Celestia's sun is rising on the horizon of what was to be a beautiful morning in the little town of Ponyville as rays of lights were shining through the window of the Golden Oaks Library and disturbing the slumber of the lavender unicorn mare who called the tree house her home.

"Ugh..... a few more minutes princess." the unicorn groaned as she used her blanket to block out the offensive thing that disturbed her from her peaceful realm of dreams.

She was on her way to said realm when she heard a knocking coming from downstairs. She try to just ignore it but found that the incessant pounding continued to prevent her from falling back into a blissful sleep. She sat up in her bed and checked her alarm clock on the nightstand and it showed that it was 4:55 a.m. She headed downstairs to find the unfortunate soul that would feel her wrath for depriving her of sleep.

"I'm coming, I'm coming just hold your horses." the unicorn said, rather annoyed by whoever it was that kept knocking on her door. She was soon down the stairs and in front of the door, she opened it to find a member of the royal guard standing on doorstep.

"Miss Twilight Sparkle, the princess has requested an audience with you and your friends for three this afternoon. She says it's of utmost importance that all of you be there." The guard informed her.

"Did she tell you why we are needed, is there another threat against Equestria that can only be solved with the Elements of Harmony?" Twilight asked, curious as to why Princess Celestia had sent a guard to her home so early in the morning.

"She did not say, but the Elements won't be needed, and as far as I can tell both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna seemed to be very worried when I was summoned so I believe that it is most definitely important." The guard explained.

"Well thank you for delivering this news to me. I'll be sure to gather up the others and inform them on what's going on." The guard saluted after she had thanked him and flew off back to Canterlot. "What's happened to make the princesses so worried that they had sent a guard here so early, yes the train ride to Canterlot is long, but not that long. . . . hmmm, whatever it is I still need to gather up the girls so that we can all be ready to meet them."

About four hours later, after she had woken up her dragon assistance, Spike, and he made them a quick breakfast, Twilight went to go gather the rest of their friends and tell them what the guard had told her and to also to be prepared for anything.

"Wait, so you're saying that whatever the princesses want to tell us involves something that is so dangerous, that even they're freaking out about it?" Twilight's rainbow-maned friend, Rainbow Dash, asked.

"Yes, and that's why we need to make sure that we're already for anything when we go to meet the princesses." Twilight explained.

"But ya feel that something feels a might off about this whole situation? You said it yourself that the princess a guard to deliver that message so early the mornin' was unusual, even for them." The country mare known as Applejack added in.

"But that doesn't change the fact that we need to get ready, in fact it just helps prove the fact that whatever we're going to end up dealing with is something that is important, for all we know the Queen Chrysalis and the changelings could be coming here for another attack after somehow finding out that my brother, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence are now ruling the Crystal Empire." As Twilight mentioned the Queen of the Changelings name she and her six friends all felt a shiver go down their spines as they all recalled the events that had happened a few months ago.

"I don't think it would something like that, but I agree with Twilight. Whatever it is the Princess Celestia and Princess Luna want to tell us must be of vital importance and given that we've received so little information must mean that they must be so worried about whatever it is they're worried about isn't exactly safe." the white unicorn, Rarity, gave her opinion on the matter at hand.

"Um, girls if we want to know what it is that's going on then we should probably start heading towards the train station. The next train is about to arrive and we don't want of miss it if we're going to make the Canterlot in time." Spike pointed out and as soon as he did they all looked towards the clock tower to see that he was right, and headed off to catch the next train headed for Canterlot.

"Sister, please, would stop pacing back and forth you're making me nervous." Princess Luna asked her sister who was pacing about the room with a worried look on her features.

"I can't help it Lulu, I don't know what we're going to do. After all this time I thought that we had seen the last of 'him' after he had escaped from our grasp all those years ago." Princess Celestia said worriedly.

"Yes, I know Tia, but I guess that is somewhat my fault. If I hadn't allowed my jealousy to take a hold of me and turn me into Nightmare Moon, then I wouldn't have sough him out to aid me in my endeavor, and maybe then he wouldn't have been forced to retreat into the amulet and become imprisoned in it." Luna sighed as she remembered her encounter with a certain stallion during her time as Nightmare Moon. "But what done is done and we have to make up for our sins against him, he's an understanding pony, I'm sure he'll listen to what we have to say once he's released from his confinement."

