Son of the Moonby MasterPancakeChaptersFirst MeetingNew Name, New HomeMotherMasterThe PlanDualityBanishment and VengeanceReawakeningPonyvilleThe Journey BeginsFirst MeetingEquestria, a nation comprised primarily of Pony-folk, was known for being very peaceful. Though its roots were rocky, to say the least, under the rule of the kind princesses, Celestia, who rose the sun, and Luna, who rose the moon, peace began to prosper. Equestria was made up of many cities and small villages. One of these towns was known as Rockmount, and, like the name suggests, it was situated on top of an isolated mountain. Though peace was abundant, it could never be absolute, even under the kindest of rulers. As such, towns like Rockmount still existed, despite the princess' best efforts. Rockmount, also known as the Black Market City. "Get back here, thief!" A small, cloaked figure ran through the streets of the town, being pursued by several stallions. The figure turned a corner, the stallions following not far behind. "All of this for a few apples, like this town isn't already full of stolen things." The cloaked pony mumbled, voice clearly belonging to a male. He turned a corner into a narrow alleyway, his mouth underneath his hood turning into a grin. With great agility, he leaped upwards towards the wall, his foot landing on it and propelling him towards the opposite wall. He continued jumping between the two walls until he safely landed on the roof, continuing his escape. He was pursued by the few pegasi that were among the group, using their wings to fly and chase him along the rooftops. The cloaked pony frowned, looking at his persistent pursuers before his eyes began darting around the area, looking around for an escape route. He found none, and so opted to jump down from the rooftops and back into the alleyways before turning another corner. "A dead end. Great." He turned around to face the ponies that had been chasing him. He had thankfully lost most of them in the pursuit, but five still remained. "End of the line, kid." One of them, a large earth pony, approached menacingly, brandishing a knife and holding it to the thief's stomach. He looked down at the knife, then back up to the stallion, who was at least twice his own height, then behind himself, at the brick wall. An idea quickly formed in his head, and with it, another grin. "Thanks." "What are you-" The stallion couldn't even finish his sentence before the cloaked pony swiftly struck his wrist, making him drop his weapon, before leaping high, landing on top of his head and jumping once again from there, doing a backflip as he soared over the wall. All of the pursuers were left completely stunned, and unable to follow the apple thief. "Idiots," The cloaked pony chuckled to himself as he took a bite of apple, savoring the juicy goodness. "And got my lunch for today, too." Now that he was in the clear, the pony removed his hood. He was an earth pony colt, no more than ten years old, at best. His fur was ash gray in color, with a scruffy, dusty blue mane. His eyes were a light purple in color. He looked up towards the sky, Celestia's sun slowly disappearing over the horizon and giving way to Luna's moon. "It's getting close to time..." He turned to leave, before he heard a noise. A soft growl, a sound he knew all too well. He turned his head and spotted a small filly; the poor thing was practically skin and bones. The filly sat against a building, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked like she wanted to cry, but lacked the energy to do so. Such sights were all too common in the town of Rockmount, and although the colt had lived there his entire life, it had never gotten any easier to look at. Not everypony in town had someone to provide for them, and not all of the ones that were unlucky enough to be alone were as physically gifted as him and able to steal what they needed. Nodding his head at the decision he had made, the colt approached the filly. Now that he saw her up close, she seemed even younger than he was. She looked up at him, fear evident in her eyes, yet lacking the energy to defend herself, or to flee. "Here," He dropped the apples he had gathered in front of the filly, three in total. "I know it's not much, but it's enough to at least give you some energy back." The filly looked dumbfounded, eyes going from the apples to the colt, then back to the apples several times. Slowly, she reached a shaky hand towards an apple and picked it up, bringing it to her mouth and taking a small bite. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she had her first meal in Celestia knows how long. "Thank you..." She muttered; her voice was raspy from lack of water. "Don't mention it." The colt turned to leave, waving to her as he walked away. "Wait...!" The filly called as loudly as her hoarse voice would allow. "What's your name, mister?" The colt paused, turning back towards the filly he'd just helped. "My name?" He gave a soft smile as he scratched his head. "I don't have one!" The filly definitely didn't expect an answer like that, especially not in such a cheerful manner. She could only stare in bewilderment as this mysterious colt who had just saved her life disappeared just as quickly as he had arrived. "Now," The colt looked up towards the sky once again. More time had passed than he would've liked. "I should hurry. I'm gonna be late!" He took off in a sprint. A hooded figure made their way through the town. They were taller than most every other pony around them. They wore all black, somewhat matching the bits of dark blue that were visible. The pony sat at a chair in front of one of the many vendors scattered throughout the town. The vendor, a light blue unicorn mare, turned to greet the customer. Her eyes went wide at who she saw. "Well, didn't expect to see you today, princess." She spoke in a hushed tone, ensuring that none would listen in on the conversation among the noise of the townsfolk. The princess rolled her eyes at the attempt of formality from the shady merchant. "Just 'Luna' is fine, you know. Nopony in this town has a respect for authority anyway." "You say that, but you continue allowing this town to exist regardless." The unicorn had a hint of smugness in her voice as she spoke. Luna stared into her eyes with a completely neutral expression. "The sole reason for that is because it is the only place in which I can find the sparkling starfruit that I crave." Her blank expression quickly morphed into a hardened glare. "However, my promise still stands. If I am to find out of any illegal trading beyond simply rare objects, then I will destroy this mountain with my own two hands." "Yeah, yeah." The unicorn spoke in an uninterested tone, clearly not threatened in the slightest. She grabbed the sparkling starfruit for the princess. It was a navy-blue fruit that was shaped like a star and glittered like the stars in the night sky. "Finally! I have been craving these for weeks!" Luna sat the bits on the counter, reaching towards the fruit that she craved so badly. "Thank you!" A young voice shouted as a gray and blue blur quickly passed between the merchant and princess. By the time that either of them processed what had just happened, the sparkling starfruit had been stolen, swiped from the merchant's hands without her notice. "That damned kid again... He's been causing more trouble than usual lately." The merchant rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "I'm so sorry about that, Luna. Let me get you another." Luna, however, was distracted, her gaze fixed on where the figure had been. Only one question came to mind. "Who was that?" "Who, that colt? I don't know his name." The mare scratched her head. "But he's bad news, always stealing food from anywhere he can. A real delinquent." Luna gave the merchant a look. The mare cleared her throat. "Well, relatively speaking." "I do not know why... But I could feel it. That colt hides an immense power within himself." Luna's mind had any manner of possibilities running through her head as she continued to stare. "Your fruit, Luna." The Princess of the Night was snapped from her thoughts by the mare before her. "Yes, thank you." She took the sparkling starfruit and stood up. "By the way, do you know where that colt might have run off to?" The merchant raised a questioning eyebrow. "It looks like he went to the Arena. I kind of get it, the champion is fighting today, after all." "The champion... I've heard rumors, but it's exceedingly rare for him to enter the arena." "It is, I think only like, once a month or something like that." The merchant waved her hand dismissively. "I've never been into it. Too many big, loud stallions." "I think I will attend." And without another word, Luna had left, leaving a very confused unicorn. "Princesses, man. They're weird." Luna soon arrived at the Arena. It was essentially a large coliseum that was carved into the ground, located in the center of the mountain. She had cast a simple illusion spell on herself to blend in. She now took the appearance of a turquoise unicorn mare with a dark blue mane and amber eyes. She looked around, scanning the area; it was full of mostly large, beefy stallions talking about who would win the upcoming fight. Making her way through the crowd, Luna took a seat. She had been lucky enough to be able to get a seat in the front row. "I wonder who this champion is..." The crowd was abuzz with talk of the champion. Many of the ponies there had never seen them before and speculated on what they were like. Everyone went quiet as one of the gates slowly opened. "And in one corner, the beefcake to end all beefcakes, Taurus the minotaur!" The announcer called. Out from the gate stepped a huge, brown colored minotaur. He snorted, steam billowing from his nostrils as he hefted his large battle axe over his shoulder. Luna narrowed her eyes at the minotaur, watching him closely. "If he is not the champion, then who is?" "And in the other, you know him, you love him, the greatest fighter to grace our humble arena, your champion, the Gray Avenger!" The gates on the other side of the arena opened, a small, cloaked figure stepping out into the moonlight. He grinned, tossing his cloak away and revealing a surprisingly lean and muscular physique for his age. "It's him!?" Luna stood up from her chair. Indeed, the supposed champion was the very same colt that had stolen her fruit earlier. The crowd had burst into confused and concerned murmuring at the champion's big reveal. "It's a colt?" "Is this even legal?" "Hey, ref! He's gonna die!" Luna, however, remained silent. There was no doubt that this colt was the very same from earlier. The immense amount of latent power she felt from within him was proof enough. Though whether or not he was even aware of such power was a mystery. But, comparing the two fighters, one thing was certain. That minotaur stood no chance. New Name, New HomeThe colt and minotaur continued to stare at each other, neither one of them moving a single muscle. Luna stared intently at the two combatants, silently observing them. "If the colt is aware of the power within himself, then he should win fairly easily. But if he is not..." Her thought went unfinished as her gaze hardened. "BEGIN!" Taurus moved first. Dashing forwards at speeds one wouldn't think possible for someone his size, he raised his axe above his head before swinging it downwards upon the colt, intent on cleaving him in two. The colt remained calm. With perfect timing, he struck the side of the axe with his palm, diverting its path and causing it to embed itself into the ground beside him instead. Without missing a beat, he followed with an elbow strike to the minotaur's stomach, making him cough as the air was knocked from his lungs. The colt finished with a fierce uppercut to the chin, making his opponent stumble backwards and fall onto his back. Taurus remained on his back, having been surprised by the speed and power this young colt was hiding. "That all you got, big guy? I thought minotaurs were supposed to be tough." The colt taunted, bouncing on his feet and doing a few jabs. Taurus sat up; rage was written on his face as he wiped blood from his mouth. "Lucky shot, you little twerp." "Whatever you say, meathead." He stuck out his tongue. Luna's eyes narrowed at the display, not liking where this was going. "Too cocky." Taurus crouched down, the muscles in his legs bulging as he glared at the colt. "I'll show you what I've really got." The minotaur suddenly launched forward at a much greater speed than before, leaving a small crater where he once stood. The colt's eyes went wide, and he failed to react in time as his opponent was right in front of him in an instant and slamming a large fist into the pony's face, sending him bouncing backwards at high speeds until he slammed into the wall, leaving a crater, with the colt stuck against the wall. Luna winced; she felt that hit from where she sat. "It seems he isn't aware of it after all. This could get ugly." Not letting up, Taurus sped forward once again, driving his fist into the colt's stomach, making the pony cough up a bit of blood. The minotaur didn't stop there, as he continued pounding his fists into the colt, making him yell out in pain with each blow. "That's right! This is what happens to anyone that insults me!" Taurus shouted in glee. "Scream even more! Show me the sounds of your agony!" The crowd began yelling for him to stop, but Taurus didn't care as he continued to beat the child who dared to harm and insult him. Luna had shut her eyes tightly, unable to watch anymore. She was just about ready to jump in and stop the fight herself, when... SNAP! "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" The screams of pain weren't from the colt, but from the crazed minotaur. He fell to his knees, holding his right hand, his middle finger bent completely backwards. The colt slowly pulled himself from the crater, landing on shaky legs as he gave his opponent a bloody grin. "What's wrong? Can't take pain as well as a ten-year-old?" The colt was suddenly taken off guard, his taunting interrupted as Taurus suddenly knocked him to the ground, before stomping hard on his left arm. There was a sickening crunch. The colt bit his tongue to stifle a scream, not wanting to give the crazy minotaur the satisfaction of hearing him. Luna's frown grew deeper at the display. She had expected these underground fights to be brutal, but for a fully grown minotaur to relentlessly beat down on a young colt was going too far, even if he was asking for it with his constant taunting. Still, she decided not to intervene. At least for now. As Taurus had gone to grab his axe, the colt slowly sat up. He clutched his now broken arm, which was swollen and had a large bruise from where Taurus had stomped on it. He slowly stood up, his legs trembling as it took all of his willpower not to collapse. He stared at his opponent, who had now retrieved his axe and was now walking back towards him, intent on finishing the job. He took a deep breath, calming himself. The burning flame of resolve burned within him, visible in his eyes. Luna could see his determination clear as day. He would not lose this fight. No, he wouldn't allow himself to lose this fight. Taurus swung his large battle axe in a horizontal arc, aimed directly at the colt's midsection. The colt, however, jumped upwards, landing on top of the axe before thrusting his leg forward and planting his foot directly into the minotaur's face and making him drop his weapon, stumbling backwards as he clutched his nose. The colt, not letting up, dashed forward, spinning rapidly to build momentum before swinging his leg, hitting Taurus directly in the liver, making him yell out in pain. He followed with a kick to Taurus' shin, bringing him to his knees before he grabbed his head with his good arm and slammed his knee into his face, knocking him onto his back. Taurus groaned as he began to rise, but the colt was far quicker, leaping high above him, and doing several front flips as he descended before extending both legs, landing directly onto his stomach. Taurus coughed, spitting up blood before he passed out. The colt had won against all odds. Luna smiled at his victory. He raised his fist as the crowd went wild, celebrating both his triumph and the fall of Taurus. He walked over and grabbed his cloak, making his way to the exit and through the crowd, many of which either showed concern for his condition or admiration for his abilities, some even wanting an autograph. He ignored them all and swiftly kept on his way. Luna followed the colt as best she could through the crowd of adoring fans. He was difficult to keep track of, given his small size and the speed at which he moved. She ultimately failed as he disappeared within the crowd, but Luna didn't worry much. After all, she had another reliable method of tracking him. So, she temporarily gave up on her pursuit, instead stopping at a nearby vendor to browse their wares. The colt sat on top of a small shack that was outside of town. It was a small, abandoned little thing that was absolutely filthy, made of rotting wood and looked ready to collapse if someone simply breathed on it wrong, but to him, it was home. It had been about an hour since his victory in the arena, and he now donned a self-made cast around his arm comprised of dirty bandages that he had lying around. He also wore a dirty white tank top and equally filthy black shorts. He was currently stargazing, a hobby he picked up since he found that it helped him relax after a fight. "So, this is where you went." His head snapped towards the new voice. Standing there was a tall, deep blue mare. She wore a cloak which concealed the rest of her body, but the hood was down to reveal the gentle smile upon her face. He immediately took notice of her horn and long hair, which was constantly flowing as if being blown by a nonexistent breeze and had an appearance similar to that of the night sky. It looked almost ethereal. "How did you find me?" He asked the first question that had popped into his mind. "It wasn't that hard. You have a very unique feeling to the energy within you, as well as having much more than anypony else here." She stated matter-of-factly. A look of confusion crossed the colt's face, but he quickly shook his head, clearing his mind of any questions for now. "Whatever. Just go, I'm not seeing company." Instead of leaving, she approached him. "My name is Luna. I saw your fight." "Luna? The princess?" His eyes went wide at the new information as he stared at her in shock. "What in Tartarus is a princess doing in such a shitty town? And watching fights too?" "How is your arm?" She interrupted his thoughts. The colt looked at her in surprise. Why would a princess care about some nopony colt like him? But looking into her eyes, he saw something that he had never seen from anyone else he had met: genuine concern. She was genuinely worried about him. He had met many travelers in his admittedly not very long life, but Luna, this princess who shouldn't even give him the time of day, was somehow the most genuine creature he had ever met. He decided he could trust her, if only just a bit. "It'll heal. I'll live." He answered. Luna motioned to the vacant spot next to him. "May I?" "Oh... Sure." Luna smiled and jumped up, sitting next to him. Surprisingly, the shed didn't collapse, despite the added weight. "I was here for sparkling starfruit, which you stole, by the way." She gave a playful grin. It took the colt several seconds to process this. When he finally did, his jaw dropped. "That was you!?" "Mhmm." Luna giggled. "But do not worry, I was given another free of charge." She smiled, making him let out a sigh of relief, grateful the princess didn't hold a grudge. "Why were you watching fights anyway? You should know how brutal they get, and fighters die pretty often." "I was interested in this 'champion' that I had heard about. You can imagine my surprise when it turned out to be you." The colt looked back upwards, staring at the moon. "... I never claimed to be champion. They just started calling me that since I had never lost a fight." He looked back towards her with a big, toothy smile spread across his face. "I just like fighting strong guys!" "You... Enjoy fighting?" Luna received a nod of confirmation from the colt. She closed her eyes, humming in thought. "Why is that?" It was the colt's turn to close his eyes. Looking back, he had never really thought much about his reasons for fighting or why he enjoyed it so much. He just simply did. "I dunno. It just feels like... I was made for it. Like it's what I was born to do." He leaned back, hands behind his head as he stared back up at the sky. "But I've never killed anypony in that arena. It just didn't feel right. To take away another's life because I have the power to... I don't wanna be that cruel. I may not have anyone that would care if I died, but others might." Luna nodded silently, taking in the information. "You have a strong sense of justice, and you are surprisingly profound for someone so young." "Well, growing up on your own makes you mature pretty quickly, I guess." He chuckled wryly. "What of your parents?" The colt shrugged absentmindedly. "No clue. I heard they sold me here as a foal." "THEY WHAT!?" Immediately, Luna had shot up, completely outraged. Her voice boomed at unnatural levels he didn't think possible for a pony. The colt's eyes widened, surprised to see her this upset about something that had happened ten years ago. After all, he had simply accepted it as a simple event that happened, which he had no control over. He looked up as her horn flared to life with a bright blue light and a deep blue magical sigil appeared in front of her. Instantly, the colt knew her plan and quickly moved in front of her. "STOP!!!" Thankfully, Luna had enough control over herself to cease her attack before she obliterated the colt along with the city behind him. She looked down at him, staring into his eyes and seeing that same flame of determination that had appeared before. "I know this city is terrible... I know that it goes against your principles... But there are a lot of innocents in there who didn't do anything wrong! They don't deserve to die because of your outburst!" He panted heavily as he thought back to the filly he had helped, the tourists who were visiting and the few there who really didn't know the true darkness of the city. "This town may me a total shithole, but it's my home! AND I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY IT!" Luna stared at the colt, surprised at the courage he had for stepping in front of such a powerful attack that was intended to destroy the entire town, as well as the backbone to speak back to someone he knew was royalty, and far more powerful than he could even imagine. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. This colt was right. Had she acted rashly, she would have ended many innocent lives along with the criminals. "I... Apologize for my outburst." Her cheeks turned red in embarrassment as she sat back down. "Well, as long as you don't do it again, I guess it's fine." He gave a smile and sat down as well. Luna let out a small giggle. "A colt telling the Princess of the Night what to do. What are the odds?" She smiled, resting her head in her palm. "What is your name?" "Don't have one," he said. His answer was immediate, almost reflexive. "My parents never left a name tag or anything." "Then how about I name you?" The colt did a double take. A princess seriously wanted to give him a name? It seemed too good to be true. He had gone just fine without one up until now, but still... It would be nice to have something to call himself. "Go ahead." "Hmm." Luna looked around the area for inspiration. Her eyes eventually landed on the sky; in particular, the stars. She smiled as something came to her. She would name him after her favorite star in her beautiful night sky, the North Star. "How about Polaris? Polaris Starshine." "That's lame." "Huh!?" She turned towards him in shock, not expecting such an immediate and cold response. "Still..." His frown slowly turned into a smile. "It's a name you came up with, so it's special. Polaris Starshine it is." Luna was elated, her smile even brighter than her sister's sun as she clapped her hands happily. "I'm glad!" "By the way..." The newly dubbed Polaris interrupted her. "Why did you come and find me? I'm guessing it wasn't just to make small talk." Luna stopped her excited clapping, her happiness fading away and being replaced by an air of seriousness. "Correct." "Well, what's a princess want with me, then?" Polaris asked, leaning forward. "I'll be upfront. I want to take you in to live with me." She stated. "... Wha?" "Your potential is outstanding. I fear if someone else were to train you in how to use it, then it would be misused." She explained. "What, so I'm just some tool?" Polaris glared daggers. "No. But I fear others may see you as such." She looked towards him with pleading eyes. Polaris' expression softened. He could tell that she only wanted what was best for him, and didn't want him to be tricked or abused by anyone. Sure, he could handle most threats that came at him on his own, but fighting would only get him so far. He knew, at least to some extent, that he wasn't exactly the best example of intelligence. Besides, he would have to be crazy to give up a chance to live with royalty. "Okay, I'll go with you. On one condition." He held up a finger. Luna covered her mouth with a hand to keep from laughing. "Making demands? You're quite bold." Polaris only grinned. "You gotta beat me in a fight!" Luna had a blank stare. "... You're serious?" "Dead serious! I wanna see just how much of a gap there is between us, so I can get even stronger!" Polaris took a fighting stance, raising his fist. Luna looked at his still broken arm in concern. "Well... If you say so." She sighed before quickly vanishing from sight. Before Polaris could even begin to wonder where she had gone, he was out cold; Luna had given him a quick hand chop to the back of the neck. She made sure to catch him before he hit the ground and possibly damaged his arm even more. "I guess that means I win." She said with a smug grin. She removed her cloak to reveal a pair of large, dark blue wings, as well as the sparkling blue dress she wore. "I suppose he would not mind if I simply took him home like this. That was the deal, after all." She held the unconscious colt in her arms and with a flap of her wings, they took off towards the castle where she lived. As well as Polaris' new home. MotherPolaris awoke with a start, panting heavily and sweating bullets. He looked around, observing his surroundings. A standard room with a bed, a nightstand, a dresser and a window across from him, the morning sun shining through it. He gently rubbed his head as the memories of last night gradually returned to him. Apparently, he had lost. Sighing, Polaris brought his left hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. He paused before staring at his arm; it had been healed completely. Normally, his recovery speed was much quicker than others, but he never recalled it being this fast. That should have taken a month, at the very least. "I guess she healed me. Magic can be pretty handy at times, I suppose." He spoke. Looking to the nightstand, he spotted a glass of ice water that had been left out for him. Come to think of it, he was pretty thirsty, and he couldn't remember the last time he had fresh water. Lifting the glass to his lips, he downed it in a few gulps before setting the empty glass back down. "Definitely beats drinking from puddles, or rainwater." Looking inside the drawers of the dresser, he found clean, neatly folded clothes for him. "Geez, how long was I out for her to get all this stuff for me? Well, I guess she is royalty. She probably has a bunch of servants to do it for her." He dug around in the clothes before finding something he liked. It was a black t-shirt with a white crescent moon on the front, and a pair of jean shorts. He never really liked long sleeved shirts or long pants; they restricted movement too much. He looked down at the crescent moon adorning his chest. "Self-advertisement much...?" He deadpanned. Shrugging and deciding to drop it for now, he figured that it was time to explore what was to become his new home. Stepping out into the hallway, he looked both ways and saw nothing but more rooms lining the walls. He honestly had no idea how anyone was supposed to navigate this place. He sighed in annoyance and decided at random to go right. After passing through a "Hall of Hands," which he thought was kind of creepy, he ended up in a dining area. It was a large room with an equally large table that was far too big for just a few ponies to sit at without a ton of extra space. The two most notable things, however, were the fact that the table was completely full of food, and the pony who sat on one of the ends of the table. She was a tall, pure white mare wearing a golden dress that snugly hugged her figure. She had both wings and a horn, and her long, pastel hair was perpetually flowing in a similar manner to Luna's. She turned her head towards him, a gentle smile crossing her features. "You're finally awake. I must say, I was quite surprised when Luna had brought home a child." She giggled softly as she put a bite of pancake into her mouth. "Well, I lost a bet." He cautiously approached, sitting in a chair next to her. "Are you... Princess Celestia?" He looked up at her, seeing her answer his question with a nod of her head. "... What's with all the food?" He asked. "Luna wasn't sure what kind of food you would like, so she asked me to have the chefs make a large variety for breakfast." She took another bite of pancake. "She sent out servants to gather clothes for you as well, as I'm sure you're aware." She motioned to his newly acquired clothing. "She's really making sure you have the best. She's acting like your mother." She teased. "Mother, huh...?" Polaris looked to the ceiling, deep in thought. Luna had gone out of her way to take him from poverty, give him clean clothes, water, shelter and now fresh food as well. She had even given him a name. Like a mother would. Polaris frowned, remembering her mentioned reasoning for wanting to take him in, being that she simply didn't want his supposed "hidden power" being misused. But he remembered the look that she had in her eyes as she spoke to him. It was genuine. It was comforting. It was the look that someone would only have if they truly cared about another. He knew in his heart that she never took him in for an ulterior motive or anything like that. It was simply to help him. She was the first to show him true, genuine kindness. "Hello?" Celestia's voice snapped him from his thoughts as she waved her hand in front of his face. He quickly shook his head and looked at her. "You zoned out there for a moment. Did my comment get to you?" She smiled playfully. "Yeah... I guess it did. Just a bit." Polaris let out a small laugh as he stared at the large assortment of food before him. "Can I really have whatever I want here?" "Go ahead." Celestia said, resting her head in her palm. Tentatively, Polaris took a bite of pancake. His eyes immediately widened at the burst of delicious flavor that hit his taste buds. He started scarfing down all of the food in sight like a pack of starving timberwolves, reaching for anything that he could grab and consuming it so fast that Celestia wondered if he was even chewing at all, and where he was putting all that food. He definitely ate much more than what should even be physically possible for a colt his age. Celestia couldn't help but laugh lightheartedly as the colt before her shoveled more food into his mouth than any other pony she had ever seen. She could forgive his disregard for proper manners, seeing as he was likely starving, and had probably never had a proper meal in his life. And besides, she got like this too, on occasion... Particularly when cake was involved, but she would never mention that. After a short while, Polaris finally finished eating after having put about half of the food on the massive table into his black hole of a stomach. He rubbed his full belly in satisfaction, letting loose a loud burp as he did. Celestia had finished laughing and had finished her own pancakes. "Luna tells me that she named you Polaris, correct?" Celestia asked, to which the colt nodded his head in confirmation. "From what I've heard, you're a real ruffian who enjoys fighting anypony he can." "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Polaris shrugged his shoulders. "But not anypony. Strong ones. I just wanna keep getting stronger and stronger and stronger!" He shouted with conviction. Celestia was taken aback by his sudden declaration, looking at him in surprise. "To what end?" She asked. "What do you mean?" Polaris replied, his confusion evident. "Do I really need a reason to want to get stronger? I just... Do." Celestia frowned a bit at the response, trying to wrap her head around this colt her sister had found. "You really have no reason to get stronger, other than simply wanting to?" Polaris shook his head at her question. "You have nothing to gain? Nothing to protect? Not even to become the strongest?" "I don't wanna be the absolute strongest, that would be super boring," Polaris stated. "If I'm the strongest, then what's the point in fighting anymore? I'd already be stronger and would win no question. Part of a fight is excitement! Not knowing if I can win is part of the fun!" He had a big smile. "... Excitement?" "When I fought that minotaur... I was scared. Like, really, really scared. But that fear made me excited! Because that meant my opponent was strong and beating him would make me stronger in the end!" Polaris finished by throwing a few punches into the air. Celestia stared at him for several moments before a smile slowly made its way back to her face. "You're quite interesting." Polaris simply laughed in response before turning to her. "Say, you have soldiers, right? Where's the training ground? I wanna practice my moves there!" He ran off after receiving directions from Celestia. Celestia simply sat with a smile, looking at the doorway he had gone through. Another figure entered the dining hall not long after Polaris left. "He reminds me of myself at a young age." It was a soft male voice. Celestia turned to face the new arrival. "Hello, Red Wind." The stallion in question was a pegasus with a coat of purest white, which heavily contrasted with his deep crimson hair, which was short and wavy. His eyes were a light silver in color, appearing to glow in the light. He wore a black tank top and pants. "Your majesty." Red Wind bowed to the princess. "Oh, stop that. You know full well that you're more than a simple servant or guard." Celestia poked his forehead. "But I am your personal guardian." He smiled, a soft, gentle smile that always seemed to be his default expression. "But also, my closest friend and confidant." Celestia poked his forehead again, this time with a teasing smile. Red Wind simply sighed in defeat, relenting to the stubborn princess. "I suppose so..." "What do you think of Polaris?" Celestia suddenly asked. Red Wind tapped his chin with a finger as he thought. "He's talented in fighting, that much is certain, and I can tell just by looking at his physique that he has a Fighter's Body as well. The combination of both a Fighting Talent and Fighter's Body is very rare. It makes me interested in watching his growth." He smiled, this time looking a little bit less gentle than usual. "Fighter's Body and Fighting Talent, hm?" Celestia pondered. "There have been multiple ponies with one or the other throughout history, particularly before the founding of Equestria when fighting was much more prevalent. But having both at once is something only a very select few ponies were ever born with." "But it's rough. His power is unrefined," Red Wind stated. "He doesn't really know that he has either, it seems. It'll take a lot of training to maximize their usage." Celestia silently nodded in agreement with Red Wind's observation. She stood up and headed towards the throne room, Red Wind following not far behind. Just who was this colt that Luna had brought home with her? In the training yard, Polaris was practicing the techniques he had gained from his many battles on one of the training dummies. He performed various moves ranging from straight punches, to spin kicks, to bicycle kicks, to various grabs and more. A few guards had stopped to watch him train. They were made aware that Luna had brought home a child she had found but had not expected to see that same colt training with such intensity. "Polaris." The guards all immediately stood at attention at the sound of their princess Luna's voice. "What are you doing in the training yard? You only just recovered." "Training, duh." Polaris turned towards her. "I can't get stronger if I just sit around all day." Luna just shook her head and sighed. "You are incorrigible." "I don't know what that means, so I'm gonna ignore it!" Polaris stuck his tongue out. He paused and looked at the bright sunny sky, a realization dawning on him. "Wait, shouldn't you be sleeping during the day?" "Well... I was." Luna chuckled softly. "But I became restless with my worry for you, so I had gone to check on you to see how you were recovering after I had healed your injuries. However, I can see now that you are doing just fine." Polaris looked at Luna, observing her. Celestia's words from earlier echoed in his mind, spurring him to speak up. "Princess Luna?" "Yes?" "Can we speak? In private?" Luna was caught off guard by his uncharacteristically soft and nervous tone of voice. In the short time she had known Polaris, the colt had been nothing but very loud, outspoken and somewhat rude. She was reminded in this moment that, despite his combat prowess, and emotional maturity, he was still a child. "Very well, follow me." She began walking, motioning for Polaris to follow, which he did without question. After a bit of walking, they had reached Luna's quarters, which had a much larger bed than his own, and many moon-related decorations. Everything was black or blue, she really liked darker colors, it seemed. "What did you wish to speak to me about?" "O-Oh!" Um..." He had gone over this conversation a few times in his head since his talk with Celestia but actually having said conversation was entirely different. Luna seemed to notice his apprehension and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Polaris, it is alright. I do not want you to fear speaking to me about anything, and if you feel that now is not the time, then I shall wait until you are good and ready." She offered a reassuring smile. There was that tone again. A motherly tone that comforted Polaris and made him feel like his troubles weren't anything to worry about. It was the same tone she had used when they had first met and was what gained his trust in the first place. Never knowing who his parents were bothered the young colt more than he let on. In truth, while he did love fighting, he equally wanted attention. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Polaris finally spoke. "I... I hate my real parents, you know? They sold me to the black market for a few bits, for what? Gambling? Drugs? Some kind of debt? It just doesn't make sense... I wanted to know who my mom and dad really were, but now, when I really think about it, they were just scum." Tears streamed from his eyes down his face as he emptied his true feelings. Luna wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a comforting embrace. He felt her warmth surrounding him, comforting him. She ran a hand through his hair, quietly shushing him as he let everything out. His anger, and his sadness. Slowly, Polaris moved his trembling arms upwards, wrapping them tightly around Luna's body, returning her embrace as he continued sobbing. "A-Am I really that w-worthless? S-So worthless that my p-parents liked money more than me?" He spoke through choked sobs. "I do not believe so," Luna reassured, looking down at the crying child. "They are the ones at fault. They were greedy, selfish ponies. It is not that your life is worth less than money, it is simply that their warped view of the world caused them to value money more than your life." She gently rubbed his back. Polaris eventually calmed down, his sobs devolving into quiet whimpers. "You're... The first one to really be nice to me. In that city, almost everything is rare and valuable, so types like me would have to steal to survive. It was really a place without laws... But ponies still don't like being stolen from, so I had a bad name for myself. But nobody really knew that I was the champion underneath that cloak. Even if they did, I don't think it would have changed much..." Luna nodded, quietly listening to him vent his frustrations. "I fought in that arena not just to fight strong fighters, but also because those cheers of the crowd... They gave me a purpose. I felt important." "But you are important." Luna stated. "Everypony's life has some meaning, even yours. I believe that we choose what our own life means not just to ourselves, but to those around us as well." She returned to caressing his head. "What your parents did was terrible. But you cannot allow that to shape you. You are more than that. Perhaps even forgive them, to an extent." "H-How could I possibly forgive them!?" Polaris exclaimed, appalled at the suggestion. "Not completely. What they did was terrible, but had it not happened, we would not have crossed paths. If somepony wrongs you, but they are truly sorry and regretful of what they have done, then I believe you should forgive them. But if they do not even seem to notice..." A bit of resentment began bleeding into her tone of voice, almost entirely unnoticeable. She quickly cleared her throat before continuing. "Anyway... A second chance is not something everypony has the luxury of receiving, only those who truly regret what they have done." Polaris simply nodded, listening to the wise words of his caretaker. "You're more of a mother than my mother." "I simply want what is best for you." Luna gave a gentle smile. "... Thanks, mom." He said, without realizing it, almost as if by instinct. Still, Luna didn't seem to mind as she simply kept her smile. She looked down to see that he had fallen asleep in her embrace, the crying and emotional stress having caught up with him. Gently lifting him in her arms, Luna climbed into her bed, laying Polaris next to her before using her telekinesis to move the blanket over the two of them. "Sleep well, my sweet Moon Prince." She softly planted a kiss on his forehead before closing her eyes, drifting off to sleep herself. Polaris smiled as he slept. Master"Princess, the prince is at it again." Luna sighed and shook her head with a smile. She had absolutely no idea why Polaris believed this form of "training" to be a good idea. Standing up from her throne, she closed her eyes and felt around for her son's energy signature. She quickly located him running through a hallway near the entrance to the castle. It had been a full year since Luna had accepted Polaris as her son, and his energy never seemed to wane in the slightest. Of course, the colt was delighted to find out that Luna did indeed see him as a son as much as he saw her as a mother. Since that day, he had begun to train even harder than ever, his strength growing and his moves sharpening with each passing day. He had even started sparring with the royal guard, which served to help them grow as well as himself. Lately, however, he had taken to doing mock "escape attempts" where he would attempt to escape the castle, fighting the many guards along the way. Many held back, understandably so, they didn't want to hurt a child. Those were the ones who were beaten the quickest. But these attempts always ended the same way: with Luna herself appearing at the very end and putting a stop to him. Why did the guards agree to this stupid, stupid form of training that really just wasted resources they could better use to defend the castle from invaders? Probably either relentless begging or abuse of his authority as prince, if Luna were to guess. Teleporting in front of the castle entrance, her sudden appearance caused the runaway prince to stop dead in his tracks. She had a stern look in her eye. Polaris knew that look, it was her mom look. She only used it when he was in trouble. "Again, Polaris?" She asked in a tone that barely masked her disappointment and annoyance. "Yep! It's pretty good for stamina and endurance!" Polaris gave a smile. He had a few cuts and bruises littering his body, no doubt a result of the few guards he likely fought on his way there. "Polaris Starshine," She used her stern motherly voice, causing him to flinch back a bit. "Go to your room. Now." Polaris had learned pretty quickly after his unofficial adoption that the power of Luna's motherly voice was not only very comforting, but it could also be used for intimidation. The results were often quite effective. Still, this time he wouldn't back down. "You're gonna have to make me!" He stuck out his tongue, pulling his bottom left eyelid downwards in a taunting gesture. Luna's eye twitched at the sight. "I thought you had learned not to be so flamboyant after your battle with that minotaur." Polaris had taken the opportunity to sprint past her and towards the doors, but Luna caught him in her telekinesis, dragging him back in front of her. She flicked his forehead, sending him tumbling backwards along the floor until he hit the wall, rubbing his forehead in pain as another small bruise formed. "You can't just levitate me like that! It's not fair!" Polaris complained. "Not every battle will be a fair one, you should know this already." Luna retorted. Polaris huffed before running forward once more towards his mother. His speed had increased greatly in the last year, but it still was no match for his mother. He threw a spin kick to the side, but Luna simply raised a hand and blocked it. Polaris jumped backwards before jumping up and throwing a punch to her face. Luna caught his fist with ease, tossing him away from her. He rolled backwards across the ground, hitting the wall once again. "Not every problem can be solved through violence, you know." Luna chided. "Sometimes, you must think. Think about whether or not a fight actually needs to happen in the situation." Polaris struggled to catch his breath as he looked up at the imposing form of his mother. She was like a mountain, a mountain he had yet to even begin climbing. Her strength was so astronomically superior to his own that defeating her was absolutely, one hundred percent impossible. He would need a plan, but boy was Polaris bad at thinking. All of his fights had been won through the sheer difference in physical abilities or skill between him and his opponent. But sadly, such an option wasn't applicable here. Once again, Polaris ran forward; Luna expected another frontal assault, but instead Polaris ran to the side, using his great speed to run upwards on the wall before jumping off towards Luna like a rocket. Still, the attack, though unexpected, was easily stopped as Luna caught his fist once again without breaking a sweat and tossed him away. Polaris attempted to run forward once more but winced and fell to his knees as his leg cramped up. "You took too much damage from the guards earlier." Luna observed. "This is what I mean by picking your battles. Had you not insisted on fighting so many on the way here, you would be in better shape." Polaris grunted and stood back up. A plan formed in his head, though he was unsure if it would work. Taking a deep breath, Polaris crouched down into a runner's stance. Luna watched as the muscles in his legs began to bulge under the strain he was building up. This felt somewhat familiar, but she couldn't exactly say why. She was taken by surprise when Polaris suddenly dashed forward at incredible speed, leaving a small crater where he once stood. His target wasn't her, but the door she was guarding. "Did he just...?" With no time to finish her thoughts, Luna quickly whipped around, grabbing Polaris in her magical aura and stopping him mere inches from the door. She flicked her wrist, flinging him behind her and back into the wall for the third time. "Gah! I thought that would work for sure!" Polaris shouted in frustration. "It was an admirable attempt," Luna said. "I had not expected you to take my words to heart so quickly." "I just thought that you were too strong, so I would just get past you instead of losing a fight against you." Polaris suddenly beamed. "This was my best attempt yet!" "Polaris." Luna put a hand on his shoulder, a gentle smile on her face. "Yeah, mom?" He looked up at her. "You're grounded." "Wha- DAMN IT!" "And that's extra time added for swearing." Polaris groaned and hung his head. Soon after Celestia had raised the sun, Luna had requested to meet with her to discuss something she had deemed as important. Celestia decided to indulge her younger sister, curious as to what she considered important enough to meet her at the crack of dawn. Red Wind stood by Celestia's side as usual, though his presence wasn't really needed. He just preferred to be near her. "What's wrong, Luna?" Celestia asked with concern. If Luna was missing sleep for this, then it must have been serious. "Well... It is about Polaris," Luna said, only piquing Celestia's interest further. "His talent for combat seems to grow every day. Last night, he had done something that I had not thought possible." Celestia leaned in, urging her sister to continue. After a deep breath, Luna did. "He seems to have an uncanny ability to copy techniques he has seen from those he has fought against in the past." Celestia's eyes widened in surprise at the news. "And you're sure of this? It wasn't just your imagination?" Luna nodded in response. "Those movements then, they were almost exactly like those of the minotaur he had faced on the night we met. Granted, he does not seem to be aware that he has this capability." Luna paused, chewing on her bottom lip. "I am not sure how to train him. At this rate, he will soon grow restless. He is a... somewhat unruly child, as you know, and I fear he may take out his pent-up frustrations out on the guards." "Well, you did decide to take him in," Celestia pointed out. "I'll admit, he does liven up the place, but I do agree that he also needs to learn some self-control. He cannot simply fight everypony that he meets. You should discipline him more." Celestia took a sip of tea. "I discipline my child well enough, thank you very much!" Luna huffed, silently adding this judgement of her capabilities as a mother to the list of reasons she didn't like her sister. "The problem is not a lack of punishment; the child simply needs an outlet for his energy. He is used to constantly training, he has done so his entire life. A single year in a better home will not change these instincts that have been ingrained into his very being! AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!" Luna shouted, subconsciously activating her Royal Canterlot Voice and stomping her foot on the ground, cratering it. Celestia quickly used her magic to prevent the windows from shattering, but unfortunately the guards just outside the door were still blown away by Luna's display of power. "The ability to 'copy' an opponent's moves isn't entirely unheard of," Red Wind suddenly spoke up. "It comes with the Fighting Talent, an extreme affinity for martial arts or simply fighting in general. The 'Copycat' ability is simply an extension of that innate talent. Every battle learning something new, expanding the range of techniques, unlocking hidden abilities in the heat of battle, that is the true essence of Fighting Talent." He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall. "You are saying his potential for growth is possibly limitless?" Luna questioned, though she received no answer as Red Wind was deep within his own thoughts. "This makes me even less sure of how to handle him..." Just as Celestia was about to speak up and ease Luna's worries, Red Wind interrupted. "I know someone. Someone who can train him properly, and maybe even teach him a bit of humility." Luna was immediately in his face, her nose mere inches from his own. "You must tell me!" Luna demanded, face stern as she looked into his eyes. He wasn't deterred in the slightest. "He's a bit of a kooky old fart, but his skill is top notch. He's a zebra, they call him Zen, I met on my travels." His gaze suddenly hardened as he stared directly into Luna's eyes, peering into her very soul. "The question is, princess, are you willing to part with your son for a while?" Luna gained a contemplative look. Since she had met Polaris a year ago, he had become largely dependent on her for advice. He was wise for his age, sure, but that knowledge didn't extend far beyond street smarts he had picked up from ten years of poverty. He didn't know much about things such as history, math, or even basic manners. He couldn't even read more than a few basic words before Celestia had brought in a tutor to teach him. As such, he had come to her, relying on her to fill in gaps in his knowledge. Even still, he was ignorant of many things that she had yet to teach him. Could she really hand him over to a complete stranger? "Luna," Celestia spoke, derailing her sister's train of thought. "I believe this would benefit him. It will help him learn and grow, not just as your son, but as an individual. He needs to walk his own path." She said sagely. Luna bit her bottom lip, for she knew deep down that her Celestia was right. "I believe this is not a choice that we should make." Luna looked up at Celestia, looking into her eyes. "I propose that tonight, we introduce Polaris to this 'Zen' and let him choose whether he will train under him or not. After all, if he is to walk his own path, he must make his own choices." She concluded. Celestia smiled at her words. "Very well, tonight we shall arrange for their meeting. Red Wind, please get in contact with Zen." Celestia turned to her guardian. "Yes, your majesty." Red Wind bowed in respect before making his way out of the room. Luna only hoped that this was the right decision. That night, Polaris had been called into the throne room. For what, he didn't know. He just figured that it was some kind of punishment planned by his mother. She would probably have him sweep the floors or dust off the thrones or some other form of menial labor. Sure, she hadn't made him do that type of stuff as punishment before, but that didn't mean she couldn't start now. Opening the door to the throne room, he was met with both Celestia and Luna, along with a third that he didn't recognize. He looked like a pony, but instead of a pony's usual solid fur color, he instead had black and white stripes covering his body. His hair, which was that same black and white as the rest of him, was done up in a messy looking mohawk, some of the long bangs hanging in front of his face. He was clearly older, evidenced by the wrinkles visible on his face, but another striking feature were his silver eyes which seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. "Who's this old guy?" He questioned. Celestia held back her laughter. "Zen. But to you, Master Zen." The old zebra stated firmly. Polaris looked to his mother for an explanation. "Zen will train you in fighting. He will teach you in martial arts," Luna explained. "That is, if you wish to go and train under him." "Martial arts?" Polaris tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why would I need to learn fancy ways of fighting? I'm already good enough, I think." "Is that all you believe martial arts to be, kid?" Zen questioned in a low tone as he approached Polaris, standing over him. "Just fancy punches and kicks?" "Well... Yeah?" Polaris was immediately hit in the side by Zen's knee, making him crumble to the floor. "Polaris!" Luna attempted to rush in and slaughter the one who hurt her child but was held back by Celestia grabbing her arm. "What are you doing, sister!?" "Let's just see where this goes," Celestia said calmly. "Martial arts are more than simply flashy moves. They are an art; it's even in the name! They require discipline to learn! Something you clearly don't have, brat." Zen stared down at Polaris, who was still recovering from the surprise attack. Polaris looked up at Zen, leering at him, having not expected the earlier attack. Polaris suddenly shot to his feet, aiming an uppercut to the elderly zebra's chin. Zen caught his fist with one hand and used the other to catch an attempted surprise kick to the side. He quickly flicked his wrists, making Polaris flip rapidly in the air before landing a palm strike to his stomach and sending him flying away and into a wall. Polaris flipped in midair, landing on the wall with his feet and launching himself back towards Zen. But the zebra was fast to react, sidestepping Polaris' "living missile" attack and bringing his fist down on the colt's back, sending him crashing into the floor. Polaris groaned, now laying on his stomach on the floor. Zen was about to ask if he was finished yet when Polaris slowly climbed back to his feet. He was panting heavily, trying to catch his breath as his whole body shook, ready to give out. "You have tenacity, I'll give you that," Zen commented. "But spirit alone isn't enough to win." Polaris gave a low chuckle, to everyone's surprise. "I'd never thought I would ever meet someone this strong besides my mom and aunt Tia. It's exciting!" He stood up straight, having regained some of his energy. "I'll train with you, I wanna get stronger! Strong enough to beat you!" Zen gave a smile, though his eyebrow twitched, and veins were visible on his forehead. "Cheeky little shit." "Polaris," Luna called. She tossed him something after he looked in her direction, and he caught it, looking down at the object. It was a silver pendant, on the chain was a black circle with a silver crescent moon inside it. "Keep it, and when things become difficult, you can look at it and remember." Luna smiled, pointing to her eyes. "Your mother is always watching over you. Near or far, if you carry that pendant with you, then I will always be at your side." Polaris looked down at the pendant, lip quivering as he fought back tears. He clutched the pendant in his fist, holding it to his heart. His mother truly loved him, and she would never stop loving him. "Should we head out?" Zen looked at Polaris. He nodded, putting the pendant in his pocket and following Zen. "I'm leaving now, but I'll be back! I'll be way stronger than I am now! I'll make you proud, mom!" Polaris declared, making Luna smile. She was already proud of him, though it had only been a year, she had a connection to her son as if she were his biological mother. She was sad to see him leave, but was excited to see how much he will have grown upon his return. Polaris smiled as he followed his new master with newfound determination in his heart. He now had a solid reason to get stronger, and not simply for himself. He vowed to himself that day that he would become the strongest in the world. For his mother. The PlanPolaris' body flew through a tree, toppling it. He slid across the ground until he slammed headfirst into a large boulder. "Is that truly all that you have? Or are you holding back?" Zen taunted. Polaris instantly launched himself forward and back towards his master, who reacted quickly by wrapping his arms around his neck and falling backwards, slamming Polaris' head into the ground. It had been one month since Polaris began his training under Zen, and while the zebra didn't care for him very much at first, the two had steadily grown closer over the course of their training. Zen had learned within a few days that Polaris' talent for martial arts was something special. He learned far better from experience rather than explanation. He learned something new from every battle, trying new tactics and absorbing new techniques much like a sponge absorbs water. He had yet to defeat Zen, but he had managed to catch him off guard and land a hit once or twice. Polaris struggled for a bit before finally managing to pull his head out from the ground, spitting out some dirt that had gotten into his mouth. He turned to Zen with a glare, but the zebra held up a hand. "I think that's enough for now," Zen stated firmly. Polaris hung his head but gave a small nod of agreement. Zen smiled, seeing that Polaris had learned a bit of humility after all. "That hurt a lot, you know..." Polaris rubbed his sore head. He sat down near a campfire Zen had set up for the two of them. "That was the point, kid." Zen gave him one of two bowls of salad he had made. Polaris had no idea where he got the ingredients from. "I have a name..." Polaris grumbled, munching on a piece of lettuce. He had learned on the very first day that Zen would not tolerate much backtalk and especially not his usual taunting. But still, he taught him a valuable lesson. His words echoed in his head. "You're too confident, you act like you're unbeatable. This will be your first lesson: Know there's always someone stronger than you." Polaris sighed as he thought back to that. Zen had spent that entire day demonstrating the difference in both their skill and physical abilities. Needless to say, Polaris failed to even touch his master no matter what he tried and was humbled pretty quickly. He closed his eyes, remembering Zen's motto that he often repeated. "Don't aim to be the strongest, simply aim to be stronger than you were." Polaris repeated. "You memorized it? I'm surprised considering your lackluster mental abilities." "How could I not? You constantly repeated it every day." Polaris ignored the backhanded compliment. That was the closest Zen ever gave to praise anyway. "I wanted to be the strongest for mom, but I guess that was the wrong way, huh?" Zen poured himself a cup of tea he had finished brewing over the fire. "Those who aim to be stronger than everyone else are often disappointed upon realizing that there is someone stronger. Those are the ones with fragile wills." He sipped his tea, before immediately spitting it out. "Blech, this is not tea, this is just hot leaf juice. Guess that's what I get for buying on a budget..." "How do I protect my mom if I'm not the strongest? I mean, she's already crazy strong so she probably doesn't need it, but still..." "This stuff isn't even good enough to water the flowers." Zen poured the contents of the tea kettle on the ground beside him. "Master!" Polaris shouted to get his attention. He was immediately hit in the face with the tea kettle, knocking him to the ground. "What did I teach you about patience?" Zen asked angrily. Polaris grumbled, sitting back up. Thankfully none of his salad had spilled. "Do not rush everything, things happen in their own time." He recited. Zen smiled, nodding in satisfaction. "Now, as for your question," Zen cleared his throat. "To protect someone, one doesn't necessarily need to be the strongest, per se. They simply need to be strong enough." He motioned for Polaris to hand him his tea kettle, which he obliged. The zebra began brewing tea using different leaves. "What... Does that even mean?" Polaris pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing he would likely never receive an answer. Zen was never one to elaborate much. Polaris had learned that after Zen had given him a riddle that he never got an answer for until ten days later. Apparently, the answer was "Butt." "Means you need to train more," Zen stated, waiting on the new tea to finish. Polaris just sighed in resignation, knowing the answer would be something along those lines. "Not much training if we're just sitting here," Polaris said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Before Zen could speak, Polaris interrupted. "I know, train hard, rest well." "You underestimate the importance of proper rest," Zen chided. "Training is meaningless if you don't let your body rest and recover. You'll just end up hurting yourself otherwise." At the whistle of the tea kettle, he picked it up, pouring himself a new cup of tea. "I hate that you're right, you crazy old monk..." After the first day, the next three had been dedicated to relaxing. Polaris hated that, it made him feel restless when he wasn't active. But Zen had explained that the purpose of the rest was to allow Polaris' body to recover and actually catch up to the amount of training he always did. At first, it hurt like hell, to the point that he could barely lift a finger. But afterwards, he felt stronger than ever. This weird old zebra knew his stuff, evidently. "It's your fighting instincts," Zen sipped his tea, gagging and almost losing his lunch. "I could make better tea than this by simply picking up fallen autumn leaves! Are those damn merchants trying to poison me!?" Polaris waited patiently as Zen poured out the tea kettle once again before brewing more "Time for some good old Jasmine Tea." "My... Fighting instincts?" Polaris finally asked. "Yes. They keep you restless, they give you a constant itch to do battle." Zen shook his head, looking at his student. "But you must control them. A fighter who gives into instinct will often lose themselves. That is the Flow State, or State of Nothingness, as some call it. Personally, Flow State just rolls off the tongue better for me." "What's the Flow State?" Polaris leaned in, now intrigued. He had never heard of such a thing, but if it would help his mother, then he would do anything. "Think of it as more of a state of being, rather than a simple technique," Zen explained. "It is the pinnacle of martial arts. Very few even have the potential to gain access to it. But those who do..." He sipped his now finished tea, humming in satisfaction. "They become like a force of nature. The body maximizes itself, power, speed, endurance, technique, everything reaches the very pinnacle of what is possible for the user. On top of that, users have been known to become truly peerless in their fighting styles, surpassing even grand masters in said style." "So, it's like some kinda super buff?" Polaris leaned in excitedly. "More than that. They essentially gain the perfect body, they become the pinnacle of their race, some might say." Zen looked Polaris in the eye, silver meeting purple as he stared him down. "Don't even think about it." "But-!" "You are far from ready to even attempt it. I'm not even sure if you have the potential." Zen calmly sipped his tea. "For now, we simply focus on sharpening your fighting instincts more than they already are." For some reason, the mention of his fighting instincts made Polaris afraid. Very, very afraid. Maybe it was for the best that he never learned how to utilize the Flow State. "Now then..." Zen looked over to see that Polaris had finished his food. "Back to it." Polaris was met with a foot to the face, sending him sliding backwards along the ground. "Cheap trick, old timer." Polaris wiped the blood from his nose. "You can't always expect an enemy to wait until you're ready. I taught you better than that." Zen gave a wide grin. The two charged at each other. "..." Polaris stirred a bit, rolling onto his side. "... Po....s..." He groaned, sitting up groggily. "Polaris." His eyes shot open, and he quickly jumped to his feet, looking around the area. It was very familiar. "Is this... Rockmount?" He slowly approached one of the stalls, expecting to see a vendor. There was nobody. Come to think of it, the town was strangely empty. Normally, it was bustling during all hours of the day and through the night, but there wasn't a soul in sight right now. It was terrifying. "Hellooooooo!? Anypony!?" No response. He was desperately hoping for someone, anyone to answer back. He would even take one of the angry vendors that always chased him away. But no, all he received in return was eerie silence and the echoing of his own voice. Steeling himself, Polaris gathered the courage to explore the area. Everywhere he looked, he found nobody. But he could feel something calling him, pulling him. He followed it towards the arena. Walking inside, at the center he saw... Himself? But... it wasn't him. He couldn't be there, he was here! But the figure he saw, surrounded by red splotches on the ground and walls, was undoubtedly himself. This copy stood with its back to him, red spots dotting various parts of his body. Polaris had a sinking feeling about what this red substance was. The copy turned its head towards him. Its expression was completely blank, emotionless, uncaring. It opened its mouth, but no sound came out. Yet somehow, Polaris could feel what it said. "Release me." His breathing quickened; he began hyperventilating. Falling to his knees, he couldn't help looking around at the red everywhere as tears streamed down his face. Slowly, he brought his hands to his face. They felt... wet? Slowly, agonizingly so, he brought his shaking hands in front of his face. They were red. He retched, hands instinctively covering his mouth, only making the sick feeling in his stomach worse as more of the red was smeared on his face. "Release me." "BEGONE, FOUL CREATURE!" The entire area flashed white, and Polaris suddenly found himself on a moonlit beach. Looking at himself, he was completely cleaned. He sighed in relief, hugging himself as he cried from the stress of that horrible experience. "You are okay, Polaris, it was simply a nightmare." He heard the familiar voice of his mother as he was wrapped in a warm and comforting embrace. "M-Mom?" Polaris looked up at Luna with tear filled eyes, grateful to finally see a friendly face. "Yes... I am here now. Do not worry, I will not allow anything to hurt you." She gently shushed him, rubbing his back comfortingly. "It was all a dream... But it felt so real..." His breathing gradually slowed down as he was calmed by his mother. "I don't know what that was all about. I don't understand..." "Neither do I," Luna responded. "I had come to visit you within your dreams for the purpose of an important discussion, but I did not expect to encounter such a nightmare." "An important discussion?" Polaris asked, drying his eyes. "What is it? Some kind of threat?" "You could say that, yes." Luna inhaled deeply, preparing herself mentally for what she was about to say. "Polaris, I have a request." "Anything, mom!" Polaris looked at her with sparkling eyes. It only made her feel worse about her decision. After a few moments of silence, Luna finally spoke. "I... I wish for you to remain with Zen, or at the very least, stay far away from the castle from now on." Polaris' ears drooped, pressing against his skull at what he heard. After all their time spent together, she was simply telling him to leave. "Why?" Tears filled his eyes once more. "Are you... abandoning me? I don't wanna leave!" He began crying again. "No, it is nothing like that-" "THEN WHY!?" He screamed in sorrow. Luna sighed, hoping to have been able to keep her reasons a secret, although in hindsight, it was inevitable that he would ask questions. In the end, he was still her son, and he had a right to know her true intentions. She couldn't lie to him. "The truth is..." Luna paused, still unsure if she should be speaking about this. She stared at the moon that she had created within her son's dreams, the symbol of herself that illuminated the night sky. "I intend to go against my sister." Polaris gasped, a response she had predicted. It was quite a bold statement, after all. "You mean, you're gonna fight Aunt Tia?" "Yes," Luna stated bluntly. "I have had enough of her taking all of the credit from the citizens of this country that we both rule over. We are meant to be equals, yet the ponies of Equestria only seem to acknowledge my sister's sunny day and shun my beautiful night that I work so hard to provide. I even move the stars themselves into patterns for them, but they simply sleep through it all. I simply wish for the adoration that my sister receives!" She stomped her foot on the ground, shaking the dream realm and knocking Polaris onto his butt. She quickly realized that her explanation had devolved into a rant about her sister. "I am sorry Polaris, I-" "I'll help you then." Polaris interrupted as he stood up, seemingly unfazed by his mother's outburst. "If you can just wait a little longer, I'll finish my training with Master Zen, and then I'll help you make Aunt Tia see reason!" He looked into her eyes, and she could see that same flame of determination burning within him. That flame that made her interest in him grow in the first place, beyond simply his talents. "I can tell you will not let this go." Polaris shook his head side to side at her observation. "However, there is a reason that I had wanted you to run away. I do not wish to see you hurt, and if push comes to shove, then..." She bit her lower lip, even she was scared, Polaris could see it in her eyes. "I believe my sister may even resort to using the Elements of Harmony on me." "The Elements of Harmony..." Polaris repeated. He had remembered that Luna mentioned those in the past. Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty and Magic. Apparently, Celestia and Luna had used them to deal with dangerous threats in the past. "But won't they not work on you? You're not evil." "Not intrinsically-" She paused at the look of confusion on her son's face. Apparently, such big words were still lost on him. She made a mental note to teach him more. "Not by nature, I am not. But my actions may be considered 'evil' enough for them to work. The darkness of jealousy... has tainted my heart." She put a hand to her chest. It surprised Polaris to see his mother so freely admit weakness like this. She was normally such a shining pillar of strength that he looked up to, the idea of her having any weaknesses at all never even crossed his mind. "I'll steal them, then," Polaris suddenly said, shocking Luna. "She can't use them on you if she can't get her hands on them, right?" He grinned impishly. Against her better judgement, Luna found herself indulging her son's plan. "They are in a secret compartment in the foyer, when you first enter the castle," She explained. "Normally, it is only accessible to my sister or I through use of our magic. However, the pendant I gave you is infused with a small part of my magic." Polaris fished the crescent moon pendant from his pocket, looking down at it. "It was meant to protect the pendant from corrosion should it ever end up being exposed to the harsh elements. But it should also allow access to areas that would normally require alicorn magic." "Guess we're doing this then." Polaris gave a wide smile. "You distract Aunt Tia while I grab the Elements!" "Yes, we are." Luna sighed. As much as she didn't want him getting involved in her personal battles, she would admit that she did require his help to win such an uphill battle as this. "But are you truly certain you wish to assist me? You will be branded a traitor, the same as me." "Positive," Polaris answered without hesitation. "Not like I haven't survived on the streets before. And besides, when we win, I won't really be called a traitor under the new ruler." A smile spread across his face, causing Luna to smile as well. "You seem awfully confident." She giggled softly. "Then, I would like to change my request." "Hm?" Polaris put his hands behind his head nonchalantly as he looked up at her. "Once you come home, I would like to spend one last year with you before we enact our plan." Luna pulled Polaris into a loving embrace. "Just in case we do not succeed. Obviously, you should act normal around my sister during this time." "Of course!" Polaris exclaimed. "I'll come home as soon as I can!" "It is a deal, then." Luna smiled, looking to the sky. "It is almost morning; you should be waking up soon." "I'll see you later then, mom! And I'll be WAY stronger! You'll see!" He threw a few punches into the air. "I don't doubt it." Luna gave a soft smile. Polaris slowly opened his eyes. It was morning. He sat up, wiping the tears from his face as he had been crying in his sleep. "About time you woke up." He saw Zen sitting on a log. "Any longer and I would've woken you up by force." "Sorry, Master. I just had a dream is all." Polaris stood up, stretching his muscles and popping his joints. "Hm." Zen grunted in response. "Ready for today's training then?" Wiping the last of the tears from his face, Polaris gave a big, toothy smile. "Yes, Master!" DualityOne year. It had been one full year since Polaris left to begin his training under Zen. And now, his training was finally nearing its end. The zebra had trained both Polaris' body, skill and spirit to a level he had deemed as acceptable. The training may have been harsh, but in the young colt's mind, it was worth it. Anything to help his mother, and he was motivated now more than ever. Polaris threw a kick to his master's head, but the old zebra blocked it with an arm. Zen smirked and threw a punch to his student's gut, but the young colt caught it with his hand. The two jumped away from each other, landing on opposite ends of the forest glade where they shared their final sparring session, illuminated by the light of the full moon overhead. "Come on, now," Zen spoke with a grin on his face as he stared down Polaris, his prized pupil. "Don't tell me all of that training I gave you has gone to waste? You've yet to land a single hit on me, when you need three to pass your final exam." He goaded. "Don't get a big head, old man," Polaris said, staring into his master's eyes, reading his movements. "You're the one that taught me not to taunt an opponent like that. Like you said, there's always someone stronger, so it's not good to provoke." He was caught off guard by a kick to the face from Zen, having closed the distance between them at incredible speeds. "That only applies when you don't know an opponent's strength relative to your own." Zen's lecture was cut short as Polaris' fist connected with his side, making the zebra grunt as he quickly jumped backwards. "That's one." Polaris grinned smugly. Zen's foot instantly connected with his chin, snapping his head upwards before Zen brought his leg back down, his heel going directly into Polaris' face and slamming his head into the ground. Suddenly, Zen found himself falling. Polaris had taken an opportunity to sweep his one leg from under him while his other foot was still resting on his face. Acting quickly, Zen landed on his hands, rapidly spinning with his legs outstretched to knock Polaris away from him. However, the colt caught his legs, lifting him up and over his head, intent on slamming him into the ground. Zen caught on to this, wrapping his legs around Polaris' head and flipping backwards to swiftly slam him headfirst into the ground. A foot quickly connected with Zen's back, making him grunt in pain and jump away. "You have an unnatural flexibility, being able to still hit me from such a position." Zen chuckled. "I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from one who possesses a Fighter's Body." "Thanks. I learned from the best, after all." Polaris gave a chuckle as well, standing up and wiping the blood from his face. "Those with Fighter's Bodies are essentially perfect, the peak of their race in physicality. Strength, endurance, speed, flexibility, they're all at top notch when compared to an average specimen of the same race. However, have you ever been told of the true strength of a Fighter's Body?" Zen questioned. "... Good looks?" Polaris was immediately met with a knee to the face. "NO!" Zen exclaimed, giving Polaris a fierce uppercut. "It's potential!" He grabbed Polaris by the back of the head, repeatedly punching him in the face. "The average body, no matter the race, has limits! A Fighter's Body does not!" He finished by kicking Polaris in the chest, sending him flying back into a tree. "Geez... You don't need to get so worked up about it, old man. You'll give yourself a heart attack at this rate," Polaris grunted as he stood up, spitting out the blood in his mouth. "Eventually, no matter how hard one trains, the progress that their body makes will slow, until they eventually hit a wall," Zen continued. "Okay, just ignore me then..." Polaris grumbled. "It is possible to break these walls and overcome the limits they impose, but a Fighter's Body has no limits in the first place! Their potential is infinite, as they don't have any ceiling!" Zen quickly blocked a punch from Polaris. "That's enough of the lecture, old man. Don't want you going senile already." Polaris threw a kick but was blocked once again. Zen knocked him backwards, but he quickly landed on his hands, spinning rapidly with his legs outstretched. Zen swiftly ducked under the attack, striking Polaris with a palm to the face and knocking him off balance. He landed face first on the ground before quickly moving away. "You'll never land your last hit like this." Zen grinned. "Says you. I've been working on something." Polaris grinned back. "An original move? Let's see it, then." Zen motioned for Polaris to come at him. Polaris obliged, running towards Zen at high speed. Zen raised his guard to prepare for the incoming attack, only for Polaris to swiftly pivot behind him and throw a kick towards Zen's back, which he easily caught with a hand before throwing him into another tree. Polaris quickly recovered, jumping high with his leg extended for a kick towards Zen's head, with the old zebra raising an arm to catch the attack. The kick instead curved around Zen's defense, hitting him directly in his unprotected side. "A curving kick," Zen coughed. "I never thought you could do such a thing." He fell to his knees. "That's three." Polaris smiled. His bright smile was something Zen had grown to enjoy in their time together. Truth be told, he was a bit sad to see his pupil leave. Just a bit. "Yes, it is. I suppose I'm getting rusty." Zen chuckled softly, standing up. "Nevertheless, you pass. Your unpredictability caught me by surprise more than a few times." Polaris surprised Zen with a sudden hug, burying his face in his chest. "Thanks, master. For everything," Polaris said sincerely. "You helped me a bunch." "... Yeah. Sure." Zen awkwardly rubbed Polaris' head. Truthfully, he was never one to show affection too often. "You can just... go on home now." "Yes master!" Polaris saluted, before darting off into the forest. "And thanks again for everything!" He shouted one last time. "Damn kid... I'm not really a fan of long goodbyes..." Zen wiped a tear from his eye. "You're making this old zebra all misty eyed." "So, that was who you finally chose as your successor." Zen turned towards the new voice. Though he couldn't tell who it was as they were obscured by the shadows of the forest, he had a pretty good feeling. "Bloody Angel." Zen frowned deeply, eyeing the figure for any suspicious actions. "Nobody really calls me that anymore. It was just a moniker given by the townsfolk." The figure corrected. "It's what I know you as." Zen stood tall, facing them. "I assume you're here for that." His gaze hardened. "You knew this was coming." The figure sighed. "I gave you time to find a successor as you requested. But you took so long that I almost don't want to carry out the deal." The figure shrugged, shaking their head in disappointment. "It's no fun taking the life of an old timer like you, after all." "Trust me." Zen stepped forward, his silver eyes seemingly glowing in the moonlight. "This old dog has learned plenty of tricks in his lifetime." The figure eyed him as he took a fighting stance. "I see your spirit hasn't wavered in the slightest." The figure gave a wicked grin. "Very well, then." Polaris sprinted through the forest, his face alight with a wide grin as he jumped between the trees in excitement. He was finally going home, and he couldn't be happier. Exiting the forest, it was only a few short miles until he entered the city his mother and aunt stayed in, Canterlot. He never really understood why they set up the town in some random field like this when they could've stayed near the top of the nearby mountain like badasses, but then again, he never really bothered to ask. He was just happy to be home right now. He ran through the city, ignoring the looks and occasional comments from the townsfolk. He had rarely actually left the castle, preferring to train with the guards or simply on his own, something Celestia and Luna would both constantly chastise him for, so it was rare for the townsfolk to actually see the prince even for a fleeting moment like this. They had pretty mixed reactions when it was revealed that one of the princesses had adopted a child; some were outraged, some accepting of the new prince, while others were simply indifferent. Celestia always told him that it was good to go out and mingle with his subjects, at least attempting to make friends with others, as it wasn't very good to spend his life alone like he did. Luna, on the other hand, wanted him to experience the town and not be so reliant on her to go out and buy everything for him from his clothes to his food. She had even given him an allowance of a thousand bits to go crazy with. Currently, his allowance still sat at one thousand bits. Of course, Polaris had tried to mingle on a few occasions but found it difficult to find anyone willing to befriend him for the complete opposite reason as his life before becoming a prince. Back in Rockmount, he had many fans as the champion "Grey Avenger", but many simply wanted him for his status as a celebrity. During his time as the nameless thief, many hated him and chased him away. Mixing the two identities was impossible, as it would likely result in universal hatred, the townsponies no longer seeing him as "The Grey Avenger" but simply as "that damn thief". As a prince, however, many would treat him with reverence, scared to upset him lest they be punished severely. Those that did try to befriend him were clearly only trying to get into the good graces of the princesses. He imagined most others with the title of "Celestia's nephew" would be stuck up jerks with their heads so far up their asses that it would loop back around to being on their shoulders. Polaris' running slowed to a stop as he looked up at the castle, smiling ear to ear. Slowly pushing open the large door, he was instantly scooped up by a dark blue blur before he could even announce his presence. Luna held him tightly in a hug, rubbing his back as tears streamed down her face. "I missed you." Managing to pull his face out from his mother's chest, Polaris gasped for air, having been taken by surprise. "You know you could've visited me in my dreams whenever, right? I would've liked that." "I-I did not wish to disturb your training!" Luna stammered. "I only did it the one time because it was important!" "I missed you too, mom," Polaris said, returning her hug. The two remained silent like this for several minutes. "We have a year to prepare," Luna finally spoke. "Are you scared?" Polaris asked, looking up at her. "... Yes. Very," She answered truthfully. "... I think we can do it. I know we can." Polaris smiled up at her. "I know we can beat Aunt Tia." 10 months before the plan... Polaris had been training harder than ever since coming home. He had constantly pushed himself to his limits but still reminded himself to heed his master's motto of resting well after intense training. He threw a particularly hard kick, breaking the wooden training dummy in half as he thought about what Zen had told him about his body. He didn't understand much, to be honest, but from what he could gather, while he did have a limit to what he could do, he would constantly grow stronger as he kept up his training. He smiled in excitement of the prospect of becoming even stronger than he was currently. "Hard at work, I see." Polaris turned to see Celestia leaning against the entrance to the training ground, a gentle smile on her features. "You should still be making friends, I think," She lightly scolded. "I have my mom and Master Zen." Polaris picked up a water bottle, taking a drink from it. "I don't really need anyone else." "Do I not count as a friend?" Celestia gasped dramatically. Polaris rolled his eyes at his aunt's attempt at feigning being hurt by his words. She was always a terrible actor. "But in all seriousness, you need actual friends. Zen and your mother don't exactly qualify." Polaris opened his mouth to speak, but Celestia stopped him. "Neither do the guards or me." Polaris closed his mouth, grumbling under his breath. "I just wanna focus on getting stronger. Fighting is my talent, you know? I'm not very good at much else..." Polaris looked down sadly, but Celestia put a finger under his chin, moving his head upwards to look her in the eye. "You are so much more than your talent, Polaris," Celestia said with a smile. "You are kind, you have one of the biggest hearts of anypony I have ever met. You strive to become stronger because you believe it's all you're good for, I, however, believe there's another, deeper reason." She pulled her nephew into a gentle embrace, rubbing his head in a soothing manner. "Friends are another source of power, you know. Those who fight for the sake of others will always be stronger than those who fight for the sake of themselves." "I fight for mom!" Polaris exclaimed. Since that day she had accepted him as her son, he had devoted himself entirely to her. "So, I do have someone to fight for!" "But what if you're put into a conflict that doesn't involve Luna at all?" Polaris tensed up at Celestia's words. He hadn't exactly thought of that before. Looking back, even his training under Zen was for the sake of Luna and nobody else. "Well, I'm sure you'll always make the right choice when those times come. You have a chivalrous heart, and it will never steer you wrong." Polaris shut his eyes tightly, internally wincing as Celestia spoke. She had the utmost confidence in him to make the right decisions, but deep in his heart, he knew that the plan he and Luna had made for ten months from now was wrong on so many levels. But he decided to go with it without question. But why? Was it simply because he wanted to follow his mother? Or did he just want to prove himself? Luna had always told him to follow his own path as an individual, and not to simply rely on her for everything. She didn't want him becoming a simple blind follower of hers. But this was something he wholeheartedly wanted to help her with! Right? 