Chapter 7: The Misunderstanding

Ten hours before the incident…

"Balloons check, party hats check, presents check, cake..." Pinkie then slammed a giant chocolate kiss into a cake that would dwarf a wedding cake. "CHECKAROO!" Pinkie shouted joyfully.

"Pinkie… that thing is buckin' huge!" Night Shadow said as he sat on the floor, looking at the very top of the cake.

"I've always wanted to try this recipe; I give the best to my best friends, Nighty." Pinkie said, sliding down a twenty-five-foot ladder.

"Aww, you're my best friend too." Night Shadow said, hugging Pinkie tightly.

"Well I did want to make this the best birthday party you've ever had." Pinkie said hugging back.

"It will be, considering that I have never celebrated my birthday before." Night Shadow said with a bit of sadness in his tone.

"And that's why I'm going to make it up with this, and then celebrate… how old are you?" Pinkie asked, realizing that she never knew his age.

"Age wise, I'm currently twenty-three. Time wise would put me at about… 5,023 years?" Night Shadow pondered. "But I turn twenty-four today at eight in the afternoon."

Pinkie stared at Night Shadow confused for a bit before reassuming preparations.

"Then that's twenty-three more birthdays to celebrate!" Pinkie said, excited.

"Well one party is good for one day, no need to rush anything." Night Shadow said, attempting to calm her down. "Oh bucking carbuncles, I need to get my suit.

"Okay Night Shadow, be sure to take your time." Pinkie exaggerated as Night Shadow ran out of the room.

In the streets of Ponyville

"Going to get my suit, which happens to be on the other side of the buckin' town. Well at least it's my first birthday being celebrated, and I might have a chance with Twilight. Wait, why am I running …I can just teleport. Oh yeah, the narrator wants me to run for some filler until some incident occurs. Well buck that, I'm going to teleport anyways in three, two-"

Night Shadow then teleported to the boutique to find that it was empty.

"Oh buttered biscuits she's gone, now where am I going to get a suit, and why am I asking myself these questions? Oh well, as long as I don't answer my own questions I should be fine." Night shadow said, twitching as his eyes became uncoordinated.

"Hey… your eyes are acting like mine." A gray pegasus said next to him.

"Oh sorry, I didn't see you there. I'm still trying to learn everypony's name. What's your name?" Night Shadow asked kindly.

"Some ponies call me Derpy Hooves because of my eyes, but my actual name is Ditzy Doo." She said happily.

"Does the name Derpy bother you though, I mean… it's the name they gave you because of your eye condition." Night Shadow said, attempting to not be offensive.

"Well… it depends on how you say it, I guess." Derpy said, still unsure.

Night Shadow happened to glance to Derpy's left side to find a timid, unicorn filly hiding behind her tail.

"Hey Derpy, there's a little filly behind you." Night Shadow said, pointing to the filly.

"Yeah that's my daughter, Dinky Doo, she's a bit shy though. Say hi Dinky." Derpy said, in a motherly tone.

"Ummm… hello." Dinky said shyly.

Attempting not to frighten her, Night Shadow leveled his eyes with hers.

"I'm not going to hurt you, there's no need to be afraid of me. Your mom is right there if something happens." Night Shadow said, calming her down.

"Okay..." Dinky whispered before approaching him.

"Well aren't you the most adorable thing I have ever seen!" Night Shadow said, patting Dinky on the head. "So who's the lucky stallion?"

As if the question changed the atmosphere and mood of the situation, Derpy instantly went into a depressed state.

"I'm so sorry if I brought up something, I can just lea-"

"No no… it's just I haven't seen him for so long." Derpy said, attempting to brighten up the mood.

There was a long pause of silence.

"Did he just leave or… pass away?" Night Shadow asked, breaking the silence.

"Neither of those… he was imprisoned five years ago by princess Celestia." Derpy said, avoiding eye contact.

"Ouch, knowing her punishments they can never be good. I bet they never told you why he was punished did they?" Night Shadow said, trying to make a point.

"They told me that he was going away for a long time, tried to tell me to find a new stallion to be with…" Derpy tried to say as tears formed in her eyes. "Told me he was evil and corrupted with hatred. That he could never love anypony, especially me ever again."

As she let some tears fall, Dinky ran back to her mom to comfort her.

"You know it's not true… don't you Ditzy?" Night Shadow said silently.