"Even so it's still a long shot, especially if he plans on living up to his threat he had made to Nightmare Moon after he was sealed away." Celestia said, frantic about the situation they found themselves in.

Luna had moved from her position beside the throne and moved over to her sister. She placed a hand onto Celestia's shoulder to calm her down. "But isn't that why so sent for Twilight and her friends, so that he could have somepony to speak to that hasn't met him yet and try to convince him to abandon that way of thinking. Plus I don't believe you're giving Dark Heart enough credit, even after that had happened with us trying to capture him, he still wanted to help me banish Nightmare Moon from my heart and save Equestria." Luna explained.

"Are you sure that that isn't what he wanted you to think Luna, I know he wanted to help protect others which, according to his parents, was the reason he wanted the duty of protecting the Heart of Light and also why he tried to convince us that his black magic wasn't dangerous. But we have no idea how much that could've changed before Nightmare Moon found him and I can't really see anything that would prove that to me." Celestia argued.

"Well I can think of one thing. As you know, Nightmare Moon had went to him the ask for his help and had said that he would be repaid for his efforts, correct?" Luna asked.

"Yes, so what?" Celestia questioned, curious as to what her sister was getting at.

"Well she had hoped to repay him, by promising that he would be finally be respected, even if it was through fear, and that he wouldn't have to hide in the shadows because of his dark power, aaaand....."

"Aaaaand, what? What else could she have had that he might have been persuaded to go against his principles and aid her?" Celestia asked impatiently.

"And she had offered him the chance to be his special somepony and allow to rule by her side as the King of Equestria." Luna had finally finished. The reaction she got from her sister was a little unexpected as Celestia's jaw seemed to touch the floor after hearing the news.

Luna just gave her a quizzical look as she watched the sun goddess stand in that position for thirteen minutes before she decided to knock her out of her stupor. "Equestria to Celestia, you are needed for the release of a one-thousand, nineteen year old unicorn stallion that can wield black magic." She joked as she waved her hands in front of the 'stone goddess'.

Celestia blinked a few times before shaking her head and regaining her composure. "I'm sorry Lulu but I certainly wasn't expecting Nightmare Moon to have chosen him as a special somepony, I guess it's rather unexpected considering everything." Celestia explained.

Luna was about to respond when the throne room doors opened up to reveal that Twilight, Spike, and the rest of their friends had finally arrived. They all quickly made their way into the room, all with the expression that the day princess held just moments ago.

Everypony in the room stood in a deathly silence, the seven friends that had just came into the room were waiting for their rulers and friends to inform them of why they were here, but they were having a hard time trying to piece together what they wanted to tell them what was going on.

"So I take it we're here to hunt down Nightmare Moon's special somepony before he tries to get revenge for her?" Rainbow Dash asked breaking the silence.

"Yes... well that's not necessarily why you've all been summoned here today." Luna stated awkwardly.

"But we heard you mention something about Nightmare Moon having a special somepony that might be try to attack you after being imprisoned, or something like that." the bubbly pink mare, Pinkie Pie, stated.

The other six turned their attention towards her as the sisters glanced to one another, giving each other a wondering look at how the party pony had manage to hear that far back into the conversation for just having walked in not to long ago.
They both turned back towards the group before Princess Celestia continued on.

"Well that isn't the case as Luna has already pointed out but we do require your assistant with a stallion that does indeed have a grudge against us and may try to act upon it." Celestia told the group of friends.

They stole quick glances towards each other, knowing that they had thought their meeting with the princesses may lead to something like this, but they were hoping that it wasn't against some powerful creature after they just finished dealing with King Sombra just a few days ago and were hoping to be able to relax for awhile.

"Why does he have a grudge against you two, and when does he plan on showing up, or do even know when he's suppose to arrive?" Twilight asked.

"That is a long story, but the short version of it is that we had falsely accused him of being too dangerous to be allowed to follow the path that was made apparent to him by his special talent, and he's already here but he's imprison in a powerful artifact, whose abilities rival that of the Elements of Harmony, and that is encased in a shell of crystal from within the crystal caves that you and Cadence had been sent to Twilight." The solar princess answered her most faithful student, and watched as the unicorn shivered from the memory.

