A Series of Continuous Events

As they held their in their tongue and their tears, they noticed two figures talking about Celestia and heading towards the Medical Centre. Light recognised one of the two, a purple Pegasus, as they had met them the day before, when they visited Princess Celestia and gave them a vase of flowers.

However, the other figure, who wore scales on their body, and whose wings were not Pony-like, they recognised not, and when Light heard them talk about the Princess, and their relationship to her, they hastened themselves over to tell them the good news about Celestia's recovery.

They managed to catch up to the two, and said they overheard the two speaking with each other about the Princess, and if she was okay. They were able to ease the concerns of the Pegasus and larger Pony by saying she was fully healed, and close to leaving the Centre that day. Overjoyed, the larger Pony grabbed Light and gave them a tight hug, repeating 'Thank you!' a great many times.

Suddenly, the larger Pony let go and composed themselves, stood upright and politely introduced themselves. Apparently, they were the daughter of Luna, and a Niece of Celestia, whose name was Nox Lunarwing. The purple Pegasus that accompanied them, whom Light had coincidentally met the day before, quickly greeted Light as well, and said their name was Taciturn.

As Light stretched their back, which cracked many times because of Nox's hug, they said it was a pleasure to meet them, and gave them their name as well. Together, the trio entered the Centre, and Light found that the rest of the group had moved out of the lounge. After Light asked the receptionist if they had seen where the group went, she pointed to the café.

Light thanked the receptionist and lead Nox and Taciturn to the café, to where the group had moved. When they entered, the kind lady behind the counter greeted Light, and Luna and Harvest trotted up to the duo to meet them as Light moved to the counter, placing down the cup they had drank their coffee from earlier next to the dishwasher behind the bar.

As Taciturn took a seat, and Harvest and Luna enthusiastically spoke with Nox, Light and the lady talked a bit, and both realised they hadn't been properly introduced to each other yet. The lady introduced herself as Selene, and apparently, she had been running the café, which was connected to the Medical Centre, for a number of years now.

After the two politely shook hooves, Harvest trotted up next to Light and asked them how they knew Nox, to which Light answered that they had only just met outside of the Centre. Light had noticed that Harvest ran up to Nox rather quickly, which Light found rather odd, and asked Harvest about this. To their complete surprise, Nox apparently was, in a way, the mother of Harvest.

Light mentally added this to the list of odd phenomena they had encountered, and didn't press further on the matter, preferring to focus elsewhere, to calm their nerves. Very soon, Celestia would be leaving the Centre, and the group was ready to meet her when she appeared. As Light ordered a hot cup of tea, Harvest trotted back to Nox, who had taken a seat next to Luna.

While drinking their tea, Light felt their fatigue slowly return, and closed their eyes for a time, feeling like they could fall asleep at any moment. A few minutes went by, and Selene gently woke up Light, reminding them to drink the rest of their tea before it got cold. Light warmly smiled and thanked Selene, and drank the rest of their tea, which tasted wonderfully sweet.

After Light placed down their cup, Selene thanked them for dealing with the ash and smoke situation earlier, and asked how everything went. Light averted their eyes and sighed deeply, saying they were unsure as to how he would take in their conversation.

"He fears loneliness, and he was heartbroken when I asked him to leave. It's as if he thinks he has doesn't have any other choices, as if he's doomed to cause harm. I hope I can help him."

Selene gently took Light's hoof and reassured them, saying that she sees how much they care for others. In a very short time, Light has made many connections, and the fact that there are so many Ponies and other beings present, simply because Light asked them to accompany them, speaks volumes.

Light thanked Selene, her kind words warming their heart, as they realised that they had indeed made many friends in a very short time. Looking back at the group, who were talking, enjoying refreshments, and laughing with each other as they all waited for Celestia to arrive, Light could not help but smile, as a few tears formed in their eyes.

After Light wiped away their tears of joy, they thanked Selene and got up from their seat to head towards the main hall. As Light headed out of the café, Banana, Harvest and Nox, who sat closest to the door, asked what they were going to do. Light replied they were wondering if Celestia was close to leaving, and they were heading check up on her.

