Under a new Moon

Chapters

01 - Goodnight Moon
02 - Stairway to Heaven
03 - Looking for an Angel
04 - What a Fool Believes
05 - A Kind of Magic
06 - Intermezzo - The Dark Side of the Moon

01 - Goodnight Moon

Under a new Moon.

by OldTimer

It was a peaceful night, the kind of night where you can hear the sound of a falling needle from a distance of one mile.

This night was the perfect night. Drew was walking towards the border of the city, off to the nearby countryside.

He had patiently waited for the rest of his family to be asleep, when he was sure no one could hear him, he grabbed his guitar and a small backpack (it had been ready under his bed for a long time), then he carefully went out, paying attention not to make any sound.

Now he was out of the city, the road lights slowly fading behind his back. It was truly a beautiful night, the full Moon shining up there, all the stars crowning its majesty. He didn't need more light, he walked that road countless times, every step familiar to him, his destination clearly in mind. After a good hour of walking, he finally arrived where he wanted to be: a very old oak tree, standing majestically on a small hill. That was his favorite place, the only place where he could feel safe, the only place where he could be alone.

During the last two years, these night walks had become a habit for him. After losing all his money and properties (an unlucky mix of bad investments and a tricky accountant) he found himself broke and with a huge debt to pay. Without money and a place to live, he was forced to leave the city and come back to his family’s house. His present job in a local factory didn’t allow much hope either. He reckoned that he needed to work at least twenty-five years to repay all of his debt.

Twenty-five years. That meant he would be 49 by the time he could plan something again. That was simply too much to bear. He couldn’t even think of it. Every day his mood was worse, he barely talked to anyone. Each day the same as the former, his future a dark mass of recurring days. His only relief from this awful life were these nights. Bits of freedom.

But a man can’t feed on small bits.

Following his usual routine, he sat by the tree, laying his back on the firm trunk. He took his guitar out of the case, a slight smile forming on his lips, these moments were his, and his only. He looked up in the sky, the full Moon radiating its pale light.

“This is for you, White Lady”

Fly me to the Moon
Let me play among those stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars

In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby, kiss me

Fill my heart with song and
Let me sing forever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you

Fill my heart with song, and
Let me sing forever more
Because you are all I long for
All I worship and I adore

In other words
In other words, I, love, you

The last notes faded in the air, silence came again. He carefully put back the guitar, then he took the backpack.

“It's time”

He climbed the tree, quickly reaching one of the biggest branches. Sitting on the branch he looked down: he was probably twenty feet high, perfect. He opened his backpack, grabbing the rope that was in it, then he tied one end at the tree branch. The other end was made into a noose.

That's it. This is how my life will end.

Once again, he looked in the sky, giving a last glimpse at the Moon.

“Are you sure of this?” Said a small voice in the back of his head

“Absolutely”

He smiled.

“I'll be here” The voice said again

“Are you sure? Maybe it won't be pretty...”

“I beg to differ”

“Really? You have a plan of some sort?”

“Maybe”

This was starting to feel weird. He used to talk to the Moon in his nightly escapades, but this time was different. It was like the Moon was actually talking to him.

With a big sigh he braced himself, ready to jump off the tree, his death awaiting him.

“It's now or never”

He jumped off, the rope quickly tightening around his neck.

Peace, finally.

His body shook from the backlash of the sudden stop, his lungs burning, screaming for some air. He felt his eyes bulging, almost bursting out from the stress of his own life being torn off him. His vision started to blur, and he knew the end was near...

And then everything stopped.

His body still, enveloped in a faint aura, his mind suddenly clear. As he opened his eyes, a flash of light forced him to shut them again. He carefully opened his eyes once more. In front of him was the most incredible being he ever saw.

A unicorn. A winged unicorn. It was standing right in front of him, its coat a dark blue, its mane and tail made of stars. The head adorned with a small tiara, magnificent platinum sleepers on the hooves.

Then the unicorn spoke to Drew.

“I’ve been watching you, my friend” the same voice that talked to him one minute ago. A female voice, soft as silk.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Luna, princess of the Night”

“Did you save me?”

“Yes, my friend”

“Why?”

“Why, you ask? I’ve watched you come to this oak countless times, offering your songs to me. I’ve watched you sorrow for your unlucky fate. And then I’ve watched you trying to end your own life”

“What do you want from me?”

She smiled. “I want to give you what you’ve been longing these years” she paused “I want to give you freedom”

Freedom. He let that word caress his ears.

Luna slowly trotted towards him. She lifted one hoof, smiling.

“Would you like to come with me?”

Freedom. She was offering him freedom! He carefully took the hoof in his hand.

Luna smiled again. She flapped elegantly her wings and in a second they were ascending to the stars.

Drew still couldn’t believe his own eyes. Moments ago he was throwing away his life, now he was flying in the sky. He turned his head towards the ground, spotting the oak that had been his hideout for two years. A strange, limp figure was hanging from one of the branches.

He smiled at the odd view, then he turned back, wondering where that blue angel was carrying him.

02 - Stairway to Heaven

They kept soaring in the night sky, Drew still holding Luna’s hoof. Suddenly, Luna glided towards a cloud, gently landing on it.

“I suppose you have some questions for me, my friend” Luna said.

“Actually, just one: why me?”

Luna smiled once more in that strange night. “Why you? I didn’t choose you by a whim, if this is what troubles you. As I said, I’ve been watching you for a long time. Did you ever ask yourself why, every time you could, you went out in the night to lay under that tree?”

Drew pondered her words, she had a good point. Since moving back to his parents’ home, he had felt an inexplicable uneasiness, a deep sense of not belonging there. As a kid, he didn’t even know about that place, yet he found it on his first nightly stroll. Yes, he thought, there must have been some sort of connection between him and the oak.

“The night has its way of calling its children” Luna said “that particular oak is an ancient artifact, one made when your race still believed in something higher than them. You, my friend, have probably inherited the blood of those men.”

“Am I some sort of Druid?”

“I’m afraid not, my friend. But you indeed have a strong connection with the magic world. That’s why I was able to save you.”

Drew didn’t speak for a while, he let his brain assimilate that notion.

“This brings out another question: what happens now?”

“Now comes the hard part. Your body, your physical body, is bound to this world. What I did earlier was simply take your will out of that body. What is still hanging to the oak is nothing but an empty shell.”

“I can take you to my world” Luna continued, “but in order to live in there as any other living being, you will need a body that is born there.”

“And this means...”

“I can perform a very old ritual, a ritual that will allow your will to travel to my world. There’s a holy place in there, a place called Everfree Forest. In that place, a power even greater than mine dwells, that power is the power of life itself. That power should grant you a body suitable to live in my world.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me” Drew said, “but I suppose there’s a price to pay to get a new body” he added.

Luna’s eyes darkened a bit. “Indeed there is a price to pay, my friend. You have to risk your own existence. If your will isn’t strong enough, it‘ll be devoured by the Forest and you will become a monster.”

Another pause.

“Can I ask you a favour?”

“Yes, my friend.”

“Should I fail this trial and become a monster, will you kill me?”

I knew you would ask me this, Luna thought.She sighed heavily, then she said:

“Yes, I will”

“Let’s do it then”

He’s determined. His will is strong.

“Very well, look there” Luna pointed one hoof down. Drew noticed they were above a small lake.

“Water is the strongest magic catalyzer” Luna explained.

“Do I need to dive in there?” Drew said, measuring the height between the cloud and the water surface.

“Yes”

“I believe in you, Luna, take me to your world”

Luna bit her foreleg, letting a drop of blood fall into the water below. Her horn flared with magic and the lake started to glow. Steam arose from the water as the glowing increased.

“Now, jump in the water!”

Drew instinctively followed her order, jumping down. He could feel the air pressure against his face rising as the liquid surface became closer and closer.

I believe in you, Luna.

Closing his eyes, he braced himself for the impact. An electric shock went through him. The world shifted around him.

And then he was going up instead of down.

Confused, he opened his eyes, trying to understand what had just happened. It was in that precise moment that gravity required its toll to be paid, so he fell down once again, making a loud splash as he sank in the cold water. He struggled to come out of the lake, painting heavily as he landed on the muddy shore.

“Beware, my friend, for your trial is not over yet” Luna’s voice echoed in his head.

Drew, still catching his breath after the swim, took a minute to inspect the surroundings. He clearly wasn’t anymore in the familiar countryside. A dark forest was standing tall around him. The trees, the sounds, even the thick air was giving him an urge to run. That place felt dangerous.

Once again, Luna spoke in his head.

“Run. Run for your life. Your strong will granted you a body. The Forest wants that body back.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m waiting at the edge of the Forest. The place you are in now is forbidden to me, you have to come here on your own”

Drew could feel the creatures of the Everfree Forest eyeing him. He could hear their growls, he could smell their bloodlust.

“The Forest wants your body, Drew. The Forest wants back what your will stole”

Drew ran. He ran like he never did in his whole life. Branches and shrubbery hindered his path. The Forest was against him, the whole Everfree Forest was trying to kill him!
As Drew ran, the creatures were approaching to him. Even if he couldn’t see them, he could clearly hear their growling. They were closing the gap!

“Quick, my friend, you are almost here!”

He could see the end of the Forest. Dim rays of moonlight oozed between the tree tops. As he turned his head, glancing back, he felt his blood freeze: a timberwolf was no more than ten feet behind him. The giant wooden beast bared its fangs, ready to attack.

Drew, almost exahusted from the run, leapt forward, desperately trying to avoid being torn to pieces. The timberwolf leapt too, quickly approaching his prey.

“QUICK!” Luna roared in his ears.

Almost there. Please legs, don’t fail me now!

The beast was right behind him, he could feel its breath against his back. One misstep and Drew would be minced meat. He felt a massive paw swirling one inch from his right ear.

There it is!

One last sprint and he reached the end of the Forest. The timberwolf, still chasing him, bit the air in a last attempt to take him down.

“DOWN!” Luna’s voice boomed through the night.

As Drew crouched, a blast of blue energy darted above him, hitting the timberwolf and sending it back in the Forest. The beast howled, its crimson eyes shooting daggers at Luna, but eventually turned back in the depths of the Everfree.

“FOUL CREATURES, HEAR MY COMMAND! THIS MAN NO LONGER BELONGS TO THE FOREST, HIS REBIRTH IS COMPLETE!”

Finally safe, Drew collapsed on the ground, his heart still pounding hard in his chest.

“Is... Is it over?” he asked Luna, panting.

“Yes, my friend. You did well.”

He tried to get up, pushing hard on the ground to lift his torso. His arms failed him and once again he fell. He was drenched, weak and helpless.

“Can’t... Move... Freezing...”

Luna laid next to him. Unfurling one wing, she gently covered the shivering man. None of them spoke. Drew felt the warmth of her body being transmitted to him. He cringed in fetal position, allowing Luna’s wing to completely cover him. As Luna’s warmth washed away his tension, Drew fell asleep. A gentle voice blessed the night with a lullaby.

Hush-a-bye
Don't you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little horses

Dapples and greys
Pintos and bays
All the pretty little horses

“I hope I’m not intruding”

The voice came from another magnificent being. Celestia, the goddess of the Sun, was standing right in front of Luna.

“What brings you here, my beloved sister?”

“I felt something I had almost forgotten. I felt something that shouldn’t have been.”

Luna didn’t reply.

“Luna” Celestia continued, circling her sister, “could it be that you...”

She stopped, her mouth agape. She saw something hidden under Luna’s wing.

Celestia’s eyes hardened, her horn glowing with magical power.

Luna reacted a split second too late, a golden aura enveloped her. She was easily moved away by her sister’s magic.

As Celestia saw Drew, she barely held a scream.

“A human?” She hissed.

“Yes, sister, a human! I bet you remember the last ones.”

Celestia opened her mouth to reply, but her sister didn’t let her.

“I know what you’re thinking, Tia! I remember clearly my mistakes! I remember my foolishness, and the way I treated them!” Luna shouted on the verge of tears.

“Then why?”

“Because Nightmare Moon is dead. Because I want to show you what I wanted to accomplish for Equestria more than one thousand years ago! Because you are too busy being adored by your subjects to accomplish what we planned a long time ago. ”

Speechless, Celestia kneeled before her sister. The two royal alicorns hugged tightly.

“Forgive me, Luna, sometimes your sister forgets how beautiful was our reign.”

They both looked at Drew, shivering once again in the cold air.

Celestia smiled softly, a small tear running down her face.

“You’re right, Luna. Let’s move on and create a new era together”

The royal sisters both laid next to Drew, covering him with their wings. The night hushed as two voices sang in unison.

Hush-a-bye
Don't you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little horses

Dapples and greys
Pintos and bays
All the pretty little horses

Way down yonder
In the meadow
Poor little baby, crying mama
Bees and the butterflies
Fluter round his eyes
Poor little baby, crying mama

Hush-a-bye
Don't you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little horses

Dapples and greys
Pintos and bays
All the pretty little horses

All the pretty little horses

03 - Looking for an Angel

The Eastern Meadowlands, 24th of May

It’s been three days since I started my quest. I’ve decided to write this journal to document all of this journey. I’ve put a spell on the parchment, so that if something bad should happen to me, my memories will be teleported back to the Palace.

But let’s start from the very beginning.

My name is White Clover, but everypony knows me as Clover the Clever. I’ve been Princess Platinum’s personal assistant for more than twenty years. These eyes of mine have witnessed the founding of a new land.

Equestria.

When everything seemed lost, the three tribes finally managed to overcome their disagreements, and started working together for the best. Pegasi, Unicorns and Earth Ponies, worked hard to create a bright future for their offspring. I’ve faithfully assisted Princess Platinum in the founding of Equestria, until her illness took her prematurely away. Since her death, I’ve retired from public life. I created the Academy of Science and Magic, and I’ve taught ponies of all kinds.

I thought life didn’t have any more surprises for me, until one week ago a scroll magically appeared in front of me. It was from my mentor, Starswirl the Bearded! I hadn’t had any news from him for half a century, since he declared my training complete and he left, searching for more knowledge.

Nopony knows where he went, nor what he did during all these years. And then, this came to me.

What could have been the old unicorn doing? Why ask for my presence after all these years?
Without thinking twice, I left for the East.

***

17th of July

I’ve been following the Red Star of Dusk for almost two months now, but no trace of my mentor.
I’m running low on supplies, I’m afraid I’ll have to come back.

***

18th of July

A sign, finally! While looking for some shelter, I found a cave. Inside, I found traces of somepony living here. In the deepest part of the cave there’s an inscription, it was without doubt made by my mentor.
The inscription says there’s a forest not far from here.
Starswirl must be there.

***

20th of July

I found the forest. At the very heart of it I also found my mentor. Fifty years have passed since last time I saw him. His body may bear the signs of old age, but his eyes are still as lively as they were when he was young. He took me to a small pond in the depth of the forest.
The pond is guarded by two massive stone statues, too perfect to have been carved by ponies, even unicorn magic isn’t capable of something like that.
The statues represent two winged unicorns.
When I asked my mentor what that place is, he smiled a wicked smile, then he said

“This, my faithful student, is the Forge of the Gods”(taken from Clover the Clever’s personal journal, Canterlot Secret Archives)

Drew woke up, his body still numb. He groaned, trying to move. He felt really weak.

