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?

47. Nightmare Night

A/N: Ah, the Halloween chapter as promised; and finished earlier than expected no doubt. This took me quite some time to figure out what to do with it.

I have seen the episodes that have passed. Spoiler alert, but when I saw the Crusaders earn their cutie marks: I was SOOOOO happy for them. Seriously, I had to pause the episode so I could just jump up and down, chanting that they got their cuties after 5 seasons and 18 episodes! But I also was excited when I heard Shining and Cadence were going to have a baby! The recent Hearth's Warming episode was good, so it should give me some more ideas on what to do for my Hearth's Warming oneshot. It will only delay the story for all of December, but it'll be good I tell you. I'm just waiting til Halloween to watch "Scare Master" now.

Also, I am pretty excited when I found out Black Sabbath will be coming to the closest major city to me, so I'll not be seeing them once, but TWO times now on their farewell tour. Plus the high chance of seeing Nightwish this February is set back into action.

Alas, Review Response Time! (Don't worry xXMidnightShadow99Xx, I responded to you via PM.)

sonic3461: Thank you bro. :)

Steve03: Thank you for the two reviews. The ending had come to my head after some time working on the chapter, so I just decided "Why not?" and wrote it down. Yes, I have seen "Brotherhooves Social", half the time with Big Mac dressed in disguise as Orchard, that one King of the Hill episode kept popping in my mind during the entire thing. Eeyep. xD The VA's on my list of people to meet.

raven 2012: I am! Thank you! :)

jvs12: Thank you once again.

4theworldman: Glad you enjoyed the chapter. :)

guest: Thanks.

Billykilly: Well you could say that Twilight told him the entire story about what happened with her while Brayden was in the mirror world during that time.

rd24: Thank you.

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What a horrible night to have a - nope. I'm not even going to even pull any jokes in relation to this Equestrian day that comes around once a year in the autumn, and it definitely ain't no Hearth's Warming Eve. What is it you say? Nightmare Night. The Equestrian version of Halloween here in this world, different from the day back on Earth, but it does work out in the same routine.

I am dressed up for the occasion, though Fluttershy suggests that I don't wear anything too scary. I basically found a grim reaper costume idea poked right into my head, asking Rarity to sew it for me with a price that came along no doubt. She created one with the black fabrics and this-that, I don't know. I'm not a fashion person so I wouldn't know. I wear it over my body with the bottom of it stretching out towards the floor, but I am not at risk of tripping.

On my face, I am wearing make-up to apply with the costume. No I wasn't going out as those members of that famous rock band back on Earth, but more rather based on another subculture there different where they mostly and basically look creepier than ever. After filling in the face with white, I apply black to the parts making it look like black tears flowing down and drools on and down from the mouth with straight lines from the edges of the lips.

I was all ready to get out of the cottage and head down to Ponyville, where I have been invited by both Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon to attend by their side. Well, almost ready. I made sure that I combed my hair to look neat and tidy. After all, even after having worn casual clothing around Princess Luna, it's something special I would want to do for her.

I can hear knocking at the door, and by the sound of it; I can tell that it sounded rather a bit panicky. "Come in!" I called out to the door, ready to see who would come in.

The door opened up and I could see Fluttershy standing there, looking like she was a bit tense especially since this is a day she 'really' hated. As soon as she sees the makeup on my face, she screams and dives behind the door, not closing it.

"Fluttershy, it's just me!" I said, trying to assure her that it was really me and not some tall monster trying to eat her.

"Oh..." She says, and sounded like she was in relief that it was just me. The both of her soft yellow hooves come into view grabbing onto the sides of the door arch and poking her head out to see me standing there, looking calm than ever with those beautiful cyan eyes looking right there at me. "I-I'm so sorry Brayden, I- I guess I'm still not used to the idea of Nightmare Night, but I- I really d-do like your c-costume."

"Thank you Fluttershy." I said to her with a smile coming upon my face appreciating her shy compliment to me.

I took those steps to get closer towards her. I could tell by the looks of it that she was shaking a bit in fear. I know that she knows it's me, but probably scared by my costume appearance. I really had to calm her down a little bit, so I lower myself down onto one knee and wait for her. Her hooves let go of the door, and she trots into the room once again, still shaking a bit.

"Now Fluttershy," I said to her, taking her soft left front hoof into my right hand and holding onto it gently. Her shaking is still there and even I can feel it, but with her there touching it; the shaking only ebbs a little bit. "I understand that you are scared, but you know deep down that without the costume and make-up on me, I would never bring harm to you or anypony and still am keeping my promise."

"Oh... well I-I know that," Fluttershy says, still a bit shaky in her tone. "I know you won't hurt me, but it's just this night... I don't go o-outside once the night comes out. Especially when this night is about-"

"Nightmare Moon." I state to her. "But you know her as well. Ever since I helped to redeem her, she's been so friendly, yet she probably feels alone sometimes..." I let go of her hoof and move it, gently placing my hand on her left cheek. "I know Nightmare Night isn't your kind of thing, but I hope that one day you will go outside with me and attend it one day."

Both of Fluttershy's cheeks lit up when my hand was touching her cheek, plus there was that cute smile on her face. "Well, I guess I'm not exactly that brave when it comes to these things." She told me, her shaking having died down.

"I know that you may not be, but I know that inside your heart, you really are a brave and kind soul especially having fought evil alongside your friends," I explained to her. "You have saved my life a few times and for that, I am grateful."

Fluttershy's cheeks that were already blushing, I can see that those blushes of pink on the both of her cheeks began to bring on a more harder shade to it. "Oh um," She says, trying to clear away from her blushing. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes, Fluttershy. I have been invited to Ponyville alongside both Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon to attend the feast at the Town Hall," I said to her. "They reserved a seat just for me there alongside everypony else who had been invited to attend. Though I will admit, there can only be as many ponies that can attend the feast, as there are others bringing the younger ones around to every home in town."

"It's the free candy, right?" She asked.

I nod to answer her question. "Yes. It does remind me of the traditional celebration of Halloween back on Earth. They'd go door-to-door, and when that door opens, we can hear the classic line 'trick or treat' with the free candy pouring right into our bags." I said with the happiest nostalgia coming to me. "It brings back such good memories."

I removed my hand off from her cheek and get right back up. I glance my eyes off from Fluttershy and towards the clock on my bedroom wall, displaying the time by the hands that had been moving one second at a time. It was 6:45pm, almost 7:00pm the time when the feast begins.

"I have to get going. I don't want to be late." I said to her, sounding like I was now in a bit of a hurry. "Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon would be disappointed if I don't show up on time."

She smiles at me. "Okay Brayden, have a good time and don't stay up too late." She told me.

I nod to her, sharing a smile with her. Then I make my way out of the bedroom door and down the steps into the living room. The room itself was not decorated with Nightmare Night all over, and it was the usual normal room I recall each time being here. I only briefly take a look to see the animals scooting about with Angel being a douche like usual. I turn back to face the front door and place my hand onto the golden handle, giving it a twist and the door a push.

The door opens up, releasing in some fresh air that smelt of the night-time mixed with the distant smell of pumpkin pie and other Halloween-like foods I remember cooking from all the way in Ponyville. But what really catches me was also the smell of apple crisp coming in through my nose from the same town.

I close the front door to Fluttershy's cottage behind me, making my way down the trail and across the small bridge, passing over a small stream of calm water brushing along with a gentle sound of liquid flowing. Off that stone bridge by the sound of my boots touching the dry dirt path, I make a turn to the left and begin on my way towards the town of Ponyville.

The trail down was quite a relaxing time, as such as seeing the orange leaves on the trees still falling down slowly one at a time, for the trees haven't shed their last few ones yet, but eventually will over the season. If I'm lucky, I might be able to see an early snowfall in the course of it as I have encountered that kind of weather many times. But again, maybe it will or maybe it won't. Totally depends on the weather team and how they feel.

A few fillies were with their parents among the trail on the way to town. A few faces I can recall seeing like Dinky Doo accompanied with two of her friends Featherweight and Twist, one of Applebloom's classmates that I knew from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They saw me pass, and at first they were a bit startled by the look of the make-up on my face, but when they realized it was me they greeted me.

