Another day, another chapter! And just a shout out to Zamairiac, glad that my story has caught your eye and thank you for the feedback, it is much appreciated! And the same to everypony else that has been patient with me as I rewrite the chapters and change them to how they were supposed to be!

Now, let the story continue, Chapter 13: Unexpected Meeting

3-1-14: Went through trying to clean up as many mistakes as I could find.

'You're weak Jake.'

Opening my eyes I saw nothing but shadows around me. I was surrounded by a forest. A dark mist passing by my feet as this cold chill ran down my body.

But that voice, I knew it.

"It's you...isn't it." I asked the cold chill got stronger, and a cold breeze brushed against the back of my neck.

'You don't know the potential that you hold.' I heard the voice whisper behind me, so I quickly swung my arm around trying to hit something, anything. But when I did nothing. I saw a plume of dark smoke that my hand passed through.

Gritting my teeth I looked around trying to find the source of the voice, "Where are you!" I shouted out only to hear this taunting laugh echo around me.

'I am everywhere.' The voice echoed in my ears. Making me turn over and over again trying to find it as the words seemed to disappear as soon as I turned to them, and appear somewhere else, "I could be here, or am I here?"

"Stop playing games with me!" I shouted as I lifted my hands trying to focus my magic, but nothing happened, "What?" I looked at my hands and there was nothing, no magic. I couldn't even feel it.

'Heh, heh, heh what seems to be the matter Jake? Can't feel the magic flowing through your veins anymore? Maybe it was your stupidity that forced this upon yourself. After all, everything comes at a price.'

I felt this creeping chill rush over me as I felt this this sense of dread over me as something latched onto my legs. I looked down to see the shadows around me moving up my legs. They were slowly crawling up my legs.

"What the hell!" I cried out trying to get them off me only when I touched them, the shadows seemed to stick to my hands before they started to spread over them, similar to how it was climbing over my legs.

I felt chills running over me as I tried to get them off but they just kept spreading over me, "Stop it! Don't!" I cried but the shadows became to reach my neck before it started to cover my face, I tried to peel it away but I could only watch, helplessly as the darkness covered my eyes, consuming me.

I woke suddenly gasping out for breath as I felt my lungs were being crushed, as if something was pressing down against my chest, crushing me. My thoughts going to the crawling shadows on my body, I jolted up looking over me, but I was fine. Aside from the damaged clothes I wore.

"Was that a dream?" I asked myself as the reality of things came back to me as the dreadful feeling passed.

It was cold, my body shivered slightly as the cold wind blow past me. And I noticed my clothes were wet. I looked towards the ground and I was laying in a meadow, and the ground was wet.

I looked up to see clouds covering the sky, but from the cracks between them I was able to see it was nighttime already.

"Where am I?" I wondered as I looked around. I didn't recognize the trees or even the plant life around me. I don't know how to explain it but I felt as if I knew this place, the familiar feeling I was getting from around me.

It reminded me of Earth.

I stood up, wiping the dirt that was one me off, before my body shivered again and I wrapped my arms around me trying to warm up a bit, but it wasn't going to work with my clothes wet.

"Need to find someplace to warm up." I said looking around some more, when I realized. I had no idea where I was. I couldn't see the stars so trying to use them as a map was useless, "I need to find out where I am." I looked around trying to find some kind of landmark, but there was a light fog blocking me from seeing any farther.

The cold winds blew harder as I felt something that I hadn't felt since I arrived here in Equestria.

I was alone.

I closed my eyes as I recalled what happened to be before I arrived, wherever here is.

"I hurt them…I was just like him…" I opened my eyes and looked down at my fist, my knuckles were stained with dried blood. I stared at them as the image of Cadance flashed in my eyes. Her face blooded and bruised, and I was the one that made it that way.

"Dammit…" I cursed shutting my eyes again as I felt tears breaking out, "What the hell was I doing, how could I do that too her?" I couldn't help but feel worse than trash. I swore I would never hurt her, and yet.

What happened to me?

Suddenly I heard something moving around me. My eyes shot open as I got quiet. I knew something was there, it was a gut feeling. I was being watched.

There was this eerie pause as if the forest surrounding me went completely silent. I heard something rustling behind me as I quickly turned around staring at the bush in front of me.

It was maybe ten or fifteen feet away, and despite the fog I was able to see it clearly. Something was there.

My breath became shallow as I stared at the bush waiting. My body was frozen in place, almost like a deer in front of headlights. And then, out of the darkness two glowing yellow eyes appeared from within the bush.

I didn't move an inch. I just stared at the eyes as they did the same. I gulped as my mind tried to go through what it could be, but learning about the creatures of this world. There were a lot, some thought to be only mythological creatures but here, they were real.

