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?

50. Our Decades in the Sun - Part 1

A/N: Hey there. Hope everyone reading had a Merry Christmas and was able to get the gifts that they needed to get. I got chocolates, Halo 5 Guardians, a Steam wallet card, and another pedal to go with my guitar rig. So yeah it was fine.

In other news, I will admit it is quite early but I am going to TFCon again in 2016 after hearing that the VA Ian James Corlett who did Silver Shill will be there. The most likely thing I will do is get him to sign a picture I will draw of Silver Shill. Toronto's Comic Con, I will be there after having been invited by a friend. My hope is that one of Fallout VAs will be there so I can get them to sign my Fallout 4 copy. Other than that, CONCERTS!

For concerts, I will going to see Black Sabbath two times in February and August, Nightwish (VIP ticket! Yay!), Dream Theater again, David Gilmour, Iron Maiden, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody. Journey with the Doobie Brothers is a maybe, but will be interesting to see. Same goes for Bryan Adams.

Oh yeah, Review Response Time:

SirAuruda1st FF: Thank you. :) I still remember starting the story back in that year at that time during my last year in high school.

Billykilly: Thanks. Just a headsup when I do the season 5 finale, I will be squeezing it into one chapter as I have 'special' things planned after in a two-parter that involves Starlight Glimmer in a big role.

The Top Ton Hammer: Thank you. I'll be sure to check out that song when I can. I already figured that sentence. ;)

raven 2012: Thank you. That is a possibility for the future, but I'm taking it slow for now. :)

jvs12: And here it is.

Juul265: Doesn't everyone? :) I appreciate the comment.

Steve03: Thank you for the two reviews there. I have a Twilight plushie and watched the finale with my plushies of her, Fluttershy and Coco Pommel. I have yet to get more plushies. I am thinking of getting the plushies of the villains, Cadence, and a few others. The Season 5 finale was fantastic, and definitely will be up after this two-parter and a random chapter of Brayden with Pinkie Pie for the day. As for the Europe incident, I am thankful none of my friends were caught in that storm or killed. Now we just got to be brave to stop these innocent killings as fear and fear-mongering is something they want in order to win.

4theworldman: I can only say the finale was amazing. :)

Sugar101: I don't really consider Prince Blueblood to have a big villain role, but more of a small one where he'll occasionally tease Brayden or insult him among the other elite of Canterlot. I have something saved for next chapter, so you'll be in for a laugh.

Critic90: Thank you for the review. For first, it's usually because I'm trying to give the characters a balance of dialogue, but it is an interesting idea to take into. For second, I will dig into his past and personal problems in a two-parter after the season 5 finale. Third, I cover it in this chapter, so it should explain a lot for everypony he's friends with, but I can do that too. Fourth, I guess this chapter has one at the end? Fifth, I am actually considering that too, including where he visits other places outside Equestria like the Zebra Kingdom overseas, and Saddle Arabia. Sixth, an interesting idea. I will have a song at the end of the next chapter if I haven't forgotten about it. But will place in a scene of showing his music playlist on his phone.

Well, that's all. Sorry for the wall of text. Enjoy the chapter!

P.S. To my guests, I understand you want another chapter. Please do have patience though, I do have my real problems in my life that slow me down sometimes. I will tell you one thing though: when I finish a chapter, I will get it up as soon as I can.

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The sound of the train's whistle roared highly as it rolls along the mountainside filled with the color of orange colored trees starting to fade down and away for the coming winter. The bluebirds sing away at the last of the songs on a dead maple tree branch before flying into the skies, watching as the mechanical machine below speeds forward all the way en route to the grand mountain city of Canterlot.

I was sitting there on the train for the ride by myself. Why yourself? Well, I figured that there wasn't really much else to think of doing with my friends and my special somepony Twilight was a bit busy at this time with Equestria's local politics with Mayor Mare. The train car I am currently occupied in has nopony else in it, though I have seen most others take the cars further down when at the Ponyville train station.

All I can really do is think and take a look at the beautiful scenery and enchanted land of Equestria... well, except when the train is passing through a tunnel in one of the crawling mountainsides the higher we went. Celestia's sun was out in the skies today, with only the smallest clouds rolling by gently with the wind. No unusual shapes of clouds that I have seen as of yet, but I'm sure that I will.

I just figured that I should go up to Canterlot to go and visit my dear friends; Princesses Celestia and Luna, but I can't forget about seeing Nightmare Moon as well as I know as soon as I am in sight, me and her would have to catch up on stuff besides talking to one another in the dream realm.

Tea will probably be ready for me as soon as I step into the castle, plus it's a Saturday. Twilight told me that there is a time in the afternoon where both Celestia and Luna gather together to have tea with fresh biscuits and sugar cubes. I feel like I haven't conversed with them for a while, so I might as well do so and talk with what's been going on in Canterlot with them at the time.

Other than that in my thoughts at the moment, a lot of stuff has happened down in Ponyville in general as of the time that has passed since my visit to Manehattan with both Rarity and Applejack on a visit to Coco's apartment for a friendship problem to solve. While I was away, I heard the funniest story from AJ's sister Apple Bloom how Big Macintosh dressed up as a female relative and even Big Mac gave us a rendition of his 'Orchard Blossom' which had me in tears and on the floor laughing my ass off.

More good news came along the way other than Big Macintosh's antics over the course of my visit to Manehattan. I was really happy for the three of my friends as well, and by that it's the Crusaders. They finally got their cutie marks! I wasn't at the school when they earned it, but when they came into town to show everypony, I had to give all three of them a hug. Diamond Tiara afterwards had come up to me and she had apologized for how mean she and Silver Spoon had been towards me and my friends. I found it deep in my heart to forgive her as I cannot find myself to hate somepony no matter their personality.

But the other news I couldn't believe is when both Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence came to visit the Crystal Empire. Pinkie was acting a bit hushed and forced that day like she was holding something back, but in the end it was all but a surprise to me... Shining Armor and Cadence are going to have a baby! After that announcement, there was a party and even Pinkie was feeling better after holding the truth in for so long. Cadence got to sit down and chat with me about how my relationship with Twilight was going, and I had to admit to her that me and her have gone on a couple of dates when nothing important as I said was happening.

But there is something inside, that I feel Princess Cadence has questioned me about... she's asked me if I am thinking of popping the big question to Twilight yet. Well... it's still a bit too early. I need more time to think because I don't want to rush it... yet. But somehow I want to... I just don't know when.

Other than the good news, I witnessed the events throughout Ponyville at the times like the Yaks of Yakyakistan coming to visit and Pinkie has to save the day. I tried warning them countless times but they'd smash things up, simply for the reason that it isn't a traditional taste of theirs. The only other thing on my mind that has happened was when Rainbow Dash was accused of something she didn't do by the Wonderbolts.

It's just like me when I accused of something I didn't do, but the few friends I had at the time would bail me out. I honestly wish I was a better speaker to stand for myself in those desperate measures...

I can't really do anything about that though... it's how I was born, to be that way.

Up ahead, I can see Canterlot coming to an approach on the trail upward in the mountains. Always the recognizable scenery outside of the train car window to stare out at for the view of Equestria's natures. The far distant mountains and the town of Ponyville below the cliffs of solid, and tan-colored rocks filled with a coating of dying grass on the top of the dirt. Most worms have probably crawled deep into the ground, preventing the robins from pecking them out unless it rained.

The weather isn't too bad though, only a few big stray clouds to pass overhead, but nothing to worry about too much. It's not going to really rain or thunder unless the clouds were a more shaded deep gray. Weather ponies from Cloudsdale informed in the newspaper that there was going to be a thunderstorm in the late afternoon - early evening. Still, with the time I have, I could manage to finish my visit with the princesses just before the storm hits.

The train car's nature view is blocked off when crossing through into a lit hole in one of Equestria's mountains, giving only some time to wait until it was done travelling through the mountain interior to reach the city station borders of Canterlot. The entire train car is lit up as of pretty much all the time, running on the new lights, placed on the ceiling to shine brightly. If it remained dark, I probably couldn't see where I was going.

Thank you to anypony in charge of the rail system for also installing those secondary lights into the underground interior. I was not being sarcastic that time, as I will never be sarcastic to anypony ever and always honest with my answers.

The train eventually crawled out from the mountain, and made a turn to the right. My eyes turn to the windows on the other side. The castle coming right into view as almost a shadow at first until the light of Celestia's sun shone down upon it, unveiling more image as to what I knew Canterlot's castle was, where both Celestia and Luna are waiting or least expect that I am coming to surprise them. Anything can happen based on how my dear friends react to my arrival whether informed or not.

Nevertheless, both of them are always really happy to see me visit them.

The train station is approaching shortly, so it's best for me to get up and wait for the train to make its complete stop, as a few ponies from business-class or those who are touring the land of Equestria from different kingdoms from afar in my train car are slowly gathering at the doors, waiting to open upon arrival.

I get up onto the both of my feet, heading over towards the train doors, while my eyes perk at the door's small rectangular shaped windows for the view of both the city and the castle. More walls come into place and eventually, there comes the view of Canterlot's gates past the train station and of course, my stop.

The train slows itself down, eventually halting to a stop from travelling. The doors delay opening for a moment, but eventually they pull themselves open automatically just like the ones I knew from either both the Crystal Empire or back on Earth. I proceed forward onto the wooden planks of the train car onto its end carpet, and onto the stone pavements of the station.

Past the city gates, were the civilians of Canterlot trotting about amongst each other and enjoying their day. Some familiar faces I knew, and some I didn't. Well, guess you can't know them all.

The unicorns in the rich class trot about as well with their heads brought up high to shun down on the middle or the poor class of ponies who they'd consider to be 'country' and shouldn't be in their mountain city where they reside. I mean... I haven't met Twilight's parents, but I am pretty sure judging what I saw: none of them would act like these few are acting right about now.

I step forward, headed off of the station platform and past the brick colored white gates into the city. My ears can pick up a bit of conversations mixed together among others trotting with friends are chatting away about their afternoon plans and getting ready for reserved parties that they or their family are hosting.

In the streets while heading in the direction towards the castle entrance, there are quite a few familiar faces the farther I go. There's both Fancy Pants and Fleur Dis Lee at one of Canterlot's finest outdoor cafes, having a bit of tea with their biscuits. Honestly, I'd love to join the both of them and I wish I could. There is always a next time though if I am with Rarity when we go to Canterlot together for a visit.