At least two things have happened while having my own commitments to deal with. The first story: The map at Twilight's castle ended up calling both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash to go and help out with a friendship problem over in Griffonstone. They told me all about it when they got back, like how Gilda was there. At first, I did lose a bit of cool inside because I remember Gilda making Fluttershy cry which was very uncalled for. I did listen, and then a change of heart comes to me after the griffon helped save their lives, and I did congratulation both of them for their actions in helping the griffon city out.

Second and last thing that has happened: I am really happy for Rarity! She officially had opened her own boutique in Canterlot! I haven't been there yet, but she told me that when I make a stop in Canterlot again whether to see the princesses or not, I was welcome to come into the boutique at any time. She told me everything on how she was mass-producing a particular dress, and despite her success she felt miserable. Eventually during the going out-of-business sale, she realized that the other dresses besides the one she had been making for days there were also that successful as well. She told me about Sassy Saddles, even showing me a picture. She looked slightly taller, but if I do get back to Canterlot I will make sure to stop by the new boutique.

Time passed during my thoughts, and I find myself making my way over the stone bridge and the sight of the town coming into view. The ponies in front of me are all dressed in various different costumes and I will say that I am rather impressed by the designs and can suspect that Rarity made it for them or that they made it themselves. It doesn't really matter to me about who designed and made the costumes.

My eyes move to see what is going on around Ponyville by the looks of it. It's just what I would expect from trick or treating back on Earth, with each young colt and filly coming to the doors of their friendly neighbours and knocking, saying something similar to 'trick or treat' and getting loads of candy. However as the years have changed on Earth, it felt like there were less children going out to trick or treat. Even though I am older than them, going out in costume and getting candy from door-to-door, I am never too old for free candy and even Pinkie is right about that. I'll never give up treat-or-treating if I do end up going back to Earth for a visit during that time of year there.

When there were nopony going door-to-door, they were most likely trotting about and having a talk with their friends who were wearing costumes as well. I don't think I've gone down a part of Ponyville without seeing ponies in costumes. Not once do I see one without a costume, and it makes me happy that even here there is the good spirit.

With the Ponyville Square coming into view, I can already see that there was a stage already set up for the musicians to play on, while there were fun and games to be all around including the usual bobbing for apples, proudly set up by my close friend Applejack, standing there calling out to others to join in the fun. As usual, I can see Derpy doing her best to reach for an apple, but by her derped eyes it is very hard for her to catch one, even once.

"Howdy Brayden!" Applejack calls out to me. I turn my head to look at her, and I did chuckle when I gave her a bit of a scare when she yelps only for a second until she could tell by my face that it was really me. Probably the make-up, just like with Fluttershy. "Great jumpin' junebugs Brayden, ya gave me a scare!"

"Sorry about that, already scared Fluttershy at the beginning of the night." I said, approaching her.

She gave a jolly laugh. "It's alright sugarcube, it's the make-up that caught me off-guard. How are ya tonight?" She asked. As usual, I open up my arms and allow her to come forward, putting a hoof around my back. I place my hands around her neck gently, and we share a friendly and welcoming hug.

"I have never felt this happy to be attending a day similar to one I remember back on Earth." I said to her during the hug.

After a few moments, me and her let go of the hug. "Ah understand by that bright look on yer face, yer gonna love this night. It's one of the most popular times here in Ponyville. Ah mean, Ah've already got the apple-bobbin' tank out just like last year." She says. "Would ya like to bob fer an apple?"

"I would love to, but unfortunately I cannot," I said to her. "Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon are waiting for me inside of the Town Hall for the feast inside. As much as I wish I could attend the festivities of Nightmare Night, I'll assure myself that next Nightmare Night, I will go around town and participate."

"That's the spirit Brayden," Applejack says to me sounding very proud. "Ah know ya sound a bit disappointed about not being able to be with us for the night, but Ah'm happy that ya'll be spendin' time with Nightmare and Luna."

"Oh, they're not the only ones who will be there," I said to her with a smile upon my face. "A few other guests that I checked on the guest list mailed to me a few nights before also have been brought to my attention. I think Princess Twilight is on the list, I can't remember... but I know that Fancy Pants will be attending with Fleur, and most of the common pony folk around here and Canterlot in the middle class. Other than that, a few of the Canterlot council members will be attending, but in completely different seating from where me and the others would be. More under the VIP treatment, you could say from the balconies."

"The Canterlot Council?" Applejack asked. "They are the ones who carry out the laws of Princess Celestia, and they hold a responsibility for our economic state. So far, everything is doin' absolutely fine, and taxes are kept low for us and the middle class of Equestria. But again, the rich do get taxed a little more."

"Interesting, though I am not one for politics myself." I said to her, with my eyes set on the town hall down from the square.

"That's fine with us. Though besides our monarchy under the wing of Princess Celestia, all that she has to do is approve the bills that the current party in the Canterlot Council is under and what good decision they make."

"Party?" I asked. "Well, back in my world, there were many like that like parties or presidency, that sort of thing."

"Seems like our world has a bit in common with yers, but only a tad off."

I turn my eyes back to Applejack after having looked at the town hall for a bit of time, having seen the time that it was just about almost close to the feast to begin at the town hall. "Listen Applejack, I'm sorry that I am in a bit of a rush, but Princess Luna and Nightmare are waiting for me."

"Alright Brayden, talk with me anytime yer free." She says with a smile.

I open up the both of my arms, and she approaches me, putting a hoof around me and behind me onto my back. My arms gently go around her neck, and we both share another hug. The moments pass again, and the both of us separate, and from there I began to go on my way towards the town hall.

The walk continues on as usual, with the usual ponies going door-to-door or few others just pranking away to scare others with their costume. A few did notice my costume, getting scared at first until they realized that it was only me for Nightmare Night. I honestly hope I don't give anypony nightmares though.

The town hall was right in front of me, in that round kind of design that it usually was laid out in. I swear that I had to walk in half a circle to get to the other side where those wooden steps and front double doors would be. Before the entrance, I can see numerous guests lining up to enter the town hall, with another line that have been described as a skip-the-line in case they were special on the guest list. Hmmm, I think I'll give the other line a bit of a check. This current line-up with all of the rich ponies will take forever for me to get into the town hall.

I walk past them, whilst only a few of them even notice me and as usual, their noses are turned up at me as if I were country. I go into the other line and begin making my way to the top of the steps, well, that is until a rough-looking guard stood there before me, stopping me in my way.

"Hold it," He commands to me, which gets me to stop moving. I turn to look at the guard with it's night-like armor on its head and body. Interesting, it's Princess Luna's royal guards. Them being disguised as bat-ponies, already that makes them look more threatening than they should without the cat-eye shapes in their eyes, but I know it's the contacts they put on each Nightmare Night that comes around. "Why aren't you in the other line than the others?"

"I am on the guest list, and I was wondering if you could check." I asked.

"Well, I can do that. Give me a moment," The guard said, turning around towards a leather book colored in the colors of night. He channels magic to his horn and lifts up the book, opening it to a certain page as he turns and trots back forward to me. "Alright, what is your name?"

"My name is Brayden." I said to him in order to confirm my name.

The guard was taking a few moments and flipping pages to get to the 'B' section of the book, filled most likely with numerous other guests. I stand there and wait patiently, ignoring the dirty looks that a few of Canterlot's rich were giving me. The few moments pass, and there was still silence between us among the audible, yet distant conversations of the rich in line.

The guard finally lifts his head though, looking at me with those golden cat contact eyes on his eyes to look intimidating. "Well, after checking the guest list I am proud to say that Princess Luna definitely did invite you after all." He confirms, giving me a sigh of relief that she wouldn't have left me out. "Welcome to the Nightmare Night feast Brayden, the princess of the night is waiting for you."

"Thank you sir." I said to him, giving him a bit of a respectful bow and continuing up the last of the steps and forward across the wooden platform towards the double doors.

