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I awoke to the strangest sound. A steady yet slow rhythm of high-pitched beeps. I felt something attached to my chest...and something lying upon my stomach. Where was I? How much time had passed since... Nightmare Moon!

My thoughts immediately turned to the beautiful dark alicorn I had tried to save. She was badly wounded last time I saw here. I was instantly consumed with fear. I know my friends had promised to watch over her while I was asleep, but...

I slowly sat up in bed, still feeling somewhat weak from my previous endeavors. My eyes took a moment to adjust from being closed for so long. It felt like I had been asleep for days. Once my vision had returned, I got a good look at my surroundings. The room I was in seemed rather elegant. I was probably somewhere in Canterlot's royal palace. I looked to my left and found Celestia relaxing on the floor while looking over a scroll. After a few seconds, her eyes looked in my direction. She immediately smiled, "Welcome back. Are you all rested now?"

I knew exactly what I wanted to say. "Nightmare Moon. Is she..."

Celestia smiled at me as she stood up, "The first thing you ask upon waking up is about Nightmare Moon. She was right. You really never did give up on her." She then approached me and rested her hoof on my shoulder, "Relax, James. Your friend is alive and well."

I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I allowed myself to relax. "Thank god..."

Celestia smiled, "Twilight told me everything about what happened out there. It was a good thing you offered to go help them after all."

I then asked, "Well... What about my armor? It took quite a beating out there."

She nodded, "Yes, I noticed. Fortunately, that particular armor is easily repaired. Next time you use it, if ever, it will be good as new."

I sighed, "For recreational purposes, I hope..."

Celestia asked, "Is something wrong? Did I say something that..."

I laid my head down on my pillow. "I'll be honest. Although taking down those zombies was pretty fun... I really did not enjoy all that fighting. I'm not cut out for combat roles."

The princess of the sun smiled warmly, "That is good. You should never be someone who enjoys violence. I was honestly worried fighting with all that power would go to your head. I'm glad to see that is not the case."

I closed my eyes for a moment, the recent memories of the battles in the Everfree Forest dancing across my vision. Now that I had time to relax, I felt a great deal of unpleasant emotions fill my mind. Combat is stressful and I never enjoyed it. But before I could remember much else, my attention was directed at the weight that was on my stomach as I felt some movement.

"Wait a minute, who's on..." I spoke as I sat up a bit to look down at myself. Resting on my belly was.....Rainbow Dash?

Celestia chuckled, "She and Fluttershy were watching over you constantly while you were asleep. Yesterday, she promised she would watch over you alone so Fluttershy could return home and tend to her animals."

"Yesterday? Wait. How long have I been out?" I asked, my hand gently caressing my friend's mane.

Celestia replied, "Oh, at least two days. Right now, it's the middle of the afternoon."

I flinched at those words. "Just how much blood did I lose?"

Celestia smiled, "I'm not sure, but you'll be just fine now. How are you feeling anyway?"

I reached my arms up as I stretched. I felt very rested, but was also tempted to go back to sleep. I still felt some fatigue, probably due to my blood levels not being back up to 100% yet. "Feel good, to be honest. Not perfect, but I'll manage."

Celestia smiled before pointing to some clothes over on a table. "Your clothes are right there. I'll leave you be so you can get dressed without anypony watching."

I snorted, "Everypony but Rainbow Dash, that is." We both chuckled in unison.

"Well, I'll leave you two be. If you're looking for Nightmare Moon, you'll find her in the chamber that Estoc and Shining Armor are positioned at." Celestia spoke as she left the room.

However, before she got too far, I called out, "Um... Wait a sec."

Celestia looked back at me, "Yes?"

For whatever reason I was feeling terribly thirsty. Perhaps that is normal for someone who has been unconscious for over a day. "I don't want to be a bother, but I'm awfully thirsty. Is there any water here?"

Celestia chuckled, "I almost forgot about that." Her horn was covered by a billowing golden yellow aura. I heard water being poured and found a metal pitcher and tall glass being levitated in the air while also being covered in a golden yellow aura. The pitcher was pouring water into the glass, the clinking of ice cubes bumping against it from the inside filling the air. "Enjoy. You've earned it."

The glass floated over to me while the pitcher was set back down on an end table. I grasped the glass and began to gulp down the water greedily, even swallowing the ice cubes whole. I even nearly choked a few times, I was that thirsty. Once I had drank the glass dry, I let out a satisfied sigh. "Thanks, Celestia. I really needed that."

The princess of the sun smiled, "It was the least I could do. Now, if you will excuse me..." She then turned and left, her beautiful mane and tail billowing behind her.

I was tempted to get up and get dressed, feeling nothing but my boxers on me, but I was also hesitant to do so while Rainbow Dash was in the room. I know she can be a peeping Tom. Or since she is a girl...peeping Tammy? Regardless, I wanted her out of the room before I got out of bed.

Even though I wanted some privacy, I could not bring myself to roughly rouse Rainbow Dash since she was asleep. What was more, this was the first time I had seen her since she left to go get help for Nightmare Moon. But as I recalled that memory, I also recalled the moment when Rainbow Dash came to my aid. When she was nearly...

I felt a slight chill flow down my spine and a faint jolt of pain as I remembered that moment. When Rainbow Dash was engulfed in lightning conjured up by Nightmare Moon. I honestly thought I had lost her at that point. Seeing her right before me while sleeping soundly filled me with a massive sense of relief. I gently pulled her closer to me and held her in my arms, my hand stroking her back.

I closed my eyes, breathing deeply as Rainbow Dash's head rested against my upper chest. That familiar scent of water vapor filled my nostrils. I began to gently caress her wings, her soft feathers tickling my fingers. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash." I spoke softly.

A moment later, I felt the pegasus in my arms beginning to stir. I looked down at Rainbow Dash, waiting for her to open her eyes. Before long, those big beautiful rose-colored eyes drowsily opened. That is, they opened halfway. She let out a yawn, her gaze slowly turning to look up at me. For a moment, she stared at me blankly. I said nothing, merely giving her a smile. We just sat there in bed, gazing at each other without a word.

After a brief moment, Rainbow Dash acted first. She suddenly threw her forelegs around me and held me in a surprisingly tight embrace. Her eyes were closed. Or rather, squinted shut. "Rainbow?" I asked, concerned by this abnormally silent approach she was taking.

"I was worried about you, James." She spoke without releasing her grasp on me or looking at me.

"I'm fine, Rainbow. Really, I feel great. Maybe a little weaker than usual, but I really am feeling good right now." I spoke while stroking her rainbow-striped mane. I then asked, "Were you here with me the entire time?"

She nodded before looking up at me with a calm smile. "Yeah. Ever since they put you in this room to rest, I've been watching you like a griffon."

I raised an eyebrow, "I think the correct term is 'watching you like a hawk'. Isn't it?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly, "Yeah, but griffon's are kinda like hawks. I should know. My former best friend is a griffon."

I nodded, "I remember. Gilda, right?"

Rainbow Dash nodded before nuzzling her head against my bare chest. This calm gentle demeanor seemed to be somewhat out of character for Rainbow Dash. This seemed more like something Fluttershy would do. I asked, "Uh... Rainbow? I appreciate the affection, but shouldn't you be flying around while shouting that I'm OK and cheering that I survived that ordeal two night ago?"

She snickered in my grasp, "Man, you read me like a book, don't you?"

I smirked, "I've known you long enough to know that your behavior is loud, rambunctious, and sometimes over the top."

Rainbow Dash replied, "Yup, read me like a book."

I then asked, "Then why this calm cuddly approach?"

Rainbow Dash did not speak for a moment while averting her eyes as if to try to find the right words. She finally sighed, "There are a few reasons. One reason is because I'm sure you're still recovering and I have to be gentle with you. Another is..." She then tightly embraced me again. "I'm just so glad you're all right. I don't want to get all jumpy because...well..."

I cocked my head to one side, trying to understand what she was trying to say. Rainbow Dash finally looked up at me and asked, "Can I just...you know...chill here with you for a while?"

I smiled, "I don't mind. I kinda don't want to get out of bed just yet either."

Rainbow grinned before cuddling up to me more. Yes, I suppose I should not be surprised. While she is all about action, she loves to just relax too. It is almost like she is one or the other and never in-between.

"How are the other girls doing?" I asked, just then remembering the other five mares who were with me when we went to Nightmare Moon in the Everfree Forest.

Rainbow replied with her head still nestled against my chest. "They're OK. We all stayed here until last night to keep an eye on you."

I then asked, "Then why are you here while they aren't?"

Rainbow looked up at me and smiled, "They had some stuff to tend to. You know, like checking on animals, harvesting apples, keeping an eye on Spike, those sorta things."

I nodded, but then asked, "Hang on, what about you? Don't you have some duties to tend to?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Oh yeah, I'm part of the weather patrol. But we don't need the weather changed today. So I've got the day off."

I smiled, my hand caressing her sides before stroking her belly, but being mindful to not let my hand reach too low. "I hope the Cake couple and my bosses at the spa don't mind me being away for a few days."

Rainbow Dash did not reply, instead letting out a sigh. "Mmmm... Rarity was right. You have magic fingers."

I snickered, "Sorry if I can't keep my hands off you. Your coat feels nice and I love making my friends happy."

After a moment, Rainbow Dash seemed to frown slightly. I did not ask, my hand continuing to stroke her belly. Or was it her ribcage? She finally spoke, "James... I really appreciated our time together out there."

I nodded, "Me too. There wasn't a moment during that mission that I didn't enjoy when I was with you girls. Well...except for having to fight Nightmare Moon, that is."

Rainbow sighed, "That's not it. I mean... I've known you for a while now, but it feels like I only just started to get to know you. Does that make any sense?"

I shrugged, "Um... Care to explain?"

Rainbow Dash continued, "I always thought you were just a meek guy who was also kinda wimpy. You had other personality traits that made me like you though. But...after all that happened a couple nights ago..." She then looked up at me with a solemn smile, "It feels like I saw the inner you."

I tilted my head to one side, showing that I did not fully understand. She went on, "I got to fly with you and I got to fight with you. That felt amazing, doing things with you that I never thought you could do. And the way you handled the whole thing..."

Rainbow Dash then sighed, "What I'm trying to say is... You're not tough all the time. You only get tough when you really NEED to. Like you need some kinda trigger for your tough side to come out. And being tough only when you have to be is way cooler than being tough all the time."

I felt somewhat flattered at those words. She grinned brightly, "I'll be honest. After all you did back then, I'd say you just got 20% cooler."

I smirked, "Really? Thanks! Now I just need to find a way to get 30% cooler." We both laughed together.

After a moment, Rainbow Dash placed her hoof on my hand. "Still... I gotta admit. That moment when you attacked Nightmare Moon to protect me... That was awesome, but scary."

I asked, "I don't even remember that moment. It's all a blur to me. What exactly happened?"

Rainbow Dash explained, "You just came charging in and swung your sword at Nightmare Moon's horn. At least I think you did. I woke up with you in front of me with your sword down. That look on your face... That was scary. I never saw you look that mad before. You went hacking and slashing at Nightmare Moon while always staying in front of me. I saw her horn being covered in her magic aura before she charged you. I saw the tip of her horn come out through the back of your armor."

Rainbow Dash held onto me tightly, her eyes squinted shut. "I felt your blood get on me... But you didn't even groan in pain. You stabbed your sword down into her instead. That made her back off. And...I think that's when you started to calm down."

I felt a great deal of shame as I listened to Rainbow's eyewitness recollection of the events that occurred. Even though Nightmare Moon and I seemed to have made amends with each other before I fell asleep, I was fearful that she may still hold a grudge against me for my actions. Rainbow Dash held me tightly, "Even though you were way scary back then...I felt honored that you went to such lengths to protect me... You're awesome, James."

I wrapped my arms around my friend, holding her close to me. "I didn't want to lose you, Rainbow. You're one of the best friends I've ever known."

The two of us just cuddled together for a little while, not moving much. I did not speak and neither did Rainbow Dash. But after a while, Rainbow Dash asked, "Hey...James? Got a question for you."

I nodded, "OK. What's up?"

She did not reply right away, but that expression on her face was puzzling to me. It seemed to show...uncertainty? Mental debate? Regardless, she spoke while not looking directly at me. "Have you...ever felt like you...I dunno...missed out on something?"

I really was not sure of what she meant by that. "Um... Missed out? On what?"

Rainbow Dash replied with a bright grin, "Oh...don't worry about it. Just wondering about something. Not important!" She then hopped down from the bed, "Anyway, I better let you get outta bed. Wouldn't want your legs falling off from lack of use."

I smirked, "Hey, that's my line!"

She then approached the doorway before looking back at me. "I'll go on ahead and let everypony know you're coming home today. Take your time, OK?" I nodded to show I agreed. But as she looked away, I thought I saw something sparkling in the light as it fell from Rainbow Dash's face. "See ya there, James." Rainbow spoke before spreading her wings and flying out of sight.

Was that a tear I saw fall from Rainbow's face? What could she possibly have to cry about? Well, it clearly was not important. She is a tough girl. I climbed out of bed and promptly put on my shirt and pants after turning off my heart monitor. I was expecting the shirt to still have a hole in it from when Nightmare Moon impaled me, but it seemed that someone had repaired it. But once I had put on my socks, I decided to leave my shoes off for the time being. I did not want to leave just yet.

My stance was a little shaky at first, my body still a bit weak from heavy blood loss. "Maybe I should've stayed in bed another day." I muttered to myself.

I staggered out of the room and looked both ways. I was in a hall somewhere in the Canterlot palace. Approaching me from the left was one of the royal guards. When he came closer, I asked, "Excuse me, sir. Have you seen Shining Armor and Estoc?"

The guard calmly replied, "Right this way." He continued down the hall as I followed him. After a few minutes, I noticed a pair of familiar unicorn stallions up ahead stationed just outside another room. "Captain. This man wanted to see you, sir."

Estoc and Shining Armor looked our way before smiling. Armor spoke, "Thank you. You're dismissed." My escort nodded before continuing on his way.

Shining Armor trotted right over to me, "Hey there, James! How're you feeling? Back up to 100%?"

I replied, "I estimate 85%, but I'll manage. Is Nightmare Moon in there?"

Estoc nodded, "She is, but try to not raise your voice. She's in a delicate condition right now."

Armor chuckled, "Man, remind me to stay off your bad side! I can't believe the kind of damage you did to her! You sure you're not some crazy psycho who hides his victim's corpses in a bin somewhere?"

I could tell he was poking fun at the injuries I had inflicted on Nightmare Moon, and that did not sit well with me. I glared at Shining Armor, "That's not funny, captain. I don't even remember doing that to her."

Estoc nodded, "I must admit, sir, that what you just said was in poor taste."

Shining Armor bowed his head as his ears drooped, as he seemed to realize what kind of impact those had on me. "Uh... Sorry about that. It's just... Never mind." He then sighed, "I guess I was just so impressed by how well you fought against her by judging how much damage you did. Guess I got too fired up."

I nodded, "Well, just be careful where you say that. You never know. Nightmare Moon might be behind you right now ready to fry you."

That look on Shining Armor's face... How do I even describe it? I suppose it is the kind of look that seems to say 'Oh god, no.' all over it. Estoc seemed to glance at the doorway before speaking, "There's nopony there, sir."

Armor chuckled nervously, "I knew that."

I replied with a smirk, "Then explain the sweat. It's not summer yet."

Armor cleared his throat before regaining his composure, "ANYWAY, you wanted to see Nightmare Moon?"

I nodded, "Is she accepting visitors?"

Estoc replied, "We were told to not allow anyone through until you saw her first aside from the medical personnel. Princess Celestia's orders."

I cocked my head to one side, "No one allowed in until I visited? OK. Well, may I see her now?"

Estoc and Shining Armor stood aside. Armor nodded, "Go right ahead. And let us know if she's hostile. Estoc and I aren't entirely sure yet."

Skeptical, it would seem. Well, considering Nightmare Moon's reputation, it does not surprise me. "Thanks. I'll let you know if she's safe to be around."

Immediately after entering the chamber, I was greeted by a somber sight. Along with the beeping of a heart monitor, I saw numerous IV drip lines hooked up to Nightmare Moon as she rested on a bed. There was a crumpled blanket next to her, probably left off for easier access to her body. All of her blue armor had been removed, leaving her beautiful black body fully exposed. However, thick white bandages had been wrapped all over her, clearly to cover the gruesome wounds I had inflicted on her.

I felt a twinge of guilt as I beheld the wounded princess before me. Even though I knew she was going to be fine at this point, I could not help feel that she was going to be angry with me. Her eyes were closed, leading me to believe she was asleep.

Here she was, a changed person and forgiven by the royal sisters, yet I still felt fearful to approach her. I was sure I would be punished for what I did to her. Even so, she is my friend. I know I fell asleep after we had come to terms, but still...

I froze as I saw her stir. Nightmare Moon let out a yawn, before her beautiful teal eyes opened. She gazed right at me, not a word being said. After a brief moment, she smiled faintly. "James... Are you well?"

I nodded without saying anything. "Please come closer." She spoke quietly. I did as I was told and approached her nervously. Once I was before her, she pushed herself up in bed and threw a foreleg around me before resting her head on my shoulder. "Thank you again..."

I was not sure of what to say at the time. But I decided to not restrain myself and embraced her as well, the musty scent of an old stone room being in her coat. "I'm sorry for anything I did."

I heard Nightmare Moon whisper, "Don't be, James. If you hadn't done this to me, I probably wouldn't be here right now."

I leaned into the embrace; a massive sense of relief washing over me as I came to understand my friend was out of danger. The memories of the earlier night danced through my head. The joyful memories intertwined with the sorrowful ones; making me all the more grateful I was able to save the illustrious Mare in the Moon.

"Has Celestia and the guards been good to you?" I asked, my hand constantly stroking her long billowing mane.

Nightmare Moon replied without releasing me, "She has been kind to me, but also stern. I think she is keeping her distance until she can confirm that I'm not a threat. I really do not blame her, but I was hoping I could bond with her at least a little."

I sighed as I pulled away so I could look at her directly. "Give her time. I just talked to her and she seems to not hate you at all." I then asked, "And the guards? What about the medical personnel?"

Nightmare Moon smiled, "They were wary at first, but they began to warm up to me after a short while. They began to converse with me and asked me if I needed anything."

I smiled, "That's Equestrian hospitality for you." However, I was interrupted by a knock at the door before watching a familiar earth pony walk in while pushing what seemed to be a tray on wheels.

"It's lunch time, your highness." The pony spoke. I recognized her as Redheart, a nurse from Ponyville Hospital. She has a white coat while her light pink mane was tied into a bun. A nurse's headdress rested atop her head. Her cutie mark consists of a red cross with a heart between each arm pointing to the center. Her eyes are a light shade of blue. When she saw me, the nurse smiled, "Oh, hello there, James. Visiting hours haven't started yet, but I guess I can make an exception with you."

I smiled, "OK. But it's too soon for my check-up, right?"

She nodded as she set the food tray up next to the bed for easy access, "Yes, that's not until next month."

Nightmare Moon frowned, "I was hoping for something a bit more flavorful today." I suppose she knew what she was talking about. I have never been admitted to a hospital before, but I have heard that the food there is far from impressive.

Redheart chuckled, "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. That food is meant to be as nutritious as possible without sacrificing too much flavor. Please bear with it, your highness."

As Nightmare Moon levitated a spoon and scooped up what I suspect was some mashed peas, I asked, "How has she been today, nurse?"

She smiled as Nightmare Moon nonchalantly consumed her meal, "She has been a very good patient. I honestly thought Princess Celestia was crazy for asking me to tend to Nightmare Moon, but she has been very cooperative and a good conversation partner. I love listening to the stories she has to share."

I then asked, "Well, what was the diagnosis? Will she be OK?"

Redheart nodded, "She had numerous gashes and a deep stab wound as well as some bruising on one side, but the biggest problem was how much blood she lost. Fortunately, she was in no hurry to die. Her will to live has been very strong. She's going to be fine."

I looked over at my friend, who was reluctantly eating her meal. I then asked, "Um... I know Celestia has been checking in on her, but has Luna met her yet?"

Redheart shook her head, "I don't think so. I actually think Celestia has been going out of her way to keep Princess Luna away from Nightmare Moon for the time being. Something about not being the right time yet or something."

Looking at Nightmare Moon again, I began to wonder if Celestia feared that Luna meeting Nightmare Moon would trigger the age-old clone hostility between them. By which I mean the clone of the original lifeform is naturally hostile towards it. In some ways, Nightmare Moon could easily be viewed as an evil clone of Luna, although that obviously is no longer the case with her.

A short while later, Nightmare Moon groaned, "Ugh, I'm done now." Her tray was practically devoid of food aside from some scraps here and there.

