Chapter 13

Today was a day filled with smiles for the gunslinger and his friends. The party turned out to be a complete success on both fronts. Twilight’s party was celebrated by both her friends and the nobles from the Garden Party and Rarity had learned a valuable lesson in friendship. Not only that, but it would seem that Rarity had discovered something else from within her heart that she couldn’t quite explain.

Twilight and the others decided to head back to Ponyville a little early while she and Arthur remained behind for another day. The two ponies were making their way to the train station after making sure all their belongings were accounted for. Arthur, being the gentle stallion he was, had Rarity’s arm hooked around his as he escorted her. All the while, Rarity tried her best to hide her pink cheeks as she glanced up at Arthur every so often. The feeling of his arm wrapped around hers sent her heart into a flutter, along with the unexplainable feeling in her heart whenever she was around him. The way he went out of his way to help her and the genuine words he spoke about her played back in her head like a broken record.

“So Rarity,” Arthur said, smiling down at the mare. “Would ya say this trip was a fruitful one?”

Rarity beamed and nodded. “I would certainly say so, especially since I had such a blast with all my friends in the end…” she trailed off when her eyes landed on a certain bag Arthur carried on him. “What’s in there?”

“This? Oh it’s just my winnings from the card game I played the night of the party,” Arthur grinned as he held up the bag. “Pretty hefty amount, if I do say so myself.”

“How much did you win?”

“Hmm, I’d say I lost count around…ten thousand?”

Rarity’s eyes twitched before they swirled and she nearly fell to the ground when she fainted. Luckily, Arthur was there to catch her. After just a few seconds of being unconscious, she rocketed straight onto her hooves as she stood and looked up at the stallion. “H-How in the name of all things holy and sacred did you win that amount!?”

“I guess you could say that feller Jet Set bet on the wrong gunslinger,” Arthur chuckled as he opened up his satchel and dropped it in. “This’ll come in handy one day.” Arthur’s eyebrows raised a bit as he got an idea and looked down at Rarity. “Say, I don’t mean to pry, but some days ago when I went to visit you, I caught a glance of that old sewing machine.”

“Oh that old thing? I wish you hadn’t seen it,” Rarity looked away a bit bashfully. “Though it has been with me since my start as a fashionista, it sometimes breaks down or messes up my designs.”

“Well, why don’t I just buy you a new one? After all, I got the funds to do so.”

Rarity’s jaw dropped but immediately closed when she shook her head. “Y-You really don’t have to do that darling!” She blushed and her eyes darted from one location to another.

“Naw, I feel as though I should,” Arthur shook his head with a warm smile.

“B-But why?”

“Put it this way, you’ve been mighty generous to many ponies around and don’t ask much in return or not at all. I feel as though you deserve it for all the hard work you’ve done.” They paused their walking as Arthur took her hand and held it between them as she gazed into his sky blue eyes.

“Somethin’ as simple as a new machine may not seem much, but it’s somethin’ I wanna do for a generous and pretty lady like yourself. So now it’s time that I be a little generous to you too.”

Rarity teared up a little as she smiled broadly. She latched onto Arthur and gave him a hug with her head tucked into his neck. She nuzzled into him for a moment and savoured the smell that emitted from him. When she released, she gave a gentle kiss to his cheek and batted her eyes demurely. “You certainly know how to treat a mare, Arthur Morgan.”

“I aim to please, Rarity,” Arthur tipped his hat before someone accidentally bumped into him.

“Excuse me.”

Both ponies turned to see a stallion pass by them. He had pale blonde mane and tail with his mane slicked back, slightly dark yellow fur, dark green eyes, and wore a grey suit with a fancy blue tie around his neck. On the side of his face adorned a small scar that cut on his right cheek. At first, Rarity could have sworn she’d seen the stallion before but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was only when the stallion glanced back at her and smiled did she gasp and narrow her eyes.

“You!” She pointed at him with an angry finger. “I know you!”

“Me?” The stallion pointed to himself.

“You know this guy, Rarity?” Arthur asked.

“I’d never forget that snake’s face! That’s the stallion who tried to swindle me for a debt I paid in full!”

At this statement, it was Arthur’s turn to narrow his eyes at the stallion. “So you’re the one who sent that asshole, Duke Venture?”

“It was an unfortunate accident,” he looked downwards with a frown on his face. “When I was overlooking the records of ponies who borrowed bits from me, I sent my assistant to help in the collection of my bits I loaned out. However, I failed to keep a record on all of them and only realized my mistake pertaining to a certain mare who was also the Element Bearer of Generosity,” he smiled gently at Rarity. “Who not only paid in full, but also gave an interest bonus too…” he trailed off and kneeled down with one knee on the ground. “For that, I can only sincerely apologize on behalf of my colleague’s rudeness towards you.”

Rarity eyes widened at the words spoken by the stallion. “O-oh, well… um…” she mumbled a response to him, but before she could finish, said stallion was back on his hooves and offered a bag of bits to her.

“Please do not see this as my buying your forgiveness, Dame Rarity. Please see this as the penance of a stallion trying to set a few rights in this world,” he gently smiled again as he placed the bag in her hands, which he closed and gave a subtle peck to.

“U-Um…I erm…” Rarity stammered.

“Not so fast, buster,” Arthur cut in as he took the bag and shoved it back into the stallion’s chest. “I ain’t known you for a minute, and I already got a bad vibe from you,”

“I meant no disrespect, sir,” the stallion said.

“Maybe, or maybe not. Point is, I’ve been around the bush long enough to know that once a swindler, always a swindler. So you can keep what bits you’re offerin’, cause we ain’t interested, Mr…”

The stallion stretched his hand outward to Arthur. “Cider… Cider Mac, Mr....”

“Arthur Morgan,” the gunslinger said, refusing his handshake. “I’ll let this one slide for Rarity’s sake since you apologized appropriately.” Arthur stepped forward as he stared into Cider’s eyes with a glare. “But next time you pull this shit again, or send any more of your goons after my friends, I’m gonna be on your ass faster than a dog on a slab of beef. Get me?”

Cider was unfazed by Arthur’s words and merely continued to smile, but he stepped forward just enough to have his forehead inches away from the other stallion’s. “You are either very courageous or foolish to threaten a citizen like me, especially since you are a pony of the law,” he replied and grinned as he stared into the gunslinger’s eyes. “But I suppose, it is as you say, once a swindler, always a swindler. Just like you, once a killer…always a killer.”

Before Arthur could rebuttal his remark, Rarity tugged on his arm with a worried expression.

“I-I believe it is time to go, darling, we wouldn’t want to miss the train!” Rarity pleaded.

“Hmph, I’ll remember you, Mac,” Arthur said as he walked away. “You better watch your sorry ass!”

