‘We interrupt the regularly scheduled programming for this urgent report. Two hours ago, the First National Bank of Desgrade City had been compromised by the criminal group known as The Shroud. The only available security footage shows five armed men wearing masks and sunglasses entering the bank. Official reports state that the gang made off with better than forty million dollars.

Aside from witness testimony, the only physical evidence that they were present at the incident was is the small sculpture that the leader of the gang leaves. This calling card has given the leader the moniker ‘Shadow Star.’ Currently, the group’s whereabouts remains unknown and police encourage any citizens with information...’

The report fades as the man watching it turns off the television it was on. He couldn’t help but smile, finding the humor in the criminal of the most brilliant heist of his career watching his own news report. He turned to the window overlooking Desgrade City, catching his reflection in the glass.

He saw a young looking man looking back at him. His long, black, unkempt hair partially hid his deep turquoise eyes. Shadow snorted at nothing in particular as he looked down at the streets below.

As a pair of police cars rolled by, he couldn’t help but smile, glad to be above all those smug self righteous people scurrying about below. Here he was, comfortably relaxing after only forty minutes of ‘work’ in one of the most luxurious suites in Desgrade City. He could’ve hid in an abandoned warehouse or a condemned building, but he felt such clichés were strictly for Saturday morning cartoons.

No, for him and his gang, the penthouse of the Garland Hotel would do nicely. Even without the classical Greek style support pillars and the picturesque view, it had the advantage of being centrally located in the business sector and anyplace worth robbing. The fact that it was made available due to the generosity of a Mr. Robert Whitehead, who was currently on vacation in Malibu for the foreseeable future on a business deal and blissfully unaware of the current goings on in Desgrade, made it all the more enjoyable. After all, who would be looking for a group of thieves lurking in the one most luxurious and expensive apartments in the Desgrade city?

Shadow sat at the large leather office chair behind the mahogany desk in the office area. In front of him sat various blueprints of the building they had just visited. Lying directly on top thrown about haphazardly were the trenchcoat and ski mask that had been used in the robbery, along with a holstered .9 mm Beretta.

A knock pierced the silence of the office area. “Enter,” Shadow called, the door opening on his request.

It revealed a tall kid that looked barely out of his teens. He wouldn’t have been out of place on a basketball court somewhere. However, that did nothing to change the fact that he was the current technical whiz of the gang. Due to his skills, The Shroud stayed where it liked to be: in the shadows.They called him ‘Gizmo,’ however his real name escaped Shadow at the moment.

“Just finished the count out there and we hit the jackpot! We cleared over forty mil!”

Shadow gave a low whistle. “Even better than I originally thought,” he admitted.

“The others are in the mood to celebrate, but wanted to wait to hear from you first.”

“You know, Giz,” Shadow said standing, “I do believe a celebration is in order. It’s not every day we pull of heists of this magnitude.”

Gizmo gave a half smile, opening the door for Shadow into the living area of the apartment. It was a large spacious area, filled with long white leather sofas surrounding a wide screened TV. On the far end of the room, an electric fire roared in silent merriment while sending spurts of false flames dancing along the nonexistent logs. To the right of the room, the sun shone through the wall wide panoramic window painting the white room in the colors of the failing light.

However, all this was large coffee table lying between the numerous couches and the television, piled several inches high with stacks of paper. Approaching the table in question, he immediately recognized the papers as dollar bills, set in stacks of twenties, fifties, and hundreds. Picking up a stack of them, he ran his thumb through them, the paper stiff in his fingers.

Turning to the other members of his gang, they surrounded him looking at him with something that resembled admiration. They all wore dark slacks and shirts, the trench coats they wore earlier laying about the couches in various rumpled states. The guns they had used were leaning on behind one of the couches, however they still wore their shoulder holsters with their handguns still in them.

Undoubtedly they had been chatting about the high points of their latest escapade. Now, out of respect and admiration for their leader, they stood and were silent in his presence. Shadow flashed a smile at them.

“Gentlemen, this is not the highpoint of our career. This is just the beginning. From here, our schemes shall only be more profitable for us. Tonight though-” he paused, grabbing a filled champagne glass from a serving tray that had been placed nearby, the other following his example “-we celebrate, but first a question: Who are we?”