I grab onto the handle and with a thumb, I press down on the golden latch on top of it. With a click sounding off, I push open the right door and the light in my eyes could finally see the interior of the town hall itself around me while I passed through and closed the door behind me shut.

The room itself had been lit up under the light of Luna's moon, unveiling every single table and chair that everypony that have been invited would sit at. My eyes peek about for a moment at the large clothes decorating each table and every one of them having a delicate touch of starlight to them, but when I have noticed the recognizable balcony on the second floor, my eyes were turned right to it. Those first memories came to me of Nightmare Moon when she had returned to Equestria after her thousand year banishment, standing right there with her statement of the eternal night, and how most except Twilight have forgotten her in favor of Princess Celestia. She was in possession of being a part of Princess Luna, after all...

"Brayden?" I can hear that familiar voice asking for me from afar. I am snapped out of those memories and turn to look in the direction of who acknowledged me. I thought I recognized that beautiful tall mare with the black coat and cyan cat eyes standing by the closest table put a couple of feet away from the wall. Nightmare Moon herself, and she hosts quite a majestic smile upon her face. "Is that really you?"

I approach closer to the black alicorn herself, a friendly smile now brewing upon my own mouth with each step that I took. As I had pictured her, she wasn't wearing any of that armor she had wore when she had evil down in that heart of hers. She looked even better without the armor of the eternal night to curse her once again. From what I am aware, she put it away and locked up what she wore in her darkest days. She never wanted to see it again after all that she had done. I can tell something though ever since my assistance to help and redeem herself, she still seems to trust me and to my surprise, looks happy sometimes when I show up to visit at these kind of things.

She moves her hoof outward to me by my own surprise. My hand moves forward, gently taking that soft hoof of hers and holding onto it. "Nightmare Moon," I finally say her name, that smile still on my face. "How are you on this night? I haven't seen you since a couple of dreams ago."

"They have been going okay, Brayden. With the recognition that this is a night named after me though, I have never felt so happy before in this eternal life." She tells me, her eyes gazing at my own brown eyes.

"Only okay? Nothing that big and good?" I asked.

She shakes her head. "Nothing big and good, just okay..." She tells me. Somehow I knew that there was something to that disappointed tone of voice that had been dropped from being happy.

"Why okay? Did something go wrong?" I asked.

She lowers her head, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. "I- I don't really want to talk about it at the moment."

"Wait... was it me? Was it something I said?" I asked, feeling concerned if I offended her in any way possible.

"No Brayden, it wasn't you," She says to me, shaking her head once again. "It- It's just something I am normally dealing with."

I nod my head in understanding, my smile already dropped when I got a little concerned about her. "Alright Nightmare, I won't pressure you until telling me. I don't want this night to be your worst, so let's turn it into a positive party. That is what I am here for afterwards." I said to her. My left hand, not holding onto her other front hoof, is placed upon that right cheek of hers.

All she could do was smile at me, feeling comfortable already in my presence and glad that I had arrived right on time. I continue holding onto her hoof while I am joined by her side when she turns and begins trotting with me walking beside her in the room.

"It feels really uneasy, having to be back in this room again when I returned... bad memories to me," She says to me, sounding only a little uncomfortable in that tone of her calm voice sounding so majestic though without a title upon her name. "It's like I would have to go through the same experience all over again, seeing all those terrible things forever."

"Nothing is forever Nightmare," I said to her. "I go through some things that I can't let go of that easily. I know what you're feeling as I have been there and still am."

She turns her head to look at me. "You go through that too? What troubles you, even in these times?"

"Guilt." That is all I had to say to her, as I really didn't want to dig into my past for the reason of not wanting to have it devour my mind and thoughts for the next ten minutes from now.

"I see," She says. "Brayden, if you are ever feeling that way or that you need somepony to talk to... I'm always going to be there for you."

I smile at her, glad to see that she was being helpful to me. The first time she was helpful, it was after the changeling attack. I had been having nightmares about Queen Chrysalis coming back to kill me or take control of me to kill my special somepony. Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon were of great help though, and even when Luna couldn't be there on time, Nightmare's always been there for me to protect me in my dreams as much as I've protected her and everypony else here.

Oh god... my eyes grasp onto that familiar mane and coat of false royalty across from me at a table meant for the Royals and their special guest. Prince Blueblood himself. A glare appears on my face even looking at his own. He doesn't notice me quite yet, but as soon as I take those steps forward, his ears could pick up and sense that I was coming. He turns up and looks at me briefly, ending the last second with the disgusted look on his face.

While my glare is still focused on Blueblood, Nightmare guides me to the table of the royalty. After all, the guard outside said that Luna was waiting for me, so I can already assume that I am the special guest to them. "You'll be seated at the end of the table on the left next to me." She tells me, a smile still upon her and she doesn't notice that glare I have towards him, well until she turned to look at me. "Why the glare Brayden?"

I turn my head to look at her, haven't realized that she was still there by then and that my focus wasn't directly on her after Blueblood came into my sight. I didn't know what to say to her, I felt like she would know a bit too much on why I would be glaring at him. "I wasn't glaring at you." I confessed to her.

"Then why are you- Oh." She says. She had turned to look in the direction I had been looking in to see that jerk standing there, ignoring both me and her and preparing himself for a feast with hopefully not even me to ruin it for him. "You were doing that towards Blueblood then. I can't stand him sometimes, even with him running his mouth off on how 'beautiful' he is for himself, and when I tried to acknowledge that to him, he runs his mouth off on how I should be dead."

"Nopony wants you dead Nightmare. Not even I." I said to her.

She lowers her head and her ears droop down. "Unfortunately, there are few ponies who do. He's one of them." She says, sounding only a little bit sad. "I always remember each time I go outside of Canterlot's castle, ponies would throw things at me and tell me to go back to the moon, and few tried to assault me."

I gasped when she had told me that few were trying to attack her. "They would dare try to do that to you?!" I said in surprise, feeling a bit angry inside that they would even try to kill her.

"Brayden," She says to me, placing her gentle black hoof onto the top of my chest. "Please calm down. Nothing bad has happened yet."

My anger is quick to slip away out of my thoughts once again, and I turn to look at her. "A few things have happened though. You were there when Lord Tirek was on his rampant revenge trek to steal all the magic, and you saw what happened during the changeling invasion. That look on your face when I was against all of you... You were doing your best to help me..."

My right arm and hand began moving forward, and I gently reach out and after those few moments, my hand gently touched her on the left cheek. Her gaze never let go of my sight as those beautiful cyan cat eyes of hers, look down upon me. I thought I could see it with my own eyes, but I can swear that I caught onto the shades of pink that appears on her right cheek. Either way, I am sure the cheek my hand is touching has the same shade in appearance.

"...And for that, you have my gratitude." I finished after a pause in that thought to find out what I could say next.

The blush on her cheeks began to color in by another shade of pink. "Oh... thank you... I don't what to say." She tells me, sounding happy to have heard my words to her.

"Shall we take our seats at the table, Nightmare?" I just had to ask her.

She nods her head while the blush on her cheeks begin a very slow fade. "Of... of course." She says to me, having looked more happier than I have ever expected out of her before. Was it something that I said to make her feel this joyful in her life? She pulls the chair at the end of the table back a bit and offers it to me.

I accept her offer of seating me, which can be normal as I do the same for all females anyway. The seat on the chair has that plush feeling, the kind you would feel if you were sitting on a pillow or carrying a plushie in your hands. Making myself comfortable at the end of the table and scooting myself forward, I turn my eyes to the right as Nightmare is seated right next to me.

Princess Luna was in the town hall, no doubt about that. She's not over by our table yet as she is chatting away with a few of the councillors from Canterlot about most likely... politics and all that kind of stuff. Again, politics do bore me, so I'd rather not talk too much on the subject unless it is absolutely necessary. Prince Blueblood on the other half is seated across from us on the other end of the table's other side, probably doing his best to ignore me on how 'annoying' of a 'scum' I could be to him.