He wasn’t on the ground anymore. He was in a bed! A damp cloth was covering his eyes, Luna must have taken him away while he was out cold. He slowly inspected himself: bandages were covering his arms and chest. Suddenly an unknown voice spoke to him.

“Feelin’ any better, sugarcube?”

She spoke with a thick accent, her voice was warm and nice. He opened his mouth to reply, but all he was able to emit was a raspy sound. His throat felt dry as sand.

“Don’t push yourself, ya’ve been out fer three whole days”

He heard hoofsteps approaching then water being poured. An arm slid under the pillow, gently lifting and supporting his head while a mug was placed on his lips.

“Here, have sumthin’ ta drink”

He greedily gulped the water, almost choking.

“Whoa, pardner! Take it easy!”

The mug was taken to his mouth once more, this time he drank more slowly. After the mug was emptied, he sighed in relief.

“Phew, I really needed that! Thanks, miss..”

“Applejack, and drop that ‘miss’ thingy. Ya can also call me AJ”

“How did I end here, Applejack?”

“Mah big brother found ya near the Everfree Forest, three days ago. Ya were trembling like a rattlesnake’s tail and muttering something about th’ moon. Yer fever didn’t get down until yesterday. Ah feared it was too late, but luckily yer one tough fella!”

“Can you take this out of my eyes, Applejack? I’d like to see the face of who was so kind to treat a perfect stranger so heartily”

“Sure thing, pardner!”

As the cloth was taken out, Drew opened his eyes. The sudden light blinded him. It took him some moments to adapt to the brightness.

Applejack was right beside him, the cloth still in her mouth. Drew thoroughly examined her. She was without a doubt the same species as Luna, even if she didn’t have a horn or wings. Her size was smaller than the Princess of the Night, her coat was a bright orange and her mane and tail blond. Three apples adorned her flank. She was looking at him with her emerald eyes. A Stetson hat was resting on her head.

“Like what you see?” she chuckled.

Drew’s face flushed a bit. “Sorry” he said sheepishly.

“Nah, don’t worry none! Ah gave mahself ya a good ‘ole look while ya was asleep, and Ah reckon yer the strangest guy Ah ever seen!”

“Fair enough. And I’m Drew, by the way”

“Nice ta meet ya, Drew! Do ya mind tellin’ me what kind of thing you are? Yer definitely not a pony.”

“Well, I’m a man, a human. I suppose you don’t have many like me around here.”

“Ah’ll be damned if Ah ever saw somepony like ya! Bet mah friend Twilight will pester ya with an avalanche of questions, better be prepared! Wanna put somethin’ in yer belly, Drew?”

A loud growl from Drew’s stomach gave the answer. Applejack giggled.

“Well, wait right here pal, Ah’ll bring ya something good! Care to meet the rest of mah family?”

“It’ll be a pleasure!”

Applejack peeped out of the door, shouting to her family downstairs.

“C’mon ya’ll, Apples! Git yer flank here and meet th’ Sleepin’ Beauty!”

A small stampede could be heard from downstairs. Two Earth Ponies rushed in the bedroom, one was a large stallion with red coat and orange mane. The other was a green coated old mare. They both had a worried look on their faces, which changed into a relieved smile as they saw their guest was awake and apparently in good condition.

Applejack introduced her relatives to Drew.

“This is mah Granny Smith, and this is mah brother Big Macintosh. Mah little sister Applebloom is at school right now, ya’ll meet her this afternoon”

“Nice to meet you all, I’m Drew. Applejack told me you found me, Big Macintosh. I’m really grateful you helped me.”

Big Mac scratched the back of his head. “Ah’m glad yer alright”

Granny Smith gently put a hoof on his chest, feeling his bulging ribs.

“Oh, poor dear, look at yershelf!” she said. “Yer all bones! Dun’ worry none, Granny will put sum’ meat on ya!” then she turned at Applejack “Shame on ya, AJ! Can’t ya see that this poor little thing needs some food?”

“Ah was about ta bring some!” Applejack replied to the old mare.

“Wait here, dearie, Granny will fix sumthin’ in a jiffy!” and then she sprinted downstairs.

Moments later, she returned, balancing a tray on her back. It was filled to the brim with food of all sorts: sandwiches, apples, fritters, a steaming apple pie and a large mug of cool cider. Granny placed the tray on Drew’s lap.

“Help yershelf, dear!”

Drew’s mouth started watering at the view. “Don’t mind if I do” he said, grabbing a sandwich. After all of the food was devoured and the cider was gone, Drew laid back to let his stomach settle.

“Landsakes! Ah was afraid ya was going ta eat the tray!” Applejack said.

“Was it good, dearie?” Granny Smith asked.

“Granny, if I wasn’t so weak right now, I’d already planted a kiss on your cheek! That apple pie was simply the best one I ever had!”

“Oohh, you rascal! Watch out or Ah mite let ya do it!” Granny Smith blushed, waving a hoof.

“Hey, Ah made th’ pie!” Applejack protested.

“Guess your brother here won’t let me kiss you so easily...” Drew said, winking at Big Mac.

“Eeyup!”

Realizing what what she just said sounded like, Applejack’s face turned crimson.

“That’s not what Ah meant! Ah’m not one of those mares that let themselves kiss from the first nice new face in town!” She pulled down her hat, trying to cover her face.

“C’mon sis! We’re just teasing ya!” Big Mac said, grinning.

They all laughed. Drew, stuffed, stifled a yawn.

“Let’s go, Apples!” Applejack said, her face still red. “There’s still chores ta do and Drew here needs a nap after all that chowin’ and drinking”

The Apples went out, one at time. Applejack was the last to leave the room. She was at the door when Drew called her.

“AJ?”

“Yes, sugarcube?”

“Thank you very much, you’re the kindest family I’ve ever met”

Her cheeks flushed again “Aw, don’t make me feel silly! Rest now, this afternoon yer gonna meet the rest of th’ gang.”

Drew closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep once more. So this is your world, Luna.

He woke up a few hours later, feeling significantly better. He lifted himself up, settling in a sitting position. Three fillies were laying on the floor, a multitude of notebooks, pencils and randomly scattered pieces of paper around them. They were too busy with their homework to notice him.

“Let me guess, one of you must be Applebloom.” he said.

The fillies turned their heads at the same time.

“Yer awake, finally!” said one of the three. She was an Earth Pony, her amaranth mane kept in place by a pink bow. “And, yes, Ah’m Applebloom! Nice ta meet ya, Drew!”

Drew regarded her with a joyous grin, then he asked:

“And you two are?”

“I’m Scootaloo” the orange Pegasus said.

“And I’m Sweetie Belle” the little Unicorn squeaked.

“Together we are THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!” they shouted in unison.

“We helped Applejack and Granny Smith take care of you” said Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah, but we didn’t get our nursing cutie mark” Applebloom retorted.

Suddenly, Applejack entered the room. She gave a stern look to the fillies.

“What’s up with all the ruckus?” then she addressed Drew “Ah hope these three didn’t wake ya with them yellin’ and stuff”

“It’s not their fault, AJ, I was already up. We were just making acquaintances.”

Applejack tipped her hat. “Ready ta meet the gang, Drew? They’re all here ta see their first human!”

Drew smiled. “Better don’t make them wait!”

Less than a minute after Applejack called, the bedroom was crowded with ponies. Applejack introduced them one by one.

“...and this is Doctor Horse, he came to check on ya”

The doctor extended one hoof, Drew promptly shook it. Then he proceeded to examine Drew thoroughly, checking his heart, lungs and bandages.

“To be honest, I’ve never seen somepony like you before, but it seems your body is recovering quite well. You have no fever and your breathing and heartbeat seem regular. There’s no concussion nor broken bones. You seem to have suffered a severe case of exhaustion, and you’re clearly underweight, but I’m positive that another four or five days of rest should be more than enough to fix you up. Be sure to eat well and drink plenty of water”

“Ah’ll take care of that” Granny Smith proudly said.

“I’d like to get up and stretch my legs a little”

“That’s a good sign,” the doctor said “just don’t push yourself too hard”

Drew carefully moved his legs, slowly letting his feet on the floor. Big Macintosh came closer, ready to catch him in case of fall. He gave one last push and finally got up, wobbling a little.

“Not bad” he said, turning to the bystanders.

Suddenly, an awkward silence fell in the bedroom. Every mare’s eyes went wide as dinner plates. Cheeks flushed red. Hooves were flung before the little fillies’ eyes. It took Drew a few seconds to realize he was completely naked, and every female in the room (except the younger ones) was staring at his private parts. Big Macintosh quickly covered him with the blanket.

The doctor chuckled. “Seems like your peculiar way of walking is causing problems to the audience. My prescription is one pair of pants to wear on a daily basis.”

Drew giggled nervously, his face redder than Big Mac. That’s one nice way to greet your new friends.

***

“... and that’s pretty much how I ended here.”

After fixing Drew some clothes, the group had moved to the living room downstairs. The ponies were all curious about him, and they all sat around Drew to listen to his story.

As Drew finished, an awkward silence fell in the room. Pinkie Pie was the first to speak.

“You tried to k-k-k-kill yourself ?”

Drew sighed. “Yes, Pinkie,” maybe I shouldn’t have told them “I know it’s foolish, but I really was hopeless. I just wanted to stop feeling miserable”

Pinkie bolted on him, almost crushing his ribcage in a killer hug.

“What kind of twisted meany-pants world is yours?” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “How is even possible to make somepony feel so bad that he gives up his own life?”

“Gosh, you must come from a really awful place” Rainbow Dash added.

“Rainbow! Watch your tongue!”

“She’s right, Twilight. My world is pretty messed up, indeed. But you know what? I’ve been given a second chance, thanks to Luna, and I’m not gonna let it slip!”

“That’s talking!” Applejack proudly said.

Pinkie’s hug tightened. “Hey, you know what that means?”

“That you’ll let me breathe again?” Drew said to Pinkie, his face mildly red from the lack of oxygen caused by her grip.

“Yes!” she chimed. “I mean, no! Wait, yes, I’ll let you breathe, but this also means...”

“Let me guess, a party?” Rainbow said before Pinkie could finish.

The doctor vigorously shook his head. “Sorry to be the one ruining your plans, Pinkie, but he still needs time to completely recover.”

Pinkie gave him her best puppy eyes, without results. Drew laughed heartily. Not much later, everypony said goodbye to the Apples and Drew, promising to come back the next day.

Later that night, Drew was awoken by a familiar voice ringing in his head. He got up, then walked to the window and looked out. Luna was beneath the bedroom window. She looked concerned, but her frown turned into a smile as she saw Drew.

Paying attention on not making any noise, Drew went downstairs to meet his savior.

Luna was even more magnificent than the last time he met her. She looked at Drew coming towards her, her smile growing wider at every step. Her eyes sparkled like sapphires.

“Looks like you’re getting better, my friend.”

“Yes, the Apples are taking good care of me. They’re amazing.”

Luna’s eyes velled for a moment. “I’m sorry for having left you there.”

“I suppose you had your reasons. Besides, you left me in good hands, erm... hooves.”

Her eyes lit once again. I knew it. I made the right choice.

“I have a present for you” Luna’s horn glowed, a guitar levitated towards Drew. “It’s not the one you used, but I hope this will do”

Drew run his fingers on the wood, smiling as he traced the shape of the guitar.

“It’s beautiful”

“May I ask to listen to you once more? I think there’s somepony else interested, too.”

Luna pointed a hoof behind him. Drew turned back and saw four familiar faces peeping from the main door. Drew smiled at them.

“Can’t disappoint my audience, can I?”

He sat on a stump, his fingers plucking the chords.

Come to decide that the things that I tried
Were in my life just to get high on

When I sit alone come get a little known
But I need more than myself this time

Step from the road to the sea to the sky
And I do believe that we rely on

When I lay it on
Come get to play it on
All my life to sacrifice

Hey oh listen what I say oh
I got your
Hey oh now listen what I say oh

When will I know that I really can't go
To the well once more time to decide on

When it's killing me
When will I really see
All that I need to look inside

Come to believe that I better not leave
Before I get my chance to ride

When it's killing me
What do I really need
All that I need to look inside

Hey oh listen what I say oh
Come back and
Hey oh look at what I say oh

The more I see the less I know
The more I like to let it go... hey oh... whoa whoa

Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder
Where it's so white as snow

Privately divided by a world so undecided
And there’s nowhere to go
In between the cover of another perfect wonder
And it’s so white as snow

Running through the field where all my tracks will be concealed
And there's nowhere to go

When to descend to amend for a friend
All the channels that have broken down

Now you bring it up
I’m gonna ring it up
Just to hear you sing it out

Step from the road to the sea to the sky
And I do believe what we rely on

When I lay it on
Come get to play it on
All my life to sacrifice

Hey oh listen what I say oh
I got your
Hey oh listen what I say oh

The more I see the less I know
The more I like to let it go... hey oh
Woah woah

Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder
Where it's so white as snow

Privately divided by a world so undecided
And there’s nowhere to go

In between the cover of another perfect wonder
Where it’s so white as snow

Running through the field where all my tracks will be concealed
And there's nowhere to go.

I said hey oh yeah oh yeah, tell my love now.
Hey hey yeah oh yeah

Meanwhile, in Ponyville, a purple unicorn was busy searching through a pile of old dusty books.

04 - What a Fool Believes

One week had passed since Drew awoke at Sweet Apple Acres. His recovery was almost full, thanks to Granny Smith’s loving care. The old mare’s plentiful meals and the rest had put some muscles back on his bones. He was taking a walk in the orchard when he bumped into Big Mac. The red stallion was loading a cart with bushels full of apples.

“Howdy, Mac!” Drew saluted.

“Well, Ah’ll be! It’s really good ta see you up ‘n fine! Takin’ a stroll in the orchard?”

“Yes, I’m feeling really full of energy this morning. Besides, since Granny doesn’t miss any occasion to feed me, being out of reach is not too bad!”

Big Mac chuckled. “Eeyup, that’s mah Granny fer you! Always fearin’ that one could starve!”

They both laughed. Drew stirred up, inhaling the fresh country air.

“You know what, Mac? I think that I could use a little movement. Can I help you?”

“That’s an almighty good thing ta hear” the farmpony replied “nothing like some good ‘ole field work ta help somepony get back in shape! Just be sure that ya don’t push yerself too hard.”

“Sure, Mac! What can I do?”

Big Macintosh pondered for about one minute, resting his chin on his hoof. His eyes lighted when he had the perfect idea to give Drew something not too hard to do.

“See those trees over there?” he said, pointing a hoof towards a small group of newly planted apple trees “they’re ready ta be harvested for the first time. Why don’t ya go an’ pick them apples? Ah’ll be back after unloading these”

Drew glanced at the trees Big Mac showed him. There were about a dozen trees, a couple of feet taller than him. Their branches were loaded with ripe apples, with a beautiful dark red skin. He grabbed a couple of empty bushels, happily heading for the trees. As he picked the first apple, he smelled its sweet scent, then he carefully placed it in the bushel and got back to work.