"All right then. Time to check your blood pressure." Redheart replied as she wrapped a familiar device around Nightmare Moon's foreleg. I honestly do not know what that device is called, but its appearance in Equestria was no different than its Earth counterparts. The sack around her foreleg inflated with each push Redheart made on the rubber bubble at the end of the tube that was connected to it. She turned her head to the gauge and smiled, "Looking better, your highness. Your blood pressure is almost back to normal."

Nightmare Moon cracked a small smile, "That's good. Maybe the world will stop spinning soon."

I then asked, "Hang on, could you check mine too? I don't feel like I'm back to 100% yet myself."

Redheart nodded as she removed the device and wrapped it around my forearm. "Sure. Just give me a minute here."

I felt the sack inflate around my arm as the pressure on it increased. Redheart then smiled as she observed the gauge next to it, "Looks like your blood pressure is up to around 90%. Just take it easy and you'll be fine in a day or two."

I smiled, "Yeah, I feel OK, but I'm a little wobbly sometimes."

Redheart packed up her gear and set them on the tray before pushing it towards the door. "I heard that you two have a lot to catch up on, so I'll leave you be for now. I'll be back this evening to change your bandages, your highness."

Nightmare Moon nodded at the nurse, "Thank you. Take care." I waved goodbye as the door was shut.

Once we were alone, Nightmare Moon groaned, "Ugh, that food. I appreciate her efforts, but why can't they come up with something to serve to patients that's at least halfway decent?"

I chuckled, "I wouldn't know. I've never stayed long enough in a hospital to eat their stuff."

"Lucky you." Nightmare Moon spoke with a scowl before both of us chuckled. It was then that I noticed something. We were talking and even laughing with each other. Like friends.

As we chatted a bit more, I found that Nightmare Moon is not quite like Celestia or even Luna. She is bold, always tells things like it is, and can be snide. But she still commands an air of elegance about her and certainly does not come off as rude. And like Luna, she does indeed have a kind heart and more often than not minds her manners.

"Is that so? Zombies in the Everfree Forest? Hmmm... Must be the curse I placed on them for that crime so many centuries ago." Nightmare Moon spoke as I told her about my trek through the Everfree Forest with my friends a few nights ago.

I asked, "Just to be sure, was it you who sent the Shadowbolts after me and my friends?"

Nightmare Moon nodded, "Do not think I wanted them to harm you. I never expected you to be with the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. If I had known you would be with them, I would have instructed them to escort you to me."

"Then why were they out there?" I asked again, wondering what they had been doing out there if it was so unlikely for anyone to have guessed Nightmare Moon was behind the eternal night at the time.

"Just a failsafe. They seeped into the trees to twist them into hideous shapes to ward off any potential attackers. If the deterrent did not work, they would use force." Nightmare Moon replied. She then asked with a worrisome gaze, "They did not hurt you, did they?"

I smiled, resting my hand on her hoof, "It all turned out for the best in the end. To be honest, I think Rainbow Dash and I became closer partially because of them."

Nightmare Moon smiled warmly, "I know. The way she risked her life to protect you from me and when she still would not stay down afterwards. She must truly love you."

I chuckled as I averted my eyes, my body temperature spiking. "Love me? Not likely. We're polar opposites in terms of personality." I then paused before I nodded, "But I know she loves me as a friend. I love her too. Heck, I love all my friends."

Nightmare Moon nodded, "Very true. Your friends were very adamant in protecting you. You must be very precious to them."

I sighed, "Yeah... We've been through ups and downs. At this point, I don't know what I'd do without them."

I froze as I felt Nightmare Moon place a kiss on my cheek. "Regardless of what happens, I know you will always have me. You worked hard to earn my friendship and you succeeded."

After a moment more of chatting, Nightmare Moon finally asked, "James, I'm still rather hungry, but am in the mood for something sweet."

I retorted, "Come to think of it, when was the last time you ate ANYTHING since separating from Luna?"

Nightmare Moon's face changed to one of shock, "Actually.... Never! No wonder my frame is so slim! I'm anorexic! I need something to fix that!" She then looked at me with a pleading smile, "To that effect, I have a request. I overheard some of the palace personnel mention a donut parlor in Canterlot."

I nodded, "I think I heard Spike mention it a few times. You want some?"

Nightmare Moon nodded, "Yes, about a dozen. I'm not even sure of what a donut is, but they sound tasty. As for what kind... Bah, any will do. Surprise me."

Never heard of a donut before? Considering how long Nightmare Moon had been away from Equestria, I suppose it should not surprise me. I smiled, "Well, you're gonna like them. Donuts come in all sorts of forms and flavors." Ugh, I am developing a strong donut craving even as I write this.

My friend smiled, "Well, I'll leave it up to you on what to choose. And don't worry about me. I'll be patient."

I gave my friend a gentle embrace. "OK. I'll be back soon." I then turned and left the room only to find Celestia waiting right outside.

"Going somewhere?" She asked with a smirk. That look in her eye told me that she had something planned for me.

"Um... Celestia? What's with that look?" I asked, noticing that Estoc and Shining Armor were looking at us out of the corner of their eyes.

"Oh... Nothing. It's just that I'm going to have to throw you in the dungeon..." She spoke with that smirk. Suddenly, she smiled brightly, "For not asking me what kind of donuts I would like!"

I snickered, "You had me going there! And sure. What would you like?"

Celestia replied, "I would... Actually, I recall that the shop owner developed a special recipe around a year ago. I would like to try that."

I asked, "A special recipe? Like.....the daily special?"

Shining Armor replied, "Tell him you want his latest masterpiece. He'll know what you mean." He then glanced at Estoc. "Estoc, I think it'll be too heavy for him to carry. Would you mind accompanying him to assist in carrying it back?"

Estoc nodded, "Yes, sir." Estoc then approached me, "Now that I think about it, are you familiar with Canterlot's layout?"

I crossed my arms for a moment as I tried to think. "Um... Probably not. The only other time I ever came here was during the Grand Galloping Gala."

He nodded, "Then you should let me lead the way so you don't get lost. Shall we be going?"

Celestia nodded, "Please do. And let the shop owner know to send the bill to the Canterlot palace." This made me ponder what kind of price tag this so-called 'masterpiece' carries.

"OK then. See you in a bit." I replied before following Estoc down the halls and out of the palace.

Canterlot still gave me the same upper-class feel as during my first visit, the ponies around me still carrying their heads high in what was likely overblown sophistication. Some would stare at me in what was likely curiosity since I have rarely visited Canterlot before and that they had never seen a human before by extension. It was not quite as overwhelming as the first time, so I was not all that nervous.

Hoping to pass the time, I tried to engage in conversation with Estoc. "So... Estoc. Shining Armor is your commanding officer?"

He nodded while continuing to lead me, "He is. Captain is the highest rank among the royal guards."

I then asked, "Well... Has there been any...um....incidents where the royal guards had to intervene?"

Estoc replied, "It's very rare when we have to resort to force on anything. It's usually in response to arguments that get out of hand or dangerous creatures that wander into town, although the highlight of my career was during the Changeling invasion a while back."

Changeling? If memory serves, Pinkie Pie mentioned that word a few nights ago. What is more, the word 'Changeling' reminds me of... Of course. I recall reading once that Changelings, at least on Earth, are closely associated with demonic, perhaps even satanic, lore. "That word gives me a sinister vibe. Are they bad news?"

Estoc stopped walking as he looked back at me. "Very bad. They are creatures that can perfectly mimic anypony. Their queen even mimicked Princess Cadence on her wedding day. It was a close call in the end. If you want more details, you will have to ask the captain." He then averted his eyes, looking rather disgruntled. "I was...uh...captured early on in the invasion, so I did not see much of what happened until the Changelings were repulsed from Canterlot."

I crossed my arms, "Well, they're gone, right? You think they'll come back?"

Estoc replied as he turned around and continued walking, "It's possible, but their queen is far from stupid. She's probably out there, carefully planning her next scheme. Who knows what she may do next." But he then looked at me and smiled, "But if you were to face her after that training you went through, I think you could slay her."

Evil or not, I did not like the idea of killing the Changeling queen. Still, if she were to invade again and intended to do my friends harm, I would have to take up the sword again. "I just hope it never comes to that."

After weaving through the streets for a while, Estoc led me into what seemed to be a small shop. "Here we are. I'll wait by the door for you."

When I stepped inside, it felt like I was in an old-fashioned café. The floor was in a checkerboard design consisting of tiles of two shades of gray while a diagonal checkerboard design covered the walls consisting of two shades of green. Small round tables were set up around the area with small stools set up in front of the counter like a bar. Is there any such thing as a donut bar? Behind the bar were numerous shelves lined with a wide variety of donuts as well as some other pastries.

"Looks like donut heaven to me." I muttered as I approached the counter. But where was the clerk?

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone in the corner of the shop. A unicorn stallion was moving a mop around with magic. His body structure was very similar to Big Macintosh, although his face seemed a bit broader. Like Big Macintosh, his tail was cropped and his mane was somewhat unkempt. His eyes were a vibrant green while his coat was a very light shade of tan. His tail and mane were light brown while his cutie mark depicted a typical round donut topped with pink icing. He was wearing a white cook's jacket and a small white hat on his head.

"Um... Sir?" I asked, hoping to get his attention.

When the unicorn stallion looked my way, his eyes opened wide as his magical grip on the mop was released. He spoke in a somewhat gruff voice, "Hey, I heard about you! Don't tell me. I heard your name somewhere..."

His eyes squinted shut as he held a hoof to his chin as if closely examining me. "Definitely a human... And the name... You're James, right?"

I nodded, "Yeah, but how do you know my name? I've never seen you before."

The pony replied, "Whenever Twilight Sparkle visits Canterlot, Spike always pays a visit to my shop for some donuts. He mentioned you the last time they came around."

I smiled, "Heh, he did?"

The shop owner then trotted over to the counter and stood behind it, "Enough of my babbling. Welcome to Donut Joe's Donut Emporium. What can I get you today?"

I suspected the shop owner was Donut Joe himself. As I browsed the selection of goods, I remembered what Celestia had requested. "Um... Before I forget, you have some sort of 'masterpiece' available for purchase?"

Joe's face brightened instantly, "Ooh, good choice! First time here and you're already going for the good stuff! Just a second. I don't put this baby out with the rest to make sure no one steals any of the parts."

As Donut Joe ducked through the swinging doors to the rear of the shop, I raised an eyebrow. "Parts? What kind of donut dish can be considered to have 'parts' on it?"

A moment later, Donut Joe pushed his way through the doors, but stopped halfway. At his sides seemed to be the forward-most components of a cart attached to a harness on his back. "OK, ready for your eyes to be as dazzled as your taste buds?"

I crossed my arms, not sure if his enthusiasm and confidence were genuine or just trying to make his product sell. If it was the latter, I was finding his attempts to be rather overblown. "Um... Sure. What's your secret weapon?"

Joe then walked out into the storefront and pulled his creation into view. He then raised his foreleg towards the cart, "First-time customer, I present to you Donutopia!"

Donutopia, huh? It certainly looked the part. This 'Donutopia' thing seemed to be...well... I must admit Donut Joe must have put a lot of time and effort into coming up with that. It seemed to be a model city. Made of donuts. The colors ranged from purple to pink to orange to a few other colors. It even had spires atop the tallest 'buildings', giving the whole thing a metropolitan look. I cocked my head to one side as I beheld this impressive piece of work. There were probably around a hundred donuts in it. "Joe... How long does it take to put these together?"

Donut Joe chuckled, "It takes a few hours to put together just one of these. That's why I only make one every week."

I smiled slightly, "Well, that does look like a work of edible art. Just don't tell me the price tag."

Joe then spoke, "The price? You ARE gonna pay for this, aren't you?"

Estoc stepped forward, "Send the bill to the royal palace. The princesses will deal with it."

Donut Joe smiled, "Oh, I getcha. OK then, give my best to them." He then levitated an upside-down cardboard box onto the cart, covering the edible structure. Probably as a means to keep any wind from blowing it over.

Estoc then slid himself into the harness and pulled the cart out of the shop. "Thank you." I spoke instinctively towards Donut Joe.

The shopkeeper smiled, "Anytime, man. Tell Twilight and Spike I said hi."

Estoc led the way since I was still unfamiliar with Canterlot's layout. In the back of my mind, I was glad that Pinkie Pie was not with us. Knowing her, even though she has done an admirable job of cutting down on sweets, she would probably devour the entire Donutopia in one gulp if presented with the opportunity. Fortunately, she was still back in Ponyville.

"Um... James?" Estoc spoke up, interrupting my train of thought. He then pointed ahead. "Why is there a box in the middle of the road?"

Right ahead of us was a cardboard box of similar size to the one that was covering Donutopia. On its own, it did not seem strange. What puzzled me was that it was out in the open. Smack dab in the middle of the road."A box? Here?" I asked as I began to approach it.

"I can just go around it, sir." Estoc spoke as he followed me.

"Nah, it's no trouble. I can move it." I replied. But as I lifted the box and looked down, I locked eyes with a familiar pink earth pony mare. When she noticed me looking down at her, there was a sudden loud noise as....a...red exclamation point appeared above her head while she suddenly jumped in surprise.

"Uh... Hi, James! Feeling better?" Pinkie Pie asked, a sheepish grin on her face as I noticed that she was sweating. However, I did not speak as I observed the floating red exclamation point in front of my face.

I looked down at my friend after a moment and asked, "Pinkie... Why were you hiding in..."

She giggled, "Oh, the cardboard box? Um... Yeah. Interesting story there. You see... It all started with..." She suddenly pointed behind me, "Look! A twin-headed manticore with candy corn for teeth and a gummy worm for a tail!" She then turned and dashed out of sight, my eyes still fixated on her as she ran.

A few seconds later, Pinkie Pie rushed back over to me and pointed at the red exclamation point that was still dangling in the air...while appearing to be two-dimensional. Honestly, what causes these bizarre phenomena to happen? "You gonna eat that?" She asked, her hoof still pointing at it.

I blankly stared at her and replied, "Uh... Help yourself."

"Thanks!" Pinkie Pie spoke before chomping the thing and running away again. I suppose I should have asked what it tasted like. Until I remember to ask, I will assume that red exclamation point tasted like a combination of cardboard, gunpowder, military rations, and maybe raw snake meat.

I heard Estoc walk up alongside me. His face looked just as bewildered as mine. "Estoc?" I asked blankly.

"Yes, sir?" He replied just as blankly.

"Did you hear that noise a moment ago?" I asked again.

"Yes, sir. Never heard anything like it before." He retorted blankly.

"Then I wasn't seeing things when that red..."

"No, sir. I saw it too." Estoc said with a nod.

"I think we should forget what we saw and never speak of it again." I muttered.

"Speak of what again?" Estoc asked.

"Exactly." I spoke as I continued walking with Estoc by my side. Best not think too hard about what happened right there.

We returned to the palace without a hitch, although I stayed behind the cart the entire time to make certain Pinkie Pie would not get to Donutopia. Honestly, it seems like that girl has a sixth sense when it comes to gourmet sweets.

Estoc led me to what I assume was the main hall of the palace, the room where Celestia and Luna welcomed guests during the Grand Galloping Gala. Celestia was already there waiting for us. "Mmm, I can already smell it. What was the masterpiece the donut parlor had?"

I lifted the box that was covering it. "According to Donut Joe, it's a little slice of heaven in a tiny corner of Equestria. Known only as..." I then dropped the box and held my hand out towards the city of donuts. "Donutopia. Population: 500 sprinkles."

Celestia's jaw dropped open as her tongue hung out of her mouth. "Oh my goodness... So THIS is the completed form of that entry!" As she stepped forward, I noticed that the princess of the sun had begun to drool.

"Um... Celestia?" I spoke, pointing at her face.

She seemed to notice what she was doing and immediately wiped the drool from her chin. "Oops... Not very refined of me."

Estoc then smirked, "There's no way we can finish these by ourselves." He then suddenly called out, "Royal guards, assemble! Donut break!"

At those words, a slew of royal guards swarmed into the room with Shining Armor being at the front. "Did somepony say donuts?!"

I snickered, realizing that like typical police officers the royal guards have a taste for donuts. There was a sudden flash next to me, followed by a familiar voice speaking, "Huzzah! It's been too long since I last tasted donuts... Oh?" I looked down at my right and found Luna looking up at me. "James! Are you well?" Before I could react, she had her arms/forelegs around me in a tight embrace.

I smiled as I embraced my dear friend. I had not seen her since departing Canterlot a few nights ago. "I'm feeling fine, Luna. Have you seen Nightmare Moon yet?"

She replied with a nervous smile, "Um... Not yet... Celestia told me to wait until the proper time. Although I will admit I am somewhat apprehensive about facing her."

I suspect she was feeling nervous about facing herself. That would certainly weird me out if I had to talk to someone who was me, if that makes any sense. "Don't worry too much. I spoke to her today and I can safely say she is a good person."

Luna nodded as she dropped back down to the floor and nodded, "So I've heard. Still... I suppose I have to face her eventually..." She then faced the cart that was carrying Donutopia. "You there! Stand down! I believe James should taste that first!"

The royal guards stepped back, allowing me to easily reach the cart. It turned out that someone had set up another cart next to it that dispensed coffee, milk, and other things one would find near a tray of donuts. Which was exactly what I needed. I stepped forward, grabbed a plate, and began to carefully pick donuts from the structure while being careful to not let it topple.

"Whoa. Ten donuts are a little much for one guy, isn't it?" Shining Armor asked as I moved to the drink cart with ten colorful donuts stacked on my plate.

"Not if you're Pinkie Pie. Besides, four donuts are my limit. The rest are for Nightmare Moon." I replied as I poured myself a glass of milk. I then faced Estoc, "Could you guide me back to her quarters, please?"

Estoc then glanced at Shining Armor. "Captain, please make certain that a few are left for me when I return."

Shining Armor chuckled, "Will do. Carry on." Estoc then turned and led me up the stairwell and into the hallway on one end.

"That's it right there." Estoc spoke while pointing ahead to a room that had its door slightly ajar. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." He then turned and ran back down the hall, clearly in a hurry to get some donuts before his coworkers claimed them all.

I peeked into the room, finding Nightmare Moon looking absolutely bored while she lay sprawled out on her bed. I snickered to myself at her very inelegant position, finding it very amusing to see a princess like this.

I pushed the door open further with my shoulder as I walked in. "Someone looks bored."

Nightmare Moon's ears perked up upon hearing my voice. She looked at me over her shoulder with a smile, but her expression then became one of curiosity. "Hm? Are those donuts?"

I nodded as I pulled a chair over to the bed, "Yup. Colorful sight, huh?"

My friend nodded, "Indeed. Are they just as tasty as they look?" One was engulfed by a deep blue aura before floating over to her. I did not have time to respond before she took a bite. "Mm! Very tasty! Who came up with these wonderful delicacies?"

I replied, "Donut Joe of Canterlot. Although I'm not too sure of who invented the donut in Equestria. I know how they were invented on my world, but I'm not sure about this world."

Nightmare Moon smiled once she had finished her first donut, "Well, whoever did invent them must be a culinary genius. Another, please?"

I set the plate down on an end table next to the bed while I took a seat. "Help yourself." The two of us sat there and chatted together, feasting on donuts. I prefer dunking my donuts in milk before consuming them.

By the time we finished eating, the entire plate was empty. Four donuts has always been my limit, but Nightmare Moon ate the other six. What an appetite! "Hoo... Can't eat another bite..." Nightmare Moon groaned.

"Yeah. That hit the spot." I replied, stretching as I stood up. But just before we could speak further, I heard a knock on the door. I looked to the doorway and saw Celestia motioning for me to approach her. I looked at Nightmare Moon and smiled, "Excuse me for a minute." Nightmare Moon nodded in silence before I left the room.

Celestia smiled, "How is she doing?"

I replied, "Very well. She has a hearty appetite and is pretty chatty."

The princess of the sun smiled, "If she's that much better, then now is the proper time. Luna?'

I turned and found Luna approaching us down the hall. Celestia then smiled, "Are you ready, Luna?"

My friend seemed very nervous. Her eyes kept shifting around, unable to look at us for very long. "I... Well, I suppose it has to be done, but... You know she is..."

I nodded, "Yeah, it must be weird actually talking to yourself. But she's not exactly you anymore, is she?"

Celestia smiled, "You and Nightmare Moon must come to terms with each other, Luna. Don't worry. We'll be right here to intervene should something go wrong."

I patted Luna on the back of her neck, "Nightmare Moon trusts me more than anyone. If she gets hostile, I know she'll listen to me."