The town hall doors eventually open up, and slowly the rich and aristocratic ponies start to come in one by one, taking a look about with their own friends to take a seat at any of the tables available to them. Each one were dressed in the usual fancy way, but there are few who don't look down on anypony else. For the good sake of it all, Fancy Pants was here and he had been busy talking to Fleur Dis Lee, taking their seats over by the closest table they could before other ponies took the seats there.

The night princess finished her conversation with the three of the councillors and turns around, making her way over to our table to join us. My eyes keep on her when those eyes of hers look back at me, and a warm smile glows upon her mouth to see me aseated as the guest for the evening. She trots past the long table and to our table, still holding that face that I can tell that she was glad to see me.

"Ah, you've arrived," Princess Luna says, trotting up closer to me. She places her hoof onto my shoulder after I have turned in my seat to look at her. "My dear friend, how does the night treat you? Does it treat you well?"

"It treats me well Luna." I said to her, smiling.

She kept that smile on her face. "The night in celebration to me and Nightmare Moon is exceeding quite well here in the humble town of Ponyville. The nights are so young here, and though we alicorns live an immortal life, it is always the joy to have a day that can be celebrated to honor both of us."

"It reminds me very much of the holiday Halloween back where I came from." I commented, acknowledging the difference between Nightmare Night and that holiday there.

"I am aware of that. I had studied the activities that are celebrated around the Earth on the basis by each year. The concept between both events are such related: door-to-door and being given candy, costumes, decorations, you name it."

While talking to her, my eyes stray a bit to the entrance, watching as everypony else that have been invited to the feast enter in filling each seat one by one. Almost all are taken, and each table was preparing for the food to arrive along with drinks of the sort. "Anyways, I am honored to be here for both you and Nightmare."

"We are glad to have you as our company among these many other guests." She says, taking her hoof off of my shoulder.

The last few guests came in and fill in the last few spots on the close right table, and the guard posted outside of the town hall to guard the building closes the door behind the last mare to step in. The feast looked about ready by Luna's word when she felt like she would like it to begin.

I turn my head to take a look at all those occupied seats filled with stallion or mare, ready and willing for food to be served to them, and it didn't really matter what they were having. For me, I would say that I will be expecting it'd be something big as the guest for the royals are probably earned a trait as the special guest.

I can hear Princess Luna's hooves as she trots away and to her chair. I turn my head to look at her. She is seated between both Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna. There are no extra seats here at our table, so I can assume that Princess Celestia was too busy to attend Nightmare Night this evening as she is usually still up in the castle which I figured is typical of the princess especially since she has a country to run.

Everypony in the room aside from me, the princesses or the jerk Prince Blueblood are chattering amongst themselves at their normal volume tone. None know that the feast was going to commence in the seconds ahead.

A ring of somepony tapping onto a glass wine-like cup with a spoon sounds out. By how close it was though, it could be very well Princess Luna having channeled magic to her horn and levitated both a spoon painted in reflective silver and the glass cup to bang gently together. Everypony in the room slowly began to come into silence, and eventually when everything has settled down, Princess Luna stood up from her seat, putting the spoon and cup back to their places on the table.

"Everypony, may I have your attention?" She spoke out to the guests, now having calmed down after having a good chat which I knew they will get back to when dinner is served and when Princess Luna has finished her speech. Every eye was aimed directly at the princess of the night as she began her speech."

"Welcome everypony, to the feast on this beloved night for all of Celestia's subjects. We are all gathered here not only for the celebration of the princess of the night, but that of the queen of darkness, that had once been us... craving for the beauties of the eternal night!" I turn my head and my eyes take a very good look at Nightmare Moon, who looks rather embarrassed in a sort of bad way. I can see the blush on her left cheek as she places her hooves onto her face to hide that look while Princess Luna continues. "But no longer! We no longer hold onto the burdens of jealousy or the thought of being superior and above my sister, Celestia! Now we welcome you to a feast of the years when the Nightmare was still feared and forgotten among many of you, one where the Nightmare herself can be blessed with forgiveness for her past mistakes!"

Each and every guest in their seat murmurs a bit to themselves, especially when seeing Nightmare Moon having joined them at the feast. I catch a few of the negative looks on the faces of aristocrat guests having disapproved heavily of Nightmare's presence being there among them.

"Let us also welcome the boy who have helped to redeem the Nightmare herself!" She calls out. I stand up out of my chair. I already know that Prince Blueblood is glaring at me and looking rather disgusted with having me being important as the special guest. I only recieve a few claps and smiles from a few of the aristocrat ponies; mostly Fancy Pants and Fleur Dis Lee, and I won't forget what they did to help me when Nightmare returned. I sat back down and while feeling awful about Nightmare being embarrassed, I place my right hand unto her shoulder, hoping it will give her a little comfort.

"Now, let us forget all of the horrors that have dwelled in the past when the darkness grasped ahold of us, and let the feast commence!" Princess Luna finishes her... rather short speech if you ask me. But again, just like episodes back in my world, it could work either way.

On those plates made of silver, food began to appear in the big serving plates among everypony who were very surprised and delighted to finally have the main course and appetizers being offered to them at the same time. On our table, I can also see the variety of foods being offered to me and the princesses at the table. (Oh, notice why I didn't think of Blueblood there? Yeah, you know, he's an arrogant jerk.)

After having served themselves, Nightmare passes the tray of food to me and I observe them all on the plate. I had been glad to see various others like: hay-fries, baked potatoes, cooked carrots, celery, pumpkin bread, other greens or dairy of the sort, and I still don't see any meat around here which is good. I reach out, getting myself some cheese and hay-fries for the side, and the main entree that I would get myself is the chili being served right out of Ponyville itself.

The feast began off on a good start after that, and everypony was just having a good time. Everypony including me would converse and eat our food on our plates, feeling rather happy to be around with friends and having a tradition of a good time. Okay yeah that didn't make sense, but whatever.

"So..." I can hear Nightmare Moon ask me. I turn to look at her when she spoke to me, cause I knew by the sound, it was directed right towards me.

"So?" I asked right away without any hesistation at all. "What's on your mind Nightmare?"

"It's..." She paused for a moment. I knew by the tone of her voice that something was wrong. "I just don't want to be looked at like I'm still the same monster that I am to everypony... I don't want to be looked upon in the shadow of my former self. I just want... I want everypony to just see the mare that I am trying to be."

I take another bite of hay-fries and keep my eye on the black alicorn beside me, having paused for a moment. But I knew she was holding something back that she didn't want to release. The frustration of trying to fit in among the high class of Equestria who already want her dead... but don't get me wrong now, everypony in Ponyville love her, not in that way but they've been getting along with her more than the aristocrat society.

"I know exactly how you feel Nightmare. I've been through the same thing, and I can never really learn and keep my mistakes behind me in the past. All the friendships I lost back on Earth... every trouble I got into when I was younger and immature... I never can let go, and the more it comes to me, the more pain I can feel sometimes." I told her, my voice turning calm and gentle to her.

"I fear too many things if I was to try and help you in front of them. I could be deemed as a pretender, as somepony who wants to be like them."

"Then don't listen to what these ones tell you," I suggest to her, taking the one hoof that sticks out into reach with the both of my hands, holding onto it gently. "Listen to everypony here in Ponyville. Since I helped you, they are already getting along with you and are proud to honor your own name and Princess Luna's title because of this special night. That's more ponies that I know than the aristocrats. Well, the only good ones I know are Fleur and Fancy Pants."

"Well, they are good ponies who understand me, and they helped you to get back to me when I was blind in my arrogance. For that, I am grateful they helped you and showed me what friendship really is to me." A smile curled up up onto her mouth, and I was happy inside to see that she could put on a smile, even if it's really small.

"Also," I said to her, a thought suddenly popping into my head. "You haven't seen Twilight around Ponyville tonight in costume have you? It's probably Starswirl the Bearded like every Nightmare Night most likely."

She put her black hoof to her chin, thinking rather deep on that, and her eyes moving off from looking at me. The few moments pass and she turns to look back at me, replying "I think I saw her communicating with Princess Luna earlier, but other than that... I am not really sure. Probably going around town with Spike anyway."

"Are you two talking about Princess Twilight?" Princess Luna asked, poking her head in after taking a bite of pumpkin bread including the glaze on it to make it smell really sweet.

