A/N: Hello again everyone. I am back with another chapter of Learning To Live.

Not really much has been going on with me lately, just planning on next month to see KISS in concert for the final time. I apologize if I have not placed an author's note to let everyone know how I was doing, so I guess it's a good a time as now.

I did in fact see Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. I thought they were really well done and brought the end to an era successfully. I have watched the Season 9 episodes that were released, my favorite being "Frenemies" where we got a villain-focused episode, which will be done again in "The Summer Sun Setback". Honestly though, when I finish this story, I will post my feelings about the show overall from the beginning to the last few seasons.

I feel like I am slowly starting to move onto different franchises like Kingdom Hearts which is a blend of Disney and Final Fantasy. I do have one story in mind in relation to that, but I will be saving it until later.

Oh my goodness, only eight chapters left of this story to write down and work on. Honestly, as much as I want to keep it going, all things have to end eventually and I'd rather it have an honorable ending as being that I am practically almost a 26 year old and have been writing this since I was 20 years old in a repeat of Grade 12 in high school. (That is quite an achievement for me of writing this for that long.) I'll obviously make a chapter of my final thoughts, but in advance: whoever has been following this since the beginning - thank you. :)

Brayden's POV

My head lied there between the both of my arms as I was watching life in the streets of Manehattan below from the guest bedroom. I felt tired, but the weariness in my eyes were that of me crying myself to sleep at night and absolutely waking up screaming from all of the nightmares I've had of losing one of the mares I loved.

Coco was happy enough to let me stay here, and I don't even want to know how much stress she is feeling from the sorrow inside from the past few days of falling into her hooves in despair. When hearing me screaming, she is there to comfort me and to share the bed with me to ensure I have somepony there like her who shares a place in my heart. She knows that this is all part of the five stages of grief, and that I am close to the end of the fourth stage: depression with a road of acceptance following afterwards.

There were birds in flight above in the air of the open blue sky, looking for scraps of food below that they would take back to their nest to feed themselves or their young. Few land in the streets from the small scraps of carrot dog buns that were left loose by the local bird mare who tended to them and the morning pigeons.

Who did I lose? Nothing more than Nightmare Moon who was up there with my wife Twilight. I wished that I was much stronger when I was, then what Rebecca did would not have happened. But I was foolish and only blind by my rage towards my ex-friend who committed such murder. I remember that Applejack was leading me to her and didn't want to betray me. It made me wonder why.

Was my close friend given no choice when forced to bring me to Rebecca first hoof? Even moments before the battle, I can tell by that look on her face that she felt so much regret inside for almost handing me over. Like either it was her life or my own. Somehow, I don't know how to feel about her doing that despite the trust in one another.

A bit of soft knocking on the door behind me is heard, followed by the door opening up. By the sound of how soft it was, I can tell alone that it was only Coco's hoof and that I was completely fine with her coming in, because of her place in my heart. The door is open, with the sound of hooves approaching. I do not turn my head to look behind me, but can almost see a reflection of her in the clean window.

She gets up onto the bed that she has allowed me to rest in, making herself comfortable as she lies down next to me to give me a little comfort. "Brayden?" I can hear her voice as I haven't turned around to look at her. "Is everything okay?"

Closing my eyes, I exhaled out a bit of a soft, yet sad sigh. I opened up my eyes and turned slowly to look at her light cyan colored eyes. "I guess... I just... miss her." I said to her. "She was just getting started on being accepted by everypony here in Equestria, and she had been taken from me."

A sad expression on Coco's face had formed when I was speaking to her with such an almost depressed tone in my voice. "She was the reason behind all of it. The one why I found all of you and began to slip away from my depression to the light again. Back then, I was... the quiet one who only knew when to keep my own mouth shut and not speak up. I felt like I would never find another source of happiness again."

Coco's hoof reached forward and took my right hand, holding onto it. "It's not your fault Brayden. You did all you could to try and save her. In the end, up there in the heavens, I am sure that she is looking down and watching you proudly with a smile on her face."