Big Macintosh arrived at the barn. He was unloading the cart when Applejack arrived.

“Howdy, big brother! Have ya seen our guest?”

“Sure Ah did, sis. He’s in the orchard, harvesting those new trees Cousin Braeburn sent last spring”

“What?” Applejack gave a stern look to her brother “Are ya out of yer mind? How could you let him strain himself?”

“First” Big Mac calmly replied “He asked me if he could lend a hoof, and Ah reckon he’s fine enough to do it. Second, there’s nothing like a good workout ta get in shape”

“Hmmm, you may be right, brother ‘o mine”

“Ah know Ah’m rite”

“Know what, brother?” she teased “Yer not even half as dumb as ya look!”

“Oh shush!” he said, grinning “C’mon, let’s go see how he’s doin’ with them apples”

The two siblings went back to the orchard, Big Mac pulling his empty cart. Not much later, they spotted Drew, humming a merry song while gently picking the fruits. His shirt was starting to be drenched with sweat. Four bushels were laying on the ground, full of apples. He was about halfway harvesting the trees.

Applejack had a worried look on her face “Do ya think he’s overdoin’ it? Maybe Ah should go help him” she asked her brother.

Big Mac stopped her with his foreleg. He was smiling proudly at the view.

“Just look at him, AJ. Look at how satisfied he is. He’s not straining, he’s achieving a goal. Now, goin’ there an’ helping him would be mighty unpolite, would it?”

“Since when did ya become so wise? Are ya takin’ lessons without me knowing?”

“Nnope!”

Drew had filled another bushel. He spotted the two Apples and raised a hand to greet them.

“Hey, AJ! Nice to see you!”

“Well, lookit there!” she said, smiling “seems like yer becoming quite the farmer!”

He looked back at the bushels full of ripe apples, enjoying the feeling that only a job well done can give. “Yep!” he said “nothing like some exercise to knock off the rust from my joints! And besides, that’s the least I can do to thank you for your kindness”

“Don’t even say that!” Applejack replied “Yer more than welcome here fer all the time ya need”

The morning passed quickly, at noon Granny Smith ringed the bell for lunch. Big Mac, Drew and Applejack headed briskly to the house, casually chatting.

“Ah tell ya, Drew” Applejack declared “a couple of months of farm work and ya’ll become as strong as mah brother!”

Drew, who was balancing a crate half full of apples on his shoulder, chuckled. “It’ll take more than that to be like him, AJ. I bet Mac could knock out a rhino with those hind legs of him!”

“Ah could if he tried to hit on mah sister!” Big Mac said, puffing his chest.

“Aw, shucks! Stop bein’ so overprotective. D’ya really think yer sister can’t defend herself?”

The trio laughed. Granny Smith narrowed her eyes, examining them as they were approaching. Suddenly, an idea started wandering in the old mare’s head. Trying to conceal her smile, she gave the last call for lunch.

“C’mon, ye three! Git yerself washed up while Ah set the table!”

***

Twilight Sparkle hadn’t come out of the library all week. Intrigued by Drew’s story, the purple unicorn had searched through every book at her disposition, hoping to find something about humans and their world. Unfortunately, her efforts gave no results.

“Awwwwwwwww” Twilight groaned, her eyes bloodshot because of the lack of sleep “How come there’s no history of humans in Equestria?” She was reading for the fifth time the Encyclopaedia de Mythica Creaturis, by Charles Hoofwin, an ancient tome considered the most complete compendium of exotic creatures.

Spike, her draconic assistant, rolled his eyes.

“Twi, it’s pointless” he said, picking up another book from the floor “You’ve gone through the entire library twice and couldn’t find anything. Why don’t you make a request at the Canterlot Archives?”

Twilight muttered something, mimicking her little brother’s last words. Her frustration was almost at peak.

“I’ve already made a request two days ago” she said flatly “But it will take at least two weeks for them to fill in. Apparently, they have made a huge increase to the security due to an attempted break-in some times ago” She carefully avoided the fact that the aforementioned break-in was made by her, with the aid of Pinkie Pie and Spike, in the vain hope to find a time stopping spell.

Spike chuckled, recalling the events of that night. Then an idea popped in his head.

“Why don’t you go to Sweet Apple Acres and ask Drew? I bet he can tell you everything about humans, since he’s one. He should be fine by now.”

Twilight mentally facehoofed. Why didn’t I think about that?

“You’re right, Spike! I’m going to the farm, so you can finish cleaning up this mess!”

She trotted out of the library, off to Sweet Apple Acres. Spike looked at the amount of tomes scattered everywhere. Sighing, the baby dragon started piling books in his tiny arms.

As every afternoon, Sweet Apple Acres was a quiet place. All of his chores done and eager to get a mug of cider, Big Macintosh was carrying the last crates of apples to the barn when a familiar voice called him.

“Hello, Big Mac. How are you?”

“Why, hello to you, Twi. Ah’m fine. Jest finishing mah last chores for ta day” he said, closing the barn door “What brings you here?”

“Oh, nothing in particular. I just wanted to drop by and check on your guest. Is he alright?”

“Oh, yes. He’s more than alright! Right now he’s with mah little sister and her friends. They should be at the clubhouse”

“Thank you, Big Mac. See you later!”

Twilight trotted through the orchard, off the the Crusader’s clubhouse. Once there, a loud cry from the small tree house pierced her ears. She covered the last yards to the clubhouse in a quick gallop, carefully stopping under the window. From there, she was able to hear everything without being noticed.

“You won’t get away with this!” Scootaloo yelled

“Yeah, give back Sweetie Belle ya thievin’ varmint!” Applebloom shouted.

Twilight froze on her hooves. Another voice from the clubhouse reached her. A male voice. It spoke with a dark tone.

“Fools! You have all fallen for my master plan! Now you won’t see your friend anymore!” Then the voice burst in a deep, evil laugh.

“Help meeeeee!” Sweetie Belle cried.

Could it be that Drew was a threat? Could it be that he was evil? Without thinking twice, Twilight charged her magic. A bright light enveloped her body and in a flash she disappeared, instantly reappearing into the clubhouse. Scraping her hoof on the floor, she was ready to face whatever evilness her new enemy was conjuring.

“Stop right there! I won’t let you harm those fillies!” she shouted.

Four stunned faces were looking at her, what laid right before her eyes wasn’t exactly what Twilight expected. Drew and the Crusaders were wearing paper hats and holding sticks. Sweetie Belle, clearly unharmed, was being hold by Drew while Applebloom and Scootaloo were standing in front of them, sticks firmly in their mouths. Scootaloo had a black eyepatch on her left eye. Drew and the fillies were speechless.

Twilight’s eyes darted between them, until realization hit her like a meteor.

“Am I interrupting something?” she said sheepishly, her cheeks flushing a dark red. All of the tension from before washed over her, the room still filled by an awkward silence. Drew was the first to talk.

“Hello Twilight, want to play with us?” he was barely managing not to laugh.

“I’m the hostage!” Sweetie Belle cheerfully chimed.

“So” Twilight said “you were playing pirates?”

They all nodded.

“Did I just make a fool out of myself?”

Once again, her audience nodded. Then they all burst out laughing.

“Did ya think it was for real? No way!” Applebloom said between her giggles.

Twilight fell on her haunches, her face now a deep crimson. Drew sat by her, grimacing.

“So” he said, wiping the tears from his eyes “What brings you here?”

“I wanted to see how you were doing” she gingerly said “and I’d like to talk with you a little”

“Well, as you can see, I’m doing pretty good. Why don’t we talk while going back to the farm? I’m not sure I can win against those two” he said, pointing his thumb at Applebloom and Scootaloo.

“Aw, you don’t want to play with us anymore?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“We can play again tomorrow” he promised, then he and Twilight set out.

The Crusaders watched them depart, quickly disappearing in the orchard.

“Now what can we do?” Applebloom asked

“Building airships?” Scootaloo answered.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS AIRSHIPS MAKERS!!!” the trio yelled.

***

Twilight, her face finally back to its original color, shot a quick glance at Drew. Due to his bipedal position, he stood taller than her, her eyes at the same level of his chest. His limbs were sturdier than the last time she saw him, and a hint of beard was growing on his cheeks. She was still examining his figure when Drew spoke.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Oh, I was just curious about your story. After our first encounter I’ve made some researches, but I couldn’t find anything about humans in Equestria. I was hoping you could fill me in about your race”

“Sure. And, by the way, AJ told me you run Ponyville Library. I‘d like to know more about Equestria. Can I drop by and borrow some books?”

Twilight’s ears perked at this request. “You like reading?” she said, her mouth agape.

“As a matter of fact, yes. Is it a bad thing?”

“It couldn’t be less bad! You like reading! Yes! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!” she started bouncing happily around him. Drew looked at the unicorn jumping around him, amused by her enthusiasm.

“I guess this means I can have those books”

Twilight froze in midair. Once again, her face went scarlet. She chuckled sheepishly and finally said “Yes. Sorry for overreacting”

“Don’t be. It was adorable”

Those last words made Twilight blush even more furiously. Adorable? Nopony ever told her that. She turned her gaze to Drew, he was looking at her with warm eyes, smiling. She shook her head, trying to find something to say, but for some reason, she felt a lump in her throat. Luckily, they were already at the farm. Applejack was sitting in the porch, waving her hoof at them.

“Howdy Twi! Didn’t know ya were here. Haven’t seen ya the whole week” then she moved her gaze to Drew. “Hey pardner! Was your afternoon with the Crusaders good?”

“Trust me, AJ, those fillies are a handful! If Twilight here didn’t come to save me I don’t know what would have been of me!”

Applejack giggled. “Yes, those three can be quite the pests. Hope they didn’t get ya too tired”

“Nah, it was fun. I got to be the bad guy” winking at Twilight, he politely avoided to talk about the little encore she provided.

***

The library’s door creaked open, revealing its neat interior. Twilight called for her assistant.

“Spike, come here, we have guests!”

The baby dragon peeped from the kitchen, his emerald eyes suddenly locking on Drew.

“Spike, this is Drew. Drew, this is Spike, my number one assistant”

Drew took Spike’s little hand in his. “Nice to meet you, Spike” then he turned to Twilight “So, where do we begin?”

Two hours later, Rainbow Dash came to the library, too. As she closed the door behind her, a desperate Spike kneeled before her, grabbing her forehooves.

“Please Rainbow, save me! They’re unbearable!”

The cyan pegasus gave Spike a puzzled look. “Wat are you talking about?” her ears perked as the sound of lively chattering reached her.

“Them!” he said, pointing a talon towards the reading room.

“What the hay?” she shouted as soon she reached the room, her eyes widening in disbelief. Twilight and Drew were discussing over about a dozen of opened tomes. Twilight was scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment, taking notes as Drew described his world. At the same time, Drew was asking an ocean of questions about what he was reading from the books in front of him. Too busy grasping notions from each other, Drew and Twilight didn’t even notice Rainbow Dash’s presence. Even for Rainbow Dash, the bravest and coolest pegasus ever, that display of bookwormness was simply too much to bear. She carefully backed away, grabbing Spike under her wing.

“Oh my gosh! We have another egghead in town! Ponyville is doomed!” she cried.

***

Against all odds (well, against Rainbow’s odds actually), Ponyville survived pretty well. Another week passed, and the Sun rose on Sweet Apple Acres as every other day. It was Sunday, and that meant market day.

At the farm, Drew and the Apples were having breakfast, happily chatting together.

“Let me tell ya, Drew, this week ya really did a great job helping us!” Applejack declared over her pancakes.

“Oh, come on AJ, you’re embarassing me!” he sheepishly replied “Besides, I can’t thank you enough for all you and the others did for me. I really like staying here”

“Well, Ah’m glad yer sayin’ this” Big Macintosh said. He gave a quick glance to his sister, who nodded in reply “Cause me and th’ family had a little talk last night, and we’d like you to stay with us permanently. If you wish, of course”

Drew couldn’t believe his ears. “Really?”

“Heck yeah!” Applejack stated “Ah know it’s been only two weeks, but we really appreciate yer company. And since ya’re all on yer own here, we were hoping ya would join the Apple Family”

“I don’t know what to say” he said, tears swelling in his eyes. Not only these ponies welcomed him in their farm, they also wanted him to be part of their family.

“Then just say yes!” Applebloom said, jumping on his lap and hugging him “Ah’d really like ta have another big brother!”

A joyous smile formed on Drew’s lips. He squeezed Applebloom in his left arm, extending the other to harbor the other three Apples. “Of course I want to stay with you!”

“C’mon Apples!” Applejack said, shifting her hat on her head “Why don’t we all get ready fer the market?”

“Sure, sis!” Drew said, nudging her shoulder. Applejack giggled at the sound of that last word.

The trip to Ponyville Central was quick and pleasurable. Once their stall was ready, a multitude of ponies crowded it, curious about the strange being selling apples near Big Mac. Drew happily answered their questions, trying to memorize all their names. Applejack had to make them form a line.

“Ok everypony, ya’ll get yer chance to meet him, but remember that this is a market stall, so paying customers come first!”

“In that case, I want some fritters!” the green unicorn in front of Drew promptly said, trying to keep the others behind her. Drew picked the fritters and put them in a small packet, handing it to the mare and taking her bits.

“Here you are, Miss...”

“Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings” the mare replied.

“Nice to meet you, miss Lyra. I hope you will come back to our stall” he gave her a toothy grin, just before another mare pushed her away to get her chance to talk to him.

“Hello, sir, I’m Roseluck. I run the flower shop behind that corner. Would you like to recommend me some of your seemingly delicious products?”

Drew smiled at the mare. Guess this is what you get when you’re the latest arrive in a small community. Deciding to play the game, he gave the mare his best shot.

“Why, of course, miss Roseluck. Why don’t you have some of this delicious Gala apples? I picked them myself and I guarantee they’re just perfectly ripe”

Less than one hour later, Big Mac had to hurry back to the farm to get more supplies to replenish the stall. The horde of curious ponies didn’t thin until almost half of the town had had the chance to meet Drew. Applejack’s grin grew wider and wider as the fund box was filled with bits. Around halfway in the morning, some known faces started to appear in the market plaza.

“Darling, it’s so good to see you are so lively!”

“Hello Rarity! Glad to see you... oof!” A pink blur crashed on Drew before he could finish his phrase. Laying on the ground and trying to understand what just happened, he recognised the fluffiness of Pinkie Pie’s mane.

“Hi Pinkie!”

“Hi Drew! I just saw you and I realized I didn’t have the opportunity give you my Official Pinkie Pie Welcome Song, patent pending”

“Sounds good. Do you mind letting me get up?”

“Sure!” then she bolted away, coming back two seconds later pulling her official Welcome Cart. She started the engine with a well placed kick. Trumpets and other contraptions sprung out of the cart, letting the party pony start her song.

Welcome welcome welcome
A fine welcome to you
Welcome welcome welcome
I say how do you do?
Welcome welcome welcome
I say hip hip hurray
Welcome welcome welcome
To Ponyville today...

