangerous. Find somewhere safe."

Dusk stared back with wide eyes. "What?! I can't just leave you with Luna like that."

"Please, listen to me. Luna... It's hard to explain. Please, trust me. If you got hurt because of me, I could never forgive myself."

"Okay," Dusk reluctantly agreed. "Stay safe and please save her. I don't want to lose both of you." After a quick hug, he ran off.

With their son relatively safe, Celestia flew upward.

The guards surrounded the Black Alicorn. Iron Lance spoke up. "Stand down, intruder. What have you done to Princess Luna?!"

The Dark Princess sneered. "Princess Luna is no more. Celestia will be next." Magic gathered in her horn. "Long live the Nightmare! She sent a wave of destructive magic at them.

While some ducked for cover, others took the brunt force as more of the castle came down. Iron Lance dug his blade into the ground, holding his position. "Don't falter, brothers!" Few managed to recover in time and regroup with their commander. They took cover behind rubble with unicorns taking pot shots over the wall. Iron Lance took account of the situation and his resources. Suddenly, a great white figure flew down to them. "Lady Celestia?"

Her face was crestfallen but put on a brave face for her ponies. "Iron Lance, I am glad to see you safe."

Iron Lance bowed in respect. "To you as well, Princess. How should we engage the enemy?"

She nodded her head. "Yes, the... enemy. Allow me to take the brunt of the attack force. You and your men will do what you can to slow her down and cut her concentration."

"Understood, your highness." He turned to his troops. "Proceed with formation five." His team nodded and prepared to strike. Earth ponies brought out their tower shields. Iron Lance and his lieutenant took arms. Pegasi tested their wings. Finally, unicorns prepared their enchantments. "Set up the defensive line and prepare to fire on the ready!" Following orders, the Earth Paladins slowly moved out of cover, each with a unicorn mage under their protection. "Aerial team, scramble." Several blurs flew into the air.

Just as the Nightmare prepared to attack again, she was slammed into a wall by Celestia. Celestia retracted her wings. "I don't want to fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty!"

"I have but one royal duty now: to destroy you!" Another Alicorn beam fired, but Celestia took to the skies and out the castle. "And where do you think you're going?" Nightmare Moon followed in pursuit. Eyes glowing, Nightmare levitated the debris around her, broke them down into smaller pieces, and began launching them at her enemies at blinding speeds.

Celestia put up a barrier to cover as much of the troops as possible. A few Pegasi were dodging and weaving around the occasional blast. Another squad took to the night sky for extra firepower. The armored legion persevered through the hailstorm.

Soon, the attack started to fade. Nightmare needed time to conjure another spell. However, she soon met physical blows with Celestia.

Iron Lance took note of the situation. "Now's our chance! Fire!" All the mages horns glowed — streams of magic connected at a single focal point, increasing in size. The mages began to strain as more and more of their magic filled the attack. Looking up, Celestia was still butting heads with the intruder. "Princess, dive!"

Trusting her Captain's judgment, she complied. The Nightmare was too enraged to react to the combined magical blast in time. The explosion knocked her into another section of the castle.

At that moment, the air force arrived with multiple storm clouds in tow. "Rain fire!" Iron Lance commanded. The Pegasi took a position and bucked the crap out of them, unleashing various weather phenomena upon their target. Lightning scorched the Earth. Hail bludgeoned anything standing. Miniature tornados swept up debris and smashed them together like a blender.

Celestia clenched her eyes, knowing that Luna was in the middle of all that. A minute of the onslaught passed before Iron Lance gave the order. "Hold!" The area filled with smoke and ash. The air went silent.

"Did we win?" asked one of the mages.

As if to answer the question, "Enough of this insolence!" Bright malevolent eyes pierced through the blackness. With a mighty voice, she blew away the smoke before quicky charging her horn for an omnidirectional blast. While Celestia easily took the force, the royal guard was not as lucky. Pegasi crashed down a few kilometers away. Paladins were embedded into walls. Mages collapsed unconscious.

Iron Lance slowly got up, wiping a bit of blood from his muzzle. Celestia stopped him from re-engaging the Nightmare. "Don't. Take your soldiers and fall back. This has become much more dangerous than I had anticipated."

"But, princess," he rasped.

"No, buts. This is a royal order. It's my responsibility to deal with her. Please, safeguard the citizens until this is settled."

Reluctantly, Iron Lance nodded and started collecting his defeated brothers, retreating to the castle and the village.

Without warning, Nightmare fired another horn blast at Celestia. Fortunately, she dodged, and more ceiling came down.

Two balls of light collided in the night sky. Full of energy, the Royal Alicorn sisters charged at each other multiple times. With a glowing horn, Nightmare Moon launched another beam at Celestia, but she performed an aerial dodge in time. Unfortunately, the Sun Alicorn couldn't react to Nightmare Moon teleporting in her face. The lunar Alicorn locked Celestia with her wings before kicking her down below. Back on the ground, Celestia narrowly dodged another blast only for it to follow her. Celestia maneuvered her way to get close. Before another beam made contact, she thrust her wings forward, sending a magical wave to disrupt the attack. Celestia fired her beam point blank at the mad mare, pushing her back.

Both Alicorns fired their respective horns again only for them to make contact with each other. The two sisters stared at each other's eyes as the energy gathered at the center. Celestia's face flooded with tears while Luna expressed malicious determination. Nightmare Moon's beam gained ground as she yelled for more power.

The energy grew near, Celestia began to look in resignation. 'Finally, her attack struck true. Celestia screamed as the intensity before she crashed back down into the throne room.

Nightmare Moon cackled in triumph.

Dusk, who was hiding behind along the castle walls raced toward his mother's fallen body. He saw that Luna's blast left her singed and injured. A large cut went across her side.

"Mom!" He desperately tried to pick her up to no avail.

"Dusk?" Her eyes were glassy.

"We... We have to get out of here!"

She groaned in pain. "I don't think it will be that simple, Dusk. You need to get away from here."

"Maybe if I release Discord..." He rattled his head. "I can't just leave you here!" His face was wet in despair as a soft white hoof held his chin.

"Don't cry, Dusk. You need to be strong. For all of us. For Equestria." Celestia slowly closed her eyes and laid back down.

Dusk eye's widened and desperately tried to keep her awake. "Mom. Mom. Please. I can't lose you too." Tears dripped from his eyes more than before. He felt the searing pain reach to his very core. Unknown to him, white lights flickered around his mid-section. "No. No." His hooves pounded against the ground. "No!" Finally, all of the fear, pain, and anguish let loose. "Ah!" A white halo formed around his body. Splitting in two, they crossed his entire body, and as they crossed, the color of his fur inverted. His white coat became black, and his hooves, collar, tail, and mane became snow white. Black and white wings sprouted from his back. When his eyes opened, they brightly glowed a toxic green.

He could feel the strange energy surge through him. It felt familiar in a way. The cold in his heart only deepened at the sight of his injured mother. As if guided by fate, he pressed his hooves against Celestia's injury. He prayed to Harmony, to any god there was to help him save his mom. He reached deep within himself, hoping for something. His glaring eyes burned with passion. A horn of ice began growing on his forehead, but another energy surge occurred, causing a crack half-way. Slowly, frost began sprouting from his hooves and onto the cut. It glowed a strange white. Her midsection was soon sealed with a layer of permafrost. Underneath, the mysterious energy slowly got to work, repairing the damage. The unconscious Celestia let out a series of coughs before becoming steady breaths.

Dusk thanked the gods on high. His attention shifted to the one who started all of this. On instinct, his wings unfurled and launched him into the air outside in a trail of green energy.

His body ignored the chill of the night, and his eyes darted around. As soon as his eyes focused on her laughing at the fallen Celestia, his anger grew even further. He could feel the energy building within him, begging to be let out. Taking a deep breath, a swirl of toxic green energy pooled. Focusing on Nightmare, he yelled in a fury, unleashing a mighty beam.

Nightmare didn't know what hit her. One moment she was gloating over the defeat of Celestia, and the next moment, she was bombarded with the strange green energy.

Meanwhile

The Iron Lance and the few royal guards who stayed to defend the castle residence were surprised by the new arrival.

"Who the buck is that?!" asked the Lieutenant.

"I don't know, but I'm certainly not complaining, a Paladin," gruffed.

"Wait..." Iron Lance's eyes widened. "Where's the Princess?!" Numerous scenarios ran through his mind; however, they held the same factor. Celestia lost. Iron Lance grabbed onto his brothers and ran back to the battlefield. "The Princess is down!" Along the way, he tried to gather as many fighters as possible.

Outside

Nightmare moon fell to the ground hard, leaving a small crater.

Dusk landed on the ground. He felt strange. It was like his body was chasing shadows. Flying and the energy felt so surreal.

Nightmare Moon stood up to get a better look at the attacker. She was expecting to see her sister only for her eyes widened. Even with the change in color and the wings, she could recognize the boy anywhere. "Dusk?"

"Luna, you need to stop this!" he exclaimed.

She could see the trailing tears on his face. 'What happened to you?' Her initial plan was to take him under her wing for her new government after she dealt with the rest of the royal guard. Now, he was here. Playing it safe, she took careful steps toward her nephew. As she drew closer, his breaths grew slightly faster. 'He's scared, and rightfully so.' Right in front of him, Nightmare lifted his chin with her hoof. Examining him, she noted the shift in magical energy. 'Did he have a similar change to mine?'

Dusk moved his head out of her grasp. He gave a pleading expression. "Please... I just want this to end. Come back, Luna."