Luna took a deep breath before facing the doorway. "OK... Wish me luck." She entered the room very slowly, Nightmare Moon instantly noticing her. Those big teal eyes stared at the princess of the night with what I suspect was sheer nervousness.

"Nightmare Moon... Um... Are you well?" Luna spoke once she was standing before her former self.

"Uh... Yes, I'm doing fine..." Nightmare Moon replied while averting her eyes.

The two sisters of the night did not seem hostile at all, although the whole situation felt very awkward. They rarely looked directly at each other, their eyes often averted. "So... Have you...how do I say... Have you...um...eaten any good foods since returning?" Luna asked, clearly having trouble finding topics to help break the ice.

Nightmare Moon replied, "Not really. Until James brought those donuts, I've been stuck eating that horrid hospital variety food. Absolutely dreadful."

Possibly due to Nightmare Moon not replying with any hesitation, Luna seemed to open up a bit more. "Um... Yes. Quite. Well... That night a few days ago. That full moon was...um...very lovely."

Once again seeming somewhat nervous, Nightmare Moon nodded, "I did my best... I wanted to make the night as perfect as possible for my friend..."

Luna smiled just slightly, "Oh, that's right. You met James a while back." She then approached Nightmare Moon, "What happened that night in the Everfree Forest?"

Nightmare Moon seemed to relax as she spoke, "He told me how much he loved the night, so I watched over him as he slept." She then snickered, "But when he woke up, he had somehow become an earth pony."

I winced, remembering that day several months back when my exposure to Poison Joke had caused me to become an earth pony overnight. "He did? Was that your doing?" Luna asked.

Nightmare Moon shook her head, "No, although I found it amusing nonetheless. I got a good chuckle out of his frustration."

Luna then smirked, "Did he make for a handsome stallion?" I felt my body temperature rise as I probably blushed, Celestia starting to snicker beside me.

"Oh, I would say so. Certainly not bad on the eyes, although his posture was very clumsy and far from confident." Nightmare Moon smirked while eyeing the doorway. I suspect she was saying what she was only to mess with me. Regardless, I buried my face in my hands and groaned. By then, Celestia had propped herself up against the wall while laughing.

Luna glanced over at me and smirked before looking back at Nightmare Moon. She then spoke in a slightly louder voice, probably to make sure I could hear her. "Did he have a good pair of..."

I could not stand by any longer. Before Luna could finish what she was going to say, I burst into the room. "STOP, STOP!!! I don't wanna hear that!" All three of the royal sisters burst into wild laughter. "I'm sorry I didn't have anything to cover myself with! I didn't have any clothes on hand that was made for pony use! I wish I did, but I didn't! Gimme a break!"

Luna laughed and pointed at me, "Forgive me! I could not help myself! It's just your reaction was... Bwahahaha!" I facepalmed at their behavior. One thing Luna and Nightmare Moon both seem to share is a strong sense of humor.

Nightmare Moon began to cough after a moment. "Oof... Let's hold off on the humor for now. I don't think my body can handle it yet."

Luna nodded as she caught herself, "Yes, yes... Maybe we should change the subject."

Celestia then stepped inside, "Well, it would seem that you two are really hitting it off."

Luna and Nightmare Moon looked at each other for a second before looking back at their sister. "We are?" Nightmare Moon asked.

Celestia smiled warmly, "I had my doubts, but it seems that you and Luna get along very well. Nightmare Moon, I no longer see any reason to doubt you." She then stepped forward and lowered her horn toward Nightmare Moon's face. "As ruler of the day and co-ruler of Equestria, I hereby pardon you of your wrongdoings."

Luna did the same, lowering her horn towards her former self, "As do I, Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare Moon said nothing for a moment. But soon, tears began to trickle down her face. She then gave the royal sisters a most grateful smile, "Thank you..." However, she then faced me, "And thank you, my friend."

I bowed my head, somewhat embarrassed by her praise. However, Celestia then spoke to me, "James. Now that everything has fallen into place, I can properly thank you for your efforts."

Luna smiled, "You did not only help your friends end the eternal night. You did something absolutely everypony in Equestria had thought impossible. You changed Nightmare Moon."

I averted my eyes, finding the praise to be embarrassing. "I only tried to do what I thought was right..."

Celestia sighed, "You did. I only wish I could've looked at things differently at the time. It was very unbecoming of me to judge Nightmare Moon so harshly without listening to someone who had actually met her before."

Luna nudged her sister, "Do not fret, Celestia. Nightmare Moon has changed for the better, and in the end, that is all that really matters. Right?"

Celestia nodded with a faint smile after a moment, "Very true. And there are going to be some big changes in Equestria very soon."

Luna then asked, "If it is not too much to ask, may I remain here with Nightmare Moon a while longer? I wish to speak to her more."

Nightmare Moon chuckled, "The light side of the moon wants to listen to her dark side? Oh, the irony."

Celestia nodded, "That sounds fine to me. James, let's leave them be for now." I nodded and followed Celestia out of the room. But before I went too far, I turned and peeked back inside the room.

"So... Luna. What changes have occurred in my absence?" Nightmare Moon asked with her eyes fixated on her sister.

"Well... There is Nightmare Night, which is..." I decided to take my leave and let the two alicorns chat without anyone eavesdropping.

With nothing else to do and no one to talk to, I decided to just explore the royal palace. With most of the guards gathered around Donutopia, I did not encounter anyone. I did pass by the door to the throne room, but decided to leave it be. I already knew what was in there.

The halls were elegantly designed, but some seemed rather bare with the stone walls exposed. I do not feel it is necessary to go into detail on how every single hallway in the palace looked, not to mention it would take a long time to flesh out the words needed to describe such detail. But I eventually came to a familiar balcony that faced west. The same balcony where I departed from Canterlot a few nights ago.

The view from that balcony is fantastic. You can see for miles. I could plainly see Ponyville far below me and the Everfree Forest even further to the...

The Everfree Forest. It was then that I remembered something important. Mitta was still out there. Right now, she was probably in Sunny Town with all the other cursed ponies I had slaughtered a few nights ago. Do they even remember what happened?

I sighed to myself, remembering that I had made a promise to go back there one day to help Mitta. But is there a way? Can the curse be lifted from just one pony instead of...wait.

I gasped as my head jerked up. During Nightmare Night, Luna claimed that she had set the curse upon Sunny Town herself. And if she could cast the curse, she could also remove it!

A smirk spread across my face. I knew then what I had to do. "Hang on, Mitta. I'm on my way."

I knew better than to head into the Everfree Forest unarmed, so I made my way to the throne room. Upon entering, I found Celestia seated upon the throne with two unicorn guards standing at the base of it.

"Welcome, James. Is there anything you need?" Celestia asked with a smile.

I nodded, "I'd like to get to my armor, if that's OK."

This seemed to surprise Celestia greatly. "Your armor? But you just regained consciousness today! What could you possibly need it for?"

I replied, "It's...personal. I need it in order to do something."

After a brief pause, Celestia stood up. "Well, I can't tell you what to do with your own equipment. I trust that you know what you're doing." She then looked down at the two guards and spoke, "You are dismissed, gentlemen. Make your way to the lobby for some Donutopia."

No sooner had she said that did the guards suddenly make a break for the doorway, discarding their serious expressions for looks of excitement. "I take it the royal guards really like donuts."

Celestia chuckled as she approached me, "You have no idea. We frequently order batches from the local donut shop." She then turned to face the throne as her horn was engulfed by a familiar golden yellow aura. "Now then, let me get that for you."

Like before, the throne began to raise up to reveal the hidden stairwell that led to the hidden vault where my armor and weapons rested. "I'll wait up here for you." Celestia spoke once the throne had been raised as high as it would go.

"I won't be long." I replied before approaching the throne and making my way down the stairwell.

The stone passage still carried a cool musty scent. It could probably be effectively used as a food cellar if needed considering how cool it felt in there. However, the lighting was very poor. Without Celestia to light the torches along the walls, I had to clumsily feel my way along.

However, before I got far, I could feel a faint presence. As if something was guiding me. It felt familiar, but I could not quite place it. I stopped and looked around, probably standing right in the middle of the corridor. The presence was directly ahead of me, so I walked straight ahead. I did not collide with anything along the way, my hands held low to feel for anything that might get in my way.

Before long, my hands bumped into something cold and hard. It felt like...a stone altar. The first thing I decided to look for was my sword and shield. The Celestial Sword could be used as a torch thanks to its glowing blade, so I reached past the altar to try to find the Lunar Shield hanging on the wall. I did not search long. My hands dragged across an even cooler hard surface that did not feel entirely flat. I recognized the shape right away. My hands gripped the sides and pulled it down. The Lunar Shield was back in my grasp.

I felt along the top of the shield and felt a sword hilt. Not wasting any time, I grasped it and pulled the sword from its scabbard. The instant the bottom of the blade emerged, I was nearly blinded by an intense light. With so little light in the cellar, the blade was glowing almost as brightly as the sun. I looked away as I drew the blade. Once it was out, the entire chamber lit up, almost as if it had suddenly been taken outdoors.

The faint warmth that was being radiated by the Celestial Sword's blade was comforting and even gave me goose bumps due to the contrasting coolness I had been feeling moments earlier. I left the sword on the altar to be used as a simple light source for the moment as I looked around further. Resting in the basin in the center of the altar was a familiar blue and white liquid. And resting next to the basin was my helmet. The beautiful white form of the Element of Humanity was facing me.

I suspected that the Element of Humanity itself guided me through the darkness since it has a subtle connection to me now. I smiled, remembering what that Element had helped me gain. Without it, I never would have been able to save Nightmare Moon. I placed my hand on it, the twin dove-shaped gemstone shining in the light. "I don't know if you can hear me, but thank you."

Before I did anything else, I placed my hand in the constantly shifting liquid metal in the altar's basin. A second later, it began to creep up my arm and down my body. It certainly felt odd, but I felt sure I would get used to it over time. But what surprised me most was when the metal had solidified. Any and all damage my armor had suffered during my struggle against Nightmare Moon had seemingly been repaired. Both wings were intact and the circular gaps in the cuirass were gone as well. "Man, this armor is a keeper."

I spread my wings, finding that my control over them was just as precise as before. The process of flying and the use of magic started coming back to me. In order to practice, I tried using the levitation spell to bring the Lunar Shield to my left arm. My right gauntlet was coated in a familiar golden yellow aura, as was the shield. The Lunar Shield then levitated over to the side of my left forearm, the two brass clasps clamping down over it. But before I did anything else, I grabbed my helmet and placed it on my head. Where I was going, I would need as much of my body covered as possible.

I heard a faint sound from behind me once the helmet was on my head. Probably the mane...plume...whatever it was that comes out of the back of it. I took the Celestial Sword in my right hand and left the chamber with the light coming from the blade gradually getting dimmer the closer I got to the stairwell at the entrance. Once I could see clearly... Wait. See?

It then occurred to me that I had not been wearing my glasses at all throughout the entire day. I did leave them with Shining Armor, right? Well, I suppose it did not matter at the time. I could not really wear them with my helmet on. Regardless, I returned my sword to its scabbard once I had begun to climb the stairwell.

Once I was back in the throne room, Celestia looked over at me. She was about to say something, but her expression changed to one of what seemed to be shock. "Oh my goodness..."

I asked, "What? Is it my hair?"

Celestia regained her composure and nodded, "Yes. I know I said that armor looks fabulous on you, but it is even more breathtaking when it is complete. That mane... Just amazing."

I tried to look behind myself, seeing the end of the helmet's mane constantly billowing. Like before, it was made up of a fusion of Celestia and Luna's mane colorations. "Did you specifically make it this way?"

Celestia nodded, "Yes. It was our way of showing who crafted that armor. Although... Since the helmet had never been worn, we never had the chance to actually see it in action."

I smiled, "I'm just glad this stuff doesn't have physical mass. It'd just get in the way."

Celestia chuckled, "Yes, it would. But if it's not too much trouble, may I know what it is you need your armor for so soon after waking up? You're not even back up to 100% yet, from what I heard."

She was right. My blood pressure was lower than desired. But for some reason, I was feeling completely fine in my armor. Perhaps its effects of enhancing stamina were counteracting my fatigue. In any case, I decided to reply honestly. "I need it to help a friend. I promised myself that I would be back for her."

Celestia smiled, "I see. If that is the case, I will not stop you. Just be careful if you get into some sort of confrontation. As I'm sure you found out, that armor does have limits."

I nodded, "I know. I'm not looking for trouble though, so I should be OK." But as I was about to pass Celestia on my way to the door, I paused beside her. "Please make sure Luna knows about this. I'm going to need her help tonight. I'll be back. OK?"

Celestia nodded, "Will do. I'll be sure to let her know to expect you this evening."

I said my goodbyes and left the room. But as I made my way back towards the balcony so I could fly towards the Everfree Forest, I passed numerous guards who likely were on their way back to their posts after eating some donuts. They all stood at the sides of the hallway I was in, staring in awe at my armor.

I felt somewhat nervous at first now that I had become the center of attention, but I then heard Estoc call out from somewhere. "Looking good, sir!"

This gave me a slight boost in confidence, so I decided to dazzle the guards in a way. I stopped walking and stood in the middle of the hall for a moment. I then suddenly spread my wings, a gasp coming from the guards. I think I even saw a few of the pegasus guards spread their own wings, look at them, then scowl in envy at my wings. But I was about to find out that bigger is not always better.

I flapped my wings hard to get myself off the ground. After hovering for a moment, I then flew down the hall with the royal guards watching. However, I barely had enough space to move down the halls without my wings clipping something. A few seconds after I started, my left wing clipped...a pillar? A part of the wall that jutted out to form an arch in the ceiling higher up? I am not sure, but it sent me into a tumble. I crashed right into several guards, making a loud clatter with our armor. I was stuck on my back, the guards under me. Instead of feeling embarrassed though, I burst out laughing from just how silly the act was. The guards joined in, our raucous laughter echoing throughout the halls.

"That's what I get for showing off!" I laughed as I struggled to my feet.

I decided to walk the rest of the way to the balcony to avoid making a fool of myself. Once I was standing on the railing of the balcony, I looked down. I felt a twinge of dread as I felt the familiar fear of falling fill my mind. But I had done this before, so I had nothing to fear. I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. Once I was prepared, I leaned forward and allowed myself to fall off the balcony with my shield tucked over my torso and my wings folded.

I plummeted at great speed; my eyes squinted as I watched the scenery pass me by. I spread my wings after a certain amount of time and pulled up. I was soon soaring through the air to the west at great speed. Flying through the air during the night was one thing, but flying during the day gave me a sort of a sense of freedom and excitement that I had not felt before. I performed loops and spirals and a variety of other aerial maneuvers relying on nothing more than my own body and the armor that covered it. Simply sublime!

As I flew on, Ponyville was coming up fast. I had flown over the town during the night, but this was in broad daylight. While I normally have disdain for being the center of attention, I was strongly tempted to fly through the streets just to see the looks on the ponies' faces when they saw the closest thing to an angel swooping past them.

"Well, you only live once." I muttered out loud before I descended and flew into Ponyville.

I have no idea how many ponies I passed as I flew along. I was moving too fast to really keep count. I could hear shouts and whistles from some of the ponies that actually made me feel confident. At one point, I flew by Twilight's house and saw Spike leaving it with a stack of scrolls in his hands.

"Heh, why not." I spoke as I swooped past him, blowing all the scrolls out of his hand with the wind my speed was leaving in my wake. However, I used the levitation spell to make them follow me as I performed a loop.

"What the?! Where'd they go?!" I heard the young dragon shout just before I flew past him and left the scrolls in a tidy pile next to him. I am not sure what he said after that, but I am sure it went something like, "These scrolls must be getting some self-awareness. Better tell Twilight!".

I continued to weave my way through the streets, having no trouble maneuvering despite my speed. It was as if my reflexes improved to counter my speed. But at one point, I noticed what seemed to be an orange pegasus filly wearing a purple helmet riding a scooter down the middle of the road.

I swooped up alongside the pegasus filly and waved, "Heya, Scoot!" I then flew along, hoping she would try to catch up.

"What the?! Hey, wait up!" I heard the filly call out as the buzzing of her wings grew noisier. Her speed began to increase as she started to catch up to me. Once she was getting closer, she asked, "Is that you, big brother?!"

I nodded, "Yup! What's up, Scoot? You been a good girl while I was in Canterlot?"

She merely stared at me for a moment before replying with an excited grin, "Man, that armor's so sweet! Where'd you get... WAH?!"

With Scootaloo focusing her attention on me, she could not watch the road. Her scooter must have collided with something since my sister suddenly went airborne with her helmet coming off. At that speed, any injuries she would suffer would possibly be life-threatening. Acting more on instinct, I caught her with the levitation spell and moved her to my right arm before I held her in it.

"Oh man... Am I dead yet?" She muttered, her eyes squinted shut.

I smirked as I suddenly flew skyward, "See for yourself."

Scootaloo opened her eyes and stared aghast at our cloudy surroundings. "Oh man, I really am dead! I'm in heaven!"

I nuzzled the top of her head, "Nope! You're fine! Just a thousand feet above Ponyville."

Scootaloo looked down to see our hometown below us. She then muttered, "I'm flying..." She then looked up at me and grinned, "I'm really flying!"

I nodded, "You sure are, Scoot. But come to think of it, where were you going a minute ago?"

Scootaloo smiled at me, "I was just on my way over to our clubhouse to meet up with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. You wanna come too?"

I shook my head, "Sorry, Scoot. I have some important business to tend to. But I can at least get you there." My right gauntlet was then engulfed by a golden yellow aura, as was Scootaloo. "You ready to fly?"

Scootaloo gave me a baffled expression, "Me?! But I can't fly yet!"

I smirked as I let go of her, allowing my little sister to float in the air beside me. "Think again."

Scootaloo flailed about for a second, but soon relaxed when she found she was not falling. "What the... I really am flying!"

I then asked, "Shall we?"

Scootaloo nodded, "Oh yeah, let's rock!"

While constantly keeping Scootaloo to my right, I went into a dive with her doing the same. "All riiiiiiiight!" She shouted, her forelegs held out in front of her in similar fashion to how Rainbow Dash flies more often than not. Her little wings were flapping rapidly, clearly trying to simulate flying the best they could.

"Having fun yet?!" I shouted as I began to pull out of the dive, Scootaloo mimicking my every change in trajectory. I could tell she was having the time of her life. Always grounded, she had never actually been able to soar through the air like every other pegasus. Until now.

We swooped over the rooftops of Ponyville, heading southwest towards Sweet Apple Acres. I saw Big Macintosh carrying a few bushels of apples somewhere below me. Pretty hard to miss a stallion with such a vibrant red coat. I doubt he noticed me though. Regardless, Scootaloo and I flew on over the vast orchard of apple trees.

I was keeping an eye out for the clubhouse's observatory since it reaches higher than the other trees in the orchard. It did not take long to locate with an aerial search. I found the clubhouse in moments. "Man, no wonder Rainbow Dash is obsessed with flying. You get everything done so much faster with it!"

I stopped above the clubhouse, just hovering in place with Scootaloo beside me. "How was your first flight, Scoot?"

My little sister looked at me and beamed, "Way past cool! Can we go again?"

I spread my wings and slowly descended with Scootaloo remaining close to me. "Not today. I have something very important to tend to and it can't wait." Once we were both on the ground, I remembered her scooter. "Hey, is your scooter gonna be OK out there?"

Scootaloo grinned, "Oh, don't worry about that. It has my name on the underside. Somepony will bring it home since everypony knows I live with you now." But as she started to climb the ramp that led to the clubhouse, she looked back at me. "Hey, James? I know you're kinda in a hurry, but I want Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to see you before you go. Can you wait?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Meh, why not?"

"Sweet! Just a sec!" Scootaloo replied before barging into the clubhouse. I turned around and drew my sword while waiting. If they wanted to see all of me, I was going to make sure nothing was concealed.

"OK, he's right out here!" I heard Scootaloo call out before I heard the clopping of hooves on wood behind me.

"Huh? Whoa, who's that?! Is that you, James?!" I heard the voice of Apple Bloom ask.

I spun around and pointed the Celestial Sword up at my friends who were standing on the balcony in a row. "That's SIR James to you!"

Sweetie Belle stared at me with her jaw hanging open. "Wow... I really like his mane!"

For whatever reason, Scootaloo asked, "Do you really mean it this time?"

Sweetie Belle nodded, "Yeah! I mean just look at it! So long and colorful! If only Rarity could see him now."

I smirked as I lowered my sword, "Oh, she has! She even fainted once at the sight of it... Uh, but you didn't hear that from me." The three fillies laughed together.

"Where'd ya even get that armor? Ya'll look like some knight outta some story book!" Apple Bloom asked as she looked down at me from the balcony.