"Wait a minute, if he's already imprisoned then why do we need to worry about him attacking?" Applejack asked, confused as to why their princesses were more afraid of a simple stallion more than they were of Discord.

"Because dear Applejack, we plan on releasing him ourselves, so that he may roam free once again." Luna stated.

"WHAT!!?" the group shouted.

"Excuse me for saying this princess, but are you loco in the coco? Why would you release somepony that clearly has it out for you?" Pinkie Pie asked as shocked as the rest of her friends.

"It's just as we said before we wronged him and now we hope to make it up to Dark Heart now that we've found him after a thousand years." Celestia said calmly.

"But even so don't you think it's more than a little dangerous to let him out if he wants to harm you, what's there to stop him from just killing both of you as soon as he's out, and why we were called here if this Dark Heart is so evil?" Spike asked frantically.

"Dark Heart isn't evil and the fact that you think so now without even meeting him means that you're making the same mistake that we made the last time we had seen him. He's just misunderstood and his ways are a little strange, but we assure you that he had a good heart, he did try to fight off Nightmare Moon all by himself, even after we tried to hunt him down. As for the reason you were all called here is because, he's been trapped in a crystal for a thousand years and is going to need help adjusting to modern pony society, as well as if he should attack either of us we are going to need ponies that he doesn't know to convince him that our apology holds truth in it." Luna said, defending their reasoning as well as Dark Heart's image.

"Still there are all of the-" Rarity tried to argue further before she was interrupted by Princess Celestia.

"That's enough, we're going to free Dark Heart no matter the reasons there maybe not to. He's suffered torment by being snuck in his prison and deserves to be set free and whether or not you all decide to help is completely up to to you, but if you really wish for the worse to not happen, then I would advise you agree to our plan and assist us." Celestia said sternly.

In that moment the group silenced their protest and had decided to stay and help them calm down Dark Heart the moment he turned hostile towards them.

"We'll help way we can Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, but do you honestly believe that we can stop him from doing anything drastic?" Twilight asked cautiously.

"I do my student, trust me when the time comes you'll know what needs to be done to revert him back to the unicorn he was, and hopefully still is. Guards bring in the artifact!" Celestia ordered.

As soon as she gave the order, doors behind the group made up of ponies and a dragon and several pegasus and unicorn guards came in carry a gigantic crystal, that had somehow been formed into the shape of a heart, and was placed in the center of the room on top of a pedestal that been placed there beforehand.

The mares and dragon all examined the crystal closely for anything out of the ordinary when they spotted a necklace in the center of it and even though there was a thick layer of the crystal had formed around it they could feel a strong energy flowing from it.

"So how do you plan on getting him out Princess Celestia?" the shy pink maned pegasus, Fluttershy, asked.

The answer she got she got was Princess Celestia giving Luna a quick nod and signaling her to begin. Luna walked up to the crystal and shut her eyes for a few seconds before reopening them to reveal the slitted pupils that had belonged to Nightmare Moon and the midnight blue aura of her magic turned black. She started the dark energy into the crystal to allow it to flow into the amulet that was embedded in it, in hopes that it would give Dark Heart the power he needed to break free of his crystalline prison. The response she got seemed to be immediate as the amulet had start pulsing with a black glow signaling it's acceptance to the black magic that continued to flow inside it, and it only got stronger as more power was poured into it. The glow started to become brighter as cracks appeared within the crystal and allowed some of the excess energy pour out through said cracks and help aid the one they were trying to help to continue breaking from his imprisonment. As the cracks turned to gashes and they turned into splits within the crystal , everypony began to become antsy and impatient waiting for Dark Heart to finally break free and Princess Luna was beginning to feel the strain of pouring some much of her magical energy into the Heart of Light and was on the verge of collapsing, but couldn't felling as though she owed him this, that she had to put everything she had into destroying the prison that her evil alter ego had made a thousand years ago and that she couldn't stop until it was done. As to answer her efforts the dark magic began to engulf what was left of the crystal and cut off Luna's stream with it now running on a new source, a stronger source, as the dark energy had sent off an intense wave of the same energy and releasing a blinding light to everypony in the room.

