I woke up earlier than usual, there was a lot of time left before dusk. My sight took a few seconds to clear up and notice my surroundings. I was once again inside the cave, laying on the same bed where I woke up the other day. In front of me was a bowl filled with fruits. I glanced to the entrance and saw Shadow standing still, like he was doing guard duty.

I remembered what happened yesterday, and realized that I had fallen asleep there. "Don't tell me that he carried me here again..."

When I felt completely lucid I lifted from the bed and cleared my throat. His ears perked up and he turned to me. He stretched a slight grin. "Hey, did you sleep well?".

I gave a soft smile and nodded. "Indeed, thanks for asking." Recalling my actions last night, I changed my expression to an embarrassed one and asked. "If I may ask, Why didst I wake up here? I do not remember coming here."

He opened his mouth to answer, but instantly closed it. He started to continuously shift his gaze from the floor to me and vice versa. "Uh... I hope you don't get mad." I raised an eyebrow while he gulped and continued talking. "I woke up early thanks to a leaf that fell on my muzzle making me sneeze. I stood up and noticed that you were still asleep, even after that loud sneeze. I didn't want to wake you since you looked so serene, so I lifted you up with my magic, brought you here and then prepared some breakfast." We both glanced over the bowl and he chuckled. "Not royal-tier but it's the best you can get here, and you will need it if you want to heal quickly."

I grabbed an apple with my magic and levitated it to my mouth. Before taking the first bite I turned to him and asked politely. "Hast thou eaten already?" He tilted his head with a confused look. I guessed that my vocabulary was the cause of his response and sighed. "We're sorry. It is highly difficult for us to adapt to the modern ways of the language".

He widened his eyes and replied. "Don't worry about it, I understood what you said. I just got... a little distracted..." He shruged. "About the question, I didn't. I wasn't able to gather a lot and you needed it more, don't worry about it."

He was right about that, so I decided to not complain. I gave a wide grin. "Thank tho-I mean- you very much."

He gave a reassuring look. "You don't need to correct yourself, I don't mind your way of speaking." He closed his eyes and widen his smile. "Actually, it's very unique."

I was about to reply until a sound coming from the outside catched our attention. I approached the entrance of he cave and lifted my right ear to hear clearly. "Your Highness?!"

I rushed outside and instantly saw an armored pegasi flying over the forest. "A royal guard...?"

He saw me and landed in front of me. He bowed and spoke with a professional tone. "Your highness! Finally you appeared! Your presence is required in Canterlot, we must return at once." He glanced over my bandaged wings and widened his eyes. "Your highness, if I may ask. What happened?"

Eager to finally return to my home, I briefly responded. "It is a long story."

He shrugged it off. "I'll call a carriage." The guard lifted off the ground and started making gestures in a certain direction. Apparently he was communicating with other royal guards, since he gave a nod and descended. "The transport should be here soon."

I recalled that Shadow was still inside the cave. "Wait, we have to do something."

"I should ask him to come with us, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be standing here right now."

I rushed inside the cave. "Shadow?" I called. "We wanted to ask if thou would likest to come with us to Canterlot to celebrate your heroic acts."

There was no response.

"Shadow...?" There were no signs of him. It was like he vanished into thin air.

"Where is he?" I looked around a bit more. "I should go look for-"

"Your higness." The royal guard said from the outside. "The carriage has arrived, we must leave with haste, the forest is a dangerous place."

"But I-" I tried to counter.

He narrowed his eyes and stared directly at my eyes like he felt offended in some way. "Your sister, Princess Celestia, has been very worried about you."

I sighed. "I guess I could try to find Shadow after showing Celestia that I'm alright."

"Very well." I nodded and entered the carriage. As the pegasus guard lifted the the transport I couldn't help but feel worried about Shadow. I couldn't shift my gaze from the cave until the fog finally covered it from my sight.

It was a long trip back home, or at least it felt like that, since I couldn't stop thinking about Tia's reaction when she hears about the danger I had gone through. "This won't be pretty."

We arrived at dawn. The guard escorted me through the halls without a single word. Once we got to the front of the gates to the throne room he opened the door and made the announcement of my return. He turned around and then walked past me. "You may now enter, your highness."

As soon as I entered the room, I was ambushed with an embrace. "Luna! I'm so happy you're alright!" Celestia said, squeezing me even more tightly.

Her grip was actually suffocating me, so I decided to gently pull away. "I'm also happy to see thou, sister." I said with a big grin. The force of her embrace actually made the sting in my wings return for a brief moment.

Celestia realized this and took a glance at them. She widened her eyes and gave me a worried look. "Luna, what happened to you?"

Being terribly tired due to the trip, I decided to tell her later so I could take a small rest. I gave a tired smile. "I shall tell thou at dinner."

I spent the hours before dinner inside my bedroom. I couldn't rest nor focus in anything else to pass the time. The only thing that lingered in my mind was the intrigue about Shadow's sudden disappearance.

Some time later, after raising the moon of course, I finally went to the dining room. I wasn't hungry at all, but after my dissapearance it was the least I could do for my sister.

Celestia was waiting for me, already sitting at the end of a stone table full of food and treats. She greeted me with a warm smile as I sat in front of her. "Hello little sister, did you get your rest?"

I forced a light smile and decided to lie so she wouldn't become even more worried. "Yes, Tia. I feel rejuvenated now."

She raised an eyebrow and analyzed me with her purple eyes. "Are you sure?"

I widened the fake grin even more. "But of course, big sister."

She kept staring at me for a moment until she finally broke the gaze and spoke with a look of relief. "Very well, I'm glad." She raised a piece of cake with her magic, she was about to take a bite but suddenly stopped. "Now that you have had your rest, may I know what happened to you?"