I smiled as I replied, "It was a gift from Celestia and Luna. Very practical, if I do say so myself."

Scootaloo jumped, "Whoa, really?! From the princesses?! They must really like you to give you something so awesome!"

I think I felt myself blush as I scratched my helmet with my sword's pommel, "Heheh... Yeah, I guess they do."

Sweetie Belle then asked, "James, could you show us how you use that sword? I wanna see how amazing you look in a fight!"

This request caught me by surprise. I would have to take great care to not strike anything. "Uh... OK. I'll give you a little show. But stay right there. Don't come near me, OK? This sword is extremely sharp."

The three fillies nodded in agreement. I flapped my wings once to move myself backwards, gently floating across the ground before lightly landing on my feet. The three fillies watched me closely, vocally showing how mesmerized they were.

I felt slightly nervous of going through with this, not only out of risking embarrassing myself, but that I may accidentally get my friends caught in the crossfire. I sighed before speaking, "I'm sorry, girls. I don't feel comfortable doing this. I'll show you one move and that's it, OK?"

Apple Bloom groaned, "Awww... Fine. Just make it a good one, all right?"

I nodded before widening my stance while also getting close to the ground. Then, with a flap of my wings, I leapt skyward. I let out a yell as I went into a spiral, slashing my sword around me in a circular fashion like a rising vortex of blades. As I slowed, I held my sword high before hurling it straight down at the ground. The Celestial Sword became imbedded in the ground while sticking straight up out of it. I then dropped back down, landing on the pommel with just one foot. However, I was not able to keep balance like I had hoped and my weight even pushed the sword deeper into the ground. I was forced to flap my wings to carry myself off of it and land safely on the ground.

"Nice one, James!" Sweetie Belle called out as she and the other two Cutie Mark Crusaders applauded together. I smiled and took a bow before returning the Celestial Sword to its scabbard.

"Hey, James? Where were you going anyway?" Scootaloo asked once the applause had ended.

I replied, "I was on my way to fulfill a promise to a dear friend. And I really should be on my way now."

Apple Bloom nodded and waved goodbye. "All righty then. Good luck out there! And be sure ta introduce us to 'er sometime!"

Sweetie Belle looked over at Apple Bloom and added, "But we don't know if his friend's a girl yet."

I nodded, "Oh, I'm sure you'll be meeting my friend tomorrow. In any case, have fun! See ya later!" I said my goodbyes before taking to the air and flying north towards the Everfree Forest.

It would probably take me hours to actually find what I was looking for if I went into the Everfree Forest on foot at the entrance, so I opted instead to fly over the canopy until I was further along in order to save time. After a full minute of flight, I decided to drop down through the treetops to get my bearings seeing as the canopy stretched for miles. I doubt I could see what I was looking for from the sky.

I found myself surrounded by the wild twisted trees of the Everfree Forest. It strongly reminded me of the first time I ever set foot in it alone several months ago. Only this time I would not be staying too long. Regardless, I began to walk forward, not entirely sure of where I was going. I had to be quick. It would be nightfall in just a few hours.

Not even ten minutes into my search, I came across a particularly unusual tree with windows set in its sides. "Zecora's place?" I muttered as I took a peek through one of the windows. Sure enough, Zecora was standing over the cauldron in the center of the main chamber while sprinkling something into it. The liquid was a vibrant green.

Even though it would likely take me hours to locate what I was searching for, I felt I had enough time to visit my friend. "Oh, why not."

I walked over to the door and knocked on it. Seconds later, it opened inward to reveal the zebra mare I had just seen. "Hm? Such an impressive suit of a metal shell. Yet I feel I know you all too well."

I smiled at Zecora's chronic rhyming and replied, "Yes, you do. It's me, Zecora. James."

My friend took a step back before smiling, "Ah, how foolish of me to not notice right away. Please, do come in, my friend. You are welcome to stay."

I ducked low to squeeze through the small doorway, but found that my shield and wings made it a little tricky. I did manage to get inside after twisting and turning, but ended up closing the door on my mane. At least it would have if the mane had physical mass.

"Phew. They need to have bigger doors in Equestria." I chuckled once I had taken a seat on a stool.

Right after that, Zecora began to circle me. "The form and glamour of this armor is without measure. Where did you find such a fabulous treasure?"

I replied, "It was a gift from the princesses. You know, Celestia and Luna?"

Zecora nodded, "Oh, the friends of yours from Canterlot so royal. Their kindness is certainly constant and without fail."

I then asked, "Actually, I was hoping you could give me some advice. Have you ever heard of a village in the Everfree Forest known as Sunny Town?"

Zecora displayed true dread in her eyes as she replied, "I know not the name, but a village there is. But why do you seek a den where the undead hiss?"

I replied, "I have a friend there who I want to see. And don't worry about me. I've tangled with those freaks before. They can't hurt me with this armor in the way."

My zebra friend nodded as she seemed to relax a bit. "Hmm... So I see. However, I know not where you may find this village. Forgive me."

I sighed; slightly disappointed that Zecora would not know where I could find Sunny Town. But considering what its inhabitants might do to her, I cannot say that I blame her for not dedicating its location to memory. "I see. Thanks anyway."

I remained in Zecora's place for a brief time, chatting with her while sipping tea. Finally, I felt I had to leave. Things would get.....complicated if I reached Sunny Town after nightfall. "Excuse me, Zecora. I really need to get going. I need to find Sunny Town before it gets dark out."

Zecora nodded, "I understand. But take care, my friend. Dropping your guard around them will mean your end." I understood that all too well. I gave my friend one last friendly embrace with my right arm before squeezing myself through her doorway and heading on my merry way.

My search did not get me anywhere. I was walking about for two full hours with no results. I had come across Froggy Bottom Bog at one point, but knew better than to get anywhere near that place for fear of drawing out the hydra again. Even with my current gear, that thing was still way too much for me to handle.

I paused for a minute; trying to remember what path I took during my first visit to the Everfree Forest. That was impossible, of course. I only visited Sunny Town once, so there was no possible way for me to remember which route I took unless I have a photographic memory, which I do not.

Just as I was starting to feel mildly annoyed, I felt that familiar sensation. The way one feels when they think they are being watched. Was it that same forest nymph as before? I looked around myself without being subtle, knowing there was no way I could hide which direction my eyes were looking this time.

When I saw no one, I began to suspect that whoever was watching me was hiding in the trees. "Is that you again?!" I called out, hoping the entity would respond.

"Hm. Perceptive, aren't you?" A familiar distorted voice spoke. It seemed to come from everywhere. A type of magic used to project one's voice without giving away their location? Regardless, she continued to speak, "What brings you out here again so soon? It's not exactly safe to be out here with nightfall being a couple of hours away." I will confess right now that I was finding that voice to be very alluring. Perhaps even seductive.

"I'm trying to retrace my steps to find some place called Sunny Town. I promised myself I would help a friend there." I replied, hoping that strange creature would know which way to go.

"Sunny Town? You don't mean that little hamlet populated by the living dead, do you?" The unseen entity replied, her voice carrying a hint of concern.

I nodded, "I do. I'll be OK though. I've dealt with them before. I should be fine as long as I have this armor."

The voice spoke with a faint giggle, "Mmhmhm... Yes, that armor does look fabulous. Very eye-catching. Well, if you really are searching for that wretched village, I suppose I can point you in the right direction. I know the Everfree Forest's layout quite well by now."

I smiled as I spoke up, "Great! Which way?"

She replied, "Turn to your right... Yes, right in that direction. If you keep going that way, you should eventually find it. And be sure to get in and out of there before the sun sets. Staying in that village after nightfall is.....unadvisable."

She did not have to tell me twice. I nodded, "Will do. And thanks."

However, before I got far, the voice spoke again. "Wait." I stopped, wondering what she wanted now. "That gemstone on your helmet. Is that an Element, by any chance?"

I nodded without turning around, "Yeah. The Element of Humanity."

I heard the voice chuckle, making me feel uneasy. "It sounds...vaguely familiar. Interesting..." It then cleared its throat, "But don't let me keep you. Off with you now. Go and share your boundless love with that dear friend of yours."

Boundless love? That was certainly flattering. And what made her say that? I grinned sheepishly and waved behind me, "Uh... Thanks. I'll be sure to do that." Strangely, while I walked, that feeling of being watched never left me.

I walked and searched for around a few hours, but still could not find any trace of Sunny Town. Did it vanish into thin air? Did I simply go off course? Or was that forest nymph just messing with me?

However, just as I was beginning to feel frustrated, a voice spoke behind me. "Hello, mister. Are you lost?"

It sounded familiar, but I could not quite place it. When I turned around and looked down though, I instantly recognized the little gray filly before me. "Ruby! Been a while! What's up?"

The little gray ghost filly gasped, "Wait... James?! You look awesome in that armor! Mitta told me about it, but I never knew it looked like this!"

I smiled, "It's a long story, and now that it's starting to get late, I really don't have much time to talk. Do you know where Mitta is?"

Ruby nodded, "She's in Sunny Town right now."

I then asked, "Could you take me there? I can't seem to remember the way."

Ruby seemed to frown before asking, "Um... Are you sure you wanna do that? It'll be nightfall very soon. And you know what happens there after nightfall."

I nodded, "I do. And I'll be fine. Besides, it's important. I need to see Mitta."

Ruby nodded, but retained her frown. "OK. I'll take you. It's this way." She turned and began to walk. I stayed right behind her the entire time.

We did not converse much while we walked. But before long, we stopped in front of an obvious path that I recognized. "This is as far as I go. I'm not welcome in Sunny Town anymore."

I smiled and nodded, "Thanks, Ruby. I'll be sure to... Wait. Not welcome anymore? What did you do in there?"

Ruby's glowing yellow eyes seemed to show a hint of sadness as she bowed her head, "I don't want to talk about it... Mitta might show you though."

I was beginning to suspect that Sunny Town was harboring some dark secret. How long has Ruby been a ghost? Could the town's curse have something to do with her? Where all the other ponies become zombies at night, Ruby remains a ghost at all times.

I reached down and stroked Ruby's head, "OK. I'll let her know you said hi. Will you be out here when I leave?"

Ruby nodded with a slight smile, "Sure. I'll watch for you, James. I'll show myself when it's safe. And be careful in there." I nodded with a smile and headed down the path before me, the little ghost filly watching from where she stood.

As I drew closer, the familiar soft glow of light could be seen at the path's end. And once I reached the end of the path, I was greeted with a familiar sight. Sunny Town stood before me, with everything looking exactly the same way it did during my first visit. Even the same young couple from before was standing before the same table holding the same trays of food. "Do they hold a party every single day?" I muttered to myself as I entered.

Mere seconds after I stepped inside Sunny Town's borders, a familiar gray earth pony stallion trotted over to me. "Well, helloooooohh man..." The pony stared up at me, his dark eyes beholding me. I said nothing as I looked down at him, still very wary of him after what he and the rest of the Sunny Town zombies tried to do to my friends a few nights ago. "Um... Don't recognize the helmet, but... You're James, right?"

I replied dryly, my body ready to draw my sword at a moment's notice. "Yes, Gray Hoof. It's me."

He took a step back and chuckled nervously, "Oh, hey! I thought I recognized that awesome armor. I...uh...hope you're a bit more relaxed after that little scuffle a few nights ago. I mean, we are friends, right? Maybe you had a little temper tantrum or something, but I won't judge. In any case, welcome back!"

Gray Hoof's characteristic hospitality was still just as constant as the first time I saw him. I am not sure if it was genuine or an act though. "Uh... Thanks. In any case, I'm looking for Mitta. Have you seen her?"

Gray Hoof glanced around, "Sorry, she's the one pony here I can't seem to keep track of. She doesn't talk to us much, but she's around somewhere."

I nodded, "OK. I'll just look around then."

But before I could take more than one step, Gray Hoof spoke up. "Just a second." When I looked down at Gray Hoof, he smiled, "I know we're friends, but..." I felt myself tense up as his normally dark eyes began to radiate a faint crimson glow from the irises for a brief moment, "Don't cause any trouble, OK?" I merely nodded in silence before turning and walking into town.

I decided to grab a bite to eat while I was at it, so I loaded up a plate with various foods that were being offered on the table near the entrance. I held the plate in my right hand while using the levitation spell to move the food to my mouth since it would be difficult to move my left arm to the plate and to my mouth with the Lunar Shield still attached to it. "Hm... So this is how unicorns eat." I muttered softly.

As I walked along, the ponies of Sunny Town seemed to be giving me a wide berth. And I do not blame them. I was suited up for battle and prepared to defend myself when necessary. Regardless, I looked around in the small hamlet, trying to find Mitta wherever she may be. By the time I reached the very same spot where I had found Mitta for the first time, I began to wonder what the rest of Sunny Town even looked like.

I finished my snack before leaving the plate on a fencepost. I walked past the house Mitta had been resting against before walking along the backside and passing a simple well. A little further ahead, I saw an interesting sight. There was a path that led into the trees like a way out of Sunny Town. The lighting beyond that border was very dim, but it was the only place I had not yet searched. Drawing my sword, I walked along the path while being mindful of my surroundings.

It was much darker than in town as I walked along the path, although the gentle glow of the Celestial Sword's white blade helped ease my wariness. At this rate, I was surely going to be stuck here until nightfall. Hopefully I would be able to get by the zombified ponies without conflict.

After following the forest path for a minute, I noticed something up ahead. It seemed to be a humble cottage. There was no light coming from the windows despite being as late as it was, so I suspected it was either a storage shed or was simply abandoned. But when I went a little further, I noticed someone resting on the ground under the cottage's right window. A gray earth pony mare with crimson hair.

"Mitta!" I spoke softly, feeling a burst of relief flow through my mind. I ran over to her, my enchanted greaves carrying me across the ground at swift speeds.

When Mitta detected the sound of my clanking footsteps, she raised her head and looked my way. Her melancholy expression changed to one of shock. "What... James?! Why are you here?!"

I stopped in front of Mitta before sheathing my sword. "I couldn't stay away, Mitta. I needed to see you again."

Her face seemed to show amazement as she looked up at me. "That helmet and mane is..." She then shook her head, "Ugh, there's no time for that. You shouldn't be here! Go, now! The night will begin any moment now! If you run, you might make it to the town's entrance."

I shook my head as I got down on one knee. "I will, but not without you. I'm getting you outta here, Mitta."

My words clearly shocked my friend, her red eyes opening wide. "Get me out of here..." She then frowned, "James... You know that won't work. When morning comes, I'll be drawn back here..."

I shook my head as I placed my hand on her head, "I know someone who can break the curse on you. I'll take you to her. Don't worry, I'll make sure they understand if you look creepy by then."

I was expecting Mitta to look overjoyed from what I had just told her. Instead, she bowed her head with a very sorrowful expression. "James... Do you even know why we are cursed?"

I replied, "Some sort of crime, right?"

She then asked, "Yes. But what did we do?" I did not answer, having never once been told the details about the actions that led to the curse being placed on Sunny Town. Mitta then looked towards the cottage's front door. "The evidence is in there. You'll understand once you see it."

With how dark the cottage looked, I was beginning to get a deep sinking feeling in my gut that it may have been a makeshift torture chamber. "Um... Is it safe in there?" I asked, fearing the place may be booby-trapped.

Mitta replied, "It's safe in there. I'll wait here."

Curious of just what it was the ponies of Sunny Town did to provoke Luna into cursing them, I approached the front door and pushed it open. Once I had ducked through the small doorway, I closed the door behind me. However, with it being as dark as it was in there, I could not make out a thing.

"OK... Just how am I supposed to... Oh!" I remembered that the Celestial Sword can function as a torch. I quickly drew the sword from its scabbard but had to look away for a moment since the sword was shining brighter than it ever had before. Probably to compensate for the almost total lack of light in the place. "Ugh! Better not look at it directly."

I stabbed the sword into the floor in the center of the place to evenly spread the light around. I found that the cottage was very bare and actually very small, even by cottage standards. It only had one big room. Judging by the conditions of the walls and the few pieces of furniture in the cottage, not to mention just how dusty it was in there, this place seemed to be very much touched by the flow of time without any kind of magical intervention. It looked as if it had not been used for years, possibly even centuries.

The only furniture in the room seemed to be a table on one side with a bed in the far corner. There was also a fireplace in the center of the furthest wall. I looked around from the center of the room, but did not see anything particularly out of the ordinary. "Maybe I'm not looking hard enough."

I began to look along the floors and walls before closely examining the two pieces of furniture in the room. I let my curiosity take over, guiding myself around while taking in the atmosphere. I felt a twinge of excitement, as if I was exploring some sort of time capsule. It is rare to find dwellings like this that are centuries old while still being intact.

After searching the walls, I found something that caught my eye. In the corner of the room, I found what seemed to be.....dark stains on the floor. It seemed to be black, or maybe a very dark shade of.....red? "Is that.....blood?"

The overall amount staining the floor was rather small, but there was a barely noticeable trail leading to the right. Towards the...fireplace? Indeed, the trail stopped in front of the fireplace. I decided to examine the fireplace, getting down on one knee and looking closely. I noticed several chunks of something mixed in with a small amount of ashes. They were scorched black with carbon residue, a clear sign they had been exposed to intense heat and flames. However, it seemed that a fire had not been set here in quite a while.

One piece seemed a bit off to me. It was somewhat round. I reached in and picked it up to closely examine it. For some reason, its size and shape strongly reminded me of something. One thing about it did catch my eye though. On one side, there were two surprisingly large holes in it. Almost like a pair of...eye sockets.

I felt my pulse quicken slightly. The eyes of a foal are certainly large and the size of the holes in this round...bone object certainly fit with them. Was I holding a skull? And if it was, that meant the other solid chunks in the fireplace was...an entire skeleton.

I held the skull in my hand, the front side facing me. "Who were you?" I muttered, wondering who this child was. But as I looked at it closely, the face of one young filly flashed through my head along with the memories of one fateful night in the Everfree Forest.

"It's OK, James. They can't hurt me anymore."

I dropped the skull, quickly climbing to me feet and staggering backwards. A powerful sense of horror came over me. I knew who this filly was. "Ruby..."

That little ghost filly. Ruby had been murdered in this very cottage! Was it... Did the ponies of Sunny Town do it? No, who else could it have been? Who else could she have been referring to? And yet...

I held my hand over my heart. This realization disturbed me deeply. For as long as I had been in Equestria, I always felt that the act of murder was not something a pony could ever consider. These ponies of Sunny Town... They had defied the very laws of their nature to murder a child... It is no wonder Luna cursed them so terribly. And yet... One question remained unanswered in my head.

"Why...?" I muttered, still beholding Ruby's scorched remains.

I gazed down at the skull that used to be Ruby's head. What had she felt as her killers prepared to deliver the fatal blow? Did anyone try to save her? Did she truly die alone in this cottage? The very bottom of my vision became slightly blurred before I felt a single tear trickle down each of my cheeks. I wanted to reach out and embrace Ruby, but that was no longer possible.

I felt a twinge of anger. A faint desire to bring justice to the ones who had murdered this innocent child. But I did not know who to direct my anger to at the time. I needed to know who it was who had killed Ruby before desecrating her body. And the person to ask was clearly Mitta.

I retrieved the Celestial Sword and took it in hand before sheathing it. I did not need any light to make it to the doorway. However, when I approached it and reached for the doorknob, I froze. I could feel a subtle chill fall over the area. That kind of chill that makes cold sweat ooze from your pores. I am not sure how to describe how I knew, but I did. I could just somehow tell that the night had begun and that the curse of Sunny Town had taken effect.

Did I really want to leave this cottage? The fact that it did not change form with the curse active probably meant it was the only safe haven in Sunny Town at this point. I would probably stay safe if I remained indoors..... No. That was not an option for me. I had to see Mitta and get the truth from her. And, of course, I had to fulfill the promise I made.

I opened the door and stepped outside, finding the area darker than before. But I also noticed a faint red glow over the area and myself, as if someone was shining a red light in my direction from the left. I knew what it was.

"Did you see it?" I heard Mitta ask. When I turned to the left to see Mitta, I found that her form had changed. Like a few nights ago, her body had become grimy and dark, her mane and tail scraggly and dull. Her eyes had become like two glowing red beacons, but I did not feel any fear towards her.

I was blunt with my response. "Mitta... Was that Ruby?"

She bowed her head, "Yes... Those bones in there are all that's left of Ruby's body..."

I then asked while remaining standing, "What happened here? Why was Sunny Town cursed?"

Mitta sighed before she spoke, "Over a thousand years ago... During a party like you saw when you first came in, Roneo misplaced a gem he was going to give to Starlet. They're the young couple you always see together. Ruby was the one who found it, but in the process, she gained... What did you call that symbol on the flank again?"

I replied, "A cutie mark."

