It Is Always Best Forgotten

The hard galloping of two ponies rang out through the trees, disturbing a pool of mud making multiple ripples in the once peaceful puddle. Two ponies stealthy ran by, one bigger than the other, both wearing black hoods that concealed their faces. A red-orange glow consumed the path behind them, getting closer and closer. It was a fire. The flames now visible, licked the trees around them, the spreading flames gained distance ever more dangerously closer to the two hurried ponies.

A purple mist appeared out of the flames, seemingly unaffected by the heat, it shot past the two ponies and buried itself on the ground, and then it wrapped itself around the smaller pony's leg, ensnaring and slowing it. The other one turned back, seeing the danger heading towards them. It was precious time lost, the smoke thick around them, making it dangerous even to breathe. The bigger pony tried in vain to free the smaller one, but it seemed too late, the fire encircled them, not getting closer or backing away, trapping them within a wall of fire.

The purple mist appeared from the fire again, this time, materializing into a black pony with a purple Celestial main. The same vicious eyes, yet this pony was smaller... in a way. Its horn started glowing, and shot a beam of energy, concentrated to the two ponies. The larger pony burst into a bright white light, and then subsided into a small glow. Both of them unharmed. The larger pony stomped the ground with such force, it shattered the earth beneath them in a giant radius, the smaller one freed as an added effect. The fire still circled them, growing more and more viciously. The purple pony from before vanished.

The flames finally grew closer to the two. In desperation, the bigger pony suddenly grew wings. Not feathery wings, but wings made from pure white light. The smaller one wrapped itself around the back of the bigger one, the wings seemed to not be materialized, since the light would ignore the pony's wrapped arm and stayed completely undisturbed.

The bigger pony burst again, this time, the light concentrated in front of him, blowing a gap between the flames that quickly started to regain itself. He kicked the earth with his hind legs, blasting him forwards, his wings bent for speed, flying low but extremely quick, avoiding trees, and the grass, picking up as he passed by from the force. They quickly made their way out of the forest, into a grassy hill clearing, the fires consuming the forest behind them. The light from the bigger pony faded to nothing, and the two ponies dropped from the sky, the bigger one too tired to even try to move, somehow managed to get below the smaller one and take the full hit to the ground onto his back, cushioning the smaller one's fall with his chest.

After a while, the two ponies got up. The bigger still weary, seemed unharmed. Yet the smaller one walked limping. The smaller one took off its hood, revealing a beautiful white mare with golden hair. She looked tired, much more than the bigger one, who had taken such a hard hit.

"I can't-I just can't go on..." she said, dropping to ground, sideways lying on the soft grass. Her voice was beautiful, silky and smooth, warm and gentle. An angel's voice.

"Don't worry... it's almost over." The other one replied, his voice firm with worry and anticipation. He put the mare on his back and started walking away from the burning forest. He lowered his hood; it was a stallion, his face sharp, strong and stern. There was something familiar about him. A younger version of someone...

Then it soon became obvious.

It was his father.

Illuminous woke up sweating, gasping for air. The dream was too vivid... it was so intense. He calmed himself down and sunk into the bed, taking deep breaths, trying to make out what had happen. He closed his eyes, trying to picture something... anything... that would take his thoughts off that dream.

That was easy to do however, he noticed something around him, and two hoofs were wrapped around his chest. He followed the arms to a peacefully sleeping yellow Pegasus.

The sun outside peeped from the horizon, welcoming a new and beautiful day, a pack of birds flying in a V shape gracefully gliding through the sky.

Illuminous turned deep red, aside from his dreams; this also was a bit too much for current events. He felt light headed; hardly any thoughts made their way past his head since one thought big and wide had already made its way through every gap of his subconscious. 'Fluttershy had been hugging him all night'.

He placed his forehead onto Fluttershy's and gazed at her, their breaths in synchronization, blushing up a mad man. He disappointed himself; he had no control over his actions...

Fluttershy slowly woke up, her beautiful emerald eyes focusing; trying to see what was in front of her. Two bright yellow-golden eyes gazed back at her. Still sleepy, she felt her arms on something warm. And as she finally regained thought back, let's just say yellow wasn't Fluttershy's color anymore.

She flipped her entire body to the other side, her one free wing covering her face.

Illuminous placed his forehead on her back and in a quiet voice whispered to her. "I'm sorry if I startled you."

He lowered his head and closed his eyes, and two hoofs placed themselves on his cheeks and picked his head up again gently.

"It just... caught me off guard" she said, smiling warmly and shyly at him.

He smiled along with the yellow Pegasus and sighed in relief.

"I never got to properly thank you..." she continued."The thing is....I... I... want to know myself better."

She leaned closer and closer to Illuminous; his heart beat faster and harder in his chest and soon became painful. Her lips we're so close to his. He closed his eyes, feeling Fluttershy's warm breath against him so close...

"Hey what you guys doing!" Rainbow Dash suddenly appeared.