"Yes," I said to her. "Isn't Twilight on the guest list?"

"I don't believe so. I figured that she was busy with Spike and her other friends, but I'm sure that she understands," Princess Luna says to me, that tone of care in her voice when she spoke. "After all I invited you, and you are the guest of honor to us, always."

"A pity we didn't throw him as food for the chimera in Flame Geyser Swamp." Prince Blueblood comments to himself pretty loudly for all of us to hear him. I was able to ignore him as it's typical of Blueblood to act like this, unless he says something to really offend me.

I put a hand right to my chest, and that feeling of appreciation was upon my face and I can feel the smile moving upward. "Thank you Princess Luna, but let us both not forget the day you brought me here to Equestria. It's a new life and a day to always remember." I told her.

"We're all proud to have you here in our lives. Without you, I don't think the last of me would have been brought back." Nightmare says to me.

Princess Luna keeps her smile. "Not to forget that as much as we saved you, you saved us in return." Nightmare Moon nods in response to what she has said.

I smile at the both of them, still having that warm, welcoming feeling inside of me. I go back to taking a bite of cheese, loving every bite out of the cut block on my plate. With the variety, I also get another set of hay-fries from my plate and chew on a few, swallowing those pieces down when I was finished with them being grinded down by my own teeth.

Dessert was being served quite early as I could see, so it was no wonder Princess Luna had been eating away at pumpkin bread quite earlier during the entree. The chili itself was delicious by the way, but tasting the hay-fries was quite something I'll never forget in my time. They remind me very much of the fast food places back on Earth, but I must also be very wary as well because when seeing a documentary for one certain fast food restaurant, I almost lost all hope; but I was still happy to eat there nevertheless, but in much less quantities.

Everypony in the town hall was still chatting away and eating away at their desserts or hor d'oeuvres being served fresh at the table, possibly all done by Princess Luna herself or some servants of hers hiding under the four long tables. I'm not really sure how all of the food appeared on the tables anyway. All does seem to be peaceful though, and other from the comments Blueblood silently makes to himself about either me or Nightmare Moon, I was happy.

It doesn't seem to last too long though. Why? Well, the town hall's entrance doors burst quite open, catching all of our attention.

It was Lyra Heartstrings herself, dressed up like a vampire with the accurate cape of black and red. She had the fake vampire teeth in her mouth, but she spit it out so she could tell everypony's attention. Nopony even talked when she even said those very words and were all silent, plus myself and I mean, EVERYPONY in the room.

"TIMBERWOLF!" Lyra screams at the top of her lungs, galloping into the town hall between the two tables to the center of the room with panic in her tone, and then stops there. "IN THE SQUARE! TIMBERWOLF IN THE SQUARE!"

Everypony was silent. I didn't know if they were going to laugh at my friend or just start panicking and screaming once it all hit the fan. I was speechless, but Princess Luna gets up out of her seat, showing a bit of concern. Nightmare Moon follows her from there, watching the unicorn in a bit of that panic, believing those words she shouted supposedly.

"Though you'd all like to know..." Lyra says, finally falling forward to the wooden floor and fainting right on the spot.

Immediately afterwards and just as I predicted, everypony in the town hall began to scream and panic like usual when danger was on the loose from the Everfree Forest. All of them began to get out of their seats, galloping in crowds upon crowds to make their way out of the town hall and outside where there were already ponies panicking about. Prince Blueblood at our table also got scared and began making his way to the crowds already galloping into the town to panic more.

I knew that Princess Luna had been trying to get the guests' attention. Not to mention them having trotted right over Lyra who had still stayed there and fainted. I got up out of my seat and ran right over to where the unicorn was lying. I bend down on my knees, move my arms underneath her and lift her up into my arms. I was going to try and wake her up, but of course this looked awkward for me as both Lyra and I are good friends. She knows very well I'm with Twilight, so I'm trying not to make it look very... well, you get the picture.

"Lyra! Wake up!" I was telling her among the screaming of everypony. She is still out, so I gave only a little bit of a shake, until she let out a bit of a groan.

"What... what happened?" She says, sounding only a bit confused.

I helped her right back onto all of her four hooves. "Good, you woke up. You notified us about a timberwolf in the square right?" I asked her, relieved to see that she was okay.

Lyra shakes the confusion off of her and sounded panicked when she spoke. "Yes, and it's now the time to panic! No danger from the Everfree Forest has ever come to Ponyville!"

I get back up onto my feet and join Princess Luna on the round porch outside. Everypony outside and from the party, invited or not were in a panic, knocking stuff over in their path whilst screaming away that they were most likely going to be eaten. There were foals and fillies among them, and a few didn't know what to do. Some of them were even crying, and I felt bad for those who were crying as I would have gone to comfort them.

"Please everypony calm down! Please!" She is trying to get their attention, but to no avail for her. The screaming is so loud, that by now it feels like the apocalypse is upon Ponyville especially with a timberwolf on the loose. She tries to calm them a few more times, and then a look of frustration crosses onto her face.

I can feel somepony tapping my shoulder. I turn to see Nightmare Moon standing there, saying to me. "Cover your ears, she's going to unleash the Royal Canterlot Voice at this rate!"

I nod in acknowledgement, and put my hands right over my ears, covering them to ensure that when Princess Luna shouts, I won't end up losing some of my hearing. The princess of the night still looks frustrated, opening her wings in the situation, and flapping them. She lifts off of the ground and a few to a couple of feet off from the ground.

"SILENCE!" She had finally unleashed that RCV among everypony in town.

The townsponies and aristocrat ponies stopped and fell silent. Only a few fillies were crying in the distance, still a bit scared of the timberwolf coming if it shows its face. I uncovered my ears, hearing even the echoes of Princess Luna's voice echoing by the winds of autumn. I take a look at Princess Luna, setting back down to the ground and closing her wings to observe both groups.

"Everypony please do not panic!" Princess Luna calls out, now sounding a little more calmer than she did when unleashing the loud RCV. "In dire to situations like these, it is to ensure that I the princess of the night keep you all safe while I am in your presence. Everypony who lives here, must find shelter in the nearest house or shop. Everypony else in the high class, will follow me immediately into the Town Hall basement should the timberwolf sniff our presence out here. Foals and Fillies, you shall be escorted by Cheerilee to safety at once."

Everypony followed suit in the two groups of gathering as many ponies as they could into their homes. The screaming was gone now, but panic was still among everypony. Just only mild chattering among the ponies as I could see when gathering into either the town hall or the closest homes they could. I slip past into the crowd unnoticed by both Princess Luna or Nightmare Moon who turned to see that I was gone.

I was sneaking off from their sight to go and find this timberwolf and find out how such a creature so dangerous managed to get into town. I kept my head down in the crowds until both Luna and Nightmare went back inside the town hall with the aristocrats. As soon as they were gone, I lift my head back up and make my way out of the group of ponies gathering towards a small house, changing direction and heading towards the square.

The streets have grown pretty quiet with only the sound of the wind blowing across from my left side. I keep myself going forward with caution, aware if the timberwolf could very well be behind me and I wouldn't even know so this kind of paying attention is good if I want to survive. Each house light is turned off so that light won't attract the timberwolf to the house that food for them is waiting to be devoured alive.

All seemed to be quiet... a little too quiet for a timberwolf to be out here. Well, it remains that quiet minus the blowing the wind, until there is a scream close by the square that immediately caught my attention. I knew that I recognized that scream when I heard it loud and clear...

Applejack! I don't think she was even aware that a Timberwolf was even attacking Ponyville, and this causes my walking to accelerate right into sprinting. I can see the square coming right into my view past the building of quills and sofas that Twilight usually went to when it came to when she needed more for writing. But there came the shock of how large this timberwolf was before my own eyes, right in front of the stage.

The timberwolf itself must have been the size of a regular house when I saw it, kind of reminds me of the Ursa Minor. Much bigger than the smaller timberwolves I've seen with the usual leader only being slightly taller. But this timberwolf must have been one of the king-sized ones, like I was staring right at one of the tall leaders, especially when combined with other timberwolves. Its claws were tearing right at the stage, knocking down the loudspeakers and from what I could see, it's right claw was attempting to grab at AJ.