Jet Set and Upper Crust are right up ahead in the street with heads up high as soon as they set eyes upon the sight of myself. They were going in the opposite direction of where I was intending to go, so all I was probably going to hear next was that of calling me the same excuse as 'country' most likely.

"Oh look here Upper Crust," I can hear Jet Set speak out with that annoyed tone in that voice of his. "We've got the 'country' human in our city of Canterlot."

My mind felt a bit annoyed on the inside as soon as he acknowledged me by the word 'human' and I stop moving right there. I turn to look at them as they were managing to trot right past me. "I... I beg your pardon?" I asked, trying my best not to get angry from that comment he made.

Upper Crust remains where she is, bringing Jet Set also to a stop. "I think you heard Jet Set quite well on what he said," She tells me, seeming to give me a look almost like it's a disapproving glare. "You are a human, and not a unicorn like us. Therefore you are 'country' below our standards."

"It doesn't matter if anypony is different from you. We all should be treated the best and like brothers and sisters." I said, trying to keep the peace.

"Say whatever you want to say. Nothing will change around here and nor anypony's attitude towards pegasi, earth ponies or the likes of you." Jet Set responded back, chuckling to my statement which seems to have failed to get across to them.

I am easy to brush off this as soon as I walk away to prevent an argument from happening. It's just their opinions being held strong, so I won't force them in return to have my own being brought before them. Other than that, nopony else in regards of the rich class were giving me any dirty looks as I didn't run into any... well, I am even surprised that I haven't run into Blueblood who'd take the comments of his a bit more farther than ever before, especially after having dealt with him while talking to Coco when she visited.

At least I do get the chance to see a few familiar and friendly faces that recognize me as their friend from down in Ponyville, there's Minuette trotting alongside my new friend Moondancer, talking amongst each other and laughing amongst themselves as the new fresh start for their friendship.

They are trotting in the opposite direction and I don't think either two of them have noticed that I am right there yet. Best that I give them a shout-out and let them see that I am come back to Canterlot to visit, not them as I will be saving that for another time, but the princesses.

"Hey there." I call out to them. The both of them stop with their ears perked up upon hearing my recognizable tone.

They turn to look at me, with bright and joyful smile crossing onto their faces. Moondancer trots forward towards me first with Minuette following behind her. "Brayden, you came back to visit!" She exclaims, opening up a hoove to offer me a friendly hug.

I got down on one knee, moving the both of my arms around her neck, my hands contacting her soft-coated back, and the both of us share a hug together. The few moments pass and eventually both me and her let go of the hug. "I didn't expect you to be in Canterlot today! Have you come to visit us?" Moondancer asked, the brightest that I have ever seen from her since Twilight and her made amends.

I chuckle at her statement. "Oh it's another plan I have in mind for next time. For this visit, I'll be heading to the castle. I'm joining both Princess Celestia and Luna for an afternoon together, as I don't really get the time to talk to either of them being that of royal business or Equestria's politics."

"I understand," Moondancer tells me, placing her hoof onto the top of my hand and a smile upon her face. "You take the time to think about it. Who knows? We could arrange some plans to go on a trip with our other friends somewhere in Equus. Travelling places in Equestria and beyond have always been quite something, as there is friends to make there and things to study."

"What are you thinking we should go to?" I asked her. "I do have a few things in mind like going back to where I came from with my friends. Earth, I do miss being there from my time."

"Earth?" She asked, looking a little curious. Minuette trots beside her, eager to hear a little bit of my brief story.

"It is where I grew up most of the time, many of my kind live there, and it is pretty big. It can also be very dangerous if you are not careful, but where I am thinking of going is where I can be at a safe haven where I would travel in the summer days."

"It would be interesting to go and see where you had lived," She responds back to me. "Can I come along with you and your friends to Earth?"

Pausing for only a few moments to her question, I could only respond back to her. "Well, I haven't exactly planned out when it is going to be yet, but I will guarantee that I can fit you right in with the guest list of my friends to come with me to visit Earth."

The smile came back onto Moondancer's face when I told her the news. "I don't really know what to say, but thank you for putting me on the list." She tells me, while happy to know she sounds pretty laid-back and calm about it to my surprise. Again, Twilight is also like this as well, but again both of them are intelligent and want to study anything different from both Equestria and beyond it.

"No problem, it's what friends are for. You can count on me if we want to travel all of Equus to see foreign kingdoms and landmarks outside of Equestria's borders. The Zebra Kingdom, Saddle Arabia, the Elk Highlands... you name it!"

"That can be something we can do," She responds back to me. "I do have to get going. Minuette and I are going to meet up at Twinkleshine's place and we don't want to be late."

"Alright," I responded to her. "I will see you both later some other time."

"It was good to see you Brayden, have a good time with the princesses." Minuette comments positively to me as she always was that way and both of us know we're friends after Twilight introduced her to me.

"I will, you two have a good time with Twinkleshine." I said to her.

I get up onto my two feet, me and the two of my friends waving goodbye as they continue down Canterlot's street on their way to the home of Twinkleshine. I am pretty surprised to know where Twinkleshine would be living as most of the time before even getting to meet them with Twilight, on my visits before I would usually catch them inside Donut Joe's grabbing a bite to eat and talking amongst one another.

My head turns and I continue downward from where I had stopped towards Canterlot's castle. A couple of guards are on patrol as they march down on the central part of the street I was walking by when the castle windows are seen, shining bright with stained glass featuring the sun, the moon or a resemblance of either Celestia or Luna in them as the symbol of the co-rulers that rule all of Equestria in harmony.

The sound of the guards' marching hooves clash gently onto the decorated bricks below them when they proceed in the opposite direction that was towards the train station. By their path that I learned in a book is that it's rarely the train station they ever pass by as in the pathway their march route takes, it is more into the Canterlot Market District where they can keep a close eye on the place in case somepony was to steal from one vendor booth, and even then they are really tight when it comes to that security. It's a bit forceful, but yet it is best if trying to keep the peace in Canterlot.

The castle's double doors carved of oaken wood stand before my eyes continuing down the Royal street, having to avoid bumping into a few ponies along my way. Only one I bumped into, but he accepted my apology I sent towards him when having bumped into the stallion. A quite friendly unicorn I will say, but I am also sure if I bumped into anypony else, it would become a more 'watch it' situation like in Manehattan.

Guards in royal golden armor stood at the door's sides, looking strict than ever. I guess that's the stance of them doing their job in order to protect Princess Celestia from danger should any other hostile being or creature attack right at the castle in that kind of motive. Moving forward, I head up the steps and towards the double front doors... well, at least until the guards put out one wing to block.

"Identify yourself immediately." The guard on the right said to me, and I can tell by the tone of his voice being gruff, but yet so calm when he spoke.

My eyes turn to the guard that has spoken, clearing my throat only for a moment. "I am Brayden. I am here to visit with both Princesses Celestia and Luna for their afternoon tea, as a friend to the both of them... having saved Equestria only a few times."

The guards look at each other for a moment, probably examining me to see if I am not that dangerous or if my name is even recognized on the list of who can come into the castle by their own free-will without trouble. The guard turns back to look at me in order to respond for if I am allowed or not. "We apologize for the security reasons. Since Celestia had introduced and passed a bill into Canterlot's local city politics, we had to increase our security measures by 20% more, the last one being 50% for an equal balance of protection. With the recent riots that had gone on in the Garden District, she pushed it to 70% more security and safety for any and all citizens in Canterlot. Only Canterlot, but not sure about the other parts of Equestria yet."

"What happens in Equestria when I don't experience it?" I asked.

"A lot goes on, and very rarely does a riot start. Most other issues dealt in Equestria are missing fillies or foals, theft, and other unspeakable stuff. But again those issues are dealt with the local council in each city or town outside of Canterlot whereas here, it is run by the council. For the others, they are run by mayors who tend to keep everything under control, though still keeping laws intact from the Princess herself."

Nodding my head when hearing this, I can only respond with one word. "Interesting."

"So yes, our apologies at first," The guard places his golden shoe-colored hoof onto his chest. "Your name is definitely on the list and you may proceed into the castle."

"Thank you." A smile is brought unto my face when I nod my head again with their wings lowering down to allow access into the castle for me.

I proceed forward and place my hands onto the right sided door's handle, giving it a gentle push open. The main hall was there along with those recognizable stained glass windows for each side of the hall, resembling the Princesses on one side to another. A few royal guards trot along, with the sound of their hooves marching on the soft carpet. My hand gently pushes the door behind me and it closes shut.

No guard is disturbed by all this as they move onward with their duty. Continuing on, I am pretty sure that the royal gardens of the Castle is where I predict both the princesses are. The only trouble is trying to find out where it is on any of the floors here in the castle. I could try asking a guard, but if they're doing their duty I don't want to disturb them from that, so no point in asking.

My feet tread onto the steps upward with my mind bound and set towards the right side of the hall, to transition into the hallway that leads to the throne room itself. Only a few guards trotting on down the hallway, but other than that it is quite a peaceful walk in the castle's hallway, passing by the various decorative pictures and sometimes statues in there by each turn I made until eventually finding those large double doors of gold.

Oh yeah... there's that hole that both me and Queen Chrysalis made during her attempt to take over... Equestria... yeah, I don't want to even think of her. It would put me into another frightened trauma after all she did to me when I was captured by her.

I believe that the damage is getting patched up by the castle servants sworn by their life to help keep the castle in its current state without any tweaked damage done on such a grand building and architecture. However, no servant is currently observing or assessing the damage at the moment, though I can see the foundations that the servants plan to use for rebuilding that wall into shape.

I step through the broken wall as a shortcut into the throne room. Up ahead on its platform lie the throne itself, but without Princess Celestia seated on it, leaving it rather empty. Neither one of the two princesses were there inside, leaving only two royal guards standing there and keeping watch in case of somepony misbehaving wrongly.

The brown eyes of mine do recognize that familiar tall black mare across the room, looking over some reports in the absence of the princesses. A smile came upon me, having known it to be Nightmare Moon, one of my favorites standing there. She hasn't noticed me yet, but by the sound of my boots she should be able to tell that I have arrived. I step forward a few steps... then more steps to get within a close enough range.

Nightmare still hasn't turned her head, but her ears pick up the sound as I can tell by how perked up they became the closer I was on approach towards her. Her horn being lit lightly with magic, puts down the reports into a folder, placing it onto an end table. The magic on her horn is dismissed and her head finally turns to look at me.

That bored look on her face that just said 'meh' had changed as soon as her cyan cat eyes laid eyes onto mine. She grew happy to see that I was in the presence of her again. She turns around completely, moving her left front hoof forward and setting it onto my right shoulder.

