The rain fell as I watched it curiously, my hooves folded in front of me.

"You were speaking to yourself last night. You were talking about the rain, and the stars."

"I tend to do that." I said quietly.

"You told the star to send a message."

"To who?"

"Whoever they thought it belonged to."

"What was the message?"

"That.. you loved somebody..."

I closed my eyes, forcing myself not to think of anything.

"You're lonely, aren't you?"

"I am alone, not lonely." I answered the curious mind-mare.

"Do you miss someone?"

"Yes, I miss a lot of people. That doesn't mean anything." I laid my head on my hooves, watching the little drops fall down. We had been traveling for several days, and it had taken it's toll on me. Although my hooves finally hardened, scars remained on the bottom of them. Slashes across my body where plants mercilessly scratched with their thorns. The worst wound of all, my heart was heavy with a longing to go back. Not just back home, but back to my memories, back when everything was okay.

"But not everything was okay was it?"

If she was a physical being, I wouldn't face her. But she was in my mind, only appeared when I imagined her.

"What wasn't okay?"

And then, I snapped.

"Why would YOU want to know? So you can find my weak spot and break me later on? Why not just look in my freaking

memories? Besides, what is the troubles of one teenage girl that concerns a friggin GODDESS?!" I screeched, my ears flat against my head. I could feel my skull throbbing, and I ran out from beneath the trees cover, into the rain. Nightmare Moon caught control of my legs by the time I splashed into a river.

"I do not wish to intrude on your memories."

"Then how did you know?"

"I can see your thoughts, and read your emotions."

I took a deep breath, and slowly looked at my reflection below. The water was just calming down around my legs, and the rain was letting up. The mare in the water beneath me was the exact same as in the mirror, if only more weary and tired. Only when my mental demon spoke did I realize something was different.

"Why do you wear the mark of Loyalty?"

I did a double-take. Around my neck was a tri-colored lightning bolt around a rainbow cord.

"When did I put on a necklace?" I asked, my voice probably more grave than I intended.

"You were always wearing it."

"It's so tight, why did I not notice it?"

"It's easy to ignore what we do not search for."

I stroked the charm with one hoof, closing my eyes, not letting the tears fall.

"What does it mean to you."

A lot, but she'll have to look into my memories to find out the truth.

"Nothing, it's just a cheap charm on a cord. If it means anything, it's that it's the only thing that binds me to sanity, makes me remember I'm human in this godforsaken world." I gave a dangerous smile. "But I'm not human, am I?"

I swear if we were in separate bodies, Nightie would be backpedaling so fast right now. In one swift movement, I reached up and went to pull the cord off my neck, except she froze all my muscles.

"DON'T! I'm so sorry!"

A loud laugh erupted from my mouth, but it wasn't Nightmare Moon's. At least, not evil like her's. It was amusement from a prank gone right.

"God, you're so gullible. I would never break this old thing." I chuckled, my amused smile as wide as my face.

"You..." A scowl replaced my smile before I burst out laughing again.

"Yes, me, deal with it, Nightie."

***

Luna levitated the red orb, staring at it from all directions.

"Come on, little Searcher. Show us where she is." The moon princess coaxed it. "Show us where Nightmare Moon is."

"Luna, there is something that confuses me." Celestia said, staring out a window, taking a mental break from the stress of finding a corrupt goddess.

"Take a rest, little Searcher." The younger whispered to the ball, setting it down before turning to her sister. "And what is that, Celestia?"

"I know Nightmare Moon was talking to someone else, but they had nearly identical voices."

"Nearly?" Luna questioned, a quizzical expression on her face.

"The true Nightmare Moon's voice was... angry."

"T'was not! If anything she seemed amused."

"No, I mean just the feeling you got when she spoke. No matter what tone she took, she just seemed infuriated at

something." Celestia explained, feeling a headache from her tiredness. "The other sounded more youthful, almost mortal."

The white alicorn continued on, "One who has seen things, always has something on her mind. Questioning the universe around her, frustrated with her seemingly simple mind although it is more complex than she knows."

"And she knows pain." Luna cut in, closing her eyes. "Much pain, and she knows how to hide it. She wants to feel loved, and she knows she is, but her mind haunts her, tells her she isn't. She knows many tears, she knows the feeling of having to run, and she knows she wants what she can never have."

Celestia put a hoof around her sister, pulling her close.

"If Nightmare Moon bonded to her, she now has the power to make her deepest desire come true." The dark princess leaned into her sister. "But is she foolish enough to do it? And disrupt the flow of life? Will she reveal herself to get it sooner?"

"So we must find her before she does." Celestia asked, pulling away from the embrace.

"Indeed. And we must do it quickly, if she is mortal like we think, she may do it without much thought." Luna nodded, picking up the Searcher again.

***

I sucked on a raspberry, the tart juice making me pucker slightly.

"What now?"

"Up ta' ya." I said, not caring about grammar.

"Ugh, you sound like what's-her-name, Honestjack or whatever. The hillfilly."

"'Ey, don't knock Applejack. She'll buck you into next Autumn." I spat out a seed, my eyes narrowed.

"Whatever... I know."

"What?" My eyes shimmered as I awaited her plan.

"Let's find..."

***

Celestia shot awake, her eyes bloodshot and her ear twitching. The Searcher was going wild in her hooves.

"Luna, come here." She said with a sense of urgency. "It knows where she is."

"Where?" The smaller said, bounding over. "Where is Nightmare Moon?"

"A place called... Earth." Celestia's brow furrowed. "Where is that?"

"The only record of a place called that is that is what Smart Cookie wanted to name Equestria." Luna shook her head, the lack of sleep attacking her mind. "So that means..."

"We must find it. I doesn't seem to be in Equestia though."

"Well then, we must work faster."