Year 923 AD Winter 1 Day 14

The snow had just started to collect on the ground, but the weather today made everything mucky and wet. The Pegasus never made it rain in the winter, except for today, today was different. Today was Dashing Defender's funeral. It was tradition for it to rain at a Pegasus funeral. It really set the mood, the dark skies the wet ground. I was almost crying already.

Four Pegasus grabbed the corners of Dashing's coffin, raised it up into the air then slowly set it into the grave. A pink Pegasus with a rainbow coloured main and a cloud cutie mark stood up in front of the grave. I recognize her as Rainbow Skies.

She began speaking "Thank you all for being here. It means a lot to me and the rest of Dashing's family. Most of you know him from the royal guard and have never met me, so I'll introduce myself. I'm Rainbow Skies and Dashing Defender was my husband." She paused for a moment as she held back her tears.

"We are all here to remember Dashing and I would like to say a few words about him now." She paused again "Dashing was an awesome royal guard. He was always so focused on his duties to the Princess. He took his job very seriously always trying to improve and be the best he could be. Sometimes I think he cared more about other ponies than himself. One day he came home from his guard post…"

She continued talking but her voice trailed off in my mind. I began thinking about the day he died. Imagining myself charging out of the castle and using magic on the creature before it killed him.

I shook my head a little to try and regain my focus. I feel terrible but I can't dwell on the mistakes of the past. This is what happened and I'm… My eyes welled up with tears. I'm just going to have to live with it. I think right now I am going to have to focus on the future.

I continue listening to Rainbow's speech "...We are all going to miss him very much." She said in conclusion. She raised a hoof to her eyes and wiped the tears away. I followed along wiping away the water that had gathered in my eyes.

There was a few more speeches including some words from myself and after some time passed the funeral was over and ponies began to leave. I walked up next to Rainbow who was standing in front of the open grave. She noticed me "Celestia... What do I do now?" Her eyes were full of tears.

"Rainbow Skies, I'm so sorry. It is really hard losing a friend, it must be even harder losing a husband. I can't Imagine how you feel, but keep your head up. I found that the best thing for me to do was to stay strong. Your future may look bleak now, but that doesn't mean you should give up. I realized that I needed to look at the future ahead of me. Don't let his memory discourage you from progressing in life, but rather let it encourage you to do things you may have never thought you could. I know this won't be easy for you, but I think you should try." I was telling myself this as much as I was telling her.

"You're right princess it's just that I'm…" she paused then lowered her head and closed her eyes. "I'm pregnant." My eyes widened. I was quite shocked by what she just told me. She reopened her eyes "I saw the doctor a week ago. He used an ultrasound spell and said it was a boy. I was thinking of naming him Rainbow Dashing after Dash and I." she started sobbing.

I put my hoof on her shoulder. She turned her head to look at me and I smiled back. Her sobbing stopped but there was still tears in her eyes. "I think that's a lovely name."

She looked away. "It's going to be so hard raising a foal without him." She began crying again "I… I don't think I can do it. I can't…"

"Rainbow look at me" she turned to look at me again. "You can do this. I know you can and I know Dashing would have agreed."

Her eyes glazed over as if she was in a trance. Remembering times of the passed that she had spent with Dashing and the things he had told her. She blinked releasing one final tear from her eye.

Her gaze returned to mine and she suddenly seemed happier. "You're right princess, Dashing would want me to at least try. Even without him I have to believe that I can do this. I need to focus on our future. A future that includes Rainbow Dashing."

She paused then turned to look towards the buildings that made up the city of Canterlot. "Princess Celestia, I'm thinking of leaving Canterlot. I've been living here because of Dashing's work, but now that he's gone I have no reason to stay. No family, no job, not many friends, no reason at all."

"Where are you thinking of going?"

"I think I'm going to move back to Cloudsdale where my family lives."

"Are you sure you want to do that? Moving is a lot of work and you're going to have a young foal..."

"I know, but I think my special talent will probably be more useful there." She motioned towards her cutie mark.

She looked around the graveyard and noticed that almost everyone had left. Then looked back at me and said "I should get going Princess, I have things to pack. Goodbye Celestia." She turned around, spread her wings and began to fly home. "Goodbye Rainbow Skies." I said softly knowing that she couldn't hear me anymore.

I think it's about time for me to prepare for the future that is ahead of me. But I still don't know exactly how far away that future might be.

Year 924 AD Summer 2 Day 30 night time

This is it. This is the same night that I banished Nightmare Moon 924 years ago. I finished my calculations several months ago. After including the elements of harmony into the equation, I found the exact date Nightmare Moon will return. One thousand years, which means that from this exact day I have seventy-seven years till then. Seventy-seven years to think of a way to defeat her, imprison her, tame her… Oh Luna, if only I knew how.

I am unable to use the elements, and I don't know a spell strong enough to hold back Nightmare's fury. If it comes down to it I may have to use the same spell that trapped her in the moon before. I would prefer to not have to do that. It would kill me to see her freed just long enough to get banished again. Oh, if only I had all the elements. Then maybe I could use their magic to change her back. I wish I had thought of that nine hundred years ago. Then I wouldn't be in this mess.

Maybe I can still use the elements, well not me, but someone else, anyone else, actually no, not just anyone. Someone that has what the elements represent inside of them. Then the element of friendship can return. Who will I choose? It is still too early to think of that now. By the time Nightmare returns most ponies alive today will have past. What should I do?

Hmm. I'll write books. I'll write books about Luna, Luna and the elements and when she will be returning. I'll write books and send copies all over Equestria so everypony will know the story. I guess after that I'm just going to have to wait. Wait for a pony worthy of using the elements of harmony. I'm just going to have to wait...