"Brayden, my dear friend..." She tells me with a tone that gave off affinity towards me. "It has been only a bit of time since you set foot into Canterlot's castle. Are you fair and well?"

I felt calm whenever she had her hoof on my shoulder, as I knew she was trustworthy after having redeemed and spared her life for the good of Equestria. "Nightmare, I will always feel happy being in the presence of the princesses, including yourself."

"I appreciate your words." Her smile grew wider when my right hand took her hoof that she put arest on my shoulders and held onto it gently. "Were you thinking of coming to see me today? You know... talk for a while, go for a stroll in Canterlot?"

"Not today," I said to her. Her ears flop downward and a saddened look immediately crossed onto her face. My left hand places itself onto her right cheek, and those sad cyan cat-like eyes look right back at me having been turned away when hearing my answer. "Hey don't worry. You're still on my list to see, and you like to visit me in my dreams while I sleep at night."

"I know, but please do promise you'll come here to Canterlot or invite me to Ponyville. I would like to be able to do some things together with you... just not... through a dream..."

"Why so?" My eyebrows rise slightly when I asked her that question.

"It's... it's just that- I don't really want to talk about here in the castle. I'd more rather want to talk to you about it... in a more private place... well, if you know what I mean from there."

"I understand... you're feeling troubled." The tone in my voice turns calm and gentle. "You are not the only one that goes through this rough time. I too have been exactly where you were before. Left out... shunned by those who feel the need to be superior with threats shoved every step of the way... it's a 'black sheep' situation."

Nightmare doesn't say anything, but is listening to me as I talk to her with those black ears of hers slowly rising. "I don't like to think back to those days on Earth. But I can remember the pain of it sometimes, and it does hurt on the inside even reminding myself of it... the bullies on the playground or in the halls, the many betrayals of old friends I never saw again... My overreactions... being so sensitive when others were yelling at me to exclude me from their sight or for being an ass to them..." I could hear her softly gasp to herself when I swore right there.

"Where did you hear such language Brayden?" She looks really concerned, but only a bit disappointed for letting the word 'ass' out. "That is a racist word against mules or donkeys here in Equestria from what Celestia told me."

"My apologies. I had no idea that even the language from Earth that humans use everyday was that bad here in Equestria."

She nods in acknowledgement of my statement. "I would ask that you don't... swear around anypony, even if it is just an accident form slipping it out. They here treat it badly and it's worse if you were to do it towards somepony..."

Oh haybuckets, now I am reminded why I let out the word 'damn' in front of Moondancer at the apology party Twilight had set up for her with her friend Pinkie, plus the rest of Twilight's friends who joined at the time. "Oops." I cough a bit, clearing my throat after having said and done that.

"You are forgiven for that time, but refrain from doing that in front of either Celestia or Luna." She warned me, knowing that even these laws on cursing could be quite offensive to everypony here, which is why I never see them letting out a curse word ever in any part of Equestria or possibly all of Equus.

"You are looking for Celestia and Luna?" She continued, knowing that even then we both were going a bit off-topic on what I was planning to do with the princesses.

I nod my head up and down to let her know that this was the case of my visit. "I've been here a couple or few times, and even then I still don't know my way around the castle interior." I let out only a small chuckle. "I really need to visit a couple of more times to understand where which place is where."

My right hand is still holding onto her left front hoof when we turn towards the throne room door to leave. I don't think she minds this as there is nothing wrong with dear friends, best friends or closing friend holding hands... or well, hooves since this is different from Earth standards after all. I'm pretty much getting used to this.

"The first few times coming here, it is easy to get lost." She continues while trotting forward, her horn channeling magic to open the both of the double golden doors. The both of us proceed out of the throne room, and she uses her magic once again to close them shut, leaving only the protective guards in there to watch over Celestia's throne, and begin the changing of the guard by every hour that passed.

"I am starting to notice the guards all over the castle in the marching positions and even outdoors in the city, then one of the guards informed me of a new bill within the walls of the city to raise security."

She turns her head to look at me. "Celestia is doing what she can to protect Canterlot, and is proceeding to work with both the councils of Canterlot and Equestria to add security and send them to protect the other towns and cities within the country's borders," She paused only for a few moments... probably thinking on that. "Celestia knows that something is bad... it's the smell that comes through the air whenever she is going on a stroll in Canterlot's streets. She says it smells like nearby flames."

"Flames?"

"She told me and Luna that... well the smell itself is hard to describe. I too have smelt it, as the smell of the flames were in the taste of burning ashes and dragon's breath."

It's strange... dragon's breath? The only ones that were aware, for I don't think I have smelt it before during my previous visit. "Hmm, it can't really be the dragons... even the Equestrian dragons don't smell like that. Wait, the scent of Mortem's fire might have caught onto my friends."

"Perhaps," She places her hoof onto her chin. "I am not the only one though who have caught onto this. Some of the Canterlot elite have smelt the scent of dragon, but were never able to confirm if it was just another case of fire being set off or if dragons were in flight and releasing flames and smoke. It is funny because no dragons have ever come to Canterlot after the dragon treaty five hundred years ago in consent of Celestia and the Dragon King."

"The Dragon King?"

"From what Celestia told me, he had come to Equestria while I remained imprisoned on the moon above when I was... still jealous." She paused there, most likely letting go of the old and bad memories she had from that time being a part of Luna. "He brought along his other dragons, who had been suffering from a civil war during that time by a rebellion. The dragons he brought along were those whenever they cough or sneeze, fire comes out as these kinds of dragons were a rarity in the fire type. The citizens of Equestria took them in, but in the few days that passed, the stench was annoying them. Celestia hearing their complaints took it to the Dragon King by the name of Flamewing, and was eventually able to work something out. The civil war eventually settled down and with consent they returned to the Scorching Lands of Maguma Petram. The bill was eventually passed on to other dragons living in Equestria that unless it was royal business none can set a claw in Canterlot."

"An interesting story there." I commented. "They were friendly though, right?"

"I wasn't there, but from what Celestia told me they were friendly, yet easy to anger if the wrong words were said to any of them that would take offense upon them."

Hmmm... Maguma Petram? "That place they were from though... I'm pretty sure it would share the similarities of Mortem south of here."

"Celestia only had gone to the border of Maguma Petram to bid farewell and good luck to her friend Flamewing on the rest of what had been happening there. The lands there do not look like what Mortem was described by from your friend Sunset Shimmer. No trees, mostly cacti and dunes of sand as their land is right close between the two borders for Equestria and Saddle Arabia. Since the treaty, nopony hasn't ventured into their lands except on delivering imported food from Equestria as food for our goodwill to them at the time."

We continue out from the hallway and down the steps in the main hall, then making a turn to the left to continue down the main stairwell onto the first floor while talking to one another. "How about you Brayden?" She asked of me. "Do you have any stories to share on your experiences here or on Earth you went through?"

My mind is a complete blank as of the moment. Hmmm, I guess a random experience I went through could do while I was from Earth as there isn't really anything here that I know of that was something to share... well, I could mention that both Shining Armor and Princess Cadence are going to have a baby, but quickly. "Well besides hearing that both Cadence and Shiny are bound to expect a baby, there was a good time when-"

"Princess Cadence are going to have a baby?" Nightmare definitely caught onto the attention of the news I gave out when I announced it to her.

"Yes." My head nods in response to her surprised expression on her face. "They announced it before us when they came for a surprise visit. Poor Pinkie was trying her best not to ruin the surprise for any of us before, so it did explain a lot why she would be trying to keep it a secret."

"A baby... I can't believe it!" Nightmare says, a smile broad upon her mouth again. "If I come along with Celestia and Luna, I would have to congratulation the both of them for that and wish the best of luck to grant happiness for their child when she is born."

"I know when the news are around all of Equestria of their child being born, everypony from all of Equestria are just going to come right for the ceremony to see Cadence's child with their own eyes, whether it's a son or a daughter. A son, a prince. A daughter, a princess."

"Seems you host a bit of knowledge on royal traditions and titles like that." Nightmare comments.

"It's experience from my time on Earth when learning about other countries in their world. Like the royal family there living in the United Kingdom."

"Ah, Britain. I have done a bit of research from that distant world by the observatory in the castle, capable of studying distant worlds light-years far from Equus. Your world is beautiful world with such creativity that flows from a few artists by the musical exquisites I heard from the times that came and went... the history of Earth. The different politics...the two World Wars."

"You know of the World Wars?" I asked, sounding only a little bit shocked. I exhale a sigh, looking down towards the ground. "Even with the exception of my own close trusted friends, I do not feel it is comfortable to drive into that part of Earth's history. They are not ready to know of what the horror of war started because of humanity's sake for superiority or the compassion. Humanity can be a dangerous topic to talk about... for I am one of them."

"You may look like one, but look at you." She says to me, sounding a little concerned that I was putting myself down. "You may look like one of them based on the pictures I've seen, but I can see why Luna chose you over any of the others. You are different from the other humans, as you could feel pain."

"That may be true, but all humans feel pain as well," Oh boy, I'm started to head into the topic of science regarding human emotions. "Anypony or any race in the universe has the emotions of sadness that sometimes need to come out via their own frustration as most tend to bottle it up until they snap. Some suffering from pain will often inflict violence upon themselves or others... that is from what I heard back there." I raise my head again to look at her. "Pain is something I will always bottle up inside. However, the more incidents even from let alone a simple argument gone wrong... I will remember that always."

"Just like an elephant that never forgets." She responded to me with a slight pause. "A choice of words I learned while researching on Earth."

"Another truth told, yes, but in these kinds of situations it's always easy for me to look back upon the pain I had gone through there. Times where I felt like the whole world was against me and I'd be wishing to myself of having a childhood so different from the one I had," I pause for a moment to recollect on my speech there. "Then comes the times I misbehaved because of my immaturity. I didn't know why I was sometimes that way with the worst feelings possible... then came my visit to the doctor... he told me everything... that I had the disorder called 'autism'."

"Princess Luna did inform me about that matter when me and her were talking about you at one point. The first time she met you... you mentioned it to her and note it as curse. Why would you say that?"

"It... it's just..." I didn't really know what to say. "Even before I found out about that, I honestly felt like I was inferior among everyone else who was doing a better job than I was. I had friends in my early days, and most left to focus on their own path... forgetting me but not by social media. I have had a few betray me, some not even talking to me again which I don't mind because with few... I don't want to talk with them either. Sixth grade in middle school for me was the worst, I felt miserable after the betrayal of someone I considered a friend and it took a huge toll on my grades."