When the light had finally dissipated, and their eyes were cleared of the spots that had been left there by it, the group of ponies that were in the room looked to where the crystal had been to see that a cloaked stallion in its place, hunched over and breathing heavily. They had all stared at him for a few moments before the sisters spoke up.

"Dark Heart.... is that you, are you okay?" Princess Celestia asked, worried for the unicorn.

He didn't seem to have had registered her voice as he still hunched over over on the floor.

"Please say something so that we know that you're still you. Please just give us a sign that you're the Dark Heart that we remember from Neighburg." Luna spoke to him and this time he seemed to have picked up on it as his ears perked up.

It was a few moments before everypony finally heard him speak, but not in the tone that they were hoping to hear it in. "So the two of have the gall to release me from my long imprisonment and expect me to act like the same unicorn that you saw back at that damn town that dared call me a monster? Do you think I'm fucking stupid to believe that I can trust you after everything both of you put me through, especially you Luna and that damn alter ego yours, Nightmare Bitch."

Everypony took a step back from him as he stood up and was speaking in his demonic tone conveying all of the anger and hatred he was feeling towards the royal sisters.

"Dark Heart please hear us out, we don't want to bring you any harm any more than we already have and in fact want to remedy the pain we caused to you." Luna pleaded.

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that? I know that a time travel spell has been discovered to send me back home, crap I don't even know if my parents are still alive, though I suppose it would help to know exactly how long I've imprisoned in that accursed amulet." Dark Heart growled at the princess of the night.

"We're begging you Dark Heart, please listen the reason. We know of the power that you possess and that it's been increased from the last time we had seen you, even if we wanted to take your away your dark power we would be unable to." Celestia begged him.

"Give me a reason why I should actually listen to either of you instead of making the two of you suffer the same way I have this whole time." Dark Heart demanded.

"If you want a reason, I can give you one. How would take to the fact that the princesses were scared out of their wits when we came here to help them. Or how about the fact that when they told us about you and how you hold a grudge against them and we bad mouthed about you that they were there to defend your image and made you out to be a kind pony that puts the needs of others before his own, what do you think about that?" Rainbow chimed in, figuring that now was a good time to calm down the maniac, but quickly shrunk back when he turned his fiery glare to the daredevil.

"Is that so, well how about you share with me what exactly they've told you about me then." Dark Heart said with malice dripping from his words.

"W- w- w- well they've told us that you had tried to save Equestria from Nightmare Moon a- a- and turn Pri- Prin- Princess Luna back to her former self k- k- k- knowing that you were strong enough to kill her and that you had turned down her offer to let you rule Equestria by her side and be respected the rest of history." Rainbow Dash stuttered as Dark Heart continued staring her down and sapping away all of her confidence.

"Y- y-y- y- yeah and that they did you a horrible injustice by claiming that you were too dangerous to live among other ponies and tried to take you away from the live had and felt guilty that they had caused you to run away from your life and your family." Rarity worked up the courage to speak as well, but was met with the hateful stare as her rainbow maned friend.

"They told you that they felt guilty for claiming that I was too dangerous to live among other ponies, hmmm? Well let me tell you something my dear; they lied to you, they lied to all of you. They didn't come to my home town to hunt me down because I was too dangerous to live among other ponies, no they came to my home because they were afraid of my dark magic and thought that it had corrupted my mind and my heart while I was in the middle of fighting a dragon that had came to kill me, take my family's most protected heirloom, and was terrorizing my classmates, the same ponies that had taunted me since I was but a foal, and all while I was only but a sixteen year colt that had barely obtained a cutie mark just months prior to the events." Dark Heart told the rest of the occupants in the room.

They were trying to process all of the information that he had given them as well as trying to come to a decision on whether or not if what he was saying was true, but a quick glance over to the princesses seemed to be all the answer they needed.

"Why would you attack a teenager just because he has black magic? Yes I know it's dangerous, but still did he really do anything that bad to permit such a punishment?" Twilight asked her mentor.

"No, no he didn't, and we both have deeply regretted it everyday since then and as we said to you all before we have been hoping to find him again one day and make amends. I don't know what had lead me to believe that he would still be alive after all these years, but there isn't a day that has gone by when I'm not thinking about everything we've done to you, DarkHeart." Came Celestia's answer.

