The Legend of the 'Mon: The Three Forces

Chapters

A Magical Mishap
The Aftermath of the League
The Three Forces Collide...and Love floats in the Air
Interview with an Alicorn
The Deception
Red
Luna
Redemption in Humanized Eyes: Part One: Preparations
Redemption in Humanized Eyes: Part Two: Instructions and Humanization
Redemption in Humanized Eyes: Part Three: Discussion and Redemption
Chapter 10: Part One
Chapter 10: Part Two: Meanwhile, in Canterlot
Chapter 11
12: The Dreamer's Motivation/12.1: When Dreams become Reality
12.2: Sleeper Wake!
12.3: Temporal Fluctuations
The Revelation
Chapter 10 Part 3: Back to Hoenn

A Magical Mishap

Author's Note: This story switches between a couple of points of view, but usually maintains the same point of view during a chapter.

A Magical Mishap

(Twilight Sparkle's POV)
This is the latest in a long line of attempts to open an interdimensional portal, to view another place and time. Oh...I should introduce myself, so that anypony who reads this will understand this. I am Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn, star pupil of Princess Celestia, who is the ruler of Equestria. I would give a brief history of Equestria, but I hope that anypony who reads this will have a basic knowledge of pony lore. The following events are a recollection of the events of several days. My friends, Rainbow Dash, a pegasus, and one of, if not the fastest flier in all of Equestria, Applejack, the honest Earth Pony, never afraid to tell somepony her view on things, Fluttershy, the kindest pegasus anypony could meet, and she has her way of understanding animals. I cannot forget to mention Rarity, Ponyville's top fashion designer, and a unicorn of many talents, and the unforgettable Pinkie Pie, an Earth Pony who is always ready to party, and who seems to have a party always around the corner. They, along with my assistant Spike the dragon, and the two Princesses of Equestria, Princess Celestia, ruler of the day, and Princess Luna, ruler of the night, will help me tell the story.

3rd Day, 10th Month, 1,000 ALB (After Luna's Banishment)

I will try once more to open a portal to another dimension, but I am not sure if it will work this time. I have tried several times before, but they have all collapsed before a proper connection could be established. I look over the instructions one last time, setting up what I will need to do the spell. I cast it, and put power behind the glyphs and symbols, willing a portal to open, to show me another place and time. I see a faint oval appear, large enough for even Celestia to step through it were she to want to. I do this spell in the dead of night, wanting to not worry anypony. I have told Celestia of my intentions, and since I am doing in the night, she decided to send Luna if it were to work, so as to have a royal pony there for the second time it is used. I push more power in to it, ignoring the mild headache I am getting. The oval grows brighter, and then the wall where it is located disappears, revealing a shocking scene. I am watching from above, seeing two...humans mourning over an animal and another human...They seem to have loved the ones that are dying. I watch one human pull out what looks like a guitar, and start playing a slow, somber melody, and the other one, dressed in green, pull out what looks like a blue potato with holes in it. He puts it to his lips, and plays a complimentary melody to the first human's...It is so sad...I know not what to do. Watching on makes it seem like I have no heart...and the melody has a part missing, that third piece that will finish it. I get a flute, and float it to my lips, playing that part, letting my melody drift through the portal, and one of the humans seems to take notice, but then shrugs and continues playing. I smile to myself as I continue playing, and then the dying human closes her eyes, honestly dead. She glows some, and her body disappears in a blinding flash of light. I fall back, and the portal snaps shut, my concentration shattered. I feel different than when I opened the portal, but I attribute that to a lack of energy from the spell. I get up, shake my head, and go to Spike, who is still awake. I set the flute on a nearby table first though.
"Spike, take a letter."
He gets a piece of parchment, a quill, some ink, and gets comfortable.
"Dear Princess Celestia, I have just completed my portal spell, and it worked, but it showed me a sad scene, one of death and despair." I proceed to repeat to Spike what I saw, not sparing a detail. "I would appreciate some guidance, and I hope this finds you in good health. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
Spike finishes writing.
"Uh Twilight, do you want me to send this now, or wait until the morning?"
"Hmm...I think it would be better if you were to wait until morning, as I would hate to wake Celestia."
He nods, and sets the letter by his bed. "Well, I am going to go to sleep now Twilight. I hope you are as well."
I nod. "Yes yes, I'll be going to bed in a minute." I smile at him as he gets comfortable in his bed, and then I go up to mine, and quickly fall asleep...

4th Day, 10th Month, 1,000 ALB

I wake up early enough to watch Celestia raise the sun, and I do so, marveling at the power it takes. I smile to myself, happy with my success from last night. I quickly rouse Spike after watching the sunrise.
"Spiiiike! Wake up."
He jumps, surprised by the time.
"Aren't you up early today Twilight?"
"I am. I decided I would watch Celestia raise the sun today."
"Oh, okay. Do you want me to send the letter now?"
I nod. "I'd love that Spike."
He inhales, and then blows a mystic green fire over the letter, and it disappears in a whisp of smoke. We wait a few hours, and I make breakfast for myself and Spike while we wait. I hear Spike groan. I whisper, "Here it comes..." He belches, and a letter appears. Spike clears his throat and reads it aloud.
"My faithful student, thank you for telling me of this, and I am glad to hear it worked, and I hope you are okay after the fall. I am intrigued, but since it is during the night, I will send Princess Luna in my stead. I look forward to hearing more about this, and next time, if you can, go through the portal. Meet the humans, and explain just what you are. Invite them here. I wish to speak with them. Your teacher, Princess Celestia."
I nod to myself, now determined to do the spell again at the right time. I tell myself to relax for the rest of the day, as Luna will not be here for a few days.

End of Chapter One: A Magical Mishap

Author's Note: Thank you for reading this. Please leave reviews/comments and I will get Chapter Two up soon.

The Aftermath of the League

AN: This Chapter takes place at the same time as the first one, but from a different point of view, and place. And also, this chapter is minimal FiM, but is needed for background, so subsequent chapters make sense. Don't hate on this chapter for that reason. I guess I could characterize this chapter as sad, but I did not put a sad tag on this story, as this is just one chapter out of, hopefully, many.

Chapter Two: The Aftermath of the League

(Alex's POV)

As I sit here, seeing my Pokemon waste away in front of me...I am Alex, a Pokemon Trainer, born and raised to the age of 10 right here in Littleroot Town. But, once I got Elise, my female Ralts, now Gardevoir, as my starter, everything changed... I was pulled through a portal to the land of Hyrule, and there, I helped a Hylian named Link defeat Ganon and save Zelda. After that long adventure, I return home, and no time seems to have passed, but I have three new Pokemon, and I no longer have Elise, who evolved in to a Kirlia during the Hyrulean adventure, as I gave her to Link, as they seemed to have fallen in love with each other. And so, I set out from Littleroot, completing the journey most Trainers dream of completing. I became the Hoenn League Champion, leader of Team Rocket, an organization once feared, now loved. I also found out the the Fyre Wand, one of the weapons I acquired during the Hyrulean adventure, is really the Elemental Wand, capable of controlling water, fyre, earth, and air. But then...Zen, my Zangoose, my love, fell ill. She picked up the dreaded virus of Pokemon, Pokerus. All of the doctors said she would be fine, just give her a few days. It is two weeks after the diagnosis...she has not grown healthier. She is dying. None of the doctors know why she is, but a couple have hypothesized that her immune system is somehow weakened. I wonder how, but then I remember maybe it was that one shard of rock that grazed her during Ganondorf's death explosion. Maybe it weakened her to the point where something like this would kill her. I do not know, but that is my theory. The fact of the matter is that she will be dead within three hours...I sigh to myself, wishing I could do something...and then I remember...I still have Link! I send out a telepathic message to Elise.
'ELISE! If you can hear me, bring Link here, with his Ocarina.'
'Okay...Is that you Alex?'
'It is. Just hurry...please.'
'I will do my best, given our situation.'
'What is that?'
'Princess Zelda is dying.'
'Zen is as well. Can she be moved?'
'For now, yes.'
'Then please, do it. Bring her here with Link and his Ocarina.'
'I will. Give me three minutes.'
'Okay. See you soon.'
I break the connection, preparing the other bed that is next to Zen to recieve the Princess of Hyrule. I pull out my guitar once I have finished, and play a slow, mournful Aria, but it is missing vocals. I try not to play that part as well, nor do I attempt to sing. I hear a small pop, and then see Link carrying Zelda, and Elise, the Gardevoir, floating next to them.
"Lay her here Link." I motion to the bed I prepared. I continue playing, not want to break the song that seemed to be comforting Zen, and Zelda herself.
"Link, my song...my Aria. It is missing something. The vocals which would make it an Aria."
"I know. Listen now."
He pulls out his Ocarina, playing the Song of Healing, and I note how it fits in perfectly, taking the place of the vocals, making it a musical Aria. Zen and Zelda calm further, and I notice they both seem to be dying sooner now.
"Link, I think our music is letting them move on in peace. A painless death for both of them."
"I know...Let us continue this. I wish to let them be happy during their final moments."
I nod, and then I hear a powerful, but fitting flute melody, adding to the Aria. I think, guessing it is a sage mourning for the dying Zelda. I continue playing, as do they. The song grows in power, and depth. I watch my Pokemon, and Zelda, but mainly my Pokemon. I watch them, her, die. They close their eyes, exhaling for the last time...together. I cry silently, continuing the song, not wanting to break the Aria, for fear of collapsing to the ground in tears. Link cries as well, but his Ocarina never falters. The flute continues to play, stuttering a little, but not that much. The Aria continues, unbroken. Zelda's body glows bright, disappearing in a flash of light. I notice then that the flute has gone quiet, near the same time. Link and I finish the Aria, and put down our instruments. We come together, mourning the passing of Zen and Zelda. We slowly drift apart.
"Th-thank you for coming Link."
"I always come to the aid of my friends. I wanted to be there for when Zelda passed, and Zen passing at the same time...what a coincidence."
"Indeed. What happened to Zelda? Why was she dying?"
"As it turns out, a stone shard from when Ganondorf's stone, dead body exploded broke through the crystal, grazing her left shoulder, weakening her immune system to the point where a simple virus killed her...She was wasting away."
I blink slowly. "That is exactly what happened to Zen. Stone shard, grazing left shoulder, simple virus, wasting away......I wonder if that was Ganon's last act, to bring them, and us together, just in time to watch them die. But, I still envy you."
"What? How?"
"I envy you for one simple reason...you still have your love, Elise. Mine just died right before my eyes...I am alone...I need someone...But there is no one who could fit those same standards. Smart, a bit of humor, dedicated, and kind. I know of no female like that. I pray to all the deities that I will find someone soon."
"I see now......I hope you find someone soon as well."
"Thank you Link." I look outside, noting that the sun is still high in the sky.
"Alex, give me your right hand."
"Why?"
"I have something to give you."
I extend my right hand to him. He raises his, showing the back of his hand to me, and I see a yellow triangle glowing on it, a small one, on the bottom right of a larger, outlined, three triangle set. He lifts my hand with his other hand, putting our hands back to back, and the space between glows bright yellow. He pulls his hand away, and it no longer has the triangle set on it. I look at mine, and I now bear the symbol.
"What was that Link? And why did you give it to me?"
"It was the mark of the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. It is one of the three aspects of the Triforce, an artifact that when assembled, which is the result of bringing the Triforce of Courage, Power, and Wisdom together, grants the bearer one wish, which will be granted regardless of what it is. You now carry that Triforce of Courage inside of you. My duty as its bearer is over. All I had to do was save Zelda, and see her safely to her death. I have done both. Now, each of the Triforce pieces have found their next bearers. You, and the two others that bear the other Triforces, are the new generation. May you combine them for good, and only if needed."
"I will protect it with my life, and if necessary, I will seek out the other bearers to insure they use their new artifacts for the purpose of good."
"Thank you Alex. I will now go back to Hyrule, and live out the rest of my days with Elise. Since you will not need us again, hopefully, we will collapse the link to the tiniest thread. Just enough to send a message if needed to."
"Okay. And Elise, Link, enjoy each other. I wish you happiness, and a lasting mateship. May Hylia speed and guard you on your journey Link, Hero of Time, Savior of Zelda, Elise's mate."
"We will. May Hylia speed and guard you on your journey as well Alex, Trainer of Pokemon, Bearer of the Triforce of Courage."
He smiles at me, and he and Elise walk outside, and I hear a pop as they disappear. I smile to myself, and then I see a person in the distance. As he comes closer, I see that it is none other than Red, the Champion from Kanto, and my friend. As he comes even closer, within earshot, I call out to him. "HEY RED!"
He hears it, and starts running towards me. "Hey there Alex. How are you?"
"I'm doing pretty good, given what just happened."
"What happened?"
"Zen died, right in front of me."
"Oh...I heard she was the love of your life."
"Indeed she was...but now, I need someone new."
"I bet you do..."
"Oh, where are my manners? Please, come in."
"Thank you."
He looks around as he walks in, surprised at how humble the place is, given my status as Hoenn League Champion, as well as leader of the most powerful organization outside of the League, Team Rocket. He smiles, and then sees the sun, and it has set, the moon already crawling up the sky.
"Where has the time gone Alex?"
"I don't know, but if you wish, you are welcome to stay here for the night. There is a bed upstairs."
"Oh, thank you Alex."
"You are more than welcome, fellow Champion and friend."
"Where will you sleep?"
"I have a couch down here."
"Okay. See you in the morning."
"Indeed you will."
He goes upstairs, going to the bed, and almost immediately falling asleep. As I hear snoring, I wonder just how far he traveled to get here. I put that out of my mind as I collapse on the couch, drifting off quickly...
A few days later, as Red is still staying here with me, recovering from his long journey from Kanto to here, in Littleroot, after he has gone to sleep, and I had as well, I wake up around midnight. I get up to get myself a drink of water, but then I hear a small whoosh, and then two voices arguing near the house. I get the Elemental Wand for defense, and walk outside..............

End of Chapter Two: The Aftermath of the League

AN...again: As I said, this chapter contained no FiM, but those of you that have read Chapter One know who just appeared. I will hopefully have Chapter Three up tomorrow...And please, when you read this, even if you did not like it, leave a comment saying what you did not like about it. It will help me improve. Please and thanks, and enjoy the story.