Hearing this, Taciturn, Luna and Eclipse stood up and trotted over to join Light as they were heading to Celestia, as Taci had brought another bouquet of flowers to give to Celestia, and Eclipse and Luna were overjoyed to see Celestia again. Light told the rest of the group that they would be back in a moment, and that afterwards, they would head back to the Palace together.

Light headed to Celestia's room with Eclipse, Luna and Taciturn following closely behind them. When they arrived, Light knocked gently on the door, hearing the Princess cheerfully call out for them to enter. Ecstatic to see her sister, sitting fully healed on her bed, Luna gently moved past Light and trotted over to her sister to give her a tearful, loving hug.

As Celestia was embracing her sister, Eclipse, Taci and Light entered shortly after Luna, and greeted the Solar Princess with a smile. Taci placed the bouquet of flowers in a vase, adding onto the beautiful coloured flowers they had brought the day before, as Eclipse took a seat next to Celestia's bed, and Light walked up to the Princess on the other side.

Luna was still hugging Celestia, overwhelmed with emotions, as tears of joy started to run down her face, when Light asked Celestia how she was feeling. She replied that she was doing very well, and that the Doctor had just left after performing the last few tests. The Doctor confirmed Celestia was completely healed, and would return in just a moment to lead her outside.

Hearing the news, Luna released Celestia, her eyes welled up with happy tears. Taciturn grabbed a few tissues and gave them to the Princess, who thanked her, and used them to dry her tears. Shortly after, the Doctor entered again and was pleasantly surprised to see Celestia's visitors, and gave them a great smile.

Light, Luna and Taci stepped aside for the Doctor as they walked over to Celestia, writing on a notepad. They confirmed that Celestia was fully healed, and with the final tests completed, they had come to lead the Princess outside. Celestia gently got up from her bed, for while she was fully healed, she did not have a lot of energy, though her joy made her forget her exhaustion.

With Eclipse and Luna walking by her side, Celestia was led downstairs by the Doctor, followed closely by Light and Taci, as they heard chatter in the lounge getting louder, before it quieted down again. Taciturn and Light barely managed to hold in their excitement as they approached the hall. Celestia turned back to the Ponies and Kirin accompanying her, and said with a smile:

"Thank you, every single one of you, for everything you've done. I can not thank you enough for all your love and support. I guess there are many others waiting in the hall, so let's not make them wait any longer."

As the rest opened the doors, Light kept a watchful eye out for any would-be assailant foolish enough to attempt an attack, though they were snapped out of their focus when they saw Boom peering through a small window, wearing a small yet bright smile upon his face with tears forming in his eyes

Whether these were tears of joy or sadness, they did not know. Light turned away, trying to hold back some tears of their own. With Taciturn at their side, they continued walking behind Celestia, who was still gently being supported by Luna and Eclipse, just in case.

When the Doctor led them into the lounge, there was a sizable eruption of cheers, surprising both the Doctor and Celestia, who didn't expect so many folks to be waiting for them. As Celestia walked in, a pair of Guards, who were stationed outside, offered to take the place of Luna and Eclipse, which Celestia politely refused.

Though it was blazingly obvious that everyone was enthusiastic about Celestia's recovery and return, to Light's relief, they all behaved appropriately. Celestia warmly smiled and thanked everycreature for the warm welcome and the well-wishes, and said she was excited to head back to the Palace, where the special celebrations would take place.

A big smile appeared on Light's face, for they knew that there would be a surprise for Celestia when they got to the Palace. If everything had gone according to plan, at the Palace, Violin and the Royal Orchestra should be close to finishing the setup of the stage, and would be ready by the time that the group from the Centre arrived.

A cohort of Guards, including the pair of young and old Guards Light had spoken to before, stood ready by the entrance of the Medical Centre to escort Luna and Celestia, just to be absolutely sure that nothing would happen. As Celestia headed outside, waving goodbye to the Doctor as she did so, Light waited for a moment, so the group exited first.

Though a few folks in the group paused for a moment, looking at Light questioningly, Light smiled, politely put up their hoof, and allowed the rest to head out first. They then turned to the café, where Selene was busy clearing up the dishes left by the group, and started helping her. Selene thanked Light for their help, and asked why they didn't head out immediately.