Mitta nodded, "Yes, that. We had never seen anything like it before. Gray Hoof thought it was a curse. He rallied the ponies together and tried to 'keep her from ruining the party'. They cornered her in her home right here. They..." Mitta bowed her head and closed her eyes as crimson tears began to stream down her face. "They beat her to death...and threw her corpse into the fireplace... I could've stopped them, but..."

I was both angered and horrified by what I had just heard. Being beaten to death is a slow and torturous way to die, especially for a child. And the fact that Ruby was just a child when they... Any and all sympathy I had for the ponies of Sunny Town was instantly destroyed. They deserved their fate. But Mitta... "You were cursed with them for not doing anything to save her, right?"

"Yes... I don't deserve your sympathy or friendship... I deserve this fate... Just go... Leave and save yourself..." Mitta replied, burying her face in her forelegs.

I sighed before I got down on one knee and rested my right hand on Mitta's shoulder, "I can't do that. I promised to get you outta here."

Mitta shook her head, "No... I know I don't deserve your help... That's the truth."

But I replied, "Are you sure that's the absolute truth? Or is that just your personal opinion?"

Mitta did not reply at first. She looked up at me, seeming very conflicted. I could tell she clearly wanted the curse on her to be broken, but her colossal guilt was holding her back. I then smiled, "And another thing. Ruby says hi."

Mitta's face displayed shock at my words. I continued, "You see? She holds nothing against you for what you did not do. And what's more, you saved me, Mitta. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't warned me about Sunny Town's curse when I first showed up several months back. I'd say that warrants some forgiveness."

Mitta sighed, "Are you really sure I've done enough to be worthy of being saved?"

I scowled at her, "Would I have bothered going out of my way to come out here to the middle of the Everfree Forest if you weren't?"

Mitta cracked a very slight smile, "I guess that goes without saying..." She slowly climbed to her feet, "OK... I'll...go with you. But do you really think there's somepony out there who knows how to lift the curse?"

I smiled while patting Mitta on the head, "Who better to do the job than Princess Luna herself?"

Mitta clearly showed some fear when I mentioned that name. "But... Princess Luna cast the curse herself! She was furious that we did such an unspeakable act under the cover of her night!"

I replied, "She's also one of my closest friends. She'll listen to me."

Mitta paused for a moment before nodding, "All right... I trust you, James."

I then turned to head back down the path that led into Sunny Town, "OK. Let's get going. We should hurry, right?"

Mitta nodded, "Yes, we need to have the curse lifted by dawn. When the sun rises, I'll be drawn back into Sunny Town."

Since the time of the year was late spring, we had easily nine to ten hours to get to Canterlot. "Got it. Let's get moving then." I then began to walk down the path with Mitta beside me, but I paused and looked back at the abandoned cottage that now served as Ruby's grave. We would have to go through Sunny Town to leave. And that meant...

"I'll slaughter them..." I muttered under my breath. I then turned and continued walking.

Upon reaching the outskirts of the village, I found exactly what I was expecting. With what little moonlight that was shining through the treetops, I saw that Sunny Town was now in ruins. It was deathly quiet save for the sound of our footsteps. I spoke softly, "You think we can get outta here without being detected?"

Mitta shook her head, "I strongly doubt it. You can't see them, but they're still close by."

Under other circumstances, I would have been eager to avoid confrontation. But after seeing what they had done to Ruby, I actually felt eager to attack them. It may have helped knowing that I was safe in the confines of my armor, even more so now that I had a helmet. "Fair enough. Let them come." I replied, prepared to draw my sword when needed.

The two of us walked through Sunny Town's dark ruins unimpeded, Mitta leading the way since her eyes acted as something of a light source. But once we were near the center of town, a raspy voice spoke up nearby. "Hey, you found Mitta. Was she hanging around by that old shed out back?"

Mitta backed up as she got behind me. "Gray Hoof... I don't want to talk to you right now."

I glanced to my left, the sound of footsteps coming from a collapsed cottage. A skeletal pony lined with exposed muscle and entrails emerged from behind some rubble, his empty eye sockets filled with an unholy red glow. It was Gray Hoof. I scowled at him the instant I saw him.

"You never want to talk to anypony anymore, Mitta. You've always been so melancholy." Gray Hoof spoke, his tone raspy yet friendly. Too friendly. Too...innocent. Just hearing him talk like he had never done anything wrong was starting to get my blood boiling.

I took a step forward and spoke, "It's because she doesn't want to associate herself with monsters like you."

Gray Hoof seemed genuinely shocked by my words. "Monsters? James, that's harsh. What'd we ever do wrong?"

I growled, "Does murdering a little filly ring a bell?"

Gray Hoof seemed to smile, "Oh, Ruby? A shame what happened. She was cursed with the mark. It came outta nowhere, so we had to take swift action. She had the mark, so she had to go."

His carefree demeanor remained constant. But as I listened, I began to understand what it was that could have happened a few nights ago. When I encountered them in the Everfree Forest with my six companions. What they would have done to my friends... To Fluttershy... They would have butchered them if I had not been there to stop them!

At this point, I felt that any explanation to Gray Hoof would be wasted. If he was indeed the one who orchestrated the entire murder, then he was clearly beyond redemption. "If that's the case, I need to show you something."

I unclasped the Lunar Shield from my left arm and let it fall off. I then grabbed my left gauntlet and managed to slide it off like a very long glove. I then raised my sleeve, revealing the white dove-like shapes of my own cutie mark on my upper arm. "I have a cutie mark too. Are we still friends?"

Gray Hoof said nothing as he observed my cutie mark. But after a moment, he finally spoke, "James... You... You have the mark too..."

I immediately knew where this was going. I quickly slid my gauntlet back on and made my shield stand up beside me, my left hand holding it up. Gray Hoof seemed to sneer at me, "Deceiver... You would dare come into our home while carrying that curse?"

I growled, "You're the ones who are cursed, moron! Look at yourself! You murdered a child because of something every single pony acquires at some point! It's completely natural, but you treat it like a plague!"

Gray Hoof seemed oblivious to my words. "She got what she deserved. I wasn't going to let her ruin my party. And now..." He then appeared to grin in a way that seemed to show excitement and genuine malice. "It's time for you to go too."

Something was wrong. The darkness between the trees that surrounded the border suddenly began to turn red. The area was becoming bathed in a crimson light, lending to a very intimidating atmosphere. Was it an effect of the curse? Was it reacting to Gray Hoof's hostile urges? Regardless, all I could really see was the black shapes of the environment around me and the black outline of Gray Hoof in front of me, his two red eyes making it seem like there were two holes in his head that allowed the red light around us to shine through.

This was something straight out of an animated horror flick. And I confess I too was starting to feel very edgy. Mitta spoke from behind me, "James, run! We need to go!"

Another raspy voice spoke, "What's the hurry? We need to send you off with one last party that's to DIE for." I recognized it as Gladstone. All around me, I could hear the earth shifting as dozens of undead ponies rose out of the ground. Only this time, instead of coming at me several at a time with new ones popping up to take their place, the entire undead army from a few nights ago was surrounding me.

I glanced around, feeling a sense of impending doom. All that red and black... God, it was something out of a nightmare! Even with my armor to protect me, I was gritting my teeth and unable to move from the spot I was standing.

Mitta spoke, "James... I'm sorry. You shouldn't have come back... I'll try to hold them off. Get outta here and leave me." She was standing to my right, looking up at me like a shadow in the red.

I looked down at my friend. It was then that in my fear I remembered why I was even there. I had returned to Sunny Town to get her away from that deathtrap. And I had already faced these monsters before with little difficulty. I felt some of my courage return to me, knowing that if I could best these zombies once, I could do it again.

"No... I'll take care of them." I muttered, my right hand reaching for the hilt of the Celestial Sword. I was not going to let their numbers intimidate me. "Mitta, take cover behind something. I don't want you caught up in the fight."

Mitta seemed hesitant, but she nodded, "OK... I know you've handled them before. I'll be right over here." She ran over to a crumbled cottage and jumped over the ruined wall, taking shelter inside.

I drew the Celestial Sword from its scabbard, allowing the Lunar Shield to fall to the ground. I did not even need the shield to protect me if my armor was good enough to repel their attacks. The only way they could harm me was if they managed to get to my face, and not one of them was tall enough to do that.

As I held my sword, the light that constantly emits from the blade caused the immediate area around me to return to normal, the dark ground and stone from the collapsed homes around me looking as if they were being bathed in the glow of a lantern. The area further away, as well as the zombies, were still black outlines against a crimson background.

I breathed deeply, trying to remember the little ghost filly these monsters had murdered. The filly who guided me to shelter eight months ago. The little friend I had made. The child whose corpse remained inside her own home. I felt a faint rage start to build up in me, my fear all but gone. My grip on the Celestial Sword tightened, my body prepared for battle.

As I looked at my sword, a thought occurred to me. Each of my gauntlets have unique magic properties that only Luna and Celestia possess. I had not undergone any training to harness any of that unique magic aside from the basic levitation spell, but I decided to experiment.

My right gauntlet was coated in its familiar golden yellow aura. I then focused further, channeling it into my sword. As the aura engulfed the entire thing, the white blade of the Celestial Sword was engulfed in surging white flames. I could feel the heat, the flames banishing the red light and allowing the area around me to return to normal, the village around me appearing to be during the evening while places further away were darker. The zombies looked on, their empty eye sockets still casting a red glow towards me.

After beholding my flaming sword for a moment, I turned my gaze back towards the Sunny Town zombies. "There's one thing I need to do before I leave." I then spread my wings as I grasped the hilt with both hands, "I'm sending you all back to Hell!"

One of the more skeletal ponies charged me, moving a bit faster than the last time I had seen them. It did not get me. Once I felt it had come close enough, I swung my sword. I think I may have swung too soon, since only the tip of my sword clipped its nose. Despite this, the instant it made any contact, the skeletal zombie burst into white flames before collapsing in a pile of ashes in only two seconds.

"I only barely touched him..." I muttered, amazed by just how toxic the white flames are to the undead.

After this, the entire undead army of around fifty zombies decided to just bum rush me. "Bring it on!" I shouted, swinging my sword to the right with both hands grasping the hilt. My sword cleaved through the zombies like air. They would burst into flames before collapsing in a pile of ashes in mere seconds, so intense was the heat of my blade.

Even though I was not afraid, I quickly noticed that while I swung my sword to one side, zombies would try to swarm me from my blind side. I would try to kick them away, but it was not very effective in repelling them. Although my armor more or less made me invincible to the zombies, they could potentially swarm me, drag me down to the ground, and attack my exposed face.

"Back off!" I called out, flapping my wings to jump over the swarm of undead ponies and landing among some rubble from a collapsed house. Dozens of glowing red beacons turned to face me. As I considered my options, my eyes glanced at the flaming blade of the Celestial Sword. If the magic in my right gauntlet could cause the blade to ignite, perhaps I could launch flames from my right hand as well. However, I quickly dismissed the idea. Due to my lack of training and experience in using that kind of magic, I risked losing control of it. And the last thing I wanted was to end up burning the entire Everfree Forest to the ground. It would be better if I did not even try to attempt it.

The zombies began to shamble towards me, moaning things about a mark this and burn that. It was just one big incoherent chant. But as I looked at my sword again, I had an idea. It would not be a fair fight, but do murderers like them deserve fairness?

I let go of the Celestial Sword as I used the levitation spell on it. The flames remained on the blade, still casting light over the area. As I beheld the undead masses approaching me, I muttered, "When outnumbered, fighting fair just isn't an option."

With a swing of my arm, my sword moved further away from me and lashed out with a wide horizontal slash, cleaving through several zombies at once. Like before, they burst into flames and were reduced to ashes. I could almost see a type of chain extending from my hand and attaching to the hilt of my sword. I smirked, realizing that I could use magic to attack foes from a distance without resorting to magical blasts or the like.

With waves of my arm, the Celestial Sword moved back and forth, cleaving through dozens of zombies in seconds. At this rate, the fight would not last much longer. I actually felt a little disappointed that the zombies could not put up a better fight. However, I felt a twinge of excitement when I saw the one remaining zombie actually jump and evade my sword's movements. "Gray Hoof... You always have to get the last laugh."

I called the Celestial Sword back over to myself and grabbed the hilt. I needed to make certain I had something to defend myself with incase that speedy cadaver managed to get too close. "James... You really are a monster... That curse made you so violent... Looks like we really need to get rid of you after all..." Gray Hoof hissed as he began to charge at me with speed that one would never expect from a zombie.

By this point, I was fed up with Gray Hoof's hypocrisy. I did not even offer a retort to his words. Once he came closer, I held out my left hand as a cobalt blue aura coated my gauntlet. Gray Hoof too was coated in the aura as he floated off the ground. "What the... Hey! This isn't fair!"

I replied dryly, "Were you fair to Ruby when you beat her to death?"

I said nothing else as I lifted Gray Hoof higher into the air. The flames on the Celestial Sword died down, leaving the glowing white blade untouched. I then threw the sword towards Gray Hoof while guiding it with magic from my right gauntlet. I then made it go into a spin while moving around Gray Hoof. Over and over, the blade cleaved through him from various angles while spinning like a wheel. After around ten seconds of slicing and dicing, I called the Celestial Sword back to my hand and allowed Gray Hoof to fall. Although it seemed his head was intact, his body was... Do not even ask me how many pieces he was in. I could not honestly tell you.

Even though Gray Hoof should have been incapacitated by the loss of his body, his empty eye sockets continued to glow that frightening shade of red. "I can't let you ruin the party... You have the mark... You have to..." I decided to end the fight right there. Before Gray Hoof could finish what he was saying, I placed my foot on his skull and applied more pressure before crushing it under my heel.

The area had become deathly quiet. My eyes scanned the area, the ground littered with piles of ashes and Gray Hoof's remains. Somewhere in my mind, I felt a distinct satisfaction from my actions. But at the same time, it did not feel all that fulfilling. It is a complicated feeling that I find difficulty in explaining.

I heard what sounded like a few rocks rolling and turned to face the source of the sound. Mitta was beginning to emerge from the crumbled ruins she had taken shelter in. I asked, "You think that was all of them?"

Mitta slowly approached me, her gaze fixated on me, the Celestial Sword being the only source of light in Sunny Town aside from the few rays of moonlight shining through the treetops. I still had my wings spread, a reflex that usually stays in effect until I have relaxed enough after a fight. "James... Are you...an angel?"

Her words actually surprised me. And perhaps...in that light surrounded by the shadows of a village cursed by evil... I suppose I did appear as an angelic figure with my large white wings spread. "No, not really. I'm just someone trying to do the right thing."

Mitta paused for a few seconds before running over to me and embracing me tightly. "Mitta?" I asked, not sure why she had become so clingy.

"Please... Let me stay close to you for now... I feel safe with you." Mitta replied, her face pressed against my cuirass.

I smiled slightly, resting my left hand on the back of her head. "I won't leave you, Mitta. But lets get outta here. We only have until morning before the curse drags you back here, right?"

Mitta nodded as she released her grip on me, "Yes... Let's hurry. I don't want to live like this anymore."

I nodded before calling the Lunar Shield back over and attaching it to my left arm. "OK. Let's go." Mitta led me along, weaving her way around the fallen debris from the crumbling structures around us.

Once the way out of the village was clear, I took the lead. I walked with Mitta by my side, the Celestial Sword bathing our surroundings in its soft glow. But once we were standing before the path that led into the Everfree Forest, we both stopped and looked back at the cursed remains of Sunny Town.

The dark and crumbling structures loomed in the distance, being a mess of rotting wood and crumbled stone. So much evil has happened here... I will never understand how these ponies became monsters. The ponies of Equestria are kindhearted by nature, from what I have learned. No matter how much they squabble, resorting to murder is not in their nature. Yet, the ponies of Sunny Town...

"Do you think they will ever learn?" I asked without taking my gaze off of the village.

"No. Even in death, they fail to understand. It has been over a thousand years since the curse was cast, and they are still no closer to redemption now than they were at the start." Mitta replied before looking up at me. "I hope I never have to set foot here again..."

I nodded in silence. I then turned and pointed my sword ahead. "Let's get going." Mitta turned and began to follow me down the path. I doubt I will ever see Sunny Town again, nor do I want to. Those monsters can rot here forever for all I care. I looked over my shoulder one last time at the cursed village before turning my eyes away for the final time.

Once the path started to become harder to notice, the two of us stopped. "Um... Where are we going again?" Mitta asked, her glowing red eyes gazing up at me.

"Well... We need to see Luna since she's the one who cast the curse." I replied, trying to remember which way is east. "She lives in the royal palace in Canterlot."

"Canterlot? Is that a town?" Mitta replied.

"Uh... Right, you've been out of touch with Equestria for quite a while, haven't you? Canterlot is the capital of Equestria." I replied with a slight chuckle. If she has been cursed as long as I suspect, then Mitta probably does not even know who Nightmare Moon is.

"Yes, it's been a long time..." Mitta replied while bowing her head.

"It's OK. You'll get caught up in time. But do you know which way is east?" I asked with a smile.

Mitta bluntly replied as she began to walk to my left, "This way. I'm sure it is." She seemed very certain, so I trusted her. I made sure she stayed by my side at all times as we walked through the Everfree Forest. I would have been very nervous without the light of the Celestial Sword guiding our way.

I am not certain of how much time passed, but we eventually reached the edge of the Everfree Forest. Sure enough, there was Ponyville not too far away. "I've never been outside of the Everfree Forest before... It's so open out here." Mitta spoke as she gazed around with wonderment.

"Get used to it, Mitta. Equestria is a big place." I replied. I then looked around and found that we were close to Fluttershy's cottage. Even though I only needed to take Mitta to Canterlot, I still wanted to check on my friends since I had been out cold for a few days. I would also feel more confident if my friends were with me when I go to Canterlot.

"Mitta, let's check on Fluttershy first." I spoke while starting to head south. Since the moon was out and bathing the area with its light, I felt it was unnecessary to have the Celestial Sword out and returned it to its scabbard.

"Um... OK." Mitta replied. I could tell she was utterly fascinated by her surroundings, those glowing red eyes glancing everywhere.

I led Mitta right up to Fluttershy's cottage and stopped in front of the front door. She asked, "Do you live here?"

I nodded, "Yup. But this cottage actually belongs to Fluttershy. She's my girlfriend." I then knocked on the door and waited for a response. A moment later, the top half of the door creaked open just a little.

"Who's there?" A meek little voice asked.

"It's me, honey. I brought...oof!" Before I could even finish what I was going to say, Fluttershy pushed the door open and flew right into my arms and gave me a tight embrace.

"I missed you..." I heard Fluttershy squeak out, her eyes squinted shut as tears trickled down her face.

Once I had calmed down from the surprise hug, I too embraced my girlfriend the best I could. "I missed you too, honey..."

After a moment, Mitta spoke up. "Um... Miss Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy glanced down at Mitta and gasped, "Eek! You're one of..." However, she then paused and let go of me while seeming to be observing Mitta. "Wait... You're...Mitta?"

Mitta nodded, "Yes, that's me. How are you?"

Fluttershy smiled, "It's good to see you again. I'm surprised James went to get you instead of coming home first. You must be very good friends."

Mitta bowed her head and sighed, "He's one of the few friends I have. I think I only have two."

Fluttershy smiled, "Well, you're always welcome in Ponyville. We don't judge ponies based on how they look. At least...we don't anymore."

I spoke up, "Honey, is Scootaloo in bed?"

Fluttershy nodded, "She went to sleep an hour ago, I think."

I then smiled, "OK. Now, we don't have all that much time. I need you to go get Rainbow Dash and meet up with us at Twilight's place. We need to get our friends together for a trip to Canterlot tonight."

Fluttershy frowned, "But... I haven't even spoken to you for two days now... I don't want to leave you so soon..."

I smiled and kissed my girlfriend on the cheek, "I'd love to stay with you too, honey. But this is a time-sensitive issue. We need to get Mitta to Canterlot before dawn. I got her out of the Everfree Forest so we could get rid of the curse that was put on her. And only Luna can do that."

Fluttershy gasped lightly and nodded, "Oh... I see. Then we really should hurry. But when this is over, I want to stay with you for the rest of the night. OK?"

I nodded, "I'd love that. But first, we need to gather up our friends. And when you're done with Rainbow Dash, could you tell her to go get Applejack too?"

Fluttershy nodded, "OK. I'll go to Twilight's place after that. We'll see you there, right?"

I nodded, "You bet."

Fluttershy smiled as she took to the air. "OK, we'll see each other there, James. Make sure you stay with him, Mitta."

Mitta nodded with a faint smile, "I will." We then watched as Fluttershy flew east towards Ponyville. Even after all this time, I am still not certain where Rainbow Dash lives.