“Wait for it...” everypony said, backing away.

An explosion of whipped cream and cake mix burst from the cart, literally flooding Drew.

“Are ya alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, holding her laughter.

Drew licked the cream from his mouth, laughing.

“Oh goodness, this day keeps getting better!” he said, trying to get his face cleaned “first I get a new family, then a whole bunch of friendly ponies greeting me, and now this!”

“Darling, did you just say family?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, Rarity, I was about to tell you, but I guess Pinkie gave me a better way to announce that I’m joining the Apple Family”

“This is marvellous news! I’m so happy for you!”

“Oh boy, this calls for the BIGGEST PARTY EVER!” Pinkie shouted.

As the morning passed, the Apples were packing the stall, ready to head back to the farm. Applejack was still counting the daily collection. The orange mare had never seen such amount of bits in a single work day.

“Say AJ, is market day always this busy?” Drew asked.

“Ah sure hope it will be!” she chuckled “Guess a new guy in town is a boost fer our business”

“Yeah, especially when you said ‘paying customers come first’. I didn’t know you were such a great dealer!”

“Oh, don’t act like ya didn’t like it! Ah saw how them mares were makin’ sheep’s eyes to ya. Ah’m afraid Ah’ll need to buck some reason into them fillies with these two hind legs ‘o mine!”

“Jealous, aren’t we?” he teased.

Turning away to conceal her blush, Applejack finished counting the bits. She put a hooffull in a bag and gave it to Drew.

“What’s this?” he asked

“It’s yer share” she said “Yer part of the family now, so ya’ll get yer weekly income like all of us!”

Weighing the bag in his hand, Drew smiled to Applejack. “I’m still not fully familiar with Equestrian currency, but this looks like a lot of money” he said

“And it is” Applejack replied “thanks to you we sold three times the usual today”

“Good. Hey, do you mind if I’m staying in town a little more? I’d like to look around for a bit”

“No problem pardner. Have fun!”

Walking through the streets of Ponyville, Drew spotted Twilight sitting on a bench with another mare. They were talking lively, but he couldn’t hear them from that distance. He walked towards them, waving his hand at Twilight.

“Oh, hi Drew! I was just talking about you with the mayor”

The mayor was a brown Earth Pony with a grey mane and tail, and a scroll for cutie mark.

“So you are the human everypony in town is talking about” she spoke with a calm yet interested tone.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Mayor. Your town is really nice.”

“I’m really glad you like it” the mayor said, studying him from behind her glasses “Twilight told me you’re staying at Sweet Apple Acres, since you don’t have a place. If there’s something Ponyville can do to help you, don’t hesitate to let me know”

“Thanks, mayor, but I don’t think that will be necessary. Today the Apples offered me to join their family, and I gladly accepted. Guess I’ll be one of your citizens from now on.”

“Drew, this is wonderful” Twilight said

“Indeed it is” the mayor happily replied “and since you are becoming a Ponyvillian, why don’t you stop by Town Hall tomorrow? We could register you in our archives and make it official. And if you want, you can help our community by participating in one of the city activities. Ponyville Fire Department needs volunteers. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go, my husband is waiting for me at the cafe. Goodbye Twilight, and goodbye to you, Drew”

“Goodbye mayor. See you tomorrow!”

As the mayor trotted away, Drew leaned next to Twilight, whispering in her ear

“Do you think she’s trying to get my vote already?”

Twilight giggled. “So you’re becoming an Apple?” she asked

“Yes, they asked me this morning to become part of the family. They’re really great”

“I’m really happy for you, Drew. Applejack is one of my best friends, and I’m sure you’ll be really happy with them”

“Yep. Pinkie and Rarity already know. I was hoping to see you and the others to give you the good news. Do you want to come with me? We could chat a little while searching for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. But before this, why don’t we get something to eat? It’s my treat.”

Twilight blushed a little. Did he just ask her out? No, she thought, he was probably just being friendly. And yet her heart was racing, her mind picturing them together at the restaurant. She was still lost in her thoughts when she realized he was talking again.

“Is everything alright, Twilight? You’re spacing out”

“Sorry” she sheepishly replied “Sure, why not? I’m famished!”

***

The days passed quickly, and it was already three months since Drew got adopted by the Apples. Little by little, all the inhabitants of Ponyville acknowledged him as one of them. As for Drew, those were the best days ever. He had a new family, new friends and most important, no worries.
For the first time in years, he felt good and in peace. The Sun had almost completed its trip in the sky, and that meant work for today was over.

“Go on, AJ. I’m going to the library for a while”

“Alright, Drew. Jest remember that there’s a rainstorm scheduled for this evening”

“I’ll keep it in mind. See you later!”

Drew loved his afternoons at the library with Twilight. The purple unicorn was probably the smartest and most knowing being he ever met. He could spend hours simply listening to her talking about any random subject, letting her soft voice caress his ears. Twilight, too, loved his company. The studious mare was glad there was someone she could talk with without having to fear she was talking to a brick wall.

Drew knocked at the library’s door. A moments later, Twilight opened it, greeting him. An awkward silence fell between them as their eyes met. Twilight broke the tension.

“Hi Drew!” she said in a little overexcited tone “Come in, I was just about to close for today”

“I hope I’m not intruding” he said “I’m here to return this book I borrowed”

“Oh, not at all! You’re my best customer. So” she asked “did you like Equestrian History?”

“It’s really fascinating. I’m amazed at how the three tribes managed to overcome their differences and worked together for the best. It’s something my species couldn’t achieve”

As always, Twilight was intrigued by his words. She couldn’t find anything about humans in her books and the scholar in her wanted to grasp every notion about Drew and his world. On the other side, Drew was more than willing to spend time with Twilight. There was something about the purple unicorn that made him feel alive. In their past meetings, he told her about the ancient civilizations, their rise and fall, and how his race had been able to create and destroy at the same time. This time, he told her about the great geniuses of the Renaissance, and how they were treated for their revolutionary ideas. Twilight asked questions from time to time, and Drew gladly answered them.

The crack of a thunder interrupted their talk. Twilight looked out of the window. Raindrops were starting to fall at an increasing rhythm.

“I thought that the storm was scheduled for tonight”

“Actually it is tonight” Drew said, looking at the clock on the wall.

Over three hours had passed since Drew’s arrival. They were so lost in their conversation that they didn’t realize how much time had passed. Another thunder announced the start of the storm. Heavy raindrops started falling on Ponyville. Drew was in for a very wet ride to Sweet Apple Acres.

“I suppose I need to borrow an umbrella” he stated.

Twilight was still looking outside the window. “I’m afraid the rain is a little too hard for a regular umbrella. Besides, I don’t think you’ll be able to use it”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a saddle umbrella, it’s meant to be attached to your back. Pony stuff”

“Guess I could become rich selling human accessories. Oh, wait, I’m the only one around. I’d end up selling everything to myself.”

She giggled. Then an idea popped in her brain. Her cheeks turned a little red.

“Why don’t you stay here... with me?” Twilight was surprised those last two words came out of her mouth.

He gave her an uncertain look. “What?”

“I mean” she said, quickly recovering her cool “since it’s raining so hard you could stay here for tonight and go back safely tomorrow morning.” Another loud thunder made Twilight’s proposal more endearing.

“Well, ok. I just hope Granny and the others won’t worry”

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. Why do I feel like this? It’s nothing different than that time with Applejack and Rarity. I’m just having a friend for a sleepover. A friend that makes me feel funny...

“I’m afraid I can’t compete with Granny’s cooking, though. Spike usually makes the meals and he’s away in Canterlot for royal business. The best I can provide is daisy sandwiches and hay fries”

Drew felt his stomach squirm. He sure got used to the vegetarian habits of the ponies, but hay and daisies weren’t exactly something he could eat. “In that case, allow me to treat you to something made by me. I may not be as skilled as Granny or Applejack, but I suppose I can arrange something edible” for both of us.

Thirty minutes later, Drew had arranged some stir fried veggies and an omelet. Twilight was levitating a bottle of wine. “I’ve had this bottle of Canterlot Chardonnay for a while. How about giving it a try?”

“Why not? It’ll help wash out my cooking. I’m not sure I made it right”

Twilight took a bite of her meal. “It’s delicious!” she said, happily munching.

Drew poured the wine into two glasses, then handed one to Twilight. They both took a sip of the golden liquid, tasting it.

“You know, this is quite good too” Drew said. The wine tasted like fresh pineapple, with a hint of almond. Its sparkling sweetness covered the conspicuous amount of alcohol in it. As they finished their plates, the bottle was emptied too. They both were feeling a little dizzy, so they moved to the living room, sitting on the couch.

“You know, Twilight, these months have been the best I can remember. I’m really lucky to be here”

“Don’t you miss your world? And your family?”

“Actually, no, I don’t miss them. I know this sounds strange, but I never felt part of my old family. As far as I can remember, I’ve never felt part of something. Until I came here”

“This is so sad to hear”

“Yeah, I know. But tell me something about you. How about your family?”

“Well, my parents live in Canterlot, and so does my brother. He’s the captain of the Royal Guard. As for me, I moved here after the Nightmare Moon incident, to continue my studies as Princess Celestia’s personal protegè...”

“Yes, you already told me that. Did you write about me in your letters to the princess?”

“Actually, yes. I mentioned you and your interest for Equestrian History. She’s really happy that you like staying here and wants to meet you one day”

“That would be great. Maybe you could accompany me, I’d like to meet your brother, too”

She giggled. “Sure, you’ll like Shining Armor”

Then the shotgun question came.

“So you’re like a celebrity... I bet there’s a line of suitors at your door”

“What? No!” her cheeks flushed red as she covered her snout with a hoof.

“Sorry, wrong question” he said, stifling a giggle “Yet I’m a little disappointed in Ponyville’s stallions. Are they all blind?”

“Oh, stop it you!” she said, blushing even more “I refuse to keep on this conversation”

Drew couldn’t hold it anymore, and burst laughing. “Sorry, sorry” he said, holding his sides “It’s just too funny to tease you!”

Twilight pouted, her cheeks still red. She lifted her forehooves, trying to grab him, but the alcohol in her body had dulled her perception and she lost balance, crashing on Drew. They both ended on the ground, Drew immobilized under her. It was a pretty awkward position for both of them.

“Ow, that hurts. Next time I’ll keep my mouth shut”

“That’ll teach you to not mess with the Sparkle” her eyes were just a few inches from his.

“Sorry” he said, unable to look away from the purple stars in front of him.

Suddenly, Twilight locked her lips on his. Drew’s eyes widened in surprise. It all lasted no more than a second, yet it seemed an eternity for both of them. That innocent kiss made Drew realize how much he liked being with Twilight, how much she made him feel happy. It was now all clear: there was something between him and the purple unicorn. Something deep. Something pure. Something beautiful.

Twilight lifted her head, looking at Drew. His face was still blank for the shock. She felt her heart stop, fearing that she made a terrible mistake.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry!” she said, her voice trembling in terror.

“I’m not” then, setting free his arms, he grabbed her head, kissing her once more.

This kiss lasted way longer than the last. They savored each other’s lips, until Drew cautiously pushed forward his tongue. Twilight opposed no resistance, welcoming him inside her mouth. Their tongues danced together until they broke the kiss, heavily panting.

“That was unexpected” she said, still catching her breath.

“Yes, it was. Nonetheless it was amazing”

“Does this make us... Strange? I mean, we’re two different species after all.”

“I don’t know. Do you feel strange?”

Twilight pondered his words. Was that wrong? After all interspecies relationships weren’t completely unheard in Equestria. She heard of ponies and griffons being together, even ponies and Diamond Dogs. So, were they doing something wrong?

She was still searching for an answer when he kissed her again. That kiss made her find the answer. It was so not wrong. Love couldn’t be wrong. They had all the night to confirm that theory.

***

The Sun arose on Ponyville, spreading its warm rays in the blue sky. Once the storm had finished its job, the weather pegasi took care of clearing the clouds. The industrious ponies were getting ready for another day.

Drew and Twilight were still peacefully sleeping, holding into each other’s arms. As usual, the morning light awoke Drew. Twilight shifted in his embrace, quietly moaning.

“Wake up, Princess” he whispered in her ear.

“Mhhhh, it’s too early” she leaned her head on his chest, letting his heartbeat lull her.

He smiled, gently kissing the tip of her horn. I want to wake up like this every day.

Having one of her most sensitive spots kissed made Twilight shiver. She reluctantly opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. “Fine, I’m up. You better have a really good reason for not letting me sleep”

As an answer, he kissed her on the lips.

“Ok, that was a good start” she said with a playful smile “but you’ll have to do a little more to get my forgiveness”

A knocking at the door interrupted them.

Drew rolled his eyes. “Isn’t it a little early for customers?”

“Oh my gosh!” Twilight gasped “I forgot Rarity and Fluttershy invited me for breakfast this morning!”

The library’s door creaked open. Rarity peeped inside.

“Twilight, darling, are you up? Fluttershy is waiting for us at Sugarcube Corner” the white unicorn entered, her hoofsteps getting closer and closer.

Twilight panicked. Her eyes darted between Drew and her bedroom’s door while her brain was racing to find out how to keep secret from Rarity that she wasn’t alone in her bed. Her horn flared, and the door shut.

“Twilight, is everything alright?” the voice came from behind the door

“Go, I’ll stay here and go away after you leave” Drew whispered.

She kissed him one last time. “I’m coming Rarity, just let me make myself more presentable”

***

Sugarcube Corner was busy as every morning, with ponies happily consuming their breakfast. Pinkie Pie was bouncing from table to table taking orders and placing trays full of their famous sweet treats. In a corner table, Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy were eating their meal and chatting. Well, at least two of them were. The purple unicorn was in a deeply thoughtful state, her head resting on her hoof.

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”

“Wha-Uh? Who’s drowning?” Twilight snapped out of her thoughts, almost spilling her coffee on the table. Shaking her head she tried to identify the source of that loud scream. After a couple of seconds, she realized Rarity was talking to her.

“Why, darling, are you spacing out like this?” the fashionista had a concerned look on her face.

“Yes, Twilight, you’ve been ogling your mug since Pinkie placed it in front of you. Is there something wrong?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight’s brain was still in the process of realizing what happened last night, reviving every single moment it. Every kiss, every word they said to each other, everything that happened. Her face flushed a deep crimson while her lips curved into a dumb smile.

“Darling, there’s definitely something wrong with you. Do you want to talk about it?”

Twilight blushed even more. Sure her friends were to know about her and Drew sooner or later, but what was she supposed to tell them now?

“Well, you see” she started “Drew came over to the library yesterday...”

“This is nothing unusual, Twilight, he comes quite often. He likes reading almost as much as you do.”

“Yes, but there was that downpour last night, and it started really soon” words came out of her mouth like a torrent “It was raining so hard, and he didn’t have an umbrella, and I thought that it wasn’t safe for him to go back to Sweet Apple Acres in that storm and...”

“...and?” Rarity and Fluttershy asked simultaneously.

“And I invited him to stay for the night!” Twilight felt her cheeks hotter than ever.