Cider merely waved at the pair. “I hope you two have a safe trip back home!” He bid them farewell with a carefree smile. Just as Arthur and Rarity were gone, Cider sighed and shook his head. “A killer with a code…I surely didn’t see that one coming,” he chuckled and walked onwards to his destination. “Life has certainly become more interesting in Equestria, especially in Ponyville…I’ll be watching you too, Arthur Morgan.”

Meanwhile, Arthur walked with an irritated huff as Rarity trailed behind. He grumbled to himself as their bags were packed and they boarded the train and Arthur sat down in his seat with Rarity with his arms crossed.

“No good…dirty…fuckn’ swindler…” he mumbled under his breath with a dirty look out the window.

Rarity sighed and placed her hand on his leg. “Arthur, what’s wrong?” she asked him, worried for him ever since their encounter with Cider Mac.

“It’s just the look in that fucker’s eye,” Arthur spat. “I seen it one too many a times back home. Makes me sick to my stomach.”

“But why?”

“Because…” Arthur looked away as he tipped his hat over his eyes. “I…also collected certain debts. From those who borrowed from my old gang. A man by the name of Leopold Strauss, or Herr Strauss, was in charge of keeping the books. I, on the other hand, was the one to collect what was owed.” Arthur frowned as memories of his dark deeds came flooding back. “I…once took everything a man had and left him with nothing, beat a man ‘till his wife paid up, and…also beat a dyin’ man who didn’t even have the strength to stand on his own.” His eyes closed tight as he turned his head away. “To this day, I always regret what I done to folks who didn’t deserve it. I probably ruined more lives that way rather than…whenever I took lives.”

Rarity sighed and reached up and caressed Arthur’s cheek with her hand. “Arthur, that was in the past…you are a good pony, darling,” she assured him with her gentle words. “Everypony deserves a second chance…but it takes a good pony to actually do good with that second chance.”

Arthur looked back at Rarity as she smiled at him. Arthur couldn’t help but smile back as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Am I really one for redemption, Rarity?” Arthur asked as his arm instinctively wrapped around the mare.

“Without a doubt, darling, without a doubt,” Rarity said as she nuzzled into him.

The rest of the train ride was met with silence between the two friends as they enjoyed each other’s company. However, the gunslinger couldn’t shake the memories of his past away as his frown returned.

That Night

What the fuck?!

Arthur looked around his surroundings and he was at a bar that strangely resembled the one from Valentine of all places. He looked around and saw his hands were not covered in fur, but in pale skin. He touched his face and there was no snout, rather his nose. What shocked him even further was that he was seated at a Poker table surrounded by human skeletons dressed in clothes worn by the fallen members of his old gang.

“You up for a game, cowpoke?”

When he heard those words, Arthur immediately shot from his chair and looked for the source. He found it in the dealer, who was none other than the traitorous Micah Bell with his signature sneer whilst he wielded a pistol in one hand. Arthur’s response was a quick draw of his own gun from the holster, where he immediately opened fire whilst he sought cover from the bullets that reigned from his enemy.

“The hell are you doing here, you goddamn snake?!” Arthur shouted out when he ran out of bullets and needed to reload.

Micah cackled and fired more bullets at the counter Arthur was covered in. “I’m finishing what I started. You’re a liability, Black Lung! A loose end to my survival! And all loose ends need to be cut loose!”

Arthur was about to check his cover again for a clear shot, but was surprised when he was greeted with another barrel to his forehead from Agent Milton of all people. “You’re dead! I saw you get shot by Abigail!” He barked out at the Pinkerton and pulled his gun from his hand, which followed with his fist that collided in the dead man’s face.

Milton staggered back but chuckled as he reached for a revolver tucked in his holster. “You think you can escape from your sins, Mr. Morgan? Not even death can stop your judgement!” He replied and began to fire off his rounds at Arthur who was sheltered in another corner of the bar.

This is wrong! This is all wrong! Arthur mentally shouted as he was under siege by two of his greatest foes who he had hoped to never have seen again. He broke his cover and shot Micah and Milton in the face, but no blood was spilled. The bullets merely phased through them. Arthur panicked and saw a window just a few feet from him. He took a deep breath and jumped out of it. He was fortunate to not have glass shred his skin, but he was not as fortunate when he got his bearing and saw Leviticus Cornwall and Alberto Fussar with their cronies behind them.

“You cost us a lot, Mr. Morgan. You and that damned Van der Linde. Now it’s time for you to die!” Leviticus aimed with his rifle to a shocked Arhur and he fired, but missed just shy from his head. Fussar pointed his shotgun at the sheriff and unloaded his barrel to him, but he also missed when Arthur ran.

This can’t be real! Arthur moaned to himself when he seeked shelter behind a wagon. He wanted to return fire at the army that advanced onto him. He looked at his pouch to find little to no bullets for him to use.

“Oh shit!”

“Oh shit is right, Yankee!”

Arthur looked up to see Catherine Braithwaite and Leigh Gray who stood on top of the wagon and pointed their own firearms at the ambused cowboy.

“Trying to be somebody you’re not, Mr. Callahan? Or is Mr. Morgan? Or Mr. Van der Linde? Doesn’t really matter,” Gray took aim at Arthur’s head. “Once a crook, always a crook!” He said and took a shot at the fleeing target.

Arthur ran as far as he could, but it felt like he did not move an inch. He suddenly felt pain in his leg when he felt a bullet shook through it. He grunted and skidded on the ground, where he grabbed his leg that was in severe pain.

“Got you, cowpoke!” Micah laughed out loud as he and the other foes ran towards Arthur. Each of Arthur’s enemies stood around him and pointed their respected firearms at him. The sheriff was as defiant as ever as he glared at each one of them, but his face paled when he saw another figure that pointed his pistol at the downed cowboy.

“Dutch?!” He hoarsely called out, his throat sore as though he had tuberculosis again. Arthur was about to say another word, but his vision turned white when he heard gunshots go off.

“BEGONE, FOUL APPARITIONS OF NIGHTMARE!!”

A long row of doors stretched across the starry void as a lone pony walked past each one. Not only was it her duty to govern the night and raise the moon, but it was also her duty to watch over the dreams that were dreamt by all the ponies of Equestria so that they may sleep peacefully without the nightmares plaguing their sleep. Princess Luna slowly walked down the rows of doors and glanced at each one. Each one had a symbol engraved on each one, representing the pony’s cutie mark, and so far there had been no nightmares this night. Luna preferred it this way, a nice stroll through the dream realm, but her wishes were somewhat interrupted when she came by a peculiar door. It was a wooden door, yet there wasn’t a cutie mark engraved into it. Luna arched a brow at the door as she approached it, only to feel an unsettling feeling of anguish and sorrow.

“Oh dear, somepony is having a horrible nightmare,” Luna said.

