Through years of life, we gain many experiences that come in different shapes and tastes. We learn, we study, we feel, we see, and everything that has ever happened to us leaves a mark, no matter how small or how big it is. Each experience has varying significance to each of us; each experience shapes us to become what we are today. Some people become joyful, carefree, happy; others become bitter, cautious, miserable. One side might never understand the opposite. However, experiences might help to bridge the gap. Observations, analysis, logic can also greatly help to teach people how to understand each other. We are all born without experience, and we become who we are not by magic or other supernatural phenomena but through experience, which all of us get, without exception.

Evil people are not born evil. Good people are not born good. Good and evil are in the eyes of the beholder, too; it's something we must always remember. Nothing stops a good person from becoming evil and vice versa. And all of it comes down to such a simple thing as experience. It can't be argued against that it is the basis of how we act, why we do what we do, and what we think about different things. Only through experience, one can understand the other. Change is possible, even if it can sometimes be very difficult to achieve no matter how determined the person who is willing to change is.

However, even if the change is complete, experiences stay with us for the rest of our lives, reminding us of what we did and what we saw. Letting go of the past can be quite difficult just like changing.

And yet, all is possible. One just has to strive for it and eventually, they will get what they want.

Anastasia and Wind Rider had another date. This one was rather simple — a peaceful walk through the city of Canterlot. The weather was cool, the wind carried fallen leaves across the streets, whistling in the quiet of the city. The sun was in the sky, sometimes disappearing behind the clouds as pegasi pushed them to where they were needed.

For quite some time, the two were walking silently, enjoying each other's presence. Aside from that, neither of them knew what to talk about, having no experience in dating beforehand. Not to mention that they were from different cultures, each of them had a different mindset, which meant different values and expectations. Wind Rider was trying to figure out how to properly talk with Anastasia, how to make her interested without making things awkward; he had no idea what was and wasn't acceptable and appropriate where she came from, so he had to be cautious not to do something stupid. The girl had similar thoughts, unsure of how to act and what to talk about. She didn't know Commonlang very well, which was another barrier between the two. However, she was willing to give this relationship a try despite all the differences and difficulties.

The only question was how to begin.

"So... what do you like doing?" the colt finally spoke up, nervousness present in his voice.

"...I like swim," Anastasia replied after a few moments of thinking, "And thank for teaching me to."

"No problem, Nastya," Wind Rider nodded with a smile, "We should probably go to the pool sometimes again. But what else do you like? As for me, I like books. They help me study, and there are also many great stories to read in the free time!"

"What stories?" the girl asked with interest, turning to the colt. She wasn't a reader but she always appreciated good books, having read plenty when she was younger.

"My favorite is science fiction," the colt replied, grasping onto the straw, hoping that it was a start of a good conversation, one that would help him understand his date more.

"What is sci- sce- scentce?" Anastasia asked, finding it difficult to even pronounce the word.

"Science is, well... it's studying stuff," Wave Rider shrugged, "As for science fiction, it's a genre in writing that is generally about the future. Technological advancements, all that."

"Tech-no-logical? What's that?"

"You know what? I think we should take a trip to the library," the colt chuckled lightly. "You have a lot to learn, that's for sure. I'm not the best teacher, so let's go grab a book."

***

After a short while, the two came to the Great Library of Canterlot. Having a great many books, it had a lot to offer to the young ponies. At this time of day, there were plenty of ponies inside the library, coming from different schools and colleges, some even traveling there by train. They all came here in search of what the library had to offer, and it offered plenty indeed. Books on various science, books for foals, fiction, historical books, it had everything anyone would need to study and learn.

Wind Rider and Anastasia soon found a quiet corner for themselves. Taking a place on a sofa, they placed the books they collected on the nearby table. The colt grabbed one of the books and opened it. It was a rather simple foal's book of Anastasia's level of Commonlang. The book was easy to understand and follow, fortunately, which made learning rather enjoyable.

The girl was glad she wasn't stuck in a classroom but was with someone else instead. By the time she became eighteen, the traditional system of classes she had gone through for the majority of her life became stale and boring; the change was most definitely welcome. She couldn't relate to teachers very well either since most of them were at least double her age. With Wind Rider, however, she could relax, knowing that he was there for her personally, and he helped her because he cared, not because he took a job.

And so, the two would spend a considerable amount of time in the library, unaware of what was happening with their friend Sirius meanwhile.