“The necessary evil,” his gang chanted, their voices harmonious due to practice.

“And why are we necessary?” Shadow asked, knowing the answer as well as they.

“To bring balance to the one constant of this world.”

“And what is that one constant? What is the one thing that, no matter what age we enter will, always be there?”

“Money!” the gang finished, raising their glasses.

“Couldn’t have stated it better myself,” Shadow said, raising his own glass and draining the contents.

---

The celebration had been cheerful. Various platters of food were scattered about the room, champagne bottles laid opened, music played from a player somewhere, and the members of The Shroud laid in varying states of consciousness. Some laid comfortably on the couches with a limb hanging here or there, others laid hanging half-on the floor, while one laid soundly asleep on the floor firmly gripping the bottle of champagne he had been drinking like a stuffed toy.

Shadow looked upon them, a mixture of amusement and pride going through him. Although he was glad his gang could take moments like this to relax, they still had a tendency to go overboard with it. Giving his head a small shake in bemusement, he turned to face the city outside the window.

Even though the sky was dark, the city wasn’t. It thrummed with it’s own heartbeat of lights and sound unheard behind the soundproof windows. He looked out upon it, not quite feeling that same sense of satisfaction that he had felt earlier. Absentmindedly, he took a swig from the champagne bottle he held in his fist.

“Hey, Boss,” Gizmo said, his voice slurring slightly.

“Hmmm?”

“Sorry ‘bout interruptin’ but I got a list of other targets we could hit. Just need you to okay them.”

Shadow turned around to face the younger member, seeing him sway slightly as though he were being pushed in an non existent breeze. “You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?” he asked, though he knew the answer. In response, Gizmo grinned slightly. “How much?”

“Enough to notice, but not enough to rob me of my facilities.”

Shadow nodded in acquiescence. If he could use a word like ‘facilities’ in a sentence correctly, he was sober enough. “Come over here a moment, I want to show you something.”

Gizmo approached his steps surprising more surefooted than what he had been showing earlier. After a moment of looking out the window, he asked, “What am I looking for?”

“Just look out there and tell me what you see.”

After a moment of contemplation, Gizmo answered, “Desgrade City nightlife.”

“You know what I see?” Shadow asked rhetorically, “I see all the smug rich snobs in their fancy cars with their fat wallets.”

“Yeah, I still remember the way they looked at us when we got here about a year ago.”

“Oh, that was just the opening number. You have no idea what it’s really like,” Shadow said, swirling the bottle in his hand, “Did I ever tell you how I got into this?”

“If you did, I can’t remember,” Gizmo admitted.

“Well, believe it or not I had a relatively happy childhood. It lasted all of about five years before my parents died in a freak car crash. After that, things went downhill.”

Silence stretched between them before Gizmo spoke again. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I must be more drunk than I thought because I find I don’t mind so much right now,” Shadow said, waiting a moment to curb the anger he felt at these memories, “There is a system for looking out for orphans, but that’s the problem. It’s just what it is: a system. It consists of forms and copies and names you forget minutes after they’re said. Some of the luckier ones get tapped out of the system more or less, but for the rest of us puppies at the pound life becomes one big hard lesson about how to take care of yourself-because there’s no one around who cares enough about you to do it for you.

“So, after several years of abuse and failed adoptions, I finally grew up enough to walk out of that system-” he spat the word venomously, a few rebellious tears straining at his eyes “-and I never looked back.”

“Damn, boss,” Gizmo stated, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault and besides, I’ve since come to terms with it. And because of that, I am the man I am today.”

“How do ya mean?”

“Well, after a few months of surviving, I decided it wasn’t enough. If the world was going to fight me, I was going to fight back. I started off small, worked my way up, more people got involved, now…”

“We are The Shroud,” Gizmo finished.

“Yep,” he said, placing the bottle down, “Now, The Shroud has over three hundred members organized in about twenty five smaller groups. Some legacy.”

“Hey, you alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” Shadow stated, “I get pensive from time to time. It’ll pass. Perhaps we could buy something expensive tomorrow. That’ll cheer me up.”

“If we’re going for preference, I vote for a Lamborghini.”