Light replied that they wanted to say goodbye properly, since they did not know when they would meet her again. They continued, saying that they very much appreciated her kind words earlier, and would not forget them soon. Selene sweetly laughed, and thanked Light for their help in return, and wished them the best with everything, hoping they would meet again.

After helping to clear up the dishes, Light waved goodbye and headed to the exit, where they found Banana waiting for them, for the group had set out already. They gave each other a gentle smile and a small hug, and set out to the Palace together, hoping they could catch up with the group, who had gotten quite a head start.

Light thanked Banana for waiting for them, and asked him how he was feeling. Banana replied that he was doing well, and that he was excited for the upcoming celebrations, but also that he was still worried about many things, one of these being the catacombs under the park. Light gently put their arm around Banana and reassured them:

"We've come this far, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon. We'll figure this out, I promise. Hopefully we manage to find Mousse again along the way as well..."

As the last few words brought tears to Banana's eyes, Light gently and more tightly hugged him, for they could barely imagine the loss they had experienced thusfar.

Shortly after the group left, Nox trotted up alongside Celestia as she asked her aunt about her injuries, looking up at her with a worried expression upon her face. Celestia replied that it was an event that nobody could have expected, for a strange, green Unicorn fell out of a black mass that appeared above the stage as she was holding a speech.

The Unicorn fell on her back from a great height and injured her severely. Even with the efforts of a legion of Guards, Princess Luna and Harvest - who had transformed into his faster and more agile Nirik form - the perpetrator got away, before he could be stopped and arrested. As this Unicorn was being chased, Celestia was being helped to the Medical Centre to heal.

Luna confirmed the story, saying she tried her best to stop him, but could not. Harvest walked up and added that the Unicorn made his escape with the use of smoke bombs, disorienting him, Luna, and all the Guards chasing him. Nox looked at her aunt with a shocked expression, not knowing the severity of the incident until now.

In a concerned tone, Nox asked Celestia if she should summon a legion of Guards from her Palace as added security, just to be sure. Celestia warmly smiled and reassured her niece that her additional Guards would not be necessary, though she very much appreciated her thought and concern for her well-being. Celestia's gentle voice diminished Nox's fears, and she took a sigh of relief.

The group was approaching the Palace, and in the distance, from the Main Hall, they could hear the faint sounds of brass and string instruments, which told them the Royal Orchestra was fully set up and took time to rehearse. Celestia asked the Guards, who had been escorting her and the group, to wait for a moment, as Light and Banana had not rejoined the group yet.

At that moment, they appeared from around the corner, apparently having taken a somewhat shorter route to catch up with the group. Light and Banana were sharing hearty laughs and gentle physical contact as they approached the Palace. Even from a great distance, Celestia could see that the two had shed some tears on their way back, and a bittersweet smile formed on her face.

As the duo reached the group, Caff spoke up and jokingly asked what took them so long, to which Light replied in a lighthearted manner that they helped clear up some of her mess in the café, and found that Banana had been waiting for them. The group chuckled as Caff blushed, and headed into the Palace together, where they saw Violin and the Conductor were walking over to greet them.

After the Conductor and Violin had made clear their plans for the celebrations, Celestia and Luna thanked the two. Celestia said she wanted to take a moment for herself, to which the group obliged. Celestia turned to head to her chambers, with Luna and a Guard by her side, but stopped to ask Light to talk with them later, just before the celebrations started.

Many in the group did not fully understand the reason as to why Celestia asked this of them, looking between the two confusedly. Nevertheless, Light agreed, after which they told Celestia to take all the time she needed, and that they would wait to be summoned. Celestia endearingly smiled and turned away, as Luna and Light made eye contact and nodded, slowly and solemnly.

Light turned to the group and told them they were going to head to the gardens, as being around crowds for a long time tired them out quickly, and that they would be back later.

"In the mean time, stay safe and enjoy yourselves, for today is another celebration worthy of remembrance!"