Then, the pair of eyes disappeared into the darkness and I gave a sigh of relief. That is, until the very eyes appeared again only this time they started to rise from the ground until there towered over me by a good 4 or 5 feet.

I gulped again as everything inside of me was telling me to run away but my legs weren't listening to me.

I was scared.

Then as the wind blew past, the clouds above seem to move as the moonlight shined down revealing the large mane, sharp teeth and yellow eyes glaring towards me. The creature had the body of a lion, a pair of bat like wings on its back, and lastly its tail was like a scorpion's.

All in all I knew what this creature was, it was a Manticore. A part Lion, part bat, part scorpion creature, and it was known to be indigenous to a place called the Everfree Forest. A place that didn't need to care for like the rest of Equestria, no the Everfree was a land that was covered in swamps and forest that ponies were known to go missing in. And I was smack dab in the middle of it. I think.

A low growl took me away from my thoughts as the Manticore took a step closer to me, baring its teeth.

'This isn't good.' I thought as I held my hand out to my side trying to channel some magic, any magic that I could but I quickly found that I could feel it. And I was able to sense magic because of my drain ability but I didn't feel any around me. There was none in the ground, the trees or even from the Manticore.

What was going on? I remembered a lesson about how the Everfree was unnatural. So if I couldn't drain magic here, that meant.

Taking away from my thoughts, I stared at the beast before me. 'If I can't use magic that means I'm going to die if it catches me.' I told myself as I looked around trying to find a way to get away from the creature.

I didn't see anything. Leaving this up to chance, I saw it was starting to move closer to me and if it was like any lion I had seen on TV. It leapt at me reaching its claws out to grab me but I rolled out of the way and took off into the tree line trying to escape but I heard a roar behind me followed by heavy footsteps trailing behind me as they were getting louder.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" I chanted as I run through bushes moving behind trees all to escape the Manticore that was hot on my trail.

I had managed to evade it thus far but it was by pure luck or the fact that I was using the forest against it. When it leapt at me, I either dodged or moved behind a tree for cover as it crashed against it.

And it didn't help that I had no idea where I was heading, and with fog blinding me wherever I couldn't tell if I was going to run off a cliff or into another Manticore. But I felt something when I was running through the Forest. I don't know what it was but it felt like something was nudging me deeper to where the fog was even more dense, making it harder to see through.

But I was feeling the strain of my body and all the pain was coming back to me as I pushed myself to run, because if I stopped then that would mean…

I pushed through a large bush only to run into this really dense fog that I could barely see my hand as it went through it, but when I turned to run back into the forest, I could hear the Manticore getting closer and closer.

"Either way I'm dead." I said gulping before I charged into the fog not knowing where I was going.

Inside of it I slowly trekked through blinding fog, trying to find something anything, and my hand brushed against something. I felt around for it and found it. It was a wooden post that was taller than I was.

I followed it down until it came thing else, rope? Why would there be rope in the middle of the forest. I felt the rope going deeper into the fog and I followed it, walking blindly. That is until I felt the ground change. The muddy feel was gone and replaced with something more stable. A wooden plank, and when I stepped on it, it like it was hanging.

"A wooden bridge?" I said as I heard a roar behind me and without hesitating I carefully rushed hanging onto the rope as I crossed the bridge blind as a bat.

When I felt the dirt underneath me again I gave sigh of relief thinking I was safe, and when I heard the Manticore roaring on the other side of the fog I knew it had lost me.

Not wanting it to find me again, I started to carefully walk further down the dirt path until I felt it change again. This time it became harder, rough, like it was stone.

But something was off, this strange feeling in my gut told me to run away but where was I going to run too? I had still had no idea where I was or how to get out of here.

Then something was happening, the fog around me was breaking and I was slowly able to see what was ahead of me little by little until it left me marveled at what was before me.

The fog was lifted as I was able see something large in the distance it was a castle of some sorts. Only it was in ruins. The moon illuminated the castle casting a large shadow over it but allow gave enough light to make out the walls that were broken in some places and large cracks covered it.

It looked as if a battle had taken place here, and whoever won left this place in ruins, literally.

But something was off about it, something didn't settle right with me. I got this sense of uneasiness as I continued to stare at the ruins. My gut telling me to run away once more, but if I was to turn back around and go back the way I came, it would only take me back to the Manticore and I didn't want that.

And then I saw it, in the distance by the broken entrance there was a small flicker of light.

"Somepony's over there!" I said as I cast the uneasy feeling away and started to head towards the light.

But when I reached the doors, the light was gone.