"Let's go, Mitta." I spoke as I began to head back down the dirt path.

"OK. I don't know my way around, so please guide me." She replied after catching up to me.

However, before I got too far, I thought I heard something to my left. Towards the Everfree Forest. "Um... Mitta? Could you wait for me at the edge of town? I need to check something."

Mitta replied, "Um... OK. But please don't take too long." As she walked ahead, I went closer to the forest's edge.

"Is someone out here?" I called out. I did not wait long for a response. Out of some bushes walked a familiar gray filly with eyes that glowed like yellow beacons. "...Ruby."

I hurried over to the little gray filly as she smiled at me. "I still can't believe what they did to you... They really were all monsters..." I spoke, still feeling immense sympathy for the child before me.

Ruby replied, "It's OK, James. They can't hurt me anymore. And besides..." She then walked up to me and rested her head against me. "Thank you for helping Mitta. She didn't deserve to be stuck there."

I asked, "You and her have always been friends, right?"

Ruby nodded, "Ever since that night, Mitta was the only pony who ever cared about me. She's the only friend I've ever known. At least until you came along."

I got down on one knee and gently stroked her head, "What will you do now? Mitta won't ever go back to that place now that she's out here."

Ruby giggled, "I'll go where Mitta goes! And this place looks really interesting. I've never seen a place like this... Oh! Does Apple Bloom live around here?"

I smirked, "Yeah, I thought you knew her. She lives a little ways south of here on a farm called Sweet Apple Acres. Only she's probably asleep right now, so wait until morning before you visit."

The little ghost filly nodded, "OK. I'll wait until then." She then looked around, "I think I'll have lots of fun out here."

I nodded, "I can't imagine living anywhere else other than Ponyville. This is the best town I've ever known." I then asked, "Wait... You're just a ghost, right? When do you think you'll...ya know...move on?"

Ruby smiled warmly at me, "I'll move on once Mitta does. I don't want her to be alone. I mean I know she has you now. And she'll have your friends too really soon. But...just in case. I don't want to take that chance."

I lifted her up and kissed her on the forehead, "I'm glad to hear that. You're a sweetheart, Ruby."

The little filly giggled, "So are you! I don't think I've ever met a human like you!" She then nuzzled her face against my cheek, her forelegs wrapped around my neck.

I cuddled with her the best I could. However, I then remembered Mitta had gone ahead. She was probably still waiting for me. "Ruby, I need to catch up to Mitta. We don't have a whole lot of time to get her to Canterlot."

Ruby smiled as she let go of me and dropped down to the ground. "I know. I'll wait for you to come back. But...what IS Canterlot?"

I pointed to the east, my finger directed to the structure jutting out of the mountainside in the distance. "Right up there."

Ruby gasped, "Oooooh, that's it? Wow, I've never seen a city on a mountain! But how will you get up there? Fly?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I suppose I could, but I want my friends to be with us when we go. So we'll take the train."

Ruby cocked her head to one side, "What's a train?"

"It's a..." I then snickered, not surprised that she has never seen a steam locomotive before. "I'll tell you later. I need to get going anyway."

Ruby nodded, "OK! I'm gonna look around this place while I wait for you."

I nodded, but then smirked, "Just make sure you stay outta trouble. Ponies aren't supposed to have glowing yellow eyes, you know."

My little friend giggled, "Oh, don't worry. I know how to not get noticed. Anyway, see you later, James. And take care of Mitta." I patted her on the head and hurried along to catch up with Mitta. I could only hope she did not enter Ponyville without me.

I found Mitta waiting for me on the outskirts of town. She looked my way and spoke, "What happened? I thought you were right behind me."

I replied, "Sorry if I delayed too long. Anyway, let's get going. We need to stop by the library first."

As we began to walk along, Mitta asked, "Why the library?"

I looked down at her and smiled, "Twilight lives there. Or at least she lives in the loft."

Ponyville's streets at this hour were fairly deserted. We did not pass by many ponies. The ones we did encounter quickly turned and fled, more than likely at the sight of Mitta's rotting form. She would always bow her head and sigh, probably once again feeling guilt.

"Hey, don't dwell on it. By tomorrow, everyone will be smiling at you when they meet you again." I spoke, somewhat glad that the ponies were focusing more on Mitta than me. The last thing we needed were a bunch of awestruck ponies swarming us and inquiring about my armor.

As I realized that, I noticed I still had the Celestial Sword out. Its glow would probably draw attention, so I placed it back in its scabbard. The area was very dark, save for the light coming from a few lampposts positioned around town.

"Ah, there it is." I spoke as I pointed ahead. Directly ahead of us was the library. There was some light coming from the windows, so Twilight was likely still awake. However, Mitta asked, "That tree is a library?"

I replied, "Don't ask how Ponyville architecture works. I don't fully grasp it myself." I then led her to the door, kneeled down, and knocked on it.

"Ugh, who's knocking at this hour? Right when I was about to get to bed too..." I heard a voice speak. It was not Twilight, so it was likely Spike.

"Do you think she'll recognize me?" Mitta asked, sounding pretty worried.

"She should. If not, I'll try to remind her." I replied, resting my hand on her shoulder.

When the door opened, I did indeed find that the voice belonged to Spike. However, before I could say anything, he suddenly let out a horrified yell. And...did those green spines on his head temporarily become separated from his body? He then slammed the door in our faces. I could still hear him yelling from somewhere inside, "Twilight! I told you zombie ponies would take over the world! AND THEY HAVE!!!"

"Well, that was uncalled for." I spoke, trying to not smirk at Spike's overreaction to Mitta.

"Who was that?" Mitta asked as she looked at me.

"That was Spike. He's Twilight's assistant. And don't worry about him being scared of you. Lots of kids have very active imaginations." I replied before pushing the door open.

At the far end of the library, I could hear hooves clopping while Twilight's voice spoke, "Under any other circumstances, I would think you're just being silly, Spike. But after seeing real ones a few nights ago, I better at least check it out." Sure enough, Twilight Sparkle came into view.

"Huh? James! You're OK!" Twilight exclaimed as she ran over to me before sailing into my arms. "I heard from Rainbow Dash that you had woken up today. Are you all right?"

I nodded while stroking her mane, "I'm good. Thanks for your concern."

She then asked, "But what are you doing in your armor again? Did something happen?"

I replied, "Let's just say I had a promise to keep. And keeping it meant heading into zombie territory. Right, Mitta?"

Mitta poked her head out from behind me, her glowing red eyes giving off quite a bit of light despite the room being completely lit. Twilight gasped, "Oh, Mitta! It's good to see you again!"

However, Spike yelled from the far end of the room with a broom in hand and a bucket on his head, "That's it! The zombie! Get rid of it, Twilight!"

I laughed, "Spike, knock it off! Mitta's a friendly zombie! And get that bucket off your head, you look ridiculous!"

Spike slowly approached us, the broom's head pointed at Mitta like a lance. "You sure? Those eyes really creep me out..."

Mitta spoke with a melancholy tone, "I don't want to hurt anypony... Please stop that."

Spike seemed surprised to hear our friend actually speak. "Um... Really? You're not gonna pin me down and chew my skull open, are you?"

Mitta seemed to wince at those words. "That's...disgusting."

Spike breathed a sigh of relief before taking the bucket off his head, "OK... Sorry if I freaked out. I just never knew real zombies could also be friendly..." He then sniffed the air before covering his nose with one hand, "Although you smell like you could use a bath."

Twilight frowned, "Spike!"

Mitta shook her head, "No, he's right. My body is mostly rotting, so it's normal for me to smell like this."

Twilight then asked, "Come to think of it, what are you doing out here away from the Everfree Forest?"

I replied, "That's the promise I made, Twi. I'm going to take her to Luna so she can lift the curse that's causing Mitta to be like this every night."

Twilight asked, "A curse? There's no such thing as... Wait. Princess Luna cast it? Why would she do that? You look awful!"

Mitta gazed downward. I decided to reply, "It's a dark story, Twilight. You really don't want to know."

However, Spike asked, "Did they steal the crown jewels or something?"

Mitta sighed, "I don't want to talk about it."

Twilight nodded, "OK, I won't ask why. Although you really don't give me the impression you deserve this fate, Mitta."

I then asked, "Twi, could you send a message to Celestia telling her that we need to see her in a couple of hours?"

My unicorn friend replied, "It's awfully late right now. Can't it wait until morning?"

I explained, "That's not an option. When the sun rises, Mitta will be drawn back into the Everfree Forest. We need to see them tonight."

Twilight nodded, "Oh, I see. OK, give me a minute." She levitated a scroll and quill over to herself and wrote something down in it before rolling the scroll up. "Spike?"

The little dragon boy gave her a salute, "Yes, ma'am!" He then grabbed the scroll, walked over to a window, and blew a plume of green flames at the scroll. The scroll was burned down into ashes before drifting out the open window in a trail of smoke. "It's on its way!"

"That gives new meaning to the term 'hotmail', doesn't it?" I asked.

Spike chuckled, "Yeah, I guess that's one way to say it... Whoa. Now that I've got a good look at you..." Spike walked over to me while gazing up at me. "That armor almost looks like one outta my dreams! Totally awesome! Although the mane looks a bit girly to me."

While Mitta let out a giggle, I groaned, "Hey, it wasn't my call. I'm not the one who designed this armor."

Before we could converse further, there was a knock at the door. "We sure are getting a lot of guests tonight." Spike spoke as he approached the door before opening it.

"Howdy, Spike. Did Twilight send fer us?" I heard a familiar voice ask.

"Huh? She did?" Spike then looked back at us, "Twilight, did you want to see Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash?"

I spoke up, "Actually, that was me."

"OK. Yeah, you were... WHOA!!!" Spike yelped as he was launched into the air as Applejack came barging in. I managed to catch him upside-down in one hand, his eyes rolling around in his head. "Whoa... What hit me? I blinked and missed it."

Applejack then ran right up to me, "James, ya'll OK? Ya got any feelin' in yer hooves... I mean toes?"

I chuckled, "I'm OK, AJ. Honestly."

She then stood up on her hind legs and embraced me as tightly as she could. "Yeah, I knew yer a tough one ta keep down. But that don't mean I wasn't worried 'bout ya." I swear I could hear my own armor buckling under her strength. If that armor was not in the way, I would have likely been snapped in two.

Rainbow Dash then flew over to me and grinned, "I knew you were feeling fine, but what's with the awesome armor again? Ya just like it so much that ya gotta wear it all the time?"

I replied, "I needed it if I was going to get Mitta out here. Those zombies aren't exactly a kind bunch."

Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped, "Whoa, hold on! You went up against those zombies AGAIN?! What for?! You just like messing with them for kicks?!"

I looked over at Mitta, "To get her outta there, of course. I promised I would help her someday."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at my undead friend. "Huh? Oh, Mitta! Howdy! This yer first time in Ponyville?"

Rainbow Dash waved, "Oh yeah! Her! What's up, Mitta?"

Mitta smiled a little more warmly than usual, "I'm honored you remembered me..."

Applejack grinned, "Well, it just wouldn't sit right if friends fergot 'bout each other, would it?"

Fluttershy then flew over to me and embraced me, "I brought them all here like you asked, James. All that's left is Pinkie Pie and Rarity, right?"

I nodded, "Yup. The sooner we get them, the better."

Rainbow Dash then asked, "Hang on. What're we doing again? What's wrong with Mitta anyway?"

Twilight replied, "It's the effects of a real curse that was placed on her and the other zombies by Princess Luna. And we need to see her before the sun rises or else Mitta will be drawn back into the Everfree Forest again. So we really don't have that much time to waste."

Fluttershy then gasped, "Oh my... What if we miss the last train out of Ponyville? They don't run all night, you know."

Rainbow Dash hovered in the air while flexing her forelegs. "You guys leave that to me! I'll make sure they don't leave without us! Go get Pinkie Pie and Rarity and meet up with me at the train station!"

I smiled, "Thanks, Rainbow. Just don't overdo it."

My brash pegasus friend nodded, "Will do! See ya there!" She then bolted out the door in a flash.

"Well, guess we should get going, right?" Twilight asked.

Applejack nodded, "We should. Let's mosey, girls."

Spike let out a yawn as he made his way to the stairs, "Count me out... It's way past my bedtime anyway."

Twilight smiled, "It certainly is. Sweet dreams, Spike." Right after that, we all left the library and headed towards Sugarcube Corner.

As we walked, Fluttershy asked, "So... Mitta? If you're out here, does that mean the rest of the zombies are too?"

Mitta shook her head, "No. They have no interest in ever leaving that wretched place. Nor do they deserve to. And I don't think they can after what James did to them on our way out."

If Rainbow Dash was there, I am sure she would have lightly smacked my right pauldron and said, 'Aw yeah, zombie slayer James busting some boneheads! Never gets old, right?' At least I am sure that is what she would say.

I frowned, "There was no pleasure in that encounter. That was justice, not fun. They saw my cutie mark and turned on me. If I didn't take them down, they would've slaughtered me."

Applejack suddenly glanced up at me, "Slaughter ya?! That's a might extreme, ain't it?! What do they got against cutie marks anyhow?!"

Mitta replied, "They view cutie marks as a curse. And anyone who has one...has to go."

Twilight stopped in her tracks, "Then...when we met them for the first time. The way they kept going on about us having to go. They were trying to..."

Fluttershy then looked at me, "Then that means... James, we owe you our lives."

I shook my head, "You girls owe me nothing. If anything, that was my turn to repay you for all the good you've done for me over the past several months."

Twilight smiled, "Still... I'm glad you were there for us at the time, James."

However, Applejack then asked, "Hang on! Ya said that yer kind out there in the Everfree Forest have somethin' against us ponies with cutie marks? Does that mean ya also..."

Mitta shook her head, "No, I have nothing against them. My only friend out there has a cutie mark."

Applejack chuckled nervously, "Uh...OK. Sorry if I seemed a bit nervous. Wouldn't want a zombie gnawin' on my skull outta nowhere."

Mitta nodded, but suddenly glanced up. "What...is that?"

Fluttershy replied, "Oh, that's just Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie lives there."

It seemed that Mitta was absolutely enthralled by the appearance of Sugarcube Corner. "It looks so...delicious..."

I spoke up, "It isn't really edible though... Hey, Mitta!" I noticed that my undead friend was already chomping on the low railing along the steps that led up to the front door. They looked like gingerbread walls topped with white icing.

"Mmph... What's wrong with this? It's so...hard and tasteless..." Mitta grumbled, her hooves hanging over the sides of the wall as she rested on the steps.

Twilight giggled, "That's not really made of gingerbread and icing, Mitta. It's just made to look like that to go with Sugarcube Corner's theme. It IS a place where all sorts of sweets are made."

As Mitta took her mouth off the wall, I asked, "You don't get out much, do you?"

Mitta replied, "This is my first time outside the Everfree Forest..."

I averted my eyes, having temporarily forgotten that Mitta has never seen any kind of architecture outside of Sunny Town. "Oh... I guess you've got a lot of catching up to do, huh?"

I then snickered, remembering something from my first day in Ponyville, "Well, at least you satisfied my curiosity. I wanted to try tasting the place when I first showed up, but you saved me the trouble." Everyone present chuckled, though Mitta merely gave a slight sheepish grin.

I found that the door was locked when I tried to push it open. "Are you sure Pinkie Pie lives here?" I asked, having never actually visited Sugarcube Corner this late in the day.

Twilight nodded, "Yes, though she lives in the loft on the second floor. You have to actually go through the shop itself to get up there."

I tried ringing the doorbell in the hopes of getting Pinkie's attention. "Do the Cakes live here too?"

Fluttershy shook her head, "No, they live somewhere else. And... Mitta?"

We found Mitta still trying to eat the railing leading up the sides of the steps. Applejack groaned, "Mitta... Sugarcube, I swear that stuff ain't hard from bein' stale. It just ain't edible. Keep that up and you'll knock yer teeth out."

The door suddenly opened as a familiar pink pony wearing a sky blue nightcap with a pale yellow bottom and spherical plume at the tip stood in the doorway. She then yelped, "Ack! Bad zombie! No eating Sugarcube Corner's decorations!"

Mitta stopped gnawing on the wall and stepped back, "Oh... I'm sorry. It's just that it looks so...tasty."

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Believe me, I know! Once, Granny Smith tried to take a bite out of it. And she had to get a new set of dentures after that!"

Applejack chuckled, "Oh yeah, I remember that day. Couldn't understand halfa what she was sayin' all day!"

After we all had a good chuckle, Pinkie Pie asked, "Wait a second... Aren't you...wait for it... Mitta?"

Our undead friend nodded, "Yes, it's me."

Pinkie Pie hopped, "Ooh, I knew it was you! Those creepy red eyes are so easy to remember!"

Twilight then explained, "We don't have that much time to talk, Pinkie. We need to get Mitta to Canterlot before the sun comes up! And we want you to come with us."

Our silly party animal friend smiled, "Oh! OK, I'll go! It's not even midnight yet though, so we have plenty of time! And..." She suddenly looked my way and gasped, "James! You're OK! I mean... You ARE feeling OK by now, right?" She seemed to be slightly nervous as she spoke to me. And I knew why.

I replied with a smirk, "I think the better question is what were you doing in Canterlot today while hiding under a cardboard box. Trying to make off with my shipment of donuts?"

Twilight asked, "Huh? She was in Canterlot today? What for?"

Pinkie Pie seemed to become more nervous. "I found her hiding inside a cardboard box while Estoc and I were delivering a batch of donuts to the palace. What were you doing up there, huh?" I asked with my right fist resting against my hip.

Pinkie Pie nervously giggled, "Uh... My Pinkie Sense told me that something really yummy and tasty was about to show up or something in Canterlot. So I hurried up there and saw you with that royal guard pulling a cart with Donut Joe's famous Donutopia on it."

I snickered, "I thought as much."

Pinkie Pie then seemed to try to change the subject. "Anyway... Mitta, you want something sweet? Come inside and I'll get you something before we go to Canterlot!"

Fluttershy smiled and stepped forward, "Sugarcube Corner is famous for all the sweets it makes. Come on in."

Mitta nodded, "OK... I'm already picking up a delightful aroma from just outside the doorway." She then entered with the rest of my friends.

However, before Pinkie Pie could follow them, I grabbed her by the tail. "One more question." Pinkie Pie then looked up at me. "That...um...red exclamation point you ate today... What did it taste like?"

Pinkie Pie held a hoof to her chin, "Ooh, that's a toughie. It was a whole bunch of flavors mixed together. Um... I'd have to say it tasted like a mixture of raw meat...nitro glycerin...really bland food...cardboard...naughty magazines...and lots and lots of drama."

I stared at her without speaking for a moment. "You...have a really creepy sense of taste, Pinkie. How do you even know what drama tastes like?"

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Oh, it would take waaaaay too long to explain. Just take my word for it! Trust me, even I don't entirely get it!" She then trotted inside Sugarcube Corner.

"I'll bet the last person she tried to explain it to ended up in an asylum the next day." I muttered under my breath as I followed her.

Once we were all inside, Pinkie Pie flicked on a light switch. "OK! So, whatcha wanna try, Mitta? Sugar cubes? Sugar canes? Sugar puffs?"

I retorted, "How about something sugar free?" Everyone present laughed, save for Mitta.

Mitta smiled just slightly, "Um... To be honest, I don't know where to start... What do you recommend?"

Pinkie Pie grinned, "How about something James came up with?"

I replied, "Oh, those. Hang on a sec." I tried to go into the kitchen, but found that my armor and shield added some extra bulk to my form. Especially my folded wings. When I found I was having trouble slipping through the swinging doors of the kitchen, I asked, "On second thought... Pinkie, would you mind bringing her a chocolate drop, a blueberry pound cake, and some of those vanilla chocolate chip cupcakes?"

Pinkie Pie trotted by me, "You got it!"

Mitta asked, "You came up with those, James?"

I smiled, "Not exactly. The cupcakes were a recipe that I tweaked a little while the chocolate drops and blueberry pound cake was something I brought from where I come from."

Twilight then asked, "Um... Not to change the subject, but are you OK? I'm amazed that armor actually got in the way of something for once."

I smirked, "Well, when I have enough trouble getting around Equestria's undersized housing on my own, of course my armor is going to make things worse." My friends all chuckled in unison.

A few seconds later, Pinkie Pie came out of the kitchen with a tray on her head. Resting on top was a blueberry pound cake sprinkled with sugar, a trio of chocolate drops, and a couple of those cupcakes with buttercream and chocolate icing. "Oki doki, Mitta! Here's what you asked for!"

Mitta sniffed the air once the tray was set on the counter before her. "That... It smells very sweet."

Applejack chuckled, "Just wait til ya taste 'em."

