Learning To Live

by Nekron Smauzog

A sensitive man was always trying his best to deal with life, whether his struggles with friendships or maintaining the best motives. Everything changes when he is supposedly killed in a deadly chase dealing with a dangerous criminal gang, and he appears in Equestria. What is his purpose there? But most to notice, why is he even there?

18. The Dark Queen - Return of the Knight

"Are you crazy Brayden?!" Rainbow Dash yells in my face with the utmost annoyed look that would probably put a smile on my lips. But I was serious for this moment because Nightmare Moon was ruling all of Equestria in the wrong way. "If we go up there, who knows what Nightmare might be planning for us? Whether it's being ambushed and captured, facing us one by one alone in the city."

"Trust me on this Rainbow Dash!" I said to her. "We've got to do this, because we might not have enough time!"

I was standing by the train station. Twilight managed to gather most of her and my friends and was already starting to make a plan of what we were going to do once we got into Canterlot. The two of my friends Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were beside me, keeping an eye on me to make sure that I was both okay and that my plans were working out exactly as planned. But the wind… it's really starting to grow extreme for me.

My legs felt like ice had grown out over them to keep them in place on the ground. The chilling wind slips past my skin and causes me to shake even more from the freeze. Fluttershy notices my shivering and lets out a bit of a worried gasp.

"Brayden, are you feeling okay?" Fluttershy asks me. I turn to look at her eyes, the both of us looking into each other's eyes in a friendly way. My pupils by the look of it gave off that I was freezing. "This cold weather is really starting to affect you."

"T-T-Tell me a-about i-it!" Pinkie Pie shouts, shivering as well which did confuse me. It would have to be a lot colder for the ponies to finally catch a breeze of the chill. The clouds above us began to blow in more wind, sending in a huge snowstorm and all of us down below seem to be caught in it.

I bend down a little and continue to look at Fluttershy. "I'm f-fine. It just feels really cold." I said to her, giving off a bit of a shiver.

"Oh my goodness." Fluttershy says, then turns her head away for a few moments and then returns to me with a look of concern. "Are you sure you don't want a wing wrapped around you for warmth?"

"No thank you F-Fluttershy, I think I'll do for a little longer." I said, shaking out in the cold.

Applejack trots up towards me with a sad, concerned frown on her face. "C'mon Brayden, ya don't want to faint again." She tells me.

"S-Seriously guys, I'll be fine." I say to them, kindly rejecting their offers for warmth. "I'm sure I can last a little longer before the blood inside starts to free-"

A soft and warm wing curled around me on the left surprising me out but not in a way to make me jump. I turn my head to the left and could see Twilight placing her right wing around me. She smiles at me. "You do need some warmth Brayden. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, come help me keep Brayden warm." Twilight says in her gentle voice. I watch as my two friends wrap one of their wings around me at their side of me. Their wings gave little warmth, but it was better than nothing at all.

"So what's the plan Twilight?" I could hear Rainbow Dash saying to Twilight. "Are we just going to march straight into Canterlot and demand Nightmare Moon to return the sun?"

"I'm afraid it isn't that simple Rainbow Dash." She says, her mane blowing in the chilling strong wind. "If we go in there, she might already have a trap planned for us. You might be right about that. We'll need to avoid getting in a path toward the castle and find an alternate way around once we arrive."

"I can see why she conjured up some guards with her own magic," I told her, but in the way of a shout. The wind was picking up heavily and making it hard to hear what the others were trying to say. "Those guards are the trap! Thank Celestia that I picked up on that in advance."

"Right!" Spike shouts, thankfully hearing me before more wind starts to pick up. "I'm just really hoping that this train arrives soon. I really can't stand this weather!"

"Wait… how are you able to not feel cold?" I shout towards the young dragon Spike. He didn't seem to freeze or give out a shiver.

"Dragon scales." He tells me, with a smile on his face. "They're really strong and help keep dragons from colder environments. Think of the ice dragons for example, they live far from the Crystal Empire and are capable of adapting to their surroundings in ice caverns."

"I almost wish that I had dragon scales like you!" I said to him, the snow blowing into me, Spike and my friends' faces.

Spike lets out a bit of a laugh and gives a sly smile. "So does everypony else!" He tells me.

In the distance, I could faintly hear the roar of the train coming on arrival. It was just too bad that I wasn't able to see the direction that the train was coming from due to the blizzard. But if it's one thing that helped me find where the train was, it was none other than the right side that was coming in from the town of Appleloosa and the light on the front of the train. I pretty much know where it is because of the map beside the train station that released all the schedules for each train that came running through Ponyville. Some even led all the way to The Crystal Empire, Manehattan and Fillydelphia! Did I also mention that this can also travel to Las Pegasus? So many places to see and explore in Equestria! It's just too bad that I don't have wings… I would have really enjoyed a visit to see all of Cloudsdale, the floating cloud city near Ponyville in the skies of Equestria.

"Hear that, ya'll?" Applejack asks. I turn my sight towards her and watch as she raises her left hoof all the way to her forehead, keeping on the lookout for the train coming up on approach. "That may be the train bound for Canterlot."

"It is." I said to Applejack, placing her left hoof back onto the ground. "It is coming up, but I have to tell you and the girls something before the train comes to a stop."

All of my friends turned their heads to look at me, even Pinkie Pie came up away from the safety zone, last thing she'd want is to have her head blown off by an upcoming train. They all joined around to look at me, wondering what I had to say. I take a bit of a breath and begin to speak. "I just want to let you girls know, that once we step forward onto the train… there's no going back on this plan. Twilight's plan is really planned out and we can follow her every hoof of the way."

"Brayden?" Pinkie asks, raising her hoof like an innocent school child. "Don't you mean to say every step of the way?"

I think about that for a moment. "Sort of, Pinkie." I tell her which she nods to me in a message that she only understood that it's not really the real answer. Even if I knew it, I would've told her. I look back at the girls and continue. "The point is, Nightmare Moon has to be stopped from bringing the eternal night in Equestria: which at the moment she has succeeded in doing. You might not have the Elements of Harmony with you anymore, but I down inside believe that you can tell her to release the princesses and our dear friend Rarity and her sister. But I cannot forget my friend Coco Pommel as well."

Twilight gently places her right hoof onto my hand. I look down at her and wonder what question she'll ask next. "Brayden, what about this Sword of Unity… or Song of Order, whatever it is named. What if one of us finds it?"

"Then…" I say, giving out an inaudible sigh. "Let us hope to Celestia that it works against Nightmare Moon." Everypony goes silent and seems to look just about ready, but of course I thought that they all had more questions to ask. "Anypony else got questions?"

"Enough time to this dramatic talk Brayden." Rainbow Dash says to me in a manner of sticking to the priority of our job in taking care of Nightmare Moon. "We've got an evil queen to kick off her royal throne she stole from the princess!"

The train slowly pulled up towards the edge of the station. I watch as the front of the train comes to a complete stop, and witness the train car doors open up slowly due to the freezing weather. There were almost nopony occupying any part of the train with the exception of the conductor and the railroad engineer. The conductor was at the first train car which happened to be known as the suite car. A few ponies are just thankfully lucky enough to get the suite before others can. But seeing how there was nopony but us at the station, I could tell that everypony was probably trying to stay warm indoors before the chill got them. Even then, they could last a bit of time in the cold weather.

"All of you, come on board!" The train conductor shouted to us at the doors of the train car. "You'll be warm in here!"

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Twilight moved their wings off of me and proceeded forward to join me and the others in heading towards the train car. Without their wings to keep me warm, I am vulnerable to the cold again. But this time, the cold felt like a million tiny daggers were assaulting me while remaining invisible. The only difference was this time, it felt like my blood was already starting to freeze. I slowly begin to wobble a bit in my steady walking to safety. Nopony seems to catch notice of this though. But judging by the weather and predictions of worlds without a sun, I would probably say that Equestria was already starting to form into an iceball.

I stumble towards the train car doors and I could swear that my arms were already starting to feel frozen. My clothes started to catch onto the feeling of being wet and soggy when on approach into a warm source indoors. I was the last to step onto the train car, not noticing the now-worried face that appeared right onto the conductor's face. Finally embracing the power of an atmospheric warmth, my cold and frozen body reacts harshly to the warm and causes me to fall forward, hitting my head on the wooden ground of the train. I'm unlucky that I didn't fall unconscious this time, but the sound of my fall did grab the attention of all my friends.

I could hear the sounds of frightened gasps coming from everypony. Spike's feet are heard coming towards me and I could feel myself being tilted to the side, facing upward at the ceiling. "Well, he hasn't fainted. That is a big relief, but why is he frozen like that?" Spike asked.

Twilight trots towards me and looks down at me with her beautiful eyes. She moves her right front hoof towards my hand and gently begins to rub it, checking my temperature. "Oh no… he's cold." She says, in a tone of worry. "Pinkie, Spike! Help me get Brayden onto his feet."

I continue to watch Twilight as she looks down at me to keep an eye on me. I could hear the sound of hooves trotting to the scene and gently take my hand with her hoof. On my right hand, I feel Spike's scaled claws take a hold of me as well. I can feel myself being lifted up off the ground and close to my feet again. I could feel Pinkie between my left arm and body to help support me from falling. Twilight pretty much helped do the same on my right side.

Together, I could feel them bringing me forward towards the nearby bed on the left side of the car. Did I mention that? Before standing to wait for the train, I found out this train had beds as part of its suite, allowing the user to rest until they got to their destination. Rainbow Dash stands there by the bed, holding onto a blanket that she must have searched around the car cabinets for. Pinkie and Twilight help move my hands towards the bed and lift up my legs to help slide me on top of the soft mattress. Rainbow Dash places the warm blanket over my body.

"What's happening to him? Why does he still seem awake, but not moving?" Rainbow Dash asks while looking at me for a few moments and then turning to Twilight. I could tell because that certain hoof of Twilight's was gently stroking my cold forehead.