"A little help here!" I can hear her with a bit of a panic, as she's dealt with this before. But it was not when she had her hooves stuck this time. The timberwolf king roars right at her, some of its spit getting onto the stage floor.

I ran forward towards the apple bowl full of water that other ponies had been using for apple-dunking, and grab a few apples with my own bare hands. They were still wet when I took them out, and while gathered the ones I took out in my left arm, I use my right hand grab each one and toss one right at the timberwolf king.

The apples hit the back of the timberwolf king's head. He turns his head a bit to the side to see who was throwing stuff at him. A glare is upon the beast's face when he saw me, but he turns back to feast those glowing greenish eyes back on my close friend Applejack as his dinner, who has already moved from his sight to the other side.

"Help me out here Brayden!" I can hear Applejack say. I can tell by the look on her face she was already frightened.

I throw a few other apples right at the timberwolf king. The king finally on its two hind legs, turns its head around, looking back at me. I toss another apple in his direction, that one having been thrown lands him right straight into it's right eye. (Though in the direction I was in, it's on the left.)

The timberwolf king closed the eye that had been hit by the apple tossed right at it. The timberwolf lets out a bit of low-pitched growl, now with its eyes piercing right towards me. The mouth itself releases possibly a high drop of saliva down, pouring itself onto the clean dirt ground. It looks like I've really angered it further now, and by that; it's much bigger than the leader that had chased me along with its pack around my first few weeks in Equestria. I can see its claws, readying the poison it would inflict upon me on the first attack.

"Great Celestia... Brayden, run!" Applejack calls out to me, sounding both relieved about not being the target of a large wood creature, and worried about me now being set as the prey for the predator.

"No," I said to her. "I'm not about to let this firewood try to even let alone destroy half the town, nor let it eat anypony."

The king took one of its wooden paws and comes one step closer, and I'm standing there, trying not to take my eyes off of the creature. "Brayden, no! You'll die if you face it!" Applejack said.

"Just watch me." I said to her, still keeping my eye on this firewood in front of me.

The only thing though is that I didn't know the exact weakness of a timberwolf king itself. The only things about timberwolfs alone was that the leaders of a pack were more protected by the branch-skin on their sides I could cut through. But again, I don't have the Song of Order with me, so I am left absolutely defenseless which means I'll have to think fast if I want to come up with some strategies.

The king snorted with the air seen coming out from its nose, already from the slow crawl to already beginning to accelerate towards me, it's mouth already open to scoop me up and right into the stomach to digest me into nothing most likely, or chew up to bits before that.

I can hear its roar piercing my ears as it continues forward. I take a look to the left and then the right. On the right, it seems a little safer to jump to avoid the rampage of the king itself, and already turn and jump forward with a small roll to cover myself big time. The king noticed this and halts with a bit of skid, tracking me down on where I'll be running to next in it's pursuit for my blood.

I ran forward, hearing my breathing while my adrenaline pushed me furthur to keep on running. I don't look behind me, but I can tell it's turned to the same direction I was going in, proceeding to charge once again. Its paws of sharpened wood tinders and sticks leaving big marks on the ground while it kicks back amounts of dirt during the charge.

I could see a small ladder up ahead by the small alleys between two buildings. While the king still charges, I make a skid and turn all the way to the right. The king comes to a stop, turning its head while I approach the ladder and begin to climb up on my way with both hands and feet. I can hear it growl and then there comes the scary part when it came up to the alleyway. It wouldn't be able to fit in between two buildings, but the nose and mouth could.

I continue climbing, but I am at all times trying to avoid the mouth of the king's wrath as it tries to grab me by its own teeth. Instant death if it even ends up digging its teeth through my heart, because even the sharp teeth they have can be poisonous too from what I have been told in the books of legend on these kind of timberwolves. Well, what do you expect about that? You can really learn a lot after you read some research books with Twilight.

I eventually do make it to the top of the building, having narrowly avoided being bit by the large scaled teeth of the wooden beast. It still holds onto my scent though, not ever thinking of letting it go even once. It begins to follow alongside the building I run across and hop across to each roof, trying to find a way to even destroy this beat or let alone send it running back to the Everfree Forest.

But it's not letting go of the chase when it lunges at the side of the rooftop, tearing off a large portion of the edge by its own teeth, and leaving only bits of the rubble behind to remain there, showing inside... some older pony having panicked when he saw the large timberwolf over his shop. He gallops out of the room he was in, trying to find another place to hide.

While running, I start to feel a bit of cramps coming right onto me, making me feel a bit tired from all this sprinting, but I couldn't stop to take a breath now. Another jump to another building is made when I look back only for a few split seconds. The king hasn't lost sight of me just yet. Even if I outrun him, he'll smell where I exactly would be hiding if it came to that.

During my run, I encounter a bit of strong wire carrying small flags downwards and make no haste, turning the direction to my left and trying to maintain balance as I run over to one of the towers of carved wood supporting the other side that the flag wire was being maintained. I can hear the timberwolf king snarl and lunge forward once again, opening its mouth.

It is knocked to the ground though, and I can see Applejack right behind the giant king, armed with her some rocks and apples that she could savage. She keeps her distance from the beast as she doesn't want to be targeted again as the prey. The king, getting up onto it's paws, doesn't pay too much attention to her as its eye still feast upon me no matter how many apples or rocks she threw at it.

I made it to the other side while Applejack had distracted it only for that temporary time. My eyes stray around to find anything that could be of use to jumping forward and attacking it right back. Iron hooks strapped onto ropes? Nope, couldn't really help out in ripping open its wooden chest, as the wooden pieces of the beast itself on the inside can always end up reforming back together.

Wait... fire! That's a great idea! But there isn't really anything around the top of the building to spark it. Damn, if there was only some flint or steel around to help. Yes... of course!

My right boot bumps into a short pole below. I turn my head and look down while the king is grabbing onto the building by its own giant paws from behind. I grab the pole and observe the top of it, seeing that point that would have been used as part of the decorative gates for Nightmare Night. Guess it wasn't used because by the sharp point, it would be dangerous if... used for a weapon.

I turn around and start facing the beast itself, whose head already has poked up over the building. It growls and opens its mouth to unleash a roar, but I do not show any kind of fear inside me when it reveals the interior of its jaws, mouth and sharpened wooden teeth before my own eyes. This pole will have to be of use to me as I never brought the Song of Order with me sadly since I thought there would be no threat originally.

I began charging forward and feeling my adrenaline pumping through my body once again, when the king let down its roar. At the edge of the building, I take no chances and leapt right forward off from the building with the pole over my head, the sharp point aiming right at the king's chest.

The pole tore right through the wooden armor of the chest, and right into the beast. The timberwolf began to howl while I held onto the pole and one of the wooden pieces now sticking out from the impaled chest. The beast in its pain and fury began trying its best it could to shake me off. Holding onto the stuck out branch, I drive the pole out of the chest, allowing me some time to climb up towards the bottom of the mouth.

"Brayden look out!" I can hear Applejack again. I turn to look and see the king's left front paw trying to swipe at me. I avoid it the first time, while climbing on my way, but the second time, its claw managed to grab me from the back of my jeans by the pocket.

It was trying its best to pull me off of its chest so I would be more vulnerable. I keep my arms gripped onto the branches stuck onto the chest to the neck, pushing myself hard to not let go of them or the pole I possessed. I can hear a bit of a tear, as it rips open the back right pocket. The paw has let me go for now, so it's time to strike again.

With aggression, I drive the sharp pole right into the bottom of the king's mouth. It must have done quite a great deal to anger it further, as there was the sharp, loud yelp it made followed by a growl when I stuck it through and locked it right there under the chin. It began shaking once again, and I was slowly losing my grip.

My hands slip from the branch and I found myself falling right to the ground, hitting my back on the dirt ground. I can hear Applejack gasp, and it sounds like she was worried if I was okay. But all seemed to be for the worst next with my focus quickly back on the king, it's giant right front paw lands on top of me, extending its claws out if I even tried to run away as its poison would be bound to paralyze me yet again if I tried anything.