A frown marred her face. "I'm sorry, Dusk, but I can't. I've come to close to stop now. Like I said. I'm not Luna anymore."

"That's a lie!" he snarled. "I can feel it," he declared. "She's still there somewhere, under all the fear, anger, and hate. I can't just stand by and watch you and everypony I love suffer." Instinctually, his fractured ice horn glowed toxic green. He could feel the power flow like before but more focused.

Noticing this, she did the same. "Sorry. It looks like we have no choice." As if on cue, both parties launched beams of energy. The beam struggle was brief, but Nightmare Moon saw the minute details. Her attack reached Dusk, snapping the ice horn and sending him back. While her Cosmic Alicorn magic did overpower Dusk's, she could see that his mysterious green energy eroded her magic when it made contact. "Sucha a strange power. How did I not see it before?"

Luna flew toward his floating form. "Can't you see? Trying to stop me is a fool's goal." Her voice held a solemn tone. "Don't make me destroy you. From what I see, you have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will make you unstoppable. With our combined strength, we can bring a new order to Equestria." She placed both hooves on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

He wiped his face with a foreleg. "I don't want that. I don't want any of that!" More glowing green tears fell.

Nightmare Moon frowned at the resistance. "It is our destiny. Join me, and together, we can rule the land." She held his head and stared deeply into his soul. "Come with me. It is the only way." Dark tendrils of magic swirled around her grasp.

The emotional colt threw her forelegs away from him. "I want you back. I want Mom back. I want my life back!"

Before she could reply, she narrowly dodged a lightning bolt. Looking to the ground, she groaned in annoyance. It seems that the Knights came back to meet their demise.

The Captain was enraged. "How dare you! How dare you harm our kingdom!" When his group reached the halls earlier, they came upon Celestia's downed figure. Expecting the worse, they nearly broke into tears. However, upon closer examination, she was stable. Some strange ice covered her barrel. She was alive. He immediately ordered some of his men to take her to the infirmary to be treated. He and the rest of his brothers made their way here.

"Iron Lance!" Dusk exclaimed, glad that one of his closest friends was safe.

The knight briefly held the same expression Nightmare had upon seeing him. "D-dusk?"

"That's prince Dusk?" a shocked unicorn mage asked. 'Why in Tartarus's name is he a pegasus?!'

"Look out!" his Lieutenant yelled, pushing Lance out of the way of black fire streams.

Getting into battle positions, they continued their previous strategy. Iron Lance and the remaining Paladins would tank the blows while the Pegasi and Mages made precise attacks. "Focus on the Nightmare! The small one is an ally!"

Similar to his previous training exercises, Dusk tried his best to counter the stronger opponent.

While the attempts of Dusk, Lance, and the Knights made some headway, Nightmare wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice. Conjuring her weather magic, she created a much larger hurricane sweeping up the Air unit one by one along with Dusk. Their wings simply didn't have the lift to resist. With great strength and speed, she bashed into the shields nearly tearing into the armor of the Paladins with ease. The mages stood no chance with their defense gone. One clenched his eyes, forming a small barrier. Auror waited for the impact only to feel nothing. Opening his eyes, he saw Captain Lance in front of him down on his knees in a deep crater.

Dusk was the first to recover and fly back to the scene. His eyes widened in shock at the new crater. Iron Lance gasped for breath. His shield had broken into many pieces. It was obvious that if he kept going, he would be no more. Dusk's mind raced as the pressure kept building inside. He raced toward Nightmare. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" he yelled between gasps. The air grew colder, and his wings ignited with green and blue energy. Like a flash of light, Dusk's hardened feather's slammed into the Black Alicorn.

Nightmare Moon fell back, surprised by the force. Before she moved, a chill ran up her spine. Looking down at her fur, she saw small pieces of permafrost forming. In an attempt to break it off, her hoof seared in sharp pain. 'Ice so cold it burns?' Looking back at Dusk, she noticed even more changes happening.

The green gem on his medallion glowed with his anguish. The blue energy that gathered in his wings started to spread along with his green aura. Horns and plates of ice grew across his body. Icey claws grew on each of his hooves. His tail froze over to the tip.

Nightmare and the royal guards who were still awake were shocked at the further transformation.

"That's impossible! What is he?!" shouted one of the guards.

Nightmare stood, staring at him. 'Amazing. Simply amazing. Is there more to your potential? Is there more to mine?'

Dusk raised his head, eyes blank. He stopped breathing heavily. On instinct, his icy maw opened. In the back of his throat, cryo energy gathered. He was about to cast it down on everypony in the area, but before it could continue any further, the opposite side of his medal reacted. The CW symbol surged large doses of energy through Dusk's body. He wailed in pain along with the energy he gathered. Echoes of blue and green waves washed over the area.

The screeching sound caused everypony in the immediate area to cover their ears to make the pain stop to no avail. Several panes of glass around the castle shattered to pieces.

When the screams stopped, Dusk felt heavy. The ice around his body broke off. The emotional and physical toll was too much for him. His fell to the ground. Not long after, the white halo returned, and only a white colt was left in the dirt. Dusk, exhausted, stared at up at the moon before closing his eyes.

A Minute Before

Screams of pain and anguish flooded the castle.

A weak Princess Celestia opens her eyes. She pushed herself up, seeing her new setting. She was in bed with several of her wounds wrapped in bandages. Seeing the knights attending to the wounded and herself, she asked. "What happened?"

A mare pushed through the stallions to see Celestia. Cloverfield helped support the princess. "Milady, you're awake. Please, you need rest."

Celestia reached for her side. She expected a wound only to see a small scar. 'How?' The last thing she saw before blacking out was Dusk. 'Dusk!' "Kights, Cloverfield, where is my son? Where is Dusk?"

The Knights didn't have an answer. "We were under the impression that he evacuated with the others."

Cloverfield shook her head. "I haven't seen him. Why?"

Despite Cloverfields instance, she forced herself to stand and walk towards the nearest window. Up in the sky, she saw her sister fighting an unknown black pegasus. 'Is that…?' "What's happened to you, Dusk?" she whispered. Celestia recognized the face of her son anywhere after years of care and nurturing. 'I need to help him and stop Luna!' "Guards, help me to the grand hall." They all rebuked. With what little strength she had left, she raised her voice to the stallions. "This is a royal order. If we are ever to see the sun again, this may be our only option."

They all exchanged looks before nodding in determination. "As you wish, Celestia."

Grand Hall

Celestia stood in the middle of the room. "Oh, dear sister. I'm sorry, but you've given me no choice but to use these." With her magic, she opened a compartment underneath the floor. A structure resembling planets orbiting the sun rose; however, gems stood in their place. These were the Elements of Harmony, the same she and Luna used against Discord. Celestia commanded the jewels to her. They began to orbit her faster and faster to the point it seemed like a belt. Her body permeated an aurora of energy. Her wounds began to heal, and her stamina replenished. Ready to engage once more, she flew to the battlefield. In the corner of her eye, she saw Dusk collapsed on the ground, and she flew straight for him. It pained her so much to see her son like this, broken and hurt. Celestia knelt to his and caressed his face. Harmonic powers streamed into the stallion. Slowly, his wounds healed, and his eyes flickered open. "I'm glad that you're okay."

Dusk gave a tired look to his mom. "What happened? I saw you hurt, and everything went like a blur."

Celestia let out a few tears before hugging her son. "Don't worry, Dusk. I'll take it from here."

Dusk smiled one last time before he closed his eyes to rest.

Celestia walked toward Nightmare Moon. "I can't allow this to continue any longer. Not only have you hurt our knights and me, but you also hurt my son. Surrender!"

Nightmare Moon charged her horn in response.

"Very well, then. Have at thee." This needed to end now. Both sisters charged their final attack. The beams collide, and while the power of Nightmare Moon's malice was strong, it was no match for the Elements of Harmony. The Elements plowed through the beam struggle until it made contact with her sister.

"Nooooooo!" The former princess bathed in the collection of energy. The Nightmare shell began to strip away. It was feeling weak and needed to survive. In desperation, it clawed it's way deep within Luna's soul.

Celestia focused all her attention on Luna. She saw the outer layers peeling away, but the core problem was still there. The dark power clutched onto her sister, persistently. 'Why isn't all the malice purging?' The Elements of Harmony couldn't completely penetrate her heart. 'The stress for a petrification spell is too much for me." Unlike before, she didn't have someone else to share the burden of the Elements. 'I am not balanced in all the necessary attributes to do it alone.' "As much as I hate to do this, sister, you leave me with no other alternative.'

The ray of positive energy began pushing Nightmare Moon further and further away. It came to the point where Nightmare Moon was sent to her namesake. Celestia had banished Luna to the moon. Celestia lowered herself back to the ground in exhaustion and tears. She pushed herself together. 'I may have lost my sister, but my son still needs me' She immediately ran to check on him. Thankfully, the Knight were treating Lance and the others. "Dusk? Dusk? Can you hear me? Please, wake up."

The stallion's eyes flickered open. "Wha-What? Mom? Ah, my head hurts."

Celestia caressed his main. "It's me, Dusk. I'm here."

He looked around him, looking for someone. "Where's Luna?"

She closed her eyes. "It's over. She's somewhere she won't hurt anypony anymore."

His eyes widened in shock at the possible implication "Is she. Is she…"

"No." Celestia shook her head immediately at the idea of her doing that. She didn't have the heart. "I banished her to the moon."

Dusk tried to sit up. "What? Why? Why would you do that? Couldn't you have cured her?"