I looked around the outside before I peeked inside and saw that the place was really in ruins. The walls were broken and it looked as if whoever was here before upped and left everything as there were broken chains and scattered clothes around.

The inside of the entrance was a large corridor that was made up of pillars that connected to the ceiling, and while a few were knocked down or leaning against the walls. And then I saw the same light going down a doorway near the middle of the large room.

"Hey! Wait!" I shouted out as I started to rush over to the very doorway I saw it going through.

But when I arrived it was once again gone from my sights and I was looking down a longer corridor with these suits of armor lined against the side of the walls. And when I saw them, they were pony shaped armor.

Walking down the hallway, I saw a stairway leading up where I saw the light going up it. I didn't bother to call out to it as I chased it down, trying to catch up. But every time it seemed like I was going to, the light disappeared.

And in the pit of my stomach, I felt as if something was leading me deeper into the ruins. A chill ran down my spine as I could see the coldness of my breath. Half of me wanted to turn back and run away, but the other half wanted to know what that light was.

And against my better judgment, I pressed on.

When I reached a large spiral staircase, I stopped for a moment before I saw the light floating up the stairway. Taking the first step, I climbed the stairs until I came to an entrance where one of the doors was broken down hanging on by a whim while the other was still intact.

Climbing over the large door, I entered a large open room. A few pillars traveling down the sides of the room towards a stage of some kind on the opposite side. A ball room perhaps, it reminded me of the one back at the Castle, but it this one was larger. I thought looking at the stainless glass windows that were either cracked or barely there.

I shivered a bit again as the cold wind blew in through the cracks in the windows.

"Need to find someplace warm before I get hypothermia." I whispered when I noticed something ahead of me on the stage.

It was something big. Walking over I noticed the details on it. It was a large pale white sphere, and connected to it was five stands that were each holding some old white stone on them. Getting a better look at them, they seemed like nothing but a decoration, but there was something about them. I couldn't explain it. Like the forest I was in, there was something else, something I was missing about the sphere.

I slowly lifted my hand and reached out towards the sphere, and when my fingers brushed against its smooth surface. Something flashed before my eyes. For a spilt second I saw something, it was mixture of different colors. And inside I felt that I had seen it before but where?

As I was lost in my thoughts, something bright appeared from the sphere making me gasp as it was the same light that I had been following this whole time. I took a few steps back as sparks began to fly out of the light.

But as soon as this happened, I felt my this familiar energy began to spark before me as the light started to shine bright and brighter, blinding me had I not closed my eyes and used my hands to cover them. And as soon as I saw the light fading I moved my arms and peeked through them to see a figure that I knew.

My eyes were still blinded a bit by the sudden bright light but I could make out a large horn and two wings spread out over its back side.

And there was only one pony that I knew with those features, "Mom?" I muttered out but I didn't receive a reply. I was confused but then I felt it, I could feel the magic flowing out of the Alicorn before it and it wasn't her. It wasn't Celestia's magic that I felt.

Rubbing my eyes, my vision cleared up and I saw that the Alicorn before me looked just like Celestia. The same white coat but instead of a flowing rainbow colored mane, this Alicron had long brown colored hair and deep blue eyes. And unlike Celestia whose Cutie Mark was of the Sun, this one was just a simple quill and paper with the quill resting inside of an ink bottle.

I took looked back to see the Alicorn was staring at me, waiting was more like it.

"Who are you?" The Alicorn asked me. Her voice was soft but firm, as she questioned me.

I pointed a finger to myself, "Me?" I asked and she responded with a simple nod.

"I'm Jake, Jake Muller." I told her as she nodded her head once more.

She trotted over to me, but stopped and started to circle around me looking over me. I was dirty now, covered in dirt, branches and leaves from running through the forest before. But she didn't seemed bother by that, no. She had the look of somepony that was examining me.

"Um, what are you doing?" I asked as she stopped in front of me and gave me one last up and down.

"I am curious human, how did you enter this world?" She asked me.

I looked at her for a moment, I had no idea who she was or why she was asking me these questions but I guess I little say in this matter.

"I really know, but from what I know. I was brought here when there was an imbalance of magical energy that was given off by a filly a few years ago. Or at least I think that is the reason." I finished saying as the Alicorn seemed to be in deep thought.

"Was there anything else that you saw? Perhaps something else maybe?" She said her voice hinting to something.

And I thought about it, back to when I was on earth still, "I remember seeing this light, it was glowing in the middle of the woods. When I walked up too it, it was shimmering with this purple glow." I said thinking about it, "I reached out towards the light and the next thing I knew, I was falling." I recalled the memory of myself falling through what would lead me into this world, "It was dark, when I was falling. But then I was brought into the light by something, it looked sort of like a rainbow. As silly as it sounds, I saw the rainbow as it surrounded me and before I knew it I was in this world." That was it or at least I think it was.