5 months before the plan... "Polaris, did you know?" Luna asked with a smile, Polaris looking up at his mother with a hint of confusion on his face. They were currently walking along a moonlit field within Polaris' dreams. "Know what?" He asked curiously. "There is a species of cat," Luna continued. "It is called a Lunar Kitten! They are pitch black in color, but their tails are white and naturally curve like my moon!" She said giddily. As she described the animal, she created an image of it within the dream for him to look at. "They can even merge with the shadows themselves and move along the ground! Truly fascinating, magical creatures." "Sounds like it," Polaris responded with a smile. "They look super cute. Probably nocturnal, right?" Luna nodded in response to his question. "Maybe I'll see one someday." Luna smiled at her son's optimism. He had really matured rather quickly from the arrogant child she had met in Rockmount. Whether it was from Zen's training or in preparation for their upcoming plan against Celestia, she couldn't say. It was likely a combination of the two, she figured. Still, she regretted dragging him into her fight, forcing him to fight on her behalf, even if he did volunteer in the first place. "Polaris," Luna began. "I am sorry." "This again?" Polaris released a heavy sigh, complete with an eye roll for added effect. "I wanted to help you. I offered in the first place, remember?" He poked her arm. "It is not that," she said. "I realize that even had I rejected your offer to help, you would have done so anyway. It is simply how you are. Your heart is simply too loving to allow me to do this alone." Polaris chuckled, putting his hands behind his head with a big grin on his face. "You know it! Plus, I really wanna fight Aunt Tia!" He pumped his fist. "I wanna see just how strong I've gotten compared to you two!" "You already defeated everypony in the guard," Luna pointed out. "Sometimes up to ten at a time. I believe Red Wind is the only one you have not beaten." "That's just because the stupid jerk won't even fight me in the first place!" Polaris exclaimed, making Luna chuckle and shake her head at her son's antics. "I wanted to apologize for not allowing you a normal childhood," Luna spoke. "You should be out making friends, going to school and such. But I feel as though I robbed you of that opportunity." "Stop right there." Polaris cut her off. "You never 'robbed' me of anything, mom. My life was never normal to begin with. I don't think it was ever really possible for me to make friends or anything." He sat down, pulling his knees to his chest as he stared up at the full moon overhead. "I've always been alone, but you showed me that I never really had to be." He turned to her with a big smile returning to his face. "So, thanks!" Luna stared at him for a few moments before a soft smile slowly made its way to her face. "You are right. But still, I believe it possible for you to befriend others. You have a big heart; it would be hard for others not to be drawn to you." She put an arm around his shoulder, pulling Polaris close as she sat next to him. "I am sorry because I feel as though I am forcing you to mature faster than you should be." "Nah, not really," Polaris said without hesitation. "I just wanna enjoy our time together before everything happens." He looked down at the grass that was gently swaying in the wind. "Besides, who do you think drew on your face with marker last week?" He gave a mischievous grin. "You mean to tell me that was not my sister's doing!?" Luna exclaimed in shock. "It took me an hour to get that moustache to go away completely!" "Uh... Gotta run!" Polaris laughed and slipped from his mother's arm before sprinting across the field. "Polaris Starshine, get back here this instant!" Luna stood up, swiftly giving chase. Despite everything, they were both smiling ear to ear. 1 month before the plan... Polaris wiped his brow with a towel as he walked inside from the training grounds. Tomorrow would be a rest day, he decided. Zen had never let him forget that important rule of training. If Polaris had wanted to train on a day that Zen had deemed as a day of rest, the old zebra would get particularly upset and would give him a harsh beating. He had made sure to engrave that motto into Polaris' very soul. "Master the art of peace in addition to the art of war. Train well, eat well, rest well." He recited to himself. He found himself reciting his master's motto to himself at least once a day now, even when he wasn't aware of it. He hadn't thought about it before, but Zen's words made sense. It was important to train, yes, but it was equally important to maintain a balanced diet and to rest and let one's body recover. Luna had told him in the past that violence wasn't always an answer, and Zen only enforced that notion as part of his training had been strengthening his mind as well as his body. Zen had occasionally given him scenarios in which he would need to strategize to win a fight or find some kind of peaceful resolution. Looking back, he was kind of grateful for Zen teaching him the way he did. Sighing and shaking his head to clear the thoughts from his mind, Polaris entered a darkened room. He blinked in confusion, rubbing his eyes and squinting. He could faintly make out a few figures through the darkness. "SURPRISE!!!" Polaris jumped back as the room was suddenly illuminated in a bright light. At the center stood his mother and aunt as well as many of the castle guards, surrounding a large triple layer chocolate cake. "Happy birthday, Polaris." Luna smiled as she approached him. "I decided to make this one a bit special, seeing as you are now thirteen." "Happy birthday, prince!" One of the guards shouted as he pulled the still flabbergasted colt into a headlock and gave him a noogie. Polaris finally snapped out of his daze and smiled before hugging Luna. "Shall we begin with the cake now?" Celestia asked, eagerly holding a knife. She was practically bouncing in place in her excitement. "You just want the cake, sister." Celestia pouted at her sister's blunt but correct statement. "And besides, Polaris will be getting the first slice." "I suppose that's fair," Celestia agreed, though disappointment was clearly evident in her voice. Polaris laughed at his aunt's cake obsession. "At least let him blow out the candles, sister." Luna sighed as she put said candles on the cake with Celestia using a weak fire spell to light them. Polaris smiled and quickly blew them out before Luna grabbed him a slice of the cake. Immediately after, Celestia began attempting to claim the rest of the cake for herself with Luna needing to remind her that there were more guests than just the three of them. "I just want about ten slices, is that so bad?" Celestia pleaded. "No, you shall have yours last so as to ensure you do not devour it all before everyone can have some." Luna stated firmly. Celestia whined at her sister's stubbornness. She watched in despair as everyone else grabbed a slice, including Luna herself, before she was finally allowed to. Polaris laughed and took a bite of the cake. It was delicious. Looking around, he saw everyone he knew and loved gathered here for him. Several of the guards had wished him a happy birthday individually, all of them happy for the young prince, despite his tendencies to demand fights from them. He looked to the side and saw Red Wind leaning against a wall in the far corner of the room, silently enjoying his cake. He saw Luna forcefully dragging Celestia away from the cake after she had grabbed five slices the instant she had been able to. Everyone was smiling. It was a moment of pure happiness. He wanted this happiness to last forever. He never wanted this family to break apart. Banishment and VengeanceOne day left. That was all the time Polaris had to prepare for his and Luna's plan. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, Celestia was just as powerful as his mother, if not more. But that was why they made the plan in the first place. While his mother distracted his aunt, he would steal the Elements of Harmony. Polaris landed a kick to the face of the training dummy. He lowered his leg and took a shaky breath in an attempt to calm his nerves; it didn't work. "Polaris." He jolted as he heard his name called before turning towards the direction the voice had come from. "Aunt Tia." Polaris looked at the alicorn leaning against the doorway. "What are you doing here?" He questioned. "Am I not allowed to check on my nephew?" Celestia laughed. Polaris didn't seem convinced. "The truth is, Luna has been rather... distant, as of late. I was hoping you could provide some insight as to why." Polaris knew full well the reason why Luna no longer wanted to so much as speak of Celestia. The fact that Celestia herself didn't know the reason was proof enough in his mind that she needed to see reason, she deserved what was to come. If it took a forceful takeover of her kingdom in order to see his mother's side of things, then so be it. However, throughout the last year, Polaris had been treated by Celestia in much the same way as Luna; they both treated him as if he was really their family. They didn't see him as the outsider that Luna happened to find, they instead treated him as if he was truly Luna's flesh and blood. It made him a bit upset to do this to one who he saw as family. Just a bit. "I dunno. Maybe you did something to her?" He shrugged his shoulders. After meeting with a few nobles alongside his aunt, he had picked up a few things about how to talk in a way that could convince others, dropping subtle hints or simply playing to their personalities or desires to get them to listen. Celestia, however, was far more skilled in this regard than he was. "Not that I recall." Celestia tapped her chin with a finger in thought. "She could always be so petty sometimes." She giggled, the comment against his mother only serving to enrage Polaris more. As if any of this was Luna's fault! Celestia was the one who had ignored her sister for so long! Any doubt in his mind was quashed in that moment. "Maybe you did something without realizing it," Polaris stated not so subtly. "She might feel slighted or something." He punched a hole in the chest of the training dummy. He needed to let his anger out; he couldn't afford to lash out now. "I don't see why..." Celestia closed her eyes as she thought back to whatever she may have done. Polaris' eye twitched as he struggled to contain his anger. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and resumed his training. As he did, he thought back to the two years he had spent living with the sisters. Polaris had often stayed up until midnight so that he could at least spend a bit of time with Luna outside of his dreams, but he sadly couldn't stay up forever. He would often fall asleep at his mother's side on the smaller throne she had made specially for him which sat right next to her own. Looking back, he noticed that Celestia's throne was bigger than both. Just another sign of her arrogance, he thought. However, during the daytime as his mother slept, Celestia would often care for him to the best of her ability. She would check on him, give him advice and make sure he was comfortable and well fed just like Luna did. His mother and his aunt both deeply cared for him even more than anyone else in the world. A twinge of regret creeped its way back into his heart. "Aunt Tia?" He looked at her, and she met his gaze with her own. "You really love us, both me and mom, don't you?" He asked. Celestia looked a bit shocked by the sudden question. "Of course I do," She answered. "The two of you are the most cherished ponies in my life, and I would never stop loving you for any reason." She gave an earnest smile that warmed his heart a bit. However, Polaris knew she was lying. No, Polaris hoped she was lying. That day had passed all too quickly for Polaris. He wanted to remain on that day forever. He wanted to go back to his birthday a month ago, where everyone got along, including his mother and aunt. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. "Polaris, are you prepared?" The sound of Luna's voice snapped him from his thoughts. "There will be no going back should you side with me." "Yeah, I'm ready," Polaris answered. "Are you, mom?" "More than ever." Polaris gasped as he saw a dark aura flare around his mother. She had acted more distant to him as well lately, though he figured it was her way of mentally preparing herself for this moment. Now he wasn't so sure. Luna burst into the throne room, and in accordance with their plan, Polaris stayed behind, glancing around the corner and waiting for his moment to sneak to the foyer where the Elements were located. "Luna! You startled me!" Celestia exclaimed. "What's got you so upset? Maybe I can-" Celestia was cut off as she was forced to move to the side, a beam of dark blue magic from Luna destroying her throne before curving upwards and blasting a hole in the ceiling. The sun was now clearly visible in the sky. "Spare me your false concern, sister!" Luna shouted in rage, the pitch-black aura emanating from her body only growing with each passing second. "This kingdom was meant to be ruled by the both of us, and yet you soak up all of the adoration from our subjects whilst I am forced to live in your shadow! You do not even pay us any mind anymore!" "Mom..." Polaris muttered as he watched Luna stomp the ground in her rage. He looked up and saw that his mother's moon began rising until it finally covered his aunt's sun, resulting in a solar eclipse. As the eclipse was formed, Luna's dark energy began to envelop her being, surrounding her in a black cocoon of pure darkness and rage. She began to laugh maniacally as the darkness cleared, revealing her new form. She was now taller, rivaling Celestia in height, with deep blue armor covering her body in the style of the Royal Guard they had around the castle. She donned a black cape which billowed behind her, bearing the moon insignia he had come to know. Her coat had become equally black, and she now had light blue eyes, the pupils slit in a similar manner to a snake or dragon. Polaris shivered. He didn't like this new form his mother had taken, not one bit. "Luna!" Celestia called out. "I don't wish to fight you! Please, lower the moon! It is your duty!" "Do not call me by that name any longer, Celestia," She spat with hatred. "From now on, you may know me as Nightmare Moon! Now, by my royal decree, the night shall last FOREVER! And the princess of the sun is to be executed by my hand!" Nightmare Moon gave a wicked grin, Celestia winced at her words. What Polaris had told her the day prior finally clicked in her head. "Luna..." A hand stopped her, preventing her from stepping forward. She looked to see Red Wind standing in front of her protectively. "Your Majesty, it's dangerous." Celestia rolled her eyes at Red Wind's protective nature, even in a situation like this. "Now, Luna, no; Nightmare Moon," Red Wind stepped forward with a wicked grin of his own to match his opponent's. "I wonder if you can give me a good fight?" "Stand down, Red Wind," Celestia ordered. "This is my fight. Please, allow me to fight my own battles. This was the result of my own mistakes, after all." Red Wind glanced back, seeing the sincere look in the eyes of the princess that he had devoted his life to serving. He didn't have it in himself to refuse her. "Very well." He stepped back, allowing Celestia to handle this herself. "Thank you." She smiled before turning towards Nightmare Moon. "Sister, please! We don't have to fight! Think about what you're doing! How would Polaris feel if he saw you like this!?" Polaris gripped the wall tightly. Celestia wasn't aware of his presence thanks to Nightmare Moon's power greatly overshadowing his own, so she didn't know that he was currently witnessing everything. In truth, he hated seeing his mother like this. She was no longer the kind and loving individual who had taken him in and shown him all of the love she could give. The being standing before him now was but a whirling maelstrom of hatred and jealousy towards her sister. He no longer felt any love towards her. All of that love was replaced with fear. "SILENCE, WHELP!!!" Nightmare Moon screamed in rage as a black magical sigil appeared before her. As she thrusted a hand forward, a huge pitch-black beam of magic was fired directly towards Celestia. The sun princess returned it in kind by forming a magical sigil of her own beneath her feet, hers golden in color, before it formed a golden dome around her to block the attack. Polaris took this as his cue to leave. Polaris sprinted through the halls as he made his way to the foyer. As he ran, a few of the Royal Guard stepped in his way. "Prince Polaris! It's dangerous at the moment! You should-" Polaris drove a knee into the guard's face, knocking him to the ground before he landed directly onto the downed guard's head, knocking him out. "Sorry, but I'm short on time." Polaris broke the spear of another guard before sweeping his legs and grabbing him by the back of the head, slamming his face into the ground. Looking around, he saw more of the guards beginning to surround him. He groaned in annoyance. Quickly spinning around, Polaris kicked a guard behind him in the side, denting his armor in the process. He grabbed the guard by the arm and threw him at the others to distract them before ducking under a punch from behind and grabbing the arm of the attacker, tossing him over his shoulder. Looking to his left and right, Polaris saw two guards charging from both directions, and so did a handstand before spinning rapidly with both legs outstretched and knocking them both away. Jumping back to his feet, Polaris ran forward and wrapped his arms around the waist of one of the guards before performing a suplex and slamming him into the ground. Polaris grinned; he was starting to have fun. But he couldn't allow himself to get too caught up in it, he had a mission after all. He raised his fists in front of himself and did a straight punch on a guard, shattering his armor and hitting him in the stomach. He did an uppercut on another, making the guard's head snap upwards before he elbowed him in the face, sending him straight into the ground. Capoeira, wrestling and boxing. With the three styles his master had taught to him mixed with his own moves, he had become a force to be reckoned with. The last guard fell with a curving kick directly to the neck. Polaris looked around at the many felled guards sprawled out before him. He smiled to himself with pride at how strong he had become. A few years ago, he would have struggled with only a few guards at once, but now he had managed to beat over twenty. There was no time to dwell on that as Polaris continued his sprint to the foyer. Upon making it, he saw it empty. But he knew that was simply not true thanks to his mother's instructions. He did as she had told him, walking to the center of the large room and pressing his pendant against the floor. The pendant began to glow with a blue light as the floor opened up. Polaris watched in awe as the large stone construct rose from the ground. It sported five pedestals jutting from it, each holding a colored gem, while the largest pedestal in the center held a large stone sphere. "The Elements of Harmony..." He muttered. "So that's what they look like. Maybe it would be easier to just destroy them? Or maybe steal just one, since they won't do anything without all six together." He pondered. As Polaris reached for one of the Elements, a foot collided with his face, sending him sailing across the foyer and into a wall. "So that's where you ran off to. You made a pretty big mess in the hallway, you know." Polaris sat up, shooting a glare to his attacker. "Red Wind," Polaris said with a growl. "I kinda guessed you would come guard the Elements." "Well, as Celestia's personal guard, I need to do whatever it takes to assist her," Red Wind said with a smile, though Polaris could easily spot his poorly hidden murderous intent. "That includes dealing with little thieves like you." "Why are you so devoted to Aunt Tia, anyway?" Polaris questioned as he got to his feet. "Simply put, she gives me purpose," Red Wind stated bluntly. "I would be nothing without her. If it weren't for her, well..." He smiled as he looked towards the ceiling. "I would simply be a murderer without purpose." "M-Murderer!?" Polaris exclaimed. His gaze suddenly hardened as he glared daggers at Red Wind. "Does Aunt Tia know that?" "Who knows?" Red Wind gave a coy smile. "I've always wanted to fight you." Polaris took a deep breath before taking his fighting stance. "Before, it was just to see who was stronger, but now, I wanna put an end to your killing!" "Oh, Polaris." Red Wind shook his head with a chuckle. "I didn't refuse to fight you out of morality or any weak reasoning like that." He ran a hand through his hair, leveling a grin at Polaris. "Simply put, you're just weaker than me." That was the last straw. With a scream of pure rage, Polaris rocketed forward, fist raised and ready to punch his opponent. Red Wind, however, simply caught the fist before spinning Polaris around and kicking him in the back, sending him tumbling forward. "I don't enjoy fighting you, you know," Red Wind spoke. Polaris went for a leg sweep, but Red Wind simply jumped over it before kicking Polaris in the face and sending him to the ground once again. "It's not because you're just a colt, or royalty or anything like that," Red Wind continued. Polaris began throwing a barrage of punches at such speeds that he appeared to have multiple arms. Every single punch was effortlessly blocked or avoided by Red Wind. "I just don't enjoy fighting weaklings," Red Wind finished. He swiftly punched Polaris in the gut, making the colt cough and lurch forward before Red Wind hit him with a knee to the face and knocking him to the ground once more. He then kicked Polaris into the air and jumped upwards himself. They both landed on the ground with Red Wind's knee planted into Polaris' stomach and making him spit up his blood. "Big talk... from a murderer..." Polaris managed to speak. "Still have that cocky attitude, I see," Red Wind sighed. "Every single kill of mine was in a fight to the death. I find the strongest of the strong, we have a deathmatch. I just happen to have never lost," He stated with a smug grin as he began walking back towards the Elements. "Call it a hobby of mine." "Psycho..." Polaris coughed as he slowly rose back to his feet. Red Wind swiftly knocked him back down with a blow to the face. "Call me what you want. Fighting simply gives me purpose." Red Wind smiled. It quickly turned into a frown as he saw Polaris beginning to rise once again. He simply stomped down onto the prince's back to keep him pinned. "You're pretty persistent." In that moment, the ceiling collapsed as the two saw Celestia crash through it and into the ground. She stood back up, staring at her sister with tear filled eyes. Red Wind noted that Celestia had many cuts and burns across her body, yet Nightmare Moon remained seemingly untouched. "Your Majesty, have you even fought back at all?" Celestia shook her head at Red Wind's question. "I can't... She's my little sister. I don't want to hurt her." Celestia cried softly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at the corrupted Luna. "This is why I had insisted on fighting in your stead," Red Wind sighed. "You are fighting for the entire world! If you fall here, every living thing on the planet will perish!" In that moment, Nightmare Moon had spotted Red Wind, standing atop the prone form of Polaris. "POLARIS!" She shouted in concern. In her moment of distraction, she was hit by a golden beam of magic from Celestia, sending her spinning through the air. "Yes... You're right." Celestia looked towards Nightmare Moon, who was recovering from the surprise attack. "Regardless of my feelings, it is for the good of every single creature throughout the land that I remain strong." She looked towards the Elements of Harmony, then towards Polaris as he struggled to free himself from underneath Red Wind's foot. "I only hope that you can forgive me." Polaris went wide eyed, immediately knowing what she planned to do. "NO! STOP!!!" His pleas fell on deaf ears as Celestia flew upwards, levitating the gems around herself, the sixth emerging from the stone sphere as they spun around her like a multicolored ring. "The Elements of Harmony," Nightmare Moon growled spitefully. "I won't allow you to interfere with my rule!" Celestia said nothing as she extended a hand, the Elements hovering in front of her as a rainbow-colored sigil appeared. Nightmare Moon fired a gigantic blast of her dark magic in a last-ditch attempt to smite her sister. Celestia, even more tears flowing from her eyes, fired a rainbow beam fueled by the Elements of Harmony. The two attacks collided, but it was clear from the start that Nightmare Moon was on the losing end. As the beam of rainbow light pushed back her own beam of darkness, Nightmare Moon's eyes trailed down to Polaris, seeing the horrified expression on his face as he was forced to watch helplessly. In the end, she failed. Not just in her takeover, but as a mother to her beloved son as well. Tears filled her eyes as the magic of the Elements enveloped her. The rainbow beam shot up into the sky and all the way to the moon, leaving an imprint of the former princess of the night on its surface. Celestia gently landed back onto the ground before collapsing to her knees, her chest heaving as she sobbed for her lost sister. Red Wind approached and rubbed her back in reassurance. "You did what was necessary." Red Wind comforted. "She's my sister... I wish there was some other way I could have resolved this..." She cried. Polaris simply stared up at the moon, staring into the eye of the pattern that was now upon its surface, all that was left of his mother. His eyes were wide as dinner plates, his pupils the side of pinpricks as tears rolled down his cheeks. All he could do was stare in silence as memories of his time with Luna replayed in his mind over and over again like a broken record. She had taken him in from a life of poverty, she had saved his life, made sure he was clothed, cleaned, fed and overall comfortable in his new home. And now she was gone, he would never see her again. He slowly turned his head towards Celestia's sobbing form. Seeing her cry after what she had just done enraged him to no end. "Celestia." She gasped and looked towards Polaris. He had managed to stand on his feet once again. "Don't cry, Celestia. You don't have the right." "Polaris-" "You don't have the right to cry after you caused this. My mom always lived in your shadow, and you banish her for wanting attention? You're just a monster, and one with a huge ego." Polaris continued. "Polaris... I..." Celestia tried to speak. "I'll give you a warning," Polaris glared straight into Celestia's eyes. "Kill me." Celestia was taken aback by her nephew's sudden request. "W-What?" She uttered. "Kill me," Polaris stated again. "Because, if you don't, I'll come back and I'll kill you." Celestia remained silent as she stared at him. She began forming a plan in her head. "No matter where you send me to, I'll always find a way back and I'll kill you. Even if you send me to Tartarus, I'll claw my way out, and I'll kill you! If you send me to the bottom of the ocean, I'll swim my way out and kill you! If you turn me to stone, I'll break free and kill you! I'll keep coming back again and again, and even if it takes a million tries, I'll kill you! Even if it costs me my soul and breaks my body! I'll never stop until I kill you! DO YOU HEAR ME, CELESTIA!? YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED!!!" As Polaris screamed in his rage, Celestia used the Elements of Harmony on him. Before the prince could register what had happened, his body had been encased in stone. His form was frozen looking up to the sky, his mouth wide open in a silent scream of fury. "I'm sorry, Polaris. But this is for the best." Celestia closed her eyes as she mourned not only the loss of her sister, but her nephew as well. "Done crying?" Red Wind looked at her. Celestia slowly nodded her head in response. "Polaris was right. I don't deserve to cry. After so long of being forgotten, left in my shadow as I took in all of the adoration from our subjects while she received no such privilege, it's only natural that Luna would lash out in anger. And yet, I banished her for it. What kind of sister am I?" She brought a hand to her mouth as she held back her tears. "If I may be so bold," Red Wind spoke up. "I believe that both of you were at fault in some capacity." He looked over at the petrified Polaris. "What about him?" "He had never allowed me to speak, so I couldn't explain anything. It's unlikely that he would be willing to listen to anything I had to say anyway." Celestia sighed and looked at the statue. "The Elements of Harmony are effective only on evil, but neither Luna nor Polaris were fully corrupted. The fact that Luna still had concern for Polaris even as Nightmare Moon is proof of that. I suspect their imprisonment will only be temporary, probably a thousand years or so." "I see," Red Wind looked up towards the moon. "What about when they come back?" "I plan on doing research on a way to possibly purify Luna's heart of her darkness, rather than simply banishing her again," Celestia stated. "There's bound to be somewhere I can find more information on the Elements of Harmony. Maybe I can find something in Star Swirl's old writings. Then, once Luna is saved, I will reunite her with Polaris." Red Wind looked towards the statue, then to the moon. A smile made its way to his face. "I'll help you every step of the way, Your Majesty." Reawakening"Where...?" Polaris looked around, observing his surroundings, seeing familiar buildings once again. It was a place he knew all too well, unfortunately. "I'm back in Rockmount?" He shook his head in an attempt to regain his bearings. He couldn't remember much. The last thing he could recall was his burning fury towards his Aunt Tia. No, former aunt; she was just Celestia to him now. After that, there was a flash of light, and everything after felt like a hazy memory, like a really long dream. He sat down on the ground cross-legged and folded his arms over his chest, his face scrunched up as he tried to recall any sort of memory after that moment. Thinking was never his strong suit, but he expected himself to at least have a better memory than this, especially with something so crucial. "What... Happened?" He wracked his brain before suddenly, it all came rushing back to him. He had witnessed Celestia use the Elements of Harmony to banish his mother to the moon. "Mom..." He muttered to himself. "If Celestia used the Elements on her, then that flash of light... Did she use them on me, too?" He looked at his surroundings again, seeing the lack of the usual business within the city. "Did she banish me to Rockmount? Why? And where is everypony?" His face began turning a shade of red as he tried to think harder. Nothing else came to him besides a headache. "Ugh... My brain wasn't made for all this thinking..." He rubbed his temples as he stood back on his feet. "But this is just like that dream I had while training with Master Zen." He shuddered at the memory of seeing that version of himself caked in blood. "I wonder how the old geezer is doing." Deciding to push those thoughts to the back of his mind, Polaris made his way through the town, walking at a slow pace to take in the surroundings. There truly were no other living things in the town besides himself. It gave him a great sense of unease, seeing such a normally busy town completely devoid of life. He looked towards the arena, breathing a heavy sigh as he had nowhere else to go, and so made his way there. He cautiously made his way through the corridor, dreading the idea of what he may see at the end. Nevertheless, he pressed forward; he had to do this. He didn't know why exactly, but he could feel it within his very soul. He needed to confront this. Walking into the arena once more, there he stood at the center once again. That distorted version of himself, spatters of blood dotting his body. He stood with his back turned to Polaris, as if he had been expecting him and didn't want to show his face. Polaris, this time, was more confident than he was during their first encounter, however. "Release me." It spoke in that distorted voice. It sounded like his own voice, yet different at the same time. "W-Who are you!?" Polaris demanded. "Why are you here!?" "Polaris Starshine." It answered simply. "YOU'RE NOT ME!" Polaris shouted in anger, his response almost like a reflex. "The true Polaris Starshine." "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!! YOU'RE NOT ME, YOU CREEPY... THING!!!" Polaris held his head, refusing to accept the duplicate's words. The copy simply remained silent at his outburst. "YOU COULD NEVER BE ME! I'M RIGHT HERE! SO, TELL ME WHO YOU REALLY ARE!!!" "Polaris Starshine." It answered once again. "I SAID STOP IT WITH THAT!" Polaris screamed. As he glared daggers at the duplicate, it turned its head towards him, its face completely devoid of emotion, its silver eyes staring into Polaris' own purple ones. "I am..." BOOOOOOOM!!!!! Polaris fell onto his butt at the sound of a loud explosion followed by everything beginning to shake violently. The surroundings were beginning to crumble away around him as he yelled out in fear. Then everything went black. As a rainbow-colored shockwave passed over the castle, cracks began to appear upon the chest of the stone prison that housed the moon prince. Slowly, the cracks began to spread across the body, reaching the limbs, and finally the face. It shattered. Polaris fell to the ground in a heap, gasping and wheezing. He took in deep gulps of air, his first taste of fresh oxygen in who knows how long. He coughed as he looked at his surroundings. It was an isolated room, apparently, yet the decor didn't match that of the castle he once called home; everything was too brightly colored. He looked down at his hands, clenching them a few times to regain the feeling in his fingers. Just how long was he out? He attempted to stand but quickly fell to his knees. Only now did he notice how much his entire body was aching. He wanted to scream in agony from the sudden waves of pain that were hitting him all at once, but he bit his tongue; it was better not to make his presence known, assuming Celestia wasn't aware that he was now free. Memories of his fight against Red Wind played in his mind. Evidently, his injuries hadn't healed at all while he was a statue. Another feeling flooded his mind. Sadness. Despite all of his training, how much stronger he had gotten, he still failed in his mission. Red Wind had handily beaten him in only a few attacks, and try as he might, Polaris couldn't even land a single blow. He had never felt so powerless in his entire life, and he hated it. "Damn it..." Polaris grunted as he punched the floor in anger, tears falling from his eyes and landing on the ground below him. "I couldn't do anything! I'm as useless as I've always been! I don't get what mom saw in me..." He hung his head, crying quietly. "I'm not good for anything but fighting, and I couldn't even do that right when it mattered most." He gritted his teeth as his sadness slowly began turning into anger. Celestia had banished her own sister, his mother, for wanting the attention that she rightfully deserved. If this was anyone's fault, the blame was hers! His vow to kill his former aunt ringing fresh in his mind, Polaris managed to rise to his feet, ignoring the searing pain coursing through his body every time he moved a muscle. His body would recover. It always did. "But I can't just rush her," Polaris reasoned with himself. "Even if Red Wind isn't there for whatever reason, Celestia herself is way too strong for me as I am now. Not even adding in my injuries." He groaned as another wave of pain hit him, nearly making his knees buckle. "Gotta find out where I am..." Polaris steadily made his way to the door, opening it just a crack to peek through and observe. He saw a long hallway, stretching out on both sides of him. This place was definitely bigger than the castle he knew. He wondered how long he was trapped in stone for them to have the time for this much renovation. Thankfully, he saw no guards at the moment, so he made his way down the hall until he came to another door. Slowly, cautiously opening it, he was relieved to see nobody inside. It looked to be a bedroom, though it looked like it had never once been used since it was built. It almost looked like his old room, but brighter in color. Celestia apparently really liked the color white. Polaris swiftly entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Eyeing the room, he spotted something glistening on the nightstand. It was his pendant that Luna had given him! But how did it end up here? Polaris pushed the question from his mind as he snatched the pendant, putting it into his pocket before making his way to the window. What he saw was a breathtaking view. Apparently, Celestia had decided to move Canterlot to the mountain that once overlooked the city. He would admit that this was the only good decision that Celestia made. However, as he looked off into the distance, what was supposed to be the old Canterlot was now a dark forest. Well, Canterlot was always surrounded by forest, but it looked even darker and creepier now, or at least from what he could tell at this distance. "Just what all went on while I was out cold?" He questioned. Looking to the sky, he could see a trio of pegasi in what appeared to be blue jumpsuits fly overhead. "That's new..." He crept over to the door and opened it a bit to peek out. He still saw no guards, so made his way down the hallway, careful not to make a sound. He found it odd that there were none of the Royal Guard present at the moment, at least not in this area of the castle, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I can't kill Celestia like