Nightmare continues trotting alongside me, holding my hand and not letting go while I talk to her. "By then I was a completely different person as I was young."

I continue from there. "After sixth grade, I switch to another school. I never encountered any bullies there, but just people who got on my nerves easily. The assistants in the class were the worst though. Like seriously... I'm doing my work and they're berating me rather harshly where I just need to dismiss them quickly... but no, they consider that to be rude when I'm trying to tell them 'I'm doing work, leave me be'. High school comes and I'm already an easy target for bullying and being annoyed."

"Then the bullies at the elementary school I used from your mind to torture you when I was still... bad?"

"Those ones are a completely different story as after second grade I never saw them again from third grade to fifth... so I figured they moved on. High school, I felt myself being pinned onto the ground, chased down a hall and in a classroom no doubt. Those mostly happened in the ninth and tenth grades for me... I'm sorry if I sound very down when talking about this, I just feel very uncomfortable talking about what happened back then. Going into more detail is just going to bring more harm to me..."

"More harm? But letting this all out and talking to somepony like me whom you speak to now... you're releasing it." She kept that worried tone hidden in her voice.

"Bringing my confessions on what happened trouble me more, it feeds off my guilt by telling the truth... nothing changes, only harm to be worsen my mind. I fear my mental stability is going to break out if I am not careful in containing it."

"Please Brayden, tell me what is bothering you in your mind."

"I..." I pause for a moment to think over my decision. Even if I am to let out the memories I endured there for being different, I know I will feel the pain that had been there before. "...I don't want to talk about it."

Nightmare removes her hoof from holding onto my hand, stopping the both of us outside double doors, streaming sunlight from two large windows beside one door-side. Her gentle black hoof is placed onto my left cheek. "I need to know... please tell me. I don't want you to be hurt..."

Inside, I'm already feeling the beginning of the sting hit part of me from the inside of my head. I do not feel expression crossing onto my face as I am doing what I can to hide it from her. "Please... leave me alone about it. Another time..." I gently place my hand onto Nightmare's hoof, taking it off from my cheek. "We cannot keep Celestia nor Luna waiting."

Thank Celestia... with that quick dismissal, the pain has subsided for now. If it comes back... Celestia help anyone who comes up to me as this pain puts me in quite a bad mood. By the look of it, they don't want to see me when I am ticked on the inside. It's a nasty sight to see.

"Through this door is where they are attending." She states, and I don't think she pursued the topic any further from there on forward.

Looking at those white doors, my hand reaches forward to push them open, unveiling the dim warmth of the sun onto my face as it shone brightly. The garden was up ahead from down those steps and off from the tiled grounds. The maze itself very much reminds me of... that one from when Discord used to be evil. It no longer feels extended and I'm thankful that he's on our side now.

Not a bug is in sight as most of them have migrated to the southern part of Equestria to seek the warmth of the sun. Those who stayed, seek the shelter of hibernation until the season of winter has passed. A season so close by, and yet so exciting to observe the snow covered grass and trails once again.

Most of the garden servants were finishing off on the last of the maze trimming. Most of the plants are dead, but can be recovered by growth when spring comes into motion again. One of the servants trims off one piece of loose leaves bound to the maze, wipes his head and trots off to find himself a refreshment from the hard work he is doing to contribute by his service to Princess Celestia herself.

My eyes turn to the right to the quiet, yet normal conversation of two friendly faces I knew all along that live at the castle. There the princesses are in all of their infinite glory, seated upon two white-painted iron seats with a table of the same type, carrying the majority of what those gathering for a talk would have. A teapot steaming out its natural smell in the air of herbal flavor... on the sides were biscuits and a spoonful of honey to dip into, so they can pour it into their tea cups when recieved. A cup of sugar rests on the silver tray accompanied with spoons of silver metal, so I guess that no sugarcubes are used, just a different way to use them perhaps by the royal part.

Both Celestia and Luna who are sitting there at the table, turn to look at both myself and Nightmare coming in. Into their sight, there I am to share a smile before them when one rises upon their own mouths.

"Ah Brayden," Princess Celestia as usual is always the first to speak out before her sister Luna. "This is unexpected, and rather a good sight among many to see you at the castle."

"With respect, Princess." I said to her, getting down on one knee to bow before her as she is both royalty and the ruler of all Equestria. Well... there's also Luna...

All Celestia can do is chuckle before speaking in the calm tone she would always speak in. "No need to bow."

"Sorry!" I said, getting back up on my two feet after I have finished bowing to her. A sheepish grin is on my face.

"No need to apologize Brayden," She returns to me. "It was just unexpected to see you coming to visit us today at the castle."

I scratch the back of my head to that response she made. "Well, I figured that I could spend some time with you, Luna and Nightmare. Not much was really happening in Ponyville after a while, so... why not?"

"I see. Why don't you and Nightmare Moon join us? We would be happy to have you within our company." Princess Luna finally spoke to me, taking a sip of tea from her white ceramic cup before she had done so.

I nod to her in agreement and I can see Princess Celestia's white horn channel magic to create a golden aura that surrounds at least two chairs and pulls them close to the table of whitened iron. I come forward, slipping between my seat and Nightmare's seat to which she'll be seated next to Princess Luna. I will be seated next to Princess Celestia, as I know her just as much as Luna. With the chair right behind me, all I had to really do is just take my seat there and not lay back as it would be rather in the way considered 'rude' among the princesses if that was the case.

Celestia's smile remains on her face as her magic is channeled once again to her horn. A spell is enabled by her via conjuration when both a small plate and a teacup is formed from her magic for only the most time that I will be here. They are placed over at my side of the table before the golden aura of hers disappeared and her magic settled down.

"Now Brayden, I am quite curious," Celestia began to speak first while Princess Luna channels magic to her horn to pour tea into both mine and Nightmare's teacups. "How is everything down in Ponyville? Is your friends and Twilight faring well?"

I only had to reflect back on what has happened down there before I open my mouth to explain. "Yes, a lot has happened. For example, my young friends Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo finally earned their cutie marks."

"Oh yes, we became aware of that," Princess Luna says, bringing out a scroll most likely sent by Spike himself which included a picture of the Cutie Mark Crusaders with their treehouse, Twilight and her friends, Cheerilee, the other school fillies. "I am so proud of all three of them for what they worked hard to achieve."

"Same here, I ended up giving them a hug when they got their cutie marks," A smile was brought upon my face when I remember their faces filled with joy when they looked to see them for the first time ever. "I so congratulate them for their long patience. It was a long time, but it was so worth seeing their faces when they discovered them on their flanks. And the best part for me: Diamond Tiara apologized to me."

"She did?" Celestia asked me. "I can sort of swear that she didn't like that you were friends with the Crusaders at first."

"It was because I was different from everypony else, being human and all that. There was an issue that came up at the Ponyville School and I got to meet her mother. She dismissed me easily, but Diamond Tiara came to both mine and the Crusader's side. Diamond apologized for how much of a bully she was to me and my friends, and I was happy to accept her friendship after she offered it to me."

"Ah, a very good time that all of us will remember." Princess Celestia comments.

My eyes stray at the picture on the scroll for a few moments. "My apologies if I didn't end up on the picture. I was behind Photo Finish when she was snapping the picture, and I was basically the one to ask them to smile for the camera."

"It would be good to see a picture with you in it the next time a letter is sent to us. It's not a friendship report or anything as Twilight nor her friends have done that. They learn more different things now, like from the Cutie Map at Twilight's castle that sends them off to do something and fix a friendship problem."

"I actually did help Rarity and Applejack with their mission the map sent them on," Celestia, Luna and Nightmare's heads turn to look at me while I was talking. "The mission was helping to bring a community together in a small neighborhood located in Manehattan itself. Coco Pommel herself was the one to ask us there that it was a problem she asked us to help out with, and we were happy to oblige."

All three of them were silent while I told my story. Nightmare pauses to take a sip of her tea from her cup offered from Princess Luna herself when we had been seated at the table. "By bringing together the community, I and both Rarity and Applejack helped her out with the re-creation of the Midsummer Theatre Revival. There was only a bit of trouble in the beginning of it, with Applejack trying to clean up the park by herself in time for the Revival. It just didn't work, so we decided to simplify everything and build a stage by the streets of Manehattan for all to see. It was all a success in the end with the help of my friends, Coco Pommel and the Method Mares."

"That is good to hear, my dear friend." Princess Luna commented after having finished talking about what went on in Manehattan.

I grab a few biscuits from the tray, placing the four of them on the plate I have on the sides. My tea cup remains in the center of the white ceramic object itself. I take one biscuit from the pile of few I have selected, taking a bite from it. The taste of the biscuit itself reminds me very much of the ones I've tasted back at home on Earth. I never really drank any tea before, but seeing how there is a tea-cup right in front of me. Why not?

"Aren't you going to drink your tea?" Celestia asks me, placing her cup back onto her plate that sounds off a muffled ring when set down.

"Oh right, sorry about that." I place my biscuit onto the plate and take my tea cup, putting the edge up to my mouth. I bend the cup upwards and its warm liquid flows right into the smart parting of my open mouth, dripping in at a pretty fast rate. After just about swallowing it, I think I caught onto the taste of how sweet it was. "Wow... what is this tea? It has quite the sensational taste behind it, and I have never tried tea here before."

"This tea you taste goes as far back as before the thousand year banishment of Nightmare Moon," Luna began to explain. With even the mention of Nightmare Moon and her banishment, Nightmare only looks a little embarrassed that her name is brought up. Knowing that she was feeling this way, I move my right hand behind the black mare beside me to keep her happy with gentle rubs on her back. "This tea was the experiment at the time for all of Canterlot from one of the tea manufacturers... what was his name? Hmm, I'm pretty sure it was Tea Leaf... Yes, it was."

"Hmm, well that does explain a lot. Being the name and all that."

"During his visit to the Castle of the Two Sisters, he brought along the special ingredients that had been passed down in his family for ages which they had told him never to give it up. He of course when bringing us this ingredient list had disobeyed his family name. 'Twas the only time both me and my sister were able to see him. Most of the ingredients on the list are that of banana leaves in oversea exports to and from the Zebra Kingdom, and honey from the hives of honeybees. The banana leaves are scarcely rare to come across in Equestria with the exception of Manehattan's black market."

Celestia chuckles for a moment and then moves to the side, her head moving close with a smirk on her face, staring right at me. "Speaking of which..." She says to me, sounding a little sly about it with the smile remaining on her face. "Do you like Bananas?"