Celestia gently embraced her son. "I tried. I tried so hard to purify her heart, but I was too weak. I couldn't channel the elements to their full potential."

"Does this mean she's all alone up there?" he whispered.

Celestia shook her head. "Sadly, yes, and I don't know how long."

Dusk looked to the moon. He's seen it all his life, and now it looked different. The former white surface was marked with the image of Luna. 'A mare in the moon.' "... Send me there."

At those words, Celestia gasped. "What? What are you saying, son?"

Dusk's eyes started to tear up again. 'I have to do this.' "I'm asking you to seal me in the moon too."

More tears fell from Celestia's eyes as she embraced Dusk even harder. "Please, don't leave me, Dusk. If I seal you, there won't be any way to bring you back. I've already lost Luna. You're all I have left."

"But Luna has no one up there.

More voices joined the conversation. "Kid, are you telling me that the one who whooped our flanks was Princess Luna?" asked a bandaged Iron Lance.

Cloverfield, who was supporting Lance, held the same look of confusion and concern. "Is this true, Princess Celestia? Was Princess Luna the cause of all this destruction?"

The Prince and Princess turned downcast. Celestia looked at both of them with a serious expression. "Yes. It is true."

"But why?" Lance asked. "Why do any of this?"

Celestia's voice went soft. "She told me why; however, I'm sure that there was more than she let on."

Dust interrupted her. "Whatever the case may be, we weren't there when she needed us before, and I need to be there for her now."

"You can't be serious, Dusk. From what your mother said, you'll be up there for indefinitely."

Cloverfield brought Dusk into a gentle hug. "It's not our place to force you to do anything."

Dusk moved on to hug Lance. "I trust that you'll all be okay here. You all taught me to be strong."

This brought Celestia a small but sad chuckle. "We did, didn't we."

He looked back at the moon. "Luna's broken, and I need to try and fix her."

Celestia wiped away her tears. "Is that really what you want?"

He looked directly into her eyes and nodded. "Yes, Mom. It is."

She sobbed. "I guess there's no changing your mind then."

"I know." He hugged his mom for what felt like the last time. "I love you, mom. I always will."

She returned the hug in full force. "I love you too, Dusk. Please, stay safe." She kissed his forehead one last time before preparing the banishment spell.

"Don't think of this as a goodbye, Mom. I'll be back, and so will Luna. We'll be back together again. You'll see."

She wiped her eyes. "Yes. Yes, we will." Finally, using the elements of harmony, Celestia cast the spell. Magical energy circled Dusk and whisked him away into the night sky. "Goodbye, Dusk. I'll be waiting."

Meanwhile

Far off in the distance, a purple cloaked figure watched Dusk be sent to the moon. "I'll be seeing you in a thousand years, Daniel."

Freedom (Rev. 2)

Day 364994 of Celestia's Rule

Canterlot

A purple unicorn mare looks through her telescope to see a beautiful night sky over the kingdom of Equestria. As she is looking over some constellations, a flash of light draws her attention elsewhere. Her telescope rotates to the source only to find several green lights soaring through the sky past the moon and its mare pattern. "Spike!" she exclaimed in excitement. "Come here. There's a meteor shower." She heard a yawn.

"Twilight?" A little purple dragon with green spines walked onto the balcony.

Twilight moves over and lifts her younger brother to look through the telescope too.

He smiled brightly at the shower, amazed. "That's pretty cool. We rarely see those." He rose a brow after a few seconds. "Now that I think about it, why does it look green?"

Hearing the question, Twilight Sparkle got into book mode. "Meteor showers happen when something, usually a comet, leaves behind small particles of dust as it travels through space. If our planet happens to cross that path, those tiny bits of dust - called meteoroids - can run into our atmosphere and burn up. The color depends on what the piece of dust is made of. In the case right now, if there's a lot of magnesium in it, it'll emit green light as it burns up."

Spike stared at his older sister in confusion. "I don't think I understood half of that."

Twilight shook her head in amusement. "In retrospect, I don't expect you to, Spike. I only learned that in my Astronomy class during the academy."

Rolling his eyes at her, Spike started walking back into the house. "In any case, thanks for letting me see it. I should get back to work. I'm still working on my gift for Moon Dancer. Remember to put that away and lock up before you go to bed." He chuckled. "You don't want stray pigeons nesting in the library again."

She narrowed her glare at the young dragon. "One time. It happened one time. I took hours for me to shoo them out and clean up their mess." She shivered. "I still have nightmares of them tearing up pages for their nests."

Spike gave one last deadpan stare. "I'm not even surprised that you cared more about the books than them cleaning out most of our pantry." He continued his way to bed. "Goodnight, Twi."

Twilight gave a playful snort. "Goodnight, Spike." She continued to stargaze wondering what else this big world would hold.

Somewhere, The Next Morning

The area is flourished with numerous colors. Several birds perched on the branches of tall green trees. A gentle breeze sways the blades of grass. The only thing that stood out of place was the smoking crater. A small red fox approaches in curiosity with other forest creature close behind. They all felt the impact last night, curious about what it was. Looking down at its base, they all see a black and white stallion. While they have met other ponies in passing, this one felt different. There was a strange aura around him. A brave robin flutters to the bottom of the hole and lands on the pony's head. Making contact, she felt the cool yet comforting fur. Looking closer, the animals could see the pony's barrel expand and contract slower than normal. He was alive. How did he get here? How did he survive such a fall? Taking another risk, the robin began pecking at the stallion's face in hopes of waking him up. After a good minute of poking his cheeks, the body jerks slightly. Seeing this, the fox scurries a few away from the possible danger. Seeing the pony's eyes start to blink, she flew to a nearby branch, giving the pony some much-needed space.

Dusk felt pain all across his body. His mind felt hazy. 'Ugh. My everything hurts.' He rested for half an hour before attempting to move, flickering his eyes against the bright light now and then. It took several attempts for him to roll onto his back. After many breaths, he finally he opened his eyes to blue skies. Seeing the drastic change in atmosphere, he forced himself to his hooves, nearly falling over again. Steadying himself, Dusk took in the area around him. He was in a hole, a deep one. 'I hate my life...' Taking another half hour to crawl out, he collapsed. Immediately, his senses flared. His body pressed against the grass. His lungs breathed in the fresh, natural air. His eyes gazed at the multiple colors in the landscape. A flock of birds flew overhead and to the horizon.

"I can't believe it. I'm… I'm free!" Dusk raised his forelegs into the air, cheering. "I'm finally free!" He dropped down and began rolling around in the moist grass. Dusk was livid. He wasn't in a barren landscape. He didn't have to stare into the deep blackness of space every waking moment. "Luna, we're home. We're finally-" He looked around to see that he was all alone. The jovial expression quickly disappeared. "Oh… Yeah..." Dusk took a few breaths before sitting down.

"Look who's finally awake?" a feminine voice suddenly asked.

Dusk turned to the recognizable voice. Instead of Luna, Nightmare Moon stood in the grass; however, she looked different. Nightmare was semi-transparent, and her body was tied down in many frozen chains. Dusk sighed at her. "What do you want?" His voice filled with exhaustion.

A few animals in the background were staring at Dusk in hesitation and confusion. Who was the pony talking to? There was no one there.

Nightmare's coy smile turned into a faux frown. "Why the harsh tone? After all the time we spent together, I would have thought you would be used to me by now."

Dusk narrowed eyes at her. "Luna and I were doing just fine up there until the day you came back."

"When will you finally understand? I am everything Luna wants to be." Nightmare's power flared but did nothing to the chains.

The prince rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that." Dusk started walking away in a random direction.

"I am her true self brought to life. The events of crystal empire and its fallout paved the way."

Dusk glared. "What do you mean by that? You mention it now and then, but you never go into detail."

She paused before speaking again. "Fear, Dusk. Ponies fear what they don't understand."

He slumped. "I never thought of Luna that way. I loved her."

"And that is why I need you, Dusk, more than you realize. To the world, I am just another danger, hiding in the darkness. Look at me now. Their fears have become reality." Nightmare shook her head from those thoughts. "It's not too late, Dusk. Release me, and you will be the herald of my new age. After that?" She fluttered her lashes. "Who knows."

Dusk deadpanned. "Yeah, not gonna happen."

With a sigh, the apparition of Nightmare followed the young stallion. "I've waited centuries to take back the kingdom. I can wait a little longer to get you on my side," replied Nightmare.

He turned back to her. "You and I both know that you can't do anything without a body."

"As long as you have me chained in your subconscious, you're right." She huffed in annoyance. "I'm stuck with you."

The animals nearby gave him a short sniff before going on their way. He was a strange pony, but not a threat as far as they could tell. Dusk started walking again. "Nightmare, we need to get our priorities straight right now."

She simply took the insult from her warden. "Fine. What do you want from me, then?"

Dusk took a good look at the area around them and found nothing. "Do you know where we are? Does anything look familiar? I got nothing."

She scoffed at him. "How would either of us know? All I see is a grass field and trees. Not exactly much to work with. We've been trapped on that blasted moon for who knows how long."

Dusk sighed. "Yeah, I lost count after a few centuries."

"The same goes for me as well." Raising a brow, she asked, "Why? Where are you trying to go?"

"I need somepony who can tell me where to find Mom." Deciding to head east, he started his way. 'I guess I should try walking and see where that takes me.'

The figure of Nightmare floated alongside. "So what? You'll try to get rid of me."

Dusk paused. "I just want to fix our family..."