this. I need to be stronger. Way stronger," He mumbled as he trekked through the many halls of this new castle that he found himself in. As he passed by a window, he paused to look outside. Only this time, he didn't look towards the old Canterlot he once called home. He now looked past that, looking out to the horizon as an idea began forming in his mind. "I'll need to train a lot. And fight a lot to gain experience. I'm kind of curious what Equestria is like now." He chuckled. "I think it's time I finally get out more like they told me to." Polaris smiled brightly, a flame of determination burning within his eyes just as it had all that time ago. "Hey!" Polaris whipped around, spotting a guard approaching from down the hallway. He had a white coat with blue hair and tail that had a streak of lighter blue running through it. From the looks of things, he seemed to be a newer recruit. "Who are you? State your business," The guard demanded. "Prince Polaris Starshine, I'm just passing by." Polaris gave a shrug. He hoped that flaunting his title would help him avoid a fight in his current state. "I've never heard of Equestria having a prince by that name," The guard said with malice. "You're gonna have to come up with a better lie." So much for that. Apparently, either history had forgotten about him, or Celestia covered up his existence. Polaris leaned towards the latter; he wouldn't put it past her at this point. But just how long had he been sealed away for if everyone forgot he ever existed? He would have to find that out later. Negotiation had failed, and he was too banged up to fight currently. That left only one option. "Later." Polaris took off in a sprint down the hall. It took the stallion a few seconds to register the sudden departure of the suspicious colt. When he finally realized what had happened, he swiftly gave chase, calling for reinforcements as he did. Polaris sprinted through the halls as fast as his legs could carry him. he passed by several guards as they began to give chase. His injuries slowed his speed and lessened his stamina, yet he still continued to move through his willpower alone. He wouldn't let them catch him. He couldn't let them catch him. They would surely bring him to Celestia, and it would be all over. She would use the Elements of Harmony on him, turning him to stone once again. He refused to let that happen. Polaris swiftly turned a corner before ducking low, two guards who had attempted to tackle him from the front and behind instead rammed into each other. He slid between the legs of another, tripping him and causing to fall into another guard. Polaris jumped towards the wall, kicking off of it to gain height and landing upon the head of one of the many guards in pursuit of him. He began running along the heads of the guards before reaching the other side of the wall of ponies, landing with a roll before continuing his getaway. "She sure hired a bunch more guards while I was gone. It's like a small army." Polaris began panting as his speed began to slow. His injuries were beginning to wear him down, sapping his stamina at a faster rate than he had anticipated. "Damn it... Not now..." He began to stumble, leaning against a wall. His vision started swimming as he fought off the allure of unconsciousness. At least it looked like he had lost the guards for now. As his eyes began to close, he could hear footsteps from around the corner. As he saw the figure responsible for the sound, his eyes shot wide open. Celestia. This was absolutely the worst-case scenario. He saw that Celestia seemed to be escorting a lavender unicorn filly around the castle. Had she adopted a child of her own? Polaris held his breath as they passed by him, thankfully not noticing the prince. He let out a sigh of relief. "There he is!" "Oh, come on..." Polaris groaned as he heard the sound of dozens of feet approaching him. Mustering every last bit of energy that he could, Polaris got back to his feet. But this was definitely a problem. He knew he couldn't run forever, and he had no idea what the layout of this place was. However, eyeing the nearby window, a lightbulb flickered in his head as he formed a plan. It was definitely going to hurt, though. Sprinting towards the window, he took one last look at Celestia. For a fleeting moment, less than a second, his eyes met those of the filly. There was a loud crash as the window shattered, Polaris having jumped through it. He looked at the ground far below him, instantly regretting his decision. They had been in one of the highest floors of the whole castle, and Polaris now found himself freefalling from a couple hundred feet in the air. He desperately wished he were a pegasus right about now. He looked to his left and right, seeing a couple of the pegasi among the guard that divebombed after him. Polaris gained an impish grin; he could use this. Grabbing both of the guards, Polaris swiftly knocked their heads together, the surprise attack knocking them both out cold. He forcefully unfurled their wings and held the two guards above his head, using them as gliders. He soon landed on a clothesline and slid along it, dropping the guards as he did; they would survive such a low drop. Polaris jumped from the clothesline to the rooftops, making his way towards the mountain the city was built upon. He looked behind him to see a few guards on his tail. They wouldn't be for long. Polaris took a big leap, planting his feet on the side of the mountain. He began sliding down the side of the mountain, not caring if it ruined his shoes in the process. His shoes quickly wore down in no time, leaving Polaris sliding on his bare feet, though he ignored the pain as he looked back and stuck his tongue out at the guards. He doubted they could see it, but it just felt nice to do. From the castle, a lone figure watched Polaris' escape through a window. "So, he was freed early. Probably that explosion that jostled him awake." "You seem antsy today." Celestia giggled. "It's nothing." He shrugged, turning away from the window. "I would like you to meet my new personal student, Twilight Sparkle." Celestia gently pushed the lavender filly forward. "A student, hm? Never thought I would see the day, Your Majesty." He teased. "She has astounding magical potential," Celestia said with a smile, showing her pride. Twilight fidgeted nervously beside her. "Well, then, Twilight Sparkle." He bowed in respect. "Greetings. My name is Red Wind, Princess Celestia's personal guardian." Polaris' sprint had slowed to a crawl as he now made his way through the forest that once housed Canterlot. He took deep, labored breaths, each intake of air causing pain to his chest. Still, he refused to stop moving until he was absolutely sure that he was safe. He was thirsty. He was hungry. He was lonely. He had grown so accustomed to having love from his mother that he had forgotten what it was like to live without it. He hated it with every fiber of his being. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, he wanted nothing more than to feel the warm embrace of his mother again. In the distance, through the fog, he could make out a familiar shape: the castle. But it was in ruins. Nobody had taken care of it for so long that it had become completely uninhabitable. But Polaris didn't care. He was home. Weakly, he pushed the door open. Besides the added dust and spiders, as well as the crumbling walls, everything was the same. He made his way up the stairs and down the hallway, entering his own room. It was completely untouched. "I'm... Home..." He mumbled, a weak smile on his face as the adrenaline left his system. Polaris fell forward, collapsing to the ground. Ponyville"WHAT!?" "It's exactly as I said, Your Majesty," Red Wind stated. "Polaris seems to have disappeared." Celestia found it hard to maintain her composure after the reveal of such shocking news, but somehow managed to regain it through deep breaths and happy thoughts. "How could this have happened?" She questioned. A million thoughts ran through her head of what this could mean for not just her, but the citizens of Equestria as well should Polaris decide to take his anger out on them. There was no doubt in the princess' mind that her nephew still held a grudge towards her; he may harm innocents simply to spite her specifically. Or perhaps he was hiding, biding his time and growing stronger as he awaited the perfect chance to strike. There were too many possibilities to consider. This definitely threw a wrench into her original plans. "Your Majesty, calm yourself, please," Red Wind interrupted her thoughts. While she was still frazzled about her revenge-seeking nephew, she was at least calm enough to listen. "If I may, I don't think Polaris will cause much harm." "How can you be so sure?" Celestia asked with a tilt of her head to the side. Red Wind frowned. "You know him far better than me. The colt loves to fight, but never has he once fought another who wasn't willing. Not even myself." Red Wind crossed his arms. "And you're supposed to be his aunt." Celestia rubbed her chin, closing her eyes in thought. What Red Wind said was the truth, Polaris would only fight creatures that agreed to fight him. The only exceptions that came to mind were the Royal Guard that had stood in his way, stopping him from reaching the Elements of Harmony a thousand years ago. Yet even that could be excused to an extent, seeing as he likely saw them as enemies at the time who were attempting to prevent him from helping his mother and preventing her banishment. He was only a child, after all. What foal wouldn't do whatever they could to help their mother when she needed it most? He was simply returning the love that she had shown him. Celestia let out a deep sigh before opening her eyes. "Alright." Celestia nodded her head. "I will ignore Polaris' premature escape for now, I only hope It doesn't bite me in the flank later." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking into Red Wind's eyes. "But do tell, Red Wind. Why are you so invested in him in particular?" "I have my reasons," Red Wind answered with a shrug of his shoulders. Celestia eyed him suspiciously, but Red Wind famously had an infallible poker face that made it difficult to tell his thoughts at any given time. "Care to elaborate?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow. Her tone made it clear that it was less of a request and more of a thinly veiled demand. "I'm just interested in his growth," Red Wind said, a wicked grin upon his face. Polaris groaned lowly and rolled over. He could feel something tickling his nose, but at the same time, he really didn't want to get up. Eventually, he gave in and opened his eyes, and was immediately met with two large, bright blue orbs staring back at him. "AAH!" He yelled and jumped back, hitting the back of his head against the far wall and falling to the ground, clutching it in pain. He squinted his eyes open to see what had just scared him awake. It was a cat. But not just any cat. It had pitch black fur, and a white tail that seemed to curve like the crescent moon. It sat there calmly as it observed him, licking one of its paws nonchalantly. The thing seemed to take amusement in the scare it had just given him; he could swear he saw a shit eating grin upon its face as it gazed up at him. "Are you a lunar kitten?" Polaris asked, the cat giving a meow in response, as if it could actually understand him. "You're a weird cat." It huffed in response. turning its nose up and looking away. Polaris just chuckled. He watched as it jumped up onto the bed and stretched out its body. "Are you a boy?" The cat looked away once again. "Girl it is then." The cat seemed pleased with that as it jumped off the bed and approached him, sniffing at him and crawling up onto his lap. Polaris smiled as he stroked her back. His body, while still not back to one hundred percent, was at least only a little sore now compared to yesterday. As he absentmindedly scratched the cat's ears, he thought about what he should do next. Celestia will have no doubt heard of his escape by now and maybe even sent out a search party. He was stranded in an unfamiliar time, in an unfamiliar location with no food, water or resources of any kind besides the clothes on his back, which had grown filthy from his nap on the dirty floor of a collapsed castle. "First thing's first, gotta find out what year it is." His stomach growled loudly. "First thing's first, gotta find food." He groaned and slumped over. He looked at the cat that was currently content in his lap. If it could really understand him, then maybe... "Hey, do you know if there's any villages around here?" The cat rolled her eyes and jumped from his lap, walking away a few steps before sitting down, waiting for him to follow. Polaris quickly jumped to his feet before a realization hit him. "Wait, I need money. Hrm..." He crossed his arms in thought, remaining like that for a few moments before his ears perked up as an idea came to him. "I know!" He knocked on the floor a few times in different spots around the room. Eventually, he heard a hollow sound as he knocked on the spot beneath the nightstand. He smiled in satisfaction as he moved the nightstand and lifted up a piece of the floor, finding an untouched stash of bits underneath. "Bingo! Thankfully, nopony ever found this." Taking a large handful of the bits and shoving them into his pockets, he moved the piece of floor back where it belonged to hide his secret stash before following his new companion out of the castle and through the dark forest. "Ugh... I'm starving..." Polaris groaned. He and his new cat buddy, he really needed to give her a name, had been making their way through this forest for what felt like hours. He thought it was strange that the forest he had once gone to do occasional agility training in had been reduced to such a state. Maybe it was just inevitable; he did recall a few strange oddities such as the weather, and dangerous creatures like manticores or timber wolves beginning to crop up more and more as time went on. Maybe that was why Celestia moved Canterlot to a safer location? But he couldn't imagine being built on the side of a mountain was much safer. It was still badass though, in his mind at least. Polaris shielded his eyes as he saw the bright light at the end of the many, many trees he had walked through. Smiling in excitement and curiosity, he ran forward ahead of the lunar kitten, reaching the end of the deep and dark forest. Off in the distance, he saw it, a small town. It didn't look as busy or shady as Rockmount, nor was it as big as Canterlot, but that was just what he needed, a simple town where he could buy what he needed without being questioned too heavily on his origins. Although, he wondered if he even needed to worry about that, considering no one seemed to even know of his existence or status as Luna's son. Actually, had anyone outside of Canterlot even known about him at all? He didn't think about that too hard. He entered the town alongside the cat, looking around and taking in the sights. It was big, but far from the biggest town he'd seen; Canterlot was far grander and even Rockmount was a bit bigger. In other words, it was the smallest town he'd personally seen so far. It was simple, stalls set up to sell their goods from food to more food and even more food beyond that. He didn't care much about the rest, he just wanted food. Approaching a stand, he saw that it was run by an elderly lime green mare. "She could give Master Zen a run for his money in the age department," He thought to himself. He paused, looking down as he remembered his old master. The old zebra may have been a bit crazy, but he cared about Polaris and saw his potential. Sure, he was harsh, but in the end, it helped Polaris to grow as strong as he was now. If he hadn't met Zen, he would still be too weak to even deal with two or three opponents at once. The zebra had taught him the value of skill and technique in a fight, rather than simply relying on his strong body as he always had. "Y'all okay there, sonny?" Polaris gasped in surprise as the lime green elder had suddenly spoken to him. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine," he responded, wiping the tears from his eyes with an arm. He hadn't even noticed that he had been crying until that moment. "How much for five apples?" "Five bits," The elderly mare responded, still giving him a questioning look. "Ya sure you're okay, son? Your eyes were leakin' like a roof in an old barn." "I said I'm fine," Polaris restated before putting the requested bits on the table. The mare eyed them before taking the currency and fetching his apples in turn. It seemed the currency from his time was still useable today. Convenient, but he still had to find out when exactly "today" was. All the thinking of different time periods began to give him a headache. "It ain't good to keep all your feelings bottled up, y'know," the mare said as she placed his apples on the counter. "It's easier to find somepony to talk to, vent your anger and such." She gave a kind smile. "Yeah. I'll keep that in mind." He sighed, knowing full well that he couldn't do that, as it would end up blowing his cover if others actually believed him, or make him seem crazy if they didn't the latter was far more likely, but Polaris didn't want either outcome. After waving the mare goodbye and taking the bag of apples, he took one out and took a bite as he wandered the town, glad to finally be able to eat again as he reveled in the taste of the juicy apple. "Okay, food's covered for now. Now, gotta find out what year it is..." His face scrunched up in thought as his cat companion pressed a paw against her face in exasperation. Polaris snapped his fingers. "Library!" He exclaimed before looking at his cat. "Do you know where the library is?" The cat rolled her eyes and began walking away with Polaris following close behind. However, as the two made their way through the town, Polaris occasionally glanced around the area, catching glimpses of some of the townsfolk giving him an odd look. Looking at himself, it was apparent why; his clothes were filthy from sleeping all night on a dirty floor, and he was missing a pair of shoes as they had been ruined from his daring mountain slide. Overall, he looked homeless, which he absolutely was, but he couldn't exactly look the part if he wanted to blend in. "I'm gonna need new clothes..." He muttered, stopping in front of a clothing store. Looking up at it, he looked back towards the cat. "You should wait out here," he suggested. The cat yawned and laid down. Nodding his head in approval, Polaris opened the door to the shop, making his way inside and hoping he wouldn't draw too much attention with his appearance. Looking around, he saw the cashier, as expected, but he also spotted a white unicorn filly with a mane and tail styled into a curl near the end. Polaris shrugged his shoulders and began browsing the inventory, eyeing the various colors and styles of clothing, he soon gave up and made a random selection, reaching towards a bright yellow tank top. "NOT THAT ONE!" Polaris froze in place at the shrill voice that suddenly rang out, his hand inches from the shirt. After blinking a few times and checking to see if he had gone deaf from the noise, he turned towards the source of said noise: the unicorn filly. "Uh... Why?" He questioned. "It clashes horribly with your complexion!" The filly exclaimed, the tone of her voice sounding as if the fate of all of Equestria, possibly the entire world, was at stake. "My... My what now?" Polaris only grew more confused as the conversation went on. The filly facepalmed at his ignorance. "Your complexion, darling." She received nothing but a blank stare. "The color of your coat!" She exclaimed in exasperation. "Such muted, sophisticated colors clash horrendously with the bright neon you set your sights on!" Polaris scratched the back of his head in confusion. "I don't really understand," He looked around awkwardly, glancing at the various clothing articles lining the shelves. "Clothes are just clothes, aren't they?" His question seemed to break something inside the filly's brain. She stared at him wide-eyed, mouth agape with one eyelid twitching, looking ready to murder Polaris on the spot while screaming a string of profanities not fit for a filly her age. "Wha- I- Ju- You-" The filly stammered, unable to speak properly at this point. She promptly fainted, but not before using her magic to pull a couch from Celestia knows where to flop onto and avoid falling onto the dirty ground. Polaris settled on a plain white t-shirt and black shorts as well as a pair of red sneakers, purchasing the items and leaving while deciding to question absolutely nothing about the events that just transpired. "That was... strange. She acted a bit like the ponies in Canterlot, all snooty and everything," Polaris rubbed his temples, having gained a headache from the filly's screeching. The cat made a noise that sounded like snickering, Polaris glaring as she did before they continued their walk through the town. Now that he had proper, non-filthy clothes, he would garner less attention from the townsponies. "I should really name you something..." He pondered as he looked at the cat, tapping his chin with a finger. "Onyx!" The cat hissed; Polaris winced at the reaction. "Not a fan, huh?" The cat simply continued walking, ignoring Polaris' question and leaving him to think of something else. "Hey, this is my first time naming something! Give me a break!" He exclaimed, jogging to catch up with her. "How about... Midnight?" He asked. The cat simply meowed in response, making Polaris smile. "Midnight it is, then!" He stated. The newly dubbed Midnight simply rolled her eyes and kept walking. "You can at least pretend to be a little happy, you know!" Midnight gave no response. "Cats, I swear..." He grumbled in annoyance before sighing in resignation and begrudgingly following the stubborn cat. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, they arrived at a large tree. It had a door, windows, and even a balcony just like a normal house would. "A literal treehouse. Is this the library?" Polaris looked at Midnight, the cat nodding in response to his question. Polaris closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to steel himself as he had no idea what the librarian would be like. "Here goes nothing," he uttered, knocking on the door. Not long after, there was a loud crash which was soon followed by a cacophony of other loud clattering noises before the door swung open. "Hello, welcome to Golden Oak Library, where you can harvest the fruits of knowledge! I'm Violet Rose!" Polaris stared blankly at the disheveled pegasus mare at the door. Her coat was a vibrant red while her hair was violet in color, reaching just below her shoulders in length. She had amaranth eyes and sported a sky-blue hoodie that looked far too big on her, as well as equally baggy jean shorts and her hair was a mess, having random strands sticking and looking like she hadn't taken a brush to it in about a week, at least. Most notably, however, was that she seemed to be near Polaris in age; she was far too young to be running an establishment on her own. "It's... a new slogan I'm trying out. Get it? Fruits? Like... Like a tree...?" She chuckled sheepishly. "..." Polaris' mouth twitched several times as he fought back a smile at Violet's pun; he found it absolutely hilarious but couldn't afford to lose sight of his goal now. Clearing his throat, Polaris spoke. "Right. Can I come in and look around?" "O-Oh! Of course!" The flustered mare stepped aside, allowing Polaris to enter, looking at the assortment of books as he did. It was all completely organized, alphabetically, no less, which made him wonder what all the noise earlier was about. He decided to chalk it up as just yet another strange occurrence within this town when a completely terrible smell made itself known to his nostrils. "What is that!?" He exclaimed, pinching his nose to block the assault on his senses. Midnight appeared to melt into the floor, taking the appearance of a shadow on the ground and slipping underneath the door to escape the scent. "W-Well, you interrupted me in the middle of cooking!" Violet defended. "You made me burn the hayburger I was making for myself!" "You didn't even put up a 'closed' sign or anything," Polaris countered. After a few seconds, he paused, taking in what she said. "Wait, 'cooking'? This place has a kitchen?" He asked curiously. "It sort of doubles as a house," She responded as she made her way to the kitchen to toss the inedible hayburger into the trash. "There's a room upstairs and everything. It's basically a big house that has a library in it." "So, you're camping out here," Polaris summarized. "Well... yeah." Violet nodded her head in confirmation. "But it's not like I kicked anyone out by force or something like that!" She quickly added, holding her hands in front of herself defensively. "The place was abandoned when I got here!" "Hm." Polaris nodded. "By the way, what's this town called?" "Oh!" Violet jumped a bit at the sudden question. "This is Ponyville. Also, it's rude to interrupt people, you know." She pouted. "I don't really care why you're here. Not like I'm a cop or anything." Polaris walked past her to browse through the books. Grabbing a book on ancient history, he quickly skimmed through it, finding the modern script different, but still readable to him. He shut the book with a groan, not finding anything useful in it; apparently, both he and his mother had been forgotten, their names lost to time. He turned towards the wall, looking at the calendar specifically. His eyes went wide as dinner plates as he ran over to the calendar, snatching it off the wall and reading the date on it. It had been nearly one thousand years since he had been turned to stone. Tears ran down Polaris' cheeks as he dropped the calendar and stumbled backwards, holding his head in his hands. He began to hyperventilate, his chest heaving as his breathing sped up drastically, though his lungs never felt full regardless of how much air he inhaled. Memories played over and over in his mind. Memories of his time spent with Zen, the Royal Guard, who always seemed to care for him despite his antics, even the citizens of Canterlot during the rare times he would leave the castle. He would see his mother again, as alicorns, he had learned, were effectively immortal. But the rest of them were gone, and he was still here. Letting out a cry of anguish, Polaris fell, the shock of everything being too much for his mind to take in. "H-Hey! What's wrong!?" Violet rushed over to his side as he landed on his back, staring up at the ceiling, his face matted in tears, as if in a trance. Midnight entered the building via slipping underneath the door once again, seeming just as shocked as the mare was. "Celestia...! She did this!!! Celestia! For my mom, for Master Zen, for everyone else you forced me to leave behind!!! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU, CELESTIA, YOU BASTARD!!!!!" Those were the last thoughts to go through Polaris' mind before everything faded to black. The Journey BeginsPolaris gasped and sat up quickly, only to immediately grunt in pain as his head knocked against something hard. Rubbing his head in pain, he squinted his eyes open. "What...?" "OW! That hurt, you know!!" Violet was on the ground, rubbing her forehead due to the sudden headbutt. "A little warning would be nice, next time." She shot him a glare. "Oh, like I was supposed to know when I was gonna wake up from a coma," Polaris responded. He stood up and began doing some stretches, feeling his joints popping as he did so. "Geez... How long was I out for? I feel so stiff... Hm?" He looked to the floor to find a wet rag next to Violet. She soon noticed where he was looking, becoming flustered when she realized it. "W-Well, you suddenly passed out for three days! What else was I supposed to do!?" She stammered. "I wanted to take care of you!" "You could've taken me to the hospital?" He suggested. Though, inwardly, he was glad she didn't. The staff would probably ask too many questions about his origins. He wasn't too keen on meeting with too many of Celestia's subjects at the moment. Polaris frowned, remembering that both his mother and Celestia had requested he make friends in the past. It was very conflicting to him, since it was advice given by both his most loved and most hated ponies respectively. "I... I can't go to the hospital at all," Violet clarified. "I'm... erm... banned! Yeah, I'm banned from there!" "... Banned?" Polaris raised an eyebrow at her claim. She nodded her head rapidly in response. "... From the hospital?" "I just am, okay!? I could set fires to hospitals for fun for all you know!" She exclaimed. Polaris gave the mare a blank look. "D-Don't question it!" She looked away, sweating profusely. "You're a terrible liar," Polaris stated bluntly as he stood up from the couch he had been resting on. He looked over at the door as he heard a scratching sound on the other side. Violet immediately jumped up to answer it, relieved to have an excuse to derail that conversation. She opened the door, Midnight walking in with a small bag of two apples. "Oh, you're back," Violet said with a smile. "Your cat has been bringing in bits of food to help feed you while you were out cold." Midnight set the bag down before jumping up onto the couch and laying down for a nap, seeming to not even acknowledge Polaris being awake at all. "What was that about, anyway? You just screamed and passed out after looking at the calendar." "It's nothing," Polaris responded almost instantly. "I just... remembered something, is all." "Liar," Violet interrupted. "I don't even know your name, but I still took care of you. I at least deserve the truth, don't you think? And you called me a terrible liar." "Polaris Starshine," he answered, "and it's personal, like how you won't tell me why you're avoiding the hospital," he countered. He knew that he couldn't tell her that he was essentially a time traveler from a thousand years ago, and that he was technically royalty, even if the title was meaningless now. She would think he was crazy if he told her the full truth. He winced as he remembered his former status, only adding another reason to justify killing Celestia in his mind. Suddenly, a thought came to him. "Say, do you know anything about that image of a pony on the moon?" He asked, being careful in his wording so as to not raise suspicion. "You mean the Mare in the Moon? I've read about it, why?" She asked, only receiving a deadpanned look from Polaris. "What!? I read sometimes!" She huffed before flying over to one of the shelves and retrieving a book, bringing it to him, the book was titled Predictions and Prophecies. Taking the book, Polaris read through it, skimming until he reached the desired pages. "Blah, blah, blah, two princesses, sun and moon, corruption, wait." He paused, reading over a particular passage. "Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal." That was it. He had thought that he would have needed to find a way to free her himself, but if this "legend" was accurate, which he knew from experience that it was, biased towards Celestia as it was, then he would only need to prepare for her arrival. His eyes darted to the calendar, particularly, the date. His face began to scrunch up, turning red as he did the math in his head, and struggling hard. "Are you okay?" Velvet asked in concern. "You look like you're constipated or something." Midnight made a snickering noise at the mare's comment. Polaris' face suddenly lit up as he came to his conclusion, a smile spreading across his face. "Two thousand and two," he thought. "So... eight years." Smiling, Polaris stood up, only to collapse in a heap as his stomach growled loudly, demanding food. "Damn it... too hungry..." He grumbled. Midnight pushed the couple of apples she brought in towards him. "Thanks, but I'll need more for the road, too." He sat up, taking one of the apples and biting into it. "The road?" Velvet questioned, tilting her head to the side. "Where are you going?" "Just around," Polaris answered. "I wanna see more of the world. I haven't really been out much." There was more to it than the reason he gave, of course. He did want to explore Equestria, yes, but now that he knew his mother would be freed on her own, his goals had shifted. Now, rather than searching for a way to break her seal, he simply wanted to be stronger. He had to be strong enough to support her, to be valuable to her once she came back. Zen had once told him that there was no training better than real combat, that experience was a fighter's greatest weapon. He needed more experience, more training, he needed to grow. He wouldn't lose to anyone ever again. "Then I'm coming with!" Violet stated. "A big adventure sounds super fun!" Polaris sighed. On one hand, Violet didn't seem like much of a fighter and would likely slow him down. On the other, she was clearly more knowledgeable than him in a lot of things, so she could prove useful in her own way. "... Just don't get in my way," he said as he walked towards the door. "That's a pretty rude way to talk to your friends." Violet pouted, puffing out her cheeks. Polaris froze up, his hand on the doorknob, trying to process what the pegasus had said. "... Friend?" He turned back towards her. "Duh! I took care of you for three days! So, I think that makes us friends!" Polaris couldn't believe his ears. This crazy mare really wanted to be his friend. He'd never had a real friend before, discounting Zen and the Royal Guard, who Celestia and Luna both claimed didn't really count, even if he thought they did. "Sorry," Polaris apologized. "It's just that I've never had a... friend before." He rubbed the back of his head. "Huh? Seriously?" Violet asked in shock. "Well, now you have two!" She said with a bright smile on her face, Midnight jumping onto her shoulder. Polaris stared at the two for a few moments, his lips slowly curving upwards into a smile as well. "Alright," he said, "let's get going. First thing's first, we need food." He opened the door and stepped outside with Violet and Midnight in tow. "Oh! Oh! I know a place!" Velvet jumped up and down, flailing her hand in the air. "Follow me!" She quickly said before walking ahead of him. Midnight looked a bit miffed at her sudden jumping. Polaris smiled as he watched her, feeling the boundless energy that she exuded. "By the way, Violet," he said, getting her attention. "Thanks. For taking care of me, I mean." He gave her a sincere smile. "It's nothing!" She returned his smile with one of her own as she continued leading him down the dirt road. "Just remember, now you owe me!" She stuck her tongue out at him in a playful manner. Polaris chuckled softly and followed after her. After a bit of walking, the three newly banded travel companions came to a big, red farm. In front was a sign that read, "Sweet Apple Acres". Looking around, Polaris had never seen so many apple trees in his life. Acres upon acres of land, trees lining every single one. He rubbed the bark of one of them with a hand, marveling at the sheer scale of the place and wondering who in their right mind would even have the time or energy to harvest every single tree. "What, never been to an apple farm before?" Violet asked with a giggle, Polaris shaking his head side to side in response. "Wait, really!?" Her jaw dropped in shock. "How isolated were you!?" "Very," Polaris responded vaguely. He had rarely left the castle at all back then, and now the world was completely different. He felt like a stranger in a completely foreign land, unfamiliar with anything at all. His mind was still reeling from the fact that he had apparently been asleep for the last thousand years, and he would need to get used to things all over again. "There she is!" Violet exclaimed. "Heeeeey! Miss Granny Smith!!!" She called, waving her hand as she ran over. Polaris had seen the elderly mare before, the one who had sold him those apples a few days ago. He followed Violet to greet her, hoping the interaction would be a quick one. The elderly mare looked in their direction, waving to them as they approached. "Howdy there, erm... Violet! That was it," she greeted with a gentle smile. "What brings y'all 'round these parts? Ah ain't seen you in a hot minute." As the two talked, Polaris eyed what Granny Smith held in her arms, a light-yellow foal with a red mane and tail and sporting a big pink bow. He thought she looked adorable. Smiling, he reached out a hand without thinking. The filly looked up at the unfamiliar pony that was reaching towards her. Curiously, she reached out and grasped his finger and melting Polaris' heart. "Looks like little Apple Bloom likes you." Polaris snapped out of his stupor at Granny Smith's remark, instinctively pulling his hand back and out of the foal's grip. "Aw, ain't nothing to be ashamed of, dearie," she reassured him. "I-I just..." Polaris struggled to find an excuse and failed. He didn't even know why he pulled away himself. For some reason, he felt an overwhelming sense of fear at being around such a small foal. He shut his eyes, taking deep breaths as he turned away to gaze at the hundreds of apple trees instead. "I'm going on a walk." Violet and Granny Smith exchanged confused glances as he suddenly walked off into the fields. As Polaris made his way through the rows of apple trees, he found himself lost in thought. "What was that? Am I scared? Of what?" Questions plagued his mind as he walked along, grunting in frustration as he wasn't used to dealing with these kinds of complex emotions that required more than a single thought to understand. "Is it... me?" He looked down at his hands, and for a brief moment, he saw the bloodied hands of the doppelganger he encountered within his dreams. His eyes widened as his breath hitched; he didn't know what that thing was, but it was clearly intent on haunting him for whatever reason. "NO!!!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and punched a nearby tree, making all of the apples fall from its branches and onto the ground. "Y'all okay?" Polaris turned to the voice, seeing another pony, this one a filly with an orange coat and a blonde mane and tail that were both tied into long ponytails. She wore blue overalls with a white t-shirt underneath and looked at him with her emerald eyes. "Ya screamed awful loud." "I'm fine," Polaris lied, though it seemed the filly wasn't buying it for a second. "I really am." "... If ya say so," She responded looking towards the tree he had punched. "Y'all got a mighty strong kick to knock all the apples from the tree on your first go. You're a natural!" She smiled in amazement. "It was a punch," Polaris corrected. "I was just really mad. I'm sorry." He bowed his head in apology, a habit picked up from his mother's lessons in etiquette. "It ain't nothing. That's how we do it 'round here anyway," the filly responded with a chuckle, making Polaris look towards her in confusion, never having heard of such a method before. "'Course, we usually kick 'em, like this." She demonstrated by giving a strong kick to one of the trees, making a lot of them fall into the buckets set beneath it. "Ah'm still learnin' and growin'," she smiled sheepishly. "That was awesome!" Polaris shouted in awe. He had never seen someone so young with such strong legs, besides maybe himself, though that was a very big maybe. "Aw, shucks. It ain't nothin' special," she said bashfully before looking up at him. "Ah'm Applejack." "Polaris Starshine," he said with a smile. "Mighty fancy name. Y'all from Canterlot or somethin'?" She questioned. Polaris winced as she had unintentionally hit the nail on the head. "Yeah, I am." He nodded. "Did you grow up here?" He asked, looking around at the many trees. "Born and raised," she stated proudly. "Y'know, mah Granny Smith founded the town!" Polaris hummed at the information. That meant Ponyville was a fairly recent addition to Equestria, so it made sense that he had never heard of such a place until now. "That's nice," He responded. His face began to scrunch up once again as he thought of how many newer towns may have been built in his absence. There were probably dozens if not more that didn't exist during his time in Canterlot. "Y'all okay, sugarcube? Ya look like ya got worms," Applejack asked, seeming genuinely worried for his health. Polaris grunted as the gears in his brain slowly began turning, his face starting to turn shades of red. "Ah!" He suddenly perked up. "Hey, Applejack? Why did your grandma pick here specifically for a town?" "Well, from what Ah remember, Celestia gave us the land to make a farm, and a town was just built around it one day." Applejack answered. Of course, Celestia would give them land to build a farm. She was kind to her subjects, trying to do what was best for them, and doing everything she could to make them happy. Of course, Polaris knew this to be a ruse to keep up appearances, he knew who she really was, and that was a cruel tyrant that simply wanted all the attention to herself. He knew this to be true when she banished his mother. But for some reason, it felt wrong. "The sun is needed for plants to grow..." He muttered, looking towards the sky. He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts, refusing to fall into the sun loving mindset that every single pony in Equestria shared. "No. Mom is right. Mom was right to do what she did. Mom knows what's best, Celestia doesn't," he mumbled under his breath to keep his mind on track. He needed to focus on his goal, he needed to get stronger and help his mom when she came back. "There you are!" Polaris and Applejack turned their heads to see Violet making her way towards them, a large bag hefted onto her back and Midnight riding atop her head. "Granny Smith said we can have these apples for our trip!" She beamed. "Great," Polaris said. "Now we can get going." Taking the bag of apples and slinging it over his shoulder, he gave Applejack a warm smile as he turned to leave. "Where are y'all going to?" The curious filly asked. Polaris looked at her, seeing her eyes full of questions. "To see Equestria," he answered with a big, toothy grin. The trio departed from the orchard, making their way towards the forest. Polaris had a big smile on his face, but Violet looked less enthusiastic. "W-We're going there? Into the Everfree Forest?" She asked, shaking like a leaf. "Well, you could always just stay here," Polaris teased with a playful grin. "I-I'm going!" She huffed, swiftly marching ahead of him. And so, the two ventured into the deadly Everfree Forest, towards the unknown lands beyond, towards the unknown dangers. Polaris was determined to be strong enough to help his mother when the time came. It was for the best. It had to be, despite what others may say. He was sure of it.
