It was early in the morning. The sun was still in the process of rising, and the streets of Canterlot were mostly empty. Leaves were flying around the city as a soft and yet cold wind blew, gray clouds covering the skies, letting only little sunlight through. Ponies prepared for winter as pegasi pushed the clouds to ensure that everything would go into hibernation and the nature would have its deserved rest.

Sirius was sitting all alone on the balcony, gazing into nothing. His expression was blank, his mind empty as he sat and breathed calmly and rhythmically. After Iclyn helped him calm down after the nightmare, he didn't have much sleep as dark thoughts invaded his mind. He lay in bed, his eyes open and staring at the ceiling. Some time later, he stood up and went to the balcony.

Thoughts appeared in his head with another fresh breath of the chilly autumn air. He thought about his own life but more importantly, about his life with Iclyn. He sighed deeply as saddening thoughts went through his head, shaming and scaring him.

He heard the floor creaking behind himself. His ears swiveled backwards but he didn't turn around. He was sure he knew who it was.

"Sirius?" a familiar female voice asked. A clop of hooves sounded and soon Iclyn was near the former human.

Sirius stared ahead of himself without looking at anything in particular. His ear twitched slightly when he heard Iclyn sigh. He lowered his head slightly and blinked as he came back to reality. He turned his head to the filly and saw worry on her face. He turned away again, unable to look into her caring, gray pink-tinted eyes.

"I was thinking about us." he admitted after a moment of thought. "I think I... don't do enough for you."

"Did the nightmare make you think so?" Iclyn asked.

Silence fell for a few seconds as Sirius struggled to come up with an answer. However, the pegasus had already understood the situation. She moved closer to Sirius and unfolded one of her wings, gently placing it on his back. He shivered under her touch.

"What did you see in it?" she asked softly and quietly.

Sirius remained silent for another moment before inhaling deeply, collecting his thoughts.

"You getting hurt because I wasn't able to do anything." he finally replied slightly elusively, and then swallowed a lump in his throat. He sighed and then continued: "I couldn't do... a thing to the one that hurt you."

Iclyn didn't know what to say to him. Saying that nightmares don't mean anything would be wrong. The filly knew they had meaning, Princess Luna told her so when her own nightmares were happening. Maybe Sirius had something else to say?

"I'm afraid I'll lose you." he admitted with a shaky breath. He suppressed his tears as he inhaled again. He swallowed thickly as he held back the tears. He opened his mouth and then closed it. He felt it would be stupid if he said the next think on his mind.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sirius." Iclyn assured him. "I will be with you."

"It's not that..." he replied but trailed off at the end as his mind went deeper into the issue. "But... yes. It's that and more."

"You think I'll leave you?"

"...I don't know." Sirius replied, afraid to say yes. "There are better... ponies than me." he turned his head to Iclyn. "I am full of... issues, problems." he paused. "Traumas."

Iclyn listened carefully and thoughtfully, letting him speak his mind.

"Dealing with me isn't what anyone would want." the former human continued despite doubts and hesitation trying to hold him back. "I don't know why you like me so much." he turned away. "You're not with me out of pity... are you? You just... feel bad for me."

"Why would I share my thoughts and body with you if I only pitied you?" Iclyn asked with cautious interest.

"In my world, souls and bodies are sold." Sirius explained, his eyes focused on the horizon as he dared not to look at Iclyn. "They have no value. You can get your way by offering your body as payment. You can be used..." he paused as his eye twitched. "Raped. No one values anything other than... money and pleasure, dominance. And to get it they will do anything." he looked at Iclyn again. "Anything."

She looked in his eyes and saw immeasurable pain, suffering, and anxiousness. She saw him hesitating to speak as he locked his gaze with hers. However, he was determined to talk.

"This is what we humans are." he said slowly. "I am one of them." he looked down. "I just can't see what makes me good for you."

"If you are what you believe you are, would you help Wave Rider?" Iclyn asked. "Would you help Anastasia? Would you be nice to me or anyone else? Would you care about how I feel?"

Sirius had nothing to say as he listened to her words. There was nothing he could counter them with.