The Three Forces Collide...and Love floats in the Air

AN: This is where the Crossover and Romance tags start kicking in. Hopefullly, everyone'll like this one, and please, for the LOVE OF CELESTIA, rate/comment/review. I need to know if something went wrong, and if so, I must know What Went Wrong! Thank you kindly, and enjoy the chapter.

Chapter Three: The Three Forces Collide...and Love Floats in the Air

(Twilight Sparkle's POV)

7th Day, 10th Month, 1,000th year ALB

It has been three days since Princess Celestia responded to my letter, and Princess Luna should be here in a matter of hours. The plan for this journey is to go to their realm, meet the humans, invite them back to Canterlot, let Celestia get the answers she wants from them, wipe their memories, send them back, and mov along with our lives. I doubt it will go smoothly like that, as nothing ever seems to around here. I can hope for the desired results, but the chances are slim to none of it working. I have investigated the source of the light burst seen at the female human's death, which hit me, but left them unaffected. I have not found anything as of yet. I have decided to ask Princess Luna about it, but I doubt that she will know anything either. If this goes according to plan, nopony will be the wiser. If something goes wrong, we have a backup. Quickly dump the humans back in their realm, shut the portal, and never reopen it. I hear her now, so I shall end this journal entry here.

I close the journal, finished writing in it for now. As I hear Luna's chariot arrive, I step outside to greet her, bowing in respect.
"Good evening Princess."
"Good evening Twilight Sparkle. Hast thou...Sorry...Have you readied the portal spell?"
"I have Princess."
"Very good. Then let's get this done with."
I nod, and open the door for her. As she walks in, two Lunar guards take up position outside to protect from intrusion. I begin the spell. As the portal opens, we look down from above them, and I move the portal on the other end to ground level. Once it is complete, I nod, and Luna walks through, and I follow behind her, my horn still glowing as I keep the portal open. Two pops are heard for some reason, but I don't think anypony heard them. I hear a slight shifting about in the house, and then...
"Who's there?"
I see one of the humans...I recognize him as the guitar player.
"I am Twilight Sparkle...and I..." My sentence trails off as I notice him drawing with a stick, but then his drawing glows, and I recognize it as a magic glyph. I don't know what it does, but it looks dangerous, as it is glowing an icy blue. I shiver, suddenly fearful of the human.
"I had been wondering what caused the pops. You and someone else I assume. I know this, as I have seen portal travel before. This is an icefyre glyph. I activate it, you get flash frozen. Come closer, in to the moonlight."
I comply, not liking the idea of being flash frozen. I step in to the pale moonlight, and he gasps.
"You...you're a...Ponyta?"
"I'm sorry, a WHAT?"
"You obviously are not from my realm. You look similar to a Ponyta, but your mane is like an actual equine's, not a Ponyta's flaming one, and the same goes for your tail."
"I am a unicorn, from Equestria. If you would let me finish, I can explain."
"Very well."
"I am Twilight Sparkle. I am from Equestria, a planet inhabited by Earth Ponies, your normal equines, Unicorns, those like me, and Pegasi, a horse with wings. There are three Alicorns, those that have features of all three races, the strength of an earth pony, the horn and magic of a unicorn, and the wings and cloud-walking ability of a pegasus. They are the rulers of Equestria, well, Princess Cadance is a princess in name only, but she is still an alicorn. Princess Celestia, regent of the Sun, ruler of the day, and my mentor, is the main ruler of Equestria. Princess Luna, the one who accompanied me here, is the regent of the Moon, ruler of the night, and my friend, as well as Celestia's sister. Where is the other human I saw earlier, during your period of mourning?"
"You...you were there?"
"I was."
"I don't believe you."
I pull a flute from my side of the portal, put it to my lips, and play the accompaniment part to what they had played during the mourning time.
"Believe me now?"
He nods, slightly awestruck.
"I do...but how?"
"I used the same spell, a portal spell, to watch. I had been trying for weeks to get it to work, and when it did, I saw you, and another human, mourning an animal and yet another human. I heard your song, and played along. The sound drifted through, and then, when the human disappeared in a flash of light, I was knocked back, and then the portal collapsed. I still have not discovered why this occurred, but I do not think I will ever know."
"I see. That 'animal' as you called her, was my Zangoose, a Pokemon. Her name was Zen...she was the love of my life...but I have moved on, and have begun the search once more."
"Oh, I see...You have my condolences. Who was the human?"
"She was the ruler of the other human, Link's, land. Her name was Princess Zelda. She was the ruler of Hyrule. She died exactly at the same time as Zen."
"I see...Where is this, Link?"
"He went home, and collapsed the link connecting our realms. Although...Red is here."
He turns back towards the house.
"RED! Get up please! There's someone I want you to meet."
He gets up, and dashes downstairs.
"Oh, hey there Alex...what time is it?"
"It is around midnight."
"Okay then...who is it you wanted me to meet?"
He turns to me, and points with a finger.
"This is Twilight Sparkle." He then repeats to this 'Red' what I told him. He blinks, nodding.
I turn back to the woods where we popped out of. "Princess, could you please come and show yourself?"
"For you Twilight, I shall." She steps from the woods, entering the pale moonlight. She reveals herself, as this 'Red' looks on. He seems to immediately notice her, and his jaw drops open. He notices her dark coat, her starry, ever-flowing mane, and he seems to like the way she looks, maybe love...but that would be preposterous.
"So, you are Princess Luna? I am Red, humble Pokemon Trainer, champion of the Kanto League." He bows in respect.
"Greetings young Red. I am Princess Luna...and Twilight explained this already didn't she?"
"She did, but she could not describe your beauty."
Luna blushes. "That's the first time anypony has called my appearance beauty...I have always been an outcast, thanks to my dark side, Nightmare Moon. She took control of me, forcing me to do evil things. Nopony has ever forgiven me, even though it was her...as a result, I have always been alone..."
"Oh my...I have been the Kanto Champion as long as I can remember. It is lonely at the top, and I have been alone as well...It truly saddens me to watch so many promising challengers give up on their dream as soon as they find someone. For that reason, no one had come to challenge me. I never left Mt. Silver, as I was supposed to stay there until someone beat me. Alex came, after having defeated the Hoenn League, and challenged me. He won, and then I left the mountain, smiling, happy to be done up there. He returned here after a month and a day. He stayed a fraction of the time I did, but that was because it was no longer a requirement to be there until beaten. Once that time period had passed, he could leave. Anyone wanting to challenge him had to come here to do so. None have done so."
"Hmm...I find this interesting. We shall talk at greater lengths once Celestia has finished with you two. Twilight, let us take these humans back to Equestria. Alex can stay with you, and Red shall stay with me."
I nod, and approach them. But then, Red's hand, and Alex's, both suddenly glow, showing two differently positioned yellow triangles, each with another two outlined. Red has a triangle on top, and two outlined underneath, and Alex has one on the bottom right, with the top and bottom right outined. I wonder if there is a third in the set, when Luna exclaims,
"Twilight! Your right forehoof, it is glowing!"
I look down, and see another one of those markings, with the bottom left filled in, and the top and bottom right outlined. Alex speaks up.
"Twilight, Red...I have some news for you two. Red, did you, at any time within the past year, get knocked over by a blast of light and wind?"
"I did. Why?"
"Twilight, the light pulse that hit you, you said it knocked you over, right?"
"Yes. I don't see where you are going with this."
"Red, the blast you felt, that was Ganondorf exploding, releasing his Triforce, the Triforce of Power. Did you notice a sudden increase in your physical feeling?"
"I did. I felt more powerful."
"I believe that is because you are the new bearer of the Triforce of Power. Twilight Sparkle, from your looks, I take it you are a genius?"
I blush some. "Some have called me that, but never in a nice way."
"I see. You must be the new bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, which Zelda carried unto her death. That light pulse that knocked you over would have been her transferring it in to you. Link willingly gave me the Triforce of Courage. We must be the next generation of the bearers of the Triforce."
I nod. "Okay. What does this 'Triforce' do?"
"When all three pieces, the Triforce of Wisdom, which you carry, Power, which Red carries, and Courage, which I carry, are combined, they grant the bearer one wish, that will be granted regardless of what it is."
"I see. So...I still need, no, now I request, that you and Red join us in Equestria, so that Princess Celestia may gain knowledge from you, and then we shall determine what to do with you from there."
"We will go with you. Luna said that I would be staying with you, and Red with her, am I correct?"
I nod. "You are. Now, let's go before I run out of energy."
We all gather together, and Luna and Red step through the portal together, as do Alex and myself. He seems to be attracted to me, but I do not understand why. I do not know what anypony would see in an egghead like me. I shrug, but decide to let it continue. It might be my first friendship, or more, outside of ponykind. Luna and Red walk outside, where the Lunar Guards open the chariot door, and Luna motions for Red to get in, and he does, and she follows him. The chariot takes off, whisking them in to the night sky, heading to Canterlot, and the Royal Castle. I turn to Alex, and show him around, and he seems to be surprised that I live in a library, which is a tree. I laugh some at that, as I am a mare of research and knowledge, and I tell him as such.
"So, uh, Twilight Sparkle, where will I be sleeping?"
"Well, there is a spare bed upstairs, but you should keep an eye out for..."
"Twilight? What are you...DEAR CELESTIA! IS THAT A HUMAN!?"
"Spike, calm down, and yes. This is one of the two humans I saw. Apparently he is also the bearer of some form of magic, as well as a magic wielder himself."
"I'm sorry, but did you just say that with admiration in your voice?"
I blush a little, trying to deflect the question, not wanting Spike to know that I might share the human's feelings. I am almost certain as of now that the human is at the very least infatuated with me, whether that is from his loss of Zen, and his need of a new companion, or some other quality of which I am unaware. If Spike were to figure out that I might even possibly share the feelings he has for me for him, I would never hear the end of it. Plus, for all I know, Celestia might just wipe his memory, send him home, and I would never see him again. So, for now, I shall let him continue on his emotional path. If Celestia decides to let them stay, then I will address it from there. If not, then I will purge him from my mind.
"Yes, but only because he wields complex magic. For example, he almost flash froze me with what he called 'icefyre' He drew some sort of glyph with a wand of sorts."
"Uh huh. Sure it was just the magic wielding. Right..."
I blush a bit more, and then have to change my tone.
"Spike, calm down. It is just a human. He won't hurt us, as I know that for sure."
"Fine, but I was sleeping in that other bed. So he'll have to sleep on the floor."
I glare at him with a 'We'll talk later' look, and he sighs.
"Just hurry up Twilight. I need some sleep before the day begins."
"Fine. Go on to bed. I'll take care of the human."
I turn back to Alex. "That was Spike. He's my personal assistant. He's just a baby dragon, but he can have a bit of a crazy streak. Since he's in the other bed, I guess you'll have to sleep on the floor between them, or not sleep at all."
He sighs. "Fine. Just show me where."
I walk upstairs, and he follows behind me. I motion to the clear area between the beds as I climb in to my own bed. He sighs again, and then curls up as best he can on the floor, trying to stay warm during the cooling night. He seems to fall asleep, and I lay there, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, trying to comprehend all of this. Now not only am I the Element of Magic, apparently I am also the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. I look over, moving about on my bed, and I see the human shiver, and moan quietly...I do my best to stay aloof, to observe only, but seeing that makes me feel...something. My horn glows, and I float him on to the bed, and now he lies beside me. He seems to understand this, and he unconsciously uncurls some, and then he rolls about, settling right up against me. I blush some, but then realize what he is doing, and I sigh. At this, he rotates in place, and then he curls around me. I recoil some, and he stirs a little, but as the human...Alex, needs to be rested, I will let him do this. I get comfortable inside his grasp, and find myself most comfortable returning the hug of sorts. So I do, and I drift off, sleeping for a few hours.

(Red's POV)

I somehow manage to understand all that has happened today, going from thinking it was nice that the reigning World Champion would house me for so long, to now knowing that I bear some sort of magic, this 'Triforce of Power', that things other than Pokemon exist, that said things are capable of communication, and are sentient. One of which is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on, the Princess of the Night, Regent of the Moon, Princess Luna. I do not understand what exactly it is about her that I find so attractive, but it may be the overall manner and appearance and personality of her that I like. She seems to be aloof, yet extremely interested in humans, but Luna mentioned one pony in particular that was obsessed with humans like Alex and myself, what was that mare's name? Oh, Lyra Heartstrings. I laugh some, as she was described to be always looking for proof that we existed as a race here before, or while, ponies ruled. I laugh again, as Luna said that she would probably want to interrogate me to learn about humans. As I lie here, next to the Princess, who said I could share her bed for the night, I make a mental journal of what has happened to me today. She slowly, but surely embraces me as she goes to sleep and I continue to mentally write, but not for long. As Luna told me on the ride up to the Castle, Celestia will be wanting to learn from Alex and myself. I now believe that Luna might just be falling for me, as she seems to at least be showing emotions towards me, not to mention that she is letting me sleep beside her, as if we were, maybe are, equals, instead of on the floor or in another room like some commoner. I know that I have fallen for her, despite her outward regal aloofness, as it is impossible to deny that she is kind on the inside, and in almost desperate need of a friend. I close my eyes, and end the journal, falling asleep for a few hours, determined to learn more about Ponykind as well as they learn about me.

End of Chapter Three: The Three Forces Collide...and Love Floats in the Air

Interview with an Alicorn

AN: Well...here's Chapter Four: Interview with an Alicorn. I hope you enjoy it, and again, comment/upvote/favorite/something that'll let me know you read it. Please and thanks.