First MeetingEquestria, a nation comprised primarily of Pony-folk, was known for being very peaceful. Though its roots were rocky, to say the least, under the rule of the kind princesses, Celestia, who rose the sun, and Luna, who rose the moon, peace began to prosper. Equestria was made up of many cities and small villages. One of these towns was known as Rockmount, and, like the name suggests, it was situated on top of an isolated mountain. Though peace was abundant, it could never be absolute, even under the kindest of rulers. As such, towns like Rockmount still existed, despite the princess' best efforts. Rockmount, also known as the Black Market City. "Get back here, thief!" A small, cloaked figure ran through the streets of the town, being pursued by several stallions. The figure turned a corner, the stallions following not far behind. "All of this for a few apples, like this town isn't already full of stolen things." The cloaked pony mumbled, voice clearly belonging to a male. He turned a corner into a narrow alleyway, his mouth underneath his hood turning into a grin. With great agility, he leaped upwards towards the wall, his foot landing on it and propelling him towards the opposite wall. He continued jumping between the two walls until he safely landed on the roof, continuing his escape. He was pursued by the few pegasi that were among the group, using their wings to fly and chase him along the rooftops. The cloaked pony frowned, looking at his persistent pursuers before his eyes began darting around the area, looking around for an escape route. He found none, and so opted to jump down from the rooftops and back into the alleyways before turning another corner. "A dead end. Great." He turned around to face the ponies that had been chasing him. He had thankfully lost most of them in the pursuit, but five still remained. "End of the line, kid." One of them, a large earth pony, approached menacingly, brandishing a knife and holding it to the thief's stomach. He looked down at the knife, then back up to the stallion, who was at least twice his own height, then behind himself, at the brick wall. An idea quickly formed in his head, and with it, another grin. "Thanks." "What are you-" The stallion couldn't even finish his sentence before the cloaked pony swiftly struck his wrist, making him drop his weapon, before leaping high, landing on top of his head and jumping once again from there, doing a backflip as he soared over the wall. All of the pursuers were left completely stunned, and unable to follow the apple thief. "Idiots," The cloaked pony chuckled to himself as he took a bite of apple, savoring the juicy goodness. "And got my lunch for today, too." Now that he was in the clear, the pony removed his hood. He was an earth pony colt, no more than ten years old, at best. His fur was ash gray in color, with a scruffy, dusty blue mane. His eyes were a light purple in color. He looked up towards the sky, Celestia's sun slowly disappearing over the horizon and giving way to Luna's moon. "It's getting close to time..." He turned to leave, before he heard a noise. A soft growl, a sound he knew all too well. He turned his head and spotted a small filly; the poor thing was practically skin and bones. The filly sat against a building, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked like she wanted to cry, but lacked the energy to do so. Such sights were all too common in the town of Rockmount, and although the colt had lived there his entire life, it had never gotten any easier to look at. Not everypony in town had someone to provide for them, and not all of the ones that were unlucky enough to be alone were as physically gifted as him and able to steal what they needed. Nodding his head at the decision he had made, the colt approached the filly. Now that he saw her up close, she seemed even younger than he was. She looked up at him, fear evident in her eyes, yet lacking the energy to defend herself, or to flee. "Here," He dropped the apples he had gathered in front of the filly, three in total. "I know it's not much, but it's enough to at least give you some energy back." The filly looked dumbfounded, eyes going from the apples to the colt, then back to the apples several times. Slowly, she reached a shaky hand towards an apple and picked it up, bringing it to her mouth and taking a small bite. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she had her first meal in Celestia knows how long. "Thank you..." She muttered; her voice was raspy from lack of water. "Don't mention it." The colt turned to leave, waving to her as he walked away. "Wait...!" The filly called as loudly as her hoarse voice would allow. "What's your name, mister?" The colt paused, turning back towards the filly he'd just helped. "My name?" He gave a soft smile as he scratched his head. "I don't have one!" The filly definitely didn't expect an answer like that, especially not in such a cheerful manner. She could only stare in bewilderment as this mysterious colt who had just saved her life disappeared just as quickly as he had arrived. "Now," The colt looked up towards the sky once again. More time had passed than he would've liked. "I should hurry. I'm gonna be late!" He took off in a sprint. A hooded figure made their way through the town. They were taller than most every other pony around them. They wore all black, somewhat matching the bits of dark blue that were visible. The pony sat at a chair in front of one of the many vendors scattered throughout the town. The vendor, a light blue unicorn mare, turned to greet the customer. Her eyes went wide at who she saw. "Well, didn't expect to see you today, princess." She spoke in a hushed tone, ensuring that none would listen in on the conversation among the noise of the townsfolk. The princess rolled her eyes at the attempt of formality from the shady merchant. "Just 'Luna' is fine, you know. Nopony in this town has a respect for authority anyway." "You say that, but you continue allowing this town to exist regardless." The unicorn had a hint of smugness in her voice as she spoke. Luna stared into her eyes with a completely neutral expression. "The sole reason for that is because it is the only place in which I can find the sparkling starfruit that I crave." Her blank expression quickly morphed into a hardened glare. "However, my promise still stands. If I am to find out of any illegal trading beyond simply rare objects, then I will destroy this mountain with my own two hands." "Yeah, yeah." The unicorn spoke in an uninterested tone, clearly not threatened in the slightest. She grabbed the sparkling starfruit for the princess. It was a navy-blue fruit that was shaped like a star and glittered like the stars in the night sky. "Finally! I have been craving these for weeks!" Luna sat the bits on the counter, reaching towards the fruit that she craved so badly. "Thank you!" A young voice shouted as a gray and blue blur quickly passed between the merchant and princess. By the time that either of them processed what had just happened, the sparkling starfruit had been stolen, swiped from the merchant's hands without her notice. "That damned kid again... He's been causing more trouble than usual lately." The merchant rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "I'm so sorry about that, Luna. Let me get you another." Luna, however, was distracted, her gaze fixed on where the figure had been. Only one question came to mind. "Who was that?" "Who, that colt? I don't know his name." The mare scratched her head. "But he's bad news, always stealing food from anywhere he can. A real delinquent." Luna gave the merchant a look. The mare cleared her throat. "Well, relatively speaking." "I do not know why... But I could feel it. That colt hides an immense power within himself." Luna's mind had any manner of possibilities running through her head as she continued to stare. "Your fruit, Luna." The Princess of the Night was snapped from her thoughts by the mare before her. "Yes, thank you." She took the sparkling starfruit and stood up. "By the way, do you know where that colt might have run off to?" The merchant raised a questioning eyebrow. "It looks like he went to the Arena. I kind of get it, the champion is fighting today, after all." "The champion... I've heard rumors, but it's exceedingly rare for him to enter the arena." "It is, I think only like, once a month or something like that." The merchant waved her hand dismissively. "I've never been into it. Too many big, loud stallions." "I think I will attend." And without another word, Luna had left, leaving a very confused unicorn. "Princesses, man. They're weird." Luna soon arrived at the Arena. It was essentially a large coliseum that was carved into the ground, located in the center of the mountain. She had cast a simple illusion spell on herself to blend in. She now took the appearance of a turquoise unicorn mare with a dark blue mane and amber eyes. She looked around, scanning the area; it was full of mostly large, beefy stallions talking about who would win the upcoming fight. Making her way through the crowd, Luna took a seat. She had been lucky enough to be able to get a seat in the front row. "I wonder who this champion is..." The crowd was abuzz with talk of the champion. Many of the ponies there had never seen them before and speculated on what they were like. Everyone went quiet as one of the gates slowly opened. "And in one corner, the beefcake to end all beefcakes, Taurus the minotaur!" The announcer called. Out from the gate stepped a huge, brown colored minotaur. He snorted, steam billowing from his nostrils as he hefted his large battle axe over his shoulder. Luna narrowed her eyes at the minotaur, watching him closely. "If he is not the champion, then who is?" "And in the other, you know him, you love him, the greatest fighter to grace our humble arena, your champion, the Gray Avenger!" The gates on the other side of the arena opened, a small, cloaked figure stepping out into the moonlight. He grinned, tossing his cloak away and revealing a surprisingly lean and muscular physique for his age. "It's him!?" Luna stood up from her chair. Indeed, the supposed champion was the very same colt that had stolen her fruit earlier. The crowd had burst into confused and concerned murmuring at the champion's big reveal. "It's a colt?" "Is this even legal?" "Hey, ref! He's gonna die!" Luna, however, remained silent. There was no doubt that this colt was the very same from earlier. The immense amount of latent power she felt from within him was proof enough. Though whether or not he was even aware of such power was a mystery. But, comparing the two fighters, one thing was certain. That minotaur stood no chance.
New Name, New HomeThe colt and minotaur continued to stare at each other, neither one of them moving a single muscle. Luna stared intently at the two combatants, silently observing them. "If the colt is aware of the power within himself, then he should win fairly easily. But if he is not..." Her thought went unfinished as her gaze hardened. "BEGIN!" Taurus moved first. Dashing forwards at speeds one wouldn't think possible for someone his size, he raised his axe above his head before swinging it downwards upon the colt, intent on cleaving him in two. The colt remained calm. With perfect timing, he struck the side of the axe with his palm, diverting its path and causing it to embed itself into the ground beside him instead. Without missing a beat, he followed with an elbow strike to the minotaur's stomach, making him cough as the air was knocked from his lungs. The colt finished with a fierce uppercut to the chin, making his opponent stumble backwards and fall onto his back. Taurus remained on his back, having been surprised by the speed and power this young colt was hiding. "That all you got, big guy? I thought minotaurs were supposed to be tough." The colt taunted, bouncing on his feet and doing a few jabs. Taurus sat up; rage was written on his face as he wiped blood from his mouth. "Lucky shot, you little twerp." "Whatever you say, meathead." He stuck out his tongue. Luna's eyes narrowed at the display, not liking where this was going. "Too cocky." Taurus crouched down, the muscles in his legs bulging as he glared at the colt. "I'll show you what I've really got." The minotaur suddenly launched forward at a much greater speed than before, leaving a small crater where he once stood. The colt's eyes went wide, and he failed to react in time as his opponent was right in front of him in an instant and slamming a large fist into the pony's face, sending him bouncing backwards at high speeds until he slammed into the wall, leaving a crater, with the colt stuck against the wall. Luna winced; she felt that hit from where she sat. "It seems he isn't aware of it after all. This could get ugly." Not letting up, Taurus sped forward once again, driving his fist into the colt's stomach, making the pony cough up a bit of blood. The minotaur didn't stop there, as he continued pounding his fists into the colt, making him yell out in pain with each blow. "That's right! This is what happens to anyone that insults me!" Taurus shouted in glee. "Scream even more! Show me the sounds of your agony!" The crowd began yelling for him to stop, but Taurus didn't care as he continued to beat the child who dared to harm and insult him. Luna had shut her eyes tightly, unable to watch anymore. She was just about ready to jump in and stop the fight herself, when... SNAP! "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" The screams of pain weren't from the colt, but from the crazed minotaur. He fell to his knees, holding his right hand, his middle finger bent completely backwards. The colt slowly pulled himself from the crater, landing on shaky legs as he gave his opponent a bloody grin. "What's wrong? Can't take pain as well as a ten-year-old?" The colt was suddenly taken off guard, his taunting interrupted as Taurus suddenly knocked him to the ground, before stomping hard on his left arm. There was a sickening crunch. The colt bit his tongue to stifle a scream, not wanting to give the crazy minotaur the satisfaction of hearing him. Luna's frown grew deeper at the display. She had expected these underground fights to be brutal, but for a fully grown minotaur to relentlessly beat down on a young colt was going too far, even if he was asking for it with his constant taunting. Still, she decided not to intervene. At least for now. As Taurus had gone to grab his axe, the colt slowly sat up. He clutched his now broken arm, which was swollen and had a large bruise from where Taurus had stomped on it. He slowly stood up, his legs trembling as it took all of his willpower not to collapse. He stared at his opponent, who had now retrieved his axe and was now walking back towards him, intent on finishing the job. He took a deep breath, calming himself. The burning flame of resolve burned within him, visible in his eyes. Luna could see his determination clear as day. He would not lose this fight. No, he wouldn't allow himself to lose this fight. Taurus swung his large battle axe in a horizontal arc, aimed directly at the colt's midsection. The colt, however, jumped upwards, landing on top of the axe before thrusting his leg forward and planting his foot directly into the minotaur's face and making him drop his weapon, stumbling backwards as he clutched his nose. The colt, not letting up, dashed forward, spinning rapidly to build momentum before swinging his leg, hitting Taurus directly in the liver, making him yell out in pain. He followed with a kick to Taurus' shin, bringing him to his knees before he grabbed his head with his good arm and slammed his knee into his face, knocking him onto his back. Taurus groaned as he began to rise, but the colt was far quicker, leaping high above him, and doing several front flips as he descended before extending both legs, landing directly onto his stomach. Taurus coughed, spitting up blood before he passed out. The colt had won against all odds. Luna smiled at his victory. He raised his fist as the crowd went wild, celebrating both his triumph and the fall of Taurus. He walked over and grabbed his cloak, making his way to the exit and through the crowd, many of which either showed concern for his condition or admiration for his abilities, some even wanting an autograph. He ignored them all and swiftly kept on his way. Luna followed the colt as best she could through the crowd of adoring fans. He was difficult to keep track of, given his small size and the speed at which he moved. She ultimately failed as he disappeared within the crowd, but Luna didn't worry much. After all, she had another reliable method of tracking him. So, she temporarily gave up on her pursuit, instead stopping at a nearby vendor to browse their wares. The colt sat on top of a small shack that was outside of town. It was a small, abandoned little thing that was absolutely filthy, made of rotting wood and looked ready to collapse if someone simply breathed on it wrong, but to him, it was home. It had been about an hour since his victory in the arena, and he now donned a self-made cast around his arm comprised of dirty bandages that he had lying around. He also wore a dirty white tank top and equally filthy black shorts. He was currently stargazing, a hobby he picked up since he found that it helped him relax after a fight. "So, this is where you went." His head snapped towards the new voice. Standing there was a tall, deep blue mare. She wore a cloak which concealed the rest of her body, but the hood was down to reveal the gentle smile upon her face. He immediately took notice of her horn and long hair, which was constantly flowing as if being blown by a nonexistent breeze and had an appearance similar to that of the night sky. It looked almost ethereal. "How did you find me?" He asked the first question that had popped into his mind. "It wasn't that hard. You have a very unique feeling to the energy within you, as well as having much more than anypony else here." She stated matter-of-factly. A look of confusion crossed the colt's face, but he quickly shook his head, clearing his mind of any questions for now. "Whatever. Just go, I'm not seeing company." Instead of leaving, she approached him. "My name is Luna. I saw your fight." "Luna? The princess?" His eyes went wide at the new information as he stared at her in shock. "What in Tartarus is a princess doing in such a shitty town? And watching fights too?" "How is your arm?" She interrupted his thoughts. The colt looked at her in surprise. Why would a princess care about some nopony colt like him? But looking into her eyes, he saw something that he had never seen from anyone else he had met: genuine concern. She was genuinely worried about him. He had met many travelers in his admittedly not very long life, but Luna, this princess who shouldn't even give him the time of day, was somehow the most genuine creature he had ever met. He decided he could trust her, if only just a bit. "It'll heal. I'll live." He answered. Luna motioned to the vacant spot next to him. "May I?" "Oh... Sure." Luna smiled and jumped up, sitting next to him. Surprisingly, the shed didn't collapse, despite the added weight. "I was here for sparkling starfruit, which you stole, by the way." She gave a playful grin. It took the colt several seconds to process this. When he finally did, his jaw dropped. "That was you!?" "Mhmm." Luna giggled. "But do not worry, I was given another free of charge." She smiled, making him let out a sigh of relief, grateful the princess didn't hold a grudge. "Why were you watching fights anyway? You should know how brutal they get, and fighters die pretty often." "I was interested in this 'champion' that I had heard about. You can imagine my surprise when it turned out to be you." The colt looked back upwards, staring at the moon. "... I never claimed to be champion. They just started calling me that since I had never lost a fight." He looked back towards her with a big, toothy smile spread across his face. "I just like fighting strong guys!" "You... Enjoy fighting?" Luna received a nod of confirmation from the colt. She closed her eyes, humming in thought. "Why is that?" It was the colt's turn to close his eyes. Looking back, he had never really thought much about his reasons for fighting or why he enjoyed it so much. He just simply did. "I dunno. It just feels like... I was made for it. Like it's what I was born to do." He leaned back, hands behind his head as he stared back up at the sky. "But I've never killed anypony in that arena. It just didn't feel right. To take away another's life because I have the power to... I don't wanna be that cruel. I may not have anyone that would care if I died, but others might." Luna nodded silently, taking in the information. "You have a strong sense of justice, and you are surprisingly profound for someone so young." "Well, growing up on your own makes you mature pretty quickly, I guess." He chuckled wryly. "What of your parents?" The colt shrugged absentmindedly. "No clue. I heard they sold me here as a foal." "THEY WHAT!?" Immediately, Luna had shot up, completely outraged. Her voice boomed at unnatural levels he didn't think possible for a pony. The colt's eyes widened, surprised to see her this upset about something that had happened ten years ago. After all, he had simply accepted it as a simple event that happened, which he had no control over. He looked up as her horn flared to life with a bright blue light and a deep blue magical sigil appeared in front of her. Instantly, the colt knew her plan and quickly moved in front of her. "STOP!!!" Thankfully, Luna had enough control over herself to cease her attack before she obliterated the colt along with the city behind him. She looked down at him, staring into his eyes and seeing that same flame of determination that had appeared before. "I know this city is terrible... I know that it goes against your principles... But there are a lot of innocents in there who didn't do anything wrong! They don't deserve to die because of your outburst!" He panted heavily as he thought back to the filly he had helped, the tourists who were visiting and the few there who really didn't know the true darkness of the city. "This town may me a total shithole, but it's my home! AND I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY IT!" Luna stared at the colt, surprised at the courage he had for stepping in front of such a powerful attack that was intended to destroy the entire town, as well as the backbone to speak back to someone he knew was royalty, and far more powerful than he could even imagine. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. This colt was right. Had she acted rashly, she would have ended many innocent lives along with the criminals. "I... Apologize for my outburst." Her cheeks turned red in embarrassment as she sat back down. "Well, as long as you don't do it again, I guess it's fine." He gave a smile and sat down as well. Luna let out a small giggle. "A colt telling the Princess of the Night what to do. What are the odds?" She smiled, resting her head in her palm. "What is your name?" "Don't have one," he said. His answer was immediate, almost reflexive. "My parents never left a name tag or anything." "Then how about I name you?" The colt did a double take. A princess seriously wanted to give him a name? It seemed too good to be true. He had gone just fine without one up until now, but still... It would be nice to have something to call himself. "Go ahead." "Hmm." Luna looked around the area for inspiration. Her eyes eventually landed on the sky; in particular, the stars. She smiled as something came to her. She would name him after her favorite star in her beautiful night sky, the North Star. "How about Polaris? Polaris Starshine." "That's lame." "Huh!?" She turned towards him in shock, not expecting such an immediate and cold response. "Still..." His frown slowly turned into a smile. "It's a name you came up with, so it's special. Polaris Starshine it is." Luna was elated, her smile even brighter than her sister's sun as she clapped her hands happily. "I'm glad!" "By the way..." The newly dubbed Polaris interrupted her. "Why did you come and find me? I'm guessing it wasn't just to make small talk." Luna stopped her excited clapping, her happiness fading away and being replaced by an air of seriousness. "Correct." "Well, what's a princess want with me, then?" Polaris asked, leaning forward. "I'll be upfront. I want to take you in to live with me." She stated. "... Wha?" "Your potential is outstanding. I fear if someone else were to train you in how to use it, then it would be misused." She explained. "What, so I'm just some tool?" Polaris glared daggers. "No. But I fear others may see you as such." She looked towards him with pleading eyes. Polaris' expression softened. He could tell that she only wanted what was best for him, and didn't want him to be tricked or abused by anyone. Sure, he could handle most threats that came at him on his own, but fighting would only get him so far. He knew, at least to some extent, that he wasn't exactly the best example of intelligence. Besides, he would have to be crazy to give up a chance to live with royalty. "Okay, I'll go with you. On one condition." He held up a finger. Luna covered her mouth with a hand to keep from laughing. "Making demands? You're quite bold." Polaris only grinned. "You gotta beat me in a fight!" Luna had a blank stare. "... You're serious?" "Dead serious! I wanna see just how much of a gap there is between us, so I can get even stronger!" Polaris took a fighting stance, raising his fist. Luna looked at his still broken arm in concern. "Well... If you say so." She sighed before quickly vanishing from sight. Before Polaris could even begin to wonder where she had gone, he was out cold; Luna had given him a quick hand chop to the back of the neck. She made sure to catch him before he hit the ground and possibly damaged his arm even more. "I guess that means I win." She said with a smug grin. She removed her cloak to reveal a pair of large, dark blue wings, as well as the sparkling blue dress she wore. "I suppose he would not mind if I simply took him home like this. That was the deal, after all." She held the unconscious colt in her arms and with a flap of her wings, they took off towards the castle where she lived. As well as Polaris' new home.
MotherPolaris awoke with a start, panting heavily and sweating bullets. He looked around, observing his surroundings. A standard room with a bed, a nightstand, a dresser and a window across from him, the morning sun shining through it. He gently rubbed his head as the memories of last night gradually returned to him. Apparently, he had lost. Sighing, Polaris brought his left hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. He paused before staring at his arm; it had been healed completely. Normally, his recovery speed was much quicker than others, but he never recalled it being this fast. That should have taken a month, at the very least. "I guess she healed me. Magic can be pretty handy at times, I suppose." He spoke. Looking to the nightstand, he spotted a glass of ice water that had been left out for him. Come to think of it, he was pretty thirsty, and he couldn't remember the last time he had fresh water. Lifting the glass to his lips, he downed it in a few gulps before setting the empty glass back down. "Definitely beats drinking from puddles, or rainwater." Looking inside the drawers of the dresser, he found clean, neatly folded clothes for him. "Geez, how long was I out for her to get all this stuff for me? Well, I guess she is royalty. She probably has a bunch of servants to do it for her." He dug around in the clothes before finding something he liked. It was a black t-shirt with a white crescent moon on the front, and a pair of jean shorts. He never really liked long sleeved shirts or long pants; they restricted movement too much. He looked down at the crescent moon adorning his chest. "Self-advertisement much...?" He deadpanned. Shrugging and deciding to drop it for now, he figured that it was time to explore what was to become his new home. Stepping out into the hallway, he looked both ways and saw nothing but more rooms lining the walls. He honestly had no idea how anyone was supposed to navigate this place. He sighed in annoyance and decided at random to go right. After passing through a "Hall of Hands," which he thought was kind of creepy, he ended up in a dining area. It was a large room with an equally large table that was far too big for just a few ponies to sit at without a ton of extra space. The two most notable things, however, were the fact that the table was completely full of food, and the pony who sat on one of the ends of the table. She was a tall, pure white mare wearing a golden dress that snugly hugged her figure. She had both wings and a horn, and her long, pastel hair was perpetually flowing in a similar manner to Luna's. She turned her head towards him, a gentle smile crossing her features. "You're finally awake. I must say, I was quite surprised when Luna had brought home a child." She giggled softly as she put a bite of pancake into her mouth. "Well, I lost a bet." He cautiously approached, sitting in a chair next to her. "Are you... Princess Celestia?" He looked up at her, seeing her answer his question with a nod of her head. "... What's with all the food?" He asked. "Luna wasn't sure what kind of food you would like, so she asked me to have the chefs make a large variety for breakfast." She took another bite of pancake. "She sent out servants to gather clothes for you as well, as I'm sure you're aware." She motioned to his newly acquired clothing. "She's really making sure you have the best. She's acting like your mother." She teased. "Mother, huh...?" Polaris looked to the ceiling, deep in thought. Luna had gone out of her way to take him from poverty, give him clean clothes, water, shelter and now fresh food as well. She had even given him a name. Like a mother would. Polaris frowned, remembering her mentioned reasoning for wanting to take him in, being that she simply didn't want his supposed "hidden power" being misused. But he remembered the look that she had in her eyes as she spoke to him. It was genuine. It was comforting. It was the look that someone would only have if they truly cared about another. He knew in his heart that she never took him in for an ulterior motive or anything like that. It was simply to help him. She was the first to show him true, genuine kindness. "Hello?" Celestia's voice snapped him from his thoughts as she waved her hand in front of his face. He quickly shook his head and looked at her. "You zoned out there for a moment. Did my comment get to you?" She smiled playfully. "Yeah... I guess it did. Just a bit." Polaris let out a small laugh as he stared at the large assortment of food before him. "Can I really have whatever I want here?" "Go ahead." Celestia said, resting her head in her palm. Tentatively, Polaris took a bite of pancake. His eyes immediately widened at the burst of delicious flavor that hit his taste buds. He started scarfing down all of the food in sight like a pack of starving timberwolves, reaching for anything that he could grab and consuming it so fast that Celestia wondered if he was even chewing at all, and where he was putting all that food. He definitely ate much more than what should even be physically possible for a colt his age. Celestia couldn't help but laugh lightheartedly as the colt before her shoveled more food into his mouth than any other pony she had ever seen. She could forgive his disregard for proper manners, seeing as he was likely starving, and had probably never had a proper meal in his life. And besides, she got like this too, on occasion... Particularly when cake was involved, but she would never mention that. After a short while, Polaris finally finished eating after having put about half of the food on the massive table into his black hole of a stomach. He rubbed his full belly in satisfaction, letting loose a loud burp as he did. Celestia had finished laughing and had finished her own pancakes. "Luna tells me that she named you Polaris, correct?" Celestia asked, to which the colt nodded his head in confirmation. "From what I've heard, you're a real ruffian who enjoys fighting anypony he can." "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Polaris shrugged his shoulders. "But not anypony. Strong ones. I just wanna keep getting stronger and stronger and stronger!" He shouted with conviction. Celestia was taken aback by his sudden declaration, looking at him in surprise. "To what end?" She asked. "What do you mean?" Polaris replied, his confusion evident. "Do I really need a reason to want to get stronger? I just... Do." Celestia frowned a bit at the response, trying to wrap her head around this colt her sister had found. "You really have no reason to get stronger, other than simply wanting to?" Polaris shook his head at her question. "You have nothing to gain? Nothing to protect? Not even to become the strongest?" "I don't wanna be the absolute strongest, that would be super boring," Polaris stated. "If I'm the strongest, then what's the point in fighting anymore? I'd already be stronger and would win no question. Part of a fight is excitement! Not knowing if I can win is part of the fun!" He had a big smile. "... Excitement?" "When I fought that minotaur... I was scared. Like, really, really scared. But that fear made me excited! Because that meant my opponent was strong and beating him would make me stronger in the end!" Polaris finished by throwing a few punches into the air. Celestia stared at him for several moments before a smile slowly made its way back to her face. "You're quite interesting." Polaris simply laughed in response before turning to her. "Say, you have soldiers, right? Where's the training ground? I wanna practice my moves there!" He ran off after receiving directions from Celestia. Celestia simply sat with a smile, looking at the doorway he had gone through. Another figure entered the dining hall not long after Polaris left. "He reminds me of myself at a young age." It was a soft male voice. Celestia turned to face the new arrival. "Hello, Red Wind." The stallion in question was a pegasus with a coat of purest white, which heavily contrasted with his deep crimson hair, which was short and wavy. His eyes were a light silver in color, appearing to glow in the light. He wore a black tank top and pants. "Your majesty." Red Wind bowed to the princess. "Oh, stop that. You know full well that you're more than a simple servant or guard." Celestia poked his forehead. "But I am your personal guardian." He smiled, a soft, gentle smile that always seemed to be his default expression. "But also, my closest friend and confidant." Celestia poked his forehead again, this time with a teasing smile. Red Wind simply sighed in defeat, relenting to the stubborn princess. "I suppose so..." "What do you think of Polaris?" Celestia suddenly asked. Red Wind tapped his chin with a finger as he thought. "He's talented in fighting, that much is certain, and I can tell just by looking at his physique that he has a Fighter's Body as well. The combination of both a Fighting Talent and Fighter's Body is very rare. It makes me interested in watching his growth." He smiled, this time looking a little bit less gentle than usual. "Fighter's Body and Fighting Talent, hm?" Celestia pondered. "There have been multiple ponies with one or the other throughout history, particularly before the founding of Equestria when fighting was much more prevalent. But having both at once is something only a very select few ponies were ever born with." "But it's rough. His power is unrefined," Red Wind stated. "He doesn't really know that he has either, it seems. It'll take a lot of training to maximize their usage." Celestia silently nodded in agreement with Red Wind's observation. She stood up and headed towards the throne room, Red Wind following not far behind. Just who was this colt that Luna had brought home with her? In the training yard, Polaris was practicing the techniques he had gained from his many battles on one of the training dummies. He performed various moves ranging from straight punches, to spin kicks, to bicycle kicks, to various grabs and more. A few guards had stopped to watch him train. They were made aware that Luna had brought home a child she had found but had not expected to see that same colt training with such intensity. "Polaris." The guards all immediately stood at attention at the sound of their princess Luna's voice. "What are you doing in the training yard? You only just recovered." "Training, duh." Polaris turned towards her. "I can't get stronger if I just sit around all day." Luna just shook her head and sighed. "You are incorrigible." "I don't know what that means, so I'm gonna ignore it!" Polaris stuck his tongue out. He paused and looked at the bright sunny sky, a realization dawning on him. "Wait, shouldn't you be sleeping during the day?" "Well... I was." Luna chuckled softly. "But I became restless with my worry for you, so I had gone to check on you to see how you were recovering after I had healed your injuries. However, I can see now that you are doing just fine." Polaris looked at Luna, observing her. Celestia's words from earlier echoed in his mind, spurring him to speak up. "Princess Luna?" "Yes?" "Can we speak? In private?" Luna was caught off guard by his uncharacteristically soft and nervous tone of voice. In the short time she had known Polaris, the colt had been nothing but very loud, outspoken and somewhat rude. She was reminded in this moment that, despite his combat prowess, and emotional maturity, he was still a child. "Very well, follow me." She began walking, motioning for Polaris to follow, which he did without question. After a bit of walking, they had reached Luna's quarters, which had a much larger bed than his own, and many moon-related decorations. Everything was black or blue, she really liked darker colors, it seemed. "What did you wish to speak to me about?" "O-Oh!" Um..." He had gone over this conversation a few times in his head since his talk with Celestia but actually having said conversation was entirely different. Luna seemed to notice his apprehension and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Polaris, it is alright. I do not want you to fear speaking to me about anything, and if you feel that now is not the time, then I shall wait until you are good and ready." She offered a reassuring smile. There was that tone again. A motherly tone that comforted Polaris and made him feel like his troubles weren't anything to worry about. It was the same tone she had used when they had first met and was what gained his trust in the first place. Never knowing who his parents were bothered the young colt more than he let on. In truth, while he did love fighting, he equally wanted attention. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Polaris finally spoke. "I... I hate my real parents, you know? They sold me to the black market for a few bits, for what? Gambling? Drugs? Some kind of debt? It just doesn't make sense... I wanted to know who my mom and dad really were, but now, when I really think about it, they were just scum." Tears streamed from his eyes down his face as he emptied his true feelings. Luna wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a comforting embrace. He felt her warmth surrounding him, comforting him. She ran a hand through his hair, quietly shushing him as he let everything out. His anger, and his sadness. Slowly, Polaris moved his trembling arms upwards, wrapping them tightly around Luna's body, returning her embrace as he continued sobbing. "A-Am I really that w-worthless? S-So worthless that my p-parents liked money more than me?" He spoke through choked sobs. "I do not believe so," Luna reassured, looking down at the crying child. "They are the ones at fault. They were greedy, selfish ponies. It is not that your life is worth less than money, it is simply that their warped view of the world caused them to value money more than your life." She gently rubbed his back. Polaris eventually calmed down, his sobs devolving into quiet whimpers. "You're... The first one to really be nice to me. In that city, almost everything is rare and valuable, so types like me would have to steal to survive. It was really a place without laws... But ponies still don't like being stolen from, so I had a bad name for myself. But nobody really knew that I was the champion underneath that cloak. Even if they did, I don't think it would have changed much..." Luna nodded, quietly listening to him vent his frustrations. "I fought in that arena not just to fight strong fighters, but also because those cheers of the crowd... They gave me a purpose. I felt important." "But you are important." Luna stated. "Everypony's life has some meaning, even yours. I believe that we choose what our own life means not just to ourselves, but to those around us as well." She returned to caressing his head. "What your parents did was terrible. But you cannot allow that to shape you. You are more than that. Perhaps even forgive them, to an extent." "H-How could I possibly forgive them!?" Polaris exclaimed, appalled at the suggestion. "Not completely. What they did was terrible, but had it not happened, we would not have crossed paths. If somepony wrongs you, but they are truly sorry and regretful of what they have done, then I believe you should forgive them. But if they do not even seem to notice..." A bit of resentment began bleeding into her tone of voice, almost entirely unnoticeable. She quickly cleared her throat before continuing. "Anyway... A second chance is not something everypony has the luxury of receiving, only those who truly regret what they have done." Polaris simply nodded, listening to the wise words of his caretaker. "You're more of a mother than my mother." "I simply want what is best for you." Luna gave a gentle smile. "... Thanks, mom." He said, without realizing it, almost as if by instinct. Still, Luna didn't seem to mind as she simply kept her smile. She looked down to see that he had fallen asleep in her embrace, the crying and emotional stress having caught up with him. Gently lifting him in her arms, Luna climbed into her bed, laying Polaris next to her before using her telekinesis to move the blanket over the two of them. "Sleep well, my sweet Moon Prince." She softly planted a kiss on his forehead before closing her eyes, drifting off to sleep herself. Polaris smiled as he slept.