“Darling, that’s nothing to be ashamed of!” Rarity said, “you just helped a friend.”

“Yes, Twilight” Fluttershy added “you just offered him shelter because you didn’t want him to catch a cold. You would have done it for anypony else”

“Although” Rarity continued “I understand that you feel a little embarrassed, darling. Inviting a man to stay at your place could be misunderstood for something... unconvenient. Furthermore, Spike is away in Canterlot and you two were alone, but I’m positive that nothing unseemly happened. Drew seems quite a gentleman, after all”

Twilight didn’t answer. Her face redder by the second.

Rarity’s voice went up a note. “Nothing happened, right Twilight?”

“Actually...” Rarity and Fluttershy’s eyes widened as Twilight spoke.

“Actually...?” They both leaned on the table.

“...there might have been some minor kissing”

Rarity’s jaw almost hit the floor. Fluttershy barely managed to stay conscious.

“Darling, I must have misheard. Did you say kissing?”

“We had dinner together, and I took out a bottle of wine, and... It all happened so fast!”

“You mean... He forced himself on you?”

“What? No!” Twilight forcefully replied “Actually I kissed him first!”

An awkward silence fell on the table. Rarity was the first to speak.

“Well, darling” she said, wiping the sweat from her forehead “that may seem a little uncanny, but I guess you gave him a small peck on the cheek, nothing to be embarrassed about”

“On the lips”

Rarity swallowed hard. Fluttershy was almost out cold.

“Multiple times”

Fluttershy couldn’t take anymore. “Oh dear” she managed to say before fainting. Rarity was panting hard, fanning her face with her hoof. After helping the yellow pegasus regain consciousness, the talk continued.

“Darling, did you just say you two kissed multiple times on the lips?”

Twilight nodded, bracing herself for the upcoming burst of scolding, but nothing happened. Instead she felt two pair of hooves hugging her.

“This is wonderful!” Rarity chimed “You finally found your special somepony! I’ve been trying to hitch you since forever!”

“I’m so happy for you, Twilight!”

Rarity’s love sense was now working at full throttle, quickly putting together the informations at her disposal. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and her pure white face went scarlet. She realized something even more juicy must have happened.

“Say Twilight, did Drew went home before dawn? I came quite early at your house, and there was no sign of him...”

Twilight didn’t answer. She tried to sink under the table, in the vain hope of escaping that question. Rarity mercilessly continued staring at her.

“We may have slept together” she finally said.

Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged a quick glance, then they nodded to each other.

“There’s only one thing to do now” the white unicorn said, leaning on the table with a mischievous smile on her face “You must tell us everything, darling. And don’t be stingy on the details!”

***

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Drew was welcomed by a rather annoyed Granny Smith. “There you are, ya big dummy!” the old mare said “ya had me worried sick fer not coming home yesterday!”

“Sorry, Granny. I totally forgot there was a storm scheduled last night. I stayed at Twilight’s”

Granny Smith gave him a sardonic look, then she shrugged. “Younglings! Ye could forget yer head at home if it wasn’t attached to yer neck! Now go in ta orchard, yer chores ain’t doing by themselves!”

“Sure, boss!”

Granny watched him vanish over the trees. Her experience told her something was in the air. She shrugged and went back inside smiling.

Drew was busy raking the fallen leaves when Applejack called him.

“Hiya, bro! Was yer little sleepover good?”

Drew didn’t need to turn his head to know that she was teasing him. He sighed heavily, paying attention to not let her see his face.

“Morning, AJ. Do you need something?”

“What, can’t Ah check on mah little brother in the morning?”

“You do realize I’m older than you, do you? And, besides, you’re Equestria’s worst liar”

She chuckled, trotting next to him. “Let’s just say a little birdie told me that you and Twilight may have played doctor, if ya know what Ah mean...”

“News really do fly...”

“So ya’ll really did it! And Ah thought Rainbow was just trying to get me mad!”

“Rainbow Dash? Who told her?”

“She knew it from Fluttershy, who heard it directly from Twilight”

“Well, guess you were to know, sooner or later”

She hugged him tightly. “Ah’m so happy fer you! You and Twilight will be happier than a pig in a mud pond!”

“Oh, shush you! And I call dibs on teasing you when you’ll get a coltfriend!”

Applejack giggled. “Deal”

It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. Two voices could be heard, declaring their joy to the world.

Kissing like a bandit stealing time
Underneath the sycamore tree
Cupid by the hour sends valentines
To my sweet lover and me

Thought that I was going crazy

Just having one those days yeah

Didn't know what to do

Then there was you
Slowly Surely
Yours appetite is more than I know
Sweetly Softly
I'm falling in love with you

And everything went from wrong to right

And the stars came out and filled up the sky

The music you were playing really blew my mind

It was love at first sight
Wish me love a wishing well to kiss and tell
A wishing well of butterfly tear
Wish me love a wishing well to kiss and tell
A wishing well of crocodile cheers

'cause baby when I heard you

For the first time I knew

We were meant to be as one
Hugging like a monkey see monkey do
Right beside a riverboat gambler
Erotic images float through my head
I wanna be your midnight rambler

Was tired of running out of luck

Thinking 'bout giving up yeah

Didn't know what to do

Then there was you
Quickly Quickly
The blood races through my veins
Quickly Loudly
I wanna hear those sugar bells ring

And everything went from wrong to right

And the stars came out and filled up the sky

The music you were playing really blew my mind

It was love at first sight
Wish me love a wishing well to kiss and tell
A wishing well of butterfly tear
Wish me love a wishing well to kiss and tell
A wishing well of crocodile cheers

'cause baby when I heard you

For the first time

I knew we were meant to be as one

05 - A Kind of Magic

Another day of hard work was finally over. Drew helped Big Macintosh loosen the straps that held the plow on his yoke. The red stallion stretched his back, enjoying the feeling of his muscles relaxing. Pushing with his hands on his hips, Drew straightened his back, too. The field was ready for harboring the cabbages.

“That was really intense, my everywhere hurts” Drew said, massaging his loins.

Big Mac chucked, shifting his signature strand of hay to the other side of his mouth “Eeyup. Plowing the fields is the hardest part of farming, but thanks ta yer help we’ve made in in half time this year. Betcha we’re in fer a huge harvest”

“Eeyup” Drew said, imitating the red stallion “Bet Applebloom will be mad at us for weeks, she hates cabbages. C’mon Mac, let’s head home. I need a shower”

“Gettin’ all nice and pretty fer yer Shmoopy-doo?”

“Oh, come on!” he said, rolling his eyes “As if Applejack and the others don’t tease me enough!”

***

Drew had just come out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his hips, when he heard a knock at his room’s door. Applejack called him from the hallway.

“Hey, Drew, can Ah come in?”

“Sure, just let me put something on”

Moments later, Drew opened the door, letting the orange mare in. Applejack looked a little uncomfortable. Putting on a clean shirt, Drew sat on his bed to be at eye level with her.

“What’s up, Applejack? You look worried”

She scratched one of her front legs, looking down. “Actually, Ah was hoping to have yer help on a certain matter in a certain place”

“Of course!” he said “Whatever you need, I’ll help you”

“Good, but ya have to promise to not ask anything until we’re there”

“AJ, you’re scaring me”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be safe. It’s just something Ah don’t want to do alone”

They went out, following a small path through the orchard and heading towards the nearby hills. Drew followed Applejack in silence, constantly eyeing her. After about half an hour, they reached a small oak grove. Looking back, Drew noticed they were about two miles away from the farm. From the height he was, he could still make out the familiar shape of their house. They went past the grove, reaching a peaceful clearing. Drew’s eyes widened as he saw their destination.

Two tombstones laid in front of them, covered in moss and shrubs. On the left one he could read the words

HERE LIES CRIPPS PINK.

MOTHER, WIFE AND BELOVED DAUGHTER.

Drew didn’t need to ask Applejack whose tombs those were. Just looking at his adoptive sister made him realize that he was looking at her parents’ graves. He put his hand on the back of her neck, gently caressing her mane. She turned her head, looking at him with watery eyes.

“So this is what you wanted to show me” he said. She couldn’t answer.

Drew moved the weeds from the other grave, reading the name on it.

“Apple Goldrush”

Applejack shivered hearing her father’s name. Drew grabbed a bunch of weeds and tore them off, throwing them away. He kept cleaning around the graves, until they were free. Applejack took a pair of scrubs out of her saddlebag and gave one to Drew. Ten minutes later the tombstones were clean, so Drew and Applejack sat on the ground in front of them. They stayed like this for a while, simply sitting there in silence. Drew wrapped his arm around her shoulders, gently caressing her mane. That simple gesture made Applejack feeling safe. Her hard shell of strong farmpony crumbled into pieces. She burst in tears, letting out all her frustration.

Some minutes later, she calmed down and lifted her head, idly contemplating the stain her tears had made on Drew’s shirt. Sniffling, she finally opened her mouth to speak.

“Thanks, Drew. Ah really needed that”

“We’re a family, and family means we can always rely on each other”

Applejack looked at him in the eyes. He was right, they were a family. They might not be blood related, but the man beside her meant as much as Big Macintosh, Applebloom and Granny Smith to her. She hugged him tightly.

“Wanna talk about it?”

For the first time in all those years, Applejack felt like talking about her parents. She told him how strong her father was, and how he was able to farm even the driest of fields. She told him about her mother, how beautiful she was and how she came to Ponyville every Sunday to sell the delicious bread she made. She told him how they fell in love, and how happy their marriage was. Finally, she told him about the train wreck that caused their death, not much after Applebloom was born. They went to Trottingham for the Farmers Annual Fair, but they never came back.

“Tomorrow, it’ll be ten years. Every year Ah come here the day before the anniversary to clean up fer the family visit. This year was different, though. The family has grown larger”

Those last words made her smile come back on her face. Drew felt his heart melt. He looked at the mare sitting in front of him, then at the graves.

“They must be really proud of you” he said.

Tears started to run again on her muzzle. Drew wiped them from her eyes, then turned around, kneeling and bending over a little.

“Come on, I’ll give you a lift home” he said, looking at her from behind his shoulder.

“What?” she said, blinking away the last of tears.

“Piggyback. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights!”

She laughed. He locked his hands behind his back, allowing her to climb and wrap her forehooves around his neck. He sprung up, effortlessly lifting her with him, and started walking down the hill.

“Ya know” she said, leaning on his back “it’s kinda nice to be carried around once in a while. Are ya sure Ah’m not too heavy?”

Drew felt like he could carry her to the end of the world.

“You’re not heavy at all. And you weren’t so concerned about me yesterday when you made me carry all those hay bales!”

They laughed heartily, all the sadness from before finally gone. Applejack took off her hat and put it on Drew’s head, giving him a small kiss on the cheek.

“What an honor!” he said.

“It’s just a loan, ya’ll give it back when we get home” she turned her face to hide her blush.

“Sure thing!” he said “Would you like a little song for the ride?”

“Ah’d love it”

The Sun was starting to set, giving the sky a wonderful red shade. The hills echoed as Drew’s voice flew through the air.

Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the southland
I miss alabamy once again
And I think its a sin, yes

Well I heard mister young sing about her
Well, I heard ole neil put her down
Well, I hope neil young will remember
A southern man dont need him around anyhow

Sweet home alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home alabama
Lord, Im coming home to you

In birmingham they love the governor
Now we all did what we could do
Now watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth

“C’mon, AJ, sing with me! The chorus needs for another voice!”

Smiling, Applejack leaned her head next to his. Their voices rumbled in the woods.

Sweet home alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home alabama
Lord, Im coming home to you
Here I come alabama

Now muscle shoals has got the swampers
And they’ve been known to pick a song or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when Im feeling blue
Now how about you?

Sweet home alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home alabama
Lord, Im coming home to you

Sweet home alabama
Oh sweet home baby
Where the skies are so blue
And the governors true
Sweet home alabama
Lordy
Lord, Im coming home to you
Yea, yea montgomerys got the answer

Applejack felt light and happy, an happiness she had almost forgot. She beamed a joyful smile, looking up at the sky and remembering how her father used to carry her on his back when she was a just little filly. Ah knew letting him in the family was a the right thing to do. Ya would have done the same, Pops. He’s got a wide back and an even wider heart. Just like ya.

“Drew, can Ah ask ya something?”

“Sure. Spit it out”

“What’s Uh-lah-boomah?”

The hills echoed again, this time with the sound of his laughter.

***

Clover the Clever looked at his old mentor, his slender figure standing tall in front of him. He was almost ninety years old, but the only noticeable sign of his age was his beard: once brown and fluent it was now a pure white. Under his robe his body was probably shabby and shrunken from the endless adventures it had faced, but the great unicorn still had his proud poise. His eyes were still as lively as half a century before, and his skills were probably second to nopony else.

Turning his gaze to the statues behind his mentor, Clover the Clever couldn’t avoid to wonder who carved them.

“These, my faithful student, are the Goddesses of the Sky” his voice was strong and deep.

“You mean those from the old pony tale? The princesses who defeated Discord and brought back harmony in the lands? I thought that was just a legend”

“Every legend has a grain of truth in itself, my faithful student. This one however is a little different from the others. This one is all true.”

Clover the Clever took a moment to think about his mentor’s words. If the statues in front of them were what the old unicorn said, then it meant that Discord and the Elements of Harmony were real, too. The mere thought of the existence of the Spirit of Chaos made him shiver.

“But if the legend is true, who carved these?” he said, pointing a hoof to the statues.

Starswirl smiled mischievously, his eyes sparkling. “These are not statues.”

Clover’s eyes widened. These are not statues? Then what are they?

Almost reading his former student’s thoughts, Starswirl spoke again.

“I guess it’s time for me to tell you the whole story”

Once upon a time, when this world was still young, two Royal Sisters were born in a sacred place. Nopony knew how, but the Royal Sisters had something special: they bore the traits of every single pony race. They had horns and wings. They were Alicorns.

Alicorns are majestic creatures, with unparalleled powers. All the ponies immediately acknowledged them as their true rulers. The two Sisters ruled together on the land of ponies, doing their best to keep peace and happiness. Their reign was wise, and their subjects loved them wholeheartedly.

But every coin has two sides, and where there’s light, there must also be shadow. From the depths of darkness, another powerful creature arose.

Discord, the Spirit of Chaos.

Inevitably, Discord and the Royal Sisters had to clash. The battle was long and hard and tore the land apart. None of them could prevail, because the stronger the light is, the darker the shadows grow.

Years passed, and ponies suffered from the endless war. Heartbroken by the pain their subjects had to bear, the two Sisters took the hardest of decisions: they put their own lives on the line, channeling all their powers into six magical orbs and creating the Elements of Harmony, the greatest magic ever seen. Using the Elements, the Sisters defeated Discord, banishing him in a stone prison forever.

But their bravery had a price to pay. In fact, using that power left them weak and almost dead. With the last of her strength, Celestia, the older sister, scattered five of the Elements in the world and concealed the sixth one in a cloak of mystery. The two Sisters then fell asleep, waiting for the right time to come back.

Nopony had ever seen them since that day.