The king lunged its head forward to try and bite at my head, but I had to move my head right under the claw, forcefully making it miss my head if it had plans of biting it off first for my brain and bone.

"Applejack, do something!" I called out to her, ready at anytime for the timberwolf king to attempt another bite off my head.

I am unable to turn my head to look at my close friend, with my fear getting the best of me when staring at the eyes of what will be my death soon enough. I can hear her hooves galloping for a moment, though I knew she was still in the square to make sure I'll be okay in this situation of great danger.

Dodging the bite for the third time, the king finally caught on as to what I was doing. It unleashes a glare from its own glowing eyes at me and then the excruciating pain began to me when all its giant claw tips impact my skin and past my jacket: my legs, arms, and shoulders were injected in by its poison. If even it didn't kill me, the poison delivered by the paralyzation would soon enough.

I let out a shout, unveiling my weakness before the king that I could actually feel pain before its own eyes. Those claws must have done a great deal for me as he dug them in more harder for me to feel like I was just about being tortured physically in the worst possible ways. I can hear Applejack shout my name and she sounded more alarmed, but I don't pay attention to that as my eyes are closed, forcing to be indulged in the pain.

I could feel the paralyzation coming upon me from my own feet and I had to think quickly on making a final, last attempt at even causing major damage to the king. I was able to slip my right arm out from the claw, now having it dug into my right chest. I was shaking... the pain itself was overwhelming, but I had to do something quickly before it was to overcome me. My hand scavenged around for even something, well until I noticed the king rip the pole right out from under the chin, throwing it down to the ground towards me.

My shaky hand grips onto the pole of steel and sticks it upwards to where it would attack me next. The king's head tilts back ready to lunge again while it's claws still dug into me. When the attack lunged forward, I knew that was the last act for me.

I stuck the pole right through the mouth, sticking out at the top and burst right through it's nose. I held it there while it roars pretty loudly, probably going to do a little bit of damage to my hearing anyway. I still felt a load of pain upon me, but all made matters worse when my right arm had been struck at the same time by one of its sharp wooden teeth. I was also screaming at the same time as the timberwolf king was roaring in that high-pitched yelp, though the volume is much higher for the beast.

Those few moments passed us by and I remove the pole right out from the mouth of the king, but following the loss of its wooden tooth that struck me, now severed and sticking right onto my right arm near the veins. The pole's sharp point though that have been rubbing onto the wooden skin inside and past between both the wooden sap that had been spit onto me, a flame had been sparked and ignited on the sharp tip and area surrounding it.

I would have reacted more, but the paralysis eventually got to me, and I felt myself unable to move at all. I no longer could feel any of the timberwolf's claws digging into me. The beast now in a raging fury, growls at me once again, facing down towards me. Galloping is heard once again, and I know it could be Applejack.

"Leave mah friend alone ya big monster!" I can hear her shout at it, but I am unable to look and see her reaction and face. By the sound of her hooves, I can tell she has moved much closer to me, but I am not sure why.

All the king could really do was just ignore her, still focused on me as the meal, and her next after I was through and done with. She throws another rock at the ferocious monster, hitting it on impact by the side of its face with a rock. Its attention still isn't driven off, and I can only watch as it tilts back its head, ready for me to face death itself.

It throws its head right towards me and I know that I am expecting it to be the end of me no doubt. I am unable to close my eyes as I watch its head coming right towards me. But what happens next probably saved my life overall...

The pole that the tip sparked the flame onto, zipped right to the open mouth of the timberwolf king. The flame still intact and lit, got right through into the mouth and throat of the king. All hellfire began to break loose inside the creature by the destruction of the fire that sparked as I can hear Applejack breathing heavily.

The timberwolf king in all its might, was in flames by outside its chest and the spreading inferno starts to burn away at all the wood that supported the damned creature. It was howling rather scratchly and in the panic, trying to uncover its flames, now covering the body entirely. My head rolls onto the side and I am forced to watch as the timberwolf king's parts began to burn away and falling straight onto the ground.

My friend doesn't stop breathing heavily, and the timberwolf king falls to the dirt eventually, trying to crawl its way towards the both of us. It was pretty much telling that it will not die in complete until it devours one of us or takes us with it by the flames. I am paralyzed though, so I cannot react at all. I swear I could feel only a little pinch, and then the king's tooth being dropped onto the ground by Applejack. She must've pulled it out by her own teeth.

The king moved closer and closer, then just stops and it's head goes flat with the glow in its eyes going fader until eventually it was gone. I knew at this rate that the beast must have already been killed. I want to turn and look at my friend, who has now saved my life but still am unable to.

"Sugarcube! Please respond to me!" I can hear her tell me, moving me away from the sight of the king burning to nothing but ashes and dust. Her face was now rather concerned about my condition especially having been attacked. "Oh great Celestia... This ain't good!"

I can hear the sound of wings and hooves coming into the area, but there weren't too many ponies. Applejack is lifting me up by my upper body off from the ground. She turns her head and still holds that concerned look on her face. The other ponies that have come into the square to assess everything I recognized though I couldn't call out to them. It was the rest of my friends plus both Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon. Fluttershy still wasn't there, but if this doesn't kill me then I'll have quite a story to tell her. No wait scratch that, I don't want her to be scared that I will die.

"Brayden! Are you alright?!" Nightmare Moon desperately let out when she gallops over to me, placing her left front hoof onto my shoulder.

"Oh dear Celestia, he's bleeding!" Rainbow Dash says, sounding rather alarmed.

Applejack lowers her head and her ears flop and I can tell she was sad. "The timberwolf's claws dug right into Brayden... it's all mah fault..." She spoke out.

"Do not fear Applejack, it's not your fault. You didn't know it was attacking either." Princess Luna assures her.

Twilight comes over to me, examining my wounds. She had a fearful and worried look on her face. "We need to get Brayden some Aloe Vera right now!" She said to them. She channels magic to her horn and I find myself lifted up onto her back.

"Aloe Vera?" Rarity questioned.

"When Brayden was attacked by timberwolves in the Everfree Forest before, me and Fluttershy used it to help get rid of the poison inside him. If we don't do something about it immediately... he's going to die!"

"Die?!" Rarity says in a panic. She looked like she was about to faint.

Pinkie had gasped when she heard those news. "Well, where can we find this Aloe Vera anyway?!" She says, galloping over beside Twilight, just slightly behind to put her soft pink hoof onto my back with those eyes of the pink mare staring right at me.

"Just follow me!" That is all I hear Twilight say before I find my surroundings going black while she and everypony else were galloping. All else I could only remember briefly was falling off from Twilight's back, and her worried face fearing that death was taking me much sooner than she thought, but one last other one of Nightmare Moon carrying me on her back and spreading her wings to fly as we head towards the castle.

---

"Brayden... please be okay..."

I began to open my eyes slowly. All seem to be blurred at first, with all sorts of different colors in places like the color of mulberry, midnight blue, black, pink, yellow, gamboge, white... everypony who was with me. My eyes clear up and it all made sense who was in the room with me, and being placed underneath the bed's covers.

I let out a bit of a groan when I tried to get up and out of bed, but the pain in my right leg gets to me, and I still find myself lying right back down. Everypony who looked worried from the start of waking, turn to look at me and gasp, gathering around the bed I had rested in. Twilight of course, is the first to come forward and closer, opening her wings and pulling me right into a hug. My arms go right around her too, sharing the hug with her.

"Brayden, are you alright?!" She sounds rather worried that I still won't be alright after that attack. I can feel her crystalline tears falling onto my shoulders. "We were all so worried that you were going to die!"

I quietly shush her calmly, knowing that she was crying while my hand gently rubs at her back. "It's alright Twilight... I'm not going anywhere..." I said to her. "I won't ever leave you or any of my friends behind..."

"I know..." She says, her head moving and her beautiful eyes, still misty and streaming with tears down her cheeks and landing onto what I now can officially say is her bed I'm sleeping in. "I'm- I'm just so happy that you're alive!"