Fluttershy pulled back immediately and blushed her face away. Illuminous rolled out of bed quickly startled by her sudden appearance. The two were extremely confused.

"Rainbow Dash?!" they said in synchronization as they saw the Pegasus beating her wings in the air like usual.

She set herself down gracefully with a powerful beat of her wings and then smiled a sort of a playful and devious smile.

"Surprised?"

"How are you even up... and more importantly, how are you even flying!" Fluttershy exclaimed, remembering the events of the night before.

"Yeah it surprised me too. There are things I don't even understand, but the wonderful thing is..." she spun around in the air with her wings. "That my wing is fixed! Usually when you break a wing, flying is history. But somehow it got fixed!"

"Wow that is really good news!" Fluttershy said, her expression lightening up again, totally forgetting this morning's events.

"Yup!" Rainbow Dash said as she walked over to Illuminous, who was still on the floor, his chin to the soft rug, his bottom up in the air still on the bed.

Rainbow Dash giggled her crackling small laugh. "Thank you for yesterday by the way."

"Oh uh... its okay, how did you know that I carried you back anyways?" he wondered.

"I regained my consciousness and saw you, but I fell asleep because I was tired." she said lazily as she yawned. It was rather early in the morning.

He sighed, still in the same position as before.

"What is that?" Fluttershy said, pointing one hoof at his flank that was high in the air. Of course, Illuminous blushed as he realized that Fluttershy had taken notice of his blank flank.

"Is it some sort of spike or somethin' ?" Rainbow Dash asked confused.

"What? What is it?" he asked curiously, spinning himself around.

"Your cutie mark." They both said in sync.

He quickly turned his gaze at his flank, which now had a small bright yellow crystal in the form of a yellow shard.

"Huh?!" He said rather alarmed.

"So did you find out what your good at? Your cutie mark doesn't explain much..." Rainbow Dash asked.

He tilted his head in confusion, remembering the events from the night before, but nothing came to mind, he was still completely unsure of what was his calling in life.

"Actually I.... I don't." he said ashamed of himself.

"But how?! Usually you would know as soon as you get it... erghhh..." Rainbow Dash put her hooves to her head trying to think.

"Maybe Twilight knows what's going on, should we ask her?" Fluttershy suggested.

"Brilliant idea Fluttershy! And plus, we have to go visit her today anyways."

"Should Illuminous come too?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well duh, how else is Twilight going to know what happened?"

Illuminous knew what they were talking about, his unnatural power from the night before.

The two Pegasi looked at him, and he shrunk back into the wall, a bit embarrassed.

"Well, go tell Twilight I'll be there in a second, I'm going to show Illuminous around Ponyville first." Fluttershy said.

"Alright then!" Rainbow Dash kicked the air and dashed out the window, disappearing and out of sight.

"Hey Twilight!!!!" Rainbow Dash screamed at a purple unicorn pony with colored streaks in her mane.

"Spike open the door before Dash slams into it again." the intellectual pony commanded a small purple dragon with green scales.

The dragon opened the door, and sure enough, the Rainbow Pegasus blinked in, nearly crashing into artifacts that lay around the library under glass or standing as statues.

"What is it Dash?" Twilight Sparkle asked, her head stuck in some book again.

"Oh my gosh you, wouldn't believe it!"

"What, what happened, why didn't you come back after I sent you to go get Fluttershy?"

"Uh yeah... about that..." The rainbow pony said sheepishly

"There's a new pony in town, and a stallion too! Fluttershy has been taking care of him for a week now, that's why we haven't seen her for a while." Rainbow Dash explained

"Fluttershy? A stallion? Rainbow Dash, you know Fluttershy is too timid to be around stallions. Is this some sort of game?" Twilight asked suspiciously.

"No I'm serious! He is something else though. I don't know what happened but, me, Fluttershy, and that new pony went to go take care of the sick Ursa Minor. It seemed fine until it turned all dark and evil. Then Fluttershy tried talking sense into him and the Ursa Minor still tried attacking her, I got in front of Fluttershy and took the hit, My left wing was broken when I got back up, I saw him strike again towards Fluttershy. And then I took another hit, the second one was harder though. I was sure I was a goner. When I woke up, I found myself completely healed riding on the back of that new stallion. "She said in a mouthful.

"An Ursa Minor? They're not usually aggressive only when it is disturbed from its sleep.... huh... and you said you broke your wing?"

"Yup" the Rainbow Pegasus lifting her right wing in the air, completely unharmed and good as new.

"Dash, you really understand that Pegasi can't heal a broken wings right?" she said trying to find reason to her spouting nonsense.

"I'm serious Twilight! He is something else... he had a blank flank and he looks just as old as us, but this morning, he had a small yellow shard on his flank. He had no clue what his calling in life was. Fluttershy is giving him a tour of Ponyville right now so they'll be here in a few."