"Maybe..." I responded to her, the sadness fading a little from the thought of Nightmare Moon watching me as a spirit above, my eyes lowering down to the bed's fabric. "It wouldn't feel the same. The feeling of her black hoof holding onto my hand and her lips... I-"

"Brayden, look at me." She says, my eyes turning back up to look at her as she moved closer. Her hoof lets go of my hand, and wraps it along with her other hoof around me, holding me close to her. "I know you're sad she is gone. So am I, as I knew how much she just like Twilight meant to you."

I slowly wrap my arms around Coco and share with her that comforting hug that she was giving me. Honestly though, I really needed that.

"No matter where you go, or what you do. It is as she has said to you even if she is not there in front of you. She'll always be there for you," She continued, moving a hoof off and placing it where my heart would be on my chest. "Right here."

My eyes perk down at her hoof pointing there at my chest where my heart is located, watching it remain there with a spark of realization hitting me from within my head. Nightmare's presence I felt, remained quite firm in my own heart. Coco was right after all on what she said.

"You... you might be right in the end." I manage to get out only a little small smile. Hey, little is better than nothing at all.

A kiss on the cheek had caught me by surprise, as it had snapped me out of my thoughts about Nightmare Moon. It was Coco who had pressed her lips onto my left cheek and kissed. She giggles softly for a moment. "Seeing you smile really makes things a lot more positive around the apartment." She tells me.

"I'm glad to know you Coco," I said to her. "Maybe things will be alright in the end."

"Want to lie down for a bit? I'll keep you company." She says to me, releasing her two front hooves from around me so I can do so.

I scooch over to my side, lying down with my head softly hitting the pillow behind it. I watch as Coco moves over, lying next to me and gently nuzzling my cheek with hers. I move my right hand over to her when she lifted her head to look at me slightly from above. I place my hand onto her soft mane, stroking it downwards gently.

Closing my eyes, I feel myself lean forward, pressing my lips onto her own, giving her kisses in return as she made herself quite comfortable next to me. My other arm, holds her close to me as I can feel the light within my own heart beginning to light up again slowly.

This light was that of a reminder to me, and I knew who it was that lit it from within. Nightmare's spirit, to remind me to never give up just because I lost her. A warm comfort coming from Coco with the help of Nightmare from the heavens, brightened my emotions and the five sparks, bringing no tears but more solely a little courage and confidence. Knowing that she'll be alright which serves the meaning of her magic that she had cast into me.

I opened my eyes for a moment to glance at Coco's eyes after having shared a kiss with her. Her eyes appear from underneath her eyelids, glancing right back at me, my mouth feeling a smile in full effect and my emotions feeling no longer on the dark side as I look to have entered the final stage in griefing. Acceptance.

Coco with a smile on her face, knew very well about how I was feeling. Everything was going to be alright in the end. "There's a good smile," She says, giggling. "That's the Brayden that I know and love."

I laugh with her, more emotion of happiness surging through me. "I think I'm getting myself in order again after those days of darkness in my mind." I said to her.

"That's good," She responded to me. "Hopefully you can stay in the light."

"Because that's what Nightmare would want for me."

Knock knock knock!

The sound of the apartment's front door outside of the bedroom was heard with knocking as if there were someone there waiting for an answer. By the way both I and Coco perked up our heads, our attention was brought onto it.

Coco turns to me. "Should I go and answer it?" She asked.

"Maybe we should both check and see who it is. Maybe it is just the mailmare." I said, getting up off of the bed, my two feet placed down onto the wooden planked floor. Coco too also gets off of the bed, go forward ahead of me.

I follow behind her outside of the bedroom into the main room where I stand there behind the couch at the living room. She goes over towards the front door, unlocking it and opening it up. As it was night-time, I couldn't see a shadow if it was pony or one of my human friends.

"Hey there Coco. Is Brayden here?"

I recognized that tone of voice having known that it was the sound of Ann herself at the door. I can see Coco nodding her head and opening up the door to reveal my girlfriend and something that looks to be a staff of some sort.