"You were lucky there, and you probably won't be lucky next time to survive a timberwolf king's poison," Princess Luna says to me. "You almost died on us and we had to ensure by the medical issues of injecting the aloe vera purities into your blood stream by our own magic. It was risky for us, as even impact your heart with the poison would send you into cardiac arrest in the instant. We're all happy that you're alive and okay."

"You had us all so worried!" I can hear my close friend Fluttershy say to me as she places her hoof onto the top of my right hand, giving it a few gentle strokes.

My eyes turn though to Applejack who had been with me during the fight. Her head is lowered down slightly, looking at the ground with her ears hung low. Her Stetson hat remains on her head, but I swear that I could see those tears crawling down her eyes.

"Applejack." I called to her. He head looks up at me, and I can see the misty green eyes of hers, developing even more tears. I signal for her to come closer.

She trots closer to by the bed's side, her tearful eyes staring right at me. I could tell she was hurt inside, and move my left hand towards her right front hoof. Her hoof lifts slowly and I take it, holding onto it, scoot upward in bed and her eyes still gaze forward at my own brown eyes.

"Sugarcube..." She began, still trying her best to hold back the tears, but only more came out. "Ah think it was mah fault... Ah didn't know the timberwolf was in town. Ah was just so busy as to why everypony was runnin' away as if it were some kinda prank pulled. Then Ah saw the timberwolf, it tried to eat me, but ya came and helped me out." She sniffles a bit. "When Ah saw the claws grasp onto ya, Ah was fearstruck inside... Ah almost got ya killed..."

I was silent for only those few moments after hearing what needed to be said by AJ. She still sniffles for a bit, even her head hung down towards the bed covering. "If ya don't want to be mah friend, Ah- ah..." She couldn't finish it, as the tears she shed and the pain in her voice got the best of her.

I moved my right hand towards her Stetson hat, taking it off from her head and placing it at the side of the bed. I place my right hand onto the back of her head gently with those misty green eyes of hers, turning to look at me once again. Everypony else was silent, but they knew I was doing the best that I would do to cheer up one of my close friends.

"Do you think that I'll go anywhere?" I asked her, forming a small smile on my mouth. Applejack kept her gaze right at me, shedding a bit of tears from her eyes. "I'm not leaving you and anypony else behind to live without me in their lives... you helped teach me something when I lived back on Earth: Honesty. It helped me to become a better person that I am today. As long as I'm alive and kicking, I won't abandon, nor break any promises or burn the bridges early... in fact: I never will. You are all important to me. I came to help you, because I want to protect everypony from harm. You would have been killed if I didn't come to rescue you on time. You're my best friend, just like everypony else with me in the room. Each and every one of you... are my best friends."

I gently pulled Applejack toward me, letting go of her hoof I held onto, and placing it around her neck. She moves her hooves around my chest and I can feel myself giving her comforting, yet friendly hug between both me and her. The sniffling fades a bit, and my eyes close for a bit, comforting my second best friend to calm herself down a little bit. Nopony in the room says anything yet, as I can maybe tell that they are happy to see me cheer AJ up.

A minute passed and eventually me and AJ let go of the hug. Her tears have ebbed away, and I can see only the tiniest smile upon her face when she looked back at me. "Aw Brayden, those were some of the kindest words ya ever told me." She says to me, almost trying not to cry again.

"You said similar words to me at my birthday party, so I guess it can show a bit of inspiration for me to share words like that, but with the honesty in my voice after all." I said to her, taking her hat and offering it back to her.

Her right front hoof reached out and took a hold of the hat, placing it right back onto her head. She was glad to hear those words that came from me, showing how I can be inspired by her to be the person that I was today. Twilight though, was coming right back to the side of the bed to talk to me again. Applejack takes those steps back to allow Twilight to speak with me once again.

"Brayden," She says to me. Her voice drops into a more serious tone when she spoke, and it felt like I have gotten in so much trouble now. "What were you thinking when you went off to fight the timberwolf? That was very stupid of you to think of such a thing like that, and almost getting yourself killed no less."

I looked disappointed when she was lecturing me like that. "I know Twilight, and I'm sorry..." I said to her in that sad tone. "But Applejack almost got-"

I had been interrupted right there with Twilight moving her head forward and placing her lips onto my own lips, giving me a kiss. It caught me by surprise, but in the end I close my eyes and I began sharing it with her. The moments pass and we release ourselves from the kiss. A smile is upon her own face, and what seemed to be she was disappointed at me first for my action, seems to turn into a different kind of scenario here.

"That was for being so brave to stand up against the timberwolf, and saving our friend Applejack," She continues. Her tone was no longer low, and more relieved when she spoke out. "For that, I and every one of us are grateful for your good deed. But please promise me you won't put yourself in danger like that again."

I took and held onto her soft left front hoof which she put up on the bed, with a smile abroad. "I promise not to do that again, but if any one of you is about to be hurt... I'll do all that I can to be there, to protect you."

My eyes stray from her beautiful purple eyes for a moment when I heard the sound of trotting. My eyes were directed right to the Princess of the Night, who joins by the side of the bed. "You are safe now, but unfortunately with the claws that drove right into you, your right leg is broken as of the moment." She tells me, to my own disappointment with a groan emerging from me and flopping my head right onto the pillow. "But do not fear though, the leg should be able to heal in a few days."

"A few days is too long for me to handle." I said, sounding like I would lose my sanity having to wait that long.

Twilight places her soft hoof onto the top of my left hand. "You shouldn't worry though. While you're healing, you'll be able to spend some time with me and Spike here at the castle." She tells me, a smile bound to her mouth as I knew well of what was happening with us.

"Before the leg fully heals, two days he should be able to walk, but he will need crutches to help him out," Princess Luna says to her. "Be sure he gets plenty of rest, and eats well."

"As the Princess of Friendship, I won't let any of you down." She responds back.

"When he gets home in those two days, I'll keep an eye on him after." Fluttershy spoke out in the same soft tone I remembered her for. "I was only a filly at one point, but I know how it can feel to break a bone and wait for the healing process. I've been in that before."

Nightmare Moon trots over to the door. "I suggest we all give him some space with Twilight so he can heal. But we'll see you when you've felt all better after what happened tonight in some time."

"Alright Nightmare, I'll see you and Luna sometime in my dreams?" I said, with question in my voice.

She nodded with a smile. She and everypony else start leaving the room to allow me some time to heal with Twilight by my side.

The room grew quiet and I found myself staring right back at those beautiful violet eyes of Twilight's, seeing heaven inside it. My right hand moves forward towards her, touching her soft, silky mane in the coming moments after. She can't stop staring at me. She used the both of her front hooves to push herself up onto the bed to join me on my right side.

"Twilight?" I asked her.

She kept her smile when responding to me with question. "Yes, do you need something?"

"I don't know how long this can wait, but I really REALLY hope that the leg heals up soon." I said to her.

Her hoof gently touches at my chin. "Well, I do have a few things in mind that we can do together."

"What's on your mind? Cuddling, reading a book together?" I asked.

Twilight nods, responding to my question. "I was actually of doing a little bit of both at the same time. It's already past our bedtimes, so I suggest we read a book and afterwards, rest." She opens up her right wing, spreading it over to cover the top of my upper body.

I start moving my right arm, placing it around her neck in the gentle way. I can tell that Twilight herself is getting comfortable with my arm around her when she exhales a happy, yet relaxed sigh. Her wing on top of me felt warm and like a blanket itself, as I felt comfortable having her close to me and in my arms.

Her horn channels magic and she gets a random book from the shelf in the room. The book levitated right over above the bed in front of us and really close. I recognized by the cover itself that it was one of the Daring Do books that Rainbow Dash loved reading, but knew very well Twilight was also a fan of A.K. Yearling's books as well.

The book opens up and the pages flip to where we left off when Twilight and I both read it together during one of our dates. It will take a few days until my leg fully heals, so I shouldn't complain at all about it as this will turn out hopefully fine.

I think everything will turn out to be fine after all.