Light said goodbye to the group and headed to the back of the Palace to rest in the Gardens. The fresh air and calming area gave them the ability to gather their thoughts as they walked around, enjoying the slowly diminishing light and warmth from the setting sun. They made sure to not wander too far, as Light was waiting to be summoned by Celestia to talk with her.

Back inside, Harvest was approached by Nox, who wanted to ask him about the evening of Celestia's injury, and asked if there was anything else that happened that evening that she did not yet know of. Harvest responded, repeating most of the story that Luna and Celestia had told her on the way over. A strange mass that someone fell out of and injured Celestia, and ran away shortly after.

He continued, saying that as Luna summoned the Guard and started the chase, Light jumped to the stage and asked him to chase the one who hurt her, as they checked her for wounds. After he quickly ran outside, he wasn't sure exactly what happened, as he was stunned by a smoke bomb, but he knows that Celestia was lead to the hospital by Light, before they turned back to help him.

After Harvest's account, Nox was quite surprised, and thanked him for telling her, before she trotted outside to talk with Light, whom they found leaning on the fence, enjoying the sunshine. She slowly walked up and asked if she could speak with them, which Light hesitantly obliged to, not knowing what she wanted to discuss.

Before Light could speak, Nox strongly embraced them as she did at the Medical Centre, cracking their spine again. She apologised, and said she often didn't realise her physical strength, but fortunately, Light just laughed it off in a lighthearted manner. Nox continued, saying she heard from Harvest that Light had helped Celestia when she was injured.

Light smiled while rubbing the back of their head, and modestly said that they would have done so for anyone. Still, they were just glad Celestia was alright and was recovering rapidly. For Light replied that for now, they would like a moment to themselves, as being with so many folks for so long was quite exhausting, and they wanted to have a moment of peace.

Nox obliged, and said thank you again before turning away, allowing Light to rest somewhat. Before she headed back inside, she said she had been wondering about something, and asked Light about Niriks, or more specifically, their Nirik form. As Harvest had told her, he turned Nirik to chase after the one who hurt Celestia, but she had not heard anything about Light or their Nirik form.

Light took a deep breath and prepared to speak, but just at that moment, a Guard came outside and asked for Light to follow him, as Celestia had wished to talk with them. Light nodded and asked Nox to join them for a moment, so they could tell her about themselves as they followed the Guard to Celestia's quarters.

Nox happily nodded and trotted along with Light, as they were being lead on by the Guard. Light told Nox about themselves and about the strange and busy week they have had so far, and what their ultimate goal was, to find information about the tunnels under Banana's park. So far, they had found nothing, but they were not giving up. There were still many paths for them to take.

Soon enough, after passing the rest of the group, who were managing to enjoy themselves before the Orchestra's performance, Nox and Light reached Celestia's quarters, where the Guard stopped and apologised, saying that only Light was summoned by Celestia. When Nox asked Light what they were planning to ask her aunt, Light replied:

"There are many things that I would like to discuss, but I won't ask for much. I hope she can help me as I helped her."

After these words, Nox turned around to head back to the Main Halls as Light entered Celestia's quarters.

As Light entered Celestia's chambers, she slowly and gently got up from the chair she was sitting on. Light hurried over and offered to help her get up, but Celestia politely refused, saying she was just tired. Light continued looking at her with a concerned gaze, but Celestia smiled and reassured them that the tonic had healed her completely, and she really was just tired.

Light breathed a small sigh of relief after hearing this, and moved aside to give Celestia some room. She asked what it was that Light wanted to discuss with her, to which they replied that there were a couple of things, and they were glad that she accepted their request. Celestia moved over to a small table with some drinks and sweets and took a seat, asking Light to do the same.

Using her magic, Celestia grabbed the tea that had been prepared earlier, and offered Light a drink as well. As the two enjoyed their drinks, Celestia bade Light to tell them what they wanted to ask, since she had promised them an opportunity to talk at the Gala, before the evening turned sour. Now, before the celebrations started, they had plenty of time.

Light put down their drink and grabbed a small note from their satchel, upon which were written a few different things, including the poem that they got, alongside the vial of medicine that had healed Celestia's injuries. For now, they skipped over the poem and started from the top. The first thing they asked about was if she knew anything about any secret tunnels, lost to history?