Master"Princess, the prince is at it again." Luna sighed and shook her head with a smile. She had absolutely no idea why Polaris believed this form of "training" to be a good idea. Standing up from her throne, she closed her eyes and felt around for her son's energy signature. She quickly located him running through a hallway near the entrance to the castle. It had been a full year since Luna had accepted Polaris as her son, and his energy never seemed to wane in the slightest. Of course, the colt was delighted to find out that Luna did indeed see him as a son as much as he saw her as a mother. Since that day, he had begun to train even harder than ever, his strength growing and his moves sharpening with each passing day. He had even started sparring with the royal guard, which served to help them grow as well as himself. Lately, however, he had taken to doing mock "escape attempts" where he would attempt to escape the castle, fighting the many guards along the way. Many held back, understandably so, they didn't want to hurt a child. Those were the ones who were beaten the quickest. But these attempts always ended the same way: with Luna herself appearing at the very end and putting a stop to him. Why did the guards agree to this stupid, stupid form of training that really just wasted resources they could better use to defend the castle from invaders? Probably either relentless begging or abuse of his authority as prince, if Luna were to guess. Teleporting in front of the castle entrance, her sudden appearance caused the runaway prince to stop dead in his tracks. She had a stern look in her eye. Polaris knew that look, it was her mom look. She only used it when he was in trouble. "Again, Polaris?" She asked in a tone that barely masked her disappointment and annoyance. "Yep! It's pretty good for stamina and endurance!" Polaris gave a smile. He had a few cuts and bruises littering his body, no doubt a result of the few guards he likely fought on his way there. "Polaris Starshine," She used her stern motherly voice, causing him to flinch back a bit. "Go to your room. Now." Polaris had learned pretty quickly after his unofficial adoption that the power of Luna's motherly voice was not only very comforting, but it could also be used for intimidation. The results were often quite effective. Still, this time he wouldn't back down. "You're gonna have to make me!" He stuck out his tongue, pulling his bottom left eyelid downwards in a taunting gesture. Luna's eye twitched at the sight. "I thought you had learned not to be so flamboyant after your battle with that minotaur." Polaris had taken the opportunity to sprint past her and towards the doors, but Luna caught him in her telekinesis, dragging him back in front of her. She flicked his forehead, sending him tumbling backwards along the floor until he hit the wall, rubbing his forehead in pain as another small bruise formed. "You can't just levitate me like that! It's not fair!" Polaris complained. "Not every battle will be a fair one, you should know this already." Luna retorted. Polaris huffed before running forward once more towards his mother. His speed had increased greatly in the last year, but it still was no match for his mother. He threw a spin kick to the side, but Luna simply raised a hand and blocked it. Polaris jumped backwards before jumping up and throwing a punch to her face. Luna caught his fist with ease, tossing him away from her. He rolled backwards across the ground, hitting the wall once again. "Not every problem can be solved through violence, you know." Luna chided. "Sometimes, you must think. Think about whether or not a fight actually needs to happen in the situation." Polaris struggled to catch his breath as he looked up at the imposing form of his mother. She was like a mountain, a mountain he had yet to even begin climbing. Her strength was so astronomically superior to his own that defeating her was absolutely, one hundred percent impossible. He would need a plan, but boy was Polaris bad at thinking. All of his fights had been won through the sheer difference in physical abilities or skill between him and his opponent. But sadly, such an option wasn't applicable here. Once again, Polaris ran forward; Luna expected another frontal assault, but instead Polaris ran to the side, using his great speed to run upwards on the wall before jumping off towards Luna like a rocket. Still, the attack, though unexpected, was easily stopped as Luna caught his fist once again without breaking a sweat and tossed him away. Polaris attempted to run forward once more but winced and fell to his knees as his leg cramped up. "You took too much damage from the guards earlier." Luna observed. "This is what I mean by picking your battles. Had you not insisted on fighting so many on the way here, you would be in better shape." Polaris grunted and stood back up. A plan formed in his head, though he was unsure if it would work. Taking a deep breath, Polaris crouched down into a runner's stance. Luna watched as the muscles in his legs began to bulge under the strain he was building up. This felt somewhat familiar, but she couldn't exactly say why. She was taken by surprise when Polaris suddenly dashed forward at incredible speed, leaving a small crater where he once stood. His target wasn't her, but the door she was guarding. "Did he just...?" With no time to finish her thoughts, Luna quickly whipped around, grabbing Polaris in her magical aura and stopping him mere inches from the door. She flicked her wrist, flinging him behind her and back into the wall for the third time. "Gah! I thought that would work for sure!" Polaris shouted in frustration. "It was an admirable attempt," Luna said. "I had not expected you to take my words to heart so quickly." "I just thought that you were too strong, so I would just get past you instead of losing a fight against you." Polaris suddenly beamed. "This was my best attempt yet!" "Polaris." Luna put a hand on his shoulder, a gentle smile on her face. "Yeah, mom?" He looked up at her. "You're grounded." "Wha- DAMN IT!" "And that's extra time added for swearing." Polaris groaned and hung his head. Soon after Celestia had raised the sun, Luna had requested to meet with her to discuss something she had deemed as important. Celestia decided to indulge her younger sister, curious as to what she considered important enough to meet her at the crack of dawn. Red Wind stood by Celestia's side as usual, though his presence wasn't really needed. He just preferred to be near her. "What's wrong, Luna?" Celestia asked with concern. If Luna was missing sleep for this, then it must have been serious. "Well... It is about Polaris," Luna said, only piquing Celestia's interest further. "His talent for combat seems to grow every day. Last night, he had done something that I had not thought possible." Celestia leaned in, urging her sister to continue. After a deep breath, Luna did. "He seems to have an uncanny ability to copy techniques he has seen from those he has fought against in the past." Celestia's eyes widened in surprise at the news. "And you're sure of this? It wasn't just your imagination?" Luna nodded in response. "Those movements then, they were almost exactly like those of the minotaur he had faced on the night we met. Granted, he does not seem to be aware that he has this capability." Luna paused, chewing on her bottom lip. "I am not sure how to train him. At this rate, he will soon grow restless. He is a... somewhat unruly child, as you know, and I fear he may take out his pent-up frustrations out on the guards." "Well, you did decide to take him in," Celestia pointed out. "I'll admit, he does liven up the place, but I do agree that he also needs to learn some self-control. He cannot simply fight everypony that he meets. You should discipline him more." Celestia took a sip of tea. "I discipline my child well enough, thank you very much!" Luna huffed, silently adding this judgement of her capabilities as a mother to the list of reasons she didn't like her sister. "The problem is not a lack of punishment; the child simply needs an outlet for his energy. He is used to constantly training, he has done so his entire life. A single year in a better home will not change these instincts that have been ingrained into his very being! AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!" Luna shouted, subconsciously activating her Royal Canterlot Voice and stomping her foot on the ground, cratering it. Celestia quickly used her magic to prevent the windows from shattering, but unfortunately the guards just outside the door were still blown away by Luna's display of power. "The ability to 'copy' an opponent's moves isn't entirely unheard of," Red Wind suddenly spoke up. "It comes with the Fighting Talent, an extreme affinity for martial arts or simply fighting in general. The 'Copycat' ability is simply an extension of that innate talent. Every battle learning something new, expanding the range of techniques, unlocking hidden abilities in the heat of battle, that is the true essence of Fighting Talent." He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall. "You are saying his potential for growth is possibly limitless?" Luna questioned, though she received no answer as Red Wind was deep within his own thoughts. "This makes me even less sure of how to handle him..." Just as Celestia was about to speak up and ease Luna's worries, Red Wind interrupted. "I know someone. Someone who can train him properly, and maybe even teach him a bit of humility." Luna was immediately in his face, her nose mere inches from his own. "You must tell me!" Luna demanded, face stern as she looked into his eyes. He wasn't deterred in the slightest. "He's a bit of a kooky old fart, but his skill is top notch. He's a zebra, they call him Zen, I met on my travels." His gaze suddenly hardened as he stared directly into Luna's eyes, peering into her very soul. "The question is, princess, are you willing to part with your son for a while?" Luna gained a contemplative look. Since she had met Polaris a year ago, he had become largely dependent on her for advice. He was wise for his age, sure, but that knowledge didn't extend far beyond street smarts he had picked up from ten years of poverty. He didn't know much about things such as history, math, or even basic manners. He couldn't even read more than a few basic words before Celestia had brought in a tutor to teach him. As such, he had come to her, relying on her to fill in gaps in his knowledge. Even still, he was ignorant of many things that she had yet to teach him. Could she really hand him over to a complete stranger? "Luna," Celestia spoke, derailing her sister's train of thought. "I believe this would benefit him. It will help him learn and grow, not just as your son, but as an individual. He needs to walk his own path." She said sagely. Luna bit her bottom lip, for she knew deep down that her Celestia was right. "I believe this is not a choice that we should make." Luna looked up at Celestia, looking into her eyes. "I propose that tonight, we introduce Polaris to this 'Zen' and let him choose whether he will train under him or not. After all, if he is to walk his own path, he must make his own choices." She concluded. Celestia smiled at her words. "Very well, tonight we shall arrange for their meeting. Red Wind, please get in contact with Zen." Celestia turned to her guardian. "Yes, your majesty." Red Wind bowed in respect before making his way out of the room. Luna only hoped that this was the right decision. That night, Polaris had been called into the throne room. For what, he didn't know. He just figured that it was some kind of punishment planned by his mother. She would probably have him sweep the floors or dust off the thrones or some other form of menial labor. Sure, she hadn't made him do that type of stuff as punishment before, but that didn't mean she couldn't start now. Opening the door to the throne room, he was met with both Celestia and Luna, along with a third that he didn't recognize. He looked like a pony, but instead of a pony's usual solid fur color, he instead had black and white stripes covering his body. His hair, which was that same black and white as the rest of him, was done up in a messy looking mohawk, some of the long bangs hanging in front of his face. He was clearly older, evidenced by the wrinkles visible on his face, but another striking feature were his silver eyes which seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. "Who's this old guy?" He questioned. Celestia held back her laughter. "Zen. But to you, Master Zen." The old zebra stated firmly. Polaris looked to his mother for an explanation. "Zen will train you in fighting. He will teach you in martial arts," Luna explained. "That is, if you wish to go and train under him." "Martial arts?" Polaris tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why would I need to learn fancy ways of fighting? I'm already good enough, I think." "Is that all you believe martial arts to be, kid?" Zen questioned in a low tone as he approached Polaris, standing over him. "Just fancy punches and kicks?" "Well... Yeah?" Polaris was immediately hit in the side by Zen's knee, making him crumble to the floor. "Polaris!" Luna attempted to rush in and slaughter the one who hurt her child but was held back by Celestia grabbing her arm. "What are you doing, sister!?" "Let's just see where this goes," Celestia said calmly. "Martial arts are more than simply flashy moves. They are an art; it's even in the name! They require discipline to learn! Something you clearly don't have, brat." Zen stared down at Polaris, who was still recovering from the surprise attack. Polaris looked up at Zen, leering at him, having not expected the earlier attack. Polaris suddenly shot to his feet, aiming an uppercut to the elderly zebra's chin. Zen caught his fist with one hand and used the other to catch an attempted surprise kick to the side. He quickly flicked his wrists, making Polaris flip rapidly in the air before landing a palm strike to his stomach and sending him flying away and into a wall. Polaris flipped in midair, landing on the wall with his feet and launching himself back towards Zen. But the zebra was fast to react, sidestepping Polaris' "living missile" attack and bringing his fist down on the colt's back, sending him crashing into the floor. Polaris groaned, now laying on his stomach on the floor. Zen was about to ask if he was finished yet when Polaris slowly climbed back to his feet. He was panting heavily, trying to catch his breath as his whole body shook, ready to give out. "You have tenacity, I'll give you that," Zen commented. "But spirit alone isn't enough to win." Polaris gave a low chuckle, to everyone's surprise. "I'd never thought I would ever meet someone this strong besides my mom and aunt Tia. It's exciting!" He stood up straight, having regained some of his energy. "I'll train with you, I wanna get stronger! Strong enough to beat you!" Zen gave a smile, though his eyebrow twitched, and veins were visible on his forehead. "Cheeky little shit." "Polaris," Luna called. She tossed him something after he looked in her direction, and he caught it, looking down at the object. It was a silver pendant, on the chain was a black circle with a silver crescent moon inside it. "Keep it, and when things become difficult, you can look at it and remember." Luna smiled, pointing to her eyes. "Your mother is always watching over you. Near or far, if you carry that pendant with you, then I will always be at your side." Polaris looked down at the pendant, lip quivering as he fought back tears. He clutched the pendant in his fist, holding it to his heart. His mother truly loved him, and she would never stop loving him. "Should we head out?" Zen looked at Polaris. He nodded, putting the pendant in his pocket and following Zen. "I'm leaving now, but I'll be back! I'll be way stronger than I am now! I'll make you proud, mom!" Polaris declared, making Luna smile. She was already proud of him, though it had only been a year, she had a connection to her son as if she were his biological mother. She was sad to see him leave, but was excited to see how much he will have grown upon his return. Polaris smiled as he followed his new master with newfound determination in his heart. He now had a solid reason to get stronger, and not simply for himself. He vowed to himself that day that he would become the strongest in the world. For his mother.
The PlanPolaris' body flew through a tree, toppling it. He slid across the ground until he slammed headfirst into a large boulder. "Is that truly all that you have? Or are you holding back?" Zen taunted. Polaris instantly launched himself forward and back towards his master, who reacted quickly by wrapping his arms around his neck and falling backwards, slamming Polaris' head into the ground. It had been one month since Polaris began his training under Zen, and while the zebra didn't care for him very much at first, the two had steadily grown closer over the course of their training. Zen had learned within a few days that Polaris' talent for martial arts was something special. He learned far better from experience rather than explanation. He learned something new from every battle, trying new tactics and absorbing new techniques much like a sponge absorbs water. He had yet to defeat Zen, but he had managed to catch him off guard and land a hit once or twice. Polaris struggled for a bit before finally managing to pull his head out from the ground, spitting out some dirt that had gotten into his mouth. He turned to Zen with a glare, but the zebra held up a hand. "I think that's enough for now," Zen stated firmly. Polaris hung his head but gave a small nod of agreement. Zen smiled, seeing that Polaris had learned a bit of humility after all. "That hurt a lot, you know..." Polaris rubbed his sore head. He sat down near a campfire Zen had set up for the two of them. "That was the point, kid." Zen gave him one of two bowls of salad he had made. Polaris had no idea where he got the ingredients from. "I have a name..." Polaris grumbled, munching on a piece of lettuce. He had learned on the very first day that Zen would not tolerate much backtalk and especially not his usual taunting. But still, he taught him a valuable lesson. His words echoed in his head. "You're too confident, you act like you're unbeatable. This will be your first lesson: Know there's always someone stronger than you." Polaris sighed as he thought back to that. Zen had spent that entire day demonstrating the difference in both their skill and physical abilities. Needless to say, Polaris failed to even touch his master no matter what he tried and was humbled pretty quickly. He closed his eyes, remembering Zen's motto that he often repeated. "Don't aim to be the strongest, simply aim to be stronger than you were." Polaris repeated. "You memorized it? I'm surprised considering your lackluster mental abilities." "How could I not? You constantly repeated it every day." Polaris ignored the backhanded compliment. That was the closest Zen ever gave to praise anyway. "I wanted to be the strongest for mom, but I guess that was the wrong way, huh?" Zen poured himself a cup of tea he had finished brewing over the fire. "Those who aim to be stronger than everyone else are often disappointed upon realizing that there is someone stronger. Those are the ones with fragile wills." He sipped his tea, before immediately spitting it out. "Blech, this is not tea, this is just hot leaf juice. Guess that's what I get for buying on a budget..." "How do I protect my mom if I'm not the strongest? I mean, she's already crazy strong so she probably doesn't need it, but still..." "This stuff isn't even good enough to water the flowers." Zen poured the contents of the tea kettle on the ground beside him. "Master!" Polaris shouted to get his attention. He was immediately hit in the face with the tea kettle, knocking him to the ground. "What did I teach you about patience?" Zen asked angrily. Polaris grumbled, sitting back up. Thankfully none of his salad had spilled. "Do not rush everything, things happen in their own time." He recited. Zen smiled, nodding in satisfaction. "Now, as for your question," Zen cleared his throat. "To protect someone, one doesn't necessarily need to be the strongest, per se. They simply need to be strong enough." He motioned for Polaris to hand him his tea kettle, which he obliged. The zebra began brewing tea using different leaves. "What... Does that even mean?" Polaris pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing he would likely never receive an answer. Zen was never one to elaborate much. Polaris had learned that after Zen had given him a riddle that he never got an answer for until ten days later. Apparently, the answer was "Butt." "Means you need to train more," Zen stated, waiting on the new tea to finish. Polaris just sighed in resignation, knowing the answer would be something along those lines. "Not much training if we're just sitting here," Polaris said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Before Zen could speak, Polaris interrupted. "I know, train hard, rest well." "You underestimate the importance of proper rest," Zen chided. "Training is meaningless if you don't let your body rest and recover. You'll just end up hurting yourself otherwise." At the whistle of the tea kettle, he picked it up, pouring himself a new cup of tea. "I hate that you're right, you crazy old monk..." After the first day, the next three had been dedicated to relaxing. Polaris hated that, it made him feel restless when he wasn't active. But Zen had explained that the purpose of the rest was to allow Polaris' body to recover and actually catch up to the amount of training he always did. At first, it hurt like hell, to the point that he could barely lift a finger. But afterwards, he felt stronger than ever. This weird old zebra knew his stuff, evidently. "It's your fighting instincts," Zen sipped his tea, gagging and almost losing his lunch. "I could make better tea than this by simply picking up fallen autumn leaves! Are those damn merchants trying to poison me!?" Polaris waited patiently as Zen poured out the tea kettle once again before brewing more "Time for some good old Jasmine Tea." "My... Fighting instincts?" Polaris finally asked. "Yes. They keep you restless, they give you a constant itch to do battle." Zen shook his head, looking at his student. "But you must control them. A fighter who gives into instinct will often lose themselves. That is the Flow State, or State of Nothingness, as some call it. Personally, Flow State just rolls off the tongue better for me." "What's the Flow State?" Polaris leaned in, now intrigued. He had never heard of such a thing, but if it would help his mother, then he would do anything. "Think of it as more of a state of being, rather than a simple technique," Zen explained. "It is the pinnacle of martial arts. Very few even have the potential to gain access to it. But those who do..." He sipped his now finished tea, humming in satisfaction. "They become like a force of nature. The body maximizes itself, power, speed, endurance, technique, everything reaches the very pinnacle of what is possible for the user. On top of that, users have been known to become truly peerless in their fighting styles, surpassing even grand masters in said style." "So, it's like some kinda super buff?" Polaris leaned in excitedly. "More than that. They essentially gain the perfect body, they become the pinnacle of their race, some might say." Zen looked Polaris in the eye, silver meeting purple as he stared him down. "Don't even think about it." "But-!" "You are far from ready to even attempt it. I'm not even sure if you have the potential." Zen calmly sipped his tea. "For now, we simply focus on sharpening your fighting instincts more than they already are." For some reason, the mention of his fighting instincts made Polaris afraid. Very, very afraid. Maybe it was for the best that he never learned how to utilize the Flow State. "Now then..." Zen looked over to see that Polaris had finished his food. "Back to it." Polaris was met with a foot to the face, sending him sliding backwards along the ground. "Cheap trick, old timer." Polaris wiped the blood from his nose. "You can't always expect an enemy to wait until you're ready. I taught you better than that." Zen gave a wide grin. The two charged at each other. "..." Polaris stirred a bit, rolling onto his side. "... Po....s..." He groaned, sitting up groggily. "Polaris." His eyes shot open, and he quickly jumped to his feet, looking around the area. It was very familiar. "Is this... Rockmount?" He slowly approached one of the stalls, expecting to see a vendor. There was nobody. Come to think of it, the town was strangely empty. Normally, it was bustling during all hours of the day and through the night, but there wasn't a soul in sight right now. It was terrifying. "Hellooooooo!? Anypony!?" No response. He was desperately hoping for someone, anyone to answer back. He would even take one of the angry vendors that always chased him away. But no, all he received in return was eerie silence and the echoing of his own voice. Steeling himself, Polaris gathered the courage to explore the area. Everywhere he looked, he found nobody. But he could feel something calling him, pulling him. He followed it towards the arena. Walking inside, at the center he saw... Himself? But... it wasn't him. He couldn't be there, he was here! But the figure he saw, surrounded by red splotches on the ground and walls, was undoubtedly himself. This copy stood with its back to him, red spots dotting various parts of his body. Polaris had a sinking feeling about what this red substance was. The copy turned its head towards him. Its expression was completely blank, emotionless, uncaring. It opened its mouth, but no sound came out. Yet somehow, Polaris could feel what it said. "Release me." His breathing quickened; he began hyperventilating. Falling to his knees, he couldn't help looking around at the red everywhere as tears streamed down his face. Slowly, he brought his hands to his face. They felt... wet? Slowly, agonizingly so, he brought his shaking hands in front of his face. They were red. He retched, hands instinctively covering his mouth, only making the sick feeling in his stomach worse as more of the red was smeared on his face. "Release me." "BEGONE, FOUL CREATURE!" The entire area flashed white, and Polaris suddenly found himself on a moonlit beach. Looking at himself, he was completely cleaned. He sighed in relief, hugging himself as he cried from the stress of that horrible experience. "You are okay, Polaris, it was simply a nightmare." He heard the familiar voice of his mother as he was wrapped in a warm and comforting embrace. "M-Mom?" Polaris looked up at Luna with tear filled eyes, grateful to finally see a friendly face. "Yes... I am here now. Do not worry, I will not allow anything to hurt you." She gently shushed him, rubbing his back comfortingly. "It was all a dream... But it felt so real..." His breathing gradually slowed down as he was calmed by his mother. "I don't know what that was all about. I don't understand..." "Neither do I," Luna responded. "I had come to visit you within your dreams for the purpose of an important discussion, but I did not expect to encounter such a nightmare." "An important discussion?" Polaris asked, drying his eyes. "What is it? Some kind of threat?" "You could say that, yes." Luna inhaled deeply, preparing herself mentally for what she was about to say. "Polaris, I have a request." "Anything, mom!" Polaris looked at her with sparkling eyes. It only made her feel worse about her decision. After a few moments of silence, Luna finally spoke. "I... I wish for you to remain with Zen, or at the very least, stay far away from the castle from now on." Polaris' ears drooped, pressing against his skull at what he heard. After all their time spent together, she was simply telling him to leave. "Why?" Tears filled his eyes once more. "Are you... abandoning me? I don't wanna leave!" He began crying again. "No, it is nothing like that-" "THEN WHY!?" He screamed in sorrow. Luna sighed, hoping to have been able to keep her reasons a secret, although in hindsight, it was inevitable that he would ask questions. In the end, he was still her son, and he had a right to know her true intentions. She couldn't lie to him. "The truth is..." Luna paused, still unsure if she should be speaking about this. She stared at the moon that she had created within her son's dreams, the symbol of herself that illuminated the night sky. "I intend to go against my sister." Polaris gasped, a response she had predicted. It was quite a bold statement, after all. "You mean, you're gonna fight Aunt Tia?" "Yes," Luna stated bluntly. "I have had enough of her taking all of the credit from the citizens of this country that we both rule over. We are meant to be equals, yet the ponies of Equestria only seem to acknowledge my sister's sunny day and shun my beautiful night that I work so hard to provide. I even move the stars themselves into patterns for them, but they simply sleep through it all. I simply wish for the adoration that my sister receives!" She stomped her foot on the ground, shaking the dream realm and knocking Polaris onto his butt. She quickly realized that her explanation had devolved into a rant about her sister. "I am sorry Polaris, I-" "I'll help you then." Polaris interrupted as he stood up, seemingly unfazed by his mother's outburst. "If you can just wait a little longer, I'll finish my training with Master Zen, and then I'll help you make Aunt Tia see reason!" He looked into her eyes, and she could see that same flame of determination burning within him. That flame that made her interest in him grow in the first place, beyond simply his talents. "I can tell you will not let this go." Polaris shook his head side to side at her observation. "However, there is a reason that I had wanted you to run away. I do not wish to see you hurt, and if push comes to shove, then..." She bit her lower lip, even she was scared, Polaris could see it in her eyes. "I believe my sister may even resort to using the Elements of Harmony on me." "The Elements of Harmony..." Polaris repeated. He had remembered that Luna mentioned those in the past. Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty and Magic. Apparently, Celestia and Luna had used them to deal with dangerous threats in the past. "But won't they not work on you? You're not evil." "Not intrinsically-" She paused at the look of confusion on her son's face. Apparently, such big words were still lost on him. She made a mental note to teach him more. "Not by nature, I am not. But my actions may be considered 'evil' enough for them to work. The darkness of jealousy... has tainted my heart." She put a hand to her chest. It surprised Polaris to see his mother so freely admit weakness like this. She was normally such a shining pillar of strength that he looked up to, the idea of her having any weaknesses at all never even crossed his mind. "I'll steal them, then," Polaris suddenly said, shocking Luna. "She can't use them on you if she can't get her hands on them, right?" He grinned impishly. Against her better judgement, Luna found herself indulging her son's plan. "They are in a secret compartment in the foyer, when you first enter the castle," She explained. "Normally, it is only accessible to my sister or I through use of our magic. However, the pendant I gave you is infused with a small part of my magic." Polaris fished the crescent moon pendant from his pocket, looking down at it. "It was meant to protect the pendant from corrosion should it ever end up being exposed to the harsh elements. But it should also allow access to areas that would normally require alicorn magic." "Guess we're doing this then." Polaris gave a wide smile. "You distract Aunt Tia while I grab the Elements!" "Yes, we are." Luna sighed. As much as she didn't want him getting involved in her personal battles, she would admit that she did require his help to win such an uphill battle as this. "But are you truly certain you wish to assist me? You will be branded a traitor, the same as me." "Positive," Polaris answered without hesitation. "Not like I haven't survived on the streets before. And besides, when we win, I won't really be called a traitor under the new ruler." A smile spread across his face, causing Luna to smile as well. "You seem awfully confident." She giggled softly. "Then, I would like to change my request." "Hm?" Polaris put his hands behind his head nonchalantly as he looked up at her. "Once you come home, I would like to spend one last year with you before we enact our plan." Luna pulled Polaris into a loving embrace. "Just in case we do not succeed. Obviously, you should act normal around my sister during this time." "Of course!" Polaris exclaimed. "I'll come home as soon as I can!" "It is a deal, then." Luna smiled, looking to the sky. "It is almost morning; you should be waking up soon." "I'll see you later then, mom! And I'll be WAY stronger! You'll see!" He threw a few punches into the air. "I don't doubt it." Luna gave a soft smile. Polaris slowly opened his eyes. It was morning. He sat up, wiping the tears from his face as he had been crying in his sleep. "About time you woke up." He saw Zen sitting on a log. "Any longer and I would've woken you up by force." "Sorry, Master. I just had a dream is all." Polaris stood up, stretching his muscles and popping his joints. "Hm." Zen grunted in response. "Ready for today's training then?" Wiping the last of the tears from his face, Polaris gave a big, toothy smile. "Yes, Master!"