“Perhaps,” Shadow said with a smile, “you were saying something about targets?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve compiled a list of suitable targets,” Gizmo said, going through the folder he had been holding and pulling out a sheet from it, “I personally recommend the one listed at the top.”

After reading the name, Shadow lifted an eyebrow at Gizmo. “Museums aren’t generally our kinds heists.”

“That’s part of the beauty of it. Most of the pieces there are donated from private collections so the already rich can write it off on their taxes. Some of those pieces go up into the millions.”

“That kind of heist makes fencing the goods impossible.”

“True, but the museum in question has this special collection with various newly discovered artifacts. Mostly it has tablets and weapons, but the centerpiece of the collection is this antique puzzle box.”

Shadow had to admit, he was intrigued by this particular line of thought. Imagining the looks of those rich fat cats faces when they’d pull it off alone was enough to justify the heist. “Out of curiosity, what is in that puzzle box?”

“That’s the thing, no one knows,” Gizmo admitted, “All they got now is guesses. I’ve done some research and found out that there is one guy who’d be willing to buy the collection, but especially the puzzle box, and assure that ‘no questions would be asked.’”

Shadow took the folder into his grasp, finding the corresponding blueprints. “I’m going to say you’ve had a look at the security system.”

“Indeed,” Gizmo affirmed, “it’s tough, but not invulnerable. We could do it with as little as a two man crew.”

Shadow began looking through various memorandums and schedules and found a window of opportunity. “Good work, Gizmo. Let’s get to work on this.”

“Right, boss!”

After collecting up various pieces of equipment, Shadow walked stealthily past his resting men and made his way to the hallway. Another perk of being this high up on the ‘economic ladder’ was the fact that one had access to certain things without question that would otherwise be suspicious; such as a private elevator with rooftop access.Giving no thought to how he appeared to the nonexistent neighbors, he entered the elevator and pressed the button leading to the roof.

Reaching the roof, he stepped off the elevator, ignoring the biting of the cold wind as it blew around him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wished that he had a trenchcoat or a cape to billow in the wind. However, as a professional, he knew that such things were impractical in his line of work, cool visual effect or no. Clearing his mind of all thoughts, he approached the edge of the rooftop staring down from the edge.

Taking a breath to steel himself, he ran through various checklists in his head, making certain that he was ready. Tightening the black backpack onto himself so it would not jostle, he took several measured steps backwards, ran for the ledge and leapt.

Making a controlled landing on the adjacent rooftop, he quickly fell into a familiar rhythm. He could openly admit that he was grateful to the orphan system for only one thing: freerunning. While attending school, he had discovered this practice watching some of the other kids performing it. Joining the others in their participation of it, he was quick to learn pick up the idea that would eventually become his philosophy of life: Regardless of what obstacles appear, keep your flow moving forward.

---

The museum laid below, taking the space of a city block. Various windows lined the sides, allowing for sunlight to filter through in the daytime hours and ‘ambiance’ through in the afternoon. To some, it would sit like a glistening jewel in a concrete jungle. To Shadow, it looked like a sitting duck.

Glancing at his watch, he read 2:15am off the face. In truth, he was a little surprised he had arrived as quickly as he had. Truly, it was a testament to his physical fitness. It left him time to recheck the contents of his bag and go over the details once more in his head.

As various thoughts whirled about his head with an unmatched clarity, one in particular stood out amongst the rest: He wasn’t satisfied. He had everything a man like him could want: money, power, loyalty from his followers, and fear from his enemies. In spite of this though, he was denied the one thing he truly wanted: a normal life.

While he had told the truth to Gizmo earlier, he hadn’t told him all of it. What Shadow had failed to tell him was that he hated what he had become. Every decision he had made was a choice of either surviving or going back into the system. Even those in the system with the best of intentions were torturing with false hopes and shattered dreams, those who cared that was.

So from that tragedy, the thief Shadow Star had been born. Yet, in that thief was a just a lonely orphan who only wanted a family to love him. An orphan who still laid awake at nights, wondering if there were some way to change his stars.

Shadow rubbed the shades of tears from his eyes. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. He was unable to change the past and the world was a place of unanswered prayers and unfulfilled wishes. This is my life, he thought with finality, perhaps not the one I wanted, but it is mine. Best to just live with it and move on.

His earpiece cracked to life. “Shadow, do you read?”