“So you’re telling me that those are the Royal Sisters, still sleeping after who knows how many centuries?”

“Yes. And we are here to break the seal and bring them back to life”

“How?”

“Can’t you guess? I’ve spent the last fifty years searching for the Elements of Harmony, and tonight we’re going to use them!”

Clover’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. We are going to use use the Elements of Harmony? Is this even possible? He looked at his mentor, his heart pumping hard in his chest.

“You seem frightened, my faithful student. There’s no reason to be”

“But the legend says that Celestia herself hid the sixth element. How could you find it?”

“This is where you become a fundamental piece for the puzzle” the old unicorn said “Finding the five basic elements was somehow simple, all I had to do was follow the magical aura they emit. But the sixth is a completely different story. It took me years to realize how to get it”

“And what do I have to do with it?”

“The legend says that when the five Elements are gathered, a spark will make the sixth appear”

“Yes, I know that part. The five Elements are Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, Honesty and Laughter. Magic, the sixth Element, makes all complete”

“Exactly. You still remember my teachings”

“How could I forget?”

Starswirl rewarded him with a joyful grin. “I’ve missed you, Clover”

Clover gasped. His mentor had just called him by name for the first time in his life.

“Master, did you just call me Clover?”

“Yes, Clover, I used your name. And I would really appreciate if you could do the same with me”

“Master, I...”

“Starswirl” he interrupted.

“Starswirl” Clover the Clever let that word roll on his tongue, almost savoring it. His mentor had just acknowledged him as his equal. A warm feeling spread in his chest, it was like... a spark igniting a warm fire.

Suddenly, a magical mist rose from the ground, engulfing the two unicorns. Starswirl’s horn glowed, and five orbs hovered in the air, circling them.

“Are those what I think they are?” Clover asked.

“Yes, these are the five Elements! Now look, Clover, the sixth is about to appear!”

The fluctuating orbs started spinning around them, electric shocks emanating from their surface. Clover watched in awe as the orbs rotation became faster and faster, their shapes melting in a single ring. A bright light flashed over their heads, announcing the materialization of the Element of Magic. Starswirl’s horn glowed brighter and the orb above him resonated with his magic, humming loudly as it charged. All the light was slowly absorbed in the Element of Magic, until for a second everything turned pitch black.

A loud, blinding explosion of light deflagrated in the darkness of the night, brightening the forest like the Summer Sun. When Clover regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was his old mentor looking at him.

“Is... Is it over?” he managed to ask.

Starswirl didn’t answer. He limited to turn his head and point to the place where the statues of the Princesses once stood. Instead of two cold statues made of stone, there were two limp figures laying on the ground.

Aided by his mentor, Clover got back on his hooves. The two cautiously approached the unconscious Alicorns. The faint movement of their breathing confirmed that they were alive!

“I can’t believe it, they’re real! The Royal Sisters are not a legend!” he said, turning to his mentor.

“Yes, Clover. And all of this couldn’t have happened without you. You felt it, didn’t you? The spark that only true friendship can create. That was the key to make the sixth Element appear.”

“You’re right, my little pony” a female, suave voice spoke to them. They turned their heads and saw Celestia, the Princess of the Sun, towering them in all her magnificence. Not far from her, Luna, the Princess of the Night, was looking at them, smaller in size but equally majestic.

Clover and Starswirl bowed to the Royal Sisters.

“Stand up, my little ponies” Celestia said “Your heroism brought us back to life, and for this we will always be grateful. Your names?”

“I’m Starswirl the Bearded”

“I’m Clover the Clever”

“How long have we been asleep?” Luna asked.

“I’m afraid nopony can answer your question, Your Highness.” Clover said “My guess is at least a millennium”

“My stars” Luna said “we have been missing all these years. How have our beloved ponies been living during our sleep?”

***

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were having one of their usual quarrels. Drew was amazed at how they could be so competitive towards each other. This time they were talking about some sort of race.

“So, cowgirl, are you ready to eat the dust behind my tail?

“Pffft, don’t make me laugh! This time Ah’ll beat you running backwards, so Ah can see yer face while mah flank pass the finish line first!”

Laughing at his sister’s cockiness, Drew joined the conversation.

“One day I’ll have to wash that bad mouth of yours with a soap bar, AJ”

“See, AJ? Even your brother thinks you stand no chance against me”

“What’s the matter this time?” he asked.

“Ah was remembering this cloud kicker here that next Saturday there’s the annual Running of the Leaves, and Ah’m gonna show everypony who’s the boss!”

“The Running of the Leaves? Isn’t it that race through the woods to help the leaves fall from the trees?”

“Exactly” Rainbow Dash said, puffing her chest “and this year I’m in for a great victory!”

“Easy, pardner! Ain’t ya forgetting that Ah’m running, too?”

“Sounds fun. Maybe I’ll take part in the race, too”

Both mares looked at him.

“No offense, Drew, but Ah doubt ya can keep up with us in a race”

“I know that, AJ! I’m not so silly to think I can win against you or Dash. I’m just saying that I can manage to finish the race not in the last place”

“Ah still doubt that. Ah reckon yer legs are stronger than more ponies Ah know, but a race is jest another thang. You need a pony’s stamina.”

“Then what about a little bet between us?” he said with a smirk on his face.

Applejack ears perked up. Drew had just flicked her switch.

“What are we gonna bet?”

“I bet you I can end the race in front of somepony else. The loser will serve a family dinner in a butler outfit.”

Applejack chuckled. Spitting on her hoof, she extended it, waiting for him to do the same thing.

“It’s on, then”

Drew spat on his fist, bumping her hoof.

“Oh boy, this will be so much fun! Just don’t make things easier for me making a fuss with Rainbow Dash like last time you two raced together”

“Darnit. Twilight told you about that?”

“Oh, not only that.” he said, grinning “I’ve got a couple more aces up my sleeve, just in case”

***

Halfway in the race, they were running through Whitehall Woods. The front group had passed already, shaking almost all the leaves from the trees. Twilight and Drew were going at their pace, enjoying the wonderful view. Behind them, another group of runners was following. Turning back to judge the distance between them, Drew smiled. His legs were responding well and he was already anticipating his victory over Applejack.

“If we keep on at this pace, we could end the race about in the middle of the score”

Twilight looked at him, then at their whereabouts. Heaps of leaves were on the ground, resting at the bases of the trees.

“Say, is it so important for you to win the bet with Applejack?”

“Well, it’s all in good fun. Why you ask?”

“Oh, nothing in particular. I was just wondering if those leaves were as comfortable as they looked” she gave him a look that left no doubt about her intentions.

“You mean...”

She smiled a mischievous smile, wiggling her tail. Suddenly, the bet with Applejack didn’t matter anymore. The butler outfit was not a big deal, after all.

“You sexy little devil!”

A sharp turn gave them the perfect chance. As the following group was out of sight, they leapt on the side, hiding behind a large cedar tree. Moments later, the group of followers passed by, and the last of the leaves fell from the trees, partially covering them. Settling on their leaf mattress, Drew took Twilight in his arms, kissing her.

“You were right, this place is just great!”

“Did I ever fail you?” she said, looking at him with sultry eyes.

She leaned against him, nuzzling his neck. The leaves under them rustled softly.

“Aaaaaand, two of the contestants are having a very interesting clash! How will this end? Stay tuned on the official race announcement for the results!”

The amplified voice came from above them, breaking the charm. Looking up, Drew spotted a familiar pink pony staring at them from the hot air balloon.

“Looks like at the back of the race there is way more action than in the front! What you think, Spike?”

“Eeeewww! Get a room, you two!”

“PINKIE!” Drew and Twilight both yelled.

“What? I’m the official announcer, it’s my duty to report everything to the audience. Do you mind if I take a picture for the paper?” the pink pony said, producing a camera out of nowhere.

Twilight groaned. “Yes Pinkie we do mind! Why don’t you go back to the front group?”

“Okie Dokie, Mrs Grumpy-Pants! Just be sure you save some energy to finish the race!”

The balloon floated onward, carrying Pinkie and Spike away and leaving them alone. Drew was hardly containing his laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, come on! Don’t you find this hilarious? And, for the record, I don’t mind having my picture in the news”

“Yeah, just imagine the headlines: Local librarian and farmer busted doing naughty things in the woods. All the details and pictures on pages 3 to 8”

“Pages 3 to 8? That’s a lot of naughty things. Silly me, I was thinking you only wanted to make out a little”

“Well, I can understand if you don’t want to get messy” she teased “we can always go back to the race and catch up with the others”

“Who said anything about that?” he said, grabbing her and rolling in the leaves to hide completely under them.

At the finish line, a crowd of ponies was waiting for the first ones to come. A grey pegasus, hovering at about thirty feet from the ground, was looking in a binocular for the upcoming final rush to the goal. As he spotted a dust cloud approaching, he gestured at the referee who was waiting with the checkered flag in his mouth.

“Here they come!”

“Who are they?” a brown stallion asked.

“It’s Applejack and Rainbow Dash! They’re almost head to head! Right after them there are Blossomforth, Bon Bon and Thunderlane!”

The crowd started cheering for their favourites. The cacophony of voices grew louder as the leading ponies were getting closer.

“It’s an all out war for the leading position!” the gray pegasus cried, his excitement more and more evident “Thunderlane is catching up and it seems like there will be a three ponies battle for the first prize! Wait a second, Applejack is sprinting! Looks like she’s putting some distance between her and the other two!”

Applejack was running like there was no tomorrow, but Rainbow Dash wasn’t the kind of pony to give up so easily. The cyan pegasus gave all herself to catch up with the farmpony. No more than two hundreds yards from the finish line, they were head to head again.

“It’s a clash of titans! Who’s gonna win this year?” the gray pegasus shouted.

The two mares crossed the finish line together. The referee waved the flag and the race was finally over.

“Ah won!” Applejack exulted.

“No way, missie! I won” Rainbow Dash retorted.

Moments later, the referee’s assistant came, holding a piece of paper in his mouth. At the same time, Pinkie and Spike jumped out of the balloon.

“Where have ya’ll been?” Applejack asked “Ya missed mah awesome victory!”

“Oh, nothing important. We wanted to report the little incident Drew and Twilight had but we weren’t welcome”

“What? Did they hurt themselves?” Applejack’s expression suddenly changed from brave to worried.

“Oh, not at all” Pinkie reassured her friend “they were frolicking in the leaves and apparently didn’t want us to be there while they went all kissy-wissy like this” to emphasize her tale, Pinkie grabbed Spike in her hooves, literally showering the baby dragon with pecks on the cheeks and making funny noises.

“Hey, cut it out!” Spike yelled, the green scales on his face turning pink.

Applejack blushed furiously. Rainbow Dash burst out laughing.

“Seriously?” Rainbow asked between fits of giggles “do those two even know the word modesty?”

“Holy horseapples, what a pair of lovebirds!” Applejack said, her face still red “hey, fella, what does the photo finish say? Did I won?”

The referee was still examining the picture with his assistant. Finally, they came to a conclusion.

“And now I’m proud to announce that this year’s winner of the Running of the Leaves is...”

All the ponies went silent.

“Applejack! She won by a noselenght!”

The cheers exploded from the crowd. Applejack was carried in triumph. Rainbow Dash just scoffed.

The rest of the participants arrived in small groups. As the last ones crossed the finish line, the crowd started to fade, leaving only Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie waiting for Drew and Twilight. Spike had already headed back to the library to take a nap. Finally, Drew and Twilight came. Twilight slowed down to let him cross the line in front of her.

“It took you two long enough” Rainbow said, straining to keep the corners of her mouth down “was the view nice?”

“Quite” Drew said “Well, looks like I managed to finish the race in front of somepony else. Guess I won the bet after all”

“Sugarcube, finishing the race in front of your girlfriend doesn’t count” Applejack bluntly declared “Besides, she clearly let you win so it’s a double win for me today!”

Drew shrugged. “A bet is a bet. better head home and get changed for the show. I suppose you won’t spare me the humiliation of being seen by all our friends, too”

“You betcha, big boy! I won’t miss this for all the cider in Equestria” Rainbow Dash said.

***

Later that evening, Drew was getting ready to fulfill his promise. Rarity had provided the uniform, and once again Drew was amazed by the white unicorn’s sewing talent. The tail-coat fitted perfectly and he had to admit to himself that he looked really fabulous (as Rarity would have said). He was giving the last touch to the tie when there was a knock at his room’s door.

“Drew, darling, may I come in? I’d like to check your dress before showing it to everypony downstairs” Rarity’s voice said from behind the door.

“Sure, come in. I’m almost ready”

The door swung open and Rarity came in. She gave Drew a quick glance, then adjusted his tie and collar with her magic.

“Voilà, perfect!” She said in her singsong tone.

“I have to say it, Rarity, you have really outdone yourself this time” Drew said, watching himself in the mirror “It’s a pity that this dress will be used only once”

“Oh, don’t even say it, darling, it was a pleasure! And I have a little surprise for you”

“Really? What is it?”

“Oh, just a little extra Twilight asked me to do. Come in, dear, don’t make your lover wait”

One moment later, Twilight entered the room, wearing a maid dress that perfectly matched the one he was wearing. Drew’s eyes widened as she stopped in front of him. Her outfit was made with attention to the smallest detail, from the choice of fabric to the length of the skirt. She was even wearing fishnets and black paint shoes on her back hooves, while her front ones were wrapped in lacy white socks. Words failed Drew, all he was able to do was looking at her with his mouth agape.

“I take your silence for a compliment” Twilight said, blushing.

Drew closed his mouth, swallowing. “You’re stunning” Then he turned to Rarity “Was this your idea?”

“Oh, not at all, darling. I had the dress ready for Applejack, in case of your victory. Twilight just came over to my boutique and asked for it. She wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, I’m surprised”

He bent down to reach her snout, kissing her. Rarity squealed at the view.

“Ooohh, it’s so romantic! Just like in those novels where an innocent maid is seduced by the butler!”

Drew smiled at Twilight, straightening himself. He struck a severe pose, winking at the mare in front of him. She gave him an understanding nod. Rarity deserved a little prize for her magnificent work after all.

“Well well well, miss Sparkle. It seems that your foul behaviour got you into trouble once again. This time I won’t forgive you so easily!”

Getting the hint, Twilight raised a hoof to her forehead. “Oh, please, mister head butler, don’t kick me out of the Apple Mansion” she said in an exaggerated theatrical tone “I can’t lose this job! My poor family depends on me!”

“No can do, miss Sparkle. I won’t fall for your pathetic excuses!”

“Oh, please forgive me!” she cried, falling at his feet “I’ll do whatever you want but please, don’t fire me!”

Holy apples, she’s really good. Drew smiled mischievously, getting ready for the grand finale of their little role-play. He grabbed her in his arms, holding their bodies close and facing her.

“Whatever I want, you say? I suppose I could forgive you if you agree to pay with your body”

“Oh, woe is me!” Twilight cried, now fully immersed in her role “Trapped in this mansion and forced to be at this evil butler’s mercy! Whatever shall I do?”

“You will love me, miss Sparkle! You will love me like I love you! I’ve had my eyes on you since the first time you walked in this mansion!”