Confused at this very specific question, Celestia looked at Light with a questioning look on her face, asking them to clarify. Light explained that the reason they came to Canterlot was because of the contacts of someone they met just the previous week, after the obliteration of the library of Ponyville Castle. They had only just started looking for information when the building exploded.

Celestia interjected, saying she remembered receiving a couple of letters from Eclipse, which Light had spoken about before, asking for her assistance in repairing the damage done to the library at the Palace. Celestia had sent over a number of books from the Royal Library of Canterlot to help Eclipse restore the collection at their Castle.

Light nodded, and continued, saying that they didn't have much luck at the Canterlot Library, unfortunately not finding anything of use, save for a list of contact details they got from the Librarian, and a book of strange tales one of their associates had found. They had bade Light read the book, which they admit was something they shouldn't have done, as it disturbed them very much.

But Light shook their head and raised their hoof, not wishing to dwell on the subject. They politely asked Celestia for access to the private Archives, even if just for a short while. The tunnels of the Catacombs they found under the park were very strange and old, and Light hoped that Celestia knew anything about them, or knew of anything that could help.

Celestia pondered for a moment, when a knock on the door interrupted the two, before Celestia could reply to Light. At the door, there a Guard, announcing the celebrations were about to start. Light sighed and stood up from their seat, looking somewhat annoyed, yet understanding. Celestia followed and promised them they would make time for them after the celebrations.

As they were leaving the chambers, Light stopped and turned to Celestia, remembering the poem on the note. Light took the note and handed it to Celestia, who found it read: "When the sun sets, a match will light, now matter how dark the sun will rise...". Light asked her if it reminded her of anything, to which Celestia replied:

"It feels... vaguely familiar... I can't quite put my hoof on it, but it feels... old and painful, broken, yet also so full of love and memory..."

After Light gave the poem to Celestia, she quickly turned around and placed the note on a drawer in her room, still trying to figure out why it sounded so familiar, and why it made her feel that way. She quietly said to herself that she would have to read it over again later, and tried to shake off what she was feeling.

Lead by a group of Guards, the two headed downstairs, for the Orchestra has been waiting to perform, and was now ready to start. As they wanted to make sure everyone took in the full excellence of the performance, they bade everyone take a seat, with Celestia and Luna up front. Light quietly said 'Enjoy!' to Celestia before heading to the back to take a seat there.

Looking around as they headed to the back, Light saw that on the balconies overlooking the Halls, at every entry and exit, and all around the walls were Guards, stationed there out of caution. Evidently, Luna wanted to make sure that a disaster like at the previous Gala could not happen, or if it did, that there would be plenty of time to move everyone to safety.

Light took a seat in the back, constantly aware of their surroundings, for, like Luna, they also did not want anything like the incident at the Gala to occur again. Everybody took their seats and their conversations slowly quieted down. When the whole group was quiet, the lights in the Halls dimmed until only the stage, upon which the Orchestra was seated, was fully lit up.

The first song the Orchestra would perform was a song to honour Princess Celestia, and the duty that was laid upon her, so long ago. The name of the song was Glorious Morning, made by Water Flame. When Violin stood up and moved closer to the front, some voices raised up in surprise, and as the Conductor tapped their baton to count down, the room fell quiet.

And so, he began.

Violin began playing a beautiful composition, backed up by more strings, and later, by woodwind and percussion instruments, which felt as warm and hopeful as the rising morning sun, bringing light, warmth, healing and so much more to the land. The entire Orchestra played brilliantly, and after completing the song, the crowd started to applaud the musicians, and Violin especially.

However, the percussions had not yet faded when they rose up again, and the Orchestra began anew.

Violin sat down as the pianist took the lead, followed closely by the snare drum percussionist, giving the song an incredibly strong and beautiful contrast between calming piano and energising drums. Luna sat still as tears formed in her eyes over the beautiful composition the Orchestra played for her and her duties, the name of which was... Beautiful Night, by Evening Star.