"None of it! Please believe me he's not evil, he's misunderstood, he's been through so much in his life that makes him believe that he is evil and could never be loved. He's not what everypony thinks he is; he has a heart that beats like everpony else, he feels pain and sorrow just like we do. He's everything to me, I love him for who he really is and not what everypony assumes. I miss him so much." Derpy said, letting the last of her tears fall.

Night Shadow was in a mix of sadness for this poor Pegasus and anger that ponies, including Celestia, would instantly think the worst of somepony that obviously needed help from others. Night Shadow then comforted Derpy with a hug.

"Soon everything will be made right, I promise this one way or another." Night Shadow said, releasing Derpy from the hug.

As if on cue, Night Shadow's suppressors started to beep rapidly as they flashed red.

"I-I have to go!" He shouted fearfully before running off.

Twilight's tree house.

"How could I be so naïve to think that these would hold for the next week?" Night Shadow said ridiculing himself.

He approached Twilight's door, however, instead of just a sign, the door was now magically enchanted to not let anything through.

'I don't have time for this, I need to get my bag and fix this.' He thought as he teleported to the balcony.

Unfortunately, the balcony door was magically sealed as well.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Night Shadow shouted.

With only one option left, he jumped down to the back of the tree house.

"It's now or never!" He yelled, letting his horn flow with magic.

"Twilight please, can we take a break?" Spike said, plopping into the floor.

"NO, the Winter Moon Celebration is today Spike, and I can't afford anymore distrac-!"

Before Twilight could finish, a huge explosion occurred behind her, leaving a huge gaping hole in the wall. Night Shadow then quickly ran inside to get his bag from his room.

"Night Shadow, what the buck are you doing!" Twilight yelled angrily.

"Trying to save the world here!" He replied before kicking down his door.

"Oh no you don't, you're leaving NOW!" Twilight shouted, attempting to teleport the intruder out.

"You and I both know that won't work on me!" Night Shadow declared, grabbing his bag while fighting off the teleportation spell.

"Why can't you ponies just leave me alone!?" Twilight screeched.

Night Shadow then blasted another hole into the wall before running off.

"Thanks a lot Night Shadow, now I have to fix your mess again!" Twilight yelled, as the stress got to her head.

In a secluded area away from civilization

"This should be far enough." Night Shadow said, putting his bag in the snow, removing a black screwdriver.

Putting his left foreleg onto a nearby rock, he unscrewed the latch for his upper suppressor. Inside were multiple flashing lights, cables, and wires connected to each other.

"I can't believe that I have lasted so long with these things. Sadly, I think my time is running out and I still have no solution to stopping the inevitable. Heck, not even the Elements of Harmony could cure it, so maybe Twilight can. If she returns the love that I give her that is, then I just might have a chance." Night Shadow said, adjusting some wires.

After five minutes of fixing the device he moved on to the lower one and did the same. The two suppressors went back to glowing purple before he removed his foreleg from the rock. He then placed his other foreleg onto the rock stand and popped open the suppressor.

'So far so good… for now. I just need to adjust this and-'

Striking a wrong wire, a flash of light streamed across his eyes as he heard voices.

"Is this not what you asked for… the perfect soldier to do away with your enemies?"

"Yes it is, I just expected him to be more, you know… better kept."

"Do you want this feebleminded idiot or not!"

"Of course, he shall be taken off of your hooves."

"I don't have hooves you confused hybrid!"

Night Shadow then came back to reality after hearing the last sentence.

"No, please… don't remind me of my past." He said regretfully.

Continuing on to the next device, he made sure that he didn't hit a lose wire. However, this did not stop another flashback from hitting him. Only this time, he could see the scene more clearly.

"Don't worry master, these two sisters could never surpass you in means of power or knowledge. Allow me to show you what I've learned by destroying them as my final test to prove my worth!"

The scene before him was of him, standing before his old master and friend, in a throne room. The two sisters were blurred from his memory, but he could remember one being white and the other of a dark blue before he snapped back into consciousness.

"These flashbacks are either becoming stronger or too real for comfort." Night Shadow said, as his heart rapidly started to beat.

Finally finishing his forelegs, he sat down next to a tree to work on his hind-legs. When he finished one of his legs, he shut his eyes and rested his head on the bark of the tree. This time the image was of him in a third-person view of his past self laying before a white alicorn.