“Loud and clear, Gizmo,” he answered.

“The way is clearing. I repeat, the way is clearing. Good hunting.”

Shadow smiled at the words. Pulling a cable launcher from the bag, he inserts a hooked bolt into it, launching it and the cable it had been tied to across the way. Seeing the line stop progressing, he tied it off at his end, creating a makeshift zipline. Pulling an I-beam clamp out, he secured it onto the line, replaced the bag onto his back, and sent himself hurtling into space.

He had to admit, he always wondered what it would be like to physically fly. Seeing as this would be as close as he would get, he enjoyed every adrenaline filled second of his speedy descent to the next roof. Reaching his destination, he released himself from the line and made his way to the adjacent skylight.

Looking down to the floor below, Shadow could see only darkness with light streaking across the patterned tiles. However, being a professional thief, he knew better. Placing a pair of infrared goggles onto his eyes, the night came to life in visible light. He could see everything that had once been darkened, including the alarm beams that were blocking the skylight.

Shadow had to admit, next to the zipline he loved this part of the job the most. Using a gadget Gizmo had developed, Shadow rigged the laser so it would bounce back on itself and leave the skylight free to descend. Setting his rigging, he leapt into the opening, the ropes and pulleys pulling tight as they slowed his descent to the floor. He touched down, feeling safe in the knowledge that a museum wouldn’t have the funds for a floor pressure sensors. Instead they would have guards and patrols, both of which were easily avoidable. Making his way to the main exhibition room, using the map and guard schedule he had memorized from the packet Gizmo had given him. He couldn’t help but silently snicker as the thought of the guards and museum director’s hard work being undone by two people.

Reaching the main display room, he entered like a king in his palace, knowing that his ski mask would hide his identity even if Gizmo was slacking off. He strode to the center of the room, stepping over the velvet ropes that kept the crowds at arm's length. Lowering his stature, he gazed upon the object inside the glass security case with scrutiny.

Inside the case, kept away from the touch of hundreds of spectators, was the puzzle box the whole exhibit had been based on. It stood about ten inches high, giving the appearance that it gleaming in the light the podium offered. The fact it was made from a golden colored metal didn’t hurt either.

Wasting no time, Shadow pulled another gadget from his pack, using it to decode the glass container so he could remove it without setting off the alarm. He set it on the ground beside him, looking at the box as he knelt. With the ease of practice, he reached into his pack and pulled a small square, statuette of a white star surrounded by a dark field; his calling card.

Placing it in his hand, he positioned it so he could place it in the path of the laser beam that rested on the puzzle box. He knew that he had a gadget that would allow him to easily perform this, but this wasn’t about that. He felt like a jungle cat crouched over its unwary prey, ready to pounce. Even though a fatal slip could mean his failure and possible capture, he reveled in the thrill and suspense of the moment. Without a second to hesitate, he made his move.

He waited a moment, then two. Realizing the alarms wouldn’t sound, he placed the metal puzzle box on the ground and replaced the glass container it once rested inside. Removing the decoder, he lifted the puzzle box and placed it into his pack.

“Shadow…” Gizmo voice sounded on the headset.

“This better be important,” Shadow stated, his whisper stating his earnestness.

“A pair of guards are on their way!”

“That qualifies,” Shadow stated, “Patch me to the driver.”

A brief switch to static sounded, before a voice sounded, “Yo!”

“This is Shadow. I’m up the creek and need a paddle. Rendevous to Point Gamma in two minutes.”

“Roger and mind the first step. It’s a lulu.”

Shadow briefly considered questioning this before realizing he had more important things to tend to. Making his way to the skylight he had entered from and pulled himself back up the ropes. Grabbing his every bit of equipment he could, he heard the silent night air pierced by the sound of an alarm.

Ignoring the shrill sound of the ringing bell, he sliced the zipline and used it to swing to a lower portion of the building he had come from. As he landed, the museum was lit in more lights than a neighborhood on Christmas. He checked his watch, seeing only a mattress truck as it slid into the point where his getaway driver would be. Checking his watch, he noted that it was right on the mark, so taking a chance he leapt and fell with a soft whumpf as he hit the featherbeds.