Interview with an Alicorn

(Alex's POV)

I wake up this morning, finding myself next to Twilight Sparkle. I don't know exactly how I got up here, but I do know I slept well, and I think I ended up curled around her, as she is curled up around me. I hug her gently, knowing now that at the very least she has a heart. She might even care for me, but I certainly know that I care for her. She seems to be the pony version of Zen. Smart, an odd sense of humor, and kind and caring. If she was neither kind nor caring, she would have left me on the floor. I look over, off the end of the bed, and I notice the bed that Spike the Dragon occupied is empty. I look at the clock, and it reads 5:00. I get up, and then stretch. Spike pops in the room.
"Oh look, the human is awake."
"I see that the dragon is too."
"I have a name you know."
"I know this Spike, and I have a name as well."
"Alex is your name, is it not?"
"It is. Why are you awake before Twilight?"
"Because I'm Twi's personal assistant. It is my job to help her out, and I usually end up just dusting the library in the mornings, and I end up getting up so early that if I wanted to, I could watch Celestia raise the sun."
"You mean...she physically raises the sun? I thought the sun just rose on its own, as it does in my world."
"Odd...But yes, she uses her Alicorn Gift to raise the sun."
"This is quite interesting."
"For me, and everypony else, it is quite normal."
"I notice that you use the term 'everypony' as often as the actual ponies do, even though you are a dragon. Why?"
"I have been around Twilight so long, it has become ingrained in to me. I swear, if was much more like a pony...I would be one."
I laugh a little. "Indeed. So, what all books does this library have? Anything on the history of this place?"
"Yeah. We have 'The History of Equestria' as well as 'Myths and Legends of Equestria'."
"Could I borrow one of those? I'd like to learn about this place as much as I can before I go and talk to the Princess of the Day."
"Sure. Follow me downstairs, and I'll show you where they are."
He walks out of the room, and I follow right behind him, ducking under the doorframes. He climbs a short ladder, and pulls down a large, leather bound book.
"This is..."
"It is The Myths and Legends of Equestria."
We turn, and see Twilight descending the stairs from her room upstairs.
"I never took you as one who would want to research his surroundings. You seemed to be one of those 'jump, then look' people."
"I prefer to gain knowledge as I can, so I can know what is going on around me."
"I see..."
She blushes almost imperceptibly, but I notice it, as I have had to notice tiny twitches in people before, and this is one of those little twitches.
"Did I say something to offend you?"
"No no...I was just surprised. You seem to be a human version of me."
"No offense, but I don't live in a library. I do like to gain knowledge, I do wield magic, and I am a Triforce Bearer. As far as I know, that is what we share."
She blushes a little more.
"Yeah. Well, read up. We have a little over six and a half hours until midday, which is when Celestia wishes to see you."
"Okay then." I sit down in a chair as I crack open the slightly dusty book. The first page read, 'To those about to read this, be warned. Most of these things are myths and legends, but some have been confirmed, and those that have are extremely dangerous.' The next page, 'Alicorns. These ponies carry characteristics of all three races of ponies, the strength and endurance of an earth pony, the horn and magic, plus the Alicorn Gift, of a unicorn, and the wings and streamlined shape of a pegasus. There are three known to ponykind, two of which are the Royal Sisters. See also, Luna, Celestia, Princesses.' I flip to the index at the back of the book, and find the page titled 'Celestia', which reads 'She has quite obviously been confirmed as real, and as such, should be treated with respect, lest she send you to the moon. She is the regent of the Sun, and general ruler of Equestria. She has no known relatives, though some ponies suspect that the Solar and Lunar Eclipses are caused by relatives of their's. As far as is known, each of the Royal Sisters has the ability to control both celestial spheres, but only Celestia has demonstrated this power, and ony during the 1,000 year banishment of Princess Luna. For more information, see Nightmare Moon.' I turn back to the index, finding and turning to the page entitled 'Nightmare Moon'. It reads, 'Nightmare Moon, also known as the Mare in the Moon, is the darker side of Princess Luna, and at one time cast all of Equestria in to night eternal. After a short period, her sister, Celestia, gathered the Elements of Harmony (see Harmonious Elements for more information) and used them to banish her in to the moon for one thousand years. During this time, Celestia repaired Equestria, returning it to its former glory.' I close the book, satisfied for now, and I set it on a table next to me.
"Hey Spike, keep this out for me, if you could. I'm nowhere near done learning about Equestria."
"Sure thing. Also, are you going to eat?"
"Yeah, what time is it?"
"It's about 11:00."
"WHAT?!"
"Yeah."
"I was reading for five and a half hours?"
"Apparently so."
"Wow...And I only read three different entries."
"Interesting. You seemed to be poring over them, as if you were looking for something."
"I just wanted to learn more about the Princess I am about to meet."
I walk in to the kitchen, or what roughly resembles one. "What do you all have to eat?"
"Well, we have gemstones for me, and various plants for Twilight, and anypony else that may want to get something to eat here."
"Hmm...very well. What kind of fruit do you have?"
"Apples mainly."
"Okay then. That sounds wonderful. Where are they?"
"Top row, far left."
I go to the mentioned shelf, get a couple of apples, and bite in to one.
"These apples are really good."
"Well, that is to be expected, as they are from Sweet Apple Acres."
"Sweet Apple Acres?"
"It is the only apple farm in Ponyville, and it is run by the Apple family. Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Applejack, and little Applebloom. In fact, Applejack should be stopping by shortly."
"Oh? What for?"
"She is actually coming over to drop off a few more apples for Twi, until her next batch gets in."
"I did notice there were only two left once I got my pair of apples."
"Oh good."
We hear a knock at the door, followed by, "Twiligh'? Ya in here?"
"One minute Applejack."
Twilight opens the door without touching it, and I notice that her horn glowed. I mutter under my breath, "more magic. neat."
Applejack walks in, and I immediately notice the orange coat, and the three apples for her cutie mark. "Hmm...something to do with the Apple family I assume." I then notice the cowboy hat on her head, and I laugh a bit to myself. "Nice." She drops a small basket of apples in front of Twilight. "Here ya go Twiligh'." She looks around, and her eyes rest on me. "Um Twiligh'? What is that thing?"
"First, that 'thing' is a human, and a nice one at that. His name is Alex."
"Ah see. Well then, howdy Alex."
"You are Applejack I assume."
"Ah most certainly am. It's a pleasure to meetcha."
She extends a hoof. I grasp it in my hand, stooping down a bit to make eye contact, and shake it.
"The pleasure is mine."
"So, how didja get here Alex? One o' Twi's spells?"
"More or less."
"I take it you'll fill me in later."
"I will, if you stop by here after I have finished my meeting with Princess Celestia."
"Oh, you're meeting the Princess?"
I nod. "I sure am."
"Well, a word o' advice: Don't get on 'er bad side, otherwise, ya might not make it back here to tell me your story."
"Oh my...I did read that about her. Well, I have not angered anyone...anypony yet."
"Wow, not even here for a day, and you're already pickin' up our lingo."
I laugh. "Indeed ah am. And it seems I am picking up an accent already as well."
She blushes some. "Well, that is mighty interesting, but tell me about it later. You have an interview with an alicorn to prepare for."
I nod again.
"Thank you for dropping by Applejack, and I'm sure Alex would love to talk to you later, but for now, we need to get going soon."
"It's mah pleasure Twiligh'. An' Alex, I'll be seeing you later."
I nod. "See ya 'round Applejack."
She waves as she walks back out. Twilight turns to me.
"So, are you ready to meet the Regent of the Sun?"
"As ready as I will ever be." She steps outside, and I do as well, momentarily blinded by the sunlight. I laugh, and say, "Gooooood morning Equestria!"
Twilight laughs some, and then she looks in to the sky, and I do as well. We see a golden chariot descend from the clouds, and land in front of us, two armored pegasi driving it.
"Well, here's our ride Alex. Hop in!"
I do so, and laugh a bit. She joins me, and it is a bit crowded, so she ends up sitting on my lap. I smile, as fortune has smiled on me. I unconsciously run a hand through her mane as we fly, and she turns, looking at me.
"Alex...what in the name of Celestia are you doing?!"
I pull my hand away, blushing.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I did not even realize I was doing it."
She nods.
"I could tell. You seemed to enjoy it though."
I laugh nervously.
"I did. Your mane is just so soft, it almost drew my hand to it...I'm sorry about that though."
"Oh don't be. It is understandable, given your attraction to me."
I blush deeply. "Um...what?"
"What? You thought I could not tell you were attracted to me just because you are a human? Ha! I could almost smell the attraction."
I blush even more, and sigh.
"When they say you are the smart one, they mean it. How long ago did you figure it out?"
"Once I woke up this morning."
"Oh...oh my. Well, I can no longer deny it. I do feel an attraction to you, although it might just be that I look for someone to replace Zen...I do not know."
"I see. We can talk further once you and Red have finished your interview with Celestia. Maybe she'll decide to not wipe your memories, and let you stay."
"She was going to wipe our memories?!"
"If you provided no good reason to stay, and keep the memories of what you have done here."
"I see now...Well, I can provide one good reason."
"Good. Hopefully she will listen."
"I hope so as well."
We quickly approach Canterlot, and I watch as we descend, and I admire the view. I see Red standing near where we are going to land, and he waves at me. I wave back as we land, and then Twilight and I get out of the chariot.
"Hey there Red."
"Hey Alex. I see you brought Twilight with you."
"Well, she was my way to get up here in the first place."
"Indeed."
"Did you sleep well my friend?"
"I did. Especially with Luna right outside on her balcony, watching over the ponies while they slept."
"So you figured out she is the Regent of the Moon, as well as the Guardian Princess of the Night?"
"Uh...no"
"Then how?"
"I saw her walk out there before I fell asleep."
"Oh."
"How do you know all that?"
"I did some research before I came here. I needed to learn about the Princess we are about to meet."
"I see."
"Luckily, Twilight gave me a book with which I could study the subject matter I chose."
"And that was?"
"Myths and legends of Equestria, the Princesses among them."
"Huh...I need to see if there is a copy here in the Canterlot Library."
"The book's name is 'Myths and Legends of Equestria'. Rather appropriate, no?"
"Quite."
I see a couple of stallions approach wearing armor, so I take that they are guards. One of them speaks up.
"Twiley? Is that you?"
"Shining? What are you doing here?"
"I was told by Princess Celestia to come get the humans. I did not know you would be accompanying them."
"Well, Alex here was staying with me for the night, so I had to get him up here somehow."
"Who's Alex?"
I step forward, revealing myself from behind Red.
"That would be me."
"Hmm...Interesting. Well, I am Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Guard, as well as Twilight's big brother."
"It is very nice to meet you Shining Armor. As Twilight introduced me, I am Alex. My friend is Red."
I motion to Red with a hand.
"Very interesting, Which one of you is the magic wielder?"
"Did Twilight tell you?"
"No, but I heard Princess Luna mention it."
"Hmm. Well, that would be me."
"Okay. Can I see some proof?"
"Sure. Stand back please."
He takes several steps back. I draw a small crossfyre glyph, and fling it at a nearby rock. It lets out a small burst of flames on the rock. Shining Armor nods.
"Proof enough. Come with me, and Twiley, you can come with as well."
We form a line of sorts behind him, and he leads us to a large room, where a larger alicorn is sitting in a large throne. I immediately recognize her as, "Princess Celestia."
"Who are you human?"
"I am Alex, the magic wielder."
I seem to have taken magic wielder as a title, so I thought I'd put it in to distinguish myself from Red.
"Well, as you know I am Princess Celestia, Regent of the Sun, and Guardian Princess of the Day."
"No offense your highness, I know that as well as some of the history behind you."
"Oh? How?"
"Twilight Sparkle lent me a book that had myths and legends of Equestria in it, and it had you in it. Since I knew I was meeting you today, I decided to read up, and learn about the royal alicorn I was about to meet."
"I see. That was rather wise of you, and courageous to just tell me like that."
"Uh...thank you Princess."
"You are rather welcome Alex. Who is the other human?"

(Red's POV)

"You are rather welcome Alex. Who is the other human?"
The alicorn turns her head to me. I shake a little, impressed by her presence.
"Uh...hi. I'm Red. I don't think I have a title as of yet."
"Well, greetings Red. As you heard from myself and Alex, I am Princess Celestia. You two are probably both wondering why I requested that you be brought here. The answer is simple. I wish to learn about your home realm, as well as determine if either of you want to stay here in Equestria, and if so, if either of you are worthy of staying here."
"Hmm...very well. What do you want to know...Princess?"
"First, what is your special talent?"
"You mean what I'm good at?"
"Yes."
"Until Alex here beat me, I was the Pokemon League Champion, but then he managed to beat me. Up to that point though, and in my mind anyway, I was a wonder when it came to training Pokemon."
"Hmm...what is a Pokemon?"
"This."
I pull a Pokeball out of my case, and let the Pokemon inside out, a male Zangoose.
"This is my partner Chris."
Alex blinks slowly, and the painful memories of Zen come flooding back to him, knocking him to his knees as if a physical blow. He collapses in body, mind, emotion, and spirit, losing control, and lies on the floor, crying, mourning once more for Zen. I blink, finally noticing the pain this caused Alex, and I call Chris back, not realizing that he could cause something like that. I go to him, but he does not notice me. I turn back to the princess, sighing.
"I'm sorry about that, I did not know that would cause him such emotional pain."
"I see that."
"That is just one of numerous different species of Pokemon...Any other questions?"
"Yes. How do the sun and moon work in your world?"
"Well, our home planet, which we call Earth, as you call your home planet here, orbits around the sun, and it seems to move, but in reality, it is we who are moving. And the moon orbits around us, and we always see the same side of the moon due to the fact that it is rotating and revolving at the same speed."
"I see...This is very interesting. I have questions for Alex, but I think he needs some time right now."
"I agree..."