OH GOD. How in the world did she know about that?! "Um no offense Princess Celestia, but what in the name of all things good did you find out about that?" I just had to open my mouth to ask that question in case something was up.

"You call it the Internet on Earth, don't you?" Nightmare Moon says with a chuckle emitting from her after seeing my shocked reaction. "While I was studying your world from the observatory, I came a bit across a bit of information besides the politics of different countries in your world. The Internet, a rather amusing... yet sometimes disturbing place don't you think?"

All three of them giggle when Nightmare had even brought it up. "It is true," Princess Celestia began speaking once again. "While Nightmare was learning about this 'Internet' from Earth, she came across your 'brony' friends. All the videos... pictures you call memes, it all makes sense as to why we have such a big 'fanbase' over there, don't you think?"

"I knew all about it in the first place before Nightmare showed it to Celestia," Luna spoke out to make a point to support the topic. "When I came across you, I discovered your world among the stars during the dream travels across there eventually finding your world among the many. That is when I found your world, the communities and stuff that go there... and eventually, you."

"You misunderstand though." I said.

"Why would we misunderstand though? I find it rather amusing to hear of these 'bronies' you mentioned that both you and possibly Luna hid for so long." Celestia said, stifling another giggle.

"Sure, my special somepony and my friends know about Earth, but it is the risks of telling everypony about it because words easily spread. Equestria is not yet ready to know about the bronies yet. It should be kept quiet and in hushed tones unless the right move is made which can be a hard decision among some that want to see the bronies in the light."

"I see," Princess Celestia says in that amusing tone that pretty much gave off that she doesn't really believe me. "Well if anything, I am sure that will be your job to deal with the bronies. Maybe take one or two with you back to Equestria after your visit on Earth?"

I paused right there in that thought that Celestia brought up. Bringing two of my friends from Earth that are known bronies to Equestria? I question this, as if when they come to Equestria is how ponies will react to the sight of seeing new humans that I brought along with me. It could be a bad reaction, or maybe a good reaction. I don't know what will be of the outcome if that was the matter. Well, unless my friends changed big time.

"Well, I am still making plans to go visit Earth with my friends, but that is also a dangerous thing at the same time," I began to speak my concerns on this idea that they brought up. "For the start, I don't know. I would have to make sure that they are trustworthy before I bring them in. The last thing I want on my list is have a finger pointing at me with the blame of one of them acts out of line."

"Like one of them could be a sleeper cell of those dangerous in your world?"

"Maybe. I don't know, but if they are friends with me from Earth, I need to REALLY be sure about it."

Celestia raises her right hoof slightly to grab my attention. "Bringing in these two may be good of Equestria's economic standards. If you brought in your friends Sonata and Sunset from the mirror world, this is something that you could do too."

"I... I just need to think about it, okay?" I said, raising the both of my arms, my hands open to calm down the situation.

Celestia nods at my request to give some thought there in regards to that. "Alright Brayden, you can take your time. Neither of us will force you to choose." She spoke to me in that same calm tone she always spoke in.

Wait... those castle towers spiraling upwards tall in the skies of Equestria. I am pretty sure that they are probably for decoration or there for those purposes. But again, they are quite a mystery to me. I'm pretty sure the tallest there is where Celestia sleeps at night, judging by the symbol at the top of the tower, peaking down with it's shining gold metal bright from Celestia's sun itself glowing down upon it. The other one across from her tower must be Princess Luna's as I can see the moon symbol in the same manufacturing as Celestia's.

"Those towers... are they yours?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Luna spoke out in that curious tone. I don't think she knew what I meant just right there.

"The towers that have your cutie mark symbols on top in gold, they are where you sleep right?"

"Oh!" Celestia caught onto what I was trying to tell the three of them. "Yes, those are where we usually sleep. It's our private chambers at the top of our two towers. By private, I REALLY mean that it is 'private'."

"You of all others are welcome inside of my private chambers, my dear friend." Luna says, a smile being brought up upon her face. "I understand that both of us are dear friends, but I am welcome to sharing my bed with you if you cannot sleep at night. Not only do I sleep, but I also guard the dream world and watch over the night."

"You are also invited into my chambers," Nightmare tells me, her left front hoof gently touching my right hand and stroking it. "Whenever you need company to talk to you, I will be there if Luna isn't there by chance."

"My sister however, knows that her tower and private chambers are off-limits to anypony except her royal guards that stand by the door at night while she rests. So it is highly recommended you do not enter in there, for the sake of visiting the castle." Luna finishes what she had to say with her sister Celestia nodding in response to what details have been given away about her tower.

Hmmm... if I am allowed in the chambers of both Luna and Nightmare, why else am I and everypony else not allowed to enter the chamber of Celestia herself? Is she hiding something up there or is she treating it just like the West Wing in that one movie I saw as a kid? Ah... I think I have a plan already set in motion right inside my mind. Maybe Celestia is hiding something up there that neither I nor anypony should know about. Maybe it's an experiment that is yet to be performed by her.

But somehow I need to empty my teacup and finish my biscuits first before improvising to sneak off into that tower. Well, I'll give off the excuse of me going to use the bathroom as it's the only excuse I can think about. What? You didn't expect me to make up another excuse, right? It's not my fault that it's the only thought that popped up in my mind among many other ideas.

While I am listening to Princess Celestia begin to talk about the politics of Equestria and the economic status of the Crystal Empire in the north of Equestria, I chew on each biscuit and swallow down each piece I take off on each of them. Time is slowly passing as I'm not really big into politics, though it is interesting to know about what happens in each city, town or even the general politics that Celestia runs. The tea continues to be sipped in from the small cup and into my mouth.

Even when I was down to both the last sip and bite of the remaining biscuit, I felt a bit desperate inside. I don't want to show it though. If that were the case, all three of them would catch on if that expression came across my face. Best for me to keep it as hidden as possible if I want to know what's in Celestia's chambers that she's hiding. It could be linked to why she looked that sad during my first visit to the Crystal Empire.

I take the final bite out of the butterstotch biscuit remaining, filling inside with the essence of the creme coat by the biscuit's interior I did manage to know about after the first bite. One other sip of that special tea, and I was just about ready to initiate the plan, and rather straight here and now.

"I don't mean to disturb the conversation," I said, getting up out of my chair. The princesses and Nightmare turn to look at me, stopping their conversation to see what I was trying to say. "But I was wondering if any three of you know where the washroom is?"

Princess Celestia raises her right front hoof covered by the recognizable golden shoe upon it, pointing it towards the door both me and Nightmare came in from. "Enter the castle, turn right down the hall, then turn left to the far end of the hallway. Stallion's room should be there." She tells me, an informative tone in her gentle voice while expressing a small smile on her mouth.

I nod in understanding, squeezing between my chair and Nightmare's to get going towards the door. My left hand is brought forward when I approach the doors of white, reaching out and then touching the handle of bronze.

My thumb grips onto the plate behind the handle to open up the door, giving it a pull in the process to move it back. I slip past the opening when the light of Celestia's sun shines brightly into the lit castle, already in the sunlight to keep it for all guards inside to see their way through. I grab the handle behind and close the door shut, making my way to the right down the hall.

Alright, so far so good. I don't even think any of them know of my plan I've kept inside of going into the tower. At the same time, I have to keep an eye out for any guards in case they catch the suspicious activity that I would be pulling off should I enter the chambers of the sun princess. A few guards march down the hall, then turn another direction to the right. I peek down the hallway on the left, making my way right towards where the stallion's room would be. I've got to act casual about this.

Another set of guards march about the same hallway I've transitioned myself into, staying on the opposite side, rather than splitting to bump into me, as the guard always have been this obedient about knowing who was and wasn't dangerous to Equestria's society. Another two sets of hallways leading left and right are coming up, so I can only guess the door to the tower should be either of them. How would I know though? I don't know. At this point, I can only theorize that it's on another left.

Between the fork in the hallways, my eyes turn to the left at first. Dang, there's no door that gives off it's lead that Celestia would rest there as I can assume there would be a special door for that. Guess that theory is off the hook there.

On the right though, I can see that different frame in the door that stood out among all of the rest of all other doors with their pearlescence looks on them. This had the obsidian carvings of sun decor to them, shining with peridot jewels in the centers of each sun symbol among itself. I poke out from behind the column pillar, walking closer towards the door frame, with the door itself coming into sight.

The door has the appearance of carven maple wood that has been used to represent the door with the symbol of sun on the door carved there with shining raw peridots placed into it to shine brightly as the sun's rays come in through the castle windows. The handle upon the door is golden, with a latch behind to allow entry into the tower, as I knew straight away that this could be the one tower leading to Celestia's chambers.

My right hand reaches forward, grabbing onto the golden handle and my index and middle finger holding themselves to the latch. I turn my head to the left... then the right. No guards in the distance or in sight. The latch quietly sounds when pushed to open up the door.

With the slightest push, I find myself going right into the room where the sun's ray light up the entire interior of the white bricked tower all the way to the wooden top. A single door is at the top there. I assume it is where Celestia sleeps and studies herself.

I close the door behind me, making sure it never slammed. I don't want to attract attention from the castle guards after all. My eyes turn towards the stairs made of stone with the slightest touch of dry silver on the steps up and down the tower. Moving forward, my boot made the sound of soft tapping by each step I climb from there forward.

The windows shining light in through the tower is where I can see some of Equestria's skies and its clouds rolling in from Cloudsdale... a city that is still out of my limits. Sure I have the Song of Order, but it is only limited magic that can create the ethereal wings that it possessed upon me when in use. But if only I had real wings, I wouldn't have a single problem with falling through clouds... though I have never run into a situation like that.

Upward I ascend in the tower, and the closer I was to reaching the top of the steps. The door itself each time I got closer in the round circle, I can see that it's just your usual ordinary double door at the top, but can be opened with a single push. I'm not sure what Princess Luna's door to her chambers looks like, but this was a surprise considering that Celestia have the majority of ruling Equestria and having others look up to her.

Wondering to myself, I have only seen Celestia's private chambers in the show at least those couple of times. Like her sending off a letter to Twilight when she was still her student, for example. She would always be in there when I was beginning to watch the show from what I recall.

Finally, at the top of the steps, there lies that door across, waiting for me to open it up. I take those few steps forward, heading out from there towards it. My hands move forward and embrace the oak wood it was carved out from, giving it a push to open up.

The room itself was alit when I had opened up and it was the usual chambers of Celestia you would expect with that comfy pillow lying there on the floor she would lay upon that wasn't her bed. Her bed was over there by the nightstand. In the corners to the outdoor balcony, I can see some tables of chemistry and science itself, two bottles of white fluid and the other having that of a strange gold color to it.