DualityOne year. It had been one full year since Polaris left to begin his training under Zen. And now, his training was finally nearing its end. The zebra had trained both Polaris' body, skill and spirit to a level he had deemed as acceptable. The training may have been harsh, but in the young colt's mind, it was worth it. Anything to help his mother, and he was motivated now more than ever. Polaris threw a kick to his master's head, but the old zebra blocked it with an arm. Zen smirked and threw a punch to his student's gut, but the young colt caught it with his hand. The two jumped away from each other, landing on opposite ends of the forest glade where they shared their final sparring session, illuminated by the light of the full moon overhead. "Come on, now," Zen spoke with a grin on his face as he stared down Polaris, his prized pupil. "Don't tell me all of that training I gave you has gone to waste? You've yet to land a single hit on me, when you need three to pass your final exam." He goaded. "Don't get a big head, old man," Polaris said, staring into his master's eyes, reading his movements. "You're the one that taught me not to taunt an opponent like that. Like you said, there's always someone stronger, so it's not good to provoke." He was caught off guard by a kick to the face from Zen, having closed the distance between them at incredible speeds. "That only applies when you don't know an opponent's strength relative to your own." Zen's lecture was cut short as Polaris' fist connected with his side, making the zebra grunt as he quickly jumped backwards. "That's one." Polaris grinned smugly. Zen's foot instantly connected with his chin, snapping his head upwards before Zen brought his leg back down, his heel going directly into Polaris' face and slamming his head into the ground. Suddenly, Zen found himself falling. Polaris had taken an opportunity to sweep his one leg from under him while his other foot was still resting on his face. Acting quickly, Zen landed on his hands, rapidly spinning with his legs outstretched to knock Polaris away from him. However, the colt caught his legs, lifting him up and over his head, intent on slamming him into the ground. Zen caught on to this, wrapping his legs around Polaris' head and flipping backwards to swiftly slam him headfirst into the ground. A foot quickly connected with Zen's back, making him grunt in pain and jump away. "You have an unnatural flexibility, being able to still hit me from such a position." Zen chuckled. "I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from one who possesses a Fighter's Body." "Thanks. I learned from the best, after all." Polaris gave a chuckle as well, standing up and wiping the blood from his face. "Those with Fighter's Bodies are essentially perfect, the peak of their race in physicality. Strength, endurance, speed, flexibility, they're all at top notch when compared to an average specimen of the same race. However, have you ever been told of the true strength of a Fighter's Body?" Zen questioned. "... Good looks?" Polaris was immediately met with a knee to the face. "NO!" Zen exclaimed, giving Polaris a fierce uppercut. "It's potential!" He grabbed Polaris by the back of the head, repeatedly punching him in the face. "The average body, no matter the race, has limits! A Fighter's Body does not!" He finished by kicking Polaris in the chest, sending him flying back into a tree. "Geez... You don't need to get so worked up about it, old man. You'll give yourself a heart attack at this rate," Polaris grunted as he stood up, spitting out the blood in his mouth. "Eventually, no matter how hard one trains, the progress that their body makes will slow, until they eventually hit a wall," Zen continued. "Okay, just ignore me then..." Polaris grumbled. "It is possible to break these walls and overcome the limits they impose, but a Fighter's Body has no limits in the first place! Their potential is infinite, as they don't have any ceiling!" Zen quickly blocked a punch from Polaris. "That's enough of the lecture, old man. Don't want you going senile already." Polaris threw a kick but was blocked once again. Zen knocked him backwards, but he quickly landed on his hands, spinning rapidly with his legs outstretched. Zen swiftly ducked under the attack, striking Polaris with a palm to the face and knocking him off balance. He landed face first on the ground before quickly moving away. "You'll never land your last hit like this." Zen grinned. "Says you. I've been working on something." Polaris grinned back. "An original move? Let's see it, then." Zen motioned for Polaris to come at him. Polaris obliged, running towards Zen at high speed. Zen raised his guard to prepare for the incoming attack, only for Polaris to swiftly pivot behind him and throw a kick towards Zen's back, which he easily caught with a hand before throwing him into another tree. Polaris quickly recovered, jumping high with his leg extended for a kick towards Zen's head, with the old zebra raising an arm to catch the attack. The kick instead curved around Zen's defense, hitting him directly in his unprotected side. "A curving kick," Zen coughed. "I never thought you could do such a thing." He fell to his knees. "That's three." Polaris smiled. His bright smile was something Zen had grown to enjoy in their time together. Truth be told, he was a bit sad to see his pupil leave. Just a bit. "Yes, it is. I suppose I'm getting rusty." Zen chuckled softly, standing up. "Nevertheless, you pass. Your unpredictability caught me by surprise more than a few times." Polaris surprised Zen with a sudden hug, burying his face in his chest. "Thanks, master. For everything," Polaris said sincerely. "You helped me a bunch." "... Yeah. Sure." Zen awkwardly rubbed Polaris' head. Truthfully, he was never one to show affection too often. "You can just... go on home now." "Yes master!" Polaris saluted, before darting off into the forest. "And thanks again for everything!" He shouted one last time. "Damn kid... I'm not really a fan of long goodbyes..." Zen wiped a tear from his eye. "You're making this old zebra all misty eyed." "So, that was who you finally chose as your successor." Zen turned towards the new voice. Though he couldn't tell who it was as they were obscured by the shadows of the forest, he had a pretty good feeling. "Bloody Angel." Zen frowned deeply, eyeing the figure for any suspicious actions. "Nobody really calls me that anymore. It was just a moniker given by the townsfolk." The figure corrected. "It's what I know you as." Zen stood tall, facing them. "I assume you're here for that." His gaze hardened. "You knew this was coming." The figure sighed. "I gave you time to find a successor as you requested. But you took so long that I almost don't want to carry out the deal." The figure shrugged, shaking their head in disappointment. "It's no fun taking the life of an old timer like you, after all." "Trust me." Zen stepped forward, his silver eyes seemingly glowing in the moonlight. "This old dog has learned plenty of tricks in his lifetime." The figure eyed him as he took a fighting stance. "I see your spirit hasn't wavered in the slightest." The figure gave a wicked grin. "Very well, then." Polaris sprinted through the forest, his face alight with a wide grin as he jumped between the trees in excitement. He was finally going home, and he couldn't be happier. Exiting the forest, it was only a few short miles until he entered the city his mother and aunt stayed in, Canterlot. He never really understood why they set up the town in some random field like this when they could've stayed near the top of the nearby mountain like badasses, but then again, he never really bothered to ask. He was just happy to be home right now. He ran through the city, ignoring the looks and occasional comments from the townsfolk. He had rarely actually left the castle, preferring to train with the guards or simply on his own, something Celestia and Luna would both constantly chastise him for, so it was rare for the townsfolk to actually see the prince even for a fleeting moment like this. They had pretty mixed reactions when it was revealed that one of the princesses had adopted a child; some were outraged, some accepting of the new prince, while others were simply indifferent. Celestia always told him that it was good to go out and mingle with his subjects, at least attempting to make friends with others, as it wasn't very good to spend his life alone like he did. Luna, on the other hand, wanted him to experience the town and not be so reliant on her to go out and buy everything for him from his clothes to his food. She had even given him an allowance of a thousand bits to go crazy with. Currently, his allowance still sat at one thousand bits. Of course, Polaris had tried to mingle on a few occasions but found it difficult to find anyone willing to befriend him for the complete opposite reason as his life before becoming a prince. Back in Rockmount, he had many fans as the champion "Grey Avenger", but many simply wanted him for his status as a celebrity. During his time as the nameless thief, many hated him and chased him away. Mixing the two identities was impossible, as it would likely result in universal hatred, the townsponies no longer seeing him as "The Grey Avenger" but simply as "that damn thief". As a prince, however, many would treat him with reverence, scared to upset him lest they be punished severely. Those that did try to befriend him were clearly only trying to get into the good graces of the princesses. He imagined most others with the title of "Celestia's nephew" would be stuck up jerks with their heads so far up their asses that it would loop back around to being on their shoulders. Polaris' running slowed to a stop as he looked up at the castle, smiling ear to ear. Slowly pushing open the large door, he was instantly scooped up by a dark blue blur before he could even announce his presence. Luna held him tightly in a hug, rubbing his back as tears streamed down her face. "I missed you." Managing to pull his face out from his mother's chest, Polaris gasped for air, having been taken by surprise. "You know you could've visited me in my dreams whenever, right? I would've liked that." "I-I did not wish to disturb your training!" Luna stammered. "I only did it the one time because it was important!" "I missed you too, mom," Polaris said, returning her hug. The two remained silent like this for several minutes. "We have a year to prepare," Luna finally spoke. "Are you scared?" Polaris asked, looking up at her. "... Yes. Very," She answered truthfully. "... I think we can do it. I know we can." Polaris smiled up at her. "I know we can beat Aunt Tia." 10 months before the plan... Polaris had been training harder than ever since coming home. He had constantly pushed himself to his limits but still reminded himself to heed his master's motto of resting well after intense training. He threw a particularly hard kick, breaking the wooden training dummy in half as he thought about what Zen had told him about his body. He didn't understand much, to be honest, but from what he could gather, while he did have a limit to what he could do, he would constantly grow stronger as he kept up his training. He smiled in excitement of the prospect of becoming even stronger than he was currently. "Hard at work, I see." Polaris turned to see Celestia leaning against the entrance to the training ground, a gentle smile on her features. "You should still be making friends, I think," She lightly scolded. "I have my mom and Master Zen." Polaris picked up a water bottle, taking a drink from it. "I don't really need anyone else." "Do I not count as a friend?" Celestia gasped dramatically. Polaris rolled his eyes at his aunt's attempt at feigning being hurt by his words. She was always a terrible actor. "But in all seriousness, you need actual friends. Zen and your mother don't exactly qualify." Polaris opened his mouth to speak, but Celestia stopped him. "Neither do the guards or me." Polaris closed his mouth, grumbling under his breath. "I just wanna focus on getting stronger. Fighting is my talent, you know? I'm not very good at much else..." Polaris looked down sadly, but Celestia put a finger under his chin, moving his head upwards to look her in the eye. "You are so much more than your talent, Polaris," Celestia said with a smile. "You are kind, you have one of the biggest hearts of anypony I have ever met. You strive to become stronger because you believe it's all you're good for, I, however, believe there's another, deeper reason." She pulled her nephew into a gentle embrace, rubbing his head in a soothing manner. "Friends are another source of power, you know. Those who fight for the sake of others will always be stronger than those who fight for the sake of themselves." "I fight for mom!" Polaris exclaimed. Since that day she had accepted him as her son, he had devoted himself entirely to her. "So, I do have someone to fight for!" "But what if you're put into a conflict that doesn't involve Luna at all?" Polaris tensed up at Celestia's words. He hadn't exactly thought of that before. Looking back, even his training under Zen was for the sake of Luna and nobody else. "Well, I'm sure you'll always make the right choice when those times come. You have a chivalrous heart, and it will never steer you wrong." Polaris shut his eyes tightly, internally wincing as Celestia spoke. She had the utmost confidence in him to make the right decisions, but deep in his heart, he knew that the plan he and Luna had made for ten months from now was wrong on so many levels. But he decided to go with it without question. But why? Was it simply because he wanted to follow his mother? Or did he just want to prove himself? Luna had always told him to follow his own path as an individual, and not to simply rely on her for everything. She didn't want him becoming a simple blind follower of hers. But this was something he wholeheartedly wanted to help her with! Right? 5 months before the plan... "Polaris, did you know?" Luna asked with a smile, Polaris looking up at his mother with a hint of confusion on his face. They were currently walking along a moonlit field within Polaris' dreams. "Know what?" He asked curiously. "There is a species of cat," Luna continued. "It is called a Lunar Kitten! They are pitch black in color, but their tails are white and naturally curve like my moon!" She said giddily. As she described the animal, she created an image of it within the dream for him to look at. "They can even merge with the shadows themselves and move along the ground! Truly fascinating, magical creatures." "Sounds like it," Polaris responded with a smile. "They look super cute. Probably nocturnal, right?" Luna nodded in response to his question. "Maybe I'll see one someday." Luna smiled at her son's optimism. He had really matured rather quickly from the arrogant child she had met in Rockmount. Whether it was from Zen's training or in preparation for their upcoming plan against Celestia, she couldn't say. It was likely a combination of the two, she figured. Still, she regretted dragging him into her fight, forcing him to fight on her behalf, even if he did volunteer in the first place. "Polaris," Luna began. "I am sorry." "This again?" Polaris released a heavy sigh, complete with an eye roll for added effect. "I wanted to help you. I offered in the first place, remember?" He poked her arm. "It is not that," she said. "I realize that even had I rejected your offer to help, you would have done so anyway. It is simply how you are. Your heart is simply too loving to allow me to do this alone." Polaris chuckled, putting his hands behind his head with a big grin on his face. "You know it! Plus, I really wanna fight Aunt Tia!" He pumped his fist. "I wanna see just how strong I've gotten compared to you two!" "You already defeated everypony in the guard," Luna pointed out. "Sometimes up to ten at a time. I believe Red Wind is the only one you have not beaten." "That's just because the stupid jerk won't even fight me in the first place!" Polaris exclaimed, making Luna chuckle and shake her head at her son's antics. "I wanted to apologize for not allowing you a normal childhood," Luna spoke. "You should be out making friends, going to school and such. But I feel as though I robbed you of that opportunity." "Stop right there." Polaris cut her off. "You never 'robbed' me of anything, mom. My life was never normal to begin with. I don't think it was ever really possible for me to make friends or anything." He sat down, pulling his knees to his chest as he stared up at the full moon overhead. "I've always been alone, but you showed me that I never really had to be." He turned to her with a big smile returning to his face. "So, thanks!" Luna stared at him for a few moments before a soft smile slowly made its way to her face. "You are right. But still, I believe it possible for you to befriend others. You have a big heart; it would be hard for others not to be drawn to you." She put an arm around his shoulder, pulling Polaris close as she sat next to him. "I am sorry because I feel as though I am forcing you to mature faster than you should be." "Nah, not really," Polaris said without hesitation. "I just wanna enjoy our time together before everything happens." He looked down at the grass that was gently swaying in the wind. "Besides, who do you think drew on your face with marker last week?" He gave a mischievous grin. "You mean to tell me that was not my sister's doing!?" Luna exclaimed in shock. "It took me an hour to get that moustache to go away completely!" "Uh... Gotta run!" Polaris laughed and slipped from his mother's arm before sprinting across the field. "Polaris Starshine, get back here this instant!" Luna stood up, swiftly giving chase. Despite everything, they were both smiling ear to ear. 1 month before the plan... Polaris wiped his brow with a towel as he walked inside from the training grounds. Tomorrow would be a rest day, he decided. Zen had never let him forget that important rule of training. If Polaris had wanted to train on a day that Zen had deemed as a day of rest, the old zebra would get particularly upset and would give him a harsh beating. He had made sure to engrave that motto into Polaris' very soul. "Master the art of peace in addition to the art of war. Train well, eat well, rest well." He recited to himself. He found himself reciting his master's motto to himself at least once a day now, even when he wasn't aware of it. He hadn't thought about it before, but Zen's words made sense. It was important to train, yes, but it was equally important to maintain a balanced diet and to rest and let one's body recover. Luna had told him in the past that violence wasn't always an answer, and Zen only enforced that notion as part of his training had been strengthening his mind as well as his body. Zen had occasionally given him scenarios in which he would need to strategize to win a fight or find some kind of peaceful resolution. Looking back, he was kind of grateful for Zen teaching him the way he did. Sighing and shaking his head to clear the thoughts from his mind, Polaris entered a darkened room. He blinked in confusion, rubbing his eyes and squinting. He could faintly make out a few figures through the darkness. "SURPRISE!!!" Polaris jumped back as the room was suddenly illuminated in a bright light. At the center stood his mother and aunt as well as many of the castle guards, surrounding a large triple layer chocolate cake. "Happy birthday, Polaris." Luna smiled as she approached him. "I decided to make this one a bit special, seeing as you are now thirteen." "Happy birthday, prince!" One of the guards shouted as he pulled the still flabbergasted colt into a headlock and gave him a noogie. Polaris finally snapped out of his daze and smiled before hugging Luna. "Shall we begin with the cake now?" Celestia asked, eagerly holding a knife. She was practically bouncing in place in her excitement. "You just want the cake, sister." Celestia pouted at her sister's blunt but correct statement. "And besides, Polaris will be getting the first slice." "I suppose that's fair," Celestia agreed, though disappointment was clearly evident in her voice. Polaris laughed at his aunt's cake obsession. "At least let him blow out the candles, sister." Luna sighed as she put said candles on the cake with Celestia using a weak fire spell to light them. Polaris smiled and quickly blew them out before Luna grabbed him a slice of the cake. Immediately after, Celestia began attempting to claim the rest of the cake for herself with Luna needing to remind her that there were more guests than just the three of them. "I just want about ten slices, is that so bad?" Celestia pleaded. "No, you shall have yours last so as to ensure you do not devour it all before everyone can have some." Luna stated firmly. Celestia whined at her sister's stubbornness. She watched in despair as everyone else grabbed a slice, including Luna herself, before she was finally allowed to. Polaris laughed and took a bite of the cake. It was delicious. Looking around, he saw everyone he knew and loved gathered here for him. Several of the guards had wished him a happy birthday individually, all of them happy for the young prince, despite his tendencies to demand fights from them. He looked to the side and saw Red Wind leaning against a wall in the far corner of the room, silently enjoying his cake. He saw Luna forcefully dragging Celestia away from the cake after she had grabbed five slices the instant she had been able to. Everyone was smiling. It was a moment of pure happiness. He wanted this happiness to last forever. He never wanted this family to break apart.
Banishment and VengeanceOne day left. That was all the time Polaris had to prepare for his and Luna's plan. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, Celestia was just as powerful as his mother, if not more. But that was why they made the plan in the first place. While his mother distracted his aunt, he would steal the Elements of Harmony. Polaris landed a kick to the face of the training dummy. He lowered his leg and took a shaky breath in an attempt to calm his nerves; it didn't work. "Polaris." He jolted as he heard his name called before turning towards the direction the voice had come from. "Aunt Tia." Polaris looked at the alicorn leaning against the doorway. "What are you doing here?" He questioned. "Am I not allowed to check on my nephew?" Celestia laughed. Polaris didn't seem convinced. "The truth is, Luna has been rather... distant, as of late. I was hoping you could provide some insight as to why." Polaris knew full well the reason why Luna no longer wanted to so much as speak of Celestia. The fact that Celestia herself didn't know the reason was proof enough in his mind that she needed to see reason, she deserved what was to come. If it took a forceful takeover of her kingdom in order to see his mother's side of things, then so be it. However, throughout the last year, Polaris had been treated by Celestia in much the same way as Luna; they both treated him as if he was really their family. They didn't see him as the outsider that Luna happened to find, they instead treated him as if he was truly Luna's flesh and blood. It made him a bit upset to do this to one who he saw as family. Just a bit. "I dunno. Maybe you did something to her?" He shrugged his shoulders. After meeting with a few nobles alongside his aunt, he had picked up a few things about how to talk in a way that could convince others, dropping subtle hints or simply playing to their personalities or desires to get them to listen. Celestia, however, was far more skilled in this regard than he was. "Not that I recall." Celestia tapped her chin with a finger in thought. "She could always be so petty sometimes." She giggled, the comment against his mother only serving to enrage Polaris more. As if any of this was Luna's fault! Celestia was the one who had ignored her sister for so long! Any doubt in his mind was quashed in that moment. "Maybe you did something without realizing it," Polaris stated not so subtly. "She might feel slighted or something." He punched a hole in the chest of the training dummy. He needed to let his anger out; he couldn't afford to lash out now. "I don't see why..." Celestia closed her eyes as she thought back to whatever she may have done. Polaris' eye twitched as he struggled to contain his anger. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and resumed his training. As he did, he thought back to the two years he had spent living with the sisters. Polaris had often stayed up until midnight so that he could at least spend a bit of time with Luna outside of his dreams, but he sadly couldn't stay up forever. He would often fall asleep at his mother's side on the smaller throne she had made specially for him which sat right next to her own. Looking back, he noticed that Celestia's throne was bigger than both. Just another sign of her arrogance, he thought. However, during the daytime as his mother slept, Celestia would often care for him to the best of her ability. She would check on him, give him advice and make sure he was comfortable and well fed just like Luna did. His mother and his aunt both deeply cared for him even more than anyone else in the world. A twinge of regret creeped its way back into his heart. "Aunt Tia?" He looked at her, and she met his gaze with her own. "You really love us, both me and mom, don't you?" He asked. Celestia looked a bit shocked by the sudden question. "Of course I do," She answered. "The two of you are the most cherished ponies in my life, and I would never stop loving you for any reason." She gave an earnest smile that warmed his heart a bit. However, Polaris knew she was lying. No, Polaris hoped she was lying. That day had passed all too quickly for Polaris. He wanted to remain on that day forever. He wanted to go back to his birthday a month ago, where everyone got along, including his mother and aunt. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. "Polaris, are you prepared?" The sound of Luna's voice snapped him from his thoughts. "There will be no going back should you side with me." "Yeah, I'm ready," Polaris answered. "Are you, mom?" "More than ever." Polaris gasped as he saw a dark aura flare around his mother. She had acted more distant to him as well lately, though he figured it was her way of mentally preparing herself for this moment. Now he wasn't so sure. Luna burst into the throne room, and in accordance with their plan, Polaris stayed behind, glancing around the corner and waiting for his moment to sneak to the foyer where the Elements were located. "Luna! You startled me!" Celestia exclaimed. "What's got you so upset? Maybe I can-" Celestia was cut off as she was forced to move to the side, a beam of dark blue magic from Luna destroying her throne before curving upwards and blasting a hole in the ceiling. The sun was now clearly visible in the sky. "Spare me your false concern, sister!" Luna shouted in rage, the pitch-black aura emanating from her body only growing with each passing second. "This kingdom was meant to be ruled by the both of us, and yet you soak up all of the adoration from our subjects whilst I am forced to live in your shadow! You do not even pay us any mind anymore!" "Mom..." Polaris muttered as he watched Luna stomp the ground in her rage. He looked up and saw that his mother's moon began rising until it finally covered his aunt's sun, resulting in a solar eclipse. As the eclipse was formed, Luna's dark energy began to envelop her being, surrounding her in a black cocoon of pure darkness and rage. She began to laugh maniacally as the darkness cleared, revealing her new form. She was now taller, rivaling Celestia in height, with deep blue armor covering her body in the style of the Royal Guard they had around the castle. She donned a black cape which billowed behind her, bearing the moon insignia he had come to know. Her coat had become equally black, and she now had light blue eyes, the pupils slit in a similar manner to a snake or dragon. Polaris shivered. He didn't like this new form his mother had taken, not one bit. "Luna!" Celestia called out. "I don't wish to fight you! Please, lower the moon! It is your duty!" "Do not call me by that name any longer, Celestia," She spat with hatred. "From now on, you may know me as Nightmare Moon! Now, by my royal decree, the night shall last FOREVER! And the princess of the sun is to be executed by my hand!" Nightmare Moon gave a wicked grin, Celestia winced at her words. What Polaris had told her the day prior finally clicked in her head. "Luna..." A hand stopped her, preventing her from stepping forward. She looked to see Red Wind standing in front of her protectively. "Your Majesty, it's dangerous." Celestia rolled her eyes at Red Wind's protective nature, even in a situation like this. "Now, Luna, no; Nightmare Moon," Red Wind stepped forward with a wicked grin of his own to match his opponent's. "I wonder if you can give me a good fight?" "Stand down, Red Wind," Celestia ordered. "This is my fight. Please, allow me to fight my own battles. This was the result of my own mistakes, after all." Red Wind glanced back, seeing the sincere look in the eyes of the princess that he had devoted his life to serving. He didn't have it in himself to refuse her. "Very well." He stepped back, allowing Celestia to handle this herself. "Thank you." She smiled before turning towards Nightmare Moon. "Sister, please! We don't have to fight! Think about what you're doing! How would Polaris feel if he saw you like this!?" Polaris gripped the wall tightly. Celestia wasn't aware of his presence thanks to Nightmare Moon's power greatly overshadowing his own, so she didn't know that he was currently witnessing everything. In truth, he hated seeing his mother like this. She was no longer the kind and loving individual who had taken him in and shown him all of the love she could give. The being standing before him now was but a whirling maelstrom of hatred and jealousy towards her sister. He no longer felt any love towards her. All of that love was replaced with fear. "SILENCE, WHELP!!!" Nightmare Moon screamed in rage as a black magical sigil appeared before her. As she thrusted a hand forward, a huge pitch-black beam of magic was fired directly towards Celestia. The sun princess returned it in kind by forming a magical sigil of her own beneath her feet, hers golden in color, before it formed a golden dome around her to block the attack. Polaris took this as his cue to leave. Polaris sprinted through the halls as he made his way to the foyer. As he ran, a few of the Royal Guard stepped in his way. "Prince Polaris! It's dangerous at the moment! You should-" Polaris drove a knee into the guard's face, knocking him to the ground before he landed directly onto the downed guard's head, knocking him out. "Sorry, but I'm short on time." Polaris broke the spear of another guard before sweeping his legs and grabbing him by the back of the head, slamming his face into the ground. Looking around, he saw more of the guards beginning to surround him. He groaned in annoyance. Quickly spinning around, Polaris kicked a guard behind him in the side, denting his armor in the process. He grabbed the guard by the arm and threw him at the others to distract them before ducking under a punch from behind and grabbing the arm of the attacker, tossing him over his shoulder. Looking to his left and right, Polaris saw two guards charging from both directions, and so did a handstand before spinning rapidly with both legs outstretched and knocking them both away. Jumping back to his feet, Polaris ran forward and wrapped his arms around the waist of one of the guards before performing a suplex and slamming him into the ground. Polaris grinned; he was starting to have fun. But he couldn't allow himself to get too caught up in it, he had a mission after all. He raised his fists in front of himself and did a straight punch on a guard, shattering his armor and hitting him in the stomach. He did an uppercut on another, making the guard's head snap upwards before he elbowed him in the face, sending him straight into the ground. Capoeira, wrestling and boxing. With the three styles his master had taught to him mixed with his own moves, he had become a force to be reckoned with. The last guard fell with a curving kick directly to the neck. Polaris looked around at the many felled guards sprawled out before him. He smiled to himself with pride at how strong he had become. A few years ago, he would have struggled with only a few guards at once, but now he had managed to beat over twenty. There was no time to dwell on that as Polaris continued his sprint to the foyer. Upon making it, he saw it empty. But he knew that was simply not true thanks to his mother's instructions. He did as she had told him, walking to the center of the large room and pressing his pendant against the floor. The pendant began to glow with a blue light as the floor opened up. Polaris watched in awe as the large stone construct rose from the ground. It sported five pedestals jutting from it, each holding a colored gem, while the largest pedestal in the center held a large stone sphere. "The Elements of Harmony..." He muttered. "So that's what they look like. Maybe it would be easier to just destroy them? Or maybe steal just one, since they won't do anything without all six together." He pondered. As Polaris reached for one of the Elements, a foot collided with his face, sending him sailing across the foyer and into a wall. "So that's where you ran off to. You made a pretty big mess in the hallway, you know." Polaris sat up, shooting a glare to his attacker. "Red Wind," Polaris said with a growl. "I kinda guessed you would come guard the Elements." "Well, as Celestia's personal guard, I need to do whatever it takes to assist her," Red Wind said with a smile, though Polaris could easily spot his poorly hidden murderous intent. "That includes dealing with little thieves like you." "Why are you so devoted to Aunt Tia, anyway?" Polaris questioned as he got to his feet. "Simply put, she gives me purpose," Red Wind stated bluntly. "I would be nothing without her. If it weren't for her, well..." He smiled as he looked towards the ceiling. "I would simply be a murderer without purpose." "M-Murderer!?" Polaris exclaimed. His gaze suddenly hardened as he glared daggers at Red Wind. "Does Aunt Tia know that?" "Who knows?" Red Wind gave a coy smile. "I've always wanted to fight you." Polaris took a deep breath before taking his fighting stance. "Before, it was just to see who was stronger, but now, I wanna put an end to your killing!" "Oh, Polaris." Red Wind shook his head with a chuckle. "I didn't refuse to fight you out of morality or any weak reasoning like that." He ran a hand through his hair, leveling a grin at Polaris. "Simply put, you're just weaker than me." That was the last straw. With a scream of pure rage, Polaris rocketed forward, fist raised and ready to punch his opponent. Red Wind, however, simply caught the fist before spinning Polaris around and kicking him in the back, sending him tumbling forward. "I don't enjoy fighting you, you know," Red Wind spoke. Polaris went for a leg sweep, but Red Wind simply jumped over it before kicking Polaris in the face and sending him to the ground once again. "It's not because you're just a colt, or royalty or anything like that," Red Wind continued. Polaris began throwing a barrage of punches at such speeds that he appeared to have multiple arms. Every single punch was effortlessly blocked or avoided by Red Wind. "I just don't enjoy fighting weaklings," Red Wind finished. He swiftly punched Polaris in the gut, making the colt cough and lurch forward before Red Wind hit him with a knee to the face and knocking him to the ground once more. He then kicked Polaris into the air and jumped upwards himself. They both landed on the ground with Red Wind's knee planted into Polaris' stomach and making him spit up his blood. "Big talk... from a murderer..." Polaris managed to speak. "Still have that cocky attitude, I see," Red Wind sighed. "Every single kill of mine was in a fight to the death. I find the strongest of the strong, we have a deathmatch. I just happen to have never lost," He stated with a smug grin as he began walking back towards the Elements. "Call it a hobby of mine." "Psycho..." Polaris coughed as he slowly rose back to his feet. Red Wind swiftly knocked him back down with a blow to the face. "Call me what you want. Fighting simply gives me purpose." Red Wind smiled. It quickly turned into a frown as he saw Polaris beginning to rise once again. He simply stomped down onto the prince's back to keep him pinned. "You're pretty persistent." In that moment, the ceiling collapsed as the two saw Celestia crash through it and into the ground. She stood back up, staring at her sister with tear filled eyes. Red Wind noted that Celestia had many cuts and burns across her body, yet Nightmare Moon remained seemingly untouched. "Your Majesty, have you even fought back at all?" Celestia shook her head at Red Wind's question. "I can't... She's my little sister. I don't want to hurt her." Celestia cried softly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at the corrupted Luna. "This is why I had insisted on fighting in your stead," Red Wind sighed. "You are fighting for the entire world! If you fall here, every living thing on the planet will perish!" In that moment, Nightmare Moon had spotted Red Wind, standing atop the prone form of Polaris. "POLARIS!" She shouted in concern. In her moment of distraction, she was hit by a golden beam of magic from Celestia, sending her spinning through the air. "Yes... You're right." Celestia looked towards Nightmare Moon, who was recovering from the surprise attack. "Regardless of my feelings, it is for the good of every single creature throughout the land that I remain strong." She looked towards the Elements of Harmony, then towards Polaris as he struggled to free himself from underneath Red Wind's foot. "I only hope that you can forgive me." Polaris went wide eyed, immediately knowing what she planned to do. "NO! STOP!!!" His pleas fell on deaf ears as Celestia flew upwards, levitating the gems around herself, the sixth emerging from the stone sphere as they spun around her like a multicolored ring. "The Elements of Harmony," Nightmare Moon growled spitefully. "I won't allow you to interfere with my rule!" Celestia said nothing as she extended a hand, the Elements hovering in front of her as a rainbow-colored sigil appeared. Nightmare Moon fired a gigantic blast of her dark magic in a last-ditch attempt to smite her sister. Celestia, even more tears flowing from her eyes, fired a rainbow beam fueled by the Elements of Harmony. The two attacks collided, but it was clear from the start that Nightmare Moon was on the losing end. As the beam of rainbow light pushed back her own beam of darkness, Nightmare Moon's eyes trailed down to Polaris, seeing the horrified expression on his face as he was forced to watch helplessly. In the end, she failed. Not just in her takeover, but as a mother to her beloved son as well. Tears filled her eyes as the magic of the Elements enveloped her. The rainbow beam shot up into the sky and all the way to the moon, leaving an imprint of the former princess of the night on its surface. Celestia gently landed back onto the ground before collapsing to her knees, her chest heaving as she sobbed for her lost sister. Red Wind approached and rubbed her back in reassurance. "You did what was necessary." Red Wind comforted. "She's my sister... I wish there was some other way I could have resolved this..." She cried. Polaris simply stared up at the moon, staring into the eye of the pattern that was now upon its surface, all that was left of his mother. His eyes were wide as dinner plates, his pupils the side of pinpricks as tears rolled down his cheeks. All he could do was stare in silence as memories of his time with Luna replayed in his mind over and over again like a broken record. She had taken him in from a life of poverty, she had saved his life, made sure he was clothed, cleaned, fed and overall comfortable in his new home. And now she was gone, he would never see her again. He slowly turned his head towards Celestia's sobbing form. Seeing her cry after what she had just done enraged him to no end. "Celestia." She gasped and looked towards Polaris. He had managed to stand on his feet once again. "Don't cry, Celestia. You don't have the right." "Polaris-" "You don't have the right to cry after you caused this. My mom always lived in your shadow, and you banish her for wanting attention? You're just a monster, and one with a huge ego." Polaris continued. "Polaris... I..." Celestia tried to speak. "I'll give you a warning," Polaris glared straight into Celestia's eyes. "Kill me." Celestia was taken aback by her nephew's sudden request. "W-What?" She uttered. "Kill me," Polaris stated again. "Because, if you don't, I'll come back and I'll kill you." Celestia remained silent as she stared at him. She began forming a plan in her head. "No matter where you send me to, I'll always find a way back and I'll kill you. Even if you send me to Tartarus, I'll claw my way out, and I'll kill you! If you send me to the bottom of the ocean, I'll swim my way out and kill you! If you turn me to stone, I'll break free and kill you! I'll keep coming back again and again, and even if it takes a million tries, I'll kill you! Even if it costs me my soul and breaks my body! I'll never stop until I kill you! DO YOU HEAR ME, CELESTIA!? YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED!!!" As Polaris screamed in his rage, Celestia used the Elements of Harmony on him. Before the prince could register what had happened, his body had been encased in stone. His form was frozen looking up to the sky, his mouth wide open in a silent scream of fury. "I'm sorry, Polaris. But this is for the best." Celestia closed her eyes as she mourned not only the loss of her sister, but her nephew as well. "Done crying?" Red Wind looked at her. Celestia slowly nodded her head in response. "Polaris was right. I don't deserve to cry. After so long of being forgotten, left in my shadow as I took in all of the adoration from our subjects while she received no such privilege, it's only natural that Luna would lash out in anger. And yet, I banished her for it. What kind of sister am I?" She brought a hand to her mouth as she held back her tears. "If I may be so bold," Red Wind spoke up. "I believe that both of you were at fault in some capacity." He looked over at the petrified Polaris. "What about him?" "He had never allowed me to speak, so I couldn't explain anything. It's unlikely that he would be willing to listen to anything I had to say anyway." Celestia sighed and looked at the statue. "The Elements of Harmony are effective only on evil, but neither Luna nor Polaris were fully corrupted. The fact that Luna still had concern for Polaris even as Nightmare Moon is proof of that. I suspect their imprisonment will only be temporary, probably a thousand years or so." "I see," Red Wind looked up towards the moon. "What about when they come back?" "I plan on doing research on a way to possibly purify Luna's heart of her darkness, rather than simply banishing her again," Celestia stated. "There's bound to be somewhere I can find more information on the Elements of Harmony. Maybe I can find something in Star Swirl's old writings. Then, once Luna is saved, I will reunite her with Polaris." Red Wind looked towards the statue, then to the moon. A smile made its way to his face. "I'll help you every step of the way, Your Majesty."
Reawakening"Where...?" Polaris looked around, observing his surroundings, seeing familiar buildings once again. It was a place he knew all too well, unfortunately. "I'm back in Rockmount?" He shook his head in an attempt to regain his bearings. He couldn't remember much. The last thing he could recall was his burning fury towards his Aunt Tia. No, former aunt; she was just Celestia to him now. After that, there was a flash of light, and everything after felt like a hazy memory, like a really long dream. He sat down on the ground cross-legged and folded his arms over his chest, his face scrunched up as he tried to recall any sort of memory after that moment. Thinking was never his strong suit, but he expected himself to at least have a better memory than this, especially with something so crucial. "What... Happened?" He wracked his brain before suddenly, it all came rushing back to him. He had witnessed Celestia use the Elements of Harmony to banish his mother to the moon. "Mom..." He muttered to himself. "If Celestia used the Elements on her, then that flash of light... Did she use them on me, too?" He looked at his surroundings again, seeing the lack of the usual business within the city. "Did she banish me to Rockmount? Why? And where is everypony?" His face began turning a shade of red as he tried to think harder. Nothing else came to him besides a headache. "Ugh... My brain wasn't made for all this thinking..." He rubbed his temples as he stood back on his feet. "But this is just like that dream I had while training with Master Zen." He shuddered at the memory of seeing that version of himself caked in blood. "I wonder how the old geezer is doing." Deciding to push those thoughts to the back of his mind, Polaris made his way through the town, walking at a slow pace to take in the surroundings. There truly were no other living things in the town besides himself. It gave him a great sense of unease, seeing such a normally busy town completely devoid of life. He looked towards the arena, breathing a heavy sigh as he had nowhere else to go, and so made his way there. He cautiously made his way through the corridor, dreading the idea of what he may see at the end. Nevertheless, he pressed forward; he had to do this. He didn't know why exactly, but he could feel it within his very soul. He needed to confront this. Walking into the arena once more, there he stood at the center once again. That distorted version of himself, spatters of blood dotting his body. He stood with his back turned to Polaris, as if he had been expecting him and didn't want to show his face. Polaris, this time, was more confident than he was during their first encounter, however. "Release me." It spoke in that distorted voice. It sounded like his own voice, yet different at the same time. "W-Who are you!?" Polaris demanded. "Why are you here!?" "Polaris Starshine." It answered simply. "YOU'RE NOT ME!" Polaris shouted in anger, his response almost like a reflex. "The true Polaris Starshine." "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!! YOU'RE NOT ME, YOU CREEPY... THING!!!" Polaris held his head, refusing to accept the duplicate's words. The copy simply remained silent at his outburst. "YOU COULD NEVER BE ME! I'M RIGHT HERE! SO, TELL ME WHO YOU REALLY ARE!!!" "Polaris Starshine." It answered once again. "I SAID STOP IT WITH THAT!" Polaris screamed. As he glared daggers at the duplicate, it turned its head towards him, its face completely devoid of emotion, its silver eyes staring into Polaris' own purple ones. "I am..." BOOOOOOOM!!!!! Polaris fell onto his butt at the sound of a loud explosion followed by everything beginning to shake violently. The surroundings were beginning to crumble away around him as he yelled out in fear. Then everything went black. As a rainbow-colored shockwave passed over the castle, cracks began to appear upon the chest of the stone prison that housed the moon prince. Slowly, the cracks began to spread across the body, reaching the limbs, and finally the face. It shattered. Polaris fell to the ground in a heap, gasping and wheezing. He took in deep gulps of air, his first taste of fresh oxygen in who knows how long. He coughed as he looked at his surroundings. It was an isolated room, apparently, yet the decor didn't match that of the castle he once called home; everything was too brightly colored. He looked down at his hands, clenching them a few times to regain the feeling in his fingers. Just how long was he out? He attempted to stand but quickly fell to his knees. Only now did he notice how much his entire body was aching. He wanted to scream in agony from the sudden waves of pain that were hitting him all at once, but he bit his tongue; it was better not to make his presence known, assuming Celestia wasn't aware that he was now free. Memories of his fight against Red Wind played in his mind. Evidently, his injuries hadn't healed at all while he was a statue. Another feeling flooded his mind. Sadness. Despite all of his training, how much stronger he had gotten, he still failed in his mission. Red Wind had handily beaten him in only a few attacks, and try as he might, Polaris couldn't even land a single blow. He had never felt so powerless in his entire life, and he hated it. "Damn it..." Polaris grunted as he punched the floor in anger, tears falling from his eyes and landing on the ground below him. "I couldn't do anything! I'm as useless as I've always been! I don't get what mom saw in me..." He hung his head, crying quietly. "I'm not good for anything but fighting, and I couldn't even do that right when it mattered most." He gritted his teeth as his sadness slowly began turning into anger. Celestia had banished her own sister, his mother, for wanting the attention that she rightfully deserved. If this was anyone's fault, the blame was hers! His vow to kill his former aunt ringing fresh in his mind, Polaris managed to rise to his feet, ignoring the searing pain coursing through his body every time he moved a muscle. His body would recover. It always did. "But I can't just rush her," Polaris reasoned with himself. "Even if Red Wind isn't there for whatever reason, Celestia herself is way too strong for me as I am now. Not even adding in my injuries." He groaned as another wave of pain hit him, nearly making his knees buckle. "Gotta find out where I am..." Polaris steadily made his way to the door, opening it just a crack to peek through and observe. He saw a long hallway, stretching out on both sides of him. This place was definitely bigger than the castle he knew. He wondered how long he was trapped in stone for them to have the time for this much renovation. Thankfully, he saw no guards at the moment, so he made his way down the hall until he came to another door. Slowly, cautiously opening it, he was relieved to see nobody inside. It looked to be a bedroom, though it looked like it had never once been used since it was built. It almost looked like his old room, but brighter in color. Celestia apparently really liked the color white. Polaris swiftly entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Eyeing the room, he spotted something glistening on the nightstand. It was his pendant that Luna had given him! But how did it end up here? Polaris pushed the question from his mind as he snatched the pendant, putting it into his pocket before making his way to the window. What he saw was a breathtaking view. Apparently, Celestia had decided to move Canterlot to the mountain that once overlooked the city. He would admit that this was the only good decision that Celestia made. However, as he looked off into the distance, what was supposed to be the old Canterlot was now a dark forest. Well, Canterlot was always surrounded by forest, but it looked even darker and creepier now, or at least from what he could tell at this distance. "Just what all went on while I was out cold?" He questioned. Looking to the sky, he could see a trio of pegasi in what appeared to be blue jumpsuits fly overhead. "That's new..." He crept over to the door and opened it a bit to peek out. He still saw no guards, so made his way down the hallway, careful not to make a sound. He found it odd that there were none of the Royal Guard present at the moment, at least not in this area of the castle, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I can't kill Celestia like this. I need to be stronger. Way stronger," He mumbled as he trekked through the many halls of this new castle that he found himself in. As he passed by a window, he paused to look outside. Only this time, he didn't look towards the old Canterlot he once called home. He now looked past that, looking out to the horizon as an idea began forming in his mind. "I'll need to train a lot. And fight a lot to gain experience. I'm kind of curious what Equestria is like now." He chuckled. "I think it's time I finally get out more like they told me to." Polaris smiled brightly, a flame of determination burning within his eyes just as it had all that time ago. "Hey!" Polaris whipped around, spotting a guard approaching from down the hallway. He had a white coat with blue hair and tail that had a streak of lighter blue running through it. From the looks of things, he seemed to be a newer recruit. "Who are you? State your business," The guard demanded. "Prince Polaris Starshine, I'm just passing by." Polaris gave a shrug. He hoped that flaunting his title would help him avoid a fight in his current state. "I've never heard of Equestria having a prince by that name," The guard said with malice. "You're gonna have to come up with a better lie." So much for that. Apparently, either history had forgotten about him, or Celestia covered up his existence. Polaris leaned towards the latter; he wouldn't put it past her at this point. But just how long had he been sealed away for if everyone forgot he ever existed? He would have to find that out later. Negotiation had failed, and he was too banged up to fight currently. That left only one option. "Later." Polaris took off in a sprint down the hall. It took the stallion a few seconds to register the sudden departure of the suspicious colt. When he finally realized what had happened, he swiftly gave chase, calling for reinforcements as he did. Polaris sprinted through the halls as fast as his legs could carry him. he passed by several guards as they began to give chase. His injuries slowed his speed and lessened his stamina, yet he still continued to move through his willpower alone. He wouldn't let them catch him. He couldn't let them catch him. They would surely bring him to Celestia, and it would be all over. She would use the Elements of Harmony on him, turning him to stone once again. He refused to let that happen. Polaris swiftly turned a corner before ducking low, two guards who had attempted to tackle him from the front and behind instead rammed into each other. He slid between the legs of another, tripping him and causing to fall into another guard. Polaris jumped towards the wall, kicking off of it to gain height and landing upon the head of one of the many guards in pursuit of him. He began running along the heads of the guards before reaching the other side of the wall of ponies, landing with a roll before continuing his getaway. "She sure hired a bunch more guards while I was gone. It's like a small army." Polaris began panting as his speed began to slow. His injuries were beginning to wear him down, sapping his stamina at a faster rate than he had anticipated. "Damn it... Not now..." He began to stumble, leaning against a wall. His vision started swimming as he fought off the allure of unconsciousness. At least it looked like he had lost the guards for now. As his eyes began to close, he could hear footsteps from around the corner. As he saw the figure responsible for the sound, his eyes shot wide open. Celestia. This was absolutely the worst-case scenario. He saw that Celestia seemed to be escorting a lavender unicorn filly around the castle. Had she adopted a child of her own? Polaris held his breath as they passed by him, thankfully not noticing the prince. He let out a sigh of relief. "There he is!" "Oh, come on..." Polaris groaned as he heard the sound of dozens of feet approaching him. Mustering every last bit of energy that he could, Polaris got back to his feet. But this was definitely a problem. He knew he couldn't run forever, and he had no idea what the layout of this place was. However, eyeing the nearby window, a lightbulb flickered in his head as he formed a plan. It was definitely going to hurt, though. Sprinting towards the window, he took one last look at Celestia. For a fleeting moment, less than a second, his eyes met those of the filly. There was a loud crash as the window shattered, Polaris having jumped through it. He looked at the ground far below him, instantly regretting his decision. They had been in one of the highest floors of the whole castle, and Polaris now found himself freefalling from a couple hundred feet in the air. He desperately wished he were a pegasus right about now. He looked to his left and right, seeing a couple of the pegasi among the guard that divebombed after him. Polaris gained an impish grin; he could use this. Grabbing both of the guards, Polaris swiftly knocked their heads together, the surprise attack knocking them both out cold. He forcefully unfurled their wings and held the two guards above his head, using them as gliders. He soon landed on a clothesline and slid along it, dropping the guards as he did; they would survive such a low drop. Polaris jumped from the clothesline to the rooftops, making his way towards the mountain the city was built upon. He looked behind him to see a few guards on his tail. They wouldn't be for long. Polaris took a big leap, planting his feet on the side of the mountain. He began sliding down the side of the mountain, not caring if it ruined his shoes in the process. His shoes quickly wore down in no time, leaving Polaris sliding on his bare feet, though he ignored the pain as he looked back and stuck his tongue out at the guards. He doubted they could see it, but it just felt nice to do. From the castle, a lone figure watched Polaris' escape through a window. "So, he was freed early. Probably that explosion that jostled him awake." "You seem antsy today." Celestia giggled. "It's nothing." He shrugged, turning away from the window. "I would like you to meet my new personal student, Twilight Sparkle." Celestia gently pushed the lavender filly forward. "A student, hm? Never thought I would see the day, Your Majesty." He teased. "She has astounding magical potential," Celestia said with a smile, showing her pride. Twilight fidgeted nervously beside her. "Well, then, Twilight Sparkle." He bowed in respect. "Greetings. My name is Red Wind, Princess Celestia's personal guardian." Polaris' sprint had slowed to a crawl as he now made his way through the forest that once housed Canterlot. He took deep, labored breaths, each intake of air causing pain to his chest. Still, he refused to stop moving until he was absolutely sure that he was safe. He was thirsty. He was hungry. He was lonely. He had grown so accustomed to having love from his mother that he had forgotten what it was like to live without it. He hated it with every fiber of his being. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, he wanted nothing more than to feel the warm embrace of his mother again. In the distance, through the fog, he could make out a familiar shape: the castle. But it was in ruins. Nobody had taken care of it for so long that it had become completely uninhabitable. But Polaris didn't care. He was home. Weakly, he pushed the door open. Besides the added dust and spiders, as well as the crumbling walls, everything was the same. He made his way up the stairs and down the hallway, entering his own room. It was completely untouched. "I'm... Home..." He mumbled, a weak smile on his face as the adrenaline left his system. Polaris fell forward, collapsing to the ground.