(Alex's POV)

As I lie there, the memories of Zen flooding back to me, knocking me over, I try to comprehend why this happened. I just lie there longer, tears flowing from my eyes, as I mourn her once more. I look up, and see Twilight Sparkle standing over me.
"Are you okay Alex?"
"I will be in a moment or two."
"Oh...what's wrong?"
"I just remembered my dead love...and I am mourning her again."
"I see...is there anything I can do to help?"
"Just stay there for now, please?"
"Why?"
"I don't know, but you standing there as you are seems to comfort me."
"Very well."
I stay there, staring at the ceiling through the curtain of her mane, seeing her coat underneath. I smile, finally recovering more, enough to stand and speak normally. The emotional pain still rages inside of me, but it would take someone who knows me to figure that out.
"Sorry about that Princess."
"I heard. Now, I have a couple of questions for you."
"And they would be?"
"How did you get that wand thing?"
"The Elemental Wand? I got it during my Hylian adventure."
"Hylian adventure?"
"Yes. It was the time where I was stuck in Hyrule with Link, the other human that Twilight saw when she first opened her portal to our realm. We had an adventure to save the ruler of his land, Princess Zelda. We succeeded, and many things followed. I brought only this thing with me, but it is versatile."
"How so?"
"Permission to use it?"
"Of course."
I draw the Wand, drawing a tiny little fyreorb glyph, and activate it, and a small ball of flame appears, and slowly floats toward a window. They all blink, and follow it, and note where it collides and explodes in a small flash of light. It hits and detonates over the image of a set of symbols, five, one red, pink, orange, purple and blue, all arranged around a pink-purple six-pointed star. The princesses blink again.
"Hmm..."
"Is something wrong Princess?"
"No no...I am just interested as to where the orb hit and went off."
"Why so your Highness?"
"It landed on the window depicting the Elements of Harmony. It showed me a new part that I had not seen before. It was hidden in the star...it is three glowing yellow triangles that come together to form a larger triangle."
"Oh..."
I blink, realizing its significance.
"That..That is the symbol of the Triforce, which Red, Twilight, and myself each bear a piece of..."
"Hmm...Interesting."
"I find it odd that it just now revealed itself."
"Why?"
"Well, I heard the Elements were responsible for purging Nightmare Moon from Princess Luna, and they did so without Red and myself."
"Maybe it was because we did not know the Triforce as you call it existed."
"Hmm...maybe."
"Regardless, what I want to know, is what brought you here? And why do I think I've seen you before?"
"Princess, I really do not know. I cannot explain that feeling or thought."
"Hmm. I will have to look in to this."
"Very well. Are there any other questions you have for Red or myself?"
"Not at this moment. Thank you for coming. I will now talk with Princess Luna, and Twilight Sparkle to decide your fates."
"Very well Princess."
We bow, and then a guard stallion comes up and escorts us out, shutting the doors behind us.

(Celestia's POV)

"We have now heard from the two visitors. I need to know what you two think, as you were the ones to spend more time with them than this. Lulu, what say you?"
"I say that they may as well stay. But, we must wipe their memories and give them pony bodies. We can leave a trail to their old memories if the need arises, but that is all. We cannot let them retain knowledge of what has transpired before this."
"I agree, but first, I need input from you Twilight."
"I agree with you both, Princesses, but I say we should at least leave them with some of their memories. That of two days prior to their coming here, and beyond...especially for Alex. It may be out of place, but I don't want him to remember the sorrow that his Zangoose's death caused him. He needs to focus on something...somepony else."
"Very well. I move in favor of Twilight's solution. Twilight, please go bring them back in so we may begin.
I watch as she goes to the doors, opening one with her magic, and motioning for the humans to rejoin them in the throne room.

(Alex's POV)

We are brought back in to the throne room at Twilight Sparkle's, and I presume the Princesses', bequest. I look around, and see they are all standing.
"Either we did something right, or we are about to be killed and disposed of...here's hoping for the former."
Red nods to me, and we swallow, stepping forward further, right in front of the Solar Princess when she raises a hoof. "Stop there humans."
Her horn lights up, as do Luna's and Twilight's, and then she touches her horn to my head...and I pass out.

AN: And so ends Chapter Four, Interview with an Alicorn. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I get a bit more inspiration. Also, if anypony out there that reads this thing wants to either help with ideas, or just proofread, send me a message, along with any prior experience you might have. Please and thank you!

The Deception

Chapter 5: The Deception

(Alex's POV)

I wake up, my head pounding, and I reach a hoof up to it, rubbing my temple, trying to make the pain go away. I reach further up, gently touching my horn, making sure it was still there. I had an odd dream last night...I was a human, one of the creatures of myth, and that our Day Princess turned me into a unicorn. The problem is, I've been a unicorn my whole life. I get out of bed, and fall to the floor, my legs tingling. Hmm...must have slept funny. I wait until I get the feeling back in my legs, and then I stand up, and walk to the bathroom, standing in front of a mirror, making sure I am the way I always have been...I'm one of the few stallions out there who does not have a cutie mark yet, but I don't fret, as I am certain I will get one soon... My cream and red swirl coat shines in the light, and the four color stripes, 2 white and 2 red, whirl around my horn, giving it a candy cane like look, are present, and I check my flank, just to make sure... "Yep. No cutie mark yet." I laugh to myself, and then trot around the room a few times to make sure my legs are, as well as I am, fully awake. I nod, and then turn, trotting downstairs, sitting at one of the tables in the library. I think about how I got there...I spent most of yesterday in this very room, reading book after book, going through a small portion of the library's books. I then somehow fell asleep right in the middle of reading one of the books, and apparently, the librarian, Twilight Sparkle, moved me from the main room to a guest bedroom. I can only assume that it was put in for just such an occasion. I sigh, and then trot downstairs, heading towards the door to leave, when Twilight Sparkle stops me.
"Good morning Alex."
"Oh, good morning Miss Sparkle."
"Please...call me Twilight."
"Very well Twilight."
"So, what are your plans now that you've read pretty much everything we have on the Princesses?"
"I don't know...I guess my first thing to do is to find some breakfast."
She laughs, and her horn glows. I look around, trying to find what her magic is affecting, and I open my mouth to ask, but then I suddenly gag on an apple that was shoved in there.
"Eat that, and then we'll talk."
I sigh through my nose, but I eat the apple anyway, and I swallow the remnants, smiling.
"Thanks, though I can't say I was expecting that from you of everypony I know...You being a librarian, me being a simple customer..."
Her voice takes on an ominous tone. "You're not a normal customer..."
I blink, curious. "What do you mean?"
Her voice returns to normal. "Oh nothing. I was just testing my vocal range." She blushes imperceptibly, but I shrug.
"Okay then." I turn, and head outside. I spin around, unused to the colors, despite the fact that I've been in Ponyville all my life. I shrug somewhat, and start to walk towards Sugarcube Corner when a familiar pink earth pony bounces to a stop in front of me.
"Oh, hey there Pinkie Pie."
"Huh? The new pony already knows my name? I...must...be...FAMOUS!!!!"
I laugh a bit. "Pinkie, I've been here all my life. I already know who you are...I just wonder how you did not know my name by..."
My sentence trails off as I notice that she is somehow on top of me, yet not weighing me down... Then, she licks my horn.
"Uh, Pinkie....What the hay are you doing?"
She licks it again, seeming to like it "It tastes like a candy cane silly. Didn't you know that?"
"Uh no, I did not know that. I did not even know unicorn horns had tastes."
I see Twilight walk out of the library from the corner of my eye. I turn, and manage to trot up to her and tap her side with a hoof.
"Twilight, is this normal for her?"
She looks up at Pinkie, and sees that she is continuing to lick my horn.
"Uh, not really. Then again, I would think she would know that unicorn horns have no taste."
"I don't think she realizes that."
"I can tell. PINKIE!"
Pinkie looks at Twilight, pausing for a moment.
"Yeah Twi?"
"What are you doing?"
"What's it look like?"
Their tones rapidly shift to annoyance at each other and I sigh.
"Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie. Stop."
They both look at me, Pinkie's head hanging down in to my vision.
"Yes?"
"Please stop fighting, okay?"
"For the new guy, fine."
"Only you would want mares to stop fighting over you Alex."
I shake my head and sigh. "You're right. You two may be fighting over me, but you're still fighting. I don't want to be the cause of a rift between you two."
They smile. "It really is nice that a stallion puts mares fighting over him, and their friendship, before his own interests and desires."
I blush a bit, and smile. "It's just how I work."
Something in my heart stirs from all of this, but I go on, ignoring it for now. I shiver as she decides to truly believe my horn is a candy cane, and she sucks on it some, like one would a piece of candy.
"And now I'm concerned she is gonna try to bite a piece off."
Twilight laughs and I shrug again.
"Well, as long as she is not weighing me down, I guess she can stay."
Pinkie looks up, releasing my horn for a few seconds as she squees. "YAY!"
I shiver again as she returns to my horn. I look over at Twilight, and see her mouthing to me.
'What the hay are you thinking?'
'I'm just trying to keep everypony happy. If this is a way to do it, then by Celestia, I'll do it!'
'I see. Stubborn as ever, you are.'
I bow slightly. 'I try.'
Only then do I realize we've been talking in our thoughts.
"Uh Twilight, since when can unicorns use telepathy?"
"They can't. Only one other unicorn in Equestrian history besides the princesses and myself can use it. It's quite a mystery as to how you can use it."
"Who's the other unicorn?"
"Trixie."
"Who?"
"She calls herself 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'. Supposedly, though I'm almost certain this is false, she is the most powerful unicorn in Equestria.
I laugh. "Lemme guess. She's extremely arrogant isn't she."
"Eeyup. And she sometimes talks in third pony."
"Meaning she uses her own name instead of 'I'?"
"Eeyup."
I facehoof. "You're not kidding are you?"
"Sorry, but no."
"Okay then. How is it that I could use telepathy if only you, the princesses, and Trixie can use it?"
"I do not know."
"Maybe we need go talk to this 'Trixie' and see if she has any ideas."
"If we must. I believe she has a show here in Ponyville in a week or two."
"Hmm....Interesting. In the meantime, what am I going to do?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
I rummage around in my head and find nothing prior to last night.
"Uh Twilight? What exactly happened last night?"
"Well...It's a long story."
I sigh and sit down , staring at the sky, when I see a shimmer, and it disappears, revealing...Her.

End of Chapter 5: The Deception

Red

Chapter Seven: Red

(Red's POV)

I wake up around sunset, yet I feel as if the true day, that of the night is just beginning. I smile, and roll out of my bed, still sleep disoriented, vision blurry. I rub the sleep out of my eyes, and then my jaw drops as I realize where I am. I seem to be in Princess Luna's room. My immediate concern is, 'Does she know I'm here?' followed by, 'Why am I here?'. I shrug, stretch my wings, and I silently start trotting towards Luna's doors when I see the moon-raise is complete, and she steps back in to her room as she laughs.
"You should at least know who I am Red."
I blink, turn, and bow down before her at once.
"Yes Princess Luna. I know who you are."
"Good." She finally takes notice of my bowing before her. "Red, Red, Red...You don't need to bow before me."
I blink again. "If I may ask Princess, why not? You are an alicorn princess, ruler of the better portion of time, and I am a mere pegasus who can not remember anything before waking up this evening."
She laughs again. "You are more than a mere pegasus. You are one of the few ponies I call 'friend'. The reason you cannot remember anything is because you took a pretty nasty fall from this balcony when we were sharing a moon-rise. I did not see it in time to save you from your head injury. We were both lucky your wings slowed you down enough to keep you from becoming a pegasus pancake on the ground below. As soon as I saw you, I flew down and brought you back up here to my room where I had the best in Canterlot take care of you as you healed. You've been asleep for three nights and two days."
I blink for a third time. "Oh...oh my...I do hope I have not been a burden."
She blinks as well. "Hmm? I could not hear you Red. You were talking to the floor. Please, look me in the eyes when you talk."
I do so, trying, and failing, to hide the blush I bear.
"Now, what were you saying?"
"I said that I hope I have not been a burden."
"Of course you have not Red. I would do anything for my friends."
"Thank you Princess."
"Please Red. Enough with the honorifics. My friends do not need to use them in my presence. Please, call me Luna."
"Yes Prin...Luna. Thank you then."
I shiver, and a feeling of a hidden connection, a sort of high tension wire, between me and something else snaps, sending the razor sharp ends of the wire slashing towards my emotional and spiritual self. I shiver repeatedly from the emotional assault, and then the final strike hits true, forcing me to my knees. I see one last thing before a secondary aftershock destroys the remnants of my conscious state and I pass out. I see Luna's concerned face, and then...black.

End of Chapter Seven: Red

Luna

Chapter Eight: Luna

(Luna's POV)