I could not focus on the item she held at the moment, as I was both very surprised and happy to see her at the same time. I haven't seen her in some time since I ran off from all of the guilt that I knew I was going to have to go back and apologize for, even if it wasn't my own fault for yelling at them. I can safely say... both my side and theirs are just as guilty.

"Brayden!" She says, surprised.

She didn't say anything else, except run over to me, wrapping the both of her arms around me in a tight, loving embrace that she was sharing with me. I feel her soft hands grab ahold of my own, holding onto them. I open up my wings, moving them slowly around her in the position of a wing-hug. Both of our right cheeks nuzzled passionately with one another during that moment.

"I heard about what happened, and I needed to come find you. I was so worried about you, from what your close friends have told me." She says to me, the tone of her voice sounding worried as she had described with her words.

I moved my head away from the nuzzle to look at her. "I didn't want anypony to find me. I was broken... I couldn't stand to see anypony else." I said, my head lowering down.

She places her right hand on my cheek, lifting my head to look at her blue colored eyes. "You're the one I wanted to see when everypony spoke of you."

"How is Twilight?" I asked. "I'm guessing that by how I hit her... I would not really be surprised if she doesn't want to look at my face and see me again."

"It's better if you talked with her when you come back with me to Ponyville. You just can't hide here forever. Everypony there misses you, even Pinkie hasn't been the same without seeing you there with a proud smile on your face."

"I imagine she would be," I said, chuckling at the good memories I have with me and Pinkie. "Though Twilight I'm sure is still angry at me."

"She's not, I assure you. Just worried about you."

"Only other question I would like to ask is where you got that staff?"

She steps back to show me the rest of the staff that she had resting on her back. She takes off from her back and brings it forward with the both of her hands. I placed my left hand onto it, feeling the smooth carven wooden stick that supported the top which looked like a butterfly itself.

"I'm not sure. I was just having a picnic with Fluttershy when a bunch of butterflies just covered me up. It was a different place when I had entered that dream realm, so I must have passed out when I opened up my eyes with Fluttershy helping me up."

"Kind of like how I found the Song of Order..." I paused, putting this situation into my thoughts. "I was heading to Canterlot back when Nightmare still had the darkness within her. I was getting warmed up by Fluttershy because of the cold outside."

"Nightmare removed the sun?"

"Not exactly. Her return had blocked out the magic of my mother and aunt, resulting in her using the moon to block out the light of the sun, which caused this change in weather to become freezing cold," I responded to her question. "I almost ended up getting hypothermia. So thankful that Fluttershy put a stop to the partial frostbite with her warmth. Then there was that dream-like setting where I found the claymore."

"The staff spoke to me, Brayden."

"The Song of Order does as well," I said to her, handing the staff back to her. "It must have chosen you for a reason. What is it called?"

She took the staff back and placed it on her back. "It calls itself the Song of Nature. It chose me as its wielder."

The Song of Nature? Damn, now I recall reading about that and the three other songs in Starswirl's book. Aside from the Song of Order, this is the first time that I have ever seen another Song in the reality before my own eyes. There were three others mentioned... Aqua, Earth and Flames. Two of them found, with only one I know presumed held by Rebecca, who brought it into the darkness.

"So that's what the book told me," I said to her, bringing myself out of my thoughts. "Starswirl only wrote down about the other Songs, but I didn't know they existed too."

"It does," Ann tells me. "Brayden... Rebecca is the wielder for the Song of Flames. It told me this, and just like you saved Nightmare Moon, you could use the power of the claymore to save Rebecca as well!"

There is a spark of hope that channelled from within me. Ann was right about what she just said. Both the Song of Order and Flames share the same amount of power within them, but there is a small chance maybe something could work. "Ann, you're a genius!" I said to her, moving forward and kissing her right cheek for a quick moment.

"Oh, don't mention it." Ann says, smiling happily.

"I think this comes with a plan in motion to bring to Twilight and the rest of our friends!"

"Brayden... one other thing..." She says, giggling afterwards.

"What is it?"

"The Song of Nature told me that when I found you, I needed to ask you to build me up."