After the Orchestra completed their compositions, Luna could do nothing but smile as tears of pure joy ran down her face, while Celestia embraced her little sister, unable to hold back tears herself. As the Orchestra took a bow for their performance, and the crowd applauded them, Starshine quietly got up and flew towards the back of the Palace. From the Gardens, she shouted:

"Hey, when you're about finished in there, get out here for the Grand Finale!"

As she started her routine, the group hastily made their way outside to watch her performance. The sky was lit up in beautiful colours as the whirlwind rose high up to the clouds and used the water to make rainbows all around the eye of the storm. While she was flying around, cheers erupted from the crowd, ecstatic over the beautiful show they were witnessing.

Nova kept flying around and making gorgeous and wonderfully fluid movements through the sky, all the while, the whirlwind followed closely behind her. Looking downwards, she saw Celestia and Luna standing at the front of the crowd, still shedding a few tears, yet smiling from ear to ear as they cheered her on as she continued her performance.

At the back of the crowd, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble, Light stood, and smiled warmly as they saw Luna and Celestia's joyful reactions. The evening had been going very well, the Orchestra's performance had brought tears to their eyes, and now Starshine's performance ended up being beautiful way to end the evening.

Slowly but surely, Nova lowered her speed, and the whirlwind faded from view. After landing, the crowd gave her a roaring applause as she took a bow, with a big and smug smile on her face. Her routine had left her exhausted and thirsty, and Celestia called for catering to come by and serve some drinks and small refreshments.

Though Light feared something may be amiss, they shook off the feeling as they chuckled to themselves, and enjoyed the cool night and the pleasant ending festivities. Caterers came outside carrying drinks and snacks, and everyone enjoyed talking amongst themselves. Light grabbed a drink and walked over to Banana, who smiled and cheerfully greeted them as he bounced their way.

Banana and Light embraced each other and toasted to their health. The evening had been a resounding success, and the cheers and hearty laughs heard from around the Gardens made this very clear. Snacks were eaten, drinks were had, and everything seemed right. However, as Light was chatting with Banana, a familiar figure appeared from the side of the Palace.

From around the corner, either due to negligence or folly, the Unicorn, cloaked and nigh unrecognisable, called out to Light, which grabbed the attention of every present creature. Light turned around and let out a deep, remorseful sigh, and asked the Guards to hold off for a moment as they turned around to head to the Unicorn, who walked up to them and said:

A number of Guards ran out and grabbed Boom, who shouted: "Fine, fine! Get your hooves off me! I'll come along. There's one thing I have to give to Light, I promised them a while ago." He reached into his cloak and grabbed out a small item, wrapped in paper, while he walked towards Light. As Boom handed over the package, he said "Sorry", and quietly continued, whispering:

While Boom was being lead away by a cohort of Guards, Light stood motionless, staring at the dagger Boom had given them. Concerned for their friend, Banana walked over and gently tried to nudge Light into a response, to no avail. Tears started forming in their eyes as the voices of those around them faded into obscurity, their attention being completely drawn to the blade.

And then, something clicked.

Light continued looking at the dagger as the green Unicorn was being taken away, and tears kept forming in their eyes. Banana's efforts to get Light's attention appeared to be in vain, as they would not move a muscle, nor take their gaze away from the blade. As Celestia was walking over, they dropped the dagger, which luckily landed blade side down in the ground, and they sat down.

As they sat down, their bag fell off their back, and as it fell, the Book of Ancient Tales fell out, landing on the ground with a heavy thud. Celestia walked over and picked up the book, and skimmed through the pages. Banana spoke up and explained that a few days ago, after the green Unicorn had left, the book appeared in the kitchen with a loud slam.

Apparently, he found the book at the library just a little while before, and when asked about it, he claimed it held intriguing information. When meeting him outside of the city the day before, he made it clear Light needed to read a specific chapter, and that they would need to do so before the end of the celebrations of this evening, though the reason as to why, he did not specify.

Celestia handed the book to a pair of Guards to secure it, and turned back to Light, who appeared to be getting more distressed. They were holding their hooves on their ears and constantly shook
their head. She asked somecreature to get a blanket and some water for Light, after which she gently tried to reach out to Light, hopefully to be able to comfort them.