But then I thought about it some more, "No wait," I said making the Alicorn look at me again, "There was something else, I think…a symbol of some kind." I clenched my head as it was starting to hurt, a migraine growing bigger before my head started throbbing.

I grit my teeth from the sudden pain, when I felt something press against my head. I opened my eyes to see the Alicorn who had her horn pressed against my forehead, it was glowing a bright yellow as the pain started to fade away before it was gone.

She removed herself from me and frowned at me.

"This isn't good, you have been cursed." She said making me confused.

"Cursed? Like a hex or something?" I asked and she nodded her head.

She moved back as her horn began to glow as the light radiating from it covered me, before she stopped it and stared at me.

"What?" I asked her as she looked around and using her magic she lifted a piece of glass and brought it in front of me.

And what I saw shocked me. On my forehead was this large red seal, it looked like a lines running down around a symbol of a half open eye that was glowing red. (A/n: If you need to imagine it, just think of the L'cie brand from Final Fantasy 13.)

"That is that?" I shouted out as I lifted my hand towards the symbol, only when I did the eye on it opened up and I saw something replace me in the glass.

It was me, only my skin was ash colored and my eyes were blood red. Just like from that dream I had. I stared at the image of me only when I leaned in closer the other me eyes went wide as two arms reached out and somehow grabbed me around the neck and started to choke me.

But it was stopped when the glass shattered and the image was broken as the arms disappeared leaving me to gasp out for breath.

"What was that?" I asked trying to gather what just happened.

I looked back up to the Alicorn and she looked as if she was mad at me, "What have you done?" She said making me confused once more.

"What do you mean? I haven't done anything!" I shouted at her only then I felt my body being lifted up as I was thrown across the room skidding across the marble floor before I was stopped by crashing into the wall where I was lifted up and held in place as the Alicorn appeared before me.

"Do you not realize what you have done to this world? You have upset the balance of this world and yet you do not truly understand what you have done!" She shouted at me, but I was still confused.

But then I felt it, her magic coursing through my body. It was strong, stronger than Cadance's magic. But magic nonetheless.

I saw the look in her eyes when I dropped the floor, landing on my feet as my energy was returning to me. My fingers sparking with the energy I stole from her, as the magic washed over me I felt relief.

"You fiend! I will not allow you to destroy this world!" She shouted at me only when she did, her magic wrapped around me lifting me up but I quickly drained it away as my body began to radiate with the stolen magic.

"Just leave me alone! I haven't done anything wrong!" I shouted as her tried to take hold me again only this time I lifted my hand and surrounded her with my magic.

"It's not what you have done but what you will do!" She shouted at me struggling to break free but I focused more magic into the hold and lifted my hand once more ready to throw her but when I was about to I saw something. Cadance's face flashed before me as I dropped my hand gently letting her go.

What was I about too do? I…Cadance…I closed my eyes as her voice echoed in my head.

"It's ok…" It repeated over and over again in my head as I felt tears coursing down my face once more.

"I'm a monster…" I whispered out.

I heard the Alicorn walking over to me before she stopped towering above me.

"Why is it you give up Jake Muller?" She said to me. "You had had overpowered me yet you let me go. Why?" I heard ask me but I give her an answer. My mind was stuck on what I had done.

"I didn't mean to hurt her…" I whispered out as the tears poured out, dripping against the marble floors, "She only tried to help me, but I…I…" I clenched my fist, I didn't want this. I hated this feeling. I wanted it to end.

"Do you wish for me to end your suffering?" I heard the Alicorn ask me.

My eyes shot opened as I slowly lifted my head and stared at her. She didn't repeat what she head because she knew I heard her exact words.

"Please… I don't deserve to live anymore…" I said giving up. I wasn't going to fight it. I just wanted to disappear.

There was a long pause as I waited for something, anything.

"Why?" I heard her say as I looked at her.

"Why what?" I said harshly.

She leaned down and stared into my eyes, "Why are you giving up so easily? With your powers, you could have easily defeated me. Yet, you have given up. Why?" She said.

I felt a rush of emotions hit me, "Because I hurt her." I said looking down at my fist, "With my bare hands I hurt her when she was only trying to help me. I the worst kind of person…I don't deserve to live." I said closing my eyes clenching my fist tighter as it all came out.