By this point it seemed that Dark Heart had calmed down enough to where he was now willing to listen to the princesses, of course that wasn't until after he saw how quickly the group of friends turned on their rulers once he had told them the truth and accepting the fact that he possesses dark magic.

"Wait a minute, none of you mind the fact that I can wield dark magic?" Dark Heart asked, shocked at how they all seem to accept it without any coaxing or having to prove it to them.

"But of course, although we've had dealings with a unicorn named King Sombra that had used his to torment of enslave the ponies of the crystal empire, it doesn't mean that every unicorn who uses it is bad and Twilight here is a prime example of that." Rarity said gesturing to the lavender unicorn.

"I don't think I could used as an example since I've only used it for small things and I wouldn't have even known how to use it if Princess Celestia hadn't shown me." Twilight explained. Dark Heart went wide-eyed fro moment at hearing that the solar goddess that was scared of the dark power had thought another to use it as well. Though he was shocked to hear this, he was also a bit angry with the princess because he believes that she may not understand it as well as she thinks she does.

"Princess Celestia I seriously hope you didn't teach to her without some kind of mental and emotional evaluation to make sure that she wasn't corruptible, because even if she never uses it again the power of the darkness can still creep up into your heart and turn you into a pony like Sombra. Though maybe you already know that after seeing Luna turn into Nightmare Moon..... and don't bother telling me she became like that because of her jealousy. Yes it was definitely a contributing factor, it was the fact that Luna blindly allowed that darkness in her heart takeover is the main thing that did it seeing as it's what is needed to unleash such power." Dark Heart lectured her.

"I didn't do one at the time, but seeing as though she is my personal student and have taught her everything she knows as well as the fact that her special talent is in magic I knew that she would okay when it came to actually utilizing it." Celestia stated confidently.

Dark Heart looked at her with bemusement as she praised the young unicorn, well she was probably older than him in terms of age because all the time spent in that amulet meant that he didn't age since being imprisoned and. . . . he remembered that was one thing he as yet to ask since he was released. He needed to know just how long he was trapped inside of there so that he could figure out the fate of his parents.

"Princess Celestia, before we continue on any further there's something that I need to know." he asked seriously.

"What is it?" Celestia, curious as to what his curiosity has brought to his attention.

"I need to know how long I've been trapped inside that crystal as well as what has happened to my parents?" Dark Heart asked, hoping that he hasn't actually been trapped for too long.

Everypony, and dragon, in the room started shifting around on their feet as he looked to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna for an answer but was quickly becoming worried as they stalled to answer his question as they too were shifting around nervously and looking worriedly at each other.

"Well Dark Heart, you see you've stuck in there for about. . . a thousand years." Celestia answered but the her answer was barely audible.

"What was that?"

"I said you've stuck in there for a thousand years." She said, this time bringing her voice to whisper that was still wasn't quite loud enough for him to hear.

Dark Heart was already to grow impatient as the princess kept saying her answer in a tone that he could barely hear. "Stop stalling and just give it to me straight! How. Long. Have. I. Been. Trapped. In. There!?" He growled at her.

"You've been sealed in there for just over a thousand years Dark Heart, and your parents have long been gone from the realm of the living." Princess Luna finally told him seeing that her sister couldn't.

Dark Heart, upon hearing this, collapsed to the floor onto his hands and knees in shock, I've been stuck in there for a thousand years? That means that everything I knew is long gone. He thought as he tried recompose himself but failing to do so as the thought that he wouldn't be able to keep the promise, he had made to both himself and his parents, to find them and apologize for causing them so much pain and grieve before he had ran away when he was sealed within the amulet. Twilight, upon seeing his distress decided to walk up and knelt down next to him to put a comforting hand over his shoulder.

"It's alright Dark Heart, I know that must have wanted to see your parents more than anything once you got out, and I know that learning that you've been gone for a thousand years, but I'm sure that no matter how things ended between the three of you that they loved you till the end. Would I be right Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked her mentor and trying to comfort the depressed unicorn.

"Yes, she is right Dark Heart. Even after you had left they still loved you and they told us to not look for you, confident that their son would one day return to them. Plus they did leave something behind for you before they died." She told with a smile causing Dark Heart to look up at her with bloodshot, and teary eyes.