Carefully moving over to Light, Celestia spread out her wing and wrapped it around Light, who flinched for a moment, before calming down again. The Princess' calming presence helped ease their worries, and Light took a deep breath, as they wiped away their tears. Very quietly, Light thanked Celestia for her support, and managed to calm down.

As they got up and turned towards the Gardens again, Light's eyes fell upon the dagger, and their eyes welled up again. Celestia asked the blade to be moved, carefully, as for some reason, it was causing Light a great deal of distress. Light placed their hooves on their head, and harshly closed their eyes, trying to hold in their emotions.

Celestia tried to gently reassure Light that they were safe and that there was no need to hold back their feelings, but Light shook their head no and moved away from Celestia. From behind Light, Celestia noticed Light's mane and tail started flickering with flames, but only for brief moments before dousing again.

Recognising the potentially dangerous situation, Harvest stepped forward and offered Celestia to talk to Light, as he had experience with his Nirik form, and better knew how to control it. Celestia accepted his offer, and stepped back, allowing Harvest to talk with Light, who was turning away from them.

Harvest gently spoke with Light and offered to help them through their transformation, but they kept shaking their head "No", and quietly said "I'm scared". Harvest remained calm, and gently tried to guide Light away from wherever their mind was taking them, to no avail. When he asked what it was they were afraid of, Light replied in a deep and monstrous voice:

"I remember. I was there. The blade was mine."

By giving Light the dagger, Boom had unknowingly handed them the master key, to their vault of memories, on a silver platter.

Though she preferred to stay inside to avoid the great crowd, when she heard the growing commotion outside, Nox dashed outside to offer her assistance, when she noticed Light in the distance, upon whose body fires started to flicker to life, with growing pain in their eyes, to which she could only give a gravely concerned look

As Nox approached Light, and stood next to Harvest, she made eye contact with them, and saw their eyes were filled with fear, and intense pain. Light turned away, and gestured for others to stay back. They desperately needed a way to calm down, for the panic and stress that were setting in needed to dissipate, otherwise it could end up doing severe harm to them and others around them.

They slowly headed further back into the Gardens, away from the crowd, with Nox and Harvest following closely behind them, as they quickly extinguished any trailing flames Light left behind. The rest of the group stayed near the Palace, prepared to head inside should anything go wrong, and glanced towards Light with worried expressions.

Reaching the edges of the Gardens, nearing the forests, Light leaned on to the fence where, just a few days prior, they had spoken with Celestia. The memory of her calming presence helped Light calm down a little bit, and they managed to take a deep breath, but it would take a long while before they would return to the group, out of fear of accidentally hurting somecreature.

Nox and Harvest found Light leaning on the fence, and carefully tried to approach them. Harvest spoke in a gentle voice, asking Light how they were feeling, to which they replied that they needed a moment, for their mind was too busy. Before Harvest could say anything in return, Light interrupted and said they knew holding in emotions wasn't healthy, but this was different.

These feelings, their memories and experiences flowing back after not having thought about them for a while, it overwhelmed them. But they took comfort in the fact that they overcame these feeling before, and they can do so again. They turned to Nox and Harvest and thanked them for helping, and apologised for being very difficult to help. They truly did appreciate their efforts.

Nox warmly smiled and leaned over the fence next to Light, saying that everycreature has things they want to forget, difficult times they want to move past, and yes, periods of stubbornness. But she knew that one bad moment or one small window of time where one is rude, or lashes out due to stress, does not, in any way, make that creature bad. It is just a moment after all.

Harvest joined the two on the fence, and reassured Light that he and Nox would help them with their fears, and if needed, how to safely turn Nirik to let their emotions out in a healthy way. He continued, and joked that with how bright their flames were, releasing stress as Nirik in a good way would really make them 'Healthy Light'.

The three shared a laugh, and Light felt relieved, for Nox and Harvest's words eased Light's worries. The flickering flames on their hair and tail decreased, slowly returning to their golden colours again. After they took a deep breath, and the last of the flames vanished, much to the relief of Harvest and Nox. Light looked at them, and chuckled quietly to themselves.