"You mean, training?"

"I guess that's what the voice meant, yes."

I chuckled for a moment. "So you've also got a voice that talks to you from the item, kind of like the spirit inside the claymore." I said to her, a smirk on my face.

She scratches the back of her head, blushing for a moment. "Still learning all this after all," She says, giggling. "If you are going to train me, just... take it easy on me."

"I always do, Ann. Don't worry."

She turns towards the front door of Coco's apartment, walking towards it. "You can hear out the girls and apologize to both one another later," She says to me, opening up the door. "For now, we'll find a spot in Equestria's field to give me training. Even if very little, it's better than nothing."

"I'm coming. I just have to say goodbye to Coco."

Ann understood and nods her head with a smile as I turn to look at Coco Pommel who was listening to that whole conversation, joy ful to see that I have the courage within me again in motion. I walk over to her, getting down on one knee and gently caressing her, feeling her hoof wrap around my neck gently.

"Thanks for having me over Coco," I said to her with a calm, gentle tone in my voice. "I really hope we'll see each other again soon."

"Don't worry Brayden," She says to me proudly with her soft-spoken tone in her voice. "After the battle, we'll see each other again. I just know it with all my heart."

I move forward, closing my eyes and letting my lips make contact with hers, sharing another last kiss goodbye for now. Her soft coated hoof feels quite gentle on my back almost like how Twilight's hoof feels when around me. After a few moments, we release from the kiss and I stand back up.

"I'll see you soon Coco." I said to her with a smile on my face.

She gives one more smile of joy, following me turning and joining with my third love Ann as we head out of the apartment. I close the door behind her, keeping the same expression on my lips when I saw Coco standing there, knowing that whatever happens, I'll be fine in her heart.

Coco? Thank you for always knowing to be there in my heart as you'll keep me in yours. Like my other loves, I love you always.

Canterlot

"Princess Celestia! I discovered it!"

Sunset Shimmer had burst open the doors to the throne room where both Princesses Celestia and Luna were seated at their thrones, after a morning of questions from the press that asked about the ongoing threats that the blood dragons of Mortem were sending to the capital on what they were going to do with their land.

There was a discovery that Sunset had made this morning from working on the secrets she had written down from the final black book of the Dragon Queen. It was a rather complicated mess to work through, but from her written notes, she managed to figure out it's mystery on a location where the First Alicorn's white book was. A mystery finally completed from the riddles that she did not even realize until she looked over them again.

Princess Celestia rose her head to look at one of her faithful students before her. "What have you discovered, Sunset? You figured out the studies of the black books?" She asked, curious on what it had to offer.

"Yes," Sunset says, bowing before her as she approached. "It is really important that we get Brayden here immediately. He did quite a good job on the journey into Mortem, and he'll do quite well on this too."

"I know that me, my sister and his friends have done things that have disappointed him. I'm not sure how he will take it." Celestia says to her, sounding a little sad after the last time she had to see him, especially with Nightmare Moon having passed away.

"It is better to take the risk now than never," Sunset responded to her. "Whatever happened, even mothers and sons can make mistakes... but you learn from them in the end, and it makes you stronger."

Luna looks at her sister. "Sister," She gets her attention. "Sunset is right about this. We should act now. If not, the more dangerous Mortem would turn to be."

Celestia looks back at her sister for a moment, and then nodding in agreement. She then turns her head to Sunset, opening her mouth to inform her of what she will do next. "I will write out a letter and give it to the royal guard to go looking for Brayden immediately."

"What about Spike?" Sunset asked.

Celestia blinked for a moment, unsure how to respond to that question following what she had to experience. "Spike doesn't know where he went off to," She responded to Sunset's question. "The royal guard does come to mind in these situations, so I will take that risk."

"Understood, Princess." Sunset says, with no objection.

A sigh was exhaled from Luna as she gets up off her throne and takes a step out on the balcony, placing her hoof onto the railing and looking out at all of Equestria below the grand mountain city, the thoughts of Brayden on her mind.

"Nephew... please come home safe."