"Rainbow Dash, I think it might have been the cold that did this. Frostbite." She said, even though I couldn't quite see her. "The weather must have acted too harsh, that it gave him this. But not too worry, it isn't completely frostbite in a hundred percent. It's only a partial."

Everypony in the car gave a sigh of relief, probably thankful that this probably won't kill me after all. "But he will need to keep warm. Pinkie, can you find him a few more warm blankets to put on his cold body?" Twilight continues.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie says. I hear her open up a small cabinet. "I have all kinds of warm blankets stashed all over just in case of warm blanket emergency!"

I could only see the ceiling, but could tell that Twilight was probably smiling and rolling her eyes in the process. I could hear the magic smoothing aura of Twilight's magic and see those other blankets float over above my head. My mind seems to go off somewhere else though for those few moments. I was starting to have a vision again.

In this vision it was different, day was finally shining into the land of Equestria again and I found myself at a balcony of the Canterlot Castle. Nightmare Moon was lying on the tiled floor, looking straight at me with a glare and she seemed to look powerless. I reckon that this was a sign that she has lost her powers and was unable to continue without the night that never ends. That look that she gave me told me in her words that she no longer deserved to live. I am curious to why she would surrender this easily and wanted death upon her. I can feel something in my left hand that I am holding onto. I turn my eyes towards the item I am holding. I am nearly blown back after I saw what I was holding.

This 'item' turned out to actually be a large two-handed claymore made of complete silver. On the blade were gold ruins written into it, but judging by the sword… I really didn't know what they meant. Below the shining blade was a red leather grip, and on the cross guard for both the left and right sides was the symbol of Twilight's cutie mark, the six pointed star. The pommel has the symbol of a musical note colored with gold and described as a quaver note. Wait… why am I carrying this sword? Could it possibly be what I am seeing with my own eyes as The Song of Order? Am I the one meant to carry the sword?

The answer goes unanswered and the vision leaves my own eyes before I can get any other information out of that brief dream. But upon coming back from that unexpected dream, I end up in another unexpected, but almost surprising situation. Fluttershy was lying down on top of me with both of her wings open and around me, giving me warmth. My surprised face stays for a few moments and then turns into an embarrassed blush and smile. I never have expected my best friend to do something like that. On the other half, I felt embarrassed because if Twilight saw what was going on, she'd be mad at the both of us, and would result in a fear coming true: a break-up.

"Don't worry Brayden," I could hear Twilight's gentle voice beside me on the left. Her warm hoof was gently holding onto my silky, dry left hand. "You're going to be okay. We got enough blankets for you to keep warm. You almost caught hypothermia."

I weakly groan and turn my head slowly towards Twilight. Her face is in that of a smile, and her eyes looked rather delighted that I had snapped out from that vision. But my guess is that she thought I had fallen unconscious again and needed to get heat into my body for normal temperature again. "But… why is Fluttershy lying down on top of me?" I asked, sounding a bit weak.

"Twilight thought that something was still wrong after putting on the blankets," Fluttershy told me in her soft-spoken, kind voice. I turn back towards Fluttershy to hear what she needed to say to me. "She thought that her body could warm up yours, but there wasn't enough warmth for her. Most of the others were the same… but I volunteered since I felt the warmest."

"But… doesn't this look like I would be cheating on Twilight?" I said, still having an embarrassed blush on my cheeks.

"Oh, don't worry about it Brayden." Twilight said, still holding onto my hand. I turn back to look towards her. "I gave her permission to give you warmth."

I struggle my hand towards my special somepony's chin and gently stroke it. "Thank you again, Twi." I said to her in a gentle, but raspy tone from the cold. She just gives a happy blush at me, still proud for bringing up the idea of having Fluttershy keep me warm. But… no. Just don't think that I'll start liking Fluttershy from there. I chose Twilight for that specific reason.

Twilight opens up her left wing and puts it onto me. "I suggest you get some rest Brayden. Me or Fluttershy will definitely wake you up when we arrive in Canterlot." She tells me in her normal tone. She moves forward towards me and gives me a kiss on my soft lips. She moves her wing off of me, trotting past me to join with most likely her friends.

Fluttershy moves her right front hoof onto my chest and begins to give it a gentle rub. "This'll help to get you to rest." She said, smiling at me with a 'squee' sound after.

I smile weakly, feeling a bit tired and wait for my eyes to close me into sleep. Fluttershy keeps her watchful eyes on me, beginning to hum a gentle tune that almost resembled a lullaby. I know this because on my last day on Earth, I discovered in class that I was music-wise in learning. Plus I also discovered this when in a class and a teacher accidently played The Rite of Spring for about one second. That one second was enough for me to recognize it as that song, and I appreciated a lot of classical music before I started getting into the genres of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.

Fluttershy's soft humming tone sounds very beautiful and as medicine to my consciousness. I can already start to feel my eyelids droop down into a state of sleep. I'm trying to stay awake at the same time but Fluttershy's lullaby was drifting me to relaxation. Within a matter of moments, I find my eyes closed and my thoughts off in sleep and the sounds of the moving train fading into empty silence. I had gone off into a deep sleep.

---

My eyes remain shut, but I listen on in to the sounds of gentle waves stirring in a soft current somewhere on what I could tell was probably a beachside. I can't see what is happening, but I can tell that my body was moving along with the flow of the current gently. I begin to open my eyes slowly and could see myself on a boat that rocks like a cradle in the vast oceans. The stars are above me, shining and twinkling like it was no tomorrow, dancing beautifully in the skies.

I slowly move up from below the boat to see the environment around me. The waters gently push the boats into calm descents of the oceans above, and judging by how long this realm was, it looked like it would go on for infinite. I didn't know what would be at the bottom of the ocean floor, but judging by the dream realm… my guess is that there was no end. Besides the sounds of the gentle waves, I could hear in the distant, the sound of a warm acoustic guitar. It was playing a soothing tune that sounded peaceful to the ear and another song I heard back on earth to the beginning of a song.

I could see a light shining in the direction that the boat was heading towards. By the look of this light, I could tell that the realm wasn't as infinite as I thought it would be. The lit structure seemed to deem the design of being made in completely stone and it was floating above the water. It seemed impossible for this to happen because the structure would probably sink into the water below. But nevertheless it has my curiosity about what is inside the structure that the boat brings me to.

It only takes a minute or two until the boat makes a soft impact onto the stone island. The boat repeatedly starts to tap onto the sides of the carved stones, going no further ahead in the ocean-sides. I take a look into the brightly open door, too bright for me to see inside by its own light. But I had some expectations about what would be inside the island. To my own guess, it was probably a trap being set by Nightmare Moon herself to get me captured in sleep, unable to wake up. But inside, I could hear the sound of singing, but it sounded very human-like when it sang. Was somepony in there singing to herself …Or was it someone?

I take a step onto the stone and slide my two feet gently off of the boat. I take a few moments to get new to this surrounding on the lone island, and turn back to watch the wooden boat sink into the calm waters below into the forever. The dream was trying to tell me that there was no turning back after getting off transport. My curiosity turns back towards the inside of the stone room. What was that singing?

"Come on in Brayden." A deep voice that sounded like a male said through the door from the bright room. "Do not be afraid, for I will not bring harm to you."

At first when I hear the voice, my thoughts continue to think that it will be a trap. But on the other hand, there was something about this voice that assured me that it was all okay. The deep voice also seemed to have a calm vibe in its tone when it spoke. My two feet start to move forward towards the door and I find myself coming towards the room ahead. I move my left hand up to my face and allow my hand to protect my brown eyes from the light until I've entered the room.

I walked past the lone arch of carved stone and continue to shield my eyes from the bright environment. The singing got louder, but remained at a calm level enough for me to keep relaxed. I could tell that this singing was giving off a heaven-like vibe. I start to move my hand out of the way when the brightness turns into a moody like setting around the stone walled room. I slowly move my hand out of the way to see what was in the room singing at such a gentle vibe that even Fluttershy would love.

I could see the light shining off of the silver blade as described in the vision I had minutes before entering the dream realm. It was the Song of Order itself. The blade that was put down in lore and other books of knowledge that not even Starswirl the Bearded could find. I was probably the first out of all of them to find this blade in the dream realm.

"Greetings young Brayden." The same voice said, giving the calm resonance in the atmosphere of the dark night that would be eternal. "You have stumbled by rare occasion into this dream by me… the power of harmony.

I wondered where that voice was coming from and looked a bit around the stone walls, seeing only no one but the sword shining at a low rate for my eyes to adjust to. "Who said that? Who is it?" I asked, wondering who was talking to me.

"It is I, Brayden. The Song of Order." The sword's invisible spirit tells me, getting my attention that it was only the silver sword that whole time. "The one placed into legends… the one mistakenly called the Sword of Unity."

"Celestia did tell me that you were the Sword of Unity." I said, trying to admit a detail that the sword itself missed on.

"Basically, the ponies believe in what my name is in their own different way. To me though, it has always been the Song of Order." The sword said to me. "History does bring any different meaning to my name that is used upon me."

"Well thank goodness you're here." I said to the blade, not approaching it. "Nightmare Moon has escaped her prison and is now reborn as the Queen of Equestria. You have to help me."

"I did sense that Nightmare has escaped herself through your troubled emotions and past." The sword says. "But unfortunately, a singer with a golden soul has to be able to prove it to me that they are worthy enough to wield me in order to fight Nightmare or any other enemy in Equestria. She is the reason why I am singing, I sense danger in that way. It's all part of my power."

"That's it though?" I ask. "Don't you have any other unique powers that work for you?"

"Well…" The sword says with a pause. "I have not been wielded in Equestria for nearly a millennium. When the first human in Equestria took me by the sword to fight a great evil that threatened Equestria… I gave the powers to summon ethereal wings and special armor to protect him in battle when he was in danger."

"What happened to the first human?" I asked him. "What was his fate?"

"Greed." The sword stated in calm silence. "When greed took over him, I had to disconnect myself from his grasp before the powers of madness could reach out and grab onto him. Princess Celestia was still a filly during this time."