There's Philomena, her pet phoenix just sitting right there and remaining calm as ever. Of all things, I've never seen Philomena at all during my visits to the castle. So for her, it must be the first time being able to lay eyes upon a human like myself. Best to introduce myself to her first as she remains calm and on guard there.

I walk up closer to the phoenix. She doesn't make a single move, but rather stays there, only turning its head a few times to keep an eye on me if I was hostile or not by its own judgements. "Hey there..." I spoke out to her with that calm and gentle tone in my voice. "I'm guessing you must be Princess Celestia's pet, Philomena?"

The phoenix opens its wings slightly for a moment, then closes them while her eye is kept upon me. My right hand moves forward, reaching out to touch the phoenix on its wings, unsure if it was going to feel soft or like if it was on fire like most phoenix legends would be. Her wing is opened slightly so I can know ahead of time if the feeling would be that way.

My hand touches onto the feathers of the phoenix, gently remaining there while the phoenix silently looks at me. "All of the times I have been here to visit Princess Celestia or Luna, I have never seen you anywhere with them. I am Brayden, and it is good to meet you."

The phoenix positions itself a bit, probably as a way to tell me that I was a friendly face. I don't know as I don't know bird language except Fluttershy. My right hand just gives gentle strokes to the left wing of the phoenix, while it stares at me continuously. By the other phoenixes I've seen, they mostly were that depicted in fantasy stories or in the pictures of mythology as more dangerous. A book series I read was also noting me of that where the wise character giving advice to the main character had a phoenix that helped out in the second book near the end.

"You must be quite a friendly one, aren't you?" I asked her, moving my hand off of her left wing and onto the back of the phoenix, giving a smooth and slow rub downwards from its neck.

The expression on the phoenix doesn't change, but I think she is tolerating it as a sign of trust between animal and man. Most animals back on Earth in the wildlife are afraid of most other humans, trying to always run away or attack them back if aggravated or disturbed. Besides the trauma of being chased by one bear as a kid, I would never go as far as to try and inflict harm upon any animal. The only time I would have to attack is by self-defense if given no choice. like with the timberwolves.

Those bottles at the chemistry table... they do so catch my curiosity. I move my hand off of Philomena's back, setting it back down as I walk to take a look at those two vials I have seen before my interaction with Philomena.

"I'll get back to talking with you Philomena. I'm curious about these... two..." I could only say to her while she remains silent with a soft coo from it as probably a way of understanding.

The first vial that I grab with my right hand is that of the golden fluid inside, just shining brightly and moving inside by the turning I make to move them fluently. Why in all of Equestria would she be forbidding anypony from seeing this? If this is an experiment beign worked upon, I find it rather ridiculous that she's not letting anypony up here. But again, it's probably for the privacy of science that she'd do this.

I place the vial of golden fluid back onto the table, leaving it be while the same hand I used to pick it up takes the vial of white fluid that looks really similar. Hmmm... maybe this is the same fluid that Twilight used in the Season 4 premiere to find out where the Tree of Harmony was, long before I arrived here.

I move the vial slightly back and forth, letting the liquid slide then and there without a change going along with it's flow. Strange that Celestia would want to leave this here. After that, she would've locked it away from the perking eyes of collectors and her subjects, but who knows... maybe one sip will do? One and a half?

Better start this now, and see if I can really see backwards into the past as such events that have happened in the Equestria timeline. This will probably take me as far back as before I was even born at all, maybe a thousand years but hopefully not to watch the banishment of Nightmare Moon again like in the premiere there. If any, I'd love to see the battle between them and King Sombra if it was even possible, but the number of liquid left would definitely fit for a sip and a half.

No other choice can be made, as my lips parch open when putting the vial's end to my lips and watching the white fluid flow in from there towards my mouth. The taste though when entering into my mouth though... it tastes a little bit, ehh... salty. Nevertheless I have to take a peek into the past...

I finish the last sip, licking my lips for a moment and then place it onto the chemistry table of Celestia's once again. I wait a moment... then another... still, nothing has happened yet. I'm pretty sure that even taking a sip of it was bad, but probably unfinished as it probably isn't going to do anything strange to my body at all. Talk about a waste of time drinking that... I turn around, getting ready to leave the chambers.

Wait, this white glow now flashed upon my own eyes. I guess that I was wrong... the fluid inside was that potion after all! I can hear ringing in the both of my ears as everything in the room turns white and then all white covers up all of my sight when I know that I will be looking into the past...

---

My eyes are forced open by themselves with a bit of a white glow coming to me. My surroundings are much more different from where I was back in Celestia's private chambers. I seem to be in a different castle... wait... that's the Everfree Forest across from the gorge there under the moonlight.

Might as well explore this castle for a bit, as I never know what I might discover in here. Judging by the distant Everfree Forest close by after all, I could be in the Castle of the Two Sisters. But there is no fighting going in the skies of Equestria nor any light of the Elements of Harmony being fired from Celestia from the entrance hall. Everything just looks... clean.

Save for a few servants roaming the castle, I can see one of them coming towards me, galloping her way there. Her cutie mark is hidden by her dress so I could never really tell who it was. I think she was coming to talk to me, but that is... until she made a turn to the left down the hallway.

I figured that this was all part of the potion, and I follow behind the servant, sprinting after her. The servant comes towards a door, using her horn to open it up with the door itself slamming into the wall. "Princess Luna!" I can hear her cry out into this darkened room. I stop and approach the door, listening in on the conversation.

"What is it servant? I am trying to sleep." I can hear Princess Luna from inside of the room. As the servant took up most space at the door, it is hard enough for me to get a glimpse of Princess Luna, one of my friends.

"Princess Luna, I hate to disturb you but Princess Celestia is in need of you to be at her side for the special moment! Her child is being born!" The servant cries out again.

I can hear a gasp in the room and then the sheets supposedly moving. The sound of hooves are heard coming towards the door and from there I can see Princess Luna step into the light of the lit hallway by the torches of the walls. The servant of the castle has already backed up to allow space for the princess.

"Lead the way Dust Bunny! This is something I need to see for myself!" The night princess cries out as the servant gallops opposite ways from where I ran after her. Luna follows suite and I find myself running after Princess Luna, only going slighty faster than I was here. I can feel infinite adrenaline pumping into my veins, though it feels like I can run forever here in this viewing.

"Luna!" I cried out while following behind. She doesn't even take the chance to look back in case she heard me. But she probably didn't at all... "Luna! Wait up!"

But the servant Dust Bunny with the mention of Celestia's child being born... was there something that went on in the thousand years back that I never really knew about and that it was never mentioned? The books I read never even mentioned a single thing about this child... unless this was a secret to be kept between the royal sisters at the time that was the first for me to discover among everypony else...

I follow both Dust Bunny and Luna, going down each corridor and hallway of what once was the Castle of the Two Sisters a thousand years backwards in time. Each corridor I have gone down, there were more servants in each of them, galloping their way in the same direction Luna was going as she was my focus rather than the servant.

Down one hallway with opened double doors, there I can see them headed into what seems to look like the ballroom at the time. Most of the time now from my visit there during Tirek's attack was looking to see only collapsed ruin inside, with the roof blown out from the fight between Celestia and Luna. In this clean ballroom though, I find myself looking towards a group of servants surrounding somepony who I can figure is Celestia herself.

"Alright Princess Celestia, you need to breath and push!" I can hear a doctor talking loudly for all and myself to hear.

Dust Bunny and Luna gather with the other servants as they wait for Celestia's child to be born. Whether a stallion or a mare to be born... I could only recall that the Song of Order told me about both Celestia and Luna being the last two alicorns at the time, until Cadence and Twilight came in which brought more hope to Equestria, and the redemption of Nightmare Moon becoming a separate form from Princess Luna's jealousy when she had it in these past thousand years.

"I- I can't!" Celestia sounds off, and it sounds like she is in a load of pain.

"Your child needs to come out, and I need your cooperation... and Push!"

The doctor repeats these words a few times, though I am unable to see Celestia or the castle doctor himself. Some pained shouts come from Celestia herself, which strikes a bit of fear in my heart that harm is being inflicted upon her, though it isn't the case. The doctor's words repeated go on with the single word "Push!" echoing throughout the ballroom among Celestia's screams and the servants murmuring in concern as they watch or try to help the doctor in any way possible.

After some time of pushing and the screaming, I can hear only the slightest cry of a small foal. "There it is!" The doctor announces loudly, with a gasp from the servants. There is the wailing that came up from the hidden foal among the servants gathering. I manage to find myself a little bit of space to squeeze through and see what was going on.

From the sight of it there, I could only gasp silently to myself when I saw the newborn before my eyes...

I can see that doctor with a dark tone yellow coat, his mane covered by his robe hood. In his right hoof, I can see that foal resting right there, weakly moving its hooves and wailing out. The foal itself has a coat in the color of diamond blue. The mane upon his head, I could not see for the doctor wrapped some cloths of white to keep the foal warm. Behind him, were the closed wings itself in the same color of its fur coat. When its eyes opened briefly, I was able to catch a tint of brown in his eyes.

The foal I witnessed being born was Princess Celestia's son... and a Pegasus by no doubt of it.

"Congratulations, Princess Celestia." The doctor's voice has reduced itself to sounding serene and to make sure the foal wasn't going to cry by the shouts that went on minutes before. "It's a stallion."

Princess Celestia's horn channels magic, and the foal starting to calm down to brought over to her and gently when she holds onto her son on the stretcher, her head and upper body lifted for the foal to see her face for the first time. All she can do is smile and I can see those tears coming down from the both of her eyes to roll on her white cheeks.

The foal itself is calming down from the wailing it was doing, only trying to keep calm, but almost cannot. "My son..." She begins first, bringing the newborn close to her cheek, gently nuzzling her new blessing brought to her. The foal is about to start crying again, but Celestia in that gentle tone I knew began to gently shush him to keep him calm. "It's okay... I'm here..."

I can hear the servants talking amongst themselves while all watching Celestia and her newborn at the same time. "Look at that cute face..." One comments with all others saying something different. "He's adorable..."

My eye is kept on Celestia as she brings the foal closer to her, holding him in her left front hoof. The foal starts to calm down a bit, those little wings spreading open and shut a bit few times. "You're here now... my Sun Light... you're here. Welcome to Equestria." She says to him, gently giving the foal gentle rocks to help him get to sleep.