Twilight squinted her eyes, still not believing the Rainbow Colored Pegasus.

"Well then, can you go call the others? I still wanted to talk to you all." Twilight said.

"Can do!" and with that, she flew off out the window.

Fluttershy would smile every time Illuminous had an expression to the things in Ponyville. She'd giggle as he'd tell her how he'd never seen a house made from candy, Sugar cube corner. And he'd had starry eyes when he viewed the wide landscape of apple trees. He'd tell her his farm wasn't even close to being half of the length of what Sweet Apple Acres was. He was at awe when he saw the Carousel Boutique, wanting to go in but had little time to spare a visit. He told her how his father used to mention the clock tower when they passed it by.

Illuminous was dumb-founded when they approached the library. A tree? Well that seemed odd.... but then again, everything else in Ponyville was odd, this was no exception, or at least to Illuminous that was.

When they entered, Fluttershy was greeted by all her friends except Rarity and Applejack, apparently Rarity was busy trying to make a suit for Apple Jack who'd proven to be a difficult fashion challenge, asking her where she'd been this whole time. Illuminous hesitated to go inside until Rainbow Dash finally pushed him inside. All attention drawn on him.

The pink pony immediately went over to him. "Are you a new pony? You're totally a new pony; I know everypony in Ponyville so I would know if you're new. If you're new that means you don't know a lot of ponies. And that means you don't have many friends. Ah I know. I'LL THROW YOU a PART-" the pink pony was silenced by the hoof of Rainbow Dash basically putting a cork in her mouth.

"Not now Pinkie Pie." Rainbow Dash said, clearly annoyed by the talkativeness from the hyperactive Pink pony.

"So you're the famous new stallion Rainbow Dash has been telling me all about, your name is?" the purple pony asked him.

He didn't answer; he just stood staring at the horn, full of wonder and questions.

"Uh hello?" she asked again.

"Oh uh... I-I'm ... uhh..." he was cut off by Fluttershy as she noticed him having difficulty introducing himself.

"He's Illuminous; I found him wounded in the Everfree forest and took care of him." Fluttershy said, smiling at him every so often.

"Well Hello Illuminous, I'm Twilight Sparkle. You can call me Twilight." her voice sounded shaky. Not her usual voice he presumed.

Illuminous just nodded.

"Rainbow Dash told me about your cutie mark, is it okay if examine it?" she asked Illuminous.

"Uhm, sure I guess." Illuminous responded.

Twilight turned away immediately and then regained herself to look back. It seemed the purple Unicorn pony was having difficulties from something, but he didn't dare ask her.

She examined his cutie mark, taking a while to think of a solution. "You don't know what you're calling in life is?"

He shook his head, being completely honest.

"It's so small though, hmm, I've read about this somewhere. Spike, bring me the "Myth and Legends" book.

A purple dragon appeared from the stairs, carrying a large dusty book, Twilight released it off his grasp with magic, and it flew in the air and in front of her studying stand. He was curious, did she just use magic? His father told tales of Unicorns using magic to help them do things. This was the first time seeing it in action. Then he stared at the purple dragon.

"Are you really a dragon?" Illuminous asked, curiously staring at Spike.

"Sure am, you can call me Spike, I'm Twilight's loyal assistant. She hatched me from an egg long time ago and so now i just sit around the library cleaning up after her mess."

"Wow, that's really cool. Do you breathe fire?"

Spike stared at Illuminous like if he was some sort of alien. He liked Illuminous' curiosity though.

"Yup! I can even send messages with my fire, I just burn them into ashes and they're carried through the wind. The messages are only for Princess Celestia though."

"Princess Celestia?! You mean the Princess that raises the sun?"

Spiked look at him even more curious.

"Yeah. Ms. Twilight Sparkle over there is Celestia's apprentice, she's been sent to study the magic of friendship, neat huh!" spike said, sarcasm clearly in his voice.

"Huh..."

Suddenly, Twilight Sparkle rose up from her study board. "Found it!" She exclaimed as she came up to everyone who was still waiting on her.

"What is it Twilight?" Dash asked.

"I knew I've seen it before, and here it is... but I still can't believe it, it's just an old pony's tale..."

"Well then, care to tell us?" The impatient Rainbow Pony asked.

"It seems that his cutie mark is connected to the Old Kingdom... but the Old Kingdom is just an old Pony's tale nothing more."

"Then what does that make of him?"

"I don't know...."

"What do you purpose this means Illuminous?" Twilight asked him

As he tried thinking about it, Illuminous fell unconscious, as if a sudden force had knocked the air straight out of his lungs.

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(Author's note:OH MY GOD SO MANY DISTRACTIONS TODAY. *huff huff* But I finished!!! Woo. Anyways, I'd like to point out from now on this story is dedicated to a very good friend of mine. Though we don't talk much, she doesn't need to talk to be amazing in her own way. Something I truly respect. Thank you Cat! I really hope you liked this story. I will continue, every day.)