Sirius, Iclyn, and Luna were traveling to the lake Birthwater. Their trip was silent, each of them focused on their own thoughts. But no matter how different they were, they had one goal in mind — defeat the nightmarish creature that fed on Sirius' past and negative emotions. None of them knew how the battle would go or if they would even come out alive. The only thing they could do is trust each other and hope for the best. This day would either mark a triumph over the darkness or it would turn into the darkest night in the worst sense possible.

The former human carried his longsword and the revolver. The blade was oiled and sharpened, ready for battle; the gun was cleaned and loaded with ammo. The pegasus carried a sword and a spear, as well as a necklace shaped like a crescent moon with a blue gem in its center. The alicorn had her greatsword strapped to her side.

Sirius knew very well what they were about to face. His greatest fear, his rage and hatred, all that was wrong with him, manifested in one horrifying creature that shouldn't have been born in the first place. He didn't know if he was ready to face it but he had to, otherwise, it would consume not only him but everyone he cared about. His loved one Iclyn, his friends, maybe even Equestria as a whole. He couldn't let it happen, he had to at the very least try to prevent it even if it meant death. If it was his end, it would be how he wanted to go out — not with a whimper but a fierce fight, protecting those he loved. The greatest sacrifice in order to save everyone he cared about was how he wanted to die if peace wasn't an option.

He had changed much since he was back on Earth; when he shot himself in the heart on that fateful summer night. He had welcomed death, but now he saw how good things could be; they were worth fighting for to the last drop of blood, to the last breath. He had feared pain, but now no pain would stop him from doing what is right. When he first died, he didn't care about anything at all, but now he found reasons to live; if not for himself, he would live for others. He found love, he found life, he found the meaning of his life. He cherished it greatly, and he would not let it go without a fight.

Iclyn was with him to the end of the line. Love is a strong power, one that can bind people together until the end of their lives. Some say that there is no true love, and yet there Sirius and Iclyn were; they went through many things together, and the pegasus was always there for him no matter what. She was ready to fight for him just as he was to fight for her. If that was not true love, then what would qualify?

Princess Luna thought of the relationship the two had as true love indeed, the strongest love there was. It wasn't a very common occurrence, and that was why it must be cherished. The alicorn wouldn't let this love simply die. Love was a power to be reckoned with, and Luna intended to help the two love each other, even if it meant trying to protect them from death by herself. She already felt regret about how she treated Sirius when they first met, how she rushed to help him without knowing how to do it properly; it all ended up in a tragedy that nearly brought an end to both Sirius and Iclyn. Luna had to repair the damage and make sure the two would live happily. It was the least she could do to make things right.

Each of the three was connected to the other one way or another. Luna helped Sirius find Iclyn and adapt to the world, albeit it didn't turn out so well because of her methods; Iclyn helped Sirius learn to love and become better through it; Sirius was finally willing to reconcile with Luna and make peace with himself and others. There was only one remaining obstacle, one last thing to overcome. It couldn't be let to grow more powerful, it couldn't be ignored. The three united to bring an end to the darkness inside Sirius, the darkness he could barely control; they would rather not wait until it controlled Sirius instead.

Finally, the three came out of the forest to the lake. The water was still, reflecting the cloudy sky perfectly. It was perfectly silent in waiting. Sirius, Iclyn, and Luna stood on the shore, surveying the surroundings, each of them mentally preparing for the battle. And yet, no amount of preparations would truly make them ready for what was to come.

Luna ignited her horn, and the lake was surrounded by a powerful shield of energy. The water began to freeze inside the dome, cracking sounding across the lake, echoing in the distance. Soon, the surface was completely frozen, allowing the ponies to step in. There was no going back, there was no return until they did what they had to do. Bravely, they went further to the middle of the lake, each of them ready to fight for their own lives. Sirius unsheathed his sword and pulled out the revolver; Iclyn followed with unsheathing her own sword as well, the gem in her necklace glowing with a blue hue as the same hue surrounded the hilt of the sword. Luna readied her greatsword as it began to glow slightly.

Fog appeared around the lake, cutting it off from the rest of the world. The sounds of nature were gone, replaced with a muffled, dreary silence. The air became thick and heavy, the smell of iron appeared. Out of the fog, the Figure finally made an appearance. Its gaunt form covered by a black robe, only its purple eyes were glowing menacingly from under the hood. In one hand, it held a scythe. In the other, it had a revolver, the same one Sirius had.

https://youtu.be/DbMXrKp1LGI

At first, the Figure pointed the revolver at Iclyn. Immediately, a magical shield appeared between the nightmarish being and the pegasus. Its emotions unreadable from under the hood, the nightmarish creature didn't pull the trigger.