The night Princess reached out and opened the door to step in. She was met with darkness at first as the door closed behind her and she looked around. When she looked in front of her, she gasped at the sight of an familier being surrounded by shadows of evil intent. Luna had never seen such fear on somepony’s face before, but she knew that she had to help this poor soul before the nightmare consumed them. Luna unfurled her wings and flew towards the shadow’s with her horn glowing bright as her magic charged up.

“BEGONE, FOUL APPARITIONS OF NIGHTMARE!!” She bellowed as she fired her magic.

The shadows had no time to react as the magic enveloped them all and they screamed in distorted voices and were blown away. Some tried to fight back, but none were a match for the lunar alicorn as she continued her assault. The area soon changed into a now starry void of dreams as Luna exhaled and landed gracefully on the ground. She then looked down to the individual she saved but arched a brow at the kneeling being. He had dirty blonde hair but was shorter than a mane yet had no tail. He wore a blue button down shirt, black neckerchief, black pants, and boots on his strange-looking hooves. The being was hunched over on his knees as he held his head and she heard him mumbling in fear to himself, making her frown with pity at him.

“Do not be afraid,” she said softly as she placed her hand on its shoulder. “I have banished the nightmares, you are safe.”

The individual flinched at her touch as he raised his head to look up at her. Luna noticed his strange facial features, such as not having a muzzle, his ears were small on the sides of his head, and he had no fur anywhere on his body. His eyes were sky blue, which looked strangely familiar to her, and he had a bit of a scruffy beard around his jaw.

“P-Princess Luna?” The stranger spoke shakily.

“How do you know me, stranger? Who or what are you?” Luna questioned a bit warily.

“I-It’s me, Arthur. A-Arthur Morgan.”

Luna squinted her eyes for a moment and stared into the strange being’s who claimed to be a recent acquaintance of hers. A few seconds passed before she gasped. “A-Arthur!?” she shouted but cleared her throat with a cough. “Mr. Morgan, why do you look like this?”

“This is what you might call my real form,” Arthur said as he rose to his feet and picked up his hat. When he stood up straight, he was taller than Luna by half a head or more. “What you see is the real me, under all the fur and what not, a human man.”

As she digested the words Arthur spoke, Luna circled around him once to look him over as her mind raced with a multitude of thoughts. I know Celestia has mentioned humans in the realm where her former student Sunset Shimmer is stranded in…but this is the first time I’ve seen one up close…and yet he is just as dashing as his pony self- The alicorn princess shook her head with her eyes widened in shock. Traitorous mind of mine! Stop being naughty!

“Does my real form surprise ya? Maybe…scare ya, even?” Arthur wondered.

“Oh! O-Of course not!” Luna said. “Though I shall admit, it is quite peculiar. So this is what your true form is?”

“That it is,” Arthur smiled half-heartedly. He decided to not put his hat on as he ran his fingers through his hair. “So…where the hell are we? Last I recall was turnin’ in for the night after I spent the rest of the day with Rarity and got her that brand new sewing machine. Next thing I know…them bastards show up ready to fill me with lead.”

Luna smiled and took a step back where she unfurled her wings and spread her arms out. The room they were in turned into what looked like outer-space. Almost a million white orbs appeared around them, where each of them showed different ponies in different scenarios. “We, Arthur, are in the Dream Realm,” she answered the gobsmacked human. “I, as Princess of the Night and Stars, help shepherd ponies from their nightmares to their dreams as they rest and replenish for the next morrow.”

“Sweet lord above…” Arthur said as he gazed at the orbs all around him. “It’s like you’re some kind of deity or somethin’.”

“Well, that wouldn’t be too far from the truth,” Luna giggled. “As an alicorn, my sister included, we are able to raise and lower the moon and sun, the former being my responsibility. So in other words, I am known to the inhabitants of Equestria as the Goddess of the Moon.”

“Say what?!” Arthur gasped. “I…well hell-on-wheels, that’s sure a lot to take in at once.”

“Is it truly that surprising?” Luna asked.

“Well ‘course it is! Back where I’m from, we kinda had a god to pray to and a religious belief and all that, but nothin’ along the lines of bein’ in the presence of an actual deity.” Arthur sighed as he scratched the back of his head and glanced off to the side. “Damn, here I thought you were just another beautiful lady with a cute smile.”

Luna’s cheeks burned furiously as she blushed deeply. Her hands reached out to caress her fiery cheeks as she turned around and made sure Arthur could not see the smile that emanated from her lips. Oh my gosh! This one is just…he’s just so…Luna took a deep breath before she turned around again and gave a soft smile to the human. “Why, I thank thee for the compliment,” she said to him, but her smile slowly disappeared from her face when she saw the bags under his eyes. “That nightmare you were having, do you wish to speak to me about it?”

“I…I don’t know…” Arthur said, looking down. “That’s the first time I’ve had such a terrible dream. It’s all my sins piled up in what big mess.”

“If you do not wish to speak, then can you show me?” Luna asked.

“Show you? How?”

“By simply using your dream, of course,” Luna instructed. She snapped her fingers and they were back in the empty void Luna found him in. “This is your dream, so you may govern it as you please.”

Arthur hummed in thought until he shrugged and looked away from Luna. He focused his mind as the scenery changed to grassy terrain surrounded by trees. Wagons, tents, and many large buildings appeared as more humans showed up, one by one. Luna examined each human as they went about their business around the town, she even saw Arthur conversing with some of them.

“Who are these humans?”

“This here’s Valentine, one of the towns my gang and I were camped outside of.”

The alicorn princess looked around the town and the people that populated it. “I must say, this reminds me of a quaint little town called Appleloosa,” Luna said as she and Arthur walked through Valentine.

“Yeah, well, it sure was a nice place to camp, for as long as it lasted.”

“Oh look, it’s you,” Luna pointed out. The two soon saw Arthur walk out of a building with another woman who had a bruised cheek and a bloody lip. “Who is that?”

“Ah, that’s Karen Jones, she was one of the clever ones to pull tricks on unsuspecting folks.”

“She looks injured.”

“I beat the bastard who was intending to do her harm when she was caught.”

“Thank you, Arthur,” Karen said as she rubbed her cheek and they walked down the steps of the building. “I don’t much like being saved, but…when I have to be.”

“I understand,” Past-Arthur said.

Luna huffed softly and crossed her arms. “She could have been a little more grateful towards you, her savior.”

“Karen was always a proud one, always preferred to do things her on her own without no one tellin’ her otherwise.”

Past-Arthur and Karen regrouped with two other young human women and an old pudgy human man.

“And they are?”

“Tilly, Mary-Beth, and Uncle,” Arthur pointed out. “Each of them girls were good kids in their own way. Uncle, well he was a bit of a strange old bastard.”