I tried to avoid telling her what happened by diminishing it. "Oh, it's not that impotant sister. I wouldn't want to bore thou." I finished with a nervous look and a wide forced grin.

She narrowed her eyes and changed her tone to a scolding one. "Luna, you told me that you would explain to me what happened."

I tried to find an excuse, only managing to stutter. "B-but."

She returned a serious look. "Luna, enough. Tell me what happened right now."

I gave a sigh of defeat and turned to her. "Very well. But only if thou promises not to interrupt."

Tia gave a confussed look and raised a hoof. "I promise."

I started narrating. "It started a while after I left the castle..." I told her the whole story. The atack, the cave, Shadow, everything. There were some parts I wanted to avoid, but she would scold me every time she noticed that I was hiding something. When I finished, she sat still, surely processing what I told her. I prepared for the storm of questions that was about to be released.

She pressed a hoof against her chin. "So... You were atacked by a pack of creatures called timberwolves, a mysterious stallion whose name's Shadow saved you and healed your wounds, then it turned out that he has lived in the Everfree Forest for seven years without seeing any other pony, you two end up becoming friends and finally when the guards found you he disappeared. Am I correct?" Her speed and fluency was something to admire.

I nodded. "Pretty much." I gave a deep a sigh and stared at the table. I was getting worried sick about Shadow, the thought of something bad happening to him sent shivers down my spine.

She raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes. "You're very worried about him, aren't you?"

I fooled around a little with the cuttlery and then replied. "I am. He's the only friend I have, and it feels awful to know that he's still out there all alone."

She gave another warm smile and spoke. "You should look for him."

I certainly didn't expect that. "I know sister bu- WHAT?!" My eyes widened in shock as soon as I realized what she said.

She giggled. "I understand that he means a lot to you. When your wings heal completely I'll let you go there, with an escort this time, to offer him a gift of gratitude that I'll have prepared shortly."

I was happy and utterly puzzled at the same time. My head tilted and I spoke. "A gift?"

She nodded. "What do you say we reward him with his very own place in Ponyville?"

It was a perfect idea, except for a small detail, Shadow's lack of social interaction. "It's a great idea Tia, but I should remind thou that Shadow hast some problems when it comes to interact with other ponies, or at least that's what I suppose since I'm the first one he hast seen in an extremely long time. How dost we know if he'll accept?" The disappointment in my voice was clear as water.

She approached me and placed her hoof on my shoulder. She widened her smile. "Luna, I'm completely certain that he will accept. And about his 'social issues', I know someone who might be able to help with that."

I realized instantly who she was talking about. "Art thou sure that Twilight Sparkle will be able to get him to feel confident?"

Staring right into my eyes she answered. "I'm certain, little sister." She embraced me and then turned around in the direction of her bedroom. "I'll send the message before going to bed." She waved before going in to her room. "Goodnight, sister. Take it easy for tonight."

I waved back and turned to my own bedroom. I closed the door as soon as I entered and then rushed to the balcony to observe the vastness of Everfree Forest, wishing to see any sign that could reassure the safety of my new and only friend. "We shall meet again soon..."

Twilight

I was exhausted, but I finally finished that book. "Oh boy, that one was a biggie. But still it was worth it." I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

"I should take a bath or I'll fall asleep on the floor." I walked to the bathroom, only to find out that Spike was still inside.

I knocked on the door several times. "SPIKE! You have been in there for two hours by now!"

Spike groaned. "You know I need my two-hour bath to make my scales shine for Rar- I mean, uh... Yeah, to make them shine."

I narrowed my eyes. "Spike, you'll come out, or I'll make you come out."

Instantly the door opened revealing an upset Spike holding a towel around his waist. "Alright, fine. There's no nee- Ugh" He suddenly held a claw on his mouth and the other on his belly and then burped releasing green fire that finally materialized into one letter. "Mail time I guess..."

I took the letter with my magic. My eyes beamed as I confirmed who sent it. "Princess Celestia!" I opened it and started reading.

"To my faithful student Twilight Sparkle.

I have a new task for you and your friends. Don't fret, it's not dangerous, but still you should give it your best.

There's a pony whose name is Shadow Beam that, due to a tragic turn of events, ended up living for 7 years inside of the Everfree Forest.

He was found by my sister... Well, actually she was the found one. She was atacked by a pack of timberwolves and he saved and healed her.

Forget about that, I'll tell you the rest of the story later.

The lack of interaction led him to feel very uneasy around other ponies. I need you and your friend to help him to feel integrated in society once again.

We're going to get a place for him in Ponyville, when we do I'll notify you so you can meet him.

For now, I send my regards and best wishes.

Princess Celestia."

Spike hopped onto my back and moved my head to the side to see the letter. "What does it say? What do we have to do?"

I grinned while putting the message away. "Basically, nothing right now."

He got down from my back with a puzzled look. "Right now?"

I walked to the front of the bathroom door. "Princess Celestia told me that someone with some kind of social issues will move to Ponyville in a while, and our 'mission' is just helping him to feel alright around ponies."

He crossed his arms. "So... That mean that we don't need to go anywhere, right?"

I lifted my eyebrow. "Yeah, I'll send the letter to the rest of the girls tomorrow, so we're done for today."

He turned around with a pleased look and started leaving. "Off to bed then, goodnight."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Goodnight Spike." I closed the door and proceeded to take a short bath. When I finished drying myself off I went straight to bed. I put out the candle that was by the side of my bed and then laid down.

The thoughts about this new 'mission' invaded my already exhausted mind.

"I just hope I don't disappoint Celestia..."