Nightmare expression softened at his answer. "How many times do I have to tell you? Luna is no more. The age of two princesses has ended. There's no going back."

"And I told you that you're wrong!" he yelled. "I know Luna's still in there, somehow, and I'm not gonna stop just because you said so." Dusk went quiet before continuing. "I can't stand us falling apart for so long..."

Nightmare looked at him solemnly. 'So naive, yet that is one of the things I like about you.'

Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed the area. His eyes widened at the realization, and a blush reached his muzzle. "Huh. It feels weird feeling hungry after hundreds of years." When he finally found daisies to eat, biting into one sent a wave of flavor through his mouth. While it's not the best thing ever, it was enough to cause Dusk to scarf down several patches worth. Various herbivores scampered away from the pony eating with such vigor. With his energy filled up, his body started to heal much faster than before. Looking back up, Dusk saw Nightmare lick her lips at the thought of food. "You want some?"

She raised a brow. "And how are you going to do that?"

"Let me see if this works..." Dusk closed his eyes and tried to focus. He wrapped his thoughts around the taste in his mouth and feeling of content.

Nightmare was astonished as wisps of ethereal blue energy began to swirl in the mindscape. Seconds later, a lone flower appeared in front of her. "Fascinating."

"Well, try it."

Picking up the flower in her free hoof, she took a small bite. Pupils widened as she registered the flavor, and she proceeded to gobble up the rest. Calming down, she saw Dusk trying to hide his laugh. A small blush of embarrassment forming, she looked away and coughed. "Let's hurry up and get going."

Dusk shook his head. "I suppose it's time for an aerial view." Closing his eyes once more, Dusk focused on the icy feeling inside himself and pulled it outward. A white halo formed around his body. Splitting in two, they crossed his entire body, and as they passed, the color of his fur inverted. His white coat became black, and his hooves, collar, tail, and mane became snow white. Black and white wings sprouted from his back. A slight white glow emanated from him. His eyes opened to reveal toxic emerald irises.

Nightmare examined Dusk and his transformation. Even after years of seeing it, there was so much about it that she didn't understand. "I keep telling you, black is your color." She gestured to herself. "Very slimming. I do miss your horn, though."

"I'm still surprised that I can become part Pegasus at all." Letting out a tired sigh, he flapped into the air. The feeling of flying here felt so much better than on the moon. The cool breeze flowed under his feathers, bringing a comfortable cooling sensation. Meanwhile, the sun above gave a gentle warm washing over his fur. 'How did I live so long without this?' About an hour of casual flying later, he spotted what looked like buildings on the horizon. 'I guess that's a good place to start.' With a thought, his body turned invisible and flew near the town's entrance. He went behind a nearby tree before transforming back to normal.

Nightmare gave him a curious look. "Why are you not in your transformed state?."

He rolled his eyes at the question. "We may be centuries in the future, but I doubt ponies are very welcoming to mysterious glowing black pegasi."

Nightmare paused before she nodded in agreement. "Point taken."

"Now, where are we?" Approaching a sign, he read, "Welcome to Ponyville: A safe place to live?"

"Well." Nightmare laughed. "Now that we're here, I wonder how long that lasts."

Ponyville

Dusk slowly walked into the small town. It was one thing to see modern Equestrian civilization in dreams, but it felt so surreal to be back. Many ponies were walking around, going about their daily lives. Fillies and colts could be running through the streets. Stallions and Mares perused through stores and stalls. He could faintly hear the conversations around him. Dusk tried to take it all in.

Nightmare nostalgically smiled. "You know, this place is much more reminiscent of Everfree compared to the other places we've seen in the dream realm. I like it."

He nodded. "For once we agree on something.

Looking up, he saw several pegasi making their way around. One particular grey mare flew by with a stack of several packages. She didn't seem to be paying attention to where she was going because she collided with a lamp post. Both she and the packages fell with a crash.

Nightmare chuckled. "Would you look at that? We're already getting started."

Dusk sent Nightmare a glare. "Oh, quiet, you."

The foals who were playing nearby started laughing. A few adults who saw the incident rolled their eyes and went on with their day, pulling their children away from the scene.

He frowned. 'Not wanting to get involved. Some things never change.' Dusk walked over to the fallen gray mare. Her eyes were still spinning. "Excuse me. Are you hurt? You took a pretty nasty fall." He held out a hoof to pull her up.

Getting her bearings back, she quickly accepted the hoof. "Thank you, mister. I think I'm okay." She turned to the stallion and got a good look at him. "Are you new in town? I don't think I've ever seen you before. I know just about everyone in Ponyville."

He nodded. "I am." Dusk finally got a good look at her as well. She had a yellow mane with bubbles as her cutie mark. When he focuses on her head, he grew a bit worried. "Do you need a doctor? I think there may be something wrong with your eyes." Both of her pupils were looking in different directions.

Nightmare made a face. "Dear gods, she's like those lizards."

Dusk gave her a mental smack. 'I don't need your commentary right now.'

The mare looked away in embarrassment, a wing hiding the side of her head. She hated it when her eyes made meeting new people awkward. "No. No. It's fine. This happened as I grew older. I'm not sure why."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up." Dusk slowly raised a hoof to her wing. He gently pulled it down, so he could see her again. Her mouth writhed in nervousness. "You know, looking at it again, it's not that bad."

"Really? You're not just saying that to be nice..." She attempted to cover herself again only for Dusk to continue speaking.

"Believe me when I say that eyesight is the least of a pony's worries. All that matters is how he or she responds to the world..." Dusk thought about Nightmare. "I know somepony who has a lot of unresolved issues with her sister and family. They haven't talked in years."

She chuckled at how small her problem was. "I guess. You're right."

"Try not to let it get to you. Again, I'm sorry for bringing it up."

She shook her head. "It's fine. You didn't know."

He nodded. "How about we start over. I don't think I got your name."

"You can call me Ditzy. Ditzy Doo."

He smiled as well. "And my name is Dusk."

Ditzy gave a thoughtful expression. "If you'd like, Dusk, I can give you a short tour of the place."

"Really?" 'I do need to get my bearings and possibly a map.' "I'd appreciate it, but don't you have to bring these somewhere." He gestured to the scattered letters and boxes.

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about that. We can do that after." She started stacking some boxes. "So, how do you like the town so far?

"Well, my first impressions of this little town are a little mixed." Dusk bent down to collect the scattered letters. "It looks lovely, but it's also disappointing to see that some ponies would walk by you just now."

Ditzy rubbed her hooves a bit. "I can't blame them. I've been in this situation more than once. I suppose they got used to seeing me like this." She smiled at the kind stallion. "I'm glad you came through. It's been hectic lately."

He returned it in kind. "I'm happy to help."

She glanced at the gear-shaped object around his neck. "I like your medal. What does CW stand for?"

"Thanks, and to be honest, I don't know. I've had this since I was a foal." He shrugged before rubbing its face. "I always figured that it would tell me where I was from before I was adopted."

"A thousand years later, I still have nothing," grumbled Nightmare.

Ditzy's expression softened. "I'm sorry to hear that."

He shook his head. "Don't be. Who I am now is all thanks to my Mom. I wouldn't want it any other way."

When the two of them picked up all the scattered mail, Ditzy asked if Dusk could help her back to the post office, and he obliged. The two of them proceeded to walk across town and continued their small talk. "Since you just arrived today, where are you from?"

"I'm from Everfree."

Ditzy raised a brow. "Everfree? Do you mean the Everfree forest?"

Dusk blinked at the response. Everfree did have a forest, but the connotation that Ditzy had was unnerving. "Uh, something like that. It's nearby."

She shrugged. "Must be a small town. Can't say I've heard of it. By the way, are you staying for the Summer Sun Celebration?"

"What did she say?" This caught Nightmare's attention.

"Summer Sun Celebration?"

"You haven't heard of it?" Ditzy asked with a tilt of her head.

"Sorry. I haven't. I've spent all of my life in Everfree. There's a lot about the outside world to get used to."

Ditzy beamed. "Then this will be your first one! The Summer Sun Celebration is when we celebrate Princess Celestia raising the sun for the longest day of the year."

The icy chains held down the angry mare. "Celestia did what!" Nightmare exclaimed. "She made an entire holiday just about her!"

Dusk kept his face from frowning. 'Really, mom. You're not helping me out right now.' "I see. It certainly sounds fun. What exactly do you guys do?"

"Normally, the town has one huge party, but this year, Celestia chose to raise the sun here in Ponyville. It'll be the one-thousandth sunrise!"

This brought a pause to Dusk and Nightmare. "Mom..." he whispered. 'Wait, did she say one thousand? We've been on the moon for a millennia!'

"We've been imprisoned up there while she's been having fun?!" Nightmare tried biting through her chains to no avail.

'W-We need to talk to Mom. I'm sure that she wouldn't have forgotten us.'

"How do you know? How do you know that we didn't fade into history like Everfree."

'I don't...' Dusk composed himself. "S-So, Celestia is coming here? When?"

"It'll be in five days, but the entire town is busy with preparations," replied the mail mare.

"It appears destiny is in your favor," commented Nightmare. "When I get my hooves on her..."

"I suppose that's why you have so much mail." Dusk straightened the packages on his back.

Ditzy nodded. "Yup. It can be a bit overwhelming. Everyone wants it to be perfect."

'Five days... I can finally see her again. Wait.' Dusk turned to Ditzy. "Do you guys have any inns in town?"

"Yup, ponies from all over will be coming to the festival."

'Ah, crud. Unless they accept moon rocks, I'm broke and homeless.'