"Sirius, don't hate yourself for looking like bad people." the filly continued. "You are a nice, kind person. Would you even care about me back when the invasion happened? Would you almost give your life for someone you've known for just a month? Would you confess your feelings to that one?

"Don't hate yourself over mistakes and misdeeds of others. You aren't to blame for what others did. Why do you keep on hating yourself? We all have done something wrong at one point of another, we're not perfect! We accept what we've done, make amends and move on."

Iclyn inhaled deeply, and then exhaled. Sirius was still looking down at the floor, his ears flat against his skull as a deep frown was present on his face.

"You don't know..." he spoke slowly, his voice low and quiet. He opened his mouth again to speak but no words sounded. He inhaled shakily, and then exhaled. "It's just... I was born with issues." he inhaled deeply, trying to control himself. "I hurt my friends a lot. They... didn't leave but I feel like they, um... should have."

"Why do you think so?" Iclyn asked.

"I... I hurt even those I like. I couldn't control my... outbursts of anger. The smallest issue could make me want to... do horrible thing." Sirius replied, stuttering slightly. "I learned to control them over time, um... But..."

"As hard as it is to be with you, I don't regret it." the filly intervened. "Don't think that you don't deserve me. Don't hate yourself for what you're not and will never be." she leaned in and nuzzled Sirius lovingly.

He sighed, this time in relief. He nuzzled her back without thinking and then turned to her, kissing her on the cheek and then the lips. He was glad Iclyn didn't think any less of him for being a human. Maybe his self-hatred would go away someday with someone like her helping him.

Later that morning, everyone was having breakfast in the living room. Sirius, being a good host, provided everyone with plenty of food to refill their energy. He decided not to eat meat in the presence of others and saved it for later. Instead, he enjoyed the fruits and vegetables along with everyone else.

"Sirius, I can't express how grateful I am for, um, you letting me stay." Wave Rider said. "Um... This slumber party went far better than, uh, it would back at my house."

"You were the driving force behind the party, not me." Sirius replied. He had those words prepared to encourage the colt and make him feel more comfortable. "It is I who should thank you for bringing all of us together."

Wave Rider smiled, averting his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing — not only Sirius was kind enough to let him stay but also refused to be the center of attention. The colt looked around and saw that his friends were smiling at him, and it made him feel warm inside.

As for Sirius, he was just glad he could help someone before they became like him. He thought how Wave Rider could become colder and less social due to his brother's constant bully-like behavior. The former human realized that he could prevent ponies from turning into what he became.

He didn't know Wave Rider enough to care about him as a friend but he saw how bad things were and he didn't turn a blind eye to them. He wasn't searching for worldly justice but helping someone felt nice. It made him remember his earlier childhood, his time of innocence. He had friends he was ready to help at a moment's notice. Returning to that time wouldn't be unwelcome.

Sirius smiled slightly. Things were turning better and better for him and he was glad that Iclyn encouraged him to become better, something he couldn't do before. But for that pegasus filly, he was ready to do anything.

The rest of the breakfast was spent in a comfortable silence as everyone thought about their own things.

The guests Wave Rider initially invited to his house were thinking about Sirius. Just a few weeks ago, he was an enigma, a silent mystery that didn't interact with anyone outside Iclyn and the fencing club he was in. After the invasion, he became known as the hero of Equestria who almost gave his life to save the country.

Later, a more personal side of him was revealed as those ponies saw how readily he helped Wave Rider without asking anything in return. As it turned out, Sirius wasn't a bad person in the slightest, at least according to what Coral, Coffee Mug and Coffee Bean had seen and heard. He was surprisingly nice for someone who carried a sword around and wasn't a guard. While he seemed unemotional and serious just as the guards, he allowed himself to be more talkative in a friendly environment and his secretive behavior was chosen by him.

They didn't know about his issues and mental problems, and so they assumed he was a happy person, the one to cheer others up and help as much as he could. He saved the whole class from bullies, personally helped Wave Rider, and saved Equestria by almost dying for it. Aside from his unsocial behavior, he was a very good person.

