Life soon returned to normal in Ponyville. Nopony ever connected the incident with Princess Celestia to the new pony in town. There was some rumor at first that he may be a distant relation to the royal family, left to guard against the creature that had appeared that day. But after several week of not asking for any special treatment, he quickly just became another friendly face in Ponyville.

The friends all agreed to keep Drax’s true form a secret, and that he should only appear in pony form while in public. He only appeared as a human while around friends, but the occasional sighting lead to the rumor of a creature, coming from the nearby Everfree Forest to stalk the town. Nopony ever got close enough to get a good look, and soon the legend of “Bighoof” was added to the many mysteries of living near the mystical forest.

As for his life in Ponyville, it was peaceful. He was always kept busy helping his friends with various projects, and he never lacked for a place to sleep. Yet despite the many attempts to seduce him, he remained faithful to the hyper pink pony he loved. Pinkie herself thought it was a great idea to share her new toy with her friends, but the dark stallion managed to demure at each occasion, maintaining a “friendly” status with the other mares. Although there was the occasional rowdy sleepover at Pinkie’s place, she never was able to get her wish of an orgy. There were some lines Drax was not willing to cross.

So time marched on, as it always does, and the dark alicorn became comfortable in his new life in Equestria. Adventures were had, friends made, life, love and tragedy. Yet despite his happiness, the secrets revealed by Celestia haunted him. Almost as much as the eerie prophecy that had yet to pass. Or had it?

Traveling the edges of the Everfree Forest was one of the few times Drax could openly use his human form