I blink as I watch Red get battered by some unseen force. I reach out to him, but he does not respond. I am forced to observe as he is continuously beaten by this force. I facehoof, and then call out to the guards.
"Fetch The Doctor immediately!"
I unwittingly use the Voice of Royalty, or as it is termed now a days, the Royal Canterlot Voice, or RCV for short. The guards salute at once and gallop off to find Doctor Whooves, the best doctor known to ponykind. He kind of just popped in to Equestria one day, but his medical skill, as well as his method of leaving, which always lightens the mood, which is his one-liner, "Allons'y!", is what is needed now. I don't know what has happened to Red, but I will know by the time the Doctor leaves, or so help me, I will send him to the Sun! I wait for ten minutes before I hear a knock at my doors.
"Enter."
My voice carries a passion for Red, fear for a friend, and anger towards who so ever dared to do this. It compresses and chills my voice until it is almost an icy dagger in and of itself. I hear three audible gulps, two from the guards, and one from the Doctor himself. None of them have heard this tone before, but then again, neither have I. The Doctor trots in, visibly nervous. I do my best to warm my voice so as to not intimidate him further.
"Get over here Doctor. We must know what hath happened to our friend."
He nods, encouraged by the new tone of my voice, and he looks Red over, checking for any obvious physical damage, as well as any internal physical injuries. Finding none, he moves forward a bit, and presses one end of a metal cylinder against Red's head and presses a button on the cylinder's side, sending a pulse through Red's brain to determine if there are any mental injuries. He then moves over to Red's heart, when I stop him.
"What art thou doing?"
"The heart may not be the literal center of emotion, but it is the symbolic one, and it will let me determine if he has suffered any emotional or spiritual injuries, as they are the most insidious. The S.S. can figure these things out, and put out a display showing exactly what has happened, as well as what needs to be done to fix it."
"I'm sorry, but what the hay is the S.S.?"
"Sonic Screwdriver. It is an all-purpose tool, changing to fit the current need."
"Why dost thou have a screwdriver at all if thou art a doctor pony?"
"I'm more than a doctor pony Princess, I'm a..."
I shove a hoof in his mouth to shut him up.
"Yes yes, I'll ask some other time. Just check him already!"
He nods again, intimidated once more by the sheer tone of anger in my voice. He presses the button, and a display shows up. He looks at it, and his expression changes from one of concern, to awe, and back to concern. And then at last, he combines those two with shock to form an expression of concerned, awestruck, and utterly shocked by what he sees.
"Well?! We must know! What is it?!?!"
"I'm just impressed he still lives, after his ordeal!"
"What dost thou MEAN!?!?!!"
"I mean that he survived an emotional and spiritual lashing that nopony should be able to survive. It appears some sort of high-tension connection between him and something snapped, and it beat the living hay out of him. It hit first in a multitude of small, but powerful strikes cutting deep, but not very, and then it unloaded two final slashes, the first, which cut him the deepest, and the second served to knock him out cold."
"Okay, so what can we do to fix it?"
"He needs a friend, a true friend. One he loves and that loves him back, one that has been with him since foalhood, or one that he treats as such. Somepony he can entrust his life to. That is what will fix him."
"I see. I know just who he needs."
"And that is?"
"Me."
He blinks, surprised.
"How can it be you? You're a princess, and he's a simple pegasus."
My voice hits the previous chilled and compressed tone, but I add the unbridled anger that roars in my veins.
"He is more than a simple pegasus. He is one of my very few friends. I will stay with him regardless, and he me. If necessary, I will bring him to events of government. I do not care what Celly says, because he is my friend, and I will heal him!"
My voice hits absolute-zero, razor-thin.
"Understand Doctor?"
I practically spit his name out as if it offended me.
He nods slowly, not wanting to anger the Dark Princess further. Now he understands why they call her 'The Frost Princess'. He leaves, and gallops away to report to Celestia, who will listen, and may warm his flash frozen soul...
An hour later, I smile as Red wakes up.
"Hey there Red."
He blinks. "Oh, hello Princess."
"Red, what have I said about the honorifics and titles?"
"Sorry Luna."
"It's fine. It just makes things awkward between us and you when it comes to speech."
"Indeed...it...does."
I look at him and he shivers, almost audibly.
"What's wrong Red?"
"I just feel...empty."
"Ah. That is because of the emotional lashing isn't it?"
He nods slowly, and he gets up, only to sit back down on his haunches.
"Do I have permission to hug you?
I think for about half a second, and in that time, three thoughts and an action pop in, First, the action, a squee. Then, 'Finally! Somepony wants to hug me!', followed by, 'Madre de los dos diosas Luna! Eres una princesa!', finished off by, 'I don't care what I am. I will do what I can to make him happy. Not only will it heal him, it'll make me feel better. If I can do something for him, and this is one of those somethings, then by the deities, I'll do it!'
I turn back to Red, and nod. "Always."
He smiles, and a squeak is heard. He reaches out to me, and embraces me. I feel horrible for a moment, as I have lied to him, changed him, erased his memories. I send a desperate plea to the heavens. 'May everything forgive me for my transgressions. I merely am trying to help him. May you allow me and him to be together. In your names, I pray. AMEN!'

End of Chapter Eight: Luna

Redemption in Humanized Eyes: Part One: Preparations

Chapter Nine: Redemption in Humanized Eyes: Part One: Preparations

A/N: If you are confused as to who the heck Elise is, check out my profile. It gives you a link to my fanfiction.net page, which has the first story in this series, as this is book three, and it explains a lot about Elise and Alex.

(Alex's POV)

I silently fume. 'How could I have been deceived? And for that matter, how did you find me Elise?'
'I'm not sure on that first part, but as for how I found you...Link sent me to check on you. When I could not find you here, I checked the magic ripples, as matter is just frozen energy. I tracked the ripples to the remnants of a portal spell. I reopened the portal with the aid of the Tiara, and then I went through it, and found you.'
'Interesting. And thank you. I think I never would have realized what had happened had you not found me.'
'You're welcome. Also, while I was in that other realm, I scanned the creatures there. I discovered they are shockingly similar to humans, the main difference being their shell.'
I blink. 'Hmm...Anything else you learned about them?'
'No, but while I was with Link, I figured out that the Wand goes beyond the glyphs it already recognizes. From what I deduced, it can accept new glyphs through a sort of procedure, which I figured out from looking back to when the Creators made it. It is a vocalized procedure, meaning voice-command, but its limits are essentially your imagination, and your energy. Some spells require more energy, by nature, and others require less. And, if you do not have time to draw the glyph, since the magic, having been around you so long, almost runs wild in you, you can, in theory, just vocalize a spell, using the language of the Ancients, and it should respond.'
'Why was I unaware of this?'
'I deduced this during your Hoenn journey, and I did not want to interrupt it, and then the next opportunity I had was when you requested Link's presence, but that was a time of mourning, and I did not want to bring it up then, as it could, and would to me, seem in poor taste. Then, Link sent me to check up on you, so I decided I would tell you then.'
'Okay then...Anyway...show me the glyph please.'
She nods, and then floats behind me, setting her hands on my temples. I see a glyph shine in to existence, and I put it to memory. She removes her hands from my temples and floats back in front of me.
'Now, repeat aloud after me. Wand'
"Wand."
I hear a beep come out of the wand.
'New glyph input.'
"New glyph input."
Another beep.
'Now draw the glyph I showed you.'
I do so, and the glyph shines an off-white.
'Glyph title. Shift Glyph.'
"Glyph title. Shift Glyph."
A third beep, and the glyph fades a little.
'Effect. Shift incoming thing to human, regardless of original. Retain original characteristics, such as general looks, and any sort of personality. Neutralize any magic they may possess, but let them retain the thing they would use to wield magic.'
I repeat the phrase aloud, ad then a melody of beeps plays.
'Okay, that's it.'
'Thanks again. You've found me, so I guess you can return to Link now, yes?'
'You're welcome again, and yes. I plan to.'
She turns, and then disappears after we say goodbye.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

(Twilight Sparkle's POV)

I pick myself up, the facade of logic and aloofness settling over my features like a mask. I turn, and trot back in to the library. I go and rouse Spike.
"Spike, take a letter."
He nods, quill poised.

Dear Princess Celestia, I regret to inform you that Alex, along with the aid of beings unknown, has broken free of the memory spell and the shapeshifting spell you put on him. I need advice. Should I leave him be, or should I seek forgiveness?
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
P.S. How are Luna and Red doing? Does Red suspect anything?

Spike finishes off the letter, and then burns the paper, sending the message.

End of Chapter Nine Part One

Redemption in Humanized Eyes: Part Two: Instructions and Humanization

Chapter Nine: Part Two (of Three)

(Twilight Sparkle's POV)

I pace back and forth, waiting for Princess Celestia's reply, and I quickly grow impatient. I am not used to waiting very long, but it has been an hour. Normally, the Princess is pretty quick to respond, but not today. I keep pacing, growing more worried by the minute. Spike walks up and taps my shoulder.
"Twilight, just remember, she's a Princess. She's probably busy with royal thingies. Don't worry, okay?"
I smile and nod. "Okay. Thank you Spike. I don't know where I would be without you."
"I don't either, but I know you would not be here, that's for sure."
We both laugh and my worry dissolves. I hug the little dragon.
"I swear, I've got to do something for you Spike. You've helped me so often, only to get more problems to deal with...Any ideas?"
"Yeah, two."
"And they are?"
"One, I think that no matter what Princess Celestia says, you should try to talk to Alex. At least seek redemption. I don't want anypony who has met you to leave with a bad impression of you, not if you and I can fix it."
I nod. "Okay, and what's the other?"
He blushes some. "iwantyoutosetmeuponadatewithRarity."
I blink, having heard only mumbling.
"Spike, speak up."
He blushes even more, and I laugh inside, having figured out what he's asking.
"I want you to set me up on a date with Rarity."
I laugh outside too.
"Bwahahaha!!! You could have just said so. I've been waiting for you to say that!"
"Darling, Twilight is right. All you had to do was ask."
Spike and I turn, and Rarity, all fancied up, steps from the shadows.
"I normally don't stoop to eavesdropping dears, but when my ears started burning, I had to investigate."
I look over at her, mildly dazzled. "Not bad Rares. You have outdone yourself."
"Thank you Twilight dear, but, uh, what happened to Spikey-Wikey?"
I look over at him, and see him lying on the floor, blushing, drooling, unconscious. I facehoof.
"Congratulations Rarity. You've knocked Spike out with your beauty."
"Oh my...I was unaware I could do that."
"Well, he is rather susceptible to glamour spells, as well as physical beauty. I'm surprised you didn't have a line of stallions behind you."
"Frankly, so am I."
"Well, regardless, please turn off your beauty when I wake him."
She rolls her eyes, but her horn glows, and she casts an illusion spell over herself, disguising her beauty. I laugh, and then poke Spike with my horn, and his eyes snap open.
"Whatthehayjusthappened?"
"Spike! Calm down!"
He shakes his head.
"Sorry. Just surprised, also, where did that goddess go?"
"What goddess? Oh, Rarity you mean?"
He blushes again. "Yeah."
"I'm right here Spikey. Sorry about earlier. I forgot to hide the beauty first."
He blinks. "Why were you like that anyway?"
"Oh, no reason. I just felt like doing it."
"Oh...oh my."
He then shivers, and turns away from Rarity, in time to burp up a letter. I pull it away from him as soon as it appears. It reads
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
That is bad news that Alex has broken free, but I'm confident you can bring him back. Your instructions are to go through a new portal, and talk to him, hopefully bringing him back here.
P.S. Luna and Red are doing wonderfully. Red does not suspect a thing! Good luck my student!
Your teacher,
Princess Celestia
"Hmm...well, sounds like I have a plan."
Spike looks at me. "And what would that be?"
"Go back through a portal, and talk Alex back here."
He blinks. "What gave you that idea?"
"Actually, it was Princess Celestia's idea."
"Okay then...well, good luck Twilight."
"Thank you, and Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"Just ask her out already. I can almost guarantee things will work out between you two."
He blushes even more. "Twilight! Did you have to say that?!"
Rarity and I laugh, and I nudge her. "Good luck fending him off now Rares."
"Oh trust me darling. I have a plan."
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go set up a portal."
"Okay. Good luck dear."
I turn, and trot back to my lab, gathering what is needed for the portal spell. Then, I open the portal...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

(Alex's POV)

I then turn, and get right to work. I add several glyphs to the arsenal. I finish adding the glyphs, and use one of the new ones. It creates a screen, which works as a display, showing glyphs one at a time, listing the title, an image of the glyph, its description, and an animation showing the glyph in action. I look at it, and see a small button on the bottom right corner of the screen. I press it, and the screen shrinks, two protrusions extending. It ends up looking like a pair of glasses.. I put them on, and the screen fades to a targeting overlay, with a window in the top right doing the same as it did when it was a fullscreen display.
"Oh this is AWESOME! This has got to be at least 20% cooler than any glyph I've looked at so far!"
(Rainbow Dash's POV)
"OH COME ON!!!!"
(Alex's POV)
I then blink, and the screen returns. I raise a hand, and the glyphs move accordingly.
"Hmm...It works as though the glyphs are there and I'm moving them myself, even though no one else can see it...Nice. I wonder if I can cast it without drawing the glyph with the Wand."
I select a simple fyre spell glyph, and I blink while looking at its displayed form, and it glows in to life in front of me, activating.
"Even better. Instacast."
A red light flashes on the display. I look at it, and it expands, reading, 'Warning! Incoming portal!'
I blink again, and the warning disappears. I then look over at the shift glyph, and blink. It flares in to life, and then flies off a ways before stopping, facing me.
"I was not expecting her to try to bring me back so soon...I stare at the real glyph, and blink, and it activates, beginning the shiftshimmer, waiting.
I don't have to wait long, as a portal pops into being right behind the shift glyph. Something hits it, and then is surrounded by the shiftshimmer. I watch as the equine form shifts, becoming human. I see the shimmer fade, and it reveals a human girl, not much older than I am, lying on the ground, clothed, unconscious. "Oh my..."
I walk over and pick her up, carrying her with ease. I take her inside, and set her on a couch, covering her with a blanket that I had made when I was younger, under my mother's supervision. I sit down in a chair next to her, and wait...

End of Chapter Nine: Part Two

A/N: Part Three won't be up for a bit, as it is yet to be written, so enjoy this for now everypony!

Redemption in Humanized Eyes: Part Three: Discussion and Redemption

Chapter Nine: Redemption in Humanized Eyes: Part Three of Three: Discussion and Redemption

(Alex's POV)