"Very well, then..." it slightly lowered the revolver, "You have come prepared. The problem with it is... you are not," it turned to Sirius, glaring at him with burning hatred, "I am a part of you, Sirius. Without your death, my death is impossible. Are you ready to give your life?"

"You will be gone," Sirius replied through gritted teeth, "I will kill you. And if it is as you say... My death is not a high price to pay."

"Do you think Iclyn will simply accept your death?" the Figure asked, pointing at him with the revolver, "You will lose either way. Without me, there is no you. Without you, there is no Iclyn."

"It doesn't matter. I won't let you get away," the stallion raised his sword in an offensive stance.

Letting out a dry chuckle, the Figure put the revolver somewhere into the robe. It put his second skeletal hand on the scythe's handle, wrapping around it.

"Well, then... Death comes to all of you, and it is up close and personal," it said in a grim tone, slowly gliding across the surface of the lake to the three ponies. They stood their ground, not taking a step back; their weapons were prepared, they were ready to retaliate.

The Figure swung its scythe at Iclyn first, who successfully blocked the hit and jumped to the side. Sirius was quick to try to land his own strike on the nightmarish creature. It flew away from him, and then charged back in with a wide swipe, trying to get all three ponies at once. Luna was there to prevent it, successfully redirecting the hit.

"Three on one? You are weak, Sirius. You would never be able to take on me alone!" the Figure laughed as it swung the scythe again, and Sirius evaded it.

"I know," the stallion replied with a snort, lunging forward, going for a stab. It barely reached, puncturing the robe but not even touching the body within.

The fight continued fiercely as the three ponies struggled to keep up with the Figure. Using a scythe, it was unpredictable, for none of the three knew how to fight against that sort of weapon. However, the coldness with which the Figure attacked was matched by the immense hatred Sirius had for it as he relentlessly assaulted it, unleashing all he could. And yet, it was far from enough to defeat the nightmarish creature.

The Figure suddenly launched a purple orb out of its chest, sending Luna flying away from the fight. She landed with a loud thud, sliding across the ice, air knocked out of her lungs. She struggled to get up, a wound opening on her leg, bleeding onto the ice.

"Two on one now," the creature said, baring its teeth. "You Sirius can be powerful... but only when you don't care about anyone. Let go of the control..."

"Don't listen to him!" Luna yelled, finally back on her hooves.

"Shut up," the Figure replied coldly, pulling out a revolver. Sirius was there just in time to knock its hand up; the revolver fired, missing the shot.

"You must die!" Sirius growled out, swinging his sword.

"Shouting won't help you," the Figure kicked the stallion, throwing him away. Using the spike on the other end of the scythe's blade, it swung. Sirius rolled away, and the spike struck the ice. Unfortunately for the stallion, an orb of purple struck him as well, making him painfully slide across the ice.

Iclyn lunged forward, thrusting her spear into the Figure. It growled in pain, kicking her away and then pulling out the spear. No blood was on the tip, only specks of red ash. Infuriated, it pointed the revolver at Iclyn and pulled the trigger four times in a rapid succession. The flashes of fire illuminated the surroundings, the booming shots resonating throughout the land.

However, the bullets didn't reach Iclyn. A body fell in front of her, the thud echoing across the lake. Sirius wheezed loudly, followed with a cough. Four bullet holes in his body were leaking blood, which collected under him, surrounding him with a pool of crimson. He turned his head to his loved one and opened his mouth, a stream of blood flowing from it and joining the pool underneath.

Luna stopped near them, her maw agape, her eyes open wide, and her ears drooped. Myriad of thoughts went through her head: they should've prepared better, she should've been better, things should've been more thought out. And yet, nothing more could be done as the Figure stood triumphantly above the three, victorious.

"I... I... love you..." Sirius managed to say to Iclyn one more time, as genuine as ever. He pulled himself closer to her, crawling with what was left of his strength as it quickly faded away. He kissed her on the lips, the taste of his blood being shared across the two. Not the most pleasant kiss, and yet even in this state, the stallion wanted to assure Iclyn that he loved her beyond death.