"She was my friend, and yet I hurt her! I loved her and yet I…I…" I couldn't hold it in anymore as my body was trembling uncontrollably. My vision was blurred by the tears now pouring out of my eyes, "When I first came here, I thought it was nothing more than a nightmare. I was so full of anger and hate that I just wanted to get away. But then I met her. She tried to help me. She always tried to help me. She was my first real friend." I said with smiling a bit at the first memories of when I arrived here and met Cadance, "She saved me from myself. She showed me that despite or differences we could be friends. And through her I was able to find somepony that loved me enough to call me her Son." I said thinking of Celestia, "I even got a little sister too." My thoughts going to Twilight, "So many things happened, and I promised myself I would change. That I would leave how I used to be in the past, back in my own world and start over, here in Equestria." I said but I clenched my fists, "But something's can't be changed. I don't deserve to be loved." I said as my head started to throb once again, but I didn't care.

"We can never be loved…We can only love ourselves." My voice suddenly changed, but I could feel the sadness the woulds gave off, and I agreed with it.

But I wasn't finished there, "I grew up with nothing but hatred in my life, everywhere I went. I was fighting. But when I came here…it was different." I felt my head twitch, "A world filled love and acceptance. That is something we never felt before. How can we accept something we never felt before?" I nodded my head at his words.

"If you wanted to change so much that you were willing to give you your past, why would you push yourself so far only to give up now?" She asked me.

I lifted my head and glared at her, "Have you ever been beaten by your father?" She shook her head, "Have you even been neglected by your mother?" Again she shook her head, "Then you can never understand how I feel. I had nothing, no love from my own parents, no friends to play with. I was alone, I always have been. I…I wanted to change for her… But now, she probably hates me."

I looked back up to her, "You know, there's a saying back where I come from. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. That means no matter how much I try and change myself. I'll always be like him. I am my father's son." I said giving a dry laugh.

There was another long pause before I heard her say, "No." She said and I opened my eyes and glared at her.

"No what." I said back.

She just looked at me, "I take back what I said, and I refuse to take the life somepony as yourself." She said making me angry.

"I don't what your pity! You said I was going to do something bad, well I already have! I hurt those that I love. I have nothing to go back to-" "That is a lie." She said cutting me off.

"What's a lie?"

She sat down in front of me, "That you have nothing to go back too. It is a lie. You said it yourself. That you wanted to change yourself for the better, you were willing to cast aside who you used to be not only for her sake but your own." I was at a loss for words, "No matter how much hatred you may think you have, no matter how much you hurt them," For the first time I saw her smile at me, "I believe they will still love you." She told me, and for some reason I felt ashamed.

"How?" My voice was growing raspy, "How am I supposed to go back to them after what I've done?" I asked her, my shut closed as I started to cry once more.

And then I felt her wrap her wings around me, "Because, deep down you feel remorse for what you have done. It's eating away at you. Jake hate is a poison, it spreads and destroys everything we know and love. But you, you tried. You tried to change from the person you were, and into the person you are now." She whispered to me as I could help it anymore. I let it all out. I cried just like I did when Celestia told me she accepted me.

I tried so hard, no they tried so hard to help me change. They gave me the strength move forward, and yet. I was so willing to give up on them. They believed in me.

I cried out, screaming at the top of my lungs at what I was trying to do, what I wanted to do. I felt the magic in me pour out as my body as it was overflowing inside of me, it was a storm of my emotions and it was hurting me. I clenched my eyes, "It hurts." I gasped out between breathes.

But then I felt this overwhelming peace cover me like a blanket. Taking away the pain I felt. I opened my eyes to see the Alicorn kiss my forehead, and as she did. The red mark that was once there disappeared from it, "Rest now young one." She whispered to me as I felt tired all of a sudden. My eyes grew heavy as I was gently laid down against the floor.

"There will come a time when you must make a choice Jake Muller. When that time comes, you will learn how much you changed this world by entering it. Then, and only then will your fate be decided." I heard her say but my eyes saw her body flash before it broke into six different colored lights as they floated back into the sphere and darkness taking me.

"Forgiving others is easy, but forgiving yourself is even harder." I heard her tell me, her voice seemed distant, but I was already gone.

I opened my eyes again only to find myself surrounded by the same dark mist as before. And from out of the mist he came.

"So we meet again." I said to him as he just smirked at me.

"You're going back aren't you?" He asked me and I nodded my head, "We don't need them Jake, when will you open your eyes and see the truth for what it is." He told me.

I thought for a moment about what he said and something came to me, "Why are you trying so hard to convince me that we can't trust them?" I seemed to of hit a mark as he was taken aback by my question.

"Because we never needed anyone else before!" He shouted waving his arm out, "For as long as we can remember we have been alone. And from that we became strong, strong enough that no one pushed us around."