Harvest asked in a lighthearted manner what was so funny, to which Light replied that the three of them were definitely out of place, and yet all the friends they have met so far have made place for them, ending with a smile. Nox and Harvest looked at each other and back at Light, remembering all the friends they have made, and smiling at the friendship they all found

The three looked out towards the clear night sky, seeing countless stars dot the heavens. There was a cool breeze in the air, blowing through the leaves, the gentle sounds of which calmed Light down even more. Nox turned to Light and asked how they were feeling, to which they replied they were doing well. Before heading back, Nox wanted to ask one final question:

"If I may ask, what was it about that dagger that Boom gave you?"

Hearing her question, Light bowed their head down and closed their eyes. When they opened them, they shone bright like the sun, and their body started to darken...

Back at the entrance to the Palace, the crowd was spread out and were talking with each other in small groups. After Celestia had requested these items, Eclipse managed to find a blanket to give to Light, and Caff found a pitcher of water for them. They had put both of these items upon a tray to be able to move them more easily, if the need arises.

A little while after Nox and Harvest headed further into the Gardens, following Light and their flaming hoofprints, there were fewer sounds coming from whence they went. Light's fiery response to Harvest trying to reach out had heavily startled the group, and their deep, monstrous voice carried far into the Palace. Now, the silence and absence of deep voices reassured them somewhat.

Meanwhile, Celestia was thinking about the Gala where she was injured, and was trying to remember anything after she fainted, but failed to do so. Because of this, she asked around if anycreature could give any clarification as to what had happened that night, for Luna had left the Castle chasing the perpetrator, and did not know the exact order of events either.

After hearing this, Caff and Banana stepped towards the Princesses, and recounted their experiences. After Luna had led the charge, Light jumped towards the stage and began issuing orders with a commanding voice, asking Harvest to assist Luna in her pursuit and calling upon the Guard to escort Celestia to the Medical Centre.

They continued, saying that Harvest turned Nirik very quickly, and in a controlled manner, something they had not yet witnessed Light doing so. In fact, they had only seen glimpses of Light's Nirik form, primarily when they were dealing with stressful situations. Their eruption of emotion from this evening had startled the duo, and they were worried for their friend.

Celestia tried to reassure the two small Ponies, saying that they knew Nox well, and, from what she had heard, Harvest seemed to be a good Kirin to help Light with their transformation. She noted the lack of sounds coming from the Gardens, and told the two that any moment now, Nox, Harvest and Light would return, and together, all of them could rest and recover from their stress.

At that moment, a large column of fire and a bright flash appeared from further into the Gardens, and almost instantly after, a wave of heat followed. It felt as though someone had opened a baking oven, and everycreature present started sweating intensely, and retreated back into the Palace, followed closely by Guards to close the doors. All creatures, save for two, who ran to the Gardens.

As Banana and Caff were highly experienced with baking pastries and the like, they were used to waves of heat, though even they couldn't withstand it for long, and soon, they would have to retreat as well. Near the edge of the Gardens, when they turned the corner, they found Nox and Harvest trying to restrain and calm down Light, who had turned Nirik, to no avail.

The fireproof creatures saw the two bakers appear and loudly shouted at them to get back, for Light was losing control, and they did not know what would happen. Banana ignored their advice and started to run towards the heart of the blaze, when Light released a large magical blast that blasted the others away from them. Their eyes glowed, and they appeared feral.

Looking around, trying to find more threats, Nirik Light found none, but saw Banana, who had been blasted away, being dragged to safety by Caff, who looked at Light with genuine terror in her eyes. Realising what they had done, but increasingly losing control, Nirik Light let out a bloodcurdling scream, and after a bright and chaotic flash, that kicked up dirt and loose rocks, they vanished.

After Nirik Light had disappeared, the heat subsided, and Caff breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the cool air fill her lungs, just as Banana woke up again. The sun appeared to rise over the horizons, yet Light was nowhere to be found. A moment later, Celestia appeared and called upon the Guard to get the four to the Medical Centre. Then, she realised with dread what was happening.

And now, dear reader, let us freeze time for a moment, for the following happens within less than a second.