“You okay?” Tilly asked.

“Sure, he only punched me. Arthur punched him a lot harder,” Karen scoffed.

“Yeah…alright then,” Past-Arthur nodded.

“Hey, who’s that guy over there looking at us?” Mary-Beth pointed out. They all turned to see a well-dressed human riding an animal resembling a pony. Luna gazed at the creature with both curiosity and shock that the human was riding it with a saddle on its back.

Luna blinked for a moment before she spoke. “Are those… horses?” she asked Arthur with her finger pointed at them.

“Yep, as you can tell, they’re similar to ponies only they’re much larger. Not only that, they don’t stand on their back legs or wear clothes. The saddle and bridal they were are things we use to help ride them. They were a great companion to the right person,” Arthur explained.

“Interesting, they resemble the forms of the precursors,” Luna said.

“Pre wha?”

“In the ancient era, before my sister and I, ponies once adopted a form similar to these horses. Over time, ponies slowly evolved into the beings you see before you today.”

“Huh, sounds somethin’ similar to how humans evolved,” Arthur said.

“How so?”

“Eh, never really paid any attention to that science mumbo jumbo.”

“Weren’t you in Blackwater a few weeks back?” The man on the horse asked.

“Me? No sir, ain’t from there,” Past-Arthur shook his head.

“Oh, you were!” The man argued. “Well, I definitely saw you. With a bunch of fellers.”

“Me? No, impossible. Listen, buddy, come here for a minute,” Past-Arthur beckoned.

“I saw you…”

“Come here.”

“Come on! Get!” The man spurred his horse and rode away.

“I don’t like this,” Uncle frowned.

“Me neither, go get the girls home,” Past-Arthur instructed as he mounted a nearby horse. “I’m gonna go have a word with our friend.”

“Be careful Arthur!” Tilly said.

“Just a word, yah!”

Seeing that they would not be able to follow on the ground, Luna used her magic to envelop Arthur as she unfurled her wings. They both rose to the air as they flew overhead and followed the chase. Luna looked to her friend and noticed he was frowning.

“That poor bastard should’ve just left well enough alone,” Arthur sighed.

Luna frowned as she concentrated on the event that unfolded before her. Arthur chased the unknown soul whilst he commanded him to stop, but to no avail. That was until the hapless man found himself dangling off a cliff and hanging on for dear life.

“You have to help me!” The man pleaded.

“Why are you telling lies about me?” Past-Arthur questioned.

“No, no! I-I-I got it wrong, partner…I got it very wrong, now please, help me up!”

“I ain’t never been in Blackwater…” Past-Arthur sneered.

“Then why are you chasing me?!”

“I got an unfortunate face.”

“Yes, yes…me too…now please, pull me up, please! My hands are slipping!”

“I could’ve let him fall,” Arthur said to Luna. “It would’ve been easier to snuff out a loose end that could’ve got me in more trouble than I already was.” Luna was about to say something, but then she watched as Past Arthur reached down and grabbed the man’s arms and pulled him to safety. “But I believed that there was no point in lettin’ someone die when they didn’t deserve it.”

Luna smiled at the decision Arhtur made and after all was done, with him being rewarded with some expensive pen from the other human, she closed her eyes and they were back in the dream realm surrounded by Arthur’s memories. “Now I know why my sister speaks highly of you.”

Arthur smiled as he closed his eyes again. The scene changed and they soon found themselves at a river and soon Past Arthur was seen riding towards them on a horse. Luna noticed that he rode with a smaller human, a child. As they got off the horse, Luna couldn’t help but coo to herself at the smaller human that Past Arthur helped off the animal and set him down. He was no taller than Past Arthur’s waste and had short brown hair with a cute little blue coat.

“Where should we stand, Uncle Arthur?” The boy asked in a soft voice.

All decorum was lost upon Luna when she kneeled down to face the boy. “By the moon! He is just so adorable!” She commented out loud and tried to hug the boy, but her hands passed through the dream. The princess blinked and straightened herself as she stood up. She cleared her throat and looked back at a bemused Arthur who chuckled at her antics. “Was that your son? The resemblance is striking, in a manner of speaking.”

“Naw, that there’s Jack Marston, he’s…the son of a good friend of mine,” Arthur said as he gazed at Jack fondly. The two watched as the pair fished in the river. They watched as Past Arthur taught Jack how to fish and enjoyed the memory. It pulled on Arthur’s heart, seeing Jack again, and wondered how he and John were fairing ever since he sacrificed himself to save John. After a while of fishing, Jack looked up at Past Arthur with a slight frown.

“Fishing sure is boring, Uncle Arthur,” Jack pouted.

“Yeah, I know, boring as hell,” Past-Arthur agreed with a smirk as they continued.

“Hey look at this!”

“At what?”

“This necklace I made,” Jack smiled as he held up a crude looking necklace made of flowers.

“Necklace?”

“For momma.”

All the while, Luna found herself grinning even more at how adorable Jack was but steeled herself since she was still in the presence of Arthur.

“What a fine young man…”

Past-Arthur stood up straight as two well-dressed humans approached them. As if on intuition, the mere sight of these two newcomers made Luna’s stomach churn the wrong way.

“And in such complex circumstances. Arthur, isn’t it? Arthur Morgan?”

Luna’s lips thinned as she inspected both humans before her. She could tell they were of some form of law keepers, but from their eyes she could tell they were not trustworthy or even kind-hearted. “Who are they?”

“The Pinkerton’s,” Arthur hissed. “Agent Milton and Agent Ross, these assholes were the ones who have been constantly chasin’ me and my gang around for too long.”

“Nice to finally meet,” Milton said. “We know a lot about you.”

“Do you?” Past-Arthur said.

“You’re a wanted man, Mr. Morgan. There’s five thousand dollars for your head alone.”

“Five thousand dollars? For me? Can I turn myself in?” Past Arthur joked.

“We want Van der Linde,” Milton said sternly.

“Old Dutch? I haven’t seen him for months,” Past-Arthur shook his head.

“That so? Because I heard…a guy fitting his description robbed a train…belonging to Leviticus Cornwall up near Granite Pass.”

“Oh, ain’t that a little…old fashioned nowadays?” Past-Arthur tried to laugh it off.

“Apparently not,” Milton said with an expressionless tone. “Listen, this is my offer, Mr. Morgan…bring in Van der Linde and you have my word you won’t swing.”

“Oh, I ain’t gonna swing anyways Agent, um…”

“Milton.”

“You see, I ain’t done anything wrong…aside from not play the games to your rules,” Past-Arthur said defiantly.

“This ain’t the first time Milton confronted me,” Arthur said. “There were many times when he’d try to break me down and turn on my gang. He believed that I was just some degenerate nobody who’d sell out his own to save his neck. But not me, I was loyal to Dutch and the others. There weren’t nothin’ nobody could offer me to turn on my family.”