I wait for what seems like days, but is only hours. Time seems to slow to a crawl around me, and she sleeps on. It makes me wonder if she is injured from the transformation. As angry as I was with her, I don't want to see her hurt. It's that compassionate part of me which has screwed me over before, but I must let it shine if I am to take the moral high ground. I check her vitals by pressing the Wand against her temple, and then her eyes snap open.
"Well, I see you've finally woken up dearest Twilight Sparkle."
"What the hay? How am I here, and why am I here?"
"Those are questions only you can answer."
"Shut it Alex. Now tell me why I'm stuck in this human body?"
"Let's just say it is a taste of your own medicine. Be glad I did not erase your memories."
"I...I see."
"Now you know how I felt once Elise gave me my memories."
"I do. Let me go home."
"Not until you've finished your goal. I am almost certain you came to try and talk me in to coming back."
"I did."
"Why?"
"Celestia's orders."
"I see. So she wants me back just to turn me back in to a pony."
"No. She wants you back because she wants to start over."
"I see once more." I blink as I hear a snap. "The heck?"
Twilight looks out the window. "NOOO!!!! THE PORTAL!!!"
"What?"
"The portal just collapsed...I need my magic back to re-open it."
"Uh...sorry, no can do. While you are in this realm, you have no magic. The shift glyph took it. You'll have your horn, but it will be useless other than for decoration."
"..."
"I'm sorry. If I knew that was going to happen, I would have done something to keep it open."
"..."
I sigh, and then relax.
"Just let me know when you want to talk again."
She just sits there, fuming for a few minutes before she realizes the futility of such a display. She attempts to facehoof only to remember she has hands, not hooves. She sighs again and then sits up for once, looking lonely.
"Okay, we can talk now. But I have one request."
"And that is?"
"Once we're done, open the portal back."
"One problem Twilight. I don't know if I can do that."
"Why not?"
"One, I don't know what I need to do, two, I don't know the glyph."
"I see...It will probably take at least a day for you to gather the supplies...so what to do in the meantime?"
"I don't know. I guess we can talk as you wanted to."
I get up to get myself some water.
"Oh, you want something while I'm up?"
"Water would be wonderful."
"Sure."
I pour a second glass of water and take it over to her, setting it on the table beside each of us, as the couch and chair I sit in meet against a shared side-table. She sits there, trying to use magic to levitate it to her before she realizes the futility of that effort. She then reaches out with a shaky hand to grab the glass, and she almost knocks it over.
"Twilight, do try not to break the glass."
"Sorry, not used to hands yet."
I nod. "Indeed you are not. Do you want some help?"
She nods, blushing a bit. "Yes please."
I laugh to myself, and then go and sit by her, grabbing the glass as I go.
"First thing's first then. You need to understand how to hold something."
I hold out the glass on the palm of my hand, and she grabs for it, almost dropping it.
"Let me help here."
I reach up with my other hand, and wrap it around her's and the glass, showing her what it feels like to have a secure grip on it.
"Now stay like that."
She nods, and I move my hand away, trying to hide a blush, and she keeps it held there.
"See, you're learning already."
She smiles, proud of herself.
"Keep this up, and you'll be good to go in no time."
I take the glass from her and set it aside.
"That's enough for now, however."
I relax on the couch next to her, and then look around. "Oh yeah, that's right...I don't do much here..."
She turns to me, and looks me over. "..."
I look back at her. "Yes?"
She then reaches out with her hands, setting them on my shoulders, and then she reaches up, grabs my head, and kisses me... My mind goes blank, but after a second, I push her away.
"TWILIGHT!!!! What the heck was that for?"
She blushes horribly, and then turns away from me, a tear or two already forming at the corners of her eyes.
"I...i was just trying to show you...show you that I..."
"That you what? Like me? Love me?"
She nods at the last bit, and I gasp some...
"Twi...Twilight Sparkle...how?"
"I don't know...I...I just do."
I laugh. "Okay then! By the way, that was about as subtle as a train crash, on a boat, in the middle of a city!"
She blinks, the joke going right over her head. I facepalm, and then she turns back to me, tears flowing.
"I don't know why I did that...I just did...It just felt right."
"I see. I...I understand. I was like that once...for that matter, you saw her die...you...saw...Zen..."
"Yeah, I did."
"You saw her die...and then you took that memory from me. Why?"
"That was the only reason I wanted to wipe your memories Alex. I wanted you to be over her. Her death made you so sad...it was unbearable. I wanted you to have somepony else to focus on, somepony besides her."
My voice changes a bit, becoming icier. "And who would you have me focus on, hmm?"
"...me."
"What did you say Twilight?"
"IsaidIwantedyoutofocusonmebecauseIamprettylonelyandIlikeyouawholelotandshewouldhavekeptusapart."
I blink, surprised, yet impressed, by the sheer volume of words that just tumbled out of her mouth in one sentence.
"I'm sorry, but try that again Twilight. Slow down, space your words out, and breathe."
She sighs, and then blushes as she repeats what she said.
"I said I wanted you to focus on me because I am pretty lonely and I like you a whole lot and she would have kept us apart."
I facepalm. "You're kidding, right?"
She remains silent. "..."
"You're not kidding, are you?"
She shakes her head, and I blink again, surprised by her motive.
"So you tried to make me get over her death, by taking all of my memories previous to me waking up that morning? All because you wanted to let me get over it, and to focus on you of all people, because you're lonely?"
She nods slowly. "Yeah..."
Then she turns away from me, ashamed.
"So it was a worthy, yet unworthy, motive you had for doing what you did...Interesting."
"I was just trying to help us both."
I reach out with one hand and turn her head some to where she is looking at me.
"I know that is what you were trying to do. I find it impossible to be angry at you...you just dissolve the anger...and only one other has been able to do that to me."
"And who is that?"
"The proper question is 'And who was that?'"
"And who was that?"
"You've seen her before, and you watched her die."
"You mean...Zen?"
I nod. "I do. My first love, and the first one to ever do that to me. I could be angry with anyone else for any length of time, but her...thirty seconds after I got angry at her...I found myself unable to stay angry."
"Interesting...why do you bring this up now?"
"Because I might have found the beginning of a connection."
"A connection? From who to whom?"
"A connection between you and Zen. Or at least the beginnings of one."
She blinks. "Is that a good thing?"
"I think so, yes."
She smiles. "Good."
"Yes, it is."
She turns back to face me, and she hugs me, laying her head on my shoulder, and I feel my shoulder get a little wet.
"Are you crying Twilight?"
She nods a little.
"Why? What have I done?"
"It-it's nothing you-you-you've done, but what I-i have done."
"You're crying because of the memory incident?"
"Mmmhmm."
I sigh, not knowing what to do when her head moves, rubbing it against my neck. I blink in surprise, and unconsciously reach down and rub her head.
"There there...you don't need to cry. I........I forgive you for what you have done. You are worth a second try."
Her head shoots straight up, and she smiles a huge smile. "YES!!!!!!" She leans in and kisses me again, and I blink in surprise, but I let her do it this time.
After a moment or two, she breaks it, blushing badly.
"Sorry..."
"Don't be Twilight."
She laughs. "You can just call me Twi."
I smile. "Okay then...Twi."
She laughs again, and then hugs me, laying her head back on my shoulder, and I reach down, petting her head again, and I lean down, whispering to her.
"You wanted redemption...you've got it."
She nods.
"Thank you Alex......for everything."

End of Chapter 9: Part Three
End of Chapter Nine

Chapter 10: Part One

Chapter Ten: The Portal

(Alex's POV)

She eventually breaks the embrace, smiling.
"So, what do we do now?"
"Well, we have a portal to make, yes?"
"Indeed we do."
"What do you need?"
"Well, I need darkness, moonlight, a few mushrooms, and some sort of apple...oh wait, the apple is for me. But yes, darkness, moonlight, and a few mushrooms, as well as the proper spellcast glyph."
"Okay. The darkness and moonlight are easy enough, but the mushrooms will be harder to do. The apple, piece of cake, and as for the glyph, eh, I'll make one."
"You can formulate glyphs based on the complex magical formula on which all spell glyphs are based, all while retaining a measure of creativity?!"
"....Uh, no. I just make them on a whim, and the Wand accepts them."
She blinks, crestfallen. "You mean here, magic is common there is no formula needed?"
"Wrong. I think I am the only magic user of this realm...It is just a coincidence that the Wand is so adaptable."
"You keep using a capital letter-like emphasis when you refer to this 'Wand'. Why?"
"Because its full name is the Elemental Wand, though I have since renamed it 'The Wand of the Mages' as it just sounded right. To keep it short, I just call it the Wand."
"I see...so what all can it do?"
I pull out the spell-screen-glasses, and put them on her face, and then walk her outside, facing an open path.
"As you can see, it can make all sorts of glyphs. You can see a small selection of them there on screen."
I hold her hand out, so she can see the glyph-light that covers it.
"This glyph-light glove allows you to interact with the glyphs and cast them straight from the screen, as if they were already there. It is quite useful."
She blinks, extremely surprised.
"Woah...this impressive."
"I know. Now, do you see the glyph that looks like a hexagon, with a flame symbol of sorts inscribed in it, with lines connecting the opposite vertices of the hexagon, crossing through the flame symbol?"
She looks around, and nods. "I do."
"Now raise your hand to where it appears to be just under the glyph."
I watch her hand move to a point about level with her nose.
"Okay, now, close your hand around the glyph."
She does, and light flares from inside her closed hand.
"Now face your hand away from us, and open it."
She does so, and the glyph flares in to life in front of us, and I pull the glasses from her face, showing her that the glyph is real now.
"See it's power?"
"Eeyup."
I put the glasses back on her.
"Now swipe your hand across it."
I watch her swipe at it, and then I pull the glasses off again just as it activates, so she sees the icefyre spring forth.
"Tah dah."
Her jaw hangs open. "Wow...I never knew it had such power."
"Heh. Neither did I. The glasses are actually the result of a newer glyph I put in, one that let me see all of the glyphs at once without having to remember them and draw them. It lists the glyph, the effect, an incantation if it is needed, and an animation of the supposed effects."
"Interesting...very interesting..."
She then staggers a bit.
"Ah yes, I forgot to mention the spell casting does drain the caster's energy."
"Yeah, you did."
I pluck the glasses from her face, and then fold them, putting them in my pocket.
She then stumbles again, landing on top of me, and we fall as a jumbled heap of human on to the grass. She laughs, and then surprises me when she manages to roll on top, pinning me to the ground.
"Oh my...aren't you the strong one?"
She giggles. "Well, I guess I've progressed further than I thought."
"Must have...must have. Well, you've pinned me, but now what are you going to do?"
She smiles. "This."
She leans down and kisses me. My eyes flare open, and then close as I return the kiss some, beginning to like this. She then clambers off of me rather awkwardly, as if she is partially paralyzed, given the fact that she doesn't really lift herself off of me, more like rolls off of me, somehow still hanging on to me, and I get flipped over with her, ending up on top of her. I laugh, and then I look down at her, and she looks at me with a sort of want in her eyes.
"Twilight, no. I have things to do, things to get for the portal, and for you, remember?"
She sighs, and then looks at me. "Fine...I'll be waiting though..."
I climb off of her, dust myself off, and then help her up as she dusts herself off and then she walks back inside, sitting down on the couch.
"I'll be back in a while Twilight."
I then turn, and walk down the nearby path to the adjacent town.
*********************************
After a good ten minutes of walking, I reach the adjacent town, and laugh. "Farmer's Market...interesting. I did not know these even existed in Hoenn, and I would think I would, as I've been here a long time...But hey, why argue?"
I walk over to the Farmer's Market, and go to talk to the guy at the register.
He looks at me, bored. "Welcome to the Farmer's Market, where we have all of your dietary needs. What can I help you with?"
"Do you have any mushrooms or apples?"
He sighs. "Yeah, we do."
"Okay then. I'd like, uh, four apples and four mushrooms please."
He turns to an assistant in the back. "Four 'shrooms, four apples!"
He turns back to me. "That'll be six dollars."
I hand him the money, and he hands me the bags with the apples and mushrooms in it.
"Thank you for shopping at the Farmer's Market, and have a nice day."
I nod, and then he sighs as I walk back towards the path that leads home.
********************************
Another ten minutes of walking passes in an instant, and I arrive back at my house. I walk inside, and look over at Twilight, who does not seem to have moved an inch.
"I'm home."
She smiles at me from the couch and laughs. "I can tell."
I walk in to my kitchen, and set the bags down on one counter, putting the mushrooms in the fridge and the apples on another counter. I then pull down various things I'll need to make the pancakes, and then I dice up two of the apples. I put the diced apple bits on top of the cooking pancakes, and then flip them when the time comes, letting the apple pieces cook and soften and sweeten as they are exposed to the heat of the griddle. When they are done, I place two on each of the two plates I have pulled down, and I grab two forks as well, setting them on the plates. I set one of the whole apples on top of the pancakes on each plate, and I turn, walking slowly into the living room so as to not spill anything. I sit down on the couch, having set the plates on the table in front of us, and I look over at Twilight, who has a hunger in her eyes...one that kind of scares me.
"Uh, Twilight, are you okay?"
"Yes yes yes. I'm fine, just hungry."
"Okay then..."
I smile. "Well then, dig in!"
I blink and watch in horror as Twilight grabs the apple, trying to eat the whole thing at once, and then she realizes she cannot.
"Twilight, remember, you have a human mouth. As such, you can't eat as if you were a pony."
"I guess that's one more thing to add to the list of things to learn."
I laugh. "Yeah, maybe it is...maybe it isn't."
She raises an eyebrow, confused.
"Oh, nothing...just ignore what I said."
She shrugs and goes back to eating as I watch in utter surprise at just how ravenous she is.
"Are you sure you ate at all back at the library?"
She shrugs, still eating. By the time I've finished my first pancake, she's already done.
"Uh...yeah, about that..."
"You don't eat all that much do you?"
"Quite correct..."
"Why?"
"It's just one of those things."
"Come on, you can tell me."
She sighs. "Well, it's just that back home, a few of the ruder ponies called me fat."
I facepalm, and think back to when I met her.
"Well then, they need to have their eyes checked. Both in pony and human form, you are not fat at all."
She smiles. "Really?"
I nod. "Eeyup."
She then looks at me, waiting for something. I set down my plate and look back at her.
"Are you waiting for-AH!"
I yelp in surprise as she suddenly hugs me. I return the hug after getting over the shock, but I do wait for her to get off of me.
"What was that for Twilight?"
She blushes a bit. "Oh...nothing."
I sigh. "Suit yourself."
I then go back to eating and I instinctively curl up a little because she is just staring at me...it's kinda creepy. I do my best to ignore it, but I find myself unable to ignore it.
"Uh...can I do something for you Twilight?"
She blinks for the first time in five minutes.
"Huh? Oh, sorry, just that food was really good and I was wondering....are you gonna finish that?"
I facepalm twice over. "You're serious aren't you?"
She nods quickly.
I look down at my plate, having eaten a full pancake, and a good chunk of the apple. I then roll my eyes and hold out the plate.
"You can have it."
She smiles, and I hear a random squeak, but I ignore it. Then, she takes the plate, and starts nomming on that too. I shake my head slowly, rather amused by her lack of etiquette. She looks at me once she has practically inhaled the food that was left on it.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Well, kind of, but it just amused me more."
She lowers her head. "Oh...sorry."
"Don't be. As I said, I found it amusing to me more than offensive."
"Oh...okay then."
I get up, and take care of the dishes, and then I look out a window, seeing that it is midday.
"Time seems so much slower here...like someone slowed it down with magic. Or maybe it is that Equestria has a shorter day...I don't know, but whatever it is, and it might just be my perception of reality, but again, whatever it is, it feels different."
"Well, as a matter of fact, Equestria and your world seem to be lined up, as the days are the same length, but I think that the connection between the two is actually distorting time. As it turns out, a couple of days in this world is equivalent to about a week in Equestria."
"Interesting...very interesting. And you've been here for coming up on a whole day. Do you think Spike and the others are getting worried?"
"I don't think so, or at least Spike isn't...If I know him, he informed the girls, so they aren't either."