"You mean you were probably the first thing born when Equestria came into shape?" I asked, feeling the need to ask as many questions as possible before Twilight woke me up from my sleep.

"Oh no." The sword's spirit told me. "I'm not the first Equestrian item that has appeared in legend. There are too many ancient relics far away in Equestrian history from the beginning that even I cannot understand. But I wasn't created out of thin air. There was a time where my spirit was born from the great powers of magic."

"You know your past?" I asked, really curious to know. "Please do tell me."

"Long ago, I was forged in the floating islands of Whinnepagos. It was at the time that the alicorns were the only Equestrian race accompanying the planet. I watched myself being smelted and forged by silver ore into this by the Alicorn blacksmiths. They placed the magic into me powerful enough to know the magic of friendship and the powers I have today. But I was forged for a specific reason… there was war going on at the time."

"What were the alicorns fighting?" I asked.

"It was none other than a female human that somehow found our world and wanted to exterminate us. She wanted the entire planet destroyed so she and her dragon armies could take over and harvest resources that we had." The sword said. "The alicorns being more intelligent at the time, brought in a good human from your world to stop her and put her into trial at the Whinnepagos High Council centre. Her sentence was banishment into a different realm for at least a millennium's cycle. She hasn't returned since and we hope she and her hateful armies don't return. I'm just thankful that Princess Celestia wasn't born yet."

"Then…" I paused, interrupting the sword a bit even though it's hard for me not to interrupt. "How did Princess Celestia or Luna become princesses?"

"Princess Celestia started off as a unicorn and her sister a Pegasus. So as a last minute to save the alicorn race from extinction, the alicorns of the past used all of their magic to make the both of them the next princesses of Equestria." The sword informed me, giving me the details as he went on. "For the new Princess Twilight… she solved a spell that even the alicorns high up in the heavens looked upon her as being good and proud of her for solving a problem with her friends and discovering a new magic spell."

"Magical Mystery Cure?" I asked, knowing all about the episode and the affect that it had on some of the bronies back on Earth. Some approved of the change, some didn't.

"That is correct." The sword said. "I wasn't able to see it, but am well aware of it happening. It has been too long since I've disappeared from the realm of Equestria."

"Brayden… wake up. We're here." I could hear Twilight's voice echo distances away across the vast oceans in my dream.

"Well…" The sword said to me. "By the sound of that voice, you are arriving in Canterlot I suppose?"

"Yes." I confirmed what the sword had guessed to me. "Me and my friends are going to try and stop Nightmare Moon and bring back the day, our friends and the two princesses before she does something terrible to them."

"I wish you much luck in trying to do that." The sword assures me. "It will not be easy to try and help Nightmare to stand down. Only if you find the true heart in yourself and know when to show your friendship offer towards Nightmare Moon while she attacks."

"Then what?" I asked."

"I cannot explain how to wield me and have me appear, that is something you have to figure out for yourself Brayden." The sword tells me. "The dream is over, I am weary now. I shall be awakened by only the golden soul itself. But remember my carved ruins on me, for they are my name… the Song of Order."

At this point I try to resist against waking up in the dream realm back into the real world. But you know that you can't stay much longer than 40 minutes in a dream before you just go into sleep. The stone floor opens up below and I'm expecting water at first, but it turns out to be a white light that covers me, bringing me into the real world again.

---

"Come on Brayden, wake up!" I could hear Rainbow Dash saying to me in a brave, but worried tone of voice while opening my eyes fast, enough to adjust to the environment of Equestria which I was pretty much used to by now. I move my head upward, seeing the blankets on me but no Fluttershy.

I turn around a bit, looking towards the left where Rainbow Dash was flying in the middle of the train car. I figured that Fluttershy was probably on my right, smiling at me to make sure that I was alright so I turn to the right to check up on my best friend, but I am met with a lips to lips kiss from my special somepony, Princess Twilight.

I gently shared the kiss with Twilight and then let go after that brief moment. "You're really cute while you sleep." She compliments to me, putting a large blush onto my face. That was completely unexpected from what I saw her do. I keep my blush and smile while she lets out a bit of a giggle.

"Didn't expect something like that." I said, my cheeks still alit from that soft moment.

"Alright, the both of y'all." Applejack says, placing her two hooves in front of me and Twilight, interrupting our little moment together. "Let's skip all of this love-dovey stuff for now; y'all of us got a world to save!"

I was looking at Applejack while she told both me and Twilight this and I nod my head in understanding, with Twilight nodding afterwards. I slowly take the blankets off of me and push them carefully into the end of the bunk I was lying on. I get up slowly and step upward onto my feet. I raise myself off the bunk bed and turn back towards it to collect the blankets.

"Don't worry about the blankets Brayden," Pinkie Pie says to me, tapping the side of my chest. "I'll put them back in the cabinets. You know, because I usually stash them all over Equestria. You know…"

I hand the blankets to Pinkie Pie, and she happily takes them stuffing them into the cabinet where they were since I first came into the train car. I still wonder how Pinkie Pie manages to do something like that. Maybe she's psychic and pretty much knows everything in Equestria, while doing what she did to reveal the truth about where I came from: Breaking the fourth wall.

I begin to follow the rest of my friends towards the exit of the train car. While walking out of the large car, I was able to see what it was like outside in the mountains in Canterlot.

The night sky was lit up brightly with all of the stars visible in their places, dancing around and giving what was very little light that could take years to reach Equestria. Since I knew a bit about Astronomy, the stars were light-years distance away from Equestria and could be anywhere in the galaxy. But what made the stars much brighter was the cosmic dust that lay around it and the large light seen in the sky. No, it wasn't the moon… I was seeing the center of a galaxy. The Milky Way. So I was still in this galaxy and far from Earth. The constellations, seen in the sky seemed to look a lot different from the ones I've seen on Earth.

The moon still stood in its place, blocking out the sunlight of Celestia's sun from reaching the realm. The moon seemed to shine brightly and in the sign of a full moon. The clouds below us were covering most of the land and it was impossible to see Ponyville from down there. So that must be the reason why Nightmare placed out those winter clouds… she is trying to be assured that most of the ponies are frozen. But none of that is going to happen to these ponies, not tonight.

I could hear the rest of the friends step off of the train. I begin to observe the city of Canterlot from past the train station's gate. A load of different and darkly colored royal guards were trotting alongside the city streets, keeping an eye out for any of the intruders that would dare try to threaten their queen of Equestria. But what I saw… they were creations that Nightmare Moon conjured herself. Was already starting to wonder what happened to Celestia's royal guard and if they fought back against them but failed. Everypony that wasn't a royal guard just went about along with their day, still not sure if something was wrong minus the high security in Canterlot.

"What's it looking like?" Spike asks in a hushed whisper. Even a chat from behind the gate could grab the night guard's attention.

"The city is high with Nightmare Moon's guards. By the looks of it, they're covering up the two paths leading towards the castle doors," I whispered to him, looking at the third path left unguarded by them. "But by our only chance, we should be able to take the path on the right and be able to sneak down the alleyways into the castle gardens that way."

"Sounds good Brayden. But we'll have to find the right alleyway to take, there is so many down that long street," Twilight says, standing close and next to me. "We'll have to split into pairs in order to find the correct alley."

"Alright, what'll the pairings be?" I turn towards Twilight, taking my focus off the streets so I could see who I was with in the pairing.

"Applejack, you're with Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy, you'll be with me and Spike. Rainbow Dash will be with Brayden." Twilight says, teaming me up with my athletic friend.

I was happy with the decision that Twilight made, but at the same time… a worry struck me. What if Twilight gets captured in the search to look for the gate to the castle gardens? "Twilight, I will admit. I am a little worried you might be captured. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? I don't want you or Fluttershy getting hurt or anything."

"Don't worry Brayden," Twilight says to me with a smile on her face. "I'll be fine."

"But you're a princess. It's no doubt Nightmare Moon will try to-" I said before Twilight placed her gentle hoof onto my mouth to interrupt me.

"I'll be fine." Twilight says to me in a gentle voice. "I'll try to keep myself and Fluttershy safe."

I gently caress the side of Twilight's face, rolling my hand down to her cheek. "I hope so." I said to her in a calm tone. Twilight and I share a smile at each other and after those few soft moments, I depart my hand from her face.

I join up with Rainbow Dash and wonder how all of us are going to cross the gate and onto the path without being detected by any of the night guards. I carefully observe the path again, but am unable to find a safe spot out of the night guard's eyes. "They seem to only be targeting the bearers of the Elements… you five." I said to my friends in a whisper.

"Now what?" Rainbow Dash said in an annoyed, aggressive tone. "How are we going to get across the street?"

I thought for a solution on how to get through this problem until it just came to me. I could find a bunch of black robes and put them over my friends, getting them to trot across without any trouble from the night guards pursuing us. But the trouble was this: finding where to get those black robes on them.

"Oh, I think I know what to help get us across!" Pinkie Pie says in a playful and happy tone like she was playing a game. "We could wear black robes all over us so the guards won't know it's us."

I was surprised at this moment. How did Pinkie Pie think what I was thinking? "I was just thinking of the same thing you know. But how are we going to get black robes in order to help us?" I asked, trying to get my own question solved.

"Oh, I have black robes stashed all over Equestria just in case of emergency." Pinkie Pie says, and reaches into a hollow tree, grabbing a bunch of black robes with a single hoof and throwing them to her friends. I don't think that there were any for as tall as me.

"Wait a moment, that's it!" Twilight said, realizing something special. What was special and why was she smiling? I didn't even get my black robe yet. "Brayden, you don't have to use a black robe because the guards will have believed that they don't know you are still alive. They won't even recognize you when they see you because Nightmare Moon hasn't put out any posters to check if you were really dead. She already believes that you are dead."

"So that means that I could just walk in the straight path towards the castle and enter in?" I asked, now being put out of their alternative plan and back onto the original plan by myself.