Such conviction and a strong will…Luna’s breath became hitched with the words Arthur spoke. Her cheeks burned fiery as she stared at him for a few good moments. She reluctantly forced herself to look away from his figure and concentrated on the boy Jack who looked scared. “I suppose you also stayed because of him and his family?” she asked Arthur as she still kept her eyes on the young soul.

The scene changed again and the two were back in town and inside one of the buildings. There was laughter, music, and many humans all around as Luna gazed at them all.

“They all seem to be having fun, but what is the occasion?” Luna wondered.

“It’s a saloon, a place a man goes to drink the day away and not have to worry about the struggles of life,” Arthur explained. “Oh look, perfect timin’.”

The double doors opened to reveal Past-Arthur and a darker skinned younger human following close behind.

“Who is this with you?”

“Kid’s name is Lenny Summers, he was always smiling with that cocky attitude of his. But recently, he got in a bit over his head with a stick-up. Dutch had me bring the boy down to wash his worries away.”

“Just one, or two, right Arthur?” Lenny asked Past-Arthur as they stood at the bar.

“‘Course, just a drink, no big drama. Can we get a couple beers, please?” Arthur said to the bartender.

“You! I don’t want no trouble!” The bartender said sternly.

“And you’ll get none from me, I was defending myself,” Past-Arthur argued.

“Tommy, he’s…”

“He’ll be fine. Here, have one for yourself,” Past-Arthur waved him off as he placed his money on the bar.

“Thank you!” The bartender smiled.

“What is he talking about?” Luna questioned.

“Eh, just some dumbass actin’ tough and tried to run through. And I mean that quite literally, since he tackled me out the window over there.”

The rest of the memory that played out was quite amusing to Arthur and Luna. Both Past-Arthur and Lenny were drinking a variety of liquor and getting more intoxicated by the hour.

“Hey…where’s Lenny? You seen Lenny?” Past-Arthur asked around as he wobbled in his step.

Past-Arthur was seen jumping up and down, making a fool of himself as Lenny was on the bar and kicking anyone away.

“Lenny! Lenny where you at?!”

Just as he was about to fight the men harassing Lenny, all the men in the saloon began dancing together and drinking even more. It got to the point when Past-Arthur was so intoxicated that he could barely walk as he shambled around the saloon in search of his friend.

“LLLLLEEEEEEEENNNNNYYYYY!! OOOOHHH LLLLLEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNYYYYYY!!”

At this point, Luna had long lost control of herself as she laughed as hard as she ever thought possible as she watched Past-Arthur and Lenny attempt to run away from the lawmen who gave chase to them.

“Get back here, you drunk fool!”

“NEVER! YOU’LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!”

“I SAID STOP!”

“I’M AN AMERICAN!!”

The memory soon ended when Past-Arthur tried to hop over a fence but landed flat on his face and Luna was in tears.

Luna continued to laugh out loud at the memory with Arhtur by her side. After a few minutes of endless laughter, she wiped the tears from her eyes and took a few deep breaths. But the occasional giggle did escape from her. “I must say, that was an amusing moment…though I cannot imagine how big of a headache you must have had the next morning.”

“I had a head for ten, I’ll tell ya that much.”

The area changed again and Arthur and Luna were outside someone’s house. Arthur recognized this house and frowned as he turned away from Luna.

“What’s wrong, Arthur? Where are we?” Luna noticed a man tending the nearby garden as Past-Arthur rode up on horseback. “Who is that?”

“That’s…the man who changed my life…for the worse.”

“Mr. Thomas Downs!” Past-Arthur called out to the man, making his face go pale. “You owe me money.”

“Oh, no-no, I’m…I’m…” Mr. Downs tried to say.

“We ain’t a charity, Mr. Downs.”

Past-Arthur approached the fearful human, only for Mr. Downs to try and hit him with his farm tool. “Threaten me, would you?” Past-Arthur sneered as he grabbed the tool and punched Mr. Downs across his face.

“P-Please! I have a family, sir, please!” Mr. Downs begged.

“I don’t care about your family!” Past-Arthur barked as he kicked Mr. Downs. “Why’d it have to come to this, huh?!”

As Past-Arthur continued to beat the poor human, Luna was unsure what to make of it since she didn’t expect such a turn of events to transpire.

Luna looked at Arthur with a furrowed brow. “Why would you go so far as to injure a sickly soul for mere coin? What compelled you to go so far?”

“That right there is why, Princess, money,” Arthur sighed. “It’s like I have mentioned, I was not a good man, usually, and I took money from those who needed it most. Especially those foolish enough to borrow it.”

“You surprise me, Arthur Morgan,” Luna said plainly.

“Well I’d say I got my just desserts after this.”

Past-Arthur hoisted Mr. Downs up and pinned him against the the fence with an evil look in his eye.

“You borrowed money from my business partner Herr Stauss. You owe him, you took the money, and he wants it back! What’s not to understand?!”

COUGH!

Mr. Downs could only cough hoarsely in Past-Arthur’s face, spitting a little blood in his face and mouth, making Past-Arthur wipe and spit on the ground. “Where’s our money?!”

“I don’t have it…!” Mr. Downs whimpered weakly.

After not barring to see any more, Arthur made the memory fade as he turned his whole body away from Luna. “What you seen was part of the worst me. I had not a care for any who couldn’t pay what they owed. Not even one stricken with illness as Mr. Downs.”

Luna closed her eyes for a moment before she looked at Arthur again with a frown on her face. “From earlier events, I’ve seen a side of you that shows a noble spirit…but such events make me wonder…” she trailed off as she glanced to the side. “I wonder what else has happened to make you into the pony you are today.” She thought to herself as she used her magic to change the scenery again.

Arthur would say nothing as more of his memories played on for the Princess. She watched the many crimes he committed with his gang over the course of his journey. The people he met, the challenges he faced, and the emotional strain that bore down on him. Especially whenever she witnessed the death of someone from within the gang like the young human man Sean, or Kieran, even poor Lenny, and one of his other mentors, Hosea. However, despite the many ordeals, Luna noticed that there were a surprising amount of honorable memories that played out. The photographer who had a fascination with animals, the strange and oddly dressed circus man, the lonely doctor who had his carriage stolen but Arthur managed to get back, the depressed homeless man who complained that he was cheated of his earnings, the two prideful brothers who tried to show themselves off for the girl of their supposed dreams, the bounded prisoners who escaped custody together, the overzealous artist who drew nude humans with his art, the crooked mayor of the big city, the posh florist who Arthur picked exotic plants for, the author of a book about the famous gunslingers of old, the town of hermits who Arthur helped from a man who pretended to be something he wasn’t, the poor widow whom he taught how to hunt and fend for herself, the Downs family whom he had made peace with by offering them finds to escape poverty, the last of the debts he refused to collect after having been fed up with Herr Strauss, and the one legged war veteran whom Arthur made good friends with before his sudden end.