He said but something didn't sit right with me, "So that we could feel the pain anymore." I said as he smiled.

"Exactly." He said holding out his hand to me as the dark mist around him seemed to respond to his movements, "Together we can become strong once more Jake. We don't need anyone else. Togethe-" "That's where you're wrong." I said cutting him off, "I know why you so against letting anyone else in." I looked at him, "It's because you're afraid." I placed a hand to my chest, "I'm afraid."

He was silent as he looked at me, "I…We've been on our own for so long that we thought we didn't need anyone else but ourselves. But we were wrong." I said smiling at him, "They," I said as from the dark mist, a light began to shine, "They make us strong. Knowing they believe in us. Makes stronger then we have ever been." I told him as the darkness began to break apart as I felt something on my shoulder as I turned to see Shining Armor standing there with a smirk on his face that he always gave me. From over him Twilight popped up with a big grin on her face and a book that was twice her size in her hooves. The sound of fluttering came and I looked to my other side to see Celestia looking at me with her kind smile on her face as nodded to me and I returned it. And finally, I felt my right hand being nudged as I looked to see Cadance smiling at me.

I couldn't help but smile back as I placed my hand over her hoof.

"We are as strong as we need to be when its will them." I said looking over at him as the darkness began to fade away and world changed from a dark and ghastly forest, to a bright and peaceful one.

"I locked you away and tried to forget about you. That's why you tried so hard to get back at me. Because I casted you aside thinking I didn't need you anymore. But I was wrong." I looked at him, and I saw the real him.

The ash colored skin shattered like glass to show his tanned skin much like my own. His hair and the rest of him returned to normal, but his eyes remained red. But I didn't mind.

"You're as much a part of me as I am of you." I told him as I saw him. This time I stretched my arm out towards him and smiled, "Let's go back. Together." I said as the veil broke and his eye returned to their original color. And I saw him for who he truly was.

Myself.

"How can we be sure they will accept us?"

I sorta laughed a bit at that, "We can't, but we won't know unless we try." I told him as he scowled, but hesitantly walked towards me and took my hand as his scowl turned onto a half smile.

"Let's try this one more time then." He said as his body began to fade away as everypony around me faded with him. Only as he did, I saw his body turn into a small red ball of light that flew towards me.

I opened my arms and moved them behind the light as it entered my body. I closed my eyes and felt something I haven't felt in a while, as if I was missing something that I had found.

I was whole again.

My eyes slowly cracked open as sunlight blinded me forcing me to close them once again.

Rubbing them I looked around to see that I was still in the same room I was in the night before and right there not too far away from me was the sphere. And for a moment I stared at it as I sat there on the ground.

"You know, when I decided I was going to change myself. I took all of the old feeling I had in me. My anger, my hatred, my sorrows and locked them trying to forget about them. But that was it, I had nightmares all those years because I chose to lock them away instead of accepting them. And with the influence of magic, those suppressed emotions gave birth to him. And when I refused to acknowledge them, they wanted me to feel what they felt, to feel what I did to them." I said looking down at my hands, "But I realized something, deep down. If I want to change who I am, I have to start by accept who I was." I said looking at the sphere, "That's what you wanted me to learn, isn't it?" I asked the sphere, but I received no answer. But I still smiled.

"I don't know who you are but, thank you." I said when I heard the sound of hooves from behind me.

I looked over my shoulder see Celestia there with a serious look on her face as she trotted over to me and lifted her hoof in the arm and I unconsciously flinched as I thought she was going to hit me, but instead I felt her hooves wrapped around me.

"Do you know how worried I've been?" She whispered to me, "After what happened I was informed that you disappeared using a teleportation spell no less." She said pulling me closer to her, "I thought I lost you." She said quietly as I lifted my hand up behind her to comfort her, but I stopped for some reason.

I closed my eyes and placed my hand on her back, hugging her, "I'm sorry." I said softly.

I didn't know how long we stayed like that but when she finally let go of me, I asked her a simple question.

"How did you find me?"

She smiled and looked around the room, "Remember the story I told when I gave you your birthday gift?" She asked me and I looked down at my forearm at the blue bracer, "This is the place where that story took place. This is the old Castle that I ruled alongside my Younger Sister, the other ruler of Equestria." She said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

I didn't like to see her like this. I know the story, and what happened. But for me to come here, no I was over thinking it.

Thinking for a moment I remembered everything that happened the day before, "Ho-how's Cadance?" I asked her trying to change the subject but also a little scared to what she was going to say.