Mitta took a bite of the blueberry pound cake. Once she had swallowed though, her face became somewhat blank. "That's..." Her eyes seemed to glow a little brighter before she went to town on those sweets, devouring them nonstop.

We all stared, not sure what to make of Mitta's ravenous appetite. "Uh... Am I the only one here who thinks she's gonna eat us when she's done with that?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy replied, "Um... I'm not sure... But she is eating all that with even more enthusiasm than Pinkie Pie does."

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Maybe she's just gone way too long without something good to eat! Give her a minute!"

In only one minute, the tray had become bare. Mitta breathed a satisfied sigh, one hoof rubbing her own belly.

"So, what'd ya think?" Applejack asked.

Mitta's only response was a very loud belch. She then covered her mouth and spoke softly, "Sorry." We all chuckled together. It was actually somehow pleasing to see my friend having such a healthy appetite, even while under the influence of Sunny Town's curse.

Mitta sighed, "That was amazing... May I have some more?"

I replied, "I'm not sure we have time. Remember, we need to get to Canterlot ASAP. Can we come back later?"

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Or you can just take it to-go! You go on ahead, I'll catch up after I stock up on goodies!"

Twilight spoke, "Next stop is Rarity's house, right?"

I nodded, "She's the only one not here. And I'd hate to leave without her."

Pinkie Pie nodded, "OK! You go on ahead and I'll catch up soon!" After she had gone back into the kitchen, the rest of us headed out the door and made our way southeast.

Mere minutes later, I heard the galloping of hooves coming up behind us. Sure enough, it was Pinkie Pie. And...oh my goodness. Forget about her carrying a tray on her head. She was pulling a whole cart of treats! Although it seemed that she had remembered to leave her nightcap behind.

"Heya, girls! I made sure to bring enough for all of us!" She cheerfully called out.

"Um... Isn't this a bit much?" Mitta asked, clearly just as surprised as I was to see Pinkie Pie bring along so much food.

Pinkie Pie replied, "Oh, you can never have too many treats with friends!"

Applejack hung back to allow Pinkie Pie to pass by her. "In that case, don't mind if I do!" She then chomped down on a muffin.

We all enjoyed a little snack on our way to Rarity's home, although Mitta out-ate all of us. We actually had to restrain her to make certain there was something left for Rarity when we arrived. But before long, the elegant form of Carousel Boutique came into view.

"What's that? It's so...pretty." Mitta spoke, her glowing eyes clearly dazzled by Rarity's home.

Fluttershy smiled at her, "That's where Rarity lives. It's called Carousel Boutique."

I added, "Where everything is chic, unique, and magnifique." When they all looked at me, I shrugged my shoulders. "What? That's what she says to most of her first-time customers."

The lights were clearly on in the second floor, but the ground level section of Rarity's house seemed dark. "I'll go see if Rarity is available." Fluttershy spoke as she flew up to an open window.

A brief moment later, Fluttershy flew back down to us. "She's on her way down here right now."

Sure enough, the lights on the ground floor turned on followed by the door suddenly opening. "Well, hello everypony! To what honor do I owe such a late visit at this... Oh, darling! You're awake!" Rarity suddenly leapt at me and gave me a tight embrace. "I know the doctors claimed you were going to be fine, but you've been asleep for two full days! I was beginning to fear you had lapsed into a coma!"

As usual, Rarity was reacting with a great deal of flair and passion. Still, I would be lying if I said I was not happy to see her. I rested my right hand on the back of her head and stroked her beautiful indigo mane gently. "I missed you too, Rarity. But this isn't a social call. We need to get to Canterlot right away."

"Get to Canterlot? Whatever for... Oh, I see. You need to return that fabulous armor, don't you? Such a shame. I wish you would wear it all the time!" Rarity replied, clearly enamored by the armor that was coating my body.

Applejack then spoke up, "Beggin' yer pardon, Rarity. But the real reason we need ta go is...well..." She then pointed at Mitta, who was standing right behind me.

The instant Rarity locked eyes with Mitta, she suddenly jumped back. "Eek! Not one of you again! Begone! Don't you dare lay one of your wretched filthy hooves on..." She paused for a minute, taking the time to actually get a good look at the undead pony before her. "Wait... Are you... What's the name? Mitta?"

Mitta nodded with a faint smile, "Yes, it's me. Thank you for remembering."

Rarity smiled sheepishly, "Oh dear, please do forgive me for that little outburst. Those eyes combined with that frightful dark visage brought to mind those dreadful abominations that tried to do.....whatever they had planned for us a few nights ago. That is to say...the ones that looked bonier than you! I mean, you are also one of them... A zombie, that is. But you're not one of..." She paused for a moment before asking, "Am I rambling?"

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Yep! Keep going! It was getting funny!"

Rarity blushed, "How unbecoming of me... But...what was it again that we need to go to Canterlot for?"

I replied, "To get this curse removed. Mitta, that is. And only Princess Luna can remove the curse since she's the one who cast it."

Rarity gasped, "You?! Cursed?! Oh, that simply won't do! I must go with you to insure that Princess Luna listens to our pleas..." She then gagged, "But first, we really must do something about that horrid stench and your...off-putting appearance."

Twilight replied, "Rarity, I really don't think we have enough time for..."

However, Rarity stubbornly retorted, "Nonsense! I refuse to let Mitta meet with our princesses for the first time looking AND smelling absolutely dreadful! Before we go anywhere, I will fix this little problem!"

Before any of us could object, Rarity's horn was engulfed by a billowing azure glow. Mitta too was engulfed in it and was lifted off the ground. "Wait! What're you doing to me?!" Mitta called out, clearly not expecting this approach.

"I would've pulled you inside, but I am not placing my mouth anywhere on your grimy coat." Rarity replied before 'carrying' Mitta inside.

"You think we should keep an eye on her?" I asked, not entirely certain if baths and zombies mix well.

Twilight replied, "That might be wise."

Once we entered Rarity's home, we already found the beautiful unicorn hard at work on scrubbing Mitta down in a small tub. Several bath tools were floating around them. "Uh... Is this really necessary?" Mitta asked, her eyes squinted shut.

"Of course! You don't want to be shunned by the princesses due to that horrid odor, do you?" Rarity replied. But when she noticed us watching, she spoke, "A little privacy, please!" Several folding screens moved to block our view, boxing the two ponies in.

"Well... Ya'll think we should just make ourselves at home?" Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded, "With Rarity that dead-set on making Mitta 'prepared' for her meeting with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I don't think we'll be going anywhere for a bit."

While the rest of us tried to pass the time any way we could, Pinkie Pie trotted over to a screen with her cart behind her. "Rarity! I brought you some goodies if you want a little snack!"

Rarity's voice replied, "I appreciate the offer, but I never eat anything sweet at this hour. I don't want to risk harming my gorgeous figure."

I chuckled, "Got that right."

I then heard Rarity speak, "I heard that, James! And thank you so dearly for the compliment!" I will admit right now that Rarity, at least in my eyes, is the most beautiful unicorn in Ponyville.

In any case, Pinkie Pie grinned, "Ooh! More for me!" She then devoured whatever was left on the cart. I am actually surprised she did not eat the cart itself.

While we waited for Rarity to finish dressing up Mitta, Applejack tried to hit me up for conversation. "So, James. Ya'll went back ta scrap with the zombies, right? How'd it go?"

I replied with a smile, "Very well, as you can see. They didn't stand a chance."

She chuckled, "Yeah, I thought so. After the way ya mopped the floor with 'em last time? Did ya finish off the last one like ya did before? Sword straight through the chest?"

I snickered, "Not quite. Diced him up into too many pieces to count."

"Whoa... Turned the guy inta mulch, huh? That's...uh...a mighty messed up thought there." Applejack replied, seeming slightly unnerved by the thought.

I paused, watching some of Rarity's various tailoring tools floating through the air along with some red fabric. When they fell behind the screens, I heard her start singing. "Thread by thread, stitching it together..."

"I haven't heard that in a while." I muttered, having always loved Rarity's singing voice.

Fluttershy seemed to notice the fabric and asked, "Um... Rarity? Will you be much longer?"

Rarity replied, "Not until I finish some proper attire for... Uh oh."

Applejack asked, "Whaddya mean 'uh oh'? What happened?"

She then asked, "James, could you hand me some black thread, please? It should be on the table near the front door."

I did as she asked, retrieving the spool of thread. I asked while approaching the screens, "OK, got it. But what do you need it for?"

Rarity replied with a hint of nervousness, "Oh, nothing much. It's just that..."

But Mitta then spoke up, "Is that my ear in the water?"

All of my friends looked at the screens with expressions of shock. "What?! Rarity, what're you doing?!" I shouted, beginning to fear for my friend.

"I can fix this, I can fix this! Just give me a moment!" Rarity called out as the spool floated out of my grasp and behind the screens. "Aaaaaand....done! See? I could fix this."

Mitta replied, "Um....all right?"

I then heard Rarity speak, "So sorry about that, Mitta. I did not know your body was this fragile." I then heard what sounded like some sort of spray being used followed by a delightful aroma filling the air. Some perfume? "Now, be still for a moment, dear." It sounded like Mitta had just stood up in the tub.

"A snip here and a stitch there... Voila! Oh, you look simply darling!" One of the screens folded back, allowing Rarity to step forward. "Even the undead can look striking in my designs!"

Fluttershy stared for a moment before speaking, "Oh my... That's just...lovely."

Mitta stepped forward, her eyes gazing at herself. Rarity replied, "I would've added some matching shoes, but we're running on a tight schedule, so I left them for another time."

Overall, Mitta did not look much different from when I last saw her. However, her mane, tail, and coat looked much cleaner. Although her coat was still stained black and her mane and tail still very dull, all the grime and such that had gathered on her had been washed off. She certainly smelled much better too. I suspect Rarity used her strongest perfume to overwhelm the stench that Mitta's body was giving off. What was more, she was now wearing a long flowing red dress that went surprisingly well with her dark body. The design was simple, yet elegant. I am sure Rarity made it that way to save on time. And on her head behind an ear was a red rose. For some reason, that attire brought to mind a flamenco dancer.

"Whoa... You look...great, Mitta." I spoke, surprised by just how elegant my undead friend looked. Her glowing red eyes were somewhat off-putting, but I could overlook that.

Mitta replied, "You...really think so?"

Fluttershy smiled, "Of course. Rarity can make absolutely anypony look amazing. It's what she lives for."

Rarity giggled, "Fluttershy, you are too kind."

Mitta seemed like she wanted to say something, but could not find the right words. Eventually, she did speak. "I'm... Nopony has ever done so much for me before... Are you sure you don't hold anything against me?"

Twilight smiled compassionately, "What makes you think we would? You've given us no reason to hate you. You're our friend, Mitta."

I suspect Mitta was trying her best to not cry. The poor girl. How long had it been since she last received an act of kindness before I met her? "Thank you all..."

I spoke up, "Not to spoil the moment, but we really should be getting to Canterlot right now. I'm not sure how much more time we have before sunrise."

Twilight replied, "Oh, we still have several hours. But you're right. I don't want to stay up too late. Let's go, everypony." Rarity helped Mitta out of her dress and removed the rose on her ear as well.

We made our way to the train station under the cover of night. I could only hope Rainbow Dash had succeeded in delaying the train from leaving. And once the station actually came into view, it seemed she was doing just that. Rainbow Dash was flying back and forth around the station, leading the engineer and conductor around on a wild goose chase while grasping something in her forelegs.

"About time you guys got here!" Rainbow Dash shouted once we were all up on the loading platform.

"Confound it, give it back!" The conductor shouted as he kept jumping while trying to grab the metal stick Rainbow Dash was holding.

"Rainbow, what did you do?!" Twilight shouted at our friend.

The engineer replied, "That's the brake lever! We can't leave if we have no means to stop the train!"

I laughed, "That's one way to buy some time! Make it impossible for them to leave!"

Rarity then stepped forward. The rest of my friends seemed to be gathering around Mitta to make sure the train personnel could not see her. "Excuse me, gentlemen. This train is destined for Canterlot, is it not?"

The engineer replied, "Yes, as soon as we get this brake lever back into the locomotive!"

Rainbow Dash dropped it down to them. "OK! We need to get to Canterlot too!"

The conductor groaned, "Finally. As for... You know what? Forget the tickets. Get inside if you want to go. We're behind schedule enough as is!"

That certainly was a lucky break. My armor does not have any pockets, so I would not have been able to pay due to being unable to carry money with me. But once the engineer and conductor had entered the train, Mitta seemed to be taking a closer look at the locomotive. "Is this a train?"

Fluttershy nodded, "Yes, Mitta. It uses steam power to move."

Our undead friend turned to face us, "Steam power?"

I replied, "Think of it as a combination of water vapor, heat, and pressure. Anyway, we better get going. They'll probably leave without us if we're not onboard soon."

We all boarded the closest car, though my wings still made moving around inside a bit difficult. I just decided to plop myself down onto the nearest seat and stay there since just standing up and walking was such a hassle.

Mitta was standing up between me and the seat across from me. "I've never seen anything like... Wha?!" When the train lurched forward as it began to depart from the station, Mitta lost her balance and fell onto me.

"Didn't see that coming, huh?" I asked, patting her shoulder to calm her down.

"Uh... No, I wasn't expecting that. Are we moving?" Mitta replied while looking up at me.

I pointed at the window, "See for yourself."

Mitta climbed to her feet and looked out the window. The scenery was slowly scrolling by while steadily picking up speed. "We're moving?!" Mitta propped herself up on the windowsill to get a better view. "This is... Wow... I don't know what to say."

Applejack approached us and smiled, "Just enjoy the ride, girl. That's all I can say."

Once the train had left Ponyville, I removed my helmet and set my shield up against the wall. Today felt so short, most likely from me sleeping through a good deal of it.

Mitta stood between me and the bench across from me, where Twilight and Fluttershy were seated. She was constantly looking out the window in wonder. Not that I can blame her. Trains have a certain quality about them that mesmerizes just about anyone.

As I looked around, I noticed that all of my friends were seated right next to me, either directly in front of me or across the aisle. "Um... Twi? Why is everyone always staying close to me?"

My unicorn friend replied with an amused smirk, "Well, let's see. You lost consciousness two nights ago after suffering an impalement wound and have been out cold until today. I think that gives us more than a little reason to be worried about you."

I facepalmed, but winced as I felt my armored hand smack my forehead. "Ow! Well, I guess that was a pretty dumb question."

Fluttershy then jumped from her seat over to mine and embraced me, "Sorry if we're making you feel uncomfortable. We just want to make sure you'll be OK."

I stroked her mane gently, "No, it's cool. Though it might get annoying if it happened every day."

When we entered the first mountain tunnel, the entire train car became pitch black. When that happened, Mitta turned around and faced us. Her two glowing red eyes were the only source of light in the car. "Jeez, that's creepy! No offense, Mitta, but keep your eyes closed until we get outta here!" Rainbow Dash shouted from somewhere nearby.

Mitta replied, "I'm sorry. I can't help it. They always look like this at night."

"Even so, that is truly a frightening shade of red. Perhaps if we... Oh?" Rarity spoke just as we came out of the tunnel.

"Phew, that's better!" Applejack exclaimed.

Pinkie Pie then asked, "Come to think of it, why do you look like this at night? You said something about a curse?" When Mitta nodded, Pinkie Pie asked, "Why?! Must've been something pretty bad! Did you raid Princess Celestia's cake collection?"

I scowled at Pinkie Pie, "That's not funny, Pinkie. The ponies of Sunny Town committed a horrible crime to deserve a curse this awful."

Twilight asked, "You never did go into detail about why you're cursed, Mitta. Why not tell us? It'll help pass the time on our way to Canterlot."

Mitta sighed, "Are you sure you won't hate me?"

Applejack chuckled, "That ain't gonna happen, sugarcube. Love and tolerance. That's what Equestria is all 'bout."

Mitta was clearly having difficulty mustering up the courage to confess her crime. Even so, I perfectly understood that she had changed. She did save me once, after all. "Mitta, if you want..." I spoke while motioning her towards me.

My undead friend seemed to understand what I was trying to say. She climbed onto the seat next to me. I then draped an arm over her in a type of embrace to show that I was there for her. "OK... I'll tell you. But...it's not a pretty story."

Applejack smiled, "It can't be all that bad, Mitta. C'mon, we can take it."

Mitta sighed, "One night...over a thousand years ago... We were having a party. A friend of mine, Ruby, located a missing gemstone that Roneo wanted to give to Starlet."

Fluttershy asked, "Roneo? Starlet?"

I replied, "They're a couple in Sunny Town. Where Mitta is from."

Mitta continued, "I don't know how, but Ruby got a 'cutie mark' as a result of finding the gemstone. But...we had never seen anything like it before. Some of us thought it was a curse or plague."

Twilight spoke up, "Hold on. It's only natural for a pony to get a cutie mark at some point in their life. Usually when they're still kids."

Mitta paused for a moment before replying, "We didn't. Ruby was the first pony in Sunny Town to ever get one. And...one of us rallied the rest of the ponies against her..." Thick crimson tears began to trickle down Mitta's face. "They cornered her inside her own cottage and..."

My friend stopped talking; her eyes squinted shut as she sobbed quietly with her head resting against my armored chest.

"They didn't... James, what happened after that?" Rarity asked, her face showing dread.

I sighed before looking away. "They beat her to death and threw her corpse into the fireplace."

There was a gasp as my six companions looked at us. "Are you kidding me?! That's just...sick!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

Pinkie Pie bowed her head, "How could... I don't... Is it even possible for ponies to kill each other like that?"

Mitta replied while keeping her eyes closed, "That's why we were cursed by Princess Luna. She could not believe the ponies of Sunny Town would do such a thing under the cover of her night."

Applejack then asked, "Wait a sec, Mitta. Why were ya cursed with 'em? Ya'll didn't take part in that murder, did ya?"

She shook her head, "No... I was punished for not doing anything to stop it... I should've defended her, but..."

I then asked, "Twilight... Are the ponies of Equestria violent by nature?"

My wise unicorn friend shook her head, "No, of course not! There are times when we might get into debates with each other and with other races, but killing? That's not in our nature. Murder in Equestria is rare. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it rarely does happen."

I felt a slight sense of relief at Twilight's words, but also a hint of disappointment. If murder does exist in Equestria, then this world is not as pure as I had initially believed. Still... Murder being rare instead of being frequent or constant... I suppose that still makes Equestria better than Earth.

Fluttershy then asked, "Mitta... Are you really sorry for what you did?" Mitta could only nod without saying a word. Fluttershy then smiled, "Then...it's OK now. I mean, you said this happened over a thousand years ago. That's an awfully long time to wait to be saved. I think you've changed by now."

My friend slowly opened her eyes and looked back at our friends, "You...really mean that?"

Rainbow Dash grinned, "Yeah! That sounds just like Nightmare Moon! She was sealed in the moon for a thousand years and look at her now!"

Mitta asked, "You keep mentioning that name. Who is Nightmare Moon?"

My friends looked at each other, apparently baffled as to why Mitta had no knowledge of one of the most infamous ponies in Equestria's history. I replied, "She was cursed by Luna over a thousand years ago. That means it happened before Nightmare Moon showed up."

All of my friends nodded and smiled to show that they understood. "Ooh, right! That makes sense!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Mitta asked, "Still... Do you think Princess Luna will forgive me?"

Twilight nodded, "I think so. She's a prime example of how ponies that were once feared can become loved in Equestrian society."

I stroked Mitta's mane, "I'll make sure she listens. She's a good friend of mine."

Mitta looked up at me before looking back at my friends. "Thank you..."

Without a word, all seven of us embraced Mitta in a group hug. "Mmm... You still smell lovely, darling." Rarity spoke. I was actually impressed that the perfume was holding Mitta's rotting stench at bay for so long.

After a while, Mitta decided to get up and look around the car. Most of my friends stayed near her while engaging in conversation, but I remained seated due to my armored form making it a bit harder to get around. I continued to watch the scenery go by for a few more moments before I heard the clopping of hooves followed by the sound of someone taking a seat beside me.

"Mind if I sit here?" I heard a voice ask from my left. When I looked, I found Rainbow Dash seated beside me.

"Sure thing, Rainbow." I replied, my hand stroking her mane.

We just sat there silently. Watching the landscape moving past us without a word. However, I soon felt Rainbow Dash snuggle up to me a bit. I normally would not have minded, but this was not normal behavior for her. I know Rainbow Dash too well. "Rainbow, are you feeling all right?" I finally asked.

She looked up at me with a somber expression, "Heh, I guess anyone can tell when I'm not acting like myself, huh?"

"I've known you for almost a year by now, Rainbow. Of course I'll notice if something isn't quite right with you." I retorted.