"Yes, she wouldn't suspect a thing." Twilight says, using her magic to place the black robes onto her. "Her guards are already probably notified that you are dead and told to let you go. Unless she already has something planned for you."

"Alright, I'll go with the original plan, you girls go for the alternative plan." I said to my friends, and then turn to Spike. "Spike, you might not have a problem with the guards as well."

"Alright, I'll keep watch out here until the sun is brought back. Good luck to you all." Spike says to me and my friends. "Also, be careful."

"We will, Spike." Twilight says with an assured tone in her voice. I could tell she was being honest.

Rainbow Dash was the first to trot forward past the gate. "Then let's get going. We'll be dealing with Nightmare Moon in no time." She says, sounding just about ready to take on the challenge of the dark queen and what schemes she had planned that they'd be simply trotting over as if it was nothing.

I wait at the gates for a few moments for Twilight and the girls to go their way, so it wouldn't raise suspicion about me being here. I then poke my head over past the gate and signal myself to move past the side of the gate. I walk forward, keeping an eye on the guards who kept their straight face forward, observing everything around them to make sure there are no riots or trouble-making in the city.

I walk past them and they do not seem to notice me which I figured was accurate to what Twilight had told me about the guards thinking I died. I just turn back around on my two legs and continue walking forward towards the castle. But of course, I had to go where I would team up with the girls by the walls of the Canterlot Castle Gardens. Heading to the front door would just be a terrible mistake to make; Nightmare probably had security up tight by the door. So, it looks like it'll be a mix of Plan A and Plan B.

I could see a few of the ponies from Canterlot wondering what in the hay was going on. I knew that it was Jet Set and Upper Crust, the two high-class ponies from the episode "Sweet and Elite" who called Rarity's fashion 'country' just because she makes her fashion style in Ponyville. That really grinded my gears the first time they said that. But I couldn't be angry towards them at the moment, I was already curious to why they seemed to wonder.

"Excuse me." I said, grabbing both of the unicorns' attention, pretending that I knew nothing of what was happening for their sake. "I couldn't help but notice that you both are wondering why night had to come so early."

"We were just about to have our afternoon walk through the city when we see the sky begin to change." Jet Set tells me. "We have no idea why Princess Luna would just bring out the moon to block the sun in the middle of the day."

"It wasn't Princess Luna's fault though. It was somepony else who caused this." I told him, referring to Nightmare Moon and breaking into the truth.

"Oh Nightmare Moon? Don't be ridiculous! She was defeated by the Elements of Harmony, nothing was able to bring her back." Upper Crust tells me. "Besides, why are you so concerned about tonight? I've never seen the sky so beautiful and majestic before."

"But she is back!" I stated out loud, but not too loud to grab everypony's attention. "You have to believe me when I say this!"

"Ha!" Jet Set just said, only listening in on my statement about Nightmare's return. "And why should we be able to trust you? You're only country below the ground… and us, we're higher."

Jet Set and Upper Crust laugh at me for a few moments, and then raise their snouts high into the air with a 'hmph' coming from them. They just trot off down the street, continuing with their walk in the night, even though by now it's probably supposed to be still day. Dang nabbit, I don't know why everypony is taking this Nightmare Moon news like a light breeze, did she somehow brainwash them or something? I'm not sure, but it's probably my mind playing tricks on me. I could feel a light tap on my shoulder.

I turn around to come face-to-face with one of those good high-class ponies who give respect to me and my difference. Fancy Pants himself. His face is in a sort of puzzling look, but nevertheless he is furrowing his eyebrows.

"Nightmare Moon made a return, you say?" He asks me.

I take a quick moment to recollect my train of thought. "Yeah, she's somehow disabled Princess Celestia and Luna's horns and has taken over the throne as the new 'Queen' of Equestria." I tell him. "I know that she planned this the whole time because she was attacking me in my dreams to take my emotions that were the only thing able to bring her back in the first place as a complete separate pony herself."

"That doesn't sound good." Fancy Pants himself comments, sounding a bit scared for a stallion. Now I'd laugh at this, but I'd probably get mocked afterwards by the rest of the high-class unicorns. This was serious business.

"But however, I did find a way to stop the Dark Queen. You probably haven't heard of it, but it's known as the Song of Order." I tell him, starting to lay down the details of what it was. "The Song of Order was created long ago to stop an ultimate evil, and if I'm correct, this sword might be able to help stop her. But the only problem is that I don't know who will be able to wield the sword. Only the sword can choose its master."

"I see." Fancy Pants says. "Well, I don't really know anything about the Song of Order, but I think I can help you sneak into the Canterlot Castle."

"I've been telling myself to go in through the castle gardens." I said. "But judging by the tall walls surrounding the castle and the heavily-placed guards, it'll be almost impossible."

"Not everything will be impossible, my friend." Fancy Pants tells me. "I think I have a bit of a plan to help you sneak into the castle."

"You do?" I ask. My hopes were raised again, seeing how somepony I just met could help me out.

"Of course. Just follow me to Fleur's home. I'm sure she could help you out." He tells me and starts to turn and trot, but pauses and turns back around. "By the way, I never did get your name."

I offer my hand for a hand-hoofshake. "My name's Brayden." I tell him.

He and I hoof shake (well, I have hands so…) and Fancy says "It sounds like a very nice name." He finally turns around and says "Well, let's not waste any time shall we? You're got a sun to bring back in the sky."

I begin to follow Fancy Pants behind and begin to wonder if this is actually going to be an ambush or not, or if he is really trusting to help me. Only one way to find out…

It doesn't take too long, but I finally arrive at Fleur's house on one of the streets of Canterlot. Like every city home and building, the walls surrounding the house were that of the colour of white and grey mixed together. I can still see the guards trotting around the city, keeping an eye on the civilians as if nothing has happened but just in case of trouble. Fancy Pants trots towards the front door and moves his right front hoof upward, giving a knock at her door.

"Just a minute!" I could hear Fleur's hurried voice from inside of her house. By the sound of her voice, I could tell that she's coming from upstairs to open the door for the both of us.

After a few moments of waiting patiently, I could hear the lock on Fleur's front door click, and open up to see the white-coated unicorn Fleur Dis Lee standing there. "May I help you Fancy Pants?" She says, wondering why we probably came here in the middle of the night… er, I mean day. I really need to get used to the night as of right now.

"Fleur, I need your help." Fancy says to her, standing to the side and pointing at me in a good way with his own hoof. "Brayden here really needs some help to sneak into the castle, and I was hoping you'd get some ideas to help him get inside the castle without any suspicion from the guards."

"But why would he want to sneak in at this time?" Fleur asked out of curiosity, sounding a little confused. "I'm sure Princess Celestia doesn't want to be bothered right now."

"Princess Celestia's throne has been stolen by Nightmare Moon." I stated, with Fancy Pants covering Fleur's mouth just in case she needed to gasp loudly. "I'm going to sneak in and try to stop her. But including getting into the castle, I know a magical sword that can help defeat Nightmare Moon known as the Song of Order. But I must also find who will wield the sword itself. Even though in a vision… it looked like I was wielding it." Fancy finally takes his hoof off of Fleur's mouth.

"Do come in, I think I have a quick plan to help you get in." Fleur said, signalling her hoof for me and Fancy to come inside. "It may not be big, but it can help you go inside undetected."

I walk forward briskly on my two legs and walk past the arch of Fleur's open door into her home. She closes the door behind the both of us and starts galloping towards the barrel.

"Quickly Brayden." Fleur says, taking the barrel and sending it in its sides and rolling it over towards me. "I know there isn't much time, but quickly get into the barrel."

I nod in understanding and bent down onto my knees, and moved my hands and knees one at the time. The wooden barrel rolled a bit while I was crawling into it. But I'm just thankful that it was most likely Fancy Pants who was keeping the barrel as steady as possible. Once inside of the barrel, I put myself in a position that I can easily get out of the barrel when I make it. Fancy Pants lifts up the barrel, I can see him and Fleur from the open hole of the barrel.

"Alright Brayden, please do sit tight. And don't forget to hold your breath." Fleur warned me carefully. "It's going to probably be dangerous, and I know it's only been a few seconds but you seem really nice."

"Thank you Fleur." I told her with a smile on my face. She brings forward her hoof towards me, in return I place my hand on her hoof and gently shake it.

I could hear Fancy Pants finally grab something that sounded like a leather sack full of possibly grains or any kind of food. I pull back my hand from Fleur's hoof and she pulls back her hoof and I watch as Fancy Pants opens the large sack closely over the barrel and begins to pour in all of the grains out of there. It began to come me toe to head.

"Take a deep breath. We promise you that you'll make it in." was the last thing I heard from Fancy Pants before the grain covered up the entire barrel from the inside and the last sound: the barrel closing.

---

I slowly open my eyes in the dark and can feel myself being carried around in the barrel with the grains swirling all around me. Tell me that I didn't pass out again today… okay, seriously. What's with me and blacking out today?

Besides waking up after a few minutes in the barrel, I could sort of hear muffled voices outside of the barrel. I lean a little forward and press my ear against the sides of the wooden barrel just to hear what was happening outside.

"…and I cannot believe we have to do this for the new Queen of Equestria. It's like 'ohhh' because she doesn't love sunlight and never will!" I could hear a gruff voice say outside of the barrel. I could tell it almost sounded like the cherry vendor salespony from Ponyville's marketplace but not quite accurately him. His voice was like one of the Orcs from one of my favorite video games series: The Elder Scrolls, but was specifically Oblivion to be honest.

"Quiet fool!" I could hear another voice talk and I know I couldn't see it… but I know by the tone that it was a guard of the Dark Queen. "The Queen rules all of Equestria under her precious night and you shall hold your tongue on the bad stuff you say about her. She will not tolerate any of that backtalk to her."

"Blasphemy!" The gruff voice said again with such angel coming in the tone of his voice. "Princess Celestia and Luna would never do this to me. Nightmare doesn't need to list the reasons to me why she is treating me and the rest of the workers like slaves! Hay, you don't even know that you were probably created by her."