She gave a heavy sigh, "Jake." She started, "I will not lie to you Jake, thing's aren't good. I was informed by Shining Armor that you were frustrated and stormed off after your classes, and that you took his magic from him." I looked down ashamed for that. I had let my anger get the better of me, "But after that Sunset Shimmer explained that you attacked her and her friends and blamed her for stealing from you. And that you proceeded to attack them, putting three of them in the hospital and herself as well."

I felt torn inside, 'They tried to put this all on me.' I shouted inside of my head, "That's a lie! She started this all by stealing my." I looked down at the bracer and placed a hand over my chest, "She smashed the pendant you gave me, and ripped the photo of all of us." I said as I felt a ping of anger inside at what they did to me.

I explained to her what happened, explaining my side of the story. And she waited, not saying a word until I was finished.

"And then I woke up here on the floor. And you showed up, and that basically what happened." I finished as she nodded her head.

"That is a lot to go on Jake, not many others would believe such a story," She told me as my head dropped down as I sighed, "but that doesn't mean that I don't believe you." She said making me look back up to her.

"But, I don't care about them." I sternly, "I want to know how Cadance is." I said as guilt took to me, looking down at my right fist. The skin was still red, but it was going away.

She didn't say anything. She paused as I waited for her to tell me something.

I hurt her. I hurt in the worst way. But if there was chance that I could make amends with her. I would never hurt her again.

"Cadance is alright Jake, if that is what you are asking." She finally said and I gave a low sigh, "She was healed by me personally so there is nothing to fear. But there is one thing I couldn't heal." She said making me look up to her worried.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Let me just say that it is something that not even I can heal." She said in a sadden tone as I began to panic.

"Oh no, I did this to her. I-I need to see her. I need to fix this!" I said getting up off the ground as she looked at me confused a bit, "Where is she right now?" I asked her.

Looking at me a bit confused, "She is resting back in her room at the Castle, but why do you ask?" She said to me as but she stopped when I started to let the magic inside of me expand, I looked at my hands and saw that they were covered with my magic, but it felt stronger. "Jake what are you trying to." She said but without saying a word I thought of where I wanted to go and before I knew it, my body felt as if it was being squeezed together before the world around became warped as my body was pulled away and in the blink of an eye I suddenly found myself landing in the courtyard of the Castle.

I got up and looked around and I was indeed in the inner courtyard, "Wow, didn't expect that." I said when my head suddenly felt heavy and before I knew it, I had fallen to the ground as the sudden rush hit me hard, "Damn, it's just like last time." I moaned out as I pushed myself off the ground.

The last time I did something like this was last night, and that was the first time which now that I think about it, I was lucky that I didn't die the last time, but deep down. I felt that I remembered seeing something before I lost conscious and I felt that whoever that mare Alicorn was. That she helped me.

But I pushed those thoughts aside as I stood up and looked towards the east tower where Candace's room was.

"I need to hurry." I told myself as I started to run up the stair way leading to the back entrance where I saw the same guards standing guard.

They eyed me as I passed by, I took notice of the way they did as I rushed inside but ignored them.

I wanted to see her.

And it didn't take me long until I reached her room. Stopping just outside trying to catch my breath as I stared at her door.

'What am I going to say to her?' I thought, 'How do I take to her after…' 'We don't know, but we can't let that stop us. Isn't that what you told us?' I heard a voice tell me and smiled as I placed a hand to my chest, 'That's right.'

I took a deep breath and walked towards the door lifting my hand up to it and lightly knocking it.

I heard some shuffling inside before the sound of hooves clopping against the marble floors as they stopped on the opposite side of the door.

"Who is it?" Cadance said, her voice sounding saddened.

For a moment I didn't say anything, and I heard her walking away probably thinking she didn't really hear me when I spoke up.

"Cadance wait!" I said suddenly as I heard her stop. I couldn't see her, but my head couldn't help but think what she was thinking right now.

"Jake?" She said as heard her trotting towards the door and I saw the doorknob turn as her door cracked open and there in-between the cracks I saw Cadance looking up to me. Her eyes seemed to spark alive as the door shot opened and before I realized it I was knocked on my back with Cadance's front hooves wrapped around my neck and her head buried in my chest.

"Eh?" Was the only thing that I could say as I leaned up on my elbows and looked down at her, "Um, Cadance?" I said as she lifted her head and I saw she was crying. Tears swelling up in her eyes.

"You idiot! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you! How could you just disappear like that! You…you…Idiot!" She shouted at me as she buried her head against me once more.

I could feel her tears swelling up on my shirt but my mind was just in shock at what to do, but my arms suddenly moved on their own. They lifted up and were about to wrap around her when I stopped them.

For a moment I thought about it, and I told myself I wouldn't hold back anymore. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her as I leaned towards her head and whispered.