"You never thought about where you were going to sleep. Did you?" asked Nightmare.

'No. No, I did not.'

"On the bright side, you've gotten used to sleeping on the cold hard ground for years."

Noticing the anxious expression on his face, Ditzy spoke. "Are you gonna be staying with family or friends?"

Dusk gave a sad chuckle "Sadly, no. I'm here without a bit to my name. Maybe I'll find a nice tree to sleep under."

"Really?" The two of them had finally reached the post office. "I'm sorry to hear that." Ditzy pushed the door open, only to hear a loud crashing sound. She strained a smile to the concerned Dusk. "Whoops." Once inside, they were met with stacks and piles of boxes and bags of letters. She laughed nervously. "We're kinda behind schedule. All of us here have been, rushing to get things done. If only we had..." Suddenly, Ditzy looked from the mail and to Dusk carrying a box a few times before she spoke again. "Hey, I know how to solve both our problems."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Since the entire office overflowing with orders, we can hire you as a temp."

"A temp?"

"You'll be working for us until the celebration is over."

"That's nice of you, but I just got here. While I do need money, I still don't know the lay of the land."

Ditzy shook her head. "Minor setback. We can work together on your first run while also giving you the tour I promised."

'What do you think?' Dusk asked Nightmare.

The lunar mare sighed. "The mare certainly wears her heart on her flank. In any case, it's better than nothing or trespassing. Seeing Celestia again would be an... experience."

"So, do we have a deal?" Ditzy held out her hoof.

Dusk thought for a moment before smiling and shaking her hoof. "Where do we go first?"

Sounds of Music

After loading up a cart with a new batch of deliveries, the two proceeded through the bustling roads. While a few would notice the new help, they had more pressing matters to attend to.

The gray pegasus walked alongside Dusk, beaming. She pointed out several buildings they passed by. She lifted hoof again with glee. "Over there is the Mayor Mare's office. I've heard rumors that she used to have a different mane color. If we head two blocks East, you’ll get to see Sugarcube Corner and meet-"

Dusk smiled in thanks and chuckled. "That's nice and all, Ditzy, but aren't you forgetting something."

The blonde mare gave him a confused look. "I am?"

Dusk gestured to their satchels and the cart.

She stared for a bit before rubbing her neck in embarrassment."Oh, yeah. The mail. Sorry about that. I guess I got caught up in talking. Not many ponies stick around to hear what I have to say."

"From personal experience, I can definitely say that I'm not like many ponies."

'Yes. I would say that walking through solid objects and controlling ice without spells are definitely not things many ponies can do,' Nightmare added dryly.

The mail mare appreciated the sentiment. She pulled out the list and started crossing off a few names. “We’ll be working our way from the outskirts of the town and make our way back to the center.”

“Lead the way.”

The duo finally made their way to the home, passing a bush trimmed to the shape of a quaver note. Dusk blinked at the unique design split down the middle. While the left side of the house had a more brown natural feel, the right side had a mix of different shades of purple.

Ditzy went to the porch and knocked on the door. “Delivery!”

“Coming!” A few seconds later, an Earth pony greeted them. She had a dark gray mane and tail with a light gray coat. Her light purple eyes matched well with her pink bow-tie with a white-collar. Her cutie mark was a violet treble clef. “Hello, Ditzy.” Her eyes drifted to the stallion in the back. “Oh, you have a new co-worker.”

The mail mare nodded. “Yup. Octavia Melody, meet Dusk. Dusk, meet Octavia Melody.”

Dusk walked up to her and shook her hoof. “It’s a pleasure.”

‘I appreciate how she holds herself,’ admitted Nightmare.

‘Her tone is reminiscent of home.’ He reached into the cart and pulled out the respective parcel. “I believe this is for you.”

Octavia gladly accepted the package. “Thank you.”

Dusk turned to Ditzy. “So, who’s next?”

Checking the list, she brightened. “Good news. We don’t need to go far. It’s for Vinyl Scratch.”

“Oh, does she live nearby?”

“Actually,” interjected Octavia. “She’s my housemate.” The mare turned to the staircase. “Vinyl, come down! You’re mail’s here!" She coughed into her hoof. “She’ll be with us in a moment.”

“No problem.” Dusk found the right box and nodded. In the corner of his eye, a familiar object caught his attention through the open door. “Oh, you play the cello?”

“Ah, yes.” Octavia walked back inside and opened up her mail, revealing a new bow. “I’ve been playing ever since I was a filly.”

“Yeah, she’s one of the greatest musicians in town,” added Ditzy.

“Oh, she’s overselling me. There are many wonderful musicians in this town. How about you?”

Dusk chuckled. “I practiced the viola for a long time, but it’s been years since I last touched one.”

“Really? What happened?”

“Some family issues happened, and I lost my viola.”

‘I said that I was sorry. I made you one back on the moon, but you only used it once,’ huffed Nightmare.

‘It was made of moonstone and some of your mane,’ retorted Dusk. ‘It was uncomfortably heavy, and we both hated how it sounded.’

Octavia’s expression softened. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t know what would happen if I stopped playing all of a sudden.”

“Thanks to recent developments, I’m considering taking it back up if I’m able.”

“That sounds wonderful. Right now, I’m working on getting a chair in the Canterlot Orchestra.”

The blonde mare grinned. “It’s a big honor.”

Dusk smirked. “After hearing all of that, I’d love to hear you play live.”

“I could say the same about you if you get the chance.” The cellist put a hoof to her chin in thought. “Actually, would you two like to come in and hear a piece I’ve been writing?”

The stallion looked over to his pseudo boss. “Do we have time, Ditzy?”

She nodded with a smile. “With you around, I’ll be cutting my delivery time by a lot. We can spare a few more minutes. It’s been forever since I’ve heard her play too.”

With that, Octavia brought out a chair and started preparing her instrument. Dusk and DItzy set their cargo to the side and sat on the couch

(Beethoven's 5 Secrets - OneRepublic - The Piano Guys)

Once the last note was played, the audience of two clapped their hooves in excitement.

“That was beautiful,” complimented Dusk.

“I wish we could stay longer,” commented Ditzy.

Octavia took a light bow to their compliments. “Thank you for your kind words. If you would like to hear more, I and the rest of my group will be playing during the Summer Sun Celebration. I’d like to see you both again.”

At this moment, a door shut upstairs, and another mare came down the stairs to greet them. The white unicorn with an electric blue mane and beam note cutie mark bobbed her head to the beat of the music coming from her headphones.

Octavia rolled her eyes at the late arrival. “Took you long enough Vinyl.”

The unicorn simply smiled at the mail duo, continuing to bob her head.

“Vinyl, this is Dusk. He’s new at the post office”

He waved at the new arrival. “Hi. Nice to meet you.” He tried to shake her hoof one for her to give a firm hoof bump.

“Don't mind her. Vinyl doesn't talk much. She's more of a mare of action.”

“In any case, here’s your stuff,” exclaimed the blonde, giving Vinyl the package.

Vinyl grinned. With a tap of her hoof, her music stopped. She opened the box, revealing a new pair of headphones. She quickly tossed her old pair to the couch and replaced it. Just like before, she continued moving her head to the beat.

Dusk raised a brow. “Sorry for asking, but what is that? I can’t say I’m familiar with her music. It does sound quite energetic.”

Vinyl Scratch quirked her head while Octavia Melody coughed trying to hide a smile. “It’s not that surprising. Her style of music is actually a recent development.”

“Yeah. I can’t pinpoint the instruments”

“She actually uses those towers in the corner.”

He turned to see a desk-like object with records and all sorts of buttons and screens. “Fascinating.”

Luna was equally impressed. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it before.’

“It’s too bad that we don’t have time for another session, but we have to be on our way.”

Vinyl waved off his concern.

“There’s no need to worry. Just like me, she’ll be performing at the afterparty.”

Ditzy nodded. “We’ll see you there, then. Come on, Dusk!”

The four of them exchanged their goodbyes, and the two got ready for their next destination.

Dusk hooked himself back onto the cart. “Where to next?”

She started trotting ahead to the west. “Sweet Apple Acres.”

Apple of My Eye

Chapter 04: Apple of My Eye

Following their visit to Octavia and Vinyl, Dusk and Ditzy made their way to the outskirts of Ponyville, trotting along a dusty path. As they reached the crest, Dusk's jaw dropped at the sight.

Sweet Apple Acres stretched out to the horizon full of apple trees. This farm was on another scale compared to the farms of Everfree. He couldn't help but walk to the nearest tree and look at the apples up close.

"Amazing." They were so plump, fresh, and vibrant. Even just a small sniff left his mouth watering a bit. Dusk was tempted to pick the apple, but he thought it rude not to ask the family beforehand.

Ditzy giggled at his reaction and trotted up beside him. "They look delicious, right? They have the best apples in all of Equestria. It's hard to believe just one family manages this farm."

Dusk turned to her in surprise. "Really? Just one family?"

She nodded. "Yep! I'm sure they could tell you more, but I've heard that the Apple family works hard to keep this place running. They're even thinking about expanding west with some help from their cousins."

She pointed toward a cozy farmhouse and classic red barn sitting in the distance. "Come on. We're almost there."

They continued down the road, following the path that wound between the rows of trees until they reached the front gate of the Apple family homestead.

There, an elderly green Earth pony snoozed on a rocking chair on the porch. Her cutie mark, a pie, was partially hidden under a plaid shawl.