"Celestia please stop! You have already punished me once before by turning the love of my life against me. What more do you want of me!?" He said, tears forming into his eyes

"I'm sorry Night Shadow, but until you turn from your evil ways, you will never be able to live among us. You are a danger to all that live among you and I can't allow you to continue your reign of terror!" Celestia boomed, as a portal opened behind Night Shadow that threatened to suck him in.

"Don't you realize that your acts of judgment won't change me but only make me worse! I beg of you, don't do this again!" Night Shadow screamed in fear, latching on to whatever he could grab.

"I really wish there was another way Night Shadow, I really do. But this is the only way… I'm sorry." Celestia said, as tears streamed down her face as Night Shadow lost his hold.

"CELESTIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Night Shadow screamed out of horror as he reopened his eyes.

"THAT FELT WAY TOO REAL TO BE A FLASHBACK!" He yelled, as a shiver went down his spine. "I should finish this quickly before anything else happens."

True to his word, he worked quickly on the last two inhibitors. He focused on his work to the point where everything around him seemed to slow down and blur. Straining too hard on the assignment, his eyes blackened out as he appeared in a black void. When he attempted to move, he realized that he was bound down by shackles that were chained to two iron pillars. Soon a sudden shock hit him harder than a ton of bricks as he screamed in agony.

When the yells dissipated, two mares appeared from the void of darkness, laughing at his pain. The one to his left had a dark blue coat, gray mane and tail with dark sapphire eyes. The one to his right had a black coat, purple mane and tail with bright amber eyes. As the laughing continued, Night Shadow's darker self approached him with a menacing smirk and motioned him to look up. What Night Shadow witnessed was Twilight hanging from a cage, completely bound and unable to speak due to a magical enchantment.

What he would see next would be engraved into his memory forever. Dark Night Shadow caused the cage's bars to glow bright red before they burst into flames before Night Shadow's eyes. When his horn ceased to glow dark red, Night Shadow heard the screams of pain coming from Twilight while the other three laughed at her suffering. Night Shadow attempted to move and try anything to free her, but the bindings were too strong, forcing him to watch and hear Twilight burn. Soon the cage fell and shattered in front of him, showing what was left of Twilight.

If Night Shadow wasn't sobbing and filled with anger before… he was now. The only thing left of Twilight was ash… nothing but ash and dust as Dark Night Shadow levitated the remains and threw it into Night Shadow's face. Night Shadow attempted to break free of his bindings and make these three pay with their lives, but instead was slammed down onto the cold floor and tied down with magical tendrils. Dark Night Shadow then leaped over him and crushed his horn with his hind hooves, resulting in Night Shadow screeching in pain. His darker self then conjured up a dagger and slammed it into Night Shadow chest and made a huge circle, ignoring the screams of his victim. Using his dark magic, Dark Night shadow slammed his hoof into the hole in Night Shadow and removed his heart. Before Night Shadow went unconscious, his darker self lit his heart on fire and said the words, "It's not like you used it anyways."

"YOU SICK ^%^#*&$!" Night Shadow shouted as he abruptly woke up. "That was a dream? How could… it have felt so real?" Night Shadow said, before being relieved that it was just a nightmare.

Looking up, he saw that the sun was setting in the distance.

"How long have I been out for?" He asked himself before fixing the last suppressor.

'I guess it doesn't matter, I need to get back to Sugar Cube Corner and tell Pinkie where I've been.' He thought before teleporting to his destination.

Two hours before the incident…

"These ponies need to invent a watch, it's not like everypony can read the sun's positioning." Night Shadow bickered to himself.

He walked up to the main entrance and noticed that all the lights were out. Lightly tapping the door, it creaked open to reveal the empty bakery being illuminated by the sun set. Slowly walking in with caution and looking around, he started to get intimidated.

"I swear Pinkie, if you're dressed up as Slendermane I'm not going to hold back." He said, putting his hooves up.

Instantly the lights came, cameras flashed, and multiple ponies shouted, "Surprise" as Night Shadow hit the ground, dazed.

"How was that for a surprise party!" Pinkie shouted, slapping a party hat on his head.

"I think I'm blind." Night Shadow said still stunned.

"Nonsense you silly filly, if you're blind how are you going celebrate your birthday?" Pinkie said, leaving Night Shadow's presence.

"Oh Pinkie, you shouldn't have." Night Shadow said as his vision returned to show Pinkie on a mountain of presents. "You really shouldn't have."

"Hey Night Shadow!" Rainbow said, walking next to him. "Happy Birthday you big jerk."

