Once, many years ago, I was bound to the earth. As an earth pony, I was gifted with strength and endurance greater than unicorns and pegasi, but denied the ability to tap into the unseen, primordial energies that surround us all, and the ability to fly through the heavens. Earth ponies are forever tethered to the ground, and every one of my kind dream of flying through the sky or casting magic. But as the years pass, we grow, we adapt, and we learn to leave those dreams behind.

Except me.

It wasn’t easy bringing my dreams of flight and magic to life. It was a path of struggle, suffering, and death. But time heals all wounds; I worked to undo the damage and pain I have caused to others, and all that suffering and misery is a memory I am content to leave in the past.

After all, we cannot soar if we let our regrets hold us down.

City-sized clouds pass me by as metal wings keep me aloft, powered by crystals and miniature engines instead of muscle and sinew. Artificial lungs extract oxygen from the thin atmosphere, and goggles protect my eyes as I fly over Equestria, watching as the cities and towns below me glow like bulbs bunched together on a Hearth's Warming Tree. I smile at the sight; It’s tempting to stay up here and watch Equestria light up as night falls. But alas, such a sight shall have to wait, for I have somewhere to be. A little town in the center of Equestria, to be exact.

I fly down with the falling snow and reach Ponyville. The streets are lined with wreaths, festive lights, and holiday cheer as I touch down next to town hall, joining the ponies, yaks, dragons, and changelings heading out for dinner or an evening stroll.

My smile grows as I look around. Everyone waves at seeing me, and I return the gesture, grateful that no one's awestruck at seeing Equestria’s most famous cyborg. The town's residents see me not as a celebrity, but someone as deserving of holiday cheer as everyone else.

My wings fold themselves shut as I trot down the street. The Castle of Friendship isn't far, and it'd be hard to miss, seeing how brightly lit and decorated it is. There’s already a large crowd gathering at its base, eager to hear Twilight's holiday proclamation. Last year’s ceremony was moving, and I look forward to seeing what words she’ll have for us this year. But more importantly, I’m hoping to meet the princess herself; within my coat is a very important object, one that I hope Twilight Sparkle can personalize for me.

The others around me pick up the pace, and I do the same, making my way towards the castle, taking a seat under a tree when it's clear I won't get through this crowd. It's already crammed full of beings eager to hear our princess speak, but to also indulge themselves in the feast afterwards. Even from out here, I can smell the food being cooked inside the castle, chefs no doubt rushing to get it ready. I chuckle at the thought of horns glowing and chefs shouting as they furiously ready cakes, pies, muffins, and other culinary concoctions.

I wish my parents were here to see all this. Gatherings of former enemies who are now our friends, a nation changed by technology... I'm sure they would have loved it.

There’s movement on the castle’s balcony and everyone looks up, myself included. Princess Twilight’s about to come out, and I'm ready to hear the woods of cheer that the princess-

Strange... the sky's getting brighter. Not above us, but towards the horizon, as if the sun's coming up. But that can't be; it's supposed to be going down, not coming up.

I turn to a changeling and her two children. "Excuse me," I say, "but does something seem wrong with the sky?"

She doesn’t answer, starting at the castle with a contented smile.

“Hello?” I carefully touch her shoulder. Maybe she’s just too caught up in the magic of the moment to realize what’s happening. But she still doesn’t react. I wave a hoof in front of her, but she still doesn't move.

I nervously turn to a pony next to me. “Sir, do you see anything that’s-”

He doesn’t react, wearing a smile as big as the mother.

“Sir?” I take his shoulders. “Sir, can you hear me?”

He still doesn’t react.

What on earth? I let go and look around. Everyone’s looking towards the castle, eager for the proclamation. They don’t even seem to notice the sky.

Something’s wrong.

Leaving the tree, I hover in the air just above the branches. Has everyone been hit with some spell?

A breeze caresses me, pleasant and warm.

A bit too warm...

I don’t want to be seen as a fool or paranoid, but I can’t stay silent. “Everyone!” I call out. “I think something’s wrong!”

No one moves. No one answers me. No one even looks up.

I float down. “Can anyone hear me? Why are you all–”

The breeze suddenly becomes a strong gust of wind, momentarily knocking me off balance. I quickly adjust and look towards the horizon. What's-

There’s something on the horizon. What it is it? I can’t tell. I squint, trying to...

Oh... oh Celestia.

It’s a wall of rock, stone, and debris. Massive chunks of the earth are being uprooted and sent skywards, tearing everything asunder, only to then be consumed by fire.

It’s coming towards us!

“Run!” I scream. “Everyone, run!

Nobody moves.

“Move! Everyone, ru–”

The wall of devastation engulfs everything in its path, growing taller than the tallest mountains. Canterlot vanishes, and then the mountains themselves, tons of rock and earth ripped up like weeds being pulled from the ground.