Sun Light... that's the name of her son... It's a pretty good name if I think about it. If this is the secret that Princess Celestia was hiding, it's no wonder. But I have only a single question about it though... what happened?

I take a look at Princess Luna from behind the servants happily gathered around Celestia and her newborn. I don't think she really liked that by the look on her face. Her teeth are there, gritted together with these eyes staring in envy at the child born. In those few moments, she turns around and starts to leave.

I have no idea what is going on, so I move back from the rest of the servants gathering and follow behind Luna to see what is going on and why she looks... wait... the jealousy... this must be one of the reasons that Nightmare Moon formed. She heads outside of the ballroom and into the corridors once again, standing there with teeth no longer gritted but a look a continued jealousy.

"It's no fair!" Princess Luna says angrily to herself, and by that tone I knew she was pissed about this occurence. "My sister Celestia gets all things blessed upon by her by ponies under the sun she burdens, but me? I get nothing but ponies sleeping! But now... a child!?" I can hear a bit of an angry snort with breath seen coming from the nostrils of the night princess.

Silence came from her there for those few moments when she looks past me, right at the gathering of servants around Celestia. "Her reign as the superior among me has gone on far enough. I want to have the attention I deserve more... and I will get it even if it's going the hard way and having her child... taken away."

I was shocked by what Luna was saying. This was probably Nightmare Moon at the time speaking inside of her though with these kinds of words. I want to say something, but this is just an observation through my own eyes... so I don't think it's even possible for her to let alone hear me. If she did, the future would have been changed for worse.

Another white flash comes by and I prepare as it could take me back to the spot I stand at in the present Canterlot Castle in Celestia's private chambers or another...

---

The flash unlifts my sight after that and I can find myself standing on a clean balcony outside of the Castle of the Two Sisters. Daylight is now shining down upon all of Equestria from the past years and without Canterlot on the mountainside as it wasn't built yet to perfection I can see from even today.

From across the balcony and in the air, the sound of crying has caught my attention. I look for the sound of Sun Light's crying as it was the same one I recognize by the time I turn my head towards the roof of where the throne room would be. I gulped knowing that this was some big trouble I was witnessing right now.

Princess Luna was up there and with her magic being channelled from her horn, she was carrying onto the newborn Sun Light. Unveiled of the cloth that kept the foal warm, I can hear her laughter and the flash of those cyan cat-eyes while Sun Light continued to wail in the distressed tone. "Greetings to you my sister!" I can hear her shout, looking straight ahead as she isn't looking directly at me.

My eyes catching onto the white figure, her wings were aflap in the air to support as she was brought closer with an angered, stern look upon her face right at her sister. The closer she got, Princess Luna just laughed once again, now hiding the cyan cat-eyes that I knew was Nightmare Moon taking control of her jealousy at that time. "Do not get any closer or I will have to have the honor of killing your son here right now!"

"Luna!" I can hear Princess Celestia shout at her, stopping to not even think of going closer. "What are you doing and why are you saying this kind of thing?!"

"Your reign of the sun has gone on for far too long! All of Equestria doesn't care for my night! They all only care for the sun you bring them!" She shouts at her. Sun Light continues to wail, in need of his mother.

"But to kill my son?! You can't do that to him, you're his aunt!"

Princess Luna growls at her. "I WILL NEVER BE HIS AUNT IN THE YEARS OF THE LIFETIMES WE LIVE!" She unleashed her Royal Canterlot Voice right there. "I can take him away! Just try to get him back!" Her horn powers up even more to aim towards the ground and fire a spell.

The spell is fired from her horn, and never really makes impact with the ground but stops in the mid-air, creating a swirling cyclone from what I could see. Below the cyclone of dark purple, I can see the white glow of low there. Could it be that she could be planning to send Sun Light, the only child of Celestia to somewhere to never again be seen?

"You're insane! Listen to yourself, you have no idea what you are doing!" Celestia shouts at her with that stern tone growing in her voice. "Give my son back to me!"

"I don't even plan on that, my so-called sister! I am sending your son off into the cyclone to another world where he will never know anything about Equestria at all. He'll be born again... he won't know a single thing about Equestria... he'll have the complete different personality... and of all things most, he'll never know he was the son of an alicorn herself."

"Don't do this Luna!" I can hear Celestia start to beg while her angry tone remains.

"You want to have him?" Luna says, bringing the wailing Sun Light before Celestia with her magic. The night princess began to laugh once again, revealing those eyes of envious cyan that was Nightmare Moon herself. "Then you can find him never!"

Princess Luna's magic looked strong and tough as her magic pulls the young Sun Light towards and into the cyclone, swirling downward towards the event horizon of white. I could only watch in horror as Princess Celestia swoops down towards the cyclone, shouting down the spell-cast tornado sucking her son into the other realm the closer she got.

Sun Light's wailing continued on and on, and this sight I was watching was even traumatizing that ever. "SUN LIGHT!" I could hear Celestia scream out her son's name as it echoes in my head over and over when he is finally sucked into the white glow. I catch the sight of tears upon her face, coming down as she is trying her hardest not to mourn just yet.

I catch Princess Luna making a quick turn from my point of view, hidden behind the building... probably heading into the throne room to prepare a surprise attack. I turn from the closing cyclone and Celestia trying to be brave for what was coming next, but make my way into the open castle, sprinting as the throne room was down the hall.

Through the open doors, I can see that the throne room is empty... save for a few lit torches to light up the room. Where is Princess Luna?! I don't see her anywhere just yet! If she is hiding, then I knew that it was Nightmare Moon inside her taking control of her just now.

"Princess Luna!" I shouted out into the emptiness, letting my voice echo the hall as I come forward towards the thrones. Even I was pretty angry that Luna in the past would do this, even if Nightmare is to blame. "You better show yourself right now! Why would you do that to your sister in sending her son away!"

"Not...another... step!" I can hear her sound out as she trots out from behind Celestia's throne at the time.

Oh Celestia... not this again. I can't bear myself to look, but have no choice but to do so...

"Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light?!" She shouts, as I knew Princess Celestia of the past was right behind me to watch everything as well and what was going to happen.

I watch as Luna trots over to the top of the bridging to the column where Celestia addressed her subjects when a meeting was called upon. "There can only be one princess in Equestria! And that princess..." She grew angry when she unleashed the Royal Canterlot Voice again, smashing the column of what was there with her two front hooves to rubble. "WILL BE ME!"

I knew exactly what was going to happen from there forward. The cracking of the walls to the breaking of the window... the moon blocking out the sun, a similar event that I saw before and fought to end for the redemption of my friend Nightmare Moon from I saw the transformation and that evil laughing she let out.

All becomes white again and I knew that this was coming to an end...

---

The white had cleared up from my sight, and I can see clearly now as I find myself back in Princess Celestia's private chambers. All of the horrors of the thousand year past were all behind in that fluid that most likely has worn off by now. My mind is telling me... no, don't drink that fluid ever again. Seeing these kept secrets nopony's ever seen could be a rather dangerous thing to come across.

I never really check behind me to see Philomena's reaction from that entire sequence I was going through with the fluid Twilight also had to drink. But again, she probably doesn't show any reaction as she looks like she is standing guard there in that same spot.

But I don't seem to realize in that moment of who was in front of me right there with that shocked look upon her purple eyes. Sigh... it's Princess Celestia herself standing right in front of me, and those eyes of hers have dropped to display a saddening look upon them. At the door across from the room, Princess Luna stands there with a concerned look upon her face, and Nightmare Moon was just about coming into the room to see what was going to happen soon enough.

I don't think Princess Celestia knew what to say at first. All she could do was stay like that until the shock had gone away... my eyes of brown keep onto her as she trots over towards the chemistry table to see the white fluid to be gone and tampered with by my own gain and purpose of curiosity held within. I turn around to face her from behind.

"You stumbled upon it..." She calmly says to me. I grow a little concerned, wondering if something was wrong and that I wasn't supposed to be up here. "You... you weren't supposed to find it... about it..."

"About what, Celestia?"

I can hear her exhale a sigh before she turns around to look at me. "You weren't supposed to find out about the purpose of this vial..." Her horn channels magic and brings forth the vial of that golden fluid I picked up first before the past-peeking potion.

"I still don't understand that stuff... I only picked up and drank the potion Twilight had drunk from before. So many questions are still unanswered... what's going on and why for goodness' sake did you look sad during my first visit at the Crystal Empire?"

"You drank the potion?" Celestia asked, her silent expression never changing for even a split-second. "What did you see in the past? It is something I need to know."

I didn't know what to think at first. She will be a bit shocked when I tell the truth to her about finding out about her newborn son and Princess Luna sending him off to another world when Nightmare took control of her to the point that she always hosted jealousy. Even if I am to tell the truth which is something I should, I am well aware that Nightmare Moon will remember that when it was happened and feel devastated. But sometimes, you must speak the truth even when it hurts a lot.

I clear my throat briefly, looking at the princess and not taking my eyes off of her purple eyes. "You see... after I drank the potion, I had been brought back to view a thousand years back in the past to find myself at the Castle of the Two Sisters before it was in ruins. I recall seeing a servant bring Princess Luna along to the ballroom... it... it was a foal you were bearing then and there."

"No hospitals existed during that time, so it would all depend on the castle doctor and the few servants in that hospital class to help out." Princess Luna comments behind me.

After that comment spoken, I continue to speak. "This foal I speak of... you called him Sun Light? And you never did tell anypony about it?"

She is silent at first. "Brayden... it's really complicated to tell you about it. Each of the servants after his birth swore to keep the foal's birth a secret from all of Equestria for his sake."

"But how about the part when Princess Luna just about sent your son into a cyclone spell and sent him off into another world far from Equestria? Can you explain that?"

I can't see Nightmare Moon's face behind me, but she looks more embarrassed than ever from how I was starting to push for the truth out of the three of them. Enough with the secrets... what are they hiding behind my back that I don't know about?! But by my tone I speak in, I will admit that I am sounding a little rude.

"Brayden, please mind your tongue and don't be rude," Princess Luna informs behind me. "You're embarrassing Nightmare Moon."

"Luna, if he really wants to know... I will show him from there why we are hiding this secret for a long time," Celestia's eyes turn to look at her sister behind me for a moment before looking back at me. "My sister under the influence of Nightmare's dark magic was the result of her throwing my son into another world... I could never be able to reach out among the stars to find him... until now."

"What do you mean until now?"

Celestia brings the vial of the golden fluid close to me, allowing me to take it in my hands. "This vial is not the usual chemistry stuff you would know about... it is a kind of blood that was created by accident and found by Princess Luna during an experiment on your birthday." She explains.