"That's enough talk." The guard said. "I'll take care of this barrel, you go to your quarters immediately. You'll get no food for a few hours."

With that, I could feel myself inside of the barrel being thrown into the air and then blasted back when it hit the surface. The grains in the barrel with me support me in the crash and rolls. This went on for thankfully a couple of seconds, but now had to get out of that barrel before I lost more air out of my system.

I push my way through the top of the barrel and set my head out of the barrel, taking deep breaths to catch my breath and get the strength from holding my breath inside the barrel. Well, at least I was inside a part of the castle as Fancy Pants promised I would be. It appeared to be a large storage room that I never did get to see before. This must be where they store all of the food ingredients for Princess Celestia's meals, when she requests it of course.

I had to keep absolutely quiet though; there could be guards around the place lurking around. Judging by what I've heard outside the barrel… they sounded very aggressive. I could already see a few guards patrolling around with spells from their horns to reveal flashlights. I keep my eye on ahead until those guards have passed. I quickly got myself out of the barrel and begin to climb down the other sets of barrels towards the stone ground.

I land my bare feet onto the stone ground and look in the two available directions. I figured that one of them was a way to the lower halls of the castle, but which way led to the door and not into a bunch of Nightmare's guards marching throughout the large storage room. The last thing I'd want on my hands is having to fight them and being taken down in the process and captured. But if one of them was a female, I know that I'm not going to fight against a female, because I promised myself that I would never ever hurt a single pony or a female in my life ever. So that means if I'm up against Nightmare Moon, it's going to be a BIG problem to me.

"Check your corners." I heard a guard say behind me in the shadows approaching the scene. "There is bound to be a worker not coping with the new rules."

Dang nabbit, there's two guards in the direction behind me on approach. I needed to act fast, because any second those guards will come before me and arrest me, sending me to Nightmare Moon herself and Celestia knows what she'll do to me. I take my chance and start making a break for the direction in front of me to get me a distance from the searching guards. But I think my footsteps were heard by them, alarming them behind me of my presence.

"YOU!"The guard shouted and taking pursue of me with the other. "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

I just continue to keep running despite of the remarks of the guards' warning to me. My adrenaline starts to pump more into my heart and I find myself panting at the same time as I ran away. I could see the light of the open door up ahead and I really figured that I was in the right direction to exiting the storage room. I just needed to find a way to escape the pursuing guards.

I find an end corner near the edge of the door, and seeing how I may easily be caught by the guards… I just took the chance and hid behind the small table, figuring out a plan if they do end up finding me. I can see the two guards arriving into the scene from earlier and start searching. I just hid silently watching the guards' look-abouts for me. But that all changes when my two eyes catch attention of a batch of carrots on the barrel near the end corner table. I had a crazy plan, but it will be all worth it in the end.

I stood up, pushing down the end corner table and surprise the two guards with my appearance. "Hey, I'm right here!" I said, with a trickster smile upon my face. "Come on and get me you two."

The guards' snouts let out angry puffs of air and began charging towards me. I just keep smiling while they charge towards me. I finally make my chance and grab the batch of carrots and raise them high up upon their snouts. The guards stop galloping for an attack and are focused on the carrots I dangle before them, as I think of trying this kind of trickery to get them away.

"Hey… you two guards seem hungry when you're angry." I teased, waving the juicy carrots in their faces. "How about a nice treat to calm you both down?"

The guards both seemed to look mesmerized by the orange colour they carrots gave off and began watching and following the carrots like a good dog begging for a treat from his owner. I pull back a bit on the carrots and toss them towards the barrels and crates far off in the storage room. The guards seemed to see the carrots fly off and they gallop off after them, with their tongues out and as hungry as wild animals in the Everfree Forest.

I knew that the coast was clear and I turn towards the open door and place my hand briefly on the door to keep it open while I proceed forward out of the darkly-lit room and into the light of the lower halls, closing the wooden door behind me.

The halls didn't seem to have any guards roaming around the place which was weird because I thought Nightmare Moon must have secured the castle so tight that I wouldn't be able to get through the castle without running into trouble with the guards. But besides the door that led back to the storage room, I could see two doors ahead of me. One was on the right side of the hall and the other was an open-arched door leading into the next hallway which I predict could lead me into the upper halls where the throne room was located.

I knew just how well my plan was working out and decided to continue making it work out. I take a few steps forward towards the door in front of me, but the cry of somepony yelling "Help!" to the door on my right got my attention. I somehow recognized that familiar voice. So I turn towards the door on my right first. I couldn't who it was, but there was something about that voice that I just knew.

I put my hand on the golden knob and turn it, pushing the door open. I enter in and I am completely surprised by what I see before my eyes, it wasn't just a single pony calling for help, it was multiple ponies in there.

It was my friends. They were all locked up in the dungeon cell and they all seemed to look very sad in there. Everypony that I was best friends with: Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Coco Pommel. Even Twilight was in there with them. In the cell next to them were both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looking weak as I've never seen them before. By the way that they looked; I feared that they may not have enough strength to help fight against Nightmare Moon.

"Brayden!" Pinkie Pie shouts out, reaching her hoof out of the cell to try and make contact with me. "There you are! I thought you wouldn't be able to find us at all."

I was happy to see them as well and join my friends who were in the cell and me outside of the cell. "I'm thankful that I managed to find all of you. But how did you get into these cells?" I asked, wondering how they managed to get caught.

"Our plan didn't work as planned…" Twilight says, moving her hoof out of the cell. I gently move my hand to her hoof and gently hold onto it while she tells me. "We got caught by a few of Nightmare Moon's guards and brought us to her. She placed all of us here in the dungeon."

"Don't worry," I said to all of them. "I'll try to find a way to get you out of there. There has to be a key somewhere around here."

"Oh my…" A gruff voice says across from the room where I just came in from.

I turn my head and gasp at what I see. It's one of Nightmare Moon's royal guards but he was different from them, so it made me figure out that he was the dungeon keeper. "Looking for this golden key?" He continues, smiling devilishly. "Well, it'd be a disappointment if I let you get your friends out of here for free… but I think not. You shall join them."

"I will not." I say at a really calm tone in my voice with a smirk. I was obviously eyeballing the large stick hidden underneath the desk that could be my surprise towards him underneath.

The guard lowered his head and seemed ready to charge at me in assault. "So be it human. You shall die then." He says, stamping his right front hoof two times as fast and charging towards me. I just stand there, waiting for him to get halfway across the room.

Once he gets across halfway through the room, he pounces on me and knocks me down onto the ground. Once knocked down onto the ground, my friends can't help but see how much in danger I was. But I don't think assistance will be necessary as of now. I still had my mind to the whacking stick. The guard starts to pummel at me with his own front hooves, hitting me across the face and pounding me straight into my stomach which hurt a lot worse than the face. Still, it gave me a chance to grab the stick and pull it towards me.

The stick enters my possession and I find myself moving it below the stallion guard as he was tearing me apart. Rainbow Dash was literally telling me to fight back and smack the stallion upside his evil head, but I didn't dare try to punch at the guard, he'd put me in cuffs faster than I'd say 'canned tomatoes'. When the moment was right and he raised both of his hooves to pound me in the chest, I moved the stick upward to him. The pupils in his eyes shrank when the stick had hit him there.

The guard groaned in pain and looked at me briefly. He then looks away, hurt by the damage done to him. "Well this isn't very much fun is it? I think I just wet myself…" He said, starting to fall backwards to the ground. "…It feels rather nice." He finally hits the ground and goes unconscious.

This becomes the perfect opportunity to grab the key from his armor that was hanging out the whole time. My hands slip at first while grabbing the key, but I manage to take a grip of the golden trinket and move it towards the first cell where my friends were being held. I slide the key into the cell door and turn it, unlocking the door and freeing my friends.

My six friends come trotting out of their cell, free from there. Rarity is the first to come out and approach me. "Thank you Brayden, the guards just don't know when to clean up the whole cell from the inside." She tells me, placing her hoof on my hand as a sign of saying thank you to me. "Once this whole thing is done and over with, I will plan to make nice dungeon cells for the prisoners."

"Alright, you can do that Rarity. I'm sure you'd come up with a good blueprint for that." I said, putting a smile onto Rarity's face.

I go on right ahead, turning around to the other cell that the princesses are being held in. I place the same golden key into the lock and turn it tightly, opening up the cell door. The two princesses are enlightened that they are now free and proceed out of there.

"Thank you so much Brayden." Princess Luna says to me, approaching me. "You have done such a great deed in helping us out in this situation."

"Oh, it's nothing." I said, scratching the back of my head. "I heard one of you scream in here, so I happened to be next door."

"Oh oh!" I heard Pinkie behind me say, jumping up and down in the process. "After the guards were gone, I got really bored after a few minutes and decided to shout for help at the highest possible volume of my voice."

"We know Pinkie," Twilight said, feeling like there was no need to her friend to boast about what she did inside the cell to call for help. "Right now, we need to proceed to the throne room. Nightmare Moon will probably be expecting us, but we must stop her or Equestria will become an ice ball for the next thousand millennia."

"She's right." I heard Princess Celestia's motherly-like voice tell me, and she places her hoof onto my shoulder. "We should all head there immediately if I and Luna are to get back our sun and moon powers from the dark queen."

I nod my head in understanding, with both me and the two princesses joining my friends and Princess Twilight. We leave the room, leaving the unconscious guard lying there in pain. I close the door behind me, being the last one out. After closing the door, I walk forward to the group and start to follow them.

"The throne room is not too far from here. We should be able to gallop there." Princess Celestia said, beginning her start to gallop across the hallway. I build up more adrenaline slowly as my walking pace turns into a run, and I find myself running and the rest of everypony with me galloping… and of course I eventually began sprinting like a jackrabbit smelling food in the near distance.