I can’t wait for the others! I take off, beating my wings harder and faster than ever before. Celestia, I’ve got to get to Beakbreaker! I need to fly her away before we–

A new sound hits my ears, even louder than the sound of the world coming to an end.

Laughter.

A shadow drapes itself across the land.

I risk a glance back, and immediately wish I hadn't.

There’s something standing behind the destruction, towering so high into the sky that its head vanishes into the clouds. I can’t tell if it’s a dragon, a minotaur, or some other abomination from Tartarus, only that it's an abomination that could crush Equestria itself.

Turning away, I go even faster, pushing my wings to the breaking point. I’ve got to get Beakbreaker! I won’t let her die! I won’t lose her again! I won’t! I–

Gears break. My left wing crumples.

No!

I spin, my wing tearing itself free, sending me helplessly out of control as the fire rushes forward.

My skin! My skin’s on fire!

Celestia, no! I can’t end like this! Not like this!

The thing... it's laughing. It's laughing at me, the sound drowning out the roar of the fire, of the destruction of everything I know.

Beakbreaker, I’m sorry! I tried! Beakbreaker!

"Beakbreaker!"

I scream my wife’s name as loudly as I can. Even if I’m going to die, I want her to hear me, to...

Wait. Wait, what happened? Where’s the fire? The destruction?

My wing, it... it’s still on my back. But how? I felt it get ripped off. But it’s there, moving. I look down. My skin is intact, with no burn marks to be seen.

Ponyville is gone, replaced by dark walls illuminated by dim moonlight streaming through a window.

A nightmare. That’s all it was. A nightmare. A twisted mockery of my trip only a day–

The door bangs as it’s thrown open, a lantern forcing me to squint. “Silverspeak?!” The candle's almost blown out as the lantern is shoved onto a side table, its bearer rushing to me, her hooves pressing against my cheeks. “Silverspeak?! Are you alright?”

I nod, still breathing deeply. “Just a nightmare,” I whisper.

“You want me to make you something?” Beakbreaker asks.

“I just need a minute,” I say. But that's a lie; I haven’t had a nightmare in years, let alone one that vivid.

“Maybe some fresh air will help,” Beakbreaker suggests.

That would do the trick. The cold air would help me focus on something else. I slide out of bed, pulling on my jacket, and following Beakbreaker through the cabin to the front porch. As I thought, it's brutally cold. Far away, the lights surrounding the western edge of Luna Bay twinkle like stars. The slightest gust of wind is all I hear as we both take a seat on the swinging bench.

"Better?” Beakbreaker asks.

I manage a chuckle. “I’m not a child, you know.”

“My mother used to say nightmares make even the strongest of us feel like frightened children... Do you want to talk about it?”

I look out to the twinkling lights. Normally, I wouldn’t want to recount a nightmare; best to let such things fade into well-deserved oblivion. But for Beakbreaker, I’ll grant an exception.

“It... It was like I was watching the end of the world.” I say, trying to approach my nightmare like a scientist, emotionally detached and unaffected. “There was fire, and the earth was being destroyed. I tried to fly to you, but I wasn’t fast enough.”

I take a moment to calm myself.

Beakbreaker listens, making no move to interrupt or offer an interpretation of what I saw.

"There... There was something else," I continue. "A... A monster. It was so enormous that it vanished into the clouds. And it was laughing... It loved seeing me so afraid.”

“Was it Mangus?” Beakbreaker asks.

Mangus... if I never hear that name again, I would die happy. I've done my best to cast it from my mind, to forget that the pony it belonged to ever existed. Yet, I know I shouldn't. I should forgive the pony who murdered my parents and move on, to let go of all the pain and the hurt he caused me. That's what Celestia would want. I've tried; heaven help me, I've tried, but I can't.

All these years later, the pain still stings.

"Silverspeak?"

I shake my head. “No. It wasn't."

My wife gently touches my leg. "He's dead, Silverspeak. He can't hurt you anymore."

"I know. It's just... I can't forgive him. Even all these years later."

She squeezes my hoof once more.

I do the same to her.

We sit together in silence for a while.

"Maybe the nightmare was caused by something else," Beakbreaker suggests. "A mid-life crisis, maybe?"

I chuckle. Bless her, Beakbreaker's trying to make me feel better by changing the subject. “Who, me? Never... What about you? Have you been having your own crisis?”

She laughs. “Are you kidding? I’m too busy to have one.”

“As I can attest.” Sighing, I look out towards the vista of the snow-covered forest. While beautiful during the day, its beauty is amplified when illuminated by the moon and the twinkling stars. It's a sight I normally don't see, usually being deep in sleep. Besides, seeing such beauty comes at a cost; only the hardiest and bravest would dare come out here at this time of night, when it's brutally cold and-

Wait...

"Beakbreaker? What were you doing outside?"

“What do you mean?”

“You were dressed in a coat when you came inside."