“Good evening, Mister Shadow. Name’s Hotshot and I’m your chauffeur for the evenin’. Just lay back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”

Shadow shook his head to clear the stray thoughts from his landing before a single question popped into his mind: “A mattress truck?”

“All I could find on short notice,” Hotshot stated with a shrug, “You complaining?”

Not having any response, Shadow laid back and allowed his wind to catch up with him.

---

“I am so... SO sorry about that,” Gizmo stated for what must’ve been the tenth time on Shadow’s arrival, “They must’ve slipped through a gap in the video feed that I missed.”

“All that matters is that we came out ahead,” Shadow stated, patting the sack, “Make sure that Hotshot puts that mattress truck somewhere unobtrusive, preferably the other side of town. Afterwards, hit the sack, you had a busy night. However-” his face became one of sternness “-what happened tonight must never, NEVER happen again.”

Seeing Gizmo nod, Shadow headed for his room, placing the sack upon his desk. Noticing the bottle of champagne where he had left it, he took a huge swig from it, quickly gaining a buzz from the contents. Looking out at the starry blanket that was the night sky, he noticed one particularly bright star twinkling in the sky. He fully realized that wishing upon stars was a childish notion, but there were some habits you just didn’t break.

Deciding to have a better look at what he had stolen, he pulled it from the bag it was in, noticing as a piece of parchment came fluttering out alongside of it. Tilting his head in curiosity, wondering where it had even come from in the first place, he lifted it between his fingers and turned it over a few times. He was sure that it hadn’t been there before in the museum, if it were somebody would have picked it up before it was in the display case. Seeing a bit of writing, he began to read it.

To whom it may concern,

I see that you have my box. How you came to acquire it I'll probably never know, but what matters is this: to date, no one has ever solved this box and I have my doubts that you will be able to. However, I am always up to be proven wrong. Solve the box’s riddles and claim the prize, if you can

Yours

P.C

Normally wording like this wouldn't phase Shadow, however in his half drunk state he took offence to someone he never met pretty much calling him stupid.

"No one has solved you, huh?” he asked the box, scanning it ‘s features. “Should probably amend that to until today." As he was scanning the box, he felt a series of panels move in his fingers. Looking at it carefully, he noticed it was three circular plates, one inside the other. Looking at the note again, he noticed something a tad odd about it. Shrugging he began turning the plates, noticing they were forming patterns as he turned. He slightly expected this, however e was looking for one particular pattern. As the plates formed a picture of two winged and horned horses chasing a sun and a moon, the box clicked and the opposite side opened.

“Well, so much for step one,” he said smugly to no one, “now let’s see about the rest.”

Turning the box over he saw another set of revolving plates, however these were simpler than the previous ones. Unfortunately, they also had more complex pictures in them. Shadow smiled, not wanting the challenge to be too easy. Having a look at the lid, he noticed that it had engraving in it. This wasn’t what surprised him so much as was the fact he could read it. Shrugging it off in his half drunk state, he read the first ‘riddle’ of the box.

I am here all the time,

Even if you can not see me,

I appear to be as big as a dime,

I am able to do something different,

But closer than another galaxy,

I am important in your life,

In more than just a couple ways.

What am I?

Shadow gave it some thought and began turning the plates. He turned them until he found what he sought: the image of a sun. As soon as he placed it on the indention on the box, he heard the click of a lock being undone. Shadow smiled. The riddle wasn’t that hard in and of itself, but he had to think carefully about the last two lines. Going to the next riddle, he read:

Though it may not be the day

You can see me from far away

I shine so bright

but do not give light

What am I?

Shadow scratched his head on this one before turning his head to the window. He stared blankly at the night sky, watching as the moon made its path for the horizon. Suddenly, inspiration hit him like a crack of thunder. Although the moon gave light at night, it produced none of its own. Apparently, he had paid attention that day in school as well. Turning the next set of plates to a moon symbol, he heard the click of another lock being undone. Not wasting time, he read the next one:

I cost nothing,

But am worth everything

I weigh nothing but can last a lifetime

I am what no one man can own,

but two or more can share

What am I?

Shadow had to admit, this one had him stumped a bit. For the life of him, Shadow couldn’t think of anything he could share without owning himself. Then there were the first two lines, something that was worth everything yet cost nothing. In his lifetime, Shadow learned that nothing cost nothing. Taking another drink of champagne, he let his mind wander to figure out this brainbuster of a riddle.