"I'm sorry." I said that over and over again until she had stopped crying. She pulled back wiping the remaining tears off her face.

Her eyes were puff and bloodshot and it reminded me of that night years ago. Back when we first became.

"Jake." I heard her say as I looked at her, "What happened to you the other day? You didn't seem like yourself."

I looked down and opened my feet, "I…I was myself." I said as she gained this confused look.

"What do you mean?"

I sighed, "What I mean is that the person, the one that you saw was the me that I had pushed deep inside of myself." I said looking back into her eyes, "Do you remember the night that we first became friends?" I asked her and she nodded her head, "Well that night I made a promise to myself. It was that I would start over, change who I was and become someone else. But, all those repressed emotions, all my hate grew more and more until it became unbearable and wanted to be free. I lifted my hand to her cheek hesitantly, the very one that I had bruised yet now it looked as if nothing had happened, "Hurt you wasn't someone else, it was me. I gave into my emotions and lost myself in them." I said and she just looked at me for a moment and laughed.

She was laughed, why was she laughing?

"I'm sorry Jake." She said trying to contain her giggles, "It's just that, I thought something had taken over you or even worse." She said smiled at me.

But I was confused now, "What do you mean? Don't you get it! I was the one that hurt you! I'm the one that did everything yesterday!" I said a bit louder this time as she just nodded to me.

"Yes, and I understand that. But, I don't care whether is you are like the old you, the one that you are now. You are you and that's all that matters to me." She said smiling brightly at me.

I looked at her smiling face and something came over me, this feeling of guilt hit me once more, "I don't deserve to be friends with somepony as kind as you Cadance." I said lowering my head and shutting my eyes.

But she placed a hoof under my chin and lifted my head to face her, and she looked sad.

"That's where you're wrong Jake. You are my friend and nothing will ever change that." She said embracing me with her hooves as I just let a chuckle out as tears started to swell in my eyes.

"What if I blow up like that again?" I said.

"Everypony makes mistakes Jake, it's what you learn from them that betters yourself."

"What if I get into a fight again?" I asked.

She just giggled, "Then I'll be right there to patch you up when you're finished like I always do."

Inside I knew that no matter what I said, once Cadance makes up her mind it's pretty much set in stone.

"Thank you Cadance." I said and she pulled back and smiled at me once more.

"That's what friends are for Jake." She told me as I looked into her eyes.

I unconsciously leaned my head forward and placed it against hers, being mindful of her horn. And she didn't seem to mind as she giggled a bit. I felt the shame and guilt I felt inside of me, being lifted from me as I closed my eyes and smiled.

"How long are they going to stay like that?" A small voice said as I opened my eyes and the both of us turned our heads to see Celestia and Twilight standing there looking at us.

Twilight with a confused look on her face while Celestia was smiling, "Oh, don't stop on our account." She said as I looked back to Cadance and realized just how close we were to each other. Not to mention that she sitting pretty close to me.

"Ah!" We both said quickly moving away from each other. My face red and if I had looked behind me I would of seen her face that was the same.

"Hey! I wanna play that game too!" Twilight said as she rushed over to the two of us and started to hop around making the both of us more embarrassed.

But thankfully Celestia came over and stopped Twilight with her hoof, "Maybe when you're older I'll explain the game they were playing my little Twilight." She said glancing at me as I just buried my face in my arms.

I felt as if I could die of embarrassment right then and there.

"I see that the two of you have made amends no?" She said and I nodded my head as I could only guess Cadance did the same, "Good, now I believe that you both should retire for the day. It has been a long one for us all. And I think Jake is would like to sleep in his bed, unless he perchance you would like to rest with Cadance?" As soon as her words left her mouth I shot up to my feet.

"I'll be going now!" I said as my magic flared around me before I disappeared from that spot and appeared in my room as I got his splitting headache.

But I had managed to fall on my bed, not caring that I hadn't taken a shower, or that I was still wearing the same clothes.

I let myself drift off as the headache slowly went away and I was able to fall asleep in peace knowing that when tomorrow comes, everything was going to be alright.

And thus end another chapter! Sorry of the late update, but as this chapter took me a bit longer to write because. I wanted to really capture how much remorse Jake felt after what he had done, and how he had come to peace with himself by accepting who he. Past and present. So hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for being patient and stay tuned for more to come! 3ndless out!

Next time Shatters of a Reflection. "With his guilt behind him, and his new found confidence in himself, and a new school year beginning. Jake finds himself with conflicted feelings as he recalls the words of the mysterious Alicorn from before. And what is he to do when he finds out a strange rumor that about Cadance and Shining going out? Next time, "Surprises and First Times."