There was one thing that surprised me while I was running through the halls of the majestic castle, predictions kept running through my head on how we'll be able to confront Nightmare Moon with calm ease without setting her off. The last thing I'd want is to lose myself again, Twilight or any of my other friends. Even though Twilight was capable of protecting herself, I couldn't feel that there might have been a weak point in her that could affect her. Flashing back to when Twilight fought Nightmare back in the series premiere just before I became a fan, I was worried that Twilight would get hurt by the dark mare.

I can see the flight of stairs when we exit the short hallway and I move my hand upward, extending my index finger to point out the stairs to the right where the throne room would be. But by how the way the main hall looked… something wasn't right. It seemed like more of an ambush being set for us.

"Freeze! All of you!" I could hear a guard shout at the top of his lungs. See… what did I tell you about ambushes?

A whole bunch of guards came galloping into the room and surrounded the ten of us. Coco and Fluttershy seemed rather nervous and scared out of their minds, but I placed both of my gentle hands onto their backs to calm them down. Right now while the rest of my friends entered their own battle stances, I kept my focus still on the stairs.

"You want to do this the hard way? We'll do this the hard way!" Rainbow Dash threatened and flew herself at a guard, knocking him down towards the ground with only the help of her bare hooves. This really set the battle in motion.

I just stand by the walls and keep my eyes on the fight that I was witnessing with my own eyes. Twilight flew up into the air and began charging her horn at extensive ranges, firing the violet beams from her horn at a couple of the guards. What Rarity was also doing made me chuckle a bit, she was literally slapping the living daylights of the guards with only the help of her bare hooves. I move my eyes back towards the stairs, shuffling my bare feet side to side in order to get to the stairs safely without being pulled into this fight.

Princess Celestia and Luna were also trying to keep cover from the fight as well, standing by the sidelines and keeping an eye on their subjects and the Princess of Magic. They'd fight if they could, but I knew that Nightmare Moon took away their strong powers to help them fight against the hordes of Nightmare's guards.

"Brayden!" I could hear Princess Luna calling my name, so I turn my eyes from the stairs and turn my head towards her. "Brayden! You must get to the throne room and confront Nightmare Moon by yourself!"

"But I thought we were going to do this as a team!" I called back to her, trying not to let the guards be aware of my descent to the throne room.

The princess of the night shakes her head and shouts "It is you alone that must do it, you can do this! Now go!"

I nod to my friend and start turning the corner to the edge of the stairs and begin to run upward across. This however brings the attention to a few of the royal guards and they don't seem to look too happy with me going closer to their queen.

"Do not let that 'thing' get to our queen!" A guard in the fight cries out and assigns some guards to pursue me. "Stop him!"

I run up the right side of the stairs and turn around to see a few guards flying towards me, ready to headbutt me. I get worried at first, and seem just about ready for a fight from these guards. They did call me a thing after all and that really set off my temper towards them. But somepony I loved was even more enraged by what they called me. Twilight was on crash course with the guards' right in front of her and bashed them into one another.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN CALL BRAYDEN A THING?!" I hear Twilight shouting at the guard and watch as she begins to laser fight with them.

Wait… what was I still doing here in the hall? I should be witnessing the fight, I needed to run off to the throne room and confront the dark queen. So without any new purpose to stay behind and help fight, I ran off. I needed to do this… I had to stop Nightmare. If only the Song of Order could help, but it will only choose its master who can wield him alone.

As I ran down the halls, the sounds of fighting and shouts starts to fade off. Only the faint whispers of my breathing can be heard as I continued to run, I could tell that I was probably getting close. But on the other half of the quiet hallway, something didn't feel just quite right. I felt like the presence of Nightmare Moon was already coming for me. It was like she was watching me the whole time and planning to capture me herself.

---

I see the throne room doors and slow myself down to a suspicious kind of walking. I could feel the doors start to reflect darkness that spread onto it. I could tell that the air was starting to bring out a bit of a chill from below. The cold must have already started to lift out from the bottom, slowly making its way all to the top mountains of Equestria. This wasn't good. Equestria was already starting to become an ice-ball.

I move my hand slowly towards the golden handles of the throne room doors. I knew very well that as soon as I put my hands onto the handles… there's no going back on this. I place my hands onto the gold and begin to push it forwards, opening the throne room with all of my might.

I look forward and wonder if Nightmare Moon herself is sitting on Celestia's throne, but to my surprise I do not see her sitting there, but most rather standing by the stained glass windows, looking out into Equestria and its transformation into a frozen wasteland.

I step forward, and turn around to quietly close the doors behind me. I wanted to make this drastic appearance the surprise of Nightmare's own life. The doors slam behind me, but it just wasn't quite enough. The sound of the slamming managed to capture Nightmare Moon's own attention with her ears perked upward.

"Who dares intrude in my privacy?" Nightmare Moon says in a calm state of manner while keeping her eyes out onto Equestria. "Come on, show yourself and say who you are."

"It is I Brayden!" I said to her with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. The voice of mine echoes in the silence of the darkness. "I have to request the conversation of the Queen, Nightmare Moon!"

Nightmare Moon seems to look rather surprised by how I let out my voice to her and she turns herself around to face me. I am approaching her slowly, trying not to look very threatening. She furrows her eyes at me and looks rather thoughtful. I'm guessing that she must have figured that I had somewhat underestimated her way of killing me quickly.

"Brayden…" Her tone sounds very serious at first, and then her face changes into a very sincere look in her eyes. "I somehow knew you'd return to see me."

"Yes my Queen." I said, knowing that because I decided to call her the queen… I had to trick her into bringing the sun back. "I have come to join by your side."

Nightmare Moon's blank look on her mouth turned slowly into a blooming smile on her face. "Ah, you have changed your mind about siding with the frauds Celestia and Luna? This impresses me. I thought you wanted only day."

"I got bored of siding with them. I want to join side by side with you… you're the queen of Equestria. You could…" I said, stopping midway to think of what else to say. As much as what I was saying wasn't true, I obviously needed to lie to Nightmare Moon. "You could bring true democracy into Equestria."

"Yes… YES!" Nightmare Moon says, agreeing with me. "Brayden, become one of the royal knights of the Moon Order and I shall grant you everything you would ever want."

"I'll give it some quick thought my Queen." I tell her. But at the same time I feel like I wanted to give her a little bit of friendship. "My queen, may I also request for your permission to have me hug you?"

Nightmare Moon smiles at me. "Of course my moon-human… you can hug me." She tells me, wrapping both of her real hooves around me. I slowly move my arms around her neck and gently hold onto it, trying not to hurt her. I do this because beside me telling her shortly to bring back the sun… I didn't want to bring harm to her, I wanted to protect her alongside everypony else.

"Nightmare…" I gently whispered to her with her open ears listening to me and what I had to say. "I accept your gift, but before you give it to me… I wish to ask you a small request."

"What is your request, knight?" Nightmare gently says to me in her sincere tone. "Is it love that you ask for me to give to you? You did think about having a crush on me at first."

"That is true, but I do not wish for love. It's something else…" I said, slowing down midway with a shaking voice. "I must request that you bring back the sun."

"Bring back the sun? Why in Equestria would I do something like that?" Nightmare Moon asks me, moving her head from the hug and looking at me. "The night is fine the way it is… don't you enjoy the endless oceans of stars above?"

"That I do my Queen." I tell her, moving my arms off of her, putting my left hand onto her right shoulder. "But there is something wrong below Canterlot… Ponyville and the other cities in Equestria are starting to freeze up as slowly as possible. Without heat, everypony that you know will perish."

"Impossible." Nightmare Moon states with her voice starting to slowly grow into the sound of an impatient and stern tone. "Why would that even happen? My night is as beautiful as ever before for the first time in centuries. Without Princess Celestia, I can bring the true light of darkness to help them see the beauty."

"But it isn't helping them Nightmare." I said, taking my hand off of her shoulder, finally breaking out of character to present the real facts to her. "Without sunlight, everything is going to become a frozen ball of ice. What you are doing is happening right now… you must move the moon from the sun's view."

"But I do not understand this." She says to me, her ears lowering a bit in disappointment. "I thought other ponies loved the night."

"They do, do not worry." I say to her with my continued gentle voice. "Everypony is just used to the day and night routine of life. Without it, Equestria will either be a blazing hot desert or a frozen arctic tundra. Right now, you're already making that happen."

"No… no!" Nightmare Moon said, pushing both of her hooves at me, sending me backwards. "That isn't true! What you say are lies!"

I look up at her distressed and angered face and say "I wish that I was lying to you about this, but you are already starting to bring harm to Ponyville below! If you raise the sun, you can bring them much warmth!"

"I'll never bring back the sun, even if they convinced me too!" She shouts at me now probably have figured out that I was bluffing about siding with her this whole time. That conversation could've gone better in my opinion. "I should have known that you'd still side with those frauds! Only I can be the true queen, for only I hold the throne!"

"That is Princess Celestia's throne!" I shouted back at her, starting to get really angry towards her. I just about had enough of her stubbornness into thinking that she was only the best and nopony else was than her. Thankfully she's not even as close to a complete annoyance like Prince Blueblood. For her, I can pass her off as one of my favorites.

"Did you really honestly think that I would be fooled from your petty attempts to join me after all?" Nightmare says to me, whipping her mane to cover her entirely and turn into a cloud. The dark cloud moves past below my legs and I could feel the queen's presence behind me. "Your attempts to bring back the day are never going to work you foolish human."

I feel rather offended by her calling me a human and close my eyes, saying "Please don't call me a human again. Only I am allowed to say that."

I can feel Nightmare's hooves push me forward, resulting in me hitting the tiles where the feet stood. "And what will you do about it? I have complete control of everything, besides back then… nopony liked my precious night, they always slept through it."

"Well, your plan worked." I told her, starting to bring in a bit of the heroic tone in my voice. I then raised a finger to her. "But it's unfortunate to tell you that the sun has to rise soon."

"You'll never stop me." Nightmare Moon said, spreading her black wings open and flying upward into the air. "If Equestria has to freeze, then so be it. But enough about this conversation, let's kill you now while I still have the chance to!"