Just as they arrived, the old mare gave a sudden start, blinking awake. "Huh? What's that?" She peered down at them, squinting a bit before her gaze settled on Ditzy, and a welcoming smile spread across her face.

"Ditzy Doo! And… my stars, a new face!" She chuckled warmly, slowly getting to her hooves. "Name's Granny Smith, young'un. Who might you be?"

Dusk offered a respectful nod. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. My name's Dusk, and I'm new to the post office."

Granny Smith chuckled. "Well, any friend of Ditzy's is welcome here! You're just in time, too. Applejack's round back in the barn, but Big Mac should be here any minute if you're lookin' to leave somethin' with him."

Ditzy grinned. "Thanks, Granny Smith! We've got the supplies for Applejack. We'll drop it off with her and maybe say hi to Big Mac on the way out."

Granny Smith opened the front door for them. "You two do that. And if you're feelin' a mite peckish, come back, and I'll see if we got any fritters left. Always happy to feed good folk!"

Dusk felt a warm sense of welcome wash over him, and he nodded eagerly. "Thank you, ma'am! That sounds wonderful."

Granny Smith hollered into the house. "Applejack! The mail came in!"

From around the side of the barn, a strong orange mare with a sturdy build and a friendly grin appeared. Her Stetson hat cast a bit of shade over her bright green eyes. "Howdy, Ditzy!" she called, her gaze shifting to Dusk with curiosity. And who's your friend here?"

Ditzy gave a cheerful wave. "This is Dusk, my new temp. We're a bit backed up at the office with all the hustle and bustle, so he's here to help get things moving."

Dusk offered a polite nod. "I'm Dusk. Nice to meet you."

Applejack extended a hoof with a wide, welcoming grin. "Well, howdy-doo, Dusk! It's a pleasure makin' your acquaintance. I'm Applejack, and here at Sweet Apple Acres, we sure do love makin' new friends!"

As Dusk shook her hoof, he felt the strength in her grip. Together, he and Ditzy began unloading the bags of flour and sugar from their cart, piling them neatly beside the house entrance.

"Thank you kindly for bringin' these ingredients." Applejack nodded at the bags as she stacked them up.

Curiosity piqued, Dusk tilted his head. "What's all this flour and sugar for?"

"We're fixin' to use 'em for the Summer Sun Celebration." Applejack's smile broadened with pride. "My family's takin' part in the buffet preparations for the celebration! Sweet Apple Acres will be handlin' appetizers and a fair share of the desserts.

Dusk savored the thought. "I'd love to try some when I can."

"Well, it's the family policy to make sure everypony who comes through our door leaves with a full belly and a smile!" Applejack chuckled. "Why wait, sugar cube? I could whip up a little somethin' right quick for y'all to sample. What do ya say?"

Dusk glanced over at Ditzy, who nodded encouragingly. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I don't want to impose, though… are you sure?"

Applejack grinned and waved off his concern. "We sure as sugar are! Follow me, and I'll fix up a small batch of apple fritters quicker than you can say 'Yee-haw!'"

Dusk and Ditzy followed her into the farmhouse kitchen, where Applejack wasted no time pulling out ingredients. She mixed flour, sugar, and diced apples, dusting the countertop with flour as she prepared the fritters. The smell of cinnamon and warm apples soon filled the room, making Dusk's stomach growl.

While waiting for the food to bake, Dusk looked around the dining room. "This place is amazing, Applejack. I heard from Ditzy that your family runs the farm all by themselves?"

Applejack shook her head with a chuckle. "Sweet Apple Acres may be a big operation, but it's a family affair through and through. I've got my big brother, Big Macintosh, helpin' with the heavy liftin' and plowin'. And my little sister, Apple Bloom, pitches in too whenever she's not off with her friends and school."

As if on cue, the sound of hooves echoed from the doorway, and two figures entered the farmhouse. The first was a large, red stallion with a calm, steady gaze and a half-lidded expression, his golden mane peeking out from under a yoke resting around his neck. The younger one was a yellow filly with a bright red bow perched in her mane, her eyes full of curiosity as she looked at the new faces in the kitchen.

"Speak of the ponies!" Applejack called out, waving them over. "Big Mac, Apple Bloom, come on in and meet our guests!"

Big Mac gave a slow nod, his voice deep and simple as he offered a quiet "Eeyup," while Apple Bloom bounced forward, her gaze flicking between Dusk and Ditzy with open excitement.

Dusk stepped forward with a friendly smile. "Hey there! My name's Dusk. I'm helping out at the post office for the Summer Sun Celebration, so Ditzy and I are making deliveries around Ponyville."

Apple Bloom's face lit up as she extended her hoof. "Nice to meet ya, Mister Dusk! I'm Apple Bloom! Are ya new to Ponyville?"

"Yes, I just arrived recently," Dusk replied, shaking her hoof. "Ponyville's been very welcoming so far, and your sister's apple fritters are some of the best I've ever had."

Apple Bloom grinned, practically glowing with pride. "Applejack's the best cook in the family, that's for sure. Big Mac's more of the strong, silent type, but he's the strongest pony around."

Big Mac gave another slow nod, a small smile appearing on his face. "Eeyup."

Dusk turned to him, extending his hoof as well. "It's nice to meet you, Big Mac."

The red stallion shook his hoof firmly, his grip steady and warm. Though he didn't say much, Dusk could sense the stallion's easygoing strength and warmth, a quiet but reassuring presence.

Applejack looked on with a satisfied grin. "Now ya met the whole gang. Couldn't keep this place runnin' without 'em!"

Ditzy nodded in agreement. "They're quite the team, Dusk. And if you ever need anything while you're in Ponyville, just know that the Apple family's got you covered."

"Are you sure, it seems like you'll be busy in the coming days. I would think it to be a lot of work to cook food for everyone in town for the holiday," he remarked.

Applejack waved off his concern with a smile. "Aw, don't you worry about that. We've got a whole bunch of family comin' over later this week to pitch in and help with the cookin' for the celebration. We Apples know how to come together when there's work to be done."

Dusk nodded, his eyebrows raised. "You must have a big family."

"You know it!" Applejack walked over to a large photo from last year's Summer Sun Celebration. She gestured proudly at where about a dozen ponies gathered.

"Now, why don't I introduce y'all to the Apple family?" She pointed to a few ponies in the picture, naming each one. "This here's Apple Fritter, and there's Apple Bumpkin. That's Red Gala and Red Delicious, next to Golden Delicious. Then there's Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, and Apple Cinnamon Crisp."

Dusk's eyes widened as he scanned the photo, taking in the sheer size of the Apple clan. "So it's just you, Big Macintosh, your sister, and your grandma who run the entire farm when they're not around?"

Applejack chuckled, looking a bit proud and a bit amused. "Yup, that's about right. The rest of 'em live all across Equestria, working on their own apple farms and businesses. For special occasions like holidays, they're just a holler away. Sure, it's a lot of work, but we're mighty proud to keep Sweet Apple Acres goin' strong."

Dusk smiled, admiring the Apple family's closeness. "Well, it's impressive, that's for sure. I can see why everypony loves Sweet Apple Acres."

Applejack grinned, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Thank ya kindly, Dusk."

As Dusk started to walk toward a window, he felt his hoof bump into something and immediately reached out to keep it in place. It was a guitar propped up against the wall. He thought back to the previous home he visited. "Didn't know you played, Applejack."

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck, glancing at the guitar with a sheepish smile. "Oh, that old thing? I haven't played in a long time. Been too busy with the farm and all."

"Same here. It's been years since I last picked one up. When we were delivering to Octavia, she was kind enough to play a song for us."

Granny Smith gave Applejack a gentle nudge, her eyes twinkling with encouragement. "Go on, now. I don't want our guests to leave without the same hospitality. Play us a little somethin'! Would do ya good to get those hooves back in strummin' shape."

Applejack hesitated, her eyes darting from the guitar to her family, then to Dusk. "I dunno, Granny… it's been a while. Don't know if I remember half the songs I used to play."

"Oh, come on, Applejack!" Apple Bloom piped up, her eyes wide and pleading. She added a quivering lower lip and batted her eyelashes, bringing out the full force of her "doe eyes." "Please?"

Applejack groaned, rolling her eyes with a small, resigned smile. "All right, all right. Y'all don't gotta twist my leg."

She picked up the guitar, settling herself comfortably on a nearby stool as she adjusted the strings and tuned it for a moment. Then, with a deep breath, she began to strum a familiar melody. Her voice came out soft at first, warm and lilting, as she eased into the tune, letting the familiar chords and lyrics guide her.

JAMIE MCDELL - Take Me Home, Country Roads [ John Denver cover ]

John Denver - Country Roads (Cover by Nek Fernández and Kevin Staudt)

Almost heaven, Apple Acres

High-ridge mountain, crystal-clear blue water

Life is old there, older than the trees

Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

Apple Acres, meadow mama

Take me home, country roads

The notes filled the room, simple and heartfelt. The warm tones of the guitar blended beautifully with her voice as it grew stronger, her initial hesitation fading away. Apple Bloom swayed along with the beat, a delighted smile on her face, while Granny Smith tapped her hoof in time to the music.

All my memories gather round her

Lovely lady, remembers who we were

Dark and dusty, in the middle of July

Subtle taste of cider, teardrop in my eye

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

Apple Acres, meadow mama

Take me home, country roads

Dusk felt a strange sense of peace as he listened, the lyrics and melody carrying a sense of warmth and belonging that he hadn't felt in years. The music painted pictures in his mind of rolling hills, of home, of places both familiar and distant.