"Normally I would say takes one to know one… but knowing you that's the best compliment I've gotten, so thanks." Night Shadow said with a smile. "Wait Pinkie, I just remembered, you said the party would be at eight?"

"Yes I did… but everypony came early and got ready really really fast. So we did a surprise party for you!"

Night Shadow looked around to see all of his friends and other ponies at the party enjoying themselves with games, food, and other things… except Twilight, who was nowhere to be found.

"Then where's Twilight?" He asked.

"We tried to get her to come, we really did." Rarity said disappointed.

"She insisted on finishin' her celebration doohicky." Applejack finished

"We're really sorry." Fluttershy said, apologetically.

Night Shadow had a look of disappointment before he cheered up again.

"You shouldn't apologize for things that aren't your fault Fluttershy… after all this is supposed to be a party, SO LETS PARTY!"

His friends then assumed party mode as they joined the rest of the ponies. It was just like any ordinary party, well… if you've been around Pinkie long enough that is. The only thing out of the ordinary was Night Shadow. Being his first birthday party, he was practically clueless to the entire ordeal. He just guessed at what to do and what to say, and it turned out fine. One hour of partying passed before Night Shadow got his friends to sit with him to ask each other questions.

"Don't you ever find it awkward that all your best friends are girls?" Rainbow asked bluntly.

"It's not like it matters, you're the best friends I've ever had… who am I to pick and choose." Night Shadow said, chugging his seventeenth cup of punch. "Pinkie I've always wondered, how do you jump around and run so much without losing energy?"

"Silly Nighty, always trying to use logic. I just do it." Pinkie declared.

"Figures, I don't think anyone can describe you logically." Night Shadow admitted.

"Well I'll be right back, I have to finish the last thing on the cake." Pinkie said, leaving the room.

"Okay Rainbow Dash, I have a question for you, did you dye your hair like a Rainbow or did you spill Technicolor bleach into it by accident?" Night Shadow joked.

"Ha ha very funny… my mane is like this naturally." Rainbow remarked.

"I-I have a question Night Shadow." Fluttershy asked, somehow overcoming the noise in the background. "Is it true that you like Twilight?"

"I will be blunt with all of you, I really like Twilight, I really do. I'm just afraid she won't in return. So after the party… can you come and help me ask her out?" Night Shadow asked, nervous.

They all agreed to help afterward, adding their own side comments of how they will help. Then Pinkie launched out of the door and grabbed Night Shadow.

"It's time to sing happy birthday!" Pinkie announced to everypony.

After Night Shadow awkwardly stood there while everypony sang happy birthday, it was time to blow out the candles.

"Yeah Night Shadow, do what the narrator says." Pinkie suggested.

"I know what he said… it's just that I don't know what you mean." Night Shadow asked, confused.

"What do you mean you don't know what I mean?" Pinkie asked, smiling.

"How to blow out the candles." Night Shadow said as everpony stared at him awkwardly.

"That's easy, you just use your mouth and blow on it, like this." Pinkie demonstrated.

"Oh okay, I was derping for a moment there." Night shadow said, laughing at himself.

Forty-five minutes later/fifteen minutes before the incident….

"Goodbye everypony!" Night Shadow said as they all left.

"I think Night Shadow should open gifts now." Pinkie said, handing him a gray present.

"Yay I got a gray box!" Night Shadow said excited.

"Your supposed to open it genius." Rainbow said smirking.

"Why would I want to do that?" Night Shadow asked, confused.

"Because there's a present in it, silly." Pinkie chuckled.

"So I get two gifts for the price of one, awesome." Night Shadow said excited.

Everypony was now wondering if he was just joking or being serious.

"Hey look, I got a muffin!" Night shadow shouted.

"Well let's open the others." Pinkie suggested.

"That can wait, remember what I wanted all of you to do… I think I'm finally ready." Night Shadow said with confidence.

"Then let's get you that date!" Rainbow declared to him.

One minute before the incident

"Dear Princess Luna" Twilight wrote, some tears forming in her eyes. "I am sorry to inform you that I have failed to carry out the assignment that you have entrusted me with. Please try to forgive me, but I understand if you can't, so I will accept any punishment that you will give me. I will try to-"

There was a loud knock on the door, next to the huge gaping hole with minor repairs.

"Twilight is it okay if I come in?" Rainbow said knocking again.

"No!" Twilight said in a mix of anger and depression.

Rainbow disregarded this, flew in the large hole, and opened the door from the inside, letting the others in. Twilight's anger was now increasing, but not noticeable to the others.