Then Shadow’s mind thought back onto when he had entered the underground garage of the building, seeing Gizmo standing there with his proverbial hat in his hand. After he apologized the first time, Gizmo admitted that he not only saw Shadow as a boss and leader, but also as a friend. At the time, Shadow didn’t know how to take it. He merely accepted it in silence, not having the heart to tell the kid that in this business, you didn’t have friends; only assets and liabilities.

Yet upon thinking about it, he had seen enough of friendship to know that it fit the requirements of the riddle. Slowly he turned the tumblers until he hit upon an image of two horses holding each others hooves. As soon as he set it, another lock clicked open. Focusing on the last riddle, he read:

My first repels melancholy,‏

My second can cure atrophy‏

My third brings aid gallantly‏

My fourth may glow iridescently‏

My final ends the start of a catastrophe‏

What Am I?

Foolishly I thought the last riddle was the hardest, he thought ruefully. He racked his brain trying to figure it out, taking to doodling on a sheet of paper. Amongst his doodlings, he noticed that he had written the last words of each line of the riddle:

Melancholy

Atrophy

Gallantly

Iridescently

Catastrophe

Looking at it for several moments, he blinked and began scratching out letters. After he had finished, the word he was left in read: MAGIC.

He sat and stared at it for several moments before looking at the champagne bottle again, noticing it was mostly empty. He threw the rest of the content away, deciding he had had enough for one night. He must’ve been drunk if he decided the word ‘Magic’ was the answer. Thinking that he might stumble across it, he began turning the plates. He passed several images before he saw one particular one come into view: two six pointed stars, one sitting atop the other and making a whole. For some reason he could not fathom, he placed it upon the indentation, marvelling as the last lock undid itself.

He stared at the box in wonderment. In the past two days, he had stolen forty million dollars, stolen a priceless artifact from one of the biggest museums in town, and cracked a possibly millennia old puzzle box that everyone else had failed to. Not a bad day’s work, he thought with a smile as he opened the box, curious as to what had been laying in here for that long. What he saw made his jaw drop, figuratively and literally.

Inside, he saw a jeweled flower laying inside. It laid open, perpetually in bloom with each petal a different gem. In his drunken state, he figured they must’ve been tourmaline, fire opal, blue topaz, tanzanite, citrine, and white diamond. Each petal glistened in the light, yet the real attraction was what laid in the center. In the middle of these elegant gems laid a rainbow colored gem that seemed to shift as the light hit it.

He reached for the gemmed flower, holding it gingerly in his hands. He thought for a moment, deciding that the buyer only wanted the puzzle box. No mention was made of what was inside of it. He would keep this keepsake as a trophy for the night’s work.

Before anything further could be thought, the rainbow colored gem began to glow more brightly. With each second that passed, the glowing intensified. Eventually, Shadow had to squeeze his eyes shut from the onslaught of light with only this thought passing:

What sort of trick is this?!

---

Luna sat serenely, looking upon her night sky. She couldn’t help but admire the beauty of it, feeling every bit as proud of it as Celestia did her day. She could’ve stayed life this had it not been for the approach of hooves from behind her.

“Admiring your hoofwork again, dear?” asked an all too familiar voice. Luna turned finding the source to be a mauve colored alicorn with a jet black mane dyed white at the end (though he insisted it was natural).

“Perhaps I wouldn’t be if my husband were a bit more prompt,” Luna chided teasingly.

The unicorn smirked. “Well, upon seeing your lavish beauty utterly at peace, I didn’t have the heart to disturb you.”

Both were silent for a moment before Luna replied, “You know I love it when you do that, Astral.”

“Why do you think I do it?” Astral shot back, seating himself beside her and extended a wing over her.

Luna still found it hard to believe that she had found a stallion like Astral Eclipse. After Tirek had tried and failed to take Equestria for himself, the changelings thought that they could infiltrate once more. Luna along with her fellow alicorns kept them at bay, but once another army had come to lend them assistance, they managed to route the changelings back to the Badlands.

After the battle, it was revealed that the army had come from the Jet Mountain Kingdom along with its ruler, Astral Eclipse. Upon meeting the unicorn stallion, Luna took a liking to him once he shot a wink to her. After it became clear that the changelings were not a threat, relations between the two kingdoms grew.