Meanwhile, the Figure raised its scythe, preparing for the final strike, a horrible grin on its pale face. It knew it won, and it was the time to bring the end to what held it back. It was time to separate from its creator, for he was no longer useful.

A crack of electricity sounded, and then an explosion happened, shattering the ice and throwing the Figure away, breaking its scythe. A bright white glow surrounded Sirius and Iclyn, blinding Luna as she put up her hoof to shield her face from the intense light. The explosion left her ears ringing, rendering her deaf.

Once Luna opened her eyes, she gasped in unison with Iclyn, both of them witnessing the impossible. Sirius was standing upright, his eyes glowing brightly. A pair of glowing transparent wings were on his back, his horn was surrounded by another horn, this one glowing and transparent like the wings. A sword was by his side surrounded in a magical aura. However, that aura was no longer hand-shaped, being completely formless instead.

https://youtu.be/OTLb52dtkuU

Sirius deeply inhaled and then slowly exhaled, feeling the immense power coursing through his body. It was a familiar feeling; it wasn't dissimilar to what he felt when he wore the Alicorn Amulet. However, now it filled him with warmth, it made him feel elevated, alive. His mind was clear, his thoughts unobstructed, and one goal in his mind.

Protect his loved ones. Become free.

The grin on the Figure's face disappeared, replaced with a look of utter horror. Sirius started walking calmly towards it, ready for a fight.

"No!" the nightmarish creature growled out, pulling another weapon from his robes. It was a longsword with no tip, its blade almost completely rectangular. The sword of an executioner. The stallion remained calm and collected, unphased by the weapon. Nothing could scare him now — he would go against anything if he had to. He could lift a mountain if that meant protecting those he cared about. And now, he was going forward and only forward.

Sirius dashed towards the Figure with a loud battle cry, going in for a stab, his wings propelling him forward. The nightmare barely evaded it, responding with his own strike, trying to get to the stallion. He successfully dodged, jumping aside with the help of his wings. He glanced at the other two ponies, a brief smile appearing on his face. And even then, he couldn't be reached by the sword of his opponent as he blocked and evaded the hits.

Iclyn and Luna were astonished, standing aside, watching Sirius fight. There was no rage, no hatred, only the genuine desire to protect. The best defense is offense, many people say, and in this case, it is. The Figure couldn't be allowed to exist, it must be destroyed in order to have peace and safety.

The two combatants moved swiftly, each trying to get the other, and yet none succeeded just yet. The Figure was panicking, swinging its sword erratically, its breath heavy and fast. Sirius was calm, methodically defending himself and making his own strikes, looking for the window of opportunity. Until it showed, he would endure anything the Figure could come up with, knowing well that it was finally scared of him. The tables had turned.

The pace of the battle quickened as the Figure tried to get to the stallion, collecting all the rage and hatred and unleashing it through the blade. Sirius used his longsword to deflect the blows, still looking out for an opening to strike. He knew himself, he knew what the Figure was capable of with a sword. It went both ways, but the new power he had didn't come solely from within — it was love from those he cared about. It was something the Figure would never be able to come close to understanding, much less defending against.

Finally, the moment was there. Sirius swung his sword swiftly, cutting off one of the hands. The nightmarish creature howled in pain as it pulled out the revolver with another hand. A click sounded — the revolver was empty.

With a loud crack, Sirius thrust through the skull of the Figure. In a moment, its body became limp and it fell on the ice, dead. Soon, its body started disappearing, turning into dry red specks of ash, scattering across the ice of the lake.

A few moments were spent in silence as the wind carried the ash away. The new wings and horn faded soon, leaving Sirius just how he was before, and yet there was one small but very important change.

"Sirius..." Iclyn was the first to break the silence. "You... you have the mark now."

And true it was. On his flanks, an image appeared — his sword was now his special mark as well. Behind the sword, there was a simple shield, half of it being icy-cyan, and the other being white; the shield had a thin blue edge.

Sirius let out a deep sigh of relief, sheathing his sword. He returned to Iclyn and kissed her again, and this time it was a soft and loving kiss, a peaceful one. Then he went to Luna and hugged her, showing his appreciation.

"How do you feel?" Luna asked him quietly.

"...Relieved," he replied after a few moments of thought, "And I feel I can do... anything," he glanced at his flank, a smile appearing on his face, "And I know what I will do."

Author's Notes:

What do you think about this chapter and the music I included? I would very much like to hear!

I sure feel satisfied with what I've written and composed.