Twilight trotted happily down the dirt path leading towards Ponyville, she had a great time talking to her friend Zecora over some of her famous tea. The blend was from a group of different plants native to her land that she grew on her own. Enjoying the still night air she decided to take the scenic route home, normally the Everfree forest scared her but tonight she wasn't worried. She took in the crisp air laced with the scent of rotting leaves and.... something else.

*Twilight tried to place the sickly sweet smell to anything but came up at a loss, as she walked the wind blew a leaf into her face. she reached up and wiping it away found her hoof covered in a red liquid. Stifling her immediate horror at the blood on her hooves she looked around and found that the puddle of blood she was in led to a small clearing, at the center was a black stallion covered in his own blood. Around the stallion were a group of ponies one of which was holding a bloodied knife in his hoof murmuring in a strange language.

Horror and hatred rushed though Twilight as she gazed at the scene unfolding before her eyes. Anger rushed forward like a torrent of water being released from a flood gate. She magically formed twin blades at her side and in a swift motion beheaded the grey pony holding the dagger. The rest looked at her with disdain in their eyes, but no horror or surprise. Several of them drew daggers and started toward her, she murmured a few words under her breath and a torrent of purple flame leaped forward consuming all in its path.

The others reacted more severely at this and one of them spoke an incantation and the still living cultists vanished in a green haze. Safe for the moment she ran over to the still form of the black alicorn with streaks of blue in his mane. He was about her size and build save for slightly broader shoulders, his neck was slashed open and had ceased bleeding. She thought he was dead until his chest rose and fell unsteadily, reacting on the spot she focused her magic and teleported them to the nearest place of refuge she could think of Zecora's.

The zebra had been looking over a set of herbs when Twilight appeared covered in blood the unconscious alicorn by her side. "Help him" the words had barely come out of her mouth before Zecora leaped to her hooves to grab some bandages. They worked tirelessly into the night applying poultices, using anesthetics, feeding him potions to help restore lost blood and close the wound. Eventually the zebra said "there is not to do but wait and leave the rest to fate". Twilight stayed by his side the whole night never once leaving his side until she eventually drifted into sleep.

The following morning she awoke when she felt him shift slightly in his sleep. Looking up she found opening her eyes to be a big mistake. After her eyes adjusted to the light and no longer blind she looked at the mystery stallion from last night, she gazed upon him now without fear of his death. Also he looked much more pleasing without blood covering him.

Naga opened his eyes to find a beautiful purple mare looking at him intently and a pleased expression passing over her face when she saw him wake up. "Umm who are you?" he asked. "Twilight Sparkle and you?" she asked. "Naga." he responded. "Ok Naga do you remember what happened last night?" He tried but all that he could remember was an immense pain and he told her so, she looked worriedly at him "I think you have amnesia, can you recall what happened before the pain?"

When he shook his head no she sighed and retold to him the events that transpired, he took it rather well with a mere "well I guess I'm lucky." After telling Zecora she decided to take him to her house and see if she could get Fluttershy to take a look at him. The spell took a few trips seeing as how the distance would have been too much to teleport that far. After a few hours Fluttershy decided that he was low on blood but was otherwise fine aside from a slight scar on his neck where the slash had been. Twilight was surprised by his rapid recovery but attributed that to Zecora's potions rather than an anomaly.

After a time she asked him about his cutie mark after re-explaining to him what it was, "I guess it has something to do with magic" he said. "Well let’s test that out" Twilight said and they walked into the main room. He focused and a cloud of black shadows enveloped him as he did, opening his eyes an empty white light that was painful to see emanated from his eyes. Suddenly a rainbow blur launched itself from the doorway barely doing so before the cyan pegasus was stopped by Naga's magic.

"Let me go!" Rainbow Dash screamed "Run Twilight I'll take him" she added swinging her hooves in his direction. Naga looked at her, no longer pouring off exes’ energy and eyes returned to normal silver, with a pleading face. She face-hoofed and explained to Dash that he was her guest not attacker. She soon after sent her away with a Daring Doo book hoping that she kept at least mildly quiet.

The rest of the day was spent re-educating Naga on the history of Equestria and other things like the princesses and lore. She even brought him up to speed on the latest subjects like Discord and Nightmare Moon. He payed apt attention and absorbed every word as a sponge took in water. Eventually they ate dinner and Naga said goodnight, "where will you go?" she asked. "I'm not quite sure but I think I’ll be ok" he responded. "No" she said firmly, "No you won’t be, your going to stay here tonight, I'm not about to let my new friend walk off into the night all alone."

Tears welled up in his eyes and he ran up to her and hugged her with his arms and wings saying "I love you." Realizing his mistake he took a step back and ran out into the night a look of horror on his face. After her initial shock she looked deep inside herself to find that she wasn't mad but actually relieved. Even knowing him for so short a time she couldn't help but feel drawn to him as if a force stronger than them was pushing them together. She made up her mind and dashed off into the night chasing after him in hopes of catching him before he was lost to her forever swallowed up by the night sky.

Next Chapter: Love under the moon Estimated time remaining: 11 Minutes