"We need to ask you a serious question." Applejack pushed.

"Didn't you hear me the first time… I said NO!" Twilight shouted.

"It's important!" Pinkie said, bouncing up to her.

"Pinkie, you're the reason I was distracted yesterday!" Twilight accused.

"There's no need to yell darling, we're just trying to-"

"Trying to what, distract me so I can't accomplish what the Princess of the Night assigned me to do!?" Twilight yelled to Rarity.

"Hold on, you never said anything about-"

"Don't even get me started with you Rainbow, with your Iron Pony Competition and pestering about Night Shadow!" Twilight shouted, practically losing all respect.

"Rainbow's right here sugarcube, we never heard of this-"

"I was given the task to schedule the Winter Moon Celebration TODAY! I never finished one buckin' thing because of all your distractions!"

"Umm… g-girls, can we stop fighting." Fluttershy said, attempting to calm the group down.

"Now I have to send this letter to Luna saying why I couldn't do a simple task for her… and it's all your FAULT!" Twilight screamed, silencing everything in the room.

"Twilight?"

Everypony looked at the doorway to see Night Shadow, with a confused look on his face.

"Why are you yelling at your friends?" He asked, a bit frightened.

"You… you're the one who is truly to blame!" Twilight yelled, teleporting into Night Shadow.

"W-what… I didn't do anything." Night Shadow said frightened.

"You didn't do ANYTHING… no the question is, WHAT DIDN'T YOU DO!" Twilight shouted furiously into his face.

"I-I don't know what you mean, stop yelling at me." Night Shadow pleaded.

"You're the one that planned it all, planned everything to make me look bad in front of the princesses!" Twilight accused.

"I just wanted you to have fun… what's wrong with that?" Night Shadow said, trying to prove his case.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT!? Ever since you got here you've been nothing but trouble and a pain to me and my friends.

"That's not true, you're-"

"You embarrassed me in front of everypony, trash my house, start a rivalry with Rainbow Dash, eat all the food I have, spread a rumor that I actually liked you, tell me to look for an imaginary book, make me waste my time to find you in the everfree forest and give me a fake letter from Celestia! What else did I miss… oh yeah, BLEW NOT ONLY ONE, BUT TWO HOLES IN MY HOUSE!"

"I never meant to harm-"

"Get out of my house… AND NEVER COME BACK!" Twilight shouted, throwing what was left of Night Shadow's things into his face.

Night Shadow eyes were streaming with tears at the last words she said.

"I was wrong about you Twilight… I loved you and this is what you do to me?" Night Shadow said, tears rolling down his muzzle. "I try to give you happiness… and you throw me out! I HATE YOU!" Night Shadow declared before running out of the door.

When he made his disappearance, the grandfather clock on Twilights wall started to chime signifying it was eight o' clock.

*DING*

Instantly Twilight was hit with a flash back.

"Darn it Twilight, why do you have to be so cute when you're confused?" Future Night Shadow asked.

*DING*

Another flashback occurred

"I should of had more time than this, something is affecting the spell! Twilight whatever you do, when I walk through that door eight days from now at exactly 8:00 pm, do not-" Future Night Shadow attempted to say before vanishing.

*DING*

"It's just that your bracelets started to glow red again." She remembered saying, a bit concerned.

"They're not bracelets, Twilight, they're suppressors. They prevent me from turning into… that."

*DING*

"What do you mean?" She said, looking at him worried.

"It means that without these, everyone would be in danger of… me." Night Shadow said softly.

*DING*

"Twilight, that's not going to happen unless something very drastic ensued, please don't be scared." Night Shadow said approaching her slowly.

*DING*

"And under what conditions would you…do that?" She asked still concerned.

"Only if somepony very dear to me was hurt, or if my heart was… broken."

*DING*

"You don't have to feel like that ever again. Me, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy; we are your friends now and we will never betray you." She said, wiping the tears away from Night Shadow's eyes, holding him tightly.

*DING*

"Promise me… promise me that you won't leave me like they did. I care about you so much, all I ask is that you do the same." Night Shadow asked holding on to Twilight.

"I Promise."

The flash back ended at the last stroke of the clock.

"What have I done? NIGHT SHADOW, COME BACK!" Twilight asked herself before running after him.

"Little sister, why have you not raised the moon?" Celestia asked in a concerned tone.

"I sense much pain, anger, …and darkness."