After hours of political wheeling, it was decided that the unicorn’s kingdom would become part of Equestria. In addition to this, Astral Eclipse would become an alicorn in his own right for his acts of valor during the engagement.

During the whole ordeal, Luna and Astral had become closer to one another, each becoming nigh inseparable from the other. After he had become an alicorn, Astral became strangely solemn. It was then that he revealed that he had loved her from the first moment he laid eyes upon her and asked for her hoof in marriage. Luna agreed, on the condition that they got Celestia’s blessing first. Astral commented that he wanted to marry her, not her sister, but consented nonetheless. She still remembered the words he said to Celestia when asking for her blessing in the day court.

“Your Majesty, I love your sister with all my heart and I have ever since the day we met. Since then, that feeling has only grown and now the thought of living without her is similar to living without air. I asked her to marry me, to which she said yes, but she requested that we get your blessing first. Whether or not I receive it changes nothing. If you say no, I will still love Luna and do everything in my power to marry her, even if it means being at odds with you.”

Those words shocked everyone in the court to silence. Even Luna had no words to say to that and she had lived considerably longer than all of them put together. Celestia, however, smiled gently and replied, “Of course, you have it.”

At those words, the day court was filled with cheering. Luna only felt a massive wave of relief a hit her, which was cut short as Celestia approached Astral and whispered something in his ear. After whispering back, Celestia nodded and left. When Astral approached her, he made a remark about the engagement ring, revealing a diamond horn ring. Upon placing it on her horn, she asked what occurred between him and her sister.

“She told me if I broke your heart, she would see to it that I suffered,” he answered , a bit embarrassed at the admission.

When Luna asked what he told her, he seemed more embarrassed. “I told her that if I broke your heart, I’d help.” Luna found those words endearing, throwing her hooves around his neck and bringing him into a kiss.

They were married shortly after and now celebrating their one year anniversary. Luna sighed contently, nuzzling into her husband’s side.

“Luna,” Astral remarked, bringing Luna out of her recollections, “I know that you’re one for showponyship, but isn’t that shooting star a bit close?”

Luna snapped her attention to the sky, seeing the ‘star’ in question. “That isn’t one of mine,” she admitted, as the star veered towards them. It approached with great velocity and landed in a self made crater near a fountain. Wasting no time, they approached the site and stared in shock at what they saw.

---

As Shadow opened his eyes, he came to a serious conclusion: He would never take another drink. The journey itself was not worth the destination. Upon looking about, he noticed he was in a park somewhere.

Waking up with a hangover isn’t enough, he thought sourly, I have to wake up in the park too. He tried to stand, but found his limbs wouldn’t respond to his commands.

Okay, he conceded, staying down here is good too. Ok, quick recall, the last thing I remember I had solved that stupid puzzle box, I picked up that flower, and then…”

He then became aware of the presence of two horses, looking at him inquisitively.

Hold on, he thought indignantly, If I’m going to get busted, I’m not getting busted by park rangers. Wait a minute...Desgrade City doesn’t have mounted park rangers. If that’s the case, then where the hell am I?!

“By the light of the moon!” one of the horses in a strong female voice “I didn’t think this was possible.”

Shadow felt his eyes shot open. OH BUCK! he mentally screamed, THE HORSE JUST TALKED! THE HORSE FRIGGIN TALKED! IT’S OFFICIAL: I’VE LOST MY MIND!

“It’s alright, little foal,” he said, his deep male voice said soothingly, “We are not going to hurt you.”

The other horse talks too he thought, feeling strangely calm, Of course, the other horse talks. Wait, little foal? What are they talking about?

“We better bring this foal inside the castle,” the female voice said, “He looks like he’s about to freeze.”

Shadow felt himself being lifted from the ground. He would’ve thought it was by one of the horses, but he saw and felt a sapphire glow around himself and the fly over the female horse and onto her back. Upon passing over her, he noticed that both horses had a pair of wings and a horn jutting from their brow.

Shadow felt his mind racing, thoughts passing through his mind with unmatched speed as he was slowly overcome with exhaustion. Above it all, one single thought was clear over the rest:

Just where am I?