“I met a variety of different folks,” Arhtur finally said. “Each one was an experience I would take with me for as long as I lived. It all started to change the way I viewed myself and what was happening to my gang as we were on the run. I wasn’t sure what was gonna happen to us, but then again, maybe I did on account of how long we had been running. I felt like the biggest hypocrite on more occasions as you are witnessing.”

Luna shook her head with a soft smile on her face. “I wouldn’t say that. I believe all those encounters you’ve experienced and all those you helped slowly brought the kind of soul you really are, Arthur.” Luna said as she continued to smile softly at the gunslinger. “Even when your way of life was falling apart, you still took the liberty of helping your comrades. Like John,” she pointed out to a memory of him and Arthur setting up the explosives at a train bridge. “You even helped those that I would not have even lifted a finger to assist,” she commented when she pointed at a memory of the gunslinger saving his former comrade, Micah, in the local jail.

“I just did what I could for the time I had left,” Arthur said. “John had a family, something I once had but lost. I just wanted him to hold on to what he had so that he wouldn’t end up like me, especially when the gang was beginning to fall apart. And Micah? Hell, I don’t even care to dignify him after all the shit he put me and the gang through.”

The memory changed to a camp filled with human soldiers. However, Past-Arthur had one of the soldiers in his grasp at gunpoint as he backed away with his friend Charles, which confused Luna. “Why are you threatening that human soldier?”

“Remember them Indians I met a few memories ago? Rains Fall and his son?” Arthur asked and Luna nodded. “These soldiers had been threatening them and provoking violence when there was supposed to be a treaty. That man, Captain Monroe, was probably the only decent soldier out of these ingrates.” He said as he sighed and shook his head in dismay.

“All he wanted to do was keep the peace and help the Indians, but his superior didn’t like that too much. Especially when I stole a box of medicine that was meant to be delivered to the Indian reservation, at the captain’s request though. Fat lot of good that done in the long run…” Arthur trailed off with a grumble.

“I had overheard that Monroe was gonna be killed so that Colonel Favours could do as he wished. So I did what I had to in order to get Monroe out.” Arthur explained to Luna with a shrug.

Luna nodded with a smile still on her face. “That was the right thing to do, he was obviously one seal in the shark tank,” she said and the scenery changed to a train station in a farming community called Emerald Ranch. Past-Arthur had escaped his pursuers with Monroe and Charles and saw Monroe off on a train and Charles left to return to the reservation. An old female human, wearing black robes, approached Past-Arthur with a smile as she greeted him and expressed her joy for being sent to a mission.

“Ah, Sister Calderon, one of the few whom I had great respect for. She was always kind to me and gave me advice.” Luna was about to say something when she noticed that Past-Arthur looked far more ill than when she first saw him. She had noticed Past-Arthur looking more ragged throughout the many memories that played out before her, but not as bad as he was now. Past-Arthur began coughing up a storm and staggered, his eyes red and she noticed a little blood seeping out of Past-Arthur’s mouth as he sat down.

“You look so weak, and ill,” Luna frowned.

“That’s just my past sins come to pay my wicked ways back in full. Do you recall that sick feller Mr. Downs? Well he had an affliction called Tuberculosis, an illness that affected his lungs and had infected me with it as I beat him. It left me as weak as him when it finally started to make itself known. I was…powerless to do anything to stop it. For the first time, I felt something I rarely felt: fear.”

“I’ve lived a bad life, Sister,” Past-Arthur frowned.

“We’ve all lived bad lives, Mr. Morgan…” Sister said. “We all sin, but I know you!”

“You don’t know me,” Past-Arthur shook his head.

“Forgive me, but that’s the problem. You don’t know you.”

“What you mean?”

“I don’t know, but…whenever we happen to meet, you’re always helping people and smiling.”

Past-Arthur smiled a little and looked away. “I had a son…he passed away. I had a girl who loved me…I threw that away. My momma died when I was a kid…and my daddy, well, I watched him die…and it weren’t soon enough.”

“My husband died a long time ago,” Sister sighed. “Life is full of pain…but there is also love and beauty.”

“What am I gonna do now?”

“Be grateful that for the first time…you see your life clearly,” Sister advised. “Perhaps you can help somebody? Helping makes you really happy.”

“But…I still don’t believe in nothin’.”

“Often neither do I…” Sister chuckled. “But then, I meet someone like you and everything makes sense.”

“Heh! You’re too smart for me, Sister,” Past-Arthur chortled weakly. “I guess I…I’m afraid.” Luna heard the break in his voice, the look in his sad eyes, and couldn’t help but feel her eyes moisten at the unfortunate state the gunslinger found himself in. It was as if she could feel the pain in his voice all at once from that one single statement.

“There is nothing to be afraid of, Mr. Morgan. Take a gamble that love exists, and do a loving act.”

Luna raised her brow and smiled again. “Wise words from a wise soul…”

“I took her words to heart,” Arthur said quietly as he reached up to subtly wipe his eye with his thumb. “I faced death a number of occasions. I been shot at, stabbed, beaten, but none would’ve compared to what I was goin’ through with this affliction. I meant what I said before, when I was exposed to it by Mr. Downs. It was something that changed my very way of thinking, for better and for worse…”

“What happened next?” Luna asked Arthur, dreaded to see what followed next.

The scene changed once more and Luna saw Arthur and John running up a mountain side, guns firing everywhere. John looked injured as he held his arm and Arthur looked as though he was about to collapse from exhaustion and was coughing up more blood.

“We fell apart, the whole gang,” Arthur said. “Dutch had lost himself in Saint Denis and went off killing more people than usual. He made rash decisions and had this deluded idea of buying an island. Long story short, we were meant to hit one last train. But John was left to die and I had found out that it was Micah who sold us all out and not poor Molly. When I confronted them, no one believed me and the Pinkertons were already closin’ in on us. There was a point where I had a choice to return to that cave we were held up in to grab the money that Dutch hid away, or help John escape all this mess. My eyes were fully opened by then, so I didn’t give a damn about the money. All I cared about was getting John out so he could be with his family.”

“Alright Arthur, come on, let’s go!” John said as he waved his hand over for Arthur to follow him.

“You go…” Past-Arthur wheezed as he struggled to stand.

“Keep pushing Arthur!” John said as he staggered towards his friend while clutching his wound.

“No…cough! cough! I think I’ve pushed all I can.” Past-Arthur said as he wiped the blood off his mouth.

“Come on…” John sighed as he shook his head.