I just stand there and look rather surprised to see Nightmare Moon charging at me from above. I make my move and jump out of the way, causing her head to be hit and leave a dent on her helmet. As I'm running away, Nightmare moves her back hooves and bucks me in the back. I am thrown forward, sliding across the throne room.

I turn back around and can see Nightmare Moon charging up a beam with the help of her horn. I slowly get up and try to run towards her. "Nightmare, please stop!" I begged, trying to get her to calm down. "You'll get banished back to the moon if you don't!"

This angered the queen even further and she fires the beam of darkness towards my chest, sending me to grab onto where she fired with my own hands. Her anger is quick enough to buck me in the face, sending me into a spiral of turning around and trying to fight back.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF MY BANISHMENT!" She shouted at me with her booming Royal Canterlot Voice that even everypony in the castle and a few feet outside could hear. She then slaps her hoof across my face, sending me sliding by the side towards a pillar.

"Come on Brayden! Fight back!" I could hear Rainbow Dash shouting at me in the room. "Smack her little snout in!"

Nightmare Moon looked rather surprised again to see my friends. I turn my head towards them and they are looking at both me and Nightmare. They all seem to look worried about me in the condition I was in. "Ah, you brought some friends along. This should be fun." The dark queen says with a smirk and proceeds to buck me in the face again with her front hooves.

"Fight her!" Rainbow Dash shouts again, sounding really worried and encouraging. "Just hit her with your own hands!"

"Forget about it Rainbow Dash." I could hear Applejack say to her. "At this point, Brayden ain't ever going to hit her."

"I don't want to fight!" I yelled at the dark queen. "Lower the moon! It's sunrise time!"

"NO!"Nightmare yells at me. "You pathetic human who thinks he can stand up to me? I'LL BLAST YOU INTO OBLIVION MYSELF!"

"I was hoping that you would say that." I said, avoiding her hoof from bucking me in the face.

"Once you're finished, I'll freeze everypony with me!" Nightmare Moon says, charging up her horn. I could hear her fire it at me.

I jump forward and duck, causing the turquoise beam to miss me, but instead hit the nearby pillar. I watch as the pillar descends down towards me. I have no choice but to find myself frozen in place and unable to move. An aura captures me and sweeps me from the spot before the pillar had a chance to crush me in the process.

I look up after seeing the pillar land onto the tiled floors. The very pony that saved me turned out to be Twilight herself. I nod at her as a sign of telling her thanks. The romantic bits will have to be for later, I had a fight to catch up on.

"Forget about seeing your sun again Celestia. For the night shall last forever!" Nightmare Moon shouts to the princess and begins laughing again as she always did everytime she said that line.

Princess Luna was the first to stand in front of me. "Leave him alone and bring back the sun at once! I demand it!" She berates the queen.

"Why should I listen to you? You're not the Princess of the Night anymore!" The queen said, scoffing at her demands. "If you were still a part of me, this would've worked out just fine! Now get out of the way, it's me and Brayden's fight."

"Forget it Nightmare." Applejack said, trotting past me to help protect me from any more harm. "Ya ain't going to hurt mah friend. He swore he won't hit anypony, not now, not ever!"

"Oh you flatter me," Nightmare says with a bit of a laugh. "But it's not enough to get me to stop!" I watch as she charges her horn and fires it straight towards Princess Luna. The beam hits the pony that saved me from death itself and I'm forced to watch as my friend in knocked down weakly onto the ground.

"You…" I said, now sounding really angry that one of my favorite ponies just got hurt. "How dare you hurt her!"

I stand up off of the ground and begin walking forward towards the queen. My walking turns slowly into aggressive running and I jump forward towards the queen, forming my right hand into a dangerous fist. I threw a fist towards her, hitting her across the face.

Nightmare Moon was knocked backwards softly, placing her left hoof onto her cheek and noticing the hurtful blush on her face. "You dare hit your queen?" She says, with her anger now at breaking point. "I'll destroy you!"

She uses her horn and sends out a bunch of lightning bolts at me. I am hit by these bolts and find myself shaking a bit from the electricity spread throughout my body. Nightmare continues to spam the living daylights out of the lightning bolt spell. I start to grow weaker.

"Don't hurt him!" I can hear my special somepony Twilight call out from behind me directed towards the queen.

"Too bad! You should have had him side with me when he had the chance!" Nightmare Moon shouts, finally bucking me across the floor and sliding towards another pillar.

This is it. I knew I was probably going to be dead for real this time by the time that she threw another bolt of lightning towards me. It's not like back on Earth when I was bashed against the sharp rocks. I just literally hope that something will help me in this time of need.

"Brayden, you've been such a great help in bringing me back into existence. But you are no longer of use to me, time to rid you of life once and forever! I'm going to miss your emotions and nightmares I created." Nightmare says to me, firing a bolt towards me. I just close my eyes and wait for the end.

However nothing happens and I don't seem to feel a single bolt electrocuting me. All I hear is the sound of lightning striking, and everypony gasping with the accompanied laughing of Nightmare Moon herself. But when I opened my eyes, I felt no pain. Remaining inside of the smoke, I could see a shining bright light being held in my left hand. At this point I hear Nightmare Moon stop laughing and I watch as the white light clears, revealing what lays before me in my left hand.

It was none other than the Song of Order itself, shining brightly with the bolts that Nightmare fired at me going about the sword and then vanishing. So it was true that the vision was telling me the whole time, I was the one meant to carry the blade of silver.

"What?! But… but that's impossible!" Nightmare Moon shouts, rather shocked and disbelieved upon the discovery of seeing the Song of Order. "The sword was lost a millennium ago, there is no way that it could've been found!"

"But it was Nightmare Moon!" I called out to her and standing brave and tall. "And the Song of Order has chosen me as its master."

"My cutie mark…" Twilight says, looking at the cross guard of the claymore.

"With the friendships I made and the innocence to never hit a single one of my friends, I have shown the unity in friendship. The blade will help me protect those ponies from such evil." I said to her. "The girls might not need the elements of harmony, but with the skill to love my friends and care for them, the elements are inside of them."

"That is simply absurd!" Nightmare Moon says, still in complete shock. "You're not a pony, so you can't find the spark."

"I don't need the spark. I already had it when I officially started watching the show." I said, finally getting into a battle stance. "But you must bring sunlight back or I'll have no choice but to use the powers of this sword to defend Equestria."

Nightmare Moon glares at me with a growl coming from her voice. "Never! I'll die defending the dark eternal night!"

I sighed and held the sword out into the battle stance, watching as it created a magic around me that I figured was the ethereal armor that would help protect me from the dangerous spells of Nightmare Moon herself. I could feel myself being lifted up off of the ground and I turn around to see myself with ethereal wings on my back. If it's one thought that rushed into my head, I was a guardian angel. The Angel of Equestria.

"If that's the way it has to be Nightmare…" I said, glaring back at her. "Then so be it."

Nightmare Moon turned into cloud form and began to fly herself right towards me to knock me backwards midflight. But the sword warned me of this by its singing ability. I lunged the sword forward towards the cloud of Nightmare and watch it letting out a bit of a screech.

The cloud transformed back into Nightmare Moon and she was clashing at the sword with her own horn. I punch her face with the sword's handle, sending her flying towards the ground.

The dark queen opens her eyes and I land on the ground. I begin to slowly approach her while she is crawling towards the balcony outside the throne room. She's using every dark spell that she knows to attack me, but none affect my armor.

"No!" Nightmare cries out. "My spells should've hurt you!"

"That it should have, but it didn't. Even for the strongest and most evil pony, your spells will not be able to bypass the power of friendship. The Song of Order will get rid of every single one of your evil. You shall give back the powers of the sun and moon to my two friends Celestia and Luna." I warned her, ready to use the power of the sword if I had to.

"I'm going to kill you!" Nightmare shouts, literally releasing spit from her mouth when she said that. Well, the spit I didn't see coming.

"Celestia… Luna… please power up your magic." I commanded the princesses to do, even though I do not tell them to do so for I am not a king.

I could hear the two princesses powering up both of their horns and getting ready for me to power up the Song of Order. I rise up the blade high into the air and watch as both of the cutie mark of Twilight on the blade's cross-guard starts to shine brightly. I could tell that this was already starting to work.

The blade sent out two beams of light backwards which I suspected was the princesses. All my friends could do behind me was stand and watch what I was going to do. I wasn't going to destroy Nightmare Moon, I was going to help her.

I can feel the power of friendship in me start to rise up into the blade. After a few seconds, the blade lets out the color of a rainbow onto itself and lets out the rainbow beam towards Nightmare Moon.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"I could hear Nightmare Moon cry as the rainbow beam covered her entirely and swirled around her. I just closed my eyes and let the light enter into the scene, finishing the job of what was to be done.

---

A few seconds pass, and I open my eyes to find myself still holding the sword up high, but I am bending on my knee. But by the sound of quiet silence, I could tell that everything was just about better now. But at the same time with the unconscious Nightmare Moon by the corner of the balcony, held back by the stone railing… I wondered if Princess Celestia and Luna got back their powers.

The sound of a horn's magic is ignited and I find myself watching ahead as the moon slowly moves itself out of the way, making in room for the sun's light to come raining in on the land of Equestria. Light from the sun flowed throughout all the land, but the miracles that it did… it destroyed the snow and ice, even the dark clouds that the post-queen created herself. Her night guards just vanish into thin air as if they never existed.

I deactivate my ethereal armor and wings and turn around towards my friends and the princesses. They all seemed to be in a bit of a shock, but I continued waiting for a response. All that happened in a few seconds was them starting to cheer and shout in joyful ways that made me feel proud. My friends all crowded around me and looked into my eyes.

"That was amazing Brayden!" Rainbow Dash says to me, sounding really happy to the point that she flew up into the air and did a backflip. "No wonder I'm friends with somepony so awesome! You are definitely 20% cooler!"

"Golly Brayden," Applejack says, taking off her Stetson-like hat. "Ah didn't know ya had it in ya. That Song of Order really seems to trust ya, as much as ya do for it too."