They were glad Sirius was opening up to more friendly ponies.

Wave Rider was nervous about going to the school even with his friends by his side. A confrontation with his brother Sweetwater was waiting ahead, maybe even with his own father, and he dreaded those possibilities. His gait was nervous, his eyes darted around as they couldn't find a place to look at. He often looked around, fearing his brother was nearby. His ears were drooped, a frown on his face.

Sirius walked confidently, a longsword at his side. He knew it had become his most recognizable feature and he wanted it to remain that way. He wasn't going to use it in an upcoming confrontation but it would force his opponents not to attack him. He was in control of the situation even without engaging in it first.

Aside from Sirius, there was Iclyn and Anastasia alongside the two colts. Both of them were quite nervous about the unavoidable argument and possibly a fight. Both of them hoped Sirius wouldn't use his sword.

When the four reached the school, they saw two ponies walking their way. They were Sweetwater and a bigger unicorn stallion that had almost the same coloration as Wave Rider but had a darker, almost black mane. He also bore a blade just like Sirius did.

As for the small colt, his pupils dilated as his ears folded against his head. He stopped in his tracks and lowered his head in fear.

"Evading punishment for misbehavior is no way to go for a stallion." the bigger stallion shook his head slightly. A frown was present on his face but he spoke calmly.

Sirius stepped forward, anger in his eyes. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen to Wave Rider. The stallion glanced at the former human, noticing the sword. His memory helped him recognize that the colt he saw before himself was the one that took part in the fight for Canterlot a few weeks ago. While the father hadn't seen him personally before, he heard rumors about him going around, especially among those guards that were stationed near the hall where the wedding took place.

It was rumored that Sirius took on at least ten changelings at once and killed them all without effort. It made the stallion tense, and he saw how the former human noticed it as well. Both were ready to fight if needed, their bodies subconsciously adjusting in stances to prepare for it.

"Does it mean that a brother may beat up his family?" the former human spoke through gritted teeth, making the brothers' father focus on the present. "Is bullying your own brother a punishment, then?"

The father's frown deepened. He didn't know if Sirius was saying the truth but it couldn't appear out of thin air. He turned to his younger son to ask him a question while still having Sirius in his field of view.

"Did Sweetwater... beat you up?" he asked softly.

"Uh..." Wave gulped loudly. "H-he did..."

"It wasn't sparring?" the father inclined.

"I-it wasn't." the colt stuttered. "Dad... I can't do it. I don't l-like military." he said nervously. He felt the support of his friends and so he finally spoke his mind.

"Sweetwater..." the father turned to the older brother. "Did you force him into this? I thought he wanted it just like you did."

Sweetwater could say nothing as he stared at the ground.

"The Royal Guard is a brotherhood. We don't bully those who don't want to be a part of us. We know it's not for everyone." the father explained, his voice still calm. "All these years... And here I thought that you couldn't go wrong. I thought both of you wanted to follow in my steps. I guess I was wrong..." he sighed. "But Wave, why did you hide it from me?"

"I, I didn't want to upset you." the colt replied, looking down.

"...I'm sorry, son. I should have put my family before my job." the father said apologetically. "I wasn't there for you when you needed me and look how it had turned out... I want to right my wrongs."

"I, um, I'll just stay with my friends for a while..." Wave Said quietly. "Please?"

"I understand. Take your time." the stallion nodded, and then turned to the elder brother. "As for you Sweetwater, we're going to have a long, long talk."

Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was that adult being... reasonable and responsive? The former human expected him to protect the way of his elder son. A lot of parents never admit that their children are not perfect.

This confrontation made Sirius think about his own family. His parents were nice to him, and he had no siblings. But it wasn't all. For the first time in many years, he thought about what a loving relationship could lead to. Maybe he would have his own family someday?

At any rate, he needed to go to school and study first. After Sweetwater and his father left, the group of friends continued their walk to the school. There was a busy day ahead of them.

Author's Notes:

A lot of times parents don't know what happens to their children. Once they find out, however...

The most of this chapter was written in the college. As you might've already guessed, it was extremely boring.