(Meanwhile, in Equestria)

(Fluttershy's POV)

"Uh...Spike...would you mind telling me where Twi is? I'm kind of worried, as I have not seen her in days."
"Oh, she's, uh, busy."
"Busy doing what?"
"Uh...doing...um, things."
I sigh.
"If you don't want to tell me Spike, you don't have to."
He breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh good to hear."
"Now I'll go ask somepony else...maybe they know."
I trot off, looking for Rarity.

(Back to Hoenn)

(Alex's POV)

I nod. "Okay, if you trust Spike, then I guess I do as well. I still don't want to cause a panic."
I look outside, and see the sun is setting already. "Okay...and now time seems to have sped up... I swear not half an hour earlier it was midday, but now it is sunset...time flies when the talking gets interesting I guess."
She shrugs and looks at me again. "I guess so...will you be able to do the spell tonight?"
I shake my head. "Sorry, but no. There are two reasons...one, I don't have the energy to tear a hole in space-time to reach Equestria, and two, I have not prepared the glyph. Even though the glyph addition is relatively easy, it's the crafting of the glyph that is harder."
She facepalms. "I...I see. Very well."
I move around some, and then get up, moving to my recliner, where I stretch out. "Ah...that's better."
I look at her again, and she has that same...need...in her eyes as earlier in the day. "There's another recliner over there Twilight." I motion to the recliner on the other side of the long end of the table in the middle of the living room.
She sighs. "Fine..." She climbs in to the recliner, still confused as to how it works. I get up from mine, and show her how it works, and she smiles. "Thanks."
"You're welcome Twilight."
"Please, for the love of everything, call me Twi...I find it annoying when friends use my full first name....it just gives me shivers, like they're trying to exert some form of control over me."
I nod. "Okay then Twi."
"Thank you."
I go back to my recliner and get comfortable again. "So, what now? Just sleep?"
"I guess....wake me up in the morning."
"Okay. Good night Twilight Sparkle."
I duck as she throws a small foam ball at my head. "I told you not to use my full Name."
"Okay okay...sorry. Good night Twi."
"Night Alex."

End of Chapter 10: Part One

Chapter 10: Part Two: Meanwhile, in Canterlot

Chapter 10: Part Two

A/N: This chapter section takes place at the same time as part one.

(Luna's POV)

I find myself genuinely distraught by what I have done and said...I sometimes wonder what led to me changing a human against his will into a pony, and wiping his memory to top it off...It makes me feel, unclean. I do my best to keep up the lies, but there are times when it is nigh on impossible to keep the charade going. There are times that I want to drop the facade and tell him the truth, but I don't know if he would even understand what I say, nor do I know what his reaction would be. If I were to risk revealing to him what I have done, not only do I risk my well-being, if not my life, but his as well. If nothing else, if Lyra got wind of a human here in Equestria...she'd hound him to the ends of time to talk to him...I don't want to condemn him to that, but my mind and conscience might not give me any choice in the matter...I must talk to Celestia, and if she will not help, then I must turn inwards to the beast inside of me, Nightmare Moon, or as I call her, Luna Pesadilla. I must find counsel in this matter...it does not help my struggle that he is practically fawning over me given his new...status. I can only hope that my sister will help me, as I have heard nothing from Luna Pesadilla since she was silenced by the Elements. I can only hope that is a good thing, but if she were to return...I cannot imagine what would happen, nor do I desire to. I must go now to Celestia, hope that she will actually care. I have noticed that she is acting strangely lately, and I must know why. We cannot rule Equestria as diarchs and hope that all will go well if we are not synchronized and in balance...we must find our personal Harmony. Without it, Equestria shall fall to chaos, and then Discord's one time plan would have succeeded, and I will not let that happen, not when I can keep my side of things under control. I end the journal here as I go now to Celestia, in the hopes that she can advise me in the proper manner.
Princess Deluna, regent of the moon, ruler of the stars.

I close the journal-book and walk out of my room, looking at the sound asleep Red-pegasus. I can still see him in his original form, and I wish to show him the truth of what has happened...but I cannot, not yet. I then begin the long trek through Canterlot Castle to find my sister, who, knowing her and her duties, is probably wrapping up her Daytime Court. I just hope she has time to talk to me. I walk in to the throne room, and see her dealing with her final subject.
"Thank you for coming here sir, and I will take your issue in to consideration when I make the final decision."
"No, thank you Princess for seeing and listening to me."
She nods. "You are dismissed."
I wait until Celestia looks at me before I move.
"Yes sister? What is it?"
I trot forward some, sitting in the throne that is mine, next to hers. I wait until she sits as well before I begin talking.
"My problem is that I know that I must continue the lie that I have told Red, but my other problem is that my mind is saying that is wrong, and that I must shatter the spell at once. They are at war, devastating my mind. I cannot keep them in control for long. I need advice from you. Should I maintain the lie, going against what is morally correct, but what will keep Equestria safer, or do I follow my heart, breaking the spell, letting him have his memories and free will, and hope he does not destroy Equestria?"
"Luna, my sister...I fear I cannot answer that question with out having my own ideals imposed on you. If it were up to me, the lie would be maintained indefinitely, as Alex has already...escaped, but the choice is truly yours. Do as you see fit my sister, and pray to your moon and stars that your decision is wise."
I nod, and then turn to trot back to my room. "Thank you Tia."
"I am glad to help Lulu."
I laugh a bit when she uses my nickname from long ago, but I still trot off. I return to my room to find Red still sound asleep, as it is near midday. I smile to myself, and then nod.
"I do what I can because I must."
I then press my horn against his temple, and cast a degeneration spell on the memory spell, which, over the course of a week or so, will give him his memories back at such a pace that it will seem he is simply recovering from his 'accident'. I also set up a dependent spell that will, when the degeneration spell finishes its work, will revert him to his human form.
"Sleep well...my friend."
I turn, and trot off, going to wander the halls of the Castle for a while....

End of Chapter 10 Part 2

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

(Red's POV)

It has been approximately three Equestrian Days, or ED, since I fully regained my memories and human form. It has been three EDs since I was allowed move freely about the castle. It has been three EDs since I have seen Princess Luna, or any of the other ponies, other than the two guards outside my 'room', if one could call it that, given that it is nothing but four walls, a door, and a rug, and the lunch-pony. I do not understand exactly why they are doing this, but I can and will guess. I guess that my friend, my almost-brother Alex has left Equestria, most likely after having his memories restored, but by whom it is unclear. I guess that I am being held here to prevent me from doing the same thing. I walk down that path, tracing it further and further. I have no reason to want to leave this colorful place. I was stuck on Mt. Silver for a long time. Those that I cared about, lost or vanished. I had actually been wandering the Hoenn Region after Alex had defeated me, looking for him. He was the only thing I could latch on to. Mt. Silver had isolated me from the world, and so much had happened while I was there. Then, they came through. Twilight Sparkle, she caught Alex's eye, but my eye, and my heart were both captured by a more graceful, more majestic being. The Princess of the Night, Princess Luna. The night is my favorite time of day. I may sleep through it, but it is the most beautiful time of all. The stars, and more importantly, the moon, make me happier just by looking at them. I always stare at the moon, uttering a silent wish for something that will improve my life to happen, to find me. That wish was granted on that fateful night, but by none other than the Moon Goddess herself. If I were to leave this place now, I'd be leaving behind the only thing that has made my life worth living. I see no sense in leaving, and I hope they, or at least the Dark Princess, will agree....
I hear a knock that pulls my out of my reverie. I check the sun's angle, looking out a window, wired shut. It's about noon, so lunch. I rise from my seated position, ducking slightly to avoid the low ceiling, and then I open the door. I look up a bit, sitting back down to prevent me from hitting my head. I see, instead of the usual mare that brings me my food, Princess Celestia. I bow my head, doing as much of a bow as my position will allow.
"Well, hello Princess. I cannot say I was expecting you."
"Don't worry Red, I was not planning this all that long. I was finishing up the Day Court, and then I could hear your thoughts all the way in the throne room."
"You can read thoughts?"
"Well, I can, but not as well as my sister. She can read them even when somepony doesn't want their thoughts being read. I can only read them when they are being broadcasted. I can listen in, and locate the source."
I do my best not to let my jaw hang open. "Wow.... I never knew."
"Obviously. One question I have for you though. Is what you thought-spoke accurate?"
I facepalm. "Yes Princess, to this day, to my knowledge, I've never lied to myself when it comes to things like that."
Her expression saddens some. "I see."
I look at her, and she looks back at me. I see a powerful, devious, yet competent ruler. What she sees, I can only guess at. My hair is unkempt, due to me sleeping on the rug for three days, and my skin has paled from the lack of solar exposure. I look into her eyes, and see she seems to pity me.
"If Luna really means that much to you, then why didn't you tell her?"
"I haven't seen her in three days."
"But she has seen you. She has come down here each night when she has finished her royal duties. You have always been asleep, from what she tells me. You've returned to your old sleeping habits, awake by day, asleep by night."
"..."
"Given what you have 'said', especially that you have no reason to leave, a fact I am both glad and sad about, I see no reason for you to be kept here any more."
She turns to the two guards, one pegasus, one unicorn.
"Guards, you are to escort Red to the new room in the East Wing."
They nod. "Yes Princess!"
Princess Celestia steps back outside, and I follow behind her, stretching fully for the first time in three days, hearing all sorts of bones pop.
"Oh it feels good to be out of there! So, where exactly am I going Princess?"
"There is a room waiting built for you waiting in the East Wing, which, coincidentally, is the same wing that Luna and I have our rooms in."
"Hmm.... So why is my room in that wing?"
"That was where there was enough space for a room for somepony... sorry, someone... your size."
"Huh. Frankly your Highness, this surprises me."
"Why?"
"Well, based on how you treated me before."
"I apologize for that. I was being a bit greedy in my desire for knowledge. When my student told me of her success with the portal spell, and what she saw, I saw the potential to learn about another world, and if I had found anything good, I could have incorporated that into Equestrian society."
"Oh. So I was nothing but a book to you?"
"To begin with, you are correct. But now, you are so much more. You're a being that can contribute to society in a way more than just knowledge of your world. You could, if you want to, stay here, help around the castle, try to fit in. Or you could go move to one of the smaller towns and live there, helping out where you can, making friends. Ironically, that last bit about the friends, that is why my student is in Ponyville."
"Hmm... Ponyville. That sounds like a nice place."
"You speak as if you've never been there before when I know for a fact you have."
"Well, I was only there for a few minutes in the dead of night. For all intents and purposes, I haven't."
"True enough. Is that what you wish to do?"
"Yes, but with one request to go with it."
"What is it?"
"I'd like a way to return to Canterlot when I wish to."
"Hmm.... Give me a day, and I will have something for you."
"Okay, thank you."
"Until then, however, you can roam the castle freely. I'll inform the guards of what to do in the event you get lost."
"Okay."
I wait for her to leave, and then I follow the guards to my room. I open the door as the guards do their guard-thing outside my door. I am immediately impressed by the size, as the room is HUGE. The second thing I see is the decor. It is dark, like a barren night sky. But then, after I've closed the door and adjusted to the darkness, I see that there are small balls of light scattered across the ceiling, walls, and floor. It is like I'm in the middle of space, with the stars surrounding me. I look over to my bed, which is a dark blue, and I see a giant ball above it... It looks like the moon. I smile, as it reminds me of none other than Luna.
"If I didn't know better, I'd swear Luna created this room."
I hear a laugh. "Well, you're close. I did not design it, but I did supervise its design and creation, as well as its construction."
I turn, spinning wildly, trying to find the voice. Then I see a pair of eyes somewhat glowing, maybe sparkling, in the light from the 'stars and moon'. She steps out of the shadows she created and they dissolve. I immediately bow."
"Hello Princess Luna."
"Red... You do not need to bow to me. We need to talk."
"What about?"
"I hope you can understand why I did what I did."
I look her in the eyes. "Yes, I can and do."
"Good, but now I must know one thing."
"Ask, and it shall be answered."
"Do you... forgive me for what I have done?"
I see a tear remaining at the edge of her eye, despite a covert attempt to wipe it away.
"..."
"Please?"
"... yes..."
She blinks, caught off guard.
"What?"
"Princess Luna, ruler of the night, regent of the moon and stars... I not only forgive you, but thank you."
"WHAT?!"

End of Chapter Eleven

12: The Dreamer's Motivation/12.1: When Dreams become Reality

Chapter 12: The Dreamer's Motivation
Part One: When Dreams become Reality

(Alex's POV)

Night has fallen. Darkness has taken over. I am alone. Her spell has faded, but I still lie there. My arms and legs have fallen asleep, as has the rest of my body, but my mind has not. I fall into a dream, one I know is a dream, but one I cannot wake from.
It is a dark, cold, gloomy night. I look around, and find myself in a forest. I look closer at the forest and note the coloring.
"The Everfree...."
I look around again, looking above and below me as well, and I stand atop a bridge that connects my world to their's. I see the moon is full and high in the sky, barren of the mark of the Mare in the Moon.
"If this is a dream, then the events that follow must center around the release and defeat of Nightmare Moon."
I start walking forwards, moving closer to their world. There must be a reason as to why this dream is so vivid. I see the Mane Six come out of the Forest, into the clearing that surrounds the ruins of a once great castle. It feels likes hours to cross the bridge and traverse the clearing to get to the ruins, but it takes only a minute or two. I look inside the ruins, and see the Six standing in front of the Elements. They're still stone.... They must hurry! They seem to pick up on my plea, as one of them launches into her speech, and I recognize her by her voice. Twilight. The whole of it seemed to be a simple way of stalling for time, hoping for a solution. Apparently, something clicks on an upper level, as the Elements start to glow. I see the stone around the Element Gems melt away, and the Gems start glowing. Each Gem-Element floats towards its new bearer, except for the fact that there is no sixth Element present.
"And when the Spark is in the presence of the other Elements and friendship, it ignites, creating the sixth Element, the Element of Magic!"
A bright flash blinds almost everyone present, and when we can see again, a sixth Gem-Element is there, attached to a tiara of sorts, floating down to Twilight's head, and resting there comfortably. I see the Gems glow even brighter, their Bearers floating into the air, magical energy gathering. I smile, knowing what will happen next, but then that expectation is shattered. Six dark gems appear in front of the Frost Queen, and they unleash a dark rainbow just as the Elements of Harmony unleash the Harmonious Rainbow. They collide in mid-air, sending sparks flying everywhere, a few passing just a bit too close to me for my liking. I see both of the rainbows flicker and disappear simultaneously as the Elements of Harmony tire, and the Dark Elements just keep the defense up, not going on the offense. Nightmare Moon laughs at the Bearers.
"You must have thought you could defeat me with the Elements of Harmony."
Twilight, along with the others, falls to the floor, but she is the first one up.
"Yeah, I kind of did."
"Ha! You silly silly mare! I was beaten by those things once before, but never again!"
"What? What do you mean?"
"Elements of Harmony, meet the Elements of Entropy, or as I call them, the Dark Elements. Each one is designed to counter a Harmony Element. Greed, Generosity. Lies, Honesty. Tears, Laughter, Disloyalty, Loyalty. Anger, Kindness. Finally, Hopelessness, Magic. Darkness beats the Light. You cannot stop me! I shall have Night Eternal!"
I walk closer, sticking to the shadows.
"Yes we can! Girls, get ready!"
I laugh from the shadows.
"On their own, maybe not."
Nightmare Moon spins wildly, searching for the voice. I laugh again, retreating a little further into the shadows. Twilight looks at the other mares.
"NOW!"
The Elements glow brightly, and unleash the Harmonious Rainbow, only for it to be halted by the Dark Elements and their Discordant Rainbow.
"But with me, they can!"
I activate the icefyre glyph I had been preparing, and it spits out a large quantity of icy flames, blowing my hair back, casting me in a ice-blue light. It mixes with the Harmonious Rainbow, and it manages to overpower the Discordant Rainbow. The icefyre, its purpose fulfilled, dies out, and the Harmony takes over, doing what it was meant to do to begin with, and it purges Nightmare Moon from Luna. I smile, and then turn, running back to the bridge connecting our worlds. I look under me, and then the bridge trembles. I start running faster, trying to make it to the other side, but it shakes even more. And then the bridge fell....