"Oh, I couldn't sleep," Beakbreaker adjusts her glasses. "That’s all.”

She doesn't fool me. “There’s something on your mind,” I say.

“Hmm?”

“You just adjusted your glasses.”

“So?”

“It's what you do when you're nervous.”

Sighing, Beakbreaker adjusts them again. "Nothing escapes you, I see. I... I just have a lot on my mind.”

I scoot closer to her. “Would you like to talk about it?”

“Maybe later.” Beakbreaker slides up against me, putting a leg around the back of my neck. “Let’s just enjoy the view.”

I want to press the matter, to find out what's wrong so I can fix it, but if she wants to wait, I'll wait.

We sit on the bench as it sways in a gentle breeze.

The first of the sun’s rays appear in the distance, slowly sliding over the peak of the distant mountains.

I glance at Beakbreaker to ask if she's looking forward to the day, but she's uneasy. She's trying to hide it, but whatever’s troubling her is more serious than she’s letting on. I can’t have the last day of our trip start this way; she needs something to cheer her up.

“Hey,” I say. “You interested in an early present?”

“Oh? Hearth’s Warming isn’t for another two days.”

“You could use a little holiday cheer.” I reach into the pocket of my jacket and pull out a small, wrapped package. “Here.” As I hope, Beakbreaker's unease gives way to curiosity as she looks the package over, then carefully pulls the wrapping paper away until the gift is revealed.

She's stunned at what she finds.

“Silverspeak... Oh my...”

The small, golden photo frame in her hooves contains a photo of us sitting side by side, beaming for the camera. It's a moment captured just after we took our wedding vows, when we were so happy, and so full of hope for the future. The picture's sat upon our fireplace for man years, but now bears a new message written in the corner: “To many happy years of friendship and love! - Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

"Silverspeak... I... I don't know what to say."

"Do you like it?" I ask. "Please say you do."

Beakbreaker laughs. "Of course I do!" She gulps, wiping away a tear. "You actually got the princess to sign this? How'd you do that?"

"Oh, I snuck into her castle, crept past her guards, disabled security, infiltrated her bedroom, and asked nicely."

"You did not!"

"Okay... I asked at her holiday party."

Beakbreaker chuckles. "I love it." She slides a hoof across the glass. "Twenty five years... Has it really been that long?"

My younger self in the picture would have been horrified at all those years going by in what feels like the blink of an eye. But if I could talk to him, I would assure him that there were so many good times in those years: trips to foreign lands, seeing Beakbreaker's work helps so many, and the experience of becoming the most famous cyborg in Equestria. Still, not all the memories are pleasant.; there have been arguments between Beakbreaker and myself, and a few shouting matches (very few, thank Celestia), but when I look at the wider picture, the good far outweigh the bad.

“Happy early anniversary,” I whisper.

My wife leans in close, wrapping both legs around me. “Thank you.”

I don’t know how long we sit there on that bench in the cold, but I don’t care.

I never want this moment to end.

The sun’s rays finally cross the top of the mountains, stretching down to illuminate the snow surrounding Luna Bay. But the light isn’t the only thing creeping over the mountains; the shadow of a large zeppelin drifts over it, too. It’s Medicomp’s flagship, the one they send out across Equestria to promote their latest products, or just spread awareness of the company brand. Within an hour or two, Gusty’s going to be flying his ship out to pick us up. As lovely as our annual stay at this cabin has been, it’s time to head back home.

“I guess we’d better pack,” I say.

“We already did,” Beakbreaker says. “Remember?”

Oh yes, we did. “Right, right.” I look to the freshly fallen snow blanketing the earth and the trees. “We’ve still got an hour or two before Gusty gets here. Fancy building a snowpony?“

Beakbreaker lovingly slides the photo into a pocket of her coat. “How about a walk? You know how much I love an early-morning stroll.”

“In this cold?”

“Cold or no cold, the stroll must be taken." Slipping from my embrace, she hops off the porch and into the snow, sinking in it up to her knees and immediately shivering.

“I’ve got a better idea.” I say, glad that my artificial legs are immune to the chill. “How about you take that stroll on my back?”

“Oh, Silverspeak, don’t be silly. I can walk just fine.”

“And have my beloved wife catch pnemonia? Never!” A flick of magic, and Beakbreaker's plucked from the snow before landing on my back.

“Silverspeak!” Beakbreaker laughs. “Come on, I’m not a filly! And don’t you dare think about flying! We should really–”

My wings pop out, the crystals engage, and I take off with a strong beat.

“Silverspeak!” Beakbreaker's legs wrap around my neck, and her laugh fills my ears as I soar into the morning air. My nightmare is fading away, my gift to Beakbreaker was accepted as I had hoped, and Beakbreaker’s worries are nowhere to be found. She's happy, and that makes me happy, too.

It's the perfect moment.

I fly into the bright, blue morning sky with my wife upon my back, and everything is as it should be.