I hear her voice, in the morning hour she calls me

The lushing green reminds me of my home far away

And walking down the road I get a feeling

That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

Apple Acres, meadow mama

Take me home, country roads

As Applejack played, her voice grew richer and more confident, her eyes briefly closing as she let herself sink fully into the song. The farmhouse felt cozier, the world outside growing quiet as everypony in the room was swept up in the music.

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

Apple Acres, meadow mama

Take me home, country roads

Take me home, down country roads

The last chord faded into stillness, and for a moment, silence settled over the warm and comfortable room. Applejack set the guitar down, a soft smile on her face as she looked at her family and their guests, a hint of blush on her cheeks.

Dusk broke the silence with a quiet, appreciative nod. "That was beautiful, Applejack. You've got a real gift."

Applejack tipped her hat, her smile growing as she glanced at her family. "Thank ya kindly, Dusk. Maybe I'll pick it back up more often… if it makes ponies happy like that still." Suddenly, there was a ringing coming from the kitchen. "Looks like they're done!"

"Yes!" cheered Ditzy, Dusk, and Applebloom.

As promised, they came out hot and fresh. "Here we go!" Applejack announced as she pulled them from different pans. She plated them with a dusting of powdered sugar before sliding the plates over to everyone.

Dusk, Ditzy, and the others settled around the Apple family's kitchen table, their plates laden with steaming apple pies, fresh fritters, and slices of apple-cinnamon bread. The warm, sweet smell filled the air.

Dusk took a bite, his eyes widening at the burst of sweet, warm flavor. "This is incredible!"

They all tasted the tart apples and flaky, buttery crust.

"Thank you for sharing all this with us."

Applejack laughed, clearly pleased. "Glad ya like it, Dusk! There's plenty more where that came from at the celebration. Y'all better come with an appetite!"

Ditzy grinned, finishing her fritter with a happy sigh. "Oh, we'll be there, Applejack. You've got yourself a couple of eager taste-testers right here!"

Applejack chuckled, tipping her hat. "We got plenty more comin' for the Summer Sun Celebration. Y'all just got an early taste."

Dusk savored the last bite of his apple fritter.

Ditzy nodded enthusiastically, savoring a slice of pie. "Ponyville's lucky to have food that is this good! I'd deliver all day if I got pie like this after every shift."

Dusk chuckled at her, then turned his gaze toward the window, where the sun cast long shadows over the trees and fields. In the distance, he could make out the dark, twisted shapes of the Everfree Forest, a place that, in his heart, seemed oddly familiar — as if something in him knew it, or something like it, from a long time ago.

"What can you tell me about the forest that borders your farm?" he asked, nodding toward the dark expanse.

Applejack's smile faded slightly as she followed his gaze. "That there's the Everfree Forest," she said, her voice growing serious. "No pony in their right mind goes in there alone. It's dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Dusk echoed, his brow furrowing. "How so?"

Applejack set her fork down, giving him a steady look. "The Everfree is… different," she began. "The plants, the weather, the animals — they don't work the way they do in the rest of Equestria. The clouds move all on their own, without any pegasus magic. The critters don't need anypony takin' care of 'em. It's like the whole place has a mind of its own."

Apple Bloom, who'd been listening quietly, piped up, "They say there are all kinds of strange creatures in there too — manticores, timberwolves, cockatrices, and who knows what else!"

Dusk took this in with a slight frown, glancing back out the window, his mind racing. "Has anypony ever tried to figure out why it's like that? Is there a story behind it?"

Applejack looked thoughtful momentarily, glancing at Granny Smith, who seemed lost in thought.

"Well, ain't nopony really knows for sure," Granny said, her voice slow and low as if speaking from memory. "But there are tales… some say the Everfree's been like that since ancient times, back when Equestria was young. It was a place of mystery even then, full of wild magic that ponies couldn't tame."

Applejack nodded, picking up where her grandmother left off. "Some folks say it might've been home to powerful creatures, ancient magic that nopony could control. Some even say that parts of it go deeper than any pony's ever seen, connectin' to places beyond our world." She shrugged, a bit of a shiver in her expression. "Whatever it is, nopony's been able to settle there or change it. The forest just… is."

Dusk took this all in, his gaze still lingering on the dark shapes of the trees.

"Well," Applejack said, her tone brightening as she shook off the heaviness of the conversation, "that's why we keep our distance. Sweet Apple Acres is right where we need it to be — here, in the sunshine and good earth, with family and friends."

Dusk nodded, though his thoughts lingered on the mysterious forest and what secrets it might hold.

Granny Smith raised a brow, looking at her grandkids with a twinkle in her eye. "Haven't I told ya the story of the Everfree Phantom?"

Apple Bloom perked up, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Everfree Phantom? What's that?"

Applejack frowned, her gaze shifting between her little sister and Granny Smith. "I don't know, Granny. I don't think Apple Bloom's ready for that story yet."

"Oh, phooey," Granny Smith replied, waving her hoof dismissively. "I know how to tell it so it doesn't scare anypony too much. Besides," she added, her eyes twinkling at Dusk, "we've got some extra ears tonight. Seems like the right time to share a bit of family legend."

Dusk leaned forward, intrigued. "I'd like to hear it as well."

Granny Smith settled comfortably, her voice slightly dramatic, as though she were weaving a tale from long ago. "This here's a story that's been passed down through the Apple family for generations," she began, her eyes going distant. "Many years ago, when things were different in Equestria, the Royal Family came under attack from a force called the Nightmare. It was a terrible thing, threatening Eternal Darkness over all ponykind. The first to fall was Princess Luna."

Apple Bloom gasped, her tiny hooves covering her mouth, but she didn't interrupt, enraptured by Granny's story.

"Princess Celestia fought with all her might to protect her castle, her ponies… and her only son." Granny Smith's voice softened. "But it wasn't enough. Princess Celestia was gravely injured, and her son… well, he didn't make it."

Dusk's breath caught, but he stayed silent, listening intently.

"As if the whole world felt her pain and sorrow," Granny continued, "a mysterious figure descended upon the castle. It looked like a pony, but no one knew who — or even what — it really was. Some say it was a phantom of an ancient pony from a forgotten age. It blessed Princess Celestia, and she survived her wounds by a miracle. Then, this mysterious pony faced the Nightmare and, with Celestia's help, defeated it once and for all. When the fightin' stopped, the Phantom was gone. Disappeared like a shadow at sunrise. Nopony ever saw it again, but some of us like to think it was a guardian. Ever since then, the land of Everfree has never been the same. It's possible that the remaining dark magic of the Nightmare cursed the land, turning it into the dark forest it is today. Not even Celestia could purify it. It's why the old capital was moved to Canterlot."

Apple Bloom blinked, awestruck. "Wow, Granny… Do you think the Phantom will ever come back?"

Granny Smith shrugged, looking out the window toward the distant trees of the Everfree Forest. "Who's to say, sugar cube? Maybe it was a spirit from a time before ours. Some folks believe that if Equestria ever finds itself in danger again, that Phantom'll come back to lend a hoof."

Dusk's heart raced as he struggled to contain his emotions. A single, chilling realization crept over him and Luna: They all think we're dead.

Author's Note

It's Alive!

A Rare Mare Part 1

The late afternoon sun cast golden rays over Sweet Apple Acres as Dusk and Ditzy prepared to leave. The Apple family stood on the porch, waving them off with warm smiles. Applejack’s sharp eyes caught the faint droop in Dusk’s posture and the distant look in his eyes, but she didn’t comment on it.

“Y’all come back anytime, ya hear?” Applejack called.

“Thanks for the hospitality!” Ditzy waved back enthusiastically. “And the fritters!”

“Take care, y’all!” Granny Smith sat in her rocking chair as she waved a hoof.

Apple Bloom simply bounced in place, grinning ear to ear.

As they hitched up the cart and began trotting down the dirt path, Ditzy glanced at Dusk. His usual curious energy seemed dampened, and he stared ahead with a faint frown. She thought about saying something but decided against it. Whatever weighed on him, he’d share it when he was ready.

The rest of the day passed smoothly. Ditzy led them through Ponyville as they continued delivering the remaining packages. There were still crowded streets and cheerful townsfolk, but Dusk remained quiet, keeping to nods and short responses. Despite this, he helped Ditzy complete her rounds in half the time it usually took—and without the usual chaos that often accompanied her solo efforts.

By the time they finished, the sun was dipping below the horizon. Ditzy gave Dusk an appreciative smile as she finished tallying up their day. “Well, I think that’s everything! Thanks to you, this has been one of the smoothest delivery days ever. I didn’t crash into a single thing!”

Dusk managed a small smile at her praise. “I’m glad I could help.”

Ditzy reached into her saddlebag and pulled a small pouch of bits, placing it in his hoof. “Here’s your pay, Dusk. You earned it.”

He stared at the pouch for a moment. “Thanks, Ditzy. I appreciate it.”

“No problem! Get some rest tonight, okay? You’ve earned it.”

After exchanging goodbyes, Dusk made his way through the streets. He eventually found a modest inn near the town square. The innkeeper greeted him inside, and he rented a simple but comfortable room for the night.

As he settled into the small space, the day's events replayed in his mind. He lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as the moonlight filtered through the curtains.

‘You’re unusually quiet,’ came Nightmare Moon’s voice.

Dusk exhaled slowly. ‘I’m thinking.’

‘About what?’ Nightmare Moon’s voice suggested she already knew.

‘About the story Granny Smith told and what it means. Everyone thinks we’re dead.’