"And what would that be?" Dark Heart asked having reverted back to his old voice and softer tone.

"Weeeell..... your mother had informed us about five months after you had left......that she was pregnant." Celestia said finding it difficult to contain her excitement.

"What!? You're telling that I had a sibling?" Dark Heart asked, not expecting that sort of news.

"Actually you would've had two if you had returned, but I'm not telling you this to further depress you. In fact quite the opposite, because you see, not only did they tell them of your life, but they eventually had children of their who also had heard of your escapades. Even now you have great nieces and nephews who have heard of the wonderful things you've done and I'm pretty sure would love to meet their great uncle." Celestia tried to lift up his spirits.

And yet again Dark Heart was stunned into silence over the news he had heard but this time it didn't last nearly as long as the first time.

"I'm glad to hear that your family lineage hasn't ended with me but maybe it would be best if they didn't know that I'm alive. I don't want them to know of the burden of carry the Heart and there's also considering the fact that I don't think it would be a good idea to go walking out in the open without being accustomed to the ways of this time." Dark Heart stated as he picked himself up off the ground and looked to the princesses with a serious expression, but the glimmer in his eyes betrayed the fact that inside he was as happy as can be about having nieces and nephews that had been told stories of his life and was probably looked up to like a hero to them, but alas with his as the Guardian of the Heart he felt as though he would put them in danger if he was around them.

That would be especially true if that damn coward of dragon, Spirit was still around and had found out that he was still alive. He would be quick ay trying to get his revenge and I wouldn't forgive myself should any of them get hurt because of me. He thought as ideas of what his future may look like in this new time might be like.

"Well Dark Heart if you're up to it, that is also the other reason why I've brought my student and her friends here. You see they represent the Elements of Harmony; which are six powerful artifacts that have been used to protect Equestria from threats such as Nightmare Moon and Discord, twice; and the things the concepts of what it takes to be true friends. They were the ponies, excluding Spike, that turned Luna back to her old self and have also been helping her become accustomed to how our modern culture now works and now, if you want, they can help you as well. Though I believe that you may fare a bit better than my sister has for the past couple of years." Princess Celestia whispered that last part, earning her a chuckle from him and a glare from Luna.

"Yeah I guess I would be up for that I don't want to do anything to make ponies afraid of me because I did something that's not culturally or socially acceptable." Dark Heart said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oooooh I can throw a super special 'Released from a Thousand Year Imprisonment and Welcome to Ponyville' party." Pinkie Pie squealed excitedly.

"You sure you can fit that all on one banner Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash asked her bubbly friend.

"Of course I can, I can do anything that I put my mind to when it comes to planning parties." Pinkie answered.

"Well darling, you should probably do it after I he gets some new clothes. I could only imagine how filthy his current outfit must be. Better yet, Dark Heart, darling, would you mind coming by my boutique after we get back to Ponyville so I can get your measurements?" Rarity asked, getting Dark Heart's attention.

"Measurements, for what?" He asked with a raised brow.

"So that I can get make clothes that fit you properly." she explained

"Thanks, but no thanks, I'm perfectly fine with what I'm wearing and if I want new clothes then I'll make them myself." he responded.

"Why not just let her make you a new outfit or two, contrary to what you may believe Rarity can make more than just dresses, she'd be more than capable of making something that you may like." Twilight chimed in.

"That's not why I don't want her to make them for me. The reason I would rather make them is because the clothes I have on have an enchantment on them that must be put into the fabric before it's sewn together and I'm the only one who knows how to cast it plus I need a specially made fabric which is, again, one that only I can make to project the enchantment on." Dark Heart explained.

Everypony in the room just raised an eyebrow incredulously at him in disbelief of his statement. Dark Heart saw this and gave a roll of the eyes and a few headshakes as his response, not really caring that they didn't believe him. Before making his way to the group and out the throne room. When the others saw that he wasn't stopping they went to catch up with him and leaving the princesses alone.

"Do you believe that he can help sister?" Luna asked still looking down the corridor in which the group had left.

"I think the real question is will he choose to help us when the time comes?" Celestia asked with worried filled eyes.