“You go.” Past-Arthur protested.

“We ain’t got time for this, not now.” John argued.

Past-Arthur sighed as he took off his hat and looked at John pityingly. “We ain’t both gonna make it.” Past-Arthur said as John frowned painfully. “Go…now. I’ll hold’em off.” Past-Arthur put his hat on his friend’s head as he placed his other hand on John’s shoulder. “It would mean a lot to me…please.” Past-Arthur grabbed his satchel’s strap and took it off as he handed it to John. “There ain’t no more time fer talk. Go.” He ordered as he pulled out his pistol and turned towards the distant gunfire.

“Arthur…” John said, but Past-Arthur waved him off.

“Go to yer family!” Past-Arthur demanded.

“Arthur!”

“Get the hell outta here and be a goddamn man!” The wheezing cowboy staggered more up the cliffside as John watched him.

“You’re my brother…” John called out, making Past-Arthur turn to him once more.

“I know…I know.” Past-Arthur said. John nodded to Arthur before reluctantly running the other way.

“GODDAMN YOU BASTARDS!” Past-Arthur cried as he fired more shots at his enemies.

As Luna watched Past Arthur desperately fight off the Pinkertons, he was ambushed by the treacherous Micah.

“You rat! You dirty rat!” Past-Arthur seethed

“I’m a survivor, Black Lung, a survivor!” Micah hissed as he punched Past-Arthur. “That’s all there is…livin’ and dyin’!”

The statement made Luna grit her teeth at the traitor. Never before had she met someone so selfish and self-absorbed for their own selfish gain. The two fought each other and were both beaten black and blue as Past- Arthur struggled to find his breath.

“Still got a little fight left in you, have you, boy?!” Micah mocked as he grabbed Past-Arthur and pushed him into the wall.

His hands gripped around Past-Arthur’s throat and tried to choke him out. Past-Arthur hit Micah’s arms in an attempt to break his hold but to no avail as he fell to his knees. Past-Arthur then began to hit Micah’s rib cage which seemed to do the trick as he was able to break the hold. Both men, wounded and wheezing, charged at each other in yet another fist fight. Arthur always hated Micah, he never once got along with him since he joined the gang.

“I always wanted some excuse to either kick him out or kill him; now I finally got it since it was him who sold everyone out to the Pinkerton’s. All this death and destruction, the running, the death, the chaos, all of it was Micah’s fault,” Arthur said bitterly.

Micah managed to tackle Past-Arthur to the ground and began wailing on him, despite Past-Arthur’s attempts to block his punches. When Micah raised his fist to strike Past-Arthur again, he swung his fist into Micah’s kneecap to throw him off. When Micah fell backwards, Past-Arthur rolled back on his stomach, gasping for air as he tried to crawl towards his pistol he dropped.

“All there is…is winnin’…and losing…” Micah growled.

He grabbed Past-Arthur off the ground and slammed his head in the wall, right before he bashed Micah’s head with the grip of the pistol as both men fell to the ground. Past-Arthur continued to wheeze painfully as he crawled once more on his stomach towards the gun.

“Oh, Black Lung…you ain’t gonna reach that gun! You ain’t!” Past-Arthur ignored his words as he continued to crawl. “You lost, my sick friend. You lost!”

“In the end, Micah…” Past-Arthur said in a raspy voice. “Despite my best efforts to the contrary…it turns out I’ve won.” He didn’t care that his lungs were on fire, that he could barely see, that his face and body were bloody and beaten. He continued to crawl, he was gonna end this one way or the other, regardless how much little time he had left.

“Goddamn you…” Past-Arthur wheezed as he grasped the pistol, only for a boot to step on his hand, making him grunt and look up to see his former mentor. Luna found herself glaring even more at the human who was supposed to be a beacon of support for Arthur, only for him to disregard everything he stood for.

“It is over now…Arthur.” Dutch said. “It’s over!”

“Oh, Dutch…” Past-Arthur could barely talk, let alone breathe. “He’s a rat…You know it and I know it.”

“He’s sick…” Micah protested. “He’s dyin’…he’s talking crazy!”

“There!”

“Up there on the ridge!”

The Pinkerton’s were closing in as Dutch just stood there over the dying gunslinger.

“I gave you all I had…” Past-Arthur said. “I did.”

“I…” Dutch tried to find the words, but none could be spoken since he had held Arthur in such high regard, only for him to be reduced to this. “I…”

“Come on. Dutch…let’s go, buddy.” Micah said with a false smile. “We made it. We won!” Dutch just looked away, unsure of what to do, still at a loss for words. “Come on!”

“John made it…” Past-Arthur croaked. “He’s the only one. Rest of us…no. But…I tried. In the end…I did.”

“Come on…” Micah pleaded. “Let’s go. We can make it!” Dutch frowned as he backed away and walked in the other direction, away from Micah instead of following him. “Come on, Dutch…come on!” But Dutch didn’t turn around, he just continued to walk away as Micah seethed at him and stormed off. Luna witnessed Past-Arthur lay there, wheezing and dying as he turned over to crawl again. He was now alone as he made his way to a slanted wall. Once he did, he laid himself down, grunting in discomfort. That was the last of his energy he had left. He looked over to the side to see the sun had risen just beyond the horizon, as did Luna. It was a welcoming sight for the gunslinger, a peaceful feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time. The pain from his illness was starting to fade away, as was he. The two watched Past Arthur take his last breath as the sun rose, a peaceful and content smile on his face before the memory faded. Luna was beside herself as her tears dripped from her eyes and off her cheeks.

“So now you’ve seen everythin’…” Arthur sighed. “Now the question is, what you must think of me?”

Instead of answering him with words, Luna rushed towards him and hugged Arthur with all her might. Even though he could not see her face with it being implanted in his chest, she started to tear up and sniff before she looked up at the stallion’s stunned face. “You poor poor soul…You’ve been through so much and yet you gave everything you had for the ones you loved…My sister was right about you, and so were many others…You are a good soul.” Luna removed herself from him and wiped the tears from her eyes. “It is at our final moments that we truly know who we are, Arthur Morgan…and this proves that you are not as evil as you perceive yourself to be.”

“You’ve seen me rob, lie, kill, and beat many people just now. You’re the only one who’s seen everything about me, thanks to this dream world. How can you still call me a good soul…when I’ve done so much wrong?”

“Arthur, allow me to show you my past…my sins…” Luna answered and used her magic to change the scenery to that of an old castle. There was one throne and it appeared to be nighttime, with the stars in the dark sky being present. Before any more words could be spoken by the spectators, Past-Luna walked into the throne room wearing a regal dress that resembled a galaxy. She sat on the only throne and grinned as she looked upwards.