"Go on, I'm listening." I respond to her, taking a look at the vial of what is now named golden blood.

"After your attack from the timberwolves and being saved, Princess Luna was able to look thorugh the Everfree Forest quickly to find where you had been attacked and was able to grab onto the remaining blood that had been spilt by the timberwolf alpha that Twilight reported to me. She brought it back to her chambers, taking only a few days to clean out the sections under the poisoned influence of the alpha."

"Alright, I'm interested..."

"After it was clean, she decided to put some experiments on it. First dropping a small drip of earth pony blood into the filter your blood resided in. There's nothing... until she put in the drop of pegasi blood. Something came to form. Unicorn blood came in and the color of your blood changed to become a lighter tint. Then the extract of my own blood inside the same filter..."

"...And then?"

"Your blood had become shining golden as mine was as well. Princess Luna called me to observe this, and I was in shock when comparing the samples of this vial of your new blood unveiled before you and the blood I have. I had even went as far to bring it to the blood examiner to see the difference of yours and mine."

"There's no way. Both of us are different in that way. That was also quite some explaining you've made as well." I told her.

"The examiner told me that they were a match though... that both you and I share the same bloodline..."

I can hear a bit of hooves trotting quietly behind me. "I don't like where this is going." Nightmare says. "I better get ready to brace myself for his shock." Ha, nice sarcasm there Nightmare Moon.

"Brayden, if I was to tell you the simple straight-away fact, you'll be really confused at to what I am trying to come across with this message. It seems like you're not understanding though... it's tough to say these words when you have no idea by how sad I am... yet I am so happy on the inside to see that you've been found again." Celestia says to me, exhaling another long sigh before she began to speak.

"You don't have to be afraid to tell me that secret. I am here now, and you showed the ideas I needed to support this claim. Just tell me what it is..."

"Brayden, didn't you look at Sun Light's eyes when you were there?" She asked me, sounding still a bit afraid of it all. "The colors of his eyes... isn't it all familiar?"

I reflected back there to that moment when I first laid eyes upon Sun Light in the ballroom from that memory of the past. Me standing there among the servants, invisible to them as I can see the doctor holding the foal in his hoof to wrap white cloths to keep the pegasi warm as ever. I can see the foal's innocent eyes opening up to briefly look at the doctor, and I can instantly remember that color I saw at first...

It was brown... and I happen to have the same eye color as him... Wait... the same eye color?

HOLY SHIT. You have got to be kidding me!

I was in a complete shock about this as I was frozen right there. Neither any of them know what to say at this point when I froze right there with the expression on my face giving off the feeling of this being quite a surprise for me. Celestia just stands right there in front of me... knowing the revelation now that I have learned the entire truth right there. The blood samples of hers and mine aligned and matching... it's makes sense. Too much sense.

How could she live with hiding this from me and lying to me that she was okay when I knew she was hiding something like this all along?

The feelings of betrayal and anger start to come into my mind after the shock of it all. I can feel myself moving again, but in the direction towards the open balcony outside. I approach the railing at the end of the balcony, placing my hands onto the concrete stones and taking a look outside over the skies of Canterlot and across the enchanted lands of Equestria that are getting ready for the rainfall in an hour and a half. I knew Celestia has followed behind me and that Luna and Nightmare are at the balcony doors, watching the two of us now.

"How long?" I asked patiently. I knew this was directed at Princess Celestia, and I am trying my best to keep my anger inside but I know all too well that it's going to burst easily.

"It... it was... I-"

"HOW... LONG?" I said, finally snapping out some anger into the tone.

Celestia looked a little surprised to see me blow out temper towards her. "Brayden, please calm down. I had to hide this truth from you since the day you were coming to the Crystal Empire when the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia was visiting." She tells me, sounding like she was trying not to get upset from me just snapping at her like that.

"Oh really? That?" I said, raising the both of my arms and opening my hands. "And you don't even get the courage to tell me this in the first place?" I started to sound a little more angry the further I spoke. "Why do you always have to be this secretive to keep anypony else from knowing that I am the spawn of an alicorn princess?! Such bullshit that you have kept from me, and now you have the decency to tell me this?! Why didn't you come to Earth to visit me?!"

"Brayden! Watch your language!" Princess Luna shouts at me from the door, but my eyes are still pierced right onto the purple eyes of Celestia.

"I did come to visit, but I didn't know it was you at the time! The bear attack! Remember?" She says to me, sounding like that shell is starting to break.

"YES!" I burst at her.

"That was me! I had to erase that part of your memory in case you weren't the actual you! You were Sun Light! Please... I know you wouldn't act like this..."

"BUT YOU BROKE IT AND LIED TO ME ALL THE TIME WHEN LUNA SET ME IN!" I shouted right back at her. Princess Luna's face looks a little guilty about this, only backing up slightly. "You could have told me earlier, but why didn't you?! WHY?!"

"You weren't ready to know the truth until you were a few years older than you were!" Celestia cried out, and I see those hurtful tears crawling down her eyes, but I am let alone too angry to even pay attention to how much I was verbally harming her through this arguing.

I growl silently. "I could have known at my birthday! But neither you, Luna or Nightmare had shown to even tell me then and there!" I respond back to her.

"If that was the case, you still would be this angry as you are right now." Nightmare comments for all of us to hear as she was at the castle during the time the discovery of both her and my blood matched in accordance.

I turn around to look at her, throwing the glass vial onto the ground and letting it shatter into glass pieces with the golden blood of mine in a lone puddle. "YOU SHUT UP NOW!" I screamed at her, losing control of even my own mind. My right hand is pointing right at her with an index finger as if I was going poke her, but never would think of doing that. "YOU HAD ME THROWN INTO THE CYCLONE AND HAD ME SENT AWAY FROM WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL HAPPINESS FOR ME! YOU ARE PART OF ALL THIS LYING BEHIND MY BACK STARTED FROM CELESTIA HERSELF!"

I can feel the pain from the inside of my mind starting to build up as the ringing in my ears increases in volume to a very sharp sound as if it were to torture me. All I can do is grab my head and scream out with anger as I was feeding another terrible memory into my mind. Through the ringing, I can hear Celestia, Luna and Nightmare gasp in worry while I hold my head in my hands, screaming for the pain of the memories I experienced back on Earth to stop, as they quickly flash through my head.

"Brayden, are you alright?!" I can hear Celestia shouting at me. She gallops closer towards me, and I still felt this anger inside increased as soon as she placed her hoof onto my left shoulder.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I shout at her, slapping her hoof off from my shoulder with my left hand. "You had to keep the truth away from me! You had Luna and Nightmare involved with this!"

"Cadence and Twilight also know about it Brayden." Luna says loudly to me. A few of the castle guards position themselves at the door, wondering what is going on inside of Celestia's private quarters.

"AND YOU TOLD THEM TOO?! GODDAMNIT!" I screamed, turning towards the items on Celestia's shelf. I literally grab one of the wooden figures and throw it across the room in a fierce anger that was pretty sure scaring the three of them.

"Calm down Brayden..." Nightmare says to me, raising a hoof in a defensive position like I was going to attack at any moment.

"YOU! KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" I screamed at her again, not able to control my mind further as my anger was getting the best of me. Nightmare looks terrified once again on how I'm acting as of right now.

"Now... Brayden..." Celestia said, tears crawling down from her eyes and backing up by each step I took towards her.

"NO! YOU KEPT THIS UP BUT YOU GOT EXACTLY YOUR ANSWER!" I shouted at her. "YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT LIE TO ME, HIDING THAT SADNESS WASN'T WORKING AND NOW I KNOW THIS TRUTH! A TRUTH THAT I DENY AND HATE! YOU. ARE. NOT. MY. MOTHER! ALL I CAN SEE NOW IN FRONT OF ME IS YOU: A LYING BITCH!"

Celestia looks devastated to hear me calling her that word and swearing like that. I can also hear the sounds of gasping from Luna, Nightmare and the guards while Celestia can hardly contain the tears anymore, just letting them shed out as she begins to sob to herself while my anger still flows greatly from the inside to how I was acting. This is most likely my thoughts, but my disabilty also has something to do with it as well.

The royal guards outside her door were shocked to say the least, unsure as to what they can do in this situation, but to only nod their heads in shame with their ears flopping downward like Celestia's as she wept. Luna nor Nightmare don't know what to say anymore, but have that feeling upon their face that it's not over yet... like I care anymore.

"Stay away from me." I said to Celestia as her eyes of purple no longer are looking at me, but are closed with her head looking down towards the ground. The tears flow down from her eyes and downward across her cheeks, hurt by those words I've said to her.

I begin to walk away right towards the door out of Celestia's private chambers. Luna trots in front of me to stop and halt me there though. "Brayden, don't walk away from this. It's something you're going to regret big time..." Luna says calmly to me.

"You stay away from me too, you were party responsible for finding out about this hidden the entire time, yet you were the one bringing me in from Earth!" I shout at her, brushing myself to the side and past her, leaving her standing there while Nightmare is doing the best she can to comfort a crying Celestia, a sight never seen before.

When I step outside of Celestia's private chambers, one of the guards takes off his helmet to reveal his long mane that seems like it hadn't been cut in days and grown, seeing that the color itself was black. "Uh, sir? Is everything okay?" He asked in that gruff voice.

I looked a little angry at first, but seeing how I was looking at a guard... all I can do is exhale a sigh. "I... I just need to get away from these three for at least a while until this all blows over." I told him.

All the guard can do is nod in understanding, staying right there as I hurry on my way down the long steps it took downward from the tower. All is silent, though I can hear the distant echoes of Celestia's weeping all from her chambers. This went on for as long as I was heading down the steps of her tower to the end at the bottom.

"BRAYDEN! PLEASE COME BACK TO ME!" I can hear Celestia cry out from the top of the tower where her chambers reside. All I can do is ignore as her begs and cries to bring me back to even take a look at her.

She lied to me to keep the truth from me. I will never trust her again even after she has told that in that way that she is my birth mother. From there on forward, I will deny that she ever was my mother in the first place. All I could see in her was the liar she kept inside and in those words to keep me from what was important most.

I'm going back to Fluttershy's cottage. I'm not even going to talk to Princess Celestia ever again, nor Princess Luna. Nightmare Moon? I just can't believe her... Maybe a bit of rest will do to get over and cool myself off from all of the anger I displayed.

I have that same feeling both Luna and Nightmare had, it's not over yet...