Rainbow sighed, "I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"About our time in the Everfree Forest?" I asked.

"That's part of it..." She replied, sounding fairly down about something.

"Do you want me to lend you an ear?" I asked, hoping I could help relieve her of whatever unpleasant feelings she was experiencing.

To my mild surprise, Rainbow Dash sighed while slowly shaking her head. "It's complicated, James. I don't even know half of what I'm feeling right now."

For some reason, she did not sound like she was being honest to me. However, I feared that prying for an honest answer might make things harder for her, so I decided to not inquire further. "OK. If you need anything, let me know."

Rainbow Dash looked up at me when I noticed what seemed to be tears streaming down her face. "Rainbow... Are you..." I did not get a chance to finish. She wrapped her arms around me the best she could and held her head against me.

"Can I just stay here for a minute?" She asked.

"Sure, Rainbow." I replied, my arms holding her close to me.

The rest of the train ride was without incident. When we reached Canterlot and disembarked from the train, Rainbow Dash was in somewhat better spirits. Unless it was just an act to not draw attention. "OK... So, we head to the palace from here." I spoke once we were on the train platform. There did not seem to be anyone around, which definitely made things easier for us.

"I'll lead the way. Just stay close to me." Twilight replied. However, she then looked back at Mitta. "Actually, Mitta, I think it would be a good idea if you kept your eyes closed until we got there. That red glow is bound to draw some unwanted attention from any of the guards patrolling the city."

Mitta asked, "But...nothing happened when I was in Ponyville. And I really want to see this place. I'm curious."

Twilight replied, "The ponies of Ponyville see more strange phenomena than the ponies of Canterlot do. If anypony here see you, especially with those creepy glowing eyes open, there will be trouble. If you keep your eyes closed, they probably won't pay any mind to you."

Mitta nodded, "OK, but just how will I find my way around?"

Pinkie Pie hopped in front of her and wiggled her poofy tail at her, "Just hold onto my tail! I'll guide you!"

Mitta shrugged her shoulders, "Um... If you insist." She then closed her eyes and bit down on Pinkie Pie's tail. However, she then spoke, "I swear this tastes like cotton candy..."

Pinkie giggled, "That's because it's absorbed lots of yummy smells from working in Sugarcube Corner for so long!"

"Shouldn't we be going? I don't think we should keep Celestia waiting." I spoke up while adjusting the Lunar Shield on my left arm.

"Right, good idea. Let's go, everypony." Twilight spoke as she led the way. The rest of us gathered around Mitta as we walked to try to hide her body from prying eyes.

We reached the palace without incident and entered through the main entrance. A pair of guards were standing at the drawbridge with a spear being held up in one of their forelegs. But their appearance seemed darker than usual. They seemed to be the same unicorn ponies I had seen at times, but their armor was a very dull shade of azure, I believe. Although they still had a golden plate atop their backs that reached down their sides. Perhaps it was the color worn by guards who patrol during the night shift. Once we were inside, Pinkie Pie spoke up. "OK, Mitta. You can let go now."

We stepped away from Mitta since we were now safe in the confines of the royal palace. She then let go of Pinkie Pie's tail and opened her eyes. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. "This place is huge..."

"Makes for a nice change of pace, doesn't it?" I asked.

However, once we entered the main hall, a voice from our left shouted, "Halt!"

Two royal guards had blindsided us at the entrance. They each had a spear pointed towards Mitta. "Identify yourself! What are you?"

Mitta was clearly intimidated by this show of sudden aggression. "I... I'm..."

I stepped in front of her and held up my shield. "It's OK. She's with us. Princess Celestia is expecting her."

Twilight nodded, "It's true. We sent a message to her a little while ago. Please let her through." The guards nodded and returned to their positions at the sides of the entrance to the hall.

"Ya'll OK, Mitta?" Applejack asked.

Our undead friend nodded, "Yeah... Just wasn't expecting that."

Rarity then spoke, "All we need to do now is..."

A voice spoke up, "Looking for me?" Our gazes turned towards the staircase at the end of the hall and found Celestia standing at the top.

"Princess Celestia! Just who we were lookin' fer." Applejack spoke as we walked towards the staircase.

Celestia trotted down the stairs and stood before us. "I rarely get any messages at this hour. What brings you to Canterlot at the stroke of midnight?"

"Well... Remember when I borrowed this armor earlier today?" I asked. When Celestia nodded, I took a step sideways. "This is why I needed it."

Celestia gasped at the sight of Mitta. "You... Aren't you from..."

Fluttershy spoke, "She's from someplace called Sunny Town. We were told she's cursed."

Celestia nodded, "There's a name I haven't heard of in ages. Yes, I recall Luna speaking to me of a place called Sunny Town just a few years before Nightmare Moon came to exist." However, she then frowned, "I am sorry. I know what it is you want, and I am sorry to say I do not know of a means to remove the curse."

Rainbow Dash then asked, "But Princess Luna cast the curse in the first place. She's gotta know a way to get rid of it!"

Celestia nodded, "That she should." She then looked towards the guards behind us. "Guards. Please go fetch Luna. Tell her I need to see her in the main hall."

The guards nodded before galloping away down one of the side halls. "She should be here shortly. Now, who is this exactly?" Celestia spoke.

I smiled, "This is Mitta. She's a good friend of mine who helped me out several months back when I went into the Everfree Forest."

"It's an honor, your highness..." Mitta spoke before bowing before Celestia.

Before we could converse further, there was a flash at the other side of the room. "You called, sister?" When we looked, we found Luna standing nearby. It seemed that she had used the teleportation spell to come to us in order to save time.

I smiled as soon as I saw her. Her face lit up as well upon seeing me. But just as she was about to speak, he face changed to one of shock. "Wha... What is that abomination doing here?!"

Mitta immediately cowered at those words. Rarity spoke up, "Abomination?! Whatever do you mean?! Mitta is quite the lady, if I do say so myself!"

Luna approached us while keeping a look of anger and disgust on her face. "Do you have any idea what she did?! To that child?!"

Rainbow Dash frowned as she and the rest of my friends got between her and Mitta, "We know. She told us."

Luna stood aghast at those words. "You know...? Then...why?!"

Twilight replied, "It's simple, Princess Luna. Ponies can change."

However, Luna growled, "Change? Look at her! The curse is still in effect! If they had learned from their sins, it would've been lifted by now!"

I stepped forward, "Luna, she HAS learned from her mistake. But the rest of Sunny Town hasn't. Is it really fair for her to suffer along with those monsters when she herself has changed for the better?"

Luna seemed to retain her defiance as she sneered, "Even so, she..."

Before the argument could continue, a voice spoke from the top of the staircase. "Luna, what's wrong with you? Is this really how the benevolent princess of the night should behave towards one of her subjects?"

We all turned to look up at the staircase. Standing at the top, still bandaged, was Nightmare Moon. "Nightmare Moon! You're OK!" Pinkie Pie shouted in glee as she hopped once.

Mitta asked, "That's Nightmare Moon?"

Celestia spoke, "Nightmare Moon, you really shouldn't be out of bed just yet. You haven't recovered enough."

However, Nightmare Moon began to casually descend the staircase, "I couldn't stand to remain in that bed a minute longer. Besides, your shouting carries through the halls too well. I had to find out what was wrong."

Once at the bottom of the stairs, she approached Mitta. "Hmm... I remember you. From Sunny Town, right?"

"Yes..." Mitta spoke quietly, clearly fearful of the alicorn before her. I wanted to reach out and embrace Nightmare Moon, but decided to withhold any affection until after the conversation had ended.

Nightmare Moon frowned, "You do know the seriousness of the crime that took place there, don't you?"

Mitta bowed while covering her face, "Yes... I'm sorry... I should've protected her..."

Nightmare Moon then smiled compassionately, "I see. Then I suppose you do deserve to have the curse removed."

At this, Luna spoke up, "Nightmare Moon, no! I cast that curse! And I will decide when..."

Nightmare Moon slyly smirked, "Luna. If your supposed 'evil' side is being more compassionate than you, something has definitely gone wrong somewhere. Wouldn't you agree?"

We all burst into laughter at those words. "Ooooh, burned!" Rainbow Dash called out as she fell on her back.

Luna seemed to be quite embarrassed at being called out by Nightmare Moon. My friend then explained, "I am a textbook case of an evil pony becoming good. I can tell when someone who has sinned has had a change of heart." She then looked down at Mitta, "Although, I suspect you were not evil at all. Just another victim of Sunny Town's vices."

Nightmare Moon's horn became engulfed in a deep blue aura. "Be still, Mitta. This will only take a moment."

However, my undead friend backed away. Her face clearly showed fear. I know she wanted the curse removed, but she was also fearful of the same magic that had cursed her. "Mitta, what's wrong?" I asked, starting to feel concern for her.

"I... I'm afraid... I don't know what to expect..." Mitta replied.

I decided to comfort her the only way I could. I removed the Lunar Shield from my left arm and embraced her tightly. "It's OK. I trust Nightmare Moon. She won't hurt you."

Mitta gazed at me for a brief moment before closing her eyes while embracing me with her forelegs. Deep crimson tears were squeezed out from her closed eyes. I spoke, "Do it. She's ready."

Nightmare Moon nodded while the rest of our friends stood back. She lowered her head, her horn pointed at my friend. Suddenly, Mitta's stained black coat began to...evaporate. It began to peel off of her in the form of a black mist. As it rose from her, the natural gray color of her coat was left in its wake. It began at her snout before moving down her body. Mitta gritted her teeth, plainly afraid of what she was feeling. But once the gray color had returned to her eyelids, the crimson tears that were streaming down her cheeks had become clear. Her faded mane regained its bold crimson hue as the black mist rose from it. I watched, feeling a sense of excitement, as I knew Mitta would soon be free of the curse that has plagued her for a millennium.

Finally, the mist stopped rising. "Ooh, is that how she really looks?!" Pinkie Pie asked.

"She looks very pretty." Fluttershy spoke softly.

"Oh, most definitely. I can't wait to weave some fine ensembles for her!" Rarity spoke with excitement.

Mitta slowly opened her eyes, the unholy red glow gone. They had once again become the bold crimson color I remembered. "Did something happen?"

I smiled, her body having returned to its pre-night appearance. "Take a look at yourself and see."

I stood up and took a step back. "What? Did something actually..." Mitta froze as she looked at her own hoof.

"You're free now, Mitta." Nightmare Moon spoke with a smile.

At first, Mitta said nothing. But she soon spoke loudly, "I... I need to see this!" She suddenly ran towards the way to the drawbridge.

"Whoa, hold yer horses, girl!" Applejack called out as we all chased after her.

Once Mitta was standing on the drawbridge, she looked skyward. Probably at the moon. She then raised her hoof and looked at herself then the moon. "I'm... I'm really..."

Suddenly, Mitta began to convulse. Strange sounds that almost sounded like demented giggling started coming from her. Her head tilted back before she collapsed on the drawbridge.

"Mitta?!" I shouted before running to her side. Her body was still twitching, her eyes rolled back in her head. She was foaming at the mouth with an odd smile on her face. I looked back at Luna, "What happened to her?!"

Luna stepped forward and gently rested her hoof on Mitta's side. She still seemed to be conscious, but was oblivious to our presence. Luna sighed, "Emotion overload. With how long she has been stuck in that cursed deathtrap, I suppose it has been a very long time since she last felt joy. Her mind couldn't process it enough."

I looked down at my friend. I could only hope she was going to be all right. "Princess Luna, is she...?" Twilight asked with a strong presence of worry in her voice.

The princess of the night nodded, "She'll be fine. She just needs to rest for now."

Celestia then smiled, "Nightmare Moon, you never cease to amaze me. But just how did you remove the curse?"

Nightmare Moon smiled, "I was Luna at the time the curse was cast, so I remember the counter spell."

Celestia nodded, but then seemed to summon a tall mirror and a small white box with a teleportation spell. "Seeing you remove the curse so willingly reminds me. There is something I must give you." She then stepped in front of the mirror with Nightmare Moon beside her.

"You do? And why the mirror?" Nightmare Moon asked.

Luna stood beside Nightmare Moon opposite of Celestia and smiled, "So you can see the real you."

My friends and I watched in silence as Celestia levitated the contents of the box out and placed it upon Nightmare Moon's head. "Welcome home, Princess Nightmare Moon."

Resting atop Nightmare Moon's head was a beautiful blue tiara that perfectly matched her armor's coloration. It's design was identical to Celestia's, but with a key difference. On the center 'spire' rested an oval-shaped gemstone. It seemed to be white. Perhaps a moonstone?

I was very surprised to see that Celestia had gone out of her way to have a crown forged specifically for Nightmare Moon. Each of my friends let out a surprised gasp as well. But it seemed no one was more shocked than Nightmare Moon herself. Luna and Celestia leaned against Nightmare Moon with their necks against the underside of hers in the form of an equine hug.

Nightmare Moon's face was frozen in shock, her body standing perfectly motionless. But soon, tears began to cascade down her face while her body trembled. "Celestia... Luna..."

Luna spoke softly, "Say no more, sister. You're home now."

Nightmare Moon did just that. She said nothing else while bowing her head, lightly sobbing while draping her wings over her two sisters. At long last, the Mare in the Moon had finally returned to her kingdom. And I felt a great sense of closure seeing her completely at peace with her sisters.

My friends smiled and clapped their hooves together in applause. Except for Pinkie Pie, that is. She was literally crying a river of tears while holding a blue handkerchief. I suppose she is the kind of girl who cries at weddings.

Celestia soon looked our way and smiled, "All of you. Thank you."

Twilight Sparkle smiled, "It was no trouble, your highness. But if you really want to thank someone, you should thank James. It was all because of him that Nightmare Moon was saved."

"Very true. James, would you come here for a moment?" Celestia replied.

I nodded and approached the three sisters. Once I was standing before them, all three embraced me at once. Due to their size, they could not use their forelegs, so they resorted to draping their necks across my shoulders.

This was a very flattering moment for me. Being hugged by three princesses in front of my friends. Luna then spoke, "You have done us a great service, my friend. We can't thank you enough."

I asked, "What exactly did I do?"

Celestia replied, "Several things. You helped end the eternal night. You saved Nightmare Moon. You gave Equestria a third ruler. But most importantly..."

Luna then spoke, "You gave us the sister we never had."

I could only blush deeply at those words. I then embraced them the best I could, draping my arms over them. Nightmare Moon then whispered, "Thank you again."

I replied, "I just wanted to do what was right."

However, the moment was interrupted when Rainbow Dash called out. "Hey, guys? You think we should just leave Mitta right here?"

I snapped back to my senses as I suddenly remembered my friend that was lying on the drawbridge. She was still where she had fallen, still looking completely oblivious to everyone around her.

"She should be fine... But we really should get her someplace else to rest. She'll wake up sore if she sleeps there." Nightmare Moon spoke upon drying her tears.

I chuckled, "Yeah. Leave that to me." I used the levitation spell to pick her up off the floor before draping her limp body across my shoulders.

Applejack then yawned, "Come ta think of it... I reckon we could all use a lil' shuteye too."

Luna frowned, "Well, I'm afraid you can't go home just yet. The trains have stopped running at this hour."

Rarity then asked, "If that is the case, surely you would not mind if we stayed here tonight."

Celestia smiled, "You are very welcome to do so. Let us show you to your rooms." We then followed the three sisters up the stairs to the upper quarters of the palace.

A short while later after I had returned my armor and weapons to their resting place and took a shower, I was walking down the hall with Fluttershy to the guest room Celestia had assigned to us. But once we passed Mitta's guest room, I stopped. "Hang on a second, honey. I want to check on her." I spoke softly.

Fluttershy whispered with a nod, "OK. I'll wait here."

I gently nudged the door open, finding the room softly illuminated by a single lit candle. Resting in a large bed was Mitta, her eyes barely open. She still seemed to be heavily dazed. I could only pray that the experience did not break her mind.

I approached her as quietly as I could. My feet were bare at the time, so my footsteps made very little noise. I could see Fluttershy watching from the doorway with a look of concern on her face. I stopped beside the bed, Mitta appearing to be oblivious to my presence.

My hand gently stroked her crimson mane, the scent of Rarity's perfumes still lingering on her body. Her breaths were slow and deep, more than likely a sign that despite her mind having been overloaded from various emotions a short while ago, she was probably very relaxed. I felt I should not disturb her any longer, so I whispered, "Sweet dreams, Mitta."

However, when I was halfway to the door, a quiet voice whispered, "Wait..."

I stopped and turned around. Mitta was looking right at me, her face showing a type of want. "Please... Stay with me. Just for tonight..."

Considering Mitta's very distant relations with the ponies of Sunny Town, I suppose every night would have been very lonesome when Ruby was unable to reach her. And going through that every single night for over a thousand years... Truly a disheartening thought. Although I also promised Fluttershy that I would sleep with her tonight. After a brief moment of thought, I raised one finger and spoke, "One moment please."

I walked to the doorway and whispered to Fluttershy, "I don't think we should leave Mitta alone just yet. Would it be OK if we stayed with her tonight?"

Fluttershy replied, "Well... After all she's been through... I think she does need a little company tonight."

I looked back at Mitta and closed the door once Fluttershy and I were both inside. "OK. I'll stay. But Fluttershy has to stay too. OK?"

Mitta nodded with a faint smile, "That's fine..."

All I was wrapped in was a towel and my boxers, so I draped my towel over the nearest chair and climbed in bed beside Mitta while Fluttershy did the same. I was snuggled between the two mares, leading to a fairly awkward feeling.

Mitta immediately threw her forelegs around my neck. "Thank you..."

Fluttershy looked over me at her and smiled, "I'm so glad the curse was lifted from you. But are you all right?"

Mitta nodded lightly, "Yes... I'm still trying to adjust to being flesh and blood at night. I can't even remember how it felt..." She then let out a yawn, "Or how it felt to feel sleepy..."

I asked, "Sounds like you had a terribly dull existence."

Mitta nodded, "I did... Nothing ever changed. It felt like I was trapped in time. Not living, but not able to die..." She then looked at me, a tear trickling down her face. "James... You brought me back to life." She then placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.

I smiled, but was also a bit embarrassed that I had been kissed in front of my girlfriend. "Thanks, Mitta... But this still feels incredibly awkward."

Fluttershy asked, "What does?"

I replied, "Being sandwiched by two pretty ponies in the same bed. Doesn't that come off as odd to you?"

Mitta and Fluttershy looked at each other for a second before giggling. Fluttershy then placed her hoof on my hand, "I know it's not like that. You and Mitta haven't bonded enough for that kind of relationship to form. Right?"

Mitta nodded, "True. I've only met him three times so far. He's the best friend I've ever had."

I stroked her mane, "I'm honored to hear that. And we'll be seeing each other almost every day from now on."

My friend's face brightened with a smile. "Sounds...lovely."

The minutes went by before Mitta finally fell asleep. That left me with some much-desired personal time with Fluttershy. "Honey... I missed you." I whispered before placing a kiss on her nose.

The timid pegasus mare smiled with a faint blush, "I missed you so much." She kissed me back on my own nose.

"Let me show you how much." I spoke with a smile. I placed my lips on hers before gently prying my tongue into her mouth. Fluttershy let out a quiet moan, doing the same as her tongue reached out to mine. How I missed that taste. The taste that only my beautiful lover possessed.

After a moment, I slowly pulled away, gentle warmth filling me. A blush was on Fluttershy's face. She then quietly asked, "James... Once we help get Mitta settled in Ponyville... I'd love to...um..." She did not have to say anything else as I felt her long tail sliding up my leg.

I felt a faint giddiness fill me, knowing exactly what she wanted. "Sounds lovely, honey. I can't wait." I replied before kissing her again, our arms wrapped around each other.

As I write this, Fluttershy and Mitta are fast asleep. I really feel like I accomplished something today. I finally managed to get Mitta away from those monsters. I can only wonder how she will adapt to modern-day Equestria, but if Luna could, so can she. I am also looking forward to watching Nightmare Moon being welcomed by her people. Of course, knowing her reputation, that will undoubtedly take some time.

Still... There are some questions that remain in my mind. Who was that forest nymph who pointed me towards Sunny Town? And who was that chimera depicted in the stained glass windows in the palace?

So many questions linger in my mind, yet I feel I have nothing to worry about. Whatever happens, the three royal sisters of Equestria can handle it. Now that Nightmare Moon is with them, they are likely unstoppable.

So tired... Even though today was shorter than usual, I am exhausted. Perhaps it is because my blood supply still is not quite back up to 100% just yet. If that is the case, I had best get to sleep.

Sweet dreams, Nightmare Moon. Sweet dreams, Mitta. I hope your new lives in Equestria have a good start. And I will be there by your sides when it happens.