“No longer will they ignore me!” she shouted out, her voice carried by the echo and the loud soundwave nearly shattered the stained windows around them. Past-Luna’s attention was then brought up to two royal guards who entered the room with spears at their side.

The two guards looked around and then saw Past-Luna. “Where is the Princess?” One of the grunts asked Past-Luna rather bluntly.

“Do you not see her sitting here?” She retorted sarcastically as she pointed to herself and sneered.

“You’re not the Princess, again I ask where-” His words were cut off when his vision became distorted and the world turned upside down. He looked around and saw his fellow guard gasp and backpedal. His eyes landed on a body that lacked a head. He furrowed his brow for a moment until he realised it was his. With that he screamed out with all his might.

Past-Luna used her magic to vaporise the corpse and then summoned the fallen spear to her hand. She used her other hand to pull the only other guard towards her. “Get over here, you welp!” She commanded him, but she could see he was doing his best to escape from her hold as he was dragged towards her. She glared at the tear-stricken guard. “Do you not know that I am also a Princess, filth!?”

The nameless guard nodded hastily as he stared into the eyes of Past-Luna, whose were becoming slitted and resembled that of a dragon’s. “I-I do! I do! I do! I do know you are our Princess too, Princess Luna!” He answered her but weeped as the spear etched close to him.

“Then why do you not see the work I do? Why do you not appreciate my nights like you do the days? Why do you not acknowledge my existence!?” She barked at him each question with each question that became louder and nearly ruptured his eardrums. When no answer was given to her, she noticed a foul smell that emanated from his trousers. Past-Luna rolled her eyes and sent the poor guard flying, where he impacted the opposite wall. Before the unconscious body could reach the floor below, the spear drilled into his stomach where it released a stream of blood until it stopped with the body being hung from the wall as a trophy.

Luna waved her hand, dispersing the memory as she looked away in shame. “I was…such a different mare a thousand years ago. I made so many terrible mistakes, it’s still a wonder how my sister still forgave me for my transgressions. If anypony, I’m the real monster.”

Arthur took a deep breath after witnessing the brutal display. He noticed how broken up she was and how it was still tearing away at her soul. However, despite her words and her actions, Arthur couldn’t bring himself to truly despise Luna since he wasn’t all the different.

“Guess we’re kindred spirits,” Arthur hummed, making Luna look at him. “You have your sins to bear and as do I. We both committed heinous acts of violence and yet we still stand here today.”

“Don’t you hate me?”

“Hate you? Why would I hate you?” Arthur asked. “Luna, I don’t think I could bring myself to dislike you. Besides, it would be mighty inconsiderate and hypocritical of me to denounce you when I basically showed you my past life’s story.” Arthur reached over and gently took her hand and smiled warmly down at her. “I forgive you, Luna, just as you forgave me. So take from a former outlaw like me, nothin’ good ever comes from lettin’ your past haunt you. All you can do is move forward and be the person you want to be for the days to come.”

Luna’s chest started to swell up from all the words Arthur had just spoken, with her cheeks that burned as though lit by fire. W-what is this pony!? How can such a magnificent pony accept me?! What’s happening to me?! She questioned herself as a slew of emotions coursed through her being. She placed her hands on her chest as though she was short of breath, but that was impossible since oxygen is not needed in the dream realm. Could this stallion be… could he really be the one for-

“You alright there, Princess?”

Before Arthur could get an answer, Luna’s eyes shrunk to pins and darted from one corner to another with her mouth shut tight. “We-I need to depart now for other dreams! Have a good evening’s rest! Goodnight! Sweet dreams! Bye!” she hastily bid the confused stallion farewell as she used her magic to exit from his dream.

“What the hell was that?”

Princess Luna gasped for air and jumped out of her throne-bed. She didn’t even bother to put on her slippers as she rushed out of her bedroom and rushed towards her sister’s chambers. Her mind was in a complete disarray with emotions and the tightness in her chest didn’t help at all. Once she made it to Celestia’s chambers and she banged on the door, ignoring any grace and humility.

“Sister?! SISTER WAKE UP!” Luna called out. There was some shuffling heard until Celestia finally answered the door and she yawned in her hand.

Celestia groaned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, with her vision a little blurry still from it. “Luna?” she asked and blinked a couple of times to clear her vision. “What time is it?” She asked her little sister and looked at the clock which showed it was only four in the morning. “It’s still too early for me to raise the sun, Lulu.”

“That does not matter! I am need of your aid!” Luna pleaded.

“Very well…” Celestia sighed as she let her inside. Luna quickly walked past her and paced around the room. “Lulu, what is wrong?

“I cannot explain it! I was in the dream realm, watching over everypony’s dreams, and then I came across Mr. Arthur Morgan’s dream. I banished a nightmare he was having and then he showed me much of his past and where he came from. And might I say, Tia, his past is quite the tragic one. It is a wonder he is still sane after all the heartache he experienced.” Luna shook her head to get back on the subject at hand. “Anyway, throughout the ordeal, Mr. Morgan kept complimenting me and calling beautiful and what not! After he showed me everything about his past, I showed him a little of mine.”

“You did? Why would you do that?” Celestia wondered at her sister’s action.

“To show him he is not the only pony with a dark past! And you know what he did?! He still accepted me! ME! The former near-usurper of the throne! His words were soft and genuine, his voice was warm that made my skin shiver, and his eyes…those gorgeous sky blue eyes of his felt like they were gazing into my very soul! And now I am unable to think straight! All I can think about is Mr. Morgan, and it is driving me mad! Am I ill?! Have I finally lost my mind?! What has happened to me?! Why did-!”

Before Luna could continue, Celestia used her magic to close Luna’s muzzle.

“Lulu, calm down…” Celestia looked into Luna’s eyes. She let loose of her muzzle which allowed the younger alicorn to breath in and out slowly. “Now, take a seat next to me please…” She guided her sister to her own bed where they were seated. “So you helped Arthur with a nightmare he was having, correct?”

“Yes.”

Celestia nodded and hummed. “And you also went through his memories alongside him, where he explained to you the events?” She asked and again was met with a nod from her sister. “You then showed him the events that lead to you becoming Nightmare Moon too?” She questioned her sister, who again nodded in response. “Instead of being disgusted, he merely accepted you and now suddenly feel confused, yet gleeful at the same time?”

“I do.” Luna said and her ears perked when she heard a giggle from Celestia. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing…” Celestia merely smiled and hugged her sister. “My sweet little sister has a crush…on a very lucky sheriff~.” She sang the last part with a playful tease. “Oh Lulu, I’m so very happy for you!”

There was a minute of silence from Luna until her eyes slowly widened to the size of dinner plates. All the blood in her system seemed to flow to her face and neck as a dark red hue washed over her.

“WHAAAAT?!?”

Author's Note

Past mistakes should stay in the past.

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…