Their lips met. The show was over. A suffocated yelp brought them to reality. They turned their heads where the sound came from and saw Rarity looking at them with a dreamy expression.

“Go on, darlings. Don’t mind me” Rarity said, panting hard with her eyes still half lidded.

“I think we went a little overboard” Twilight said.

“Yes, I think that too. Better get downstairs and give Rarity some ice to cool off. The real show is about to start”

Drew came down to the living room, welcomed by the whole gang except Rarity, who was following him. As he made his appearance, Rainbow Dash couldn’t contain her laughter anymore and fell on her back, holding her sides.

“You look just like a penguin!” she said, barely managing to breathe between her giggles.

Affected by Rainbow’s laughs, the others followed and joined the cyan pegasus in the uproar of hilarity that ensued.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s all team up and mock the guy in the tail-coat” he said, rolling his eyes. He turned around, to let the bystanders admire his ensemble.

“Puh-lease, everypony, I think he looks quite dapper” Rarity protested “Drew, dear, don’t pay attention to them, this suit fits you perfectly”

“Having fun?” Twilight asked the audience, appearing from upstairs.

All of them froze at the sight of the purple unicorn wearing the maid dress, until another burst of laughter echoed in the living room.

“Seriously?” Dash asked “Are you going to help him serve dinner dressed like that?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. We’ll be your servants for tonight’s dinner”

The dinner wore out surprisingly well, with Drew and Twilight serving the meal and performing every task the diners asked them to do (actually, it was mostly Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie).

Rainbow Dash didn’t miss any occasion to ring the silver bell that was placed on the table to call for the servants and make them do some odd task. Even Applejack and Big Mac got into the role of the landlords and didn’t miss the chance to get their turn and give their command to Drew.

As Applejack rang the bell for the first time, Drew elegantly walked to her, bowing solemnly.

“Has Milady called?” he said, fighting to keep a straight face while his sister blushed.

“Yes, Jeeves, Ah would like some fresh water”

Drew raised an eyebrow, then bowed again before going back to the kitchen. Moments later he came back, carrying a pitcher filled with water. He poured the liquid into Applejack’s glass, then he stepped back.

“Every wish is my command, Milady” Applejack couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at being treated like a noblepony. She waved her hoof to dismiss him, wondering if her victory had somehow backfired. Drew might be keeping a plain expression, but was probably laughing inside.

Once the dinner was over, Drew had to insist with Applejack to stop her from helping him doing the dishes. Being forced to do nothing was something the industrious orange mare wasn’t really used to. On the other side, Drew was having such a good time in teasing her that he wanted the fun to last as long as possible.

Later that night, everypony except Twilight and Spike had returned home. Granny Smith was sound asleep on her rocking chair and Applebloom was in her room playing with Spike. Big Macintosh was in his room, too. Applejack, Twilight and Drew were sitting in the living room, chatting over a cup of tea. Twilight, her dress hanging back on the crutch, was snuggled on the couch with Drew, resting her head on his shoulder while he casually played with a loose lock of her mane.

“That was really fun!” Drew said. He had changed back to his normal clothes, too “You should have seen yourself, Applejack, you looked like a fish out of the water!”

“That’s because ya’ll kept bowing at me and doing all the chores! Ah’m not the kind of pony who sits down and let somepony else do all the work! And what’s up with you” she said, pointing her hoof at Twilight “being all suited up and teaming with him to make me feel silly?”

Twilight giggled, turning her head up to give a small peck on Drew’s cheek. “It’s my fault if we ended last in the race” she said, blushing “The least I could do was taking my share of shame”

“You were super cute in that dress. There’s no shame in it” he said.

Applejack couldn't help but smile at how a great couple they were. Yawning, she admitted her defeat.

“Looks like Ah can’t win against you two” she said, looking at the clock on the wall “better get to sleep and call it a day. Wanna stay here fer the night, Twi? Our guest room is now Drew’s room, but Ah don’t think ya’ll have problems sleeping together. Jest remember that Applebloom sleeps right next to you.” she winked at them saying the last words.

A spare bed was put into Applebloom’s room to accommodate Spike. Drew let Twilight in his room, closing the door behind him as Twilight climbed on the bed. He reached her under the blanket, sliding his arm under her head to hold her close. Twilight laid her head on his chest, feeling his warm breath behind her ear. Not much later, she fell asleep.

Drew cocked his head, whispering in her ear before falling asleep.

“I love you, Twilight”

The corners of Twilight’s mouth curled up in a faint smile.

***

One century had passed since that night, the night in which the Royal Sisters came back to life. Luna was sitting on the balcony of her chambers, idly staring at the night sky. It was New Moon, and the firmament stars were the only lights illuminating the dark blue sky. For her, having the celestial body she shared her name with hidden by the Sun had a special meaning: it was the only time she could perform a very special spell without being noticed.

Spreading her wings, Luna took off, gracefully gliding in the dark. Once she was far enough from the castle, she landed on a secluded field, safe from unwanted views. She made sure nopony was in sight, then closed her eyes, channeling all her power in her horn. An invisible, yet extremely powerful aura engulfed the space around her, making the ground shake and the small pebbles levitate. Suddenly, her eyes shot open, glowing with magic. A blue beam was sent through the night, aimed at where the Moon was. Luna took off, faster than anything else. Flapping her wings, she gained more and more speed, unstoppably ascending to the sky.

Faster. I need to be faster.

Reality started to fade around her as her ascent took her higher and higher, the barrier of air fiercely trying to stop her, until it shattered, powerless against the Princess of the Night.

Here it is! The Sonic Rainboom!

A thunderous explosion of every shade of blue announced her reach of supersonic speed. However, Luna was still accelerating, heading outside the atmosphere and leaving a trail of blue behind her. As she reached the depths of space, her body was surrounded by a barrier of raw blue energy. A casual observer on the ground could have mistaken her for a shooting star.

Here I come, Moon!

She reached the apex of her ascent, taking advantage of the momentum to make a quick turn towards the Moon. Her goal was right in front of her, but Luna couldn’t let her guard down even a little. Without slowing down, she darted through the cold space void headed to the surface of the Moon. Another beam of energy from her horn distorted the view in front of her, like ripples made throwing a stone in the water. Luna dived into the ripples, disappearing from her world.

With a crack of thunder, another blue sky welcomed the Alicorn Princess. Luna finally slowed down, elegantly flapping her wings to land gracefully on the underlying ground. Catching her breath, she scanned her surroundings: she was in a grassy field, with no sign of civilization for miles. Not far from her stood an oak tree, a sacred tree as old as the world she was now in. Under the tree, a cloaked figure was waiting for her.

Luna trotted towards the tree, her heart pounding in her chest. As the figure recognised her, it took off the cape from its head, revealing itself as a young man.

“Luna” he said, his eyes widening in joy.

“I’ve missed you, my love” she said, covering the last steps in a quick gallop.

***

Drew woke up in the middle of the night, his ears ringing. Twilight was still peacefully sleeping beside him, snoring softly. He recognized instantly the source of the noise, it was not something physical. It was ringing in his head.

He got up, reluctantly leaving the warmness of the sleeping unicorn in his bed. Looking out of the window, he spotted in distance the unmistakable shape of the Princess of the Night, looking at him.

“I hope I’m not intruding. Can I have a word with you?” the voice in his head said.

06 - Intermezzo - The Dark Side of the Moon

Luna fell on the ground, her legs shaking, trying to cope with the strain her body had to bear. Beside her stood her sister Celestia, equally proved by the harsh battle they had just endured. The alabaster alicorn kneeled to nuzzle her younger sibling.

Discord, the Spirit of Chaos, was finally defeated. The two alicorns looked at each other. Creating the Elements of Harmony had taken its heavy toll on them, they were barely alive.

“We won, my beloved sister. The land of ponies can finally rest”

Celestia glanced at her younger sister, trying to smile despite her own pain. She got up on her hooves, her sacred duty still not over. One more task divided her from a righteous sleep.

Charging her horn with the last of her magic, Celestia levitated the Elements of Harmony. Luna watched her sister’s eyes glow while she was performing her final spell. A flash from Celestia’s horn made five of the six Elements fly away, zooming past the horizon. The sixth Element, Magic, was before the Princess’ eyes, fluctuating in the air. Celestia gathered the last bits of power in her body and chanted the words needed to complete the ritual.

Oh great Magic, born from hope
Hear my plead and hide yourself
Until a new spark will reveal you again

As Celestia pronounced the last word, the Element of Magic dissolved into thin air, leaving only small sparkles of light after itself. Her last deed finally over, Celestia looked at her sister, who gave her a small nod in reply. The two alicorns stood in front of each other, closing their eyes and slowly turning into stone. A small, lone tear ran over Luna’s muzzle and fell on the ground. A single, thin strand of grass grew from the tiny puddle it made on the dirt.

The days passed and became weeks, the weeks became months and the months years. A lush forest grew around the petrified alicorns, circling them in an arboreal hug. As the years became centuries, the tale of the Battle for Harmony got lost from the memories of ponies, turning into a legend.

A legend that Starswirl the Bearded, the great unicorn wizard, firmly believed to be true. And he was firmly determined to prove it.

***

A chariot pulled by four of the fastest pegasi of all Equestria was sent from the capital city of Equua to carry the Princesses and the two unicorns back home. Luna and Celestia were looking at the land under them, trying to figure how much it had changed in the last centuries. The landscape, once battered and dry due the war against Discord, was now green and luxuriant. There were mountains and hills and boundless prairies. A warm Sun was radiating its rays all over the land.

Celestia couldn’t help but smile. Our ponies have been through so much during our absence, and yet were able to cope with it. It’s time to ease their lives.

Thanks to the pegasus-pulled transportation, it took only three days to reach the city. As the chariot landed in front of the Government Palace, a strange silence filled the air. Every eye was fixed on the two alicorns. Starswirl the Bearded stepped in front of them, clearing his throat. His horn glowed, and his magically enhanced voice ringed out in the city.

“Fair citizens of Equestria, hear me!” he announced to the crowd in front of him “I’m Starswirl the Bearded, Sorcerer of the West! I’ve traveled all around this land in a quest for the greatest of goals: to bring back the Royal Sisters to their rightful place!”

A chorus of whispers rose among the crowd. Starswirl lifted a hoof to get the attention back on him.

“These, my fellow ponies, are the Alicorn Princesses, the true rulers of this land!” he stepped aside, letting Celestia and Luna move forward to be in full view.

The crowd stared at the Princesses for an endless minute, until an old mare pointed her hoof at them, her eyes swelling with tears.

“It’s them!” she cried, unable to stop her tears “The Royal Sisters my mother always told me about when I was a filly! The Goddesses of Harmony!”

Like a single pony, the crowd burst in a roaring cheer. One by one, all the bystanders came in front of the Princesses to bow and swear allegiance to them. The cries of joy echoed in the city and reached the upper floor of the Palace, where Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead were discussing the daily assignments with Prince Palladium, Princess Platinum’s eldest son and heir to his mother's place in Equestria's government.

“What’s with all the commotion down there?” the younger of the three asked.

“I have no idea” Commander Hurricane said.

They got up from their chairs and trotted to the nearest window, looking down to find out what was happening. They saw the crowd of ponies circling the chariot in the square below, then their eyes locked on the Princesses. Prince Palladium recognized instantly his old friend Clover the Clever. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. An attendant came in and bowed to the governors of Equestria before speaking.

“Sorry to interrupt the daily meeting, but I bring news from the city” he said “Clover the Clever has returned from his journey to the East, bringing back his old mentor Starswirl the Bearded”

“Yes, we saw him” Prince Palladium said “but what are all those ponies doing in the square?”

“I think you better come down with me” he answered.

***

Another night had begun, and Luna was staring at her own work. She raised the Moon just like every night, painting the sky with thousands of stars and creating a beautiful canvas of white and blue.

Sadly, she was the only one to admire it.

One hundred years had passed since the return of the Royal Sisters to the throne of Equestria. One hundred years in which Luna had always been almost alone. While all ponies cheered her sister’s days, they shut themselves in their houses as she brought her nights, simply ignoring her effort to brighten the dark sky with the stars. Her sister Celestia had tried to soothe her sorrow, telling her how much their subjects worked hard during daytime, but with no avail. Luna just wanted the same love her sister received from all ponies, she wanted to hear their cheers at least once. Many times she wandered through their dreams, witnessing the love of her subjects for the daylight and their fear for the darkness. Many times she had tried to convince them that her night were as beautiful as her sister’s days. Every night, her work passed unseen.

Lowering her head on the banister, Luna sighed glumly, getting ready for another night of loneliness. She was completely unaware that that night was the night that would have changed her life.

Sighing once more, Luna turned back inside the castle to attend her royal duties (mostly signing papers that were already approved by Celestia), when something out of the ordinary caught her attention. A faint, sweet sound reached her, gently spreading in the air. She spotted two guards doing their usual patrol, they seemed completely unaware of the sound. But she could hear it clearly, as if there was someone playing right behind her. She decided to investigate, her boring duties could wait, this was by far more interesting!

She came back to the balcony, where the sound was stronger.

Perking her ears, Luna scanned the night in search of the source of the music. It was distant, yet as clear as if it was played right beside her. Curious, she jumped off her balcony, landing graciously on the grass. Carefully, she trotted in the castle gardens, paying attention to not be seen by any of the guards. She could still hear the music, yet it seemed that it was coming from no place. Luna closed her eyes, focusing on her hearing.

A long minute had passed, and the Princess of the Night was still standing in the garden, pouring all herself in the search for the source of the music. She knew for sure that there were no events planned for that night, and yet that gentle melody was flowing in the air, almost calling her. Suddenly, her eyes went wide open, as realization struck her mind.

The music she was hearing was coming from the Moon!

How was that even possible? How could the Moon, nothing but a giant rock floating in space, be producing a melody that only her could hear?

Flapping her wings, she took off, gaining height in a quick ascent. For years she had rised the Moon every night, but this was the first time something like this had happened. As the ground became more distant, the music grew louder. She stopped in midair, staring at the white Moon that loomed in the sky in front of her. She was still contemplating the Moon and the music coming from it when a mysterious force dragged her towards its white surface.

Struggling to set herself free from the force that was gnawing at her, she saw the celestial body she had raised so many times grow bigger and bigger as it came closer. Unable to spread her wings because of the increasing speed, she closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact.

A silent shriek escaped Luna’s mouth. She lost consciousness moments before touching the Moon’s surface, but the impact never came.

Luna woke up in a grassy field, small drops of dew on her muzzle. Her eyes burst open and her mind raced in panic.

What happened? Where am I? This is not Equestria.

She got up on her hooves, still numb. Shaking her head, she drove away the feeling of dizziness. Suddenly, the same music from before reached her, this time from a clear direction. She examined her surroundings to spot the place from where it came and found it in a small grove of pines near a pond. Luna trotted to that place, firmly willing to finally solve the mystery.

