A month passes by with Relv absent from Ponyville. Fluttershy has come to terms with the departure of her companion and has since returned to her normal life while Ponyville repairs itself. One day, Fluttershy decides to take a casual stroll in the Everfree Forest late at night. With the sky clear of clouds and the stars and moon shining brightly, the yellow mare can clearly see ahead of her as she aimlessly walks around. After an hour of walking, Fluttershy eventually enters into the area with the small creek with the waterfall. Memories pass in her head of her, Relv, and Luna sitting side by side at the edge simply talking to each other. The mare slows down and stops as she reaches the edge of the small cliff with the stream flowing to her right.

“I’d figure you’d be here,” a stallion’s voice calls from behind. Recognizing the voice, Fluttershy excitedly looks back to see Relv standing there, as apathetic as ever before. His body is now completely healed and the bandages are gone.

She cheers, “Relv! It’s been so long, I was starting to miss you. How have things been going?”

“I’ve started on my code and I’m keeping it going strong.”

“That sounds nice. Have you gotten in any trouble?”

“I have ten bounties placed on me, all with at least ten thousand bits.”

“Oh, so you’ve been busy…”

“How’s Ponyville?”

“We cleaned up that Hades Timberwolf and are nearly finished with reconstruction after your big fight.”

“And Canterlot?”

“Guards are being hired consistently and the castle’s repairs are halfway finished.”

“Luna? Tia?” Fluttershy giggles upon hearing the names. “What?”

“Sorry, it’s just cute how you still call Celestia that. Regarding the princesses through, they’re fine. Luna’s taking charge of publicity while Celestia’s still recovering. Would it be too much to ask for you to go over and do that regenerating thing to her like you did to me?”

“Yes, it would be too much. It would be much better for her sake if her body recovered more naturally and she’d take this time as discipline to better her combat skills.”

“I guess.”

“How about your-our friends? I can see that they’ve forgiven you.”

“Am I that easy to read?”

“Yes, but not as easy for most others I’ve encountered.”

“Thanks… I guess… But yes, my friends did mostly forgive me for letting you go, seeing as how you stopped that Hades Timberwolf and that they think I was slightly mind controlled.”

“Did the ponies who run the media honestly believe the guards?”

“Yeah, your telepathy really gave them a convincing story.”

“You figured it out… I’m impressed. In all honesty, you’re one of the most surprising ponies I have come across throughout my entire life.”

“Thank you. So what are you doing here?”

“I saw that you were coming back here and I’d thought I’d pay a little visit to sort a few things out. Meditation, gaining some information, a bit of training, and some words to pass around.”

“Words?”

“Yes, first off,” quickly, Relv reveals one of his swords between him and Fluttershy. The pegasus notices that it has a letter tightly wrapped around the cloth hilt.

“A letter?”

“Yes, to Tia. Would you please deliver this to her in the means you seek necessary.”

“Yeah, I could get Spike to take care of it.” With a shuffle of the sword, the white letter pops out of the hilt and in front of Fluttershy. “What’s the letter about?”

“Personal matters for between me and her.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“So what’s the second thing about these words you want to pass around?”

“To you Fluttershy, I have an important matter that you need to be aware of.”

“Okay…”

“Fluttershy, you and your friends have become a threat to my code. And if my code is threatened, everything is threatened. I have developed a connection with you, a connection that can possibly result in your life, my life, or anypony else’s life being taken away, maybe even all options at once. As such, to try and divert the risk, I’m afraid I cannot allow myself to interact with you if it isn’t following my code. So I’m afraid to say, this will be my final genuine visit to you as a friend.”

“What? But, we… I see. Well, it was great being with you, at least, when you weren’t on a rampage.”

“It was… enjoyable… being with you as well, despite the violations carried onto my mind at the times.”

“Will you remember me?”

“Yes. A bright, strong, impressive, young mare once taught me a very valuable lesson about memories. I’ll both remember that teaching and her for the rest of my days.”

“Well, goodbye Relv. Hope we see each other again someday.”

“Farewell to you as well Fluttershy, though my wishes of seeing you or not are currently undecided.”

“I understand, bye.” Relv then turns around and starts to walk away from Fluttershy and back into the thick of the wood. However, just before he completely leaves her, Fluttershy calls out, “Wait, Relv…” He stops, turning his head for the corner of his right eye to see her. “Will we see each other again?”

“I don’t know for certain… There could be the very chance that I may come back to kill you, and completely sever my weaknesses. Or worse, for your sake, I may come back to train you to kill me when the time comes. I pray that never happens.”

“Oh…”

“Farewell."

Dear Tia,

It has been a month since our last encounter. And during that time, a lot of things have happened. I’ve been busy to say the least. Whenever I walk into a heavily populated area these days, ponies would point at me and call me the Black Paladin. I know that either you or Luna had a part in my public name, and I’m content with your actions in doing so. However, one thing I must ponder however, is that are you happy? I’ve read the news, and for some reason, you talk as if I’m a supervillain, but you act in that I’m something Equestria needs. It is as if you have come to the terms of who I am, yet you still pursue me. I guess hundreds of years can bring forth the most unexpected things. I’m curious of what would happen if we were to see each other again. Will we argue? Will we fight? Will you die? Will I die? Will we both die? Will we make peace? Will we relive the days before? Will we even cross paths again? I know not certain. One thing I know for certain however is that the memories will forever live though my unknown number of remaining days. I will always remember you, Luna, Fluttershy, her friends. And your parents, whom I shall forever regret murdering. May your reign prosper for the good of all, Princess Celestia.

The Black Paladin,

Relv

“I see you enjoy that name…”

“Princess Celestia.”

“Oh, guards, I didn’t notice you came in.”

“It was only just now. We apologize for scaring you.”

“It’s fine. What’s going on?”

“It’s the Black Paladin, he just robbed a mall in Manehattan, stole about ten percent of their calculated profits.”

“Oh,”

“But here’s the odd part, on the run from the guards, he took an erratic path throughout the city and the guards lost track of him. Where the guards stopped chasing him however, was in an old warehouse, where the notorious Chariot Killer was found dead on the floor. He apparently died due to a very recent stab through the heart.”

“I see.”

“We don’t get it, how did this serial killer, who has evaded capture from us for a year, end up being found dead after a failed pursuit of the Black Paladin?”

“It baffles me as well at times.”

“Your Highness, the Black Paladin’s been on the lose for over a month, causing crimes left and right and evading capture all over Equestria. Yet for some reason, whenever we chase him, we find a criminal put to justice. There have been tons of crimes committed by him in such a short time, yet the crime rate appears to be dropping. What do you have to say to this?”

“Must be a very strange coincidence or something else,”

“Any change in our plan of action to stop Relv.”

“No, he’ll be caught sooner or later.”

“You sure?”

“I can sense it. Anything else?”

“No your Majesty.”

“You are free to depart then.”

“Yes Princess Celestia.”

“Oh wait,”

“What?”

“When you do catch Re-I mean the Black Paladin, please bring him to me alive. Do no harm to him, take him to the room I am in, and leave us two alone.”

“If I may ask… Why? He’s a dangerous criminal, and leaving you and him alone in the same room, he might very well kill you.”

“I have a suspicion he won’t. I just want to talk with him before you send him off to prison. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes your Majesty.”

“Good, farewell sir.”

“Farewell to you as well Princess Celestia.”

“Farewell, Relv...”

“Farewell, Tia…”