Nightmare Moon paused in his mindscape. ‘Yes. It seems my sister chose to rewrite history. To bury us in tragedy rather than face the truth.’

Dusk’s expression tightened. ‘She knew the truth. She saw what happened. She knew I fought you. I helped her seal you into the moon, and she fulfilled my request to be sealed alongside you so you wouldn’t be alone. Why lie about that? Why not tell them?’

Nightmare’s voice softened. ‘Perhaps she believed it was easier this way. Simpler for her subjects to mourn what was lost than to understand the complexities of what truly happened. My change into Nightmare was not… something ponies would easily accept from the prior rule. Nor was your decision to join me.’

Dusk turned on his side. ‘But she knew...’

‘And that is precisely why she lied,’ Nightmare Moon murmured. ‘To protect the crown from the questions. If ponies knew you were alive, they would wonder why you were not here. Why you vanished when my place was vacant.’

Dusk clenched his jaw. ‘Maybe… She didn’t want people to think I ran away from my duties.’

Nightmare Moon’s silence spoke volumes. ‘Perhaps my sister has decided to carry the weight of the kingdom on her shoulders. The events of that night no doubt wounded her deeply.’

‘She wouldn’t know when we would return. Millions of years could have passed instead...’

Nightmare Moon’s voice grew softer. ‘I do not believe she thought we would return in that case. The seal was meant to last forever. She likely believed the choice—however flawed—was final.’

The thought stung more than Dusk wanted to admit. He had sacrificed so much, only to return to a world that had buried him. ‘So what do we do now?’

Nightmare Moon hesitated. ‘We uncover the truth. Together. We shall confront her, no?’

Dusk nodded slightly. ‘I just want to know why.’

‘Then we will find out,’ Nightmare Moon assured him. ‘And when we do, we will decide what to do with that knowledge. Now, you need rest. This ceaseless brooding will do you no good.’

Dusk let out a long sigh. ‘They think I’m some kind of… phantom.’

‘Celestia betrayed us. She lied to her subjects and painted us as tragic martyrs to cover her failures. It is unforgivable.’

Dusk closed his eyes, shaking his head. ‘I don’t want to fight her, Aunty..’

‘You will fight her. You will see the truth in time. Celestia has hidden behind her lies for too long. She does not deserve your loyalty.’

‘And you think I should give it to you instead?’

‘I do not ask for your loyalty, Dusk. Only your understanding.’

Dusk frowned, turning to his side. ‘I don’t believe that. Not entirely.’

‘Perhaps not yet. But you will. I can wait.’

He knew Nightmare still harbored her plans for revenge, just as he knew he couldn’t let her carry them out. Yet, beneath it all, he still cared for her during their long exile, no matter how much the shadows of the past tried to smother it.

‘Let me help you sleep.’Before he could question her, he felt her presence shift in his mindscape.

‘Close your eyes. Let the world drift away.’

Despite his reservations, Dusk found himself following her words. The tension in his body eased, his breaths slowing as her influence calmed the storm within him. Her voice hummed softly in his thoughts, a lullaby without words, easing him into the edges of sleep.

Luna’s thoughts brushed against his own, a whisper of affection as his consciousness began to slip. You are mine. You will stand with me. I will ensure it.

With that, Dusk drifted into sleep.

The morning light filtered through Dusk’s room, waking him. He blinked groggily, taking a moment to remember where he was. Today was one day closer to seeing his mother again.

After a quick stretch, Dusk stepped outside to find Ditzy.

“Morning, Dusk! Ready for work?” She then held out a muffin. “I even got you a snack.

“Oh, Thanks.” He nodded. “Morning, Ditzy. How’d you know I was here?”

She tilted her head. “This is the only inn in town.”

He blinked. “Oh. Right…” It took a few bites to finish his snack. “Let’s get started.”

It took a couple of hours, but they dropped off all the letters and small packages for several houses and businesses.

Ditzy’s ears perked up as she glanced at a message slip tucked in her saddlebag. “Oh! Looks like we’ve got a special request from the post office.” She showed Dusk the note. “We need to pick up a large package for delivery.”

“Large? How large are we talking?”

“You’ll see!” Ditzy led the way back to the post office.

When they arrived, Dusk’s eyes widened at the sight of the package. It was a tall, elegantly wrapped crate nearly as large as the cart. “Looks like this one’s important.”

Ditzy squinted at the address label, then gasped with excitement. “Ooooh, this is going to the Carousel Boutique! Rarity must’ve ordered something fancy for the celebration.”

Dusk tilted his head. “Carousel Boutique? I don’t think I’ve been there yet.”

“Oh, you’re in for a treat,” Ditzy said with a giggle. “It’s one of the prettiest places in Ponyville. And Rarity’s one of the best dressmakers in all of Equestria! She’s probably working on some amazing outfits for the Summer Sun Celebration.”

Dusk looked at the package again. “Let’s get it loaded.”

With some effort, the two managed to secure the package onto their cart.

“Ready?” Ditzy asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Dusk adjusted the harness.

After a few minutes of walking, Dusk and Ditzy approached the Carousel Boutique.

Its design caught Dusk’s attention immediately. It was two stories with circular architecture and striped pillars. “Huh. Reminds me of some of the paintings from home.”

Ditzy unhitched herself from the cart. “Yep! That’s the Carousel Boutique for you. Just wait until you meet Rarity.”

Dusk helped Ditzy unload the large, carefully wrapped package from their cart. Together, they managed to lift it and set it gently by the door.

“Careful now. Rarity’s probably been waiting for this all day.” Ditzy trotted up to the door and gave it a polite knock.

Moments later, the door opened to reveal Rarity. “Good afternoon!” Her gaze fell on the package, then shifted to the ponies at her doorstep. “And right on time! Thank you ever so much.”

As Dusk stepped inside the Carousel Boutique, he couldn’t help but be momentarily struck by the mare in front of him.

Ditzy beamed. “Hi, Rarity! Yep, here’s your delivery. This is Dusk, by the way. He’s helping me out with all the festival preparations.”

Rarity turned her attention to Dusk. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Dusk. I’m Rarity, the proprietor of the Carousel Boutique. Welcome to Ponyville’s hub of fashion.”

He blinked, gathering his thoughts. “You look… beautiful.” The words slipped out before he could stop himself. He could already feel Nightmare’s glare on him.

Rarity’s eyes widened slightly in surprise before a soft giggle escaped her lips. She brushed her mane back with an elegant hoof, her cheeks faintly rosy. “Oh, my! Aren’t you just the sweetest? Thank you, darling. That’s very kind of you to say.”

Dusk cleared his throat to maintain his composure. “I can only speak the truth about such things, especially to a lady.”

Rarity glanced at him more closely, a pleased smile on her face. “It’s so refreshing to meet a stallion with such charm. You’re a rarity indeed.” She winked playfully, adding, “And might I add, you’re quite handsome too.”

Dusk’s ears flicked back, his cheeks warming at her compliment.

Rarity turned her attention back to the package. “Now, let’s get this lovely delivery sorted, shall we? And perhaps, while you’re here, I can show you some of my latest designs.”

“Sure,” beamed Ditzy.

She turned toward Dusk. “Perhaps a stallion like yourself deserves a small gift, wouldn’t you agree?”

Dusk chuckled. “I… suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a look.”

Rarity beamed, clearly delighted, and led them into the boutique. She held the door open with a welcoming smile. "Do come in, darlings! I would be pleased to show you what I’ve been working on for the Summer Sun Celebration. I simply must have your opinions!"

Dusk and Ditzy followed her inside.

There were vibrant fabrics draped over mannequins, rolls of ribbon spilling over tables, and sparkling gemstones. The air carried a faint, pleasant scent of lavender.

“Wow,” Dusk murmured, his eyes scanning the organized chaos. “This is incredible.”

“Thank you, dear!” Rarity led them toward her workstation. “Creativity thrives on just the right amount of chaos, don’t you think? Now, feast your eyes on this!”

She gestured dramatically to a display of banners and drapes spread across a table and hanging from nearby racks. The decorations shimmered with gold and silver accents, their vibrant blues and purples perfectly capturing the festival’s theme of celebrating the harmony of day and night. Stars and sunbursts were embroidered delicately into the fabrics, each detail meticulously crafted.

“These are for the main stage.” Rarity lightly brushed a hoof over one of the banners. “I wanted to show the majesty of Princess Celestia. What do you think?”

Ditzy nodded enthusiastically. “They’re gorgeous, Rarity! Everyone will love them.”

Nightmare was banging her head in Dusk’s mind. ‘Sister…’

It was quite nostalgic to the stallion. He missed his mother. Dusk marveled at the craftsmanship. “The details are incredible. This was far better than here I used to live.” Not even the royal seamstresses at the castle were this skilled. ‘Goes to show what a thousand years will do to society.”

Rarity was pleased by their praise. “You’re too kind, both of you. Like everything, I’ve poured my heart into these pieces, and to hear such wonderful feedback makes it all worth it.”

Dusk smiled. “I have an appreciation for artistry.”

“Well, I’m delighted to share my work with ponies who truly appreciate it. There’s still much to be done, but I’m confident Ponyville will be absolutely radiant for the festival.”

Ditzy gave a playful nudge to Dusk. “See? Told you Rarity’s work is amazing.”

Dusk nodded. “You weren’t wrong.”

Rarity brushed her mane back. “Oh, stop—you’ll make me blush. Now, would you like some tea while I show you a few more designs? I have a rather ambitious project for the town square that I think you’ll love.”