Ponyville"WHAT!?" "It's exactly as I said, Your Majesty," Red Wind stated. "Polaris seems to have disappeared." Celestia found it hard to maintain her composure after the reveal of such shocking news, but somehow managed to regain it through deep breaths and happy thoughts. "How could this have happened?" She questioned. A million thoughts ran through her head of what this could mean for not just her, but the citizens of Equestria as well should Polaris decide to take his anger out on them. There was no doubt in the princess' mind that her nephew still held a grudge towards her; he may harm innocents simply to spite her specifically. Or perhaps he was hiding, biding his time and growing stronger as he awaited the perfect chance to strike. There were too many possibilities to consider. This definitely threw a wrench into her original plans. "Your Majesty, calm yourself, please," Red Wind interrupted her thoughts. While she was still frazzled about her revenge-seeking nephew, she was at least calm enough to listen. "If I may, I don't think Polaris will cause much harm." "How can you be so sure?" Celestia asked with a tilt of her head to the side. Red Wind frowned. "You know him far better than me. The colt loves to fight, but never has he once fought another who wasn't willing. Not even myself." Red Wind crossed his arms. "And you're supposed to be his aunt." Celestia rubbed her chin, closing her eyes in thought. What Red Wind said was the truth, Polaris would only fight creatures that agreed to fight him. The only exceptions that came to mind were the Royal Guard that had stood in his way, stopping him from reaching the Elements of Harmony a thousand years ago. Yet even that could be excused to an extent, seeing as he likely saw them as enemies at the time who were attempting to prevent him from helping his mother and preventing her banishment. He was only a child, after all. What foal wouldn't do whatever they could to help their mother when she needed it most? He was simply returning the love that she had shown him. Celestia let out a deep sigh before opening her eyes. "Alright." Celestia nodded her head. "I will ignore Polaris' premature escape for now, I only hope It doesn't bite me in the flank later." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking into Red Wind's eyes. "But do tell, Red Wind. Why are you so invested in him in particular?" "I have my reasons," Red Wind answered with a shrug of his shoulders. Celestia eyed him suspiciously, but Red Wind famously had an infallible poker face that made it difficult to tell his thoughts at any given time. "Care to elaborate?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow. Her tone made it clear that it was less of a request and more of a thinly veiled demand. "I'm just interested in his growth," Red Wind said, a wicked grin upon his face. Polaris groaned lowly and rolled over. He could feel something tickling his nose, but at the same time, he really didn't want to get up. Eventually, he gave in and opened his eyes, and was immediately met with two large, bright blue orbs staring back at him. "AAH!" He yelled and jumped back, hitting the back of his head against the far wall and falling to the ground, clutching it in pain. He squinted his eyes open to see what had just scared him awake. It was a cat. But not just any cat. It had pitch black fur, and a white tail that seemed to curve like the crescent moon. It sat there calmly as it observed him, licking one of its paws nonchalantly. The thing seemed to take amusement in the scare it had just given him; he could swear he saw a shit eating grin upon its face as it gazed up at him. "Are you a lunar kitten?" Polaris asked, the cat giving a meow in response, as if it could actually understand him. "You're a weird cat." It huffed in response. turning its nose up and looking away. Polaris just chuckled. He watched as it jumped up onto the bed and stretched out its body. "Are you a boy?" The cat looked away once again. "Girl it is then." The cat seemed pleased with that as it jumped off the bed and approached him, sniffing at him and crawling up onto his lap. Polaris smiled as he stroked her back. His body, while still not back to one hundred percent, was at least only a little sore now compared to yesterday. As he absentmindedly scratched the cat's ears, he thought about what he should do next. Celestia will have no doubt heard of his escape by now and maybe even sent out a search party. He was stranded in an unfamiliar time, in an unfamiliar location with no food, water or resources of any kind besides the clothes on his back, which had grown filthy from his nap on the dirty floor of a collapsed castle. "First thing's first, gotta find out what year it is." His stomach growled loudly. "First thing's first, gotta find food." He groaned and slumped over. He looked at the cat that was currently content in his lap. If it could really understand him, then maybe... "Hey, do you know if there's any villages around here?" The cat rolled her eyes and jumped from his lap, walking away a few steps before sitting down, waiting for him to follow. Polaris quickly jumped to his feet before a realization hit him. "Wait, I need money. Hrm..." He crossed his arms in thought, remaining like that for a few moments before his ears perked up as an idea came to him. "I know!" He knocked on the floor a few times in different spots around the room. Eventually, he heard a hollow sound as he knocked on the spot beneath the nightstand. He smiled in satisfaction as he moved the nightstand and lifted up a piece of the floor, finding an untouched stash of bits underneath. "Bingo! Thankfully, nopony ever found this." Taking a large handful of the bits and shoving them into his pockets, he moved the piece of floor back where it belonged to hide his secret stash before following his new companion out of the castle and through the dark forest. "Ugh... I'm starving..." Polaris groaned. He and his new cat buddy, he really needed to give her a name, had been making their way through this forest for what felt like hours. He thought it was strange that the forest he had once gone to do occasional agility training in had been reduced to such a state. Maybe it was just inevitable; he did recall a few strange oddities such as the weather, and dangerous creatures like manticores or timber wolves beginning to crop up more and more as time went on. Maybe that was why Celestia moved Canterlot to a safer location? But he couldn't imagine being built on the side of a mountain was much safer. It was still badass though, in his mind at least. Polaris shielded his eyes as he saw the bright light at the end of the many, many trees he had walked through. Smiling in excitement and curiosity, he ran forward ahead of the lunar kitten, reaching the end of the deep and dark forest. Off in the distance, he saw it, a small town. It didn't look as busy or shady as Rockmount, nor was it as big as Canterlot, but that was just what he needed, a simple town where he could buy what he needed without being questioned too heavily on his origins. Although, he wondered if he even needed to worry about that, considering no one seemed to even know of his existence or status as Luna's son. Actually, had anyone outside of Canterlot even known about him at all? He didn't think about that too hard. He entered the town alongside the cat, looking around and taking in the sights. It was big, but far from the biggest town he'd seen; Canterlot was far grander and even Rockmount was a bit bigger. In other words, it was the smallest town he'd personally seen so far. It was simple, stalls set up to sell their goods from food to more food and even more food beyond that. He didn't care much about the rest, he just wanted food. Approaching a stand, he saw that it was run by an elderly lime green mare. "She could give Master Zen a run for his money in the age department," He thought to himself. He paused, looking down as he remembered his old master. The old zebra may have been a bit crazy, but he cared about Polaris and saw his potential. Sure, he was harsh, but in the end, it helped Polaris to grow as strong as he was now. If he hadn't met Zen, he would still be too weak to even deal with two or three opponents at once. The zebra had taught him the value of skill and technique in a fight, rather than simply relying on his strong body as he always had. "Y'all okay there, sonny?" Polaris gasped in surprise as the lime green elder had suddenly spoken to him. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine," he responded, wiping the tears from his eyes with an arm. He hadn't even noticed that he had been crying until that moment. "How much for five apples?" "Five bits," The elderly mare responded, still giving him a questioning look. "Ya sure you're okay, son? Your eyes were leakin' like a roof in an old barn." "I said I'm fine," Polaris restated before putting the requested bits on the table. The mare eyed them before taking the currency and fetching his apples in turn. It seemed the currency from his time was still useable today. Convenient, but he still had to find out when exactly "today" was. All the thinking of different time periods began to give him a headache. "It ain't good to keep all your feelings bottled up, y'know," the mare said as she placed his apples on the counter. "It's easier to find somepony to talk to, vent your anger and such." She gave a kind smile. "Yeah. I'll keep that in mind." He sighed, knowing full well that he couldn't do that, as it would end up blowing his cover if others actually believed him, or make him seem crazy if they didn't the latter was far more likely, but Polaris didn't want either outcome. After waving the mare goodbye and taking the bag of apples, he took one out and took a bite as he wandered the town, glad to finally be able to eat again as he reveled in the taste of the juicy apple. "Okay, food's covered for now. Now, gotta find out what year it is..." His face scrunched up in thought as his cat companion pressed a paw against her face in exasperation. Polaris snapped his fingers. "Library!" He exclaimed before looking at his cat. "Do you know where the library is?" The cat rolled her eyes and began walking away with Polaris following close behind. However, as the two made their way through the town, Polaris occasionally glanced around the area, catching glimpses of some of the townsfolk giving him an odd look. Looking at himself, it was apparent why; his clothes were filthy from sleeping all night on a dirty floor, and he was missing a pair of shoes as they had been ruined from his daring mountain slide. Overall, he looked homeless, which he absolutely was, but he couldn't exactly look the part if he wanted to blend in. "I'm gonna need new clothes..." He muttered, stopping in front of a clothing store. Looking up at it, he looked back towards the cat. "You should wait out here," he suggested. The cat yawned and laid down. Nodding his head in approval, Polaris opened the door to the shop, making his way inside and hoping he wouldn't draw too much attention with his appearance. Looking around, he saw the cashier, as expected, but he also spotted a white unicorn filly with a mane and tail styled into a curl near the end. Polaris shrugged his shoulders and began browsing the inventory, eyeing the various colors and styles of clothing, he soon gave up and made a random selection, reaching towards a bright yellow tank top. "NOT THAT ONE!" Polaris froze in place at the shrill voice that suddenly rang out, his hand inches from the shirt. After blinking a few times and checking to see if he had gone deaf from the noise, he turned towards the source of said noise: the unicorn filly. "Uh... Why?" He questioned. "It clashes horribly with your complexion!" The filly exclaimed, the tone of her voice sounding as if the fate of all of Equestria, possibly the entire world, was at stake. "My... My what now?" Polaris only grew more confused as the conversation went on. The filly facepalmed at his ignorance. "Your complexion, darling." She received nothing but a blank stare. "The color of your coat!" She exclaimed in exasperation. "Such muted, sophisticated colors clash horrendously with the bright neon you set your sights on!" Polaris scratched the back of his head in confusion. "I don't really understand," He looked around awkwardly, glancing at the various clothing articles lining the shelves. "Clothes are just clothes, aren't they?" His question seemed to break something inside the filly's brain. She stared at him wide-eyed, mouth agape with one eyelid twitching, looking ready to murder Polaris on the spot while screaming a string of profanities not fit for a filly her age. "Wha- I- Ju- You-" The filly stammered, unable to speak properly at this point. She promptly fainted, but not before using her magic to pull a couch from Celestia knows where to flop onto and avoid falling onto the dirty ground. Polaris settled on a plain white t-shirt and black shorts as well as a pair of red sneakers, purchasing the items and leaving while deciding to question absolutely nothing about the events that just transpired. "That was... strange. She acted a bit like the ponies in Canterlot, all snooty and everything," Polaris rubbed his temples, having gained a headache from the filly's screeching. The cat made a noise that sounded like snickering, Polaris glaring as she did before they continued their walk through the town. Now that he had proper, non-filthy clothes, he would garner less attention from the townsponies. "I should really name you something..." He pondered as he looked at the cat, tapping his chin with a finger. "Onyx!" The cat hissed; Polaris winced at the reaction. "Not a fan, huh?" The cat simply continued walking, ignoring Polaris' question and leaving him to think of something else. "Hey, this is my first time naming something! Give me a break!" He exclaimed, jogging to catch up with her. "How about... Midnight?" He asked. The cat simply meowed in response, making Polaris smile. "Midnight it is, then!" He stated. The newly dubbed Midnight simply rolled her eyes and kept walking. "You can at least pretend to be a little happy, you know!" Midnight gave no response. "Cats, I swear..." He grumbled in annoyance before sighing in resignation and begrudgingly following the stubborn cat. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, they arrived at a large tree. It had a door, windows, and even a balcony just like a normal house would. "A literal treehouse. Is this the library?" Polaris looked at Midnight, the cat nodding in response to his question. Polaris closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to steel himself as he had no idea what the librarian would be like. "Here goes nothing," he uttered, knocking on the door. Not long after, there was a loud crash which was soon followed by a cacophony of other loud clattering noises before the door swung open. "Hello, welcome to Golden Oak Library, where you can harvest the fruits of knowledge! I'm Violet Rose!" Polaris stared blankly at the disheveled pegasus mare at the door. Her coat was a vibrant red while her hair was violet in color, reaching just below her shoulders in length. She had amaranth eyes and sported a sky-blue hoodie that looked far too big on her, as well as equally baggy jean shorts and her hair was a mess, having random strands sticking and looking like she hadn't taken a brush to it in about a week, at least. Most notably, however, was that she seemed to be near Polaris in age; she was far too young to be running an establishment on her own. "It's... a new slogan I'm trying out. Get it? Fruits? Like... Like a tree...?" She chuckled sheepishly. "..." Polaris' mouth twitched several times as he fought back a smile at Violet's pun; he found it absolutely hilarious but couldn't afford to lose sight of his goal now. Clearing his throat, Polaris spoke. "Right. Can I come in and look around?" "O-Oh! Of course!" The flustered mare stepped aside, allowing Polaris to enter, looking at the assortment of books as he did. It was all completely organized, alphabetically, no less, which made him wonder what all the noise earlier was about. He decided to chalk it up as just yet another strange occurrence within this town when a completely terrible smell made itself known to his nostrils. "What is that!?" He exclaimed, pinching his nose to block the assault on his senses. Midnight appeared to melt into the floor, taking the appearance of a shadow on the ground and slipping underneath the door to escape the scent. "W-Well, you interrupted me in the middle of cooking!" Violet defended. "You made me burn the hayburger I was making for myself!" "You didn't even put up a 'closed' sign or anything," Polaris countered. After a few seconds, he paused, taking in what she said. "Wait, 'cooking'? This place has a kitchen?" He asked curiously. "It sort of doubles as a house," She responded as she made her way to the kitchen to toss the inedible hayburger into the trash. "There's a room upstairs and everything. It's basically a big house that has a library in it." "So, you're camping out here," Polaris summarized. "Well... yeah." Violet nodded her head in confirmation. "But it's not like I kicked anyone out by force or something like that!" She quickly added, holding her hands in front of herself defensively. "The place was abandoned when I got here!" "Hm." Polaris nodded. "By the way, what's this town called?" "Oh!" Violet jumped a bit at the sudden question. "This is Ponyville. Also, it's rude to interrupt people, you know." She pouted. "I don't really care why you're here. Not like I'm a cop or anything." Polaris walked past her to browse through the books. Grabbing a book on ancient history, he quickly skimmed through it, finding the modern script different, but still readable to him. He shut the book with a groan, not finding anything useful in it; apparently, both he and his mother had been forgotten, their names lost to time. He turned towards the wall, looking at the calendar specifically. His eyes went wide as dinner plates as he ran over to the calendar, snatching it off the wall and reading the date on it. It had been nearly one thousand years since he had been turned to stone. Tears ran down Polaris' cheeks as he dropped the calendar and stumbled backwards, holding his head in his hands. He began to hyperventilate, his chest heaving as his breathing sped up drastically, though his lungs never felt full regardless of how much air he inhaled. Memories played over and over in his mind. Memories of his time spent with Zen, the Royal Guard, who always seemed to care for him despite his antics, even the citizens of Canterlot during the rare times he would leave the castle. He would see his mother again, as alicorns, he had learned, were effectively immortal. But the rest of them were gone, and he was still here. Letting out a cry of anguish, Polaris fell, the shock of everything being too much for his mind to take in. "H-Hey! What's wrong!?" Violet rushed over to his side as he landed on his back, staring up at the ceiling, his face matted in tears, as if in a trance. Midnight entered the building via slipping underneath the door once again, seeming just as shocked as the mare was. "Celestia...! She did this!!! Celestia! For my mom, for Master Zen, for everyone else you forced me to leave behind!!! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU, CELESTIA, YOU BASTARD!!!!!" Those were the last thoughts to go through Polaris' mind before everything faded to black.
The Journey BeginsPolaris gasped and sat up quickly, only to immediately grunt in pain as his head knocked against something hard. Rubbing his head in pain, he squinted his eyes open. "What...?" "OW! That hurt, you know!!" Violet was on the ground, rubbing her forehead due to the sudden headbutt. "A little warning would be nice, next time." She shot him a glare. "Oh, like I was supposed to know when I was gonna wake up from a coma," Polaris responded. He stood up and began doing some stretches, feeling his joints popping as he did so. "Geez... How long was I out for? I feel so stiff... Hm?" He looked to the floor to find a wet rag next to Violet. She soon noticed where he was looking, becoming flustered when she realized it. "W-Well, you suddenly passed out for three days! What else was I supposed to do!?" She stammered. "I wanted to take care of you!" "You could've taken me to the hospital?" He suggested. Though, inwardly, he was glad she didn't. The staff would probably ask too many questions about his origins. He wasn't too keen on meeting with too many of Celestia's subjects at the moment. Polaris frowned, remembering that both his mother and Celestia had requested he make friends in the past. It was very conflicting to him, since it was advice given by both his most loved and most hated ponies respectively. "I... I can't go to the hospital at all," Violet clarified. "I'm... erm... banned! Yeah, I'm banned from there!" "... Banned?" Polaris raised an eyebrow at her claim. She nodded her head rapidly in response. "... From the hospital?" "I just am, okay!? I could set fires to hospitals for fun for all you know!" She exclaimed. Polaris gave the mare a blank look. "D-Don't question it!" She looked away, sweating profusely. "You're a terrible liar," Polaris stated bluntly as he stood up from the couch he had been resting on. He looked over at the door as he heard a scratching sound on the other side. Violet immediately jumped up to answer it, relieved to have an excuse to derail that conversation. She opened the door, Midnight walking in with a small bag of two apples. "Oh, you're back," Violet said with a smile. "Your cat has been bringing in bits of food to help feed you while you were out cold." Midnight set the bag down before jumping up onto the couch and laying down for a nap, seeming to not even acknowledge Polaris being awake at all. "What was that about, anyway? You just screamed and passed out after looking at the calendar." "It's nothing," Polaris responded almost instantly. "I just... remembered something, is all." "Liar," Violet interrupted. "I don't even know your name, but I still took care of you. I at least deserve the truth, don't you think? And you called me a terrible liar." "Polaris Starshine," he answered, "and it's personal, like how you won't tell me why you're avoiding the hospital," he countered. He knew that he couldn't tell her that he was essentially a time traveler from a thousand years ago, and that he was technically royalty, even if the title was meaningless now. She would think he was crazy if he told her the full truth. He winced as he remembered his former status, only adding another reason to justify killing Celestia in his mind. Suddenly, a thought came to him. "Say, do you know anything about that image of a pony on the moon?" He asked, being careful in his wording so as to not raise suspicion. "You mean the Mare in the Moon? I've read about it, why?" She asked, only receiving a deadpanned look from Polaris. "What!? I read sometimes!" She huffed before flying over to one of the shelves and retrieving a book, bringing it to him, the book was titled Predictions and Prophecies. Taking the book, Polaris read through it, skimming until he reached the desired pages. "Blah, blah, blah, two princesses, sun and moon, corruption, wait." He paused, reading over a particular passage. "Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal." That was it. He had thought that he would have needed to find a way to free her himself, but if this "legend" was accurate, which he knew from experience that it was, biased towards Celestia as it was, then he would only need to prepare for her arrival. His eyes darted to the calendar, particularly, the date. His face began to scrunch up, turning red as he did the math in his head, and struggling hard. "Are you okay?" Velvet asked in concern. "You look like you're constipated or something." Midnight made a snickering noise at the mare's comment. Polaris' face suddenly lit up as he came to his conclusion, a smile spreading across his face. "Two thousand and two," he thought. "So... eight years." Smiling, Polaris stood up, only to collapse in a heap as his stomach growled loudly, demanding food. "Damn it... too hungry..." He grumbled. Midnight pushed the couple of apples she brought in towards him. "Thanks, but I'll need more for the road, too." He sat up, taking one of the apples and biting into it. "The road?" Velvet questioned, tilting her head to the side. "Where are you going?" "Just around," Polaris answered. "I wanna see more of the world. I haven't really been out much." There was more to it than the reason he gave, of course. He did want to explore Equestria, yes, but now that he knew his mother would be freed on her own, his goals had shifted. Now, rather than searching for a way to break her seal, he simply wanted to be stronger. He had to be strong enough to support her, to be valuable to her once she came back. Zen had once told him that there was no training better than real combat, that experience was a fighter's greatest weapon. He needed more experience, more training, he needed to grow. He wouldn't lose to anyone ever again. "Then I'm coming with!" Violet stated. "A big adventure sounds super fun!" Polaris sighed. On one hand, Violet didn't seem like much of a fighter and would likely slow him down. On the other, she was clearly more knowledgeable than him in a lot of things, so she could prove useful in her own way. "... Just don't get in my way," he said as he walked towards the door. "That's a pretty rude way to talk to your friends." Violet pouted, puffing out her cheeks. Polaris froze up, his hand on the doorknob, trying to process what the pegasus had said. "... Friend?" He turned back towards her. "Duh! I took care of you for three days! So, I think that makes us friends!" Polaris couldn't believe his ears. This crazy mare really wanted to be his friend. He'd never had a real friend before, discounting Zen and the Royal Guard, who Celestia and Luna both claimed didn't really count, even if he thought they did. "Sorry," Polaris apologized. "It's just that I've never had a... friend before." He rubbed the back of his head. "Huh? Seriously?" Violet asked in shock. "Well, now you have two!" She said with a bright smile on her face, Midnight jumping onto her shoulder. Polaris stared at the two for a few moments, his lips slowly curving upwards into a smile as well. "Alright," he said, "let's get going. First thing's first, we need food." He opened the door and stepped outside with Violet and Midnight in tow. "Oh! Oh! I know a place!" Velvet jumped up and down, flailing her hand in the air. "Follow me!" She quickly said before walking ahead of him. Midnight looked a bit miffed at her sudden jumping. Polaris smiled as he watched her, feeling the boundless energy that she exuded. "By the way, Violet," he said, getting her attention. "Thanks. For taking care of me, I mean." He gave her a sincere smile. "It's nothing!" She returned his smile with one of her own as she continued leading him down the dirt road. "Just remember, now you owe me!" She stuck her tongue out at him in a playful manner. Polaris chuckled softly and followed after her. After a bit of walking, the three newly banded travel companions came to a big, red farm. In front was a sign that read, "Sweet Apple Acres". Looking around, Polaris had never seen so many apple trees in his life. Acres upon acres of land, trees lining every single one. He rubbed the bark of one of them with a hand, marveling at the sheer scale of the place and wondering who in their right mind would even have the time or energy to harvest every single tree. "What, never been to an apple farm before?" Violet asked with a giggle, Polaris shaking his head side to side in response. "Wait, really!?" Her jaw dropped in shock. "How isolated were you!?" "Very," Polaris responded vaguely. He had rarely left the castle at all back then, and now the world was completely different. He felt like a stranger in a completely foreign land, unfamiliar with anything at all. His mind was still reeling from the fact that he had apparently been asleep for the last thousand years, and he would need to get used to things all over again. "There she is!" Violet exclaimed. "Heeeeey! Miss Granny Smith!!!" She called, waving her hand as she ran over. Polaris had seen the elderly mare before, the one who had sold him those apples a few days ago. He followed Violet to greet her, hoping the interaction would be a quick one. The elderly mare looked in their direction, waving to them as they approached. "Howdy there, erm... Violet! That was it," she greeted with a gentle smile. "What brings y'all 'round these parts? Ah ain't seen you in a hot minute." As the two talked, Polaris eyed what Granny Smith held in her arms, a light-yellow foal with a red mane and tail and sporting a big pink bow. He thought she looked adorable. Smiling, he reached out a hand without thinking. The filly looked up at the unfamiliar pony that was reaching towards her. Curiously, she reached out and grasped his finger and melting Polaris' heart. "Looks like little Apple Bloom likes you." Polaris snapped out of his stupor at Granny Smith's remark, instinctively pulling his hand back and out of the foal's grip. "Aw, ain't nothing to be ashamed of, dearie," she reassured him. "I-I just..." Polaris struggled to find an excuse and failed. He didn't even know why he pulled away himself. For some reason, he felt an overwhelming sense of fear at being around such a small foal. He shut his eyes, taking deep breaths as he turned away to gaze at the hundreds of apple trees instead. "I'm going on a walk." Violet and Granny Smith exchanged confused glances as he suddenly walked off into the fields. As Polaris made his way through the rows of apple trees, he found himself lost in thought. "What was that? Am I scared? Of what?" Questions plagued his mind as he walked along, grunting in frustration as he wasn't used to dealing with these kinds of complex emotions that required more than a single thought to understand. "Is it... me?" He looked down at his hands, and for a brief moment, he saw the bloodied hands of the doppelganger he encountered within his dreams. His eyes widened as his breath hitched; he didn't know what that thing was, but it was clearly intent on haunting him for whatever reason. "NO!!!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and punched a nearby tree, making all of the apples fall from its branches and onto the ground. "Y'all okay?" Polaris turned to the voice, seeing another pony, this one a filly with an orange coat and a blonde mane and tail that were both tied into long ponytails. She wore blue overalls with a white t-shirt underneath and looked at him with her emerald eyes. "Ya screamed awful loud." "I'm fine," Polaris lied, though it seemed the filly wasn't buying it for a second. "I really am." "... If ya say so," She responded looking towards the tree he had punched. "Y'all got a mighty strong kick to knock all the apples from the tree on your first go. You're a natural!" She smiled in amazement. "It was a punch," Polaris corrected. "I was just really mad. I'm sorry." He bowed his head in apology, a habit picked up from his mother's lessons in etiquette. "It ain't nothing. That's how we do it 'round here anyway," the filly responded with a chuckle, making Polaris look towards her in confusion, never having heard of such a method before. "'Course, we usually kick 'em, like this." She demonstrated by giving a strong kick to one of the trees, making a lot of them fall into the buckets set beneath it. "Ah'm still learnin' and growin'," she smiled sheepishly. "That was awesome!" Polaris shouted in awe. He had never seen someone so young with such strong legs, besides maybe himself, though that was a very big maybe. "Aw, shucks. It ain't nothin' special," she said bashfully before looking up at him. "Ah'm Applejack." "Polaris Starshine," he said with a smile. "Mighty fancy name. Y'all from Canterlot or somethin'?" She questioned. Polaris winced as she had unintentionally hit the nail on the head. "Yeah, I am." He nodded. "Did you grow up here?" He asked, looking around at the many trees. "Born and raised," she stated proudly. "Y'know, mah Granny Smith founded the town!" Polaris hummed at the information. That meant Ponyville was a fairly recent addition to Equestria, so it made sense that he had never heard of such a place until now. "That's nice," He responded. His face began to scrunch up once again as he thought of how many newer towns may have been built in his absence. There were probably dozens if not more that didn't exist during his time in Canterlot. "Y'all okay, sugarcube? Ya look like ya got worms," Applejack asked, seeming genuinely worried for his health. Polaris grunted as the gears in his brain slowly began turning, his face starting to turn shades of red. "Ah!" He suddenly perked up. "Hey, Applejack? Why did your grandma pick here specifically for a town?" "Well, from what Ah remember, Celestia gave us the land to make a farm, and a town was just built around it one day." Applejack answered. Of course, Celestia would give them land to build a farm. She was kind to her subjects, trying to do what was best for them, and doing everything she could to make them happy. Of course, Polaris knew this to be a ruse to keep up appearances, he knew who she really was, and that was a cruel tyrant that simply wanted all the attention to herself. He knew this to be true when she banished his mother. But for some reason, it felt wrong. "The sun is needed for plants to grow..." He muttered, looking towards the sky. He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts, refusing to fall into the sun loving mindset that every single pony in Equestria shared. "No. Mom is right. Mom was right to do what she did. Mom knows what's best, Celestia doesn't," he mumbled under his breath to keep his mind on track. He needed to focus on his goal, he needed to get stronger and help his mom when she came back. "There you are!" Polaris and Applejack turned their heads to see Violet making her way towards them, a large bag hefted onto her back and Midnight riding atop her head. "Granny Smith said we can have these apples for our trip!" She beamed. "Great," Polaris said. "Now we can get going." Taking the bag of apples and slinging it over his shoulder, he gave Applejack a warm smile as he turned to leave. "Where are y'all going to?" The curious filly asked. Polaris looked at her, seeing her eyes full of questions. "To see Equestria," he answered with a big, toothy grin. The trio departed from the orchard, making their way towards the forest. Polaris had a big smile on his face, but Violet looked less enthusiastic. "W-We're going there? Into the Everfree Forest?" She asked, shaking like a leaf. "Well, you could always just stay here," Polaris teased with a playful grin. "I-I'm going!" She huffed, swiftly marching ahead of him. And so, the two ventured into the deadly Everfree Forest, towards the unknown lands beyond, towards the unknown dangers. Polaris was determined to be strong enough to help his mother when the time came. It was for the best. It had to be, despite what others may say. He was sure of it.