End of Chapter Twelve: The Dreamer's Motivation
Part One: When Dreams Become Reality

12.2: Sleeper Wake!

(Alex's POV)

But I was still there! I find myself floating over the yawning chasm that separates my world and theirs. I blink, confused in the extreme.
"What the?"
I then start floating back towards the Everfree, but not of my own volition.
"What is going on?!"
I shiver a bit as I hear a response...but it is in my head.
'Your dream is coming to pass.'
'What do you mean it is coming to pass? For that matter, who and what are you?'
'Let's see. First, I mean that your dream is changing history. Second, I am a renegade Twili.'
'Hang on...you mean my dream is changing the course of history? And also, what the heck is a Twili?'
'Yes, that is what I mean. And as for what a Twili is, that's a bit of a story. A Twili is a member of the race of Twili. I am a renegade, looking for The One Who can Save my Race. I left the Twilight Realm to escape from the usurper King. Our ruler has been missing for a while now. I might have found The One, but he must be able to defeat the usurper King.'
I facepalm. 'Let me guess. You're looking for Link, right?'
'Yes, I am.'
'Yeah... I'm Alex. I'm a friend of his. He's still in Hyrule, last I heard.'
I hear a facepalm-like sound. 'Well... that figures. But I am quite serious about the dream-changing-history thing.'
'Interesting. Anyway, good luck, and tell Link I said hello.'
The voice leaves, but I'm still floating over the chasm. I blink again, and the next thing I know, I'm on my back near the ruins of the Old Castle.
"Well, that was... strange."
I stand up, open my eyes and brush the dirt off of my back. "Ow..." I then look up, and look away quickly. "Note to self. Celestia-Sun just as dangerous as my Sun."
I blink away the retina-burn that was a result of my foolish glance at the Sun. I finally see a little white rabbit that seems to be rather impatient.
"Well, hello there. What do you want?"
It just thumps its foot on the ground over and over.
"What?"
It hits itself in the face with a paw and then scampers off to the tune of my sigh.
"What do you want to bet it wants me to follow it?"
I sigh again and start making my way through the tangled undergrowth, following the small trail it made.
A few minutes later, I reach the edge of the Everfree and I see a cottage.
"Now who lives there? Who would want to live so close to the Everfree Forest?"
I see the rabbit, who, based on its attitude and actions, I assume is a male, go up to a yellow pegasus. I feel a click as memories connect dots. I don't know her name, but I know who she is. I walk closer, sticking to the shadows, but then I lean on a tree, coming into the light.
"You're a Bearer, aren't you?"
She yelps and then disappears behind a barrel. The rabbit hits himself with his paw again and then manages to bring the pegasus from her hiding spot. I catch a glimpse of her cutie mark and laugh.
"Ah yes... Kindness."
She looks up at me, blinking, shivering, staying low to the ground.
"Who are you?"
"Come again?"
She swallow almost audibly and then her voice becomes a bit louder.
"Who are you?"
I sigh. "Speak up please."
She shivers again, but her voice finally becomes audible and understandable.
"Who are you?"
"I am Alex."
"Why does that name seem so...important?"
"I don't know. But I have two questions for you. Who are you, and is that your rabbit?"
"I'm Fluttershy, and yes, Angel is mine.
"Okay then."
"If you're wondering why that name seems so important, it's because I have a hunch that he helped defeat Nightmare Moon."
I turn. "Well well well. Look who sought me out. Still mad at me?"
Fluttershy turns as well. "Twilight? What are you doing here?"
"First, why would I be mad at you Alex? Second, I felt a ripple in space-time, and I traced it here."
I blink, and then I sit down, holding my head. There's a war going on in there. Half of my brain is raging at Twilight for what she did to me. The other half is just confused and ready to accept this new version of her.
"Someone... please make sense of this...."

End of 12.2: Sleeper Wake!

12.3: Temporal Fluctuations

(Alex's POV)

"Please! Someone make sense of this!"
"Alex! Calm down. I can't help you if you don't remain calm."
I sigh. "Of course it would be you Twilight..."
"Listen. I'm just trying to help. If you really don't like me that much, then why are you here?"
"I'm here because I just came out of the Everfree after mysteriously appearing there...but I see what you are trying to do. What can you do?"
"I can show you things as I saw them. Maybe seeing it all from a new perspective will help."
"Okay...what do I need to do?"
"Just sit down, close your eyes, breathe, and trust me."
The part of me raging against her screams at me to run, but I ignore it, taking a breath, sitting down on the grass, and I close my eyes. I shiver a bit as I feel her horn touch my head, and then everything goes black.

****************************

'Nightmare Moon had returned as I had predicted. I had sent Princess Celestia a letter night a day before, warning her of this fact, but she said my head was stuck in the books and that I had to go make friends. That is when she sent me to Ponyville under the guise of overseeing preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. When Nightmare Moon returned, I was the only pony who recognized her. I realized we would need the Elements to defeat her. My other five friends, now the other Bearers, came with me.'
She pauses for a moment, and then a sort of movie begins to play, as she narrates the thing.
'We had to pass through the Everfree Forest where there were five trials, one for each of my friends, trying to turn them away from the course. They accepted and defeated the challenges, unable to be deterred. We finally got to the Castle Ruins, and I found the Elements. They were still stone, but I somehow managed to awaken the Gem Elements inside the stone spheres. The Elements of Kindness, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity and Laughter were all present, but I did not know where the sixth Element was. But then I found the spark inside of me, the spark that brings the Sixth Element into being. The Spark of Friendship. After that, the other Bearers and I got ready to finish off Nightmare Moon. The Harmony Rainbow was charging when I heard an odd sound, something like an artist drawing. I thought it was just associated with the Elements....'
The movie speeds up a little, keeping pace with her narration.
'And we unleashed Harmony, but she blocked it somehow. She had a Rainbow of her own, but it was...dark, evil. She managed to fend off our Rainbow until we faltered, and it all collapsed. She start talking about the Dark Elements. I had only heard rumors, and those only because I listened in on one of Princess Celestia's rambling sessions. Nightmare Moon went on about how each Dark Element blocked a Harmony Element perfectly. Disloyalty for Loyalty, Lies for Honesty, Tears for Laughter, Anger for Kindness, Greed for Generosity, and lastly, Hopelessness for Magic. It was the perfect shield. We would never have been able to beat her, but somepony else intervened. A stallion, by the sound of the voice. He gave us the time we needed to recover and try again. It was then that Harmony and Darkness clashed, but he added his magic. That was when I knew that he was important. Harmony overpowered Darkness, and the original goal was achieved, setting Luna free from Nightmare Moon.

***************************

The movie stops and she removes her horn from my head as I open my eyes, and stand up.
"When all was said and done, I tried to follow the stallion, but I could not. All I saw was his outline as he ran away. The thing that made me think it was you was that he was on two legs, something only you do."
I blink. "Okay then. I think you might be right... but there is something that prevents you from being right."
I turn and then run off to the Everfree, and I hear Twilight galloping behind, trying to catch up to me. I hear a dull tone in my ears, and I shake my head, trying to get it out.
"What is that?" I just keep running until I get back to the ruins, the tone growing louder and louder.
"Wait a second...That's a resonance... that of the Triforce! Red must be here!"
I enter the ruins, the noise almost deafening. "He's close!"
I finally reach the main room, where Nightmare Moon stood, and then I blink as my hand stars glowing. A glow in front of and behind me starts to show up. I spin around. "Twilight. Not surprising, but who...Red? Are you there?"
I hear no response. I then look closer, and I see the glow is hanging in a cloud of some sorts. "What have you done with Red?!"
I hear a voice I thought was dead. "I don't know this Red of which you speak."
"Nightmare Moon? You're alive?"
"Yes, surprisingly enough."
"How?"
"I do not know."
I blink, and then look down at my hand. The Triforce is resonating. I'm here... Twilight's here... but Red is not.... Does that mean that he does not carry the Triforce of Power? Does that mean Nightmare Moon has taken his place? What does this mean for the Alex of this timeline? Is there another me? Is there another Triforce of Courage? How did I change history? And most importantly, can I get back to my own time?!

End of 12.3: Temporal Fluctuations

The Revelation

Chapter 6: The Revelation

(Alex's POV)

I see her float down from the heavens. She is one of the figures from a different dream of mine.
'Alex?'
'You know my name? You can use telepathy?!'
'Of course on both counts. Don't you know what I am?'
I check my mind, trying to find a ringing bell, but I find none.
'No. Should I?'
She lands and looks me over.
What have you gotten yourself in to now Alex? I'm Elise, your starter Pokemon.'
'My what? What the hay is a Pokemon?'
She sighs. 'What have they done to you?'
'Listen here 'Elise', I don't know why you are here, but...'
My sentence and train of thought both derail and crash as she sets her hand on my head. I blink, and then my mind is filled with images, and some of them click in to place, filling gaps in my memory, releasing other stored memories. I blink again as I suddenly remember everything that has transpired. My horn glows, and Pinkie is removed from it as I turn to Twilight.
"You knew didn't you?"
"It was for your own good."
My tone drops to an icy, yet blazing anger. I make my voice drip with venom and sarcasm.
"Right, just as trapping me in this body was 'for my own good'."
I glow, and Elise somehow counteracts the spell put on me, and I revert to my human form, now able to shift between the two at will.
"Thou hast betrayed me Twilight Sparkle. Thou...art...dead to me!"
I turn and face Elise. 'Get us out of here.'
She nods. 'Gladly.'
We both glow, and then we cross through a portal back to my world.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

(Twilight Sparkle's POV)

I cry out as they glow. "WAIT!!!"
But then, they are gone. I collapse on to my rear, a tear coming to my eye. He was the closest thing I had to a friend, or later, more. I decide that I will do as I must to ensure the other one stays. The one named...Red.

End of Chapter 6: The Revelation

Chapter 10 Part 3: Back to Hoenn

(Alex's POV)

I wake up in the morning to find something on top of me. I open my eyes, and see two violet irises staring back at me. I try to move, but she has somehow pinned me down. I sigh....
"Well, that's one way of saying good morning."
She laughs. "Inded it is."
"Uh... would you mind moving?"
"Why?"
I blink away the stars. "You're sitting on my chest."
She gasps, and then re-positions herself ending up on top of me, but off to the side, and not on my chest. It's not comfortable, but at least I can breathe now, and that is the main goal. I try to move again, but despite her new position, I find myself still firmly immobilized. I think to myself, 'What the? How can she do that?'
'Easy. I got my magic back!'
I yelp a bit, completely unaccustomed to her invading my thoughts like that.
'OI! Okay okay. I see that. Now let me go!'
I hear that cool, calculating tone in her thought-voice that I heard when we first met.
'I'm sorry Alex, but I can't do that... not yet.'
'WHAT?!?!?!'
'I still need to use the portal spell, but only you can refine it enough to send me back home.'
'Okay, so what? That doesn't mean you have to keep me held down!'
'To you no, but to me, it does. I cannot have you betray me.'
'Why would I betray you?'
'Let's just say I've read your thoughts....'
I blush a bit. 'Those are mine! How dare you peruse them like they are some BOOK in your library!'
'How dare I? How Dare YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT ME LIKE THAT!!!!'
I cringe a bit from the psychic onslaught, or I would, if I could move.
'I'm sorry.... It was a moment of weakness.'
'HA! A moment of weakness? You were like that all night!'
'Did you even sleep?'
'No! I was busy recovering my stolen magic and paralyzing you! For that matter, I have the portal spell all done, all that's left is for you to refine it.'
'And if I refuse?'
'I'll kill you.'
I blink, surprised by her bluntness and drive to get back to Equestria.
'Huh. I guess I'll do it then. One question though.'
She sighs. 'Go on.'
Then what was that thing you were doing yesterday?'
'An act.'
'Even when you kissed me?'
'Especially then.'
She lifts me with her magic, and then trots outside, floating my motionless body behind her, heading to a glowing oval floating in the air.
'Now refine it.'
'How?'
'Just think of the library'
I do so, and the portal opens.
'Thank you.'
She drops me like a sack of potatoes.
'If I ever meant anything to you, you won't do this!'
'Some ponies turn on those they love the most.'
Then she walks through the portal, and it closes behind her.

End of Chapter 10 Part Three, and of Chapter Ten