As she came nearer to the grove, she spotted someone laying against a tree by the shore and playing a lute. She hid behind a tree to get a better view of the strange figure. It was something she had never seen: a bypedal creature, with hands on his upper limbs. It looked like a minotaur, only smaller and without horns. Its head was different, too, the ears were round and small and it had no muzzle, like a monkey. As far as the Princess of the Night could see, the creature had no fur on its skin, its only visible hair was on top of its head. It was casually playing the lute while looking at its own reflection in the water.

Luna kept watching the strange creature for a while, wondering what it could be doing alone in that place. Her heart skipped a beat when the creature opened its mouth to sing. Its voice was masculine, low and warm.

as the starry starry night was falling
she, tapered, enchanted was dreaming in the darkness

At least one thing was now clear: the creature in front of her was some sort of musician, and he was male. Luna thought that he probably was there to compose his song in peace, far from the others. The song he was singing sounded like a ballad in honor of a lady. Once again, he started over.

as the starry starry night was falling
she, tapered, enchanted was dreaming in the darkness

The creature sighed, flustered that he couldn’t find the right words to continue his song. Luna smiled, noticing how after all the being in front of her was like her ponies when love was the matter. She decided to give him a helping hoof, after all his music had reached her through another world.

as the starry starry night was falling
she, tapered, enchanted was dreaming in the darkness

The creature winced when a female voice added another strophe to the song.

and who's gonna take my hand tonight, my God?
maybe a boy, my man or perchance myself

Startled, the creature got up and looked around, trying to spot the intruder.

“Who’s there?” he asked “Show yourself!”

Luna realised how bold she had been in revealing her presence. She crouched behind the tree to avoid being seen.

“Don’t be afraid, I have no intention to harm you” Luna said from her hiding place “I just wanted to help you finish your song”

“But why are you hiding? Let me see your face”

“I can’t”

“Why?”

“I would scare you. You’d run away from me.”

“I won’t. Someone with such a beautiful voice can’t be scary”

“Please, don’t insist. Your melody drew me here. Will you play again for me?”

“I will.”

Relieved, the creature laid back against the tree. His hands started moving again on the lute. As the music started flowing again, inspiration struck him like an arrow. Luna followed his words and added hers.

as the starry starry night was falling
she, tapered, enchanted was dreaming in the darkness

and who's gonna take my hand tonight, my God?
maybe a boy, my man or perchance myself

the distant calmness and white-snowy mountains
and the wind blowing, whistling louder and heavier

and who lightly touches my lips, who comforts me?
maybe an already grown-up child or myself

the night was passing, the hours passed by so fast
the cold room was already heated up with love

he who find my breasts will have my heart in reward
he who will meet my seeds will have all my love

the discreet light was spying and creating shadows
while a painted moon was dancing over the sea

who's gonna pick up my hoarfrost-covered flower
a prince charming, or me as an adult, or me as a child

as the starry starry night was falling
she, tapered, enchanted was sleeping in the dark

who's gonna wish me good-night tonight, my God
the night, the stars, the moon or maybe me

His song finally done, the creature got up, turning towards Luna. The Princess of the Night quickly cringed again behind the tree to hide from his view. She could hear his steps approaching.

Stupid, stupid, stupid Luna! You gave away your position too carelessly!

The soft grass was rustling lightly at every step he made.

“Please, let me thank you for helping me”

The creature was standing right behind Luna, the tree trunk her only shield against him. The sheer terror of being seen had clamped her wings against her sides. Luna’s heart was pounding hard in her chest while she was looking for a way to escape.

The pond! It’s my only way out!

Perking her ears to spot which way he would have circled the tree, Luna readied herself to leap in the opposite direction. The sound of his steps came from her right.

In a moment, she sprinted to the pond and dived in, hiding from his view. What she didn’t consider was the loud splash she made as she breached the water. Flailing her hooves to reach the deepest part of the pond, she used her magic to conjure an air bubble around her head. Once she was sure she was in a safe place, she flattened behind a rock, hoping that the creature wouldn’t come for her.

What if he can swim, too? What if he thinks I’m drowning?

Peeking from her hideout, she spotted his legs in the low water near the shore, sign that he probably wasn’t able to swim. Muffled words were coming from the surface. The creature was shouting at the water, worried about her. The moonlight reflecting on the surface allowed her to see him without being seen. He looked really worried.

After a couple of minutes, he stopped shouting. Luna saw his face droop in discouragement as he convinced himself that she had drowned in the pond. She saw his tears falling in the water and making ripples around him.

Please.

A simple pray, the simplest of all. That pray reached the Princess of the Night in the depth of the water like the sunlight reaches the hills at dawn. She couldn’t let him down like that. Sighing, she started swimming back to the shore. As her hooves touched the bottom of the pond and she was about to emerge, she slowed down, trying to delay being seen as much as possible. The tip of her horn was the first part of her to breach the water.

Still crying, the creature catched a glimpse under the water, a dark shadow that was slowly approaching the shore. He backed, quickly coming out of the water. As his feet touched the ground, Luna’s horn had started emerging.

Time started flowing in slow motion as the Princess of the Night came out of the water in all her magnificence. The droplets of water running down from her body were turned into steam by her warmth, enveloping the blue alicorn in an ethereal mist. The moonlight illuminating her mane created a dance of lights around her. She smiled at her beholder, who was watching with his mouth agape. She advanced a little more, the water now almost at her knees. Conjuring her magic, she lifted a hoof and then lowered it on the water surface, creating more ripples when it remained still on it instead of sinking. Once all her four hooves were out, she flared her wings open and threw back her head, shaking herself from the moist and creating a flurry of lights around her body. She closed her wings and stared at her speechless spectator.

In all of his life, he had never seen something more beautiful than what was in front of him.

“May I know your name?” Luna asked.

“Vergil” he managed to say, his eyes locked on the Princess of the Night.

She carefully trotted to him, getting ready to flee at the first sign of danger. As she was right in front of Vergil, he slowly moved his arm, placing his hand on her cheek. The feedback from her warm skin and fur proved him that she wasn’t a vision.

“Are you afraid of me?” she asked.

“I could never be afraid of a being so beautiful”

***

Luna was gliding back in the sky of Equestria, her mind lighter than a feather. Her unexpected travel to the human world (as Vergil had called it) gave her the greatest joy she ever had: she had finally found someone that wasn’t afraid of her. Wondering how long she had been away, she giggled at herself while thinking back to her lucky encounter.

Oh my, what a night!

Three nights later, Luna managed to breach again into the human world, this time voluntarily.

***

The crack of a thunder announced the return of the Princess of the Night to Equestria. The body she was carrying in her hooves was hindering her flight, compromising her stability. She opted for a quick landing, wobbly hovering to a nearby pond. Luna carefully placed Vergil on the ground, worried about his conditions: he was wounded and unconscious. The Princess ripped open his clothes and examined the deep cut on his chest, panicking at the view of the wound. Her heart froze when she realized that the spear had penetrated through his lung, cutting many blood vessels. Focusing all her power on her horn, Luna tried to cast a healing spell on Vergil, but for some reason her magic was useless. She tried again and again, every time without results. Vergil coughed, coming back to consciousness. Luna lifted his head a bit.

“Luna” he managed to say in a feeble voice.

“Don’t push yourself, my love! I’ll find a way to heal you!”

Vergil coughed again, spitting some blood on her chest. He was panting painfully and the loss of blood had made him as pale as a ghost. Luna was holding him, tears in her eyes. With the last of his life force, Vergil caressed her cheek.

“I love you, Luna” his voice no more than a whisper.

Before she could do anything, Vergil expired in her embrace. Luna helplessly watched his body vanish before her eyes. Surrounded by sparks of light, the Princess of the Night was now alone, even the stains of blood on her fur were gone. She stood still for what seemed to be an eternity, until she looked at her empty hooves and realized he was gone forever. She burst into tears, cursing herself for not being able to save him.

After what seemed to be another eternity, Luna got up and trotted to the pond to take a sip of water. As she leaned forward, she was greeted by her own reflection. Her eyes were bloodshot, her mane was ruffled. Tears started running again all over her muzzle. She crashed on the ground, repeatedly stomping her hoof and uselessly trying to shake that feeling from her. It was more than sadness. It was something darker, scarier. It was anger.

“Why did this happen to me?” she asked the night sky. No answer came.

It all happened because those ungrateful ponies fear you instead of loving you.

“Who goes there?” she yelled, looking around. Once again, no one answered.

Still shaking, Luna took off, quickly gaining speed. A few minutes later, she landed in front of the palace gate. Ignoring the guards, she sprinted to her quarters. Finally safe in the darkness of her chambers, she was lying on her bed, trembling and biting her pillow to suffocate her wailing. She was startled by hoof gently touching her shoulder.

“Luna” Celestia said softly.

“Go away!”

“The guards are all worried for you. I am worried for you. Please, Luna, tell me what happened”

Finally turning her head, Luna saw her sister standing beside her. All of her regalia were gone, Celestia was now looking at her like a pony instead of a princess. Luna sniffled, tears now running copiously from her eyes. She darted to hug her sister.

“He’s gone!” she said between her sighs.

Celestia hugged tightly her sister, caressing her mane. She let her sobbing cease, then finally spoke. Luna‘s face was still buried in her chest.

“What happened, Luna? Who is gone?”

Celestia’s eyes widened as her younger sister Told her the reason for her despair. The pristine white alicorn felt her own blood freeze while those terrible words were coming from her younger sibling. At last, Luna finished her tale of pain and hatred. She looked into Celestia’s eyes, but all she could see was fright. Taking the worst decision of her whole life, Celestia released her sister and backed away. Luna stood up, now looking at her with anger.

“You... You went to the human world?” Celestia disbelievingly asked.

“You knew about the human world? You knew there was a connection between our universes?”

“Luna, I...” words failed her.

“Go away! I don’t want to see you again!”

“Luna...”

“GO AWAY!” the palace walls trembled at the sheer power of Luna’s voice.

Celestia went out of the room and locked the door behind her, her heart pounding. For the first time in her long life, the Sun Princess felt fear. Her mind raced to find a way to calm down her sister.

In the darkness of her chambers, Luna noticed a faint light coming from the mirror. She approached it with caution, her heart still racing after how her sister had reacted. She winced as she realised that her reflection was looking at her with dark eyes.

Everyone fears you.

“But I...”

No buts. You went to him because nopony in Equestria dares to come near you. You went to him and ruined his life because they hate you. They fear you. They fear the night you bring to them. It’s all their fault if he’s dead.

“Yes, they fear me!” Luna cried “They fear me and hide from me in their homes! All they want is my sister’s Sun!”

Yes, all they want is her Sun. But what if there was no more Sun? What if the night should last forever?

Luna’s eyes darkened. She looked again in the mirror and saw someone else in it. A black, fearsome alicorn wearing a dark armor was smiling at her.

“Who are you?”

The dark alicorn in the mirror didn't answer.

"Who are you?" she asked again, cautiously coming closer.

I’m you. I’m what you should be. I’m the powerful ruler Equestria wants and needs.

I’m Nightmare Moon.

“Nightmare Moon”

A violent earthquake shook the capital of Equestria from its own foundings. The palace, the houses, and everything else crumbled in pieces, helpless against the power of Luna’s anger. Celestia, still shocked by her recent talk with her sister, barely managed to fly away and cast a spell to teleport all the citizens to a safer place. A dark blue miasma was rising from the rubble that was where once stood the palace. Celestia, now hovering over them, was desperately looking for her sister. As the blue fog was spreading all over, thorns and trees grew from the ground, creating a thick, dark forest. Celestia reached the palace ruins, being cautious to not let the dark fog touch her. Suddenly, an explosion of blue light blasted away all the debris from the palace. As the light faded, Celestia saw a huge crater where once there was the royal palace. A fearsome figure was standing in the middle of it.

The Sun Princess had just witnessed the birth of Nightmare Moon.

***

The power of the Elements was emanating from the Sun goddess, lighting up the whole place. Every time her hoof touched the ground, flowers blossomed as she lifted it again, proving the might of the ultimate power she and Luna had created. Nightmare Moon looked at her with malicious eyes.

“I see you are resorting to our little creation, sister. Are you planning to kill me?”

Celestia’s eyes glowed brighter as she readied herself for the final attack.

“You made me do this, Luna. May the stars forgive you during your banishment”

Nightmare Moon’s cries of vengeance were dispersed by the noisy burst of energy that sealed her inside the Moon.

***

The time of dawn was approaching, and the royal sisters were still lying on the ground, their wings spread over Drew to keep him warm. His new body had sustained an enormous strain right after being created by the power of the Everfree Forest. Celestia looked at him with motherly eyes.

“Luna” she said

“Yes, my sister?”

“We can’t take him at the castle”

“What?” she said, her eyes as wide as saucers “We can’t leave him here! He’s weak and in need of care! After all he’s been through do you want to leave him here to die?”

“No, little sister, I’m not planning to leave him here, nor I wish for his death. But tonight you did something that no one has ever thought. Tonight you created a life from scratch.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Celestia glanced under her wing. Drew was sound asleep. Her horn glowed and Drew was enveloped in a golden aura.

“See?” Celestia said “Magic does effect him. His physical body is bound to our world”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to do! He will live in Equestria like anypony else!”

“Your feelings are deceiving you, Luna. Can’t you feel the power of Nightmare Moon beneath him? Can’t you feel the sheer force that lies dormant within his bones and flesh? His body was created by the same dark power that corrupted you one thousand years ago”

“Then we should bring him to the palace! This way we could keep him under control if anything happens!”

“No, we can’t. Remember our role, Luna. He has to find his new destiny by himself. You already decided for him once when you saved his life.”

“I brought him here, Tia! He put his life in my hooves, I’m responsible for it! How can you ask me to abandon him?”

“Because he’s not Vergil. Because I’m afraid of what he could do with that power.”

Luna winced in hearing her past lover’s name. She looked at Drew, uncertain of what to do with him. She felt a lump in her throat.

“I think I know why you brought him here”

Celestia looked around, trying to find a solution. her eyes lighted up as she saw where they were.

“The Apples live nearby. How about leaving him in their care? My student Twilight Sparkle will be our eyes and ears, and if anything should happen...”

“Again with your precious student, Tia. You accuse me of meddling with this man’s destiny, but as far as I can see you are quite the puppeteer here.”

“That’s different. My student’s destiny was written long ago, when we created the Elements of Harmony. I’m just guiding her on her journey. This could be her last trial before the final test.”

“Another quest to fulfill her destiny.” Luna said, sighing “So be it, Tia. But I will keep my eyes on him anyway”

The first rays of sunlight appeared behind the horizon. As to respond to her call, Celestia spotted Big Macintosh coming their way pulling his cart full of tools. The princesses disappeared right before the red stallion could see them.

“What the hay?” he managed to say as he saw Drew lying on the ground before him. Without the princesses to warm him, he had started shiver again.

“The Moon...” Drew murmured.

Without thinking twice, the red stallion placed him on his back and galloped back home as fast as he could.

Author's Note

Here it is, guys & gals. The sixth chapter of my story. I'm awfully sorry for the HUGE delay of its publication, but my life got really awful lately... Hope you'll enjoy it! Stay tuned for the next update!