"Brayden?" I could hear Fluttershy ask, and her soft right hoof touching my right hand. I look down at my best friend and smile at her. "You did really good and you are really brave."

"Thank you Fluttershy." I tell her. "Somehow, I felt like the blade would come to me at the right time." And then I look at everypony else who was with me. "Anypony else feel like telling me how that was?"

"Me! Me!" Pinkie Pie says, sounding really happy as she always was. "Nightmare Moon was literally trying to kill you, but you stood up and fought her with the Song of Order." She makes a squee sound a few seconds after.

Rarity approaches me and says "Brayden, you were absolutely the best out there. You seem very much like a knight in the land of Equestria."

Twilight approaches me and is smiling towards me with tearful eyes. I look into her happy, teared eyes and gently begin stroking her soft mane. The both of us lean forward and share a passionate kiss together. The kiss lasts for a few seconds before she pulls away and wraps her warm hooves around me.

"I am so proud of you Brayden." She says to me in her happy, and really joyful voice. I wrap my arms around her and keep stroking her mane gently. "I knew you could do this."

While hugging Twilight, I looked towards the princesses and Coco Pommel. The three of them stood there smiling at me with such trust locked between all of us.

That special moment was interrupted when I heard the sound of a door slamming in the throne room. Both me and Twilight let go of our hug and take a look to see who came rushing in at this time. It was none other than Spike himself and he seemed to look out of breath. He must have had a long way to run from the gates of Canterlot while keeping guard on what was happening.

"Guys!" He cried out, running towards me on his two dragon feet. He stops and pants a bit. "I came when I saw all the bright lights from the castle and knew that something was up. I just became so worried and I needed to see what the hay just happened!"

"Spike, language!" Twilight warned in a harsh tone.

"Right, sorry." Spike says, finally letting out a blush on his face.

"Spike, buddy." I said, putting the sword away by the cover. "Come here."

He comes right towards me, and I pull the little dragon into a friendly hug. By my guess, he seems rather surprised by this at first. After a few seconds, he puts his dragon arms around me and shares the hug with me. The hug lasts for a few moments and I finally let go.

But another thing concerning me came to mind. It was when Nightmare Moon shot at Princess Luna. I had to make sure that she was okay. So I walked up to Princess Luna and her older sister Celestia.

"I'm fine Brayden." Princess Luna says to me in her normal and gentle voice.

I do what I do best and place my arms around the princess of the night, giving her a friendly hug. By the look on Celestia's face, she also wants to give me a hug as well. I open up my left arm and let Celestia join the hug with me and her sister.

"I know that this was a hard choice for you to do this. But I knew that you could do this." Princess Celestia says to me in her normal tone of voice. "It wasn't easy trying to convince Nightmare Moon, so you had to do what was necessary to stop her from freezing Equestria forever."

"But she is still here, just lying there on the balcony floor?" I confessed, knowing that it didn't destroy her all the way. "What should I do about her?"

"The fate of Nightmare Moon rests in your hands, you must decide what happens to her." Princess Luna tells me, knowing that I could make the right choice for Nightmare Moon.

I turn towards the balcony and place my left hand onto my sword pulling it out. I had to be careful just in case Nightmare Moon was still powerful as ever. I walk past my friends and onto the balcony, hearing the sounds of air and birds softly in the distance.

Nightmare slowly opens her eyes in the light and looks straight at me, I look straight into her cyan cat eyes. She lets out a soft, low growl while she looks at me. Her eyes also look really baggy as she is tired. "Go on ahead human… Kill me." She tells me, wanting me to drive the Song of Order into her. "I don't have any more powers to move the moon or fight back, so now's your chance to end me."

I slowly raised my sword towards her and placed it down onto her neck. I did have the need to end her life and save Equestria as a hero, but with the scars of me being forced to kill a pony. But I remembered what the Song of Order told me in the dream and what he meant of offering friendship to Nightmare Moon. It was sparing a life. If I spared Nightmare Moon's life, then I would continue to be a hero.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Nightmare Moon said. "Off with my head already."

I continued holding the sword at her neck for a few moments with my mind set on the decision to make sure Nightmare dies or lives. Finally, I shake my head and pull the sword away from her, sheathing it. "No… I will not kill you." I told her in a gentle voice. "I swore to myself that I will never hurt anypony as long as I live. I am still keeping that promise."

Nightmare Moon slowly starts to get up and looks at me angrily in the eye. "You little coward..." She muttered, before raising her voice as if she were a command. "I gave you an order... I demand you to kill me! I cannot live without such power to bring influence to all other ponies! So just do it! Just decapitate me and end my own nightmare! KILL ME!"

I remain calm despite her outrage and demands for her death, even when she is panting from all of her shouting and screaming. "Power and making demands is not what anypony should be seeking as it leads down a dark path if done the wrong way. I refuse to kill you, because there is more to you than you even realize. I know somewhere in that heart of yours, you don't want to bring harm as your corruption and jealousy within had told you over and over until you believed it. If you should join us, we are happy to help you. If you refuse... why should we help you for all you had done?"

I can see tears start to form in her eyes, as the form of realization had finally slapped her across the face. She tries to hold back, but she ends up breaking down over what she had done, as tears came down from her eyes and was absolutely sobbing loudly for all to hear of her guilt. "I'm so sorry! I- I don't want you to hate me for what I've done!" She cries out, letting out all the tears she could push out.

I approached her, putting my arms around her and gently hug her. "There now Nightmare, I don't hate you." I said to her, gently rubbing the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you! I'm even sorry that I tormented you and everypony you knew in your sleep! I'll never forgive myself for doing it." Nightmare cries, still feeling really guilty for all she did.

"But you can forgive yourself if you just believe." I said, knowing that I was making the right choice in my words. "Sure I am still haunted by my past and all the events that I lived through which are still a nightmare to me… but you're more than you think. You're my friend and you can be their friends to if you decide. It's not that bad."

Nightmare Moon shamefully trots towards Princess Celestia and Luna and looks at them with begging eyes. "Princess Celestia… Princess Luna… I'm really sorry for what I did. What I did is always going to come back to haunt me!" She begs to them, seeking forgiveness from the princesses.

"Nightmare Moon." Princess Celestia says in her calm, soothing voice. "I used to have a student that was almost like you, but her path went down differently. Her name is Sunset Shimmer. She's been forgiven since Twilight helped her find it, and if she does come back… I'll forgive her as easily for you... but it will take a while to gain everypony's and my own trust for what you did."

"So that means…"

"Yes, Nightmare. I forgive you." Princess Celestia says with a smile on her face. Nightmare just throws herself towards the princess of the sun and hugs her. I watch Celestia move a hoof around the post-evil alicorn and gently share the heartwarming hug. I knew that my action to spare Nightmare Moon's life would work out as well.

"Princess Luna and I will let Nightmare stay, and we'll teach her a few things about princess-hood since she is an alicorn." Princess Celestia says. "She may not yet have a title for what she does, but eventually she'll discover it and name herself a royal title."

"Thank you… thank you so much!" Nightmare Moon says, letting the last of her tears drop onto the floor.

I can feel Twilight's warm hoof gently touching my hand and I turn my head from the scene to see what my special somepony wanted to say to me. She is smiling at me, still so proud for what I did.

"You made a good choice Brayden." Twilight said to me, while I gently took her hoof that touch my hand and gently held onto it. "Not only did you remove all evil magic from Nightmare… you spared her life to give her another chance."

"Well, I just couldn't hurt her. She's a pony just like you and everypony else that I know of." I said to Twilight. "Besides, she'll be in good hooves by the looks of it."

A flash of light appeared in the room and… yes, I know. It's Discord. He seems to be wearing a jester hat on his head with signs appearing all over the throne room. He seems rather happier than usual. He must have figured out by now that the sun has come back.

"Congratulations all of you!" Discord applauded, clapping his lion paw and eagle claw hands together. I could tell that Twilight was rolling her eyes in annoyance. "You all did it! You brought back the sun… which it was freezing indoors either way."

"Actually, we helped in the battle, but it was Brayden all along who helped save Equestria from the icy cold." Rarity said, still sounding really proud of me.

"Well, that's great." Discord said with a chuckle. He disappears, but appears behind me. "Did you blast the dark queen with your magic?"

"Oh no, I helped her somehow into repentance. I forgive anypony easily." I said to the draconequus. "I only gave back complete power over the sun and moon to Celestia and Luna. It's all thanks to my new defense, the Song of Order."

"Alright, Mr. Knight. You should feel so happy." Discord says to me, bringing his face closer to mine. I just roll my eyes and smile.

"Let's celebrate with a huge party!" Pinkie Pie says. "And this theme will be the 'Our friend Brayden saved Equestria for the first time' party!"

"Pinkie?" I asked. She turns her head and looks at me with a huge smile on her face. "You might want to save the party for later, we've got to clean up a bit around the place."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie says, bouncing off to chat with her friends.

Me and Twilight just look at each other and then lean forward, putting my arms around her and her hooves around me. Both of us share a gentle and passionate kiss. Finally after a few moments, both of us let go and turn towards Princess Celestia who was going to announce something.

"Spike… please take a letter." Celestia commands. Spike, bearing a smile on his mouth, takes out a piece of paper and quill and begins to write what the princess was going to say.

"I, Princess Celestia hereby decree that the new citizen in Equestria named Brayden, is officially the paladin or knight of Equestria and will help defend it with the magic of friendship by his side for as long as he lives." Princess Celestia announces happily.

I smile and hold Twilight closer to me. The both of us share a hug, while everypony just watches us both with sweet smiles on their faces. Even Discord, the used to be Master of Chaos was even happy for me and watched the both of us hug.

But somewhere inside of me, I felt like I had done a great achievement in my lifetime that I had never done before in my time. I saved Equestria from eternal night and helped spared a villain's life who turned good again. I think I know what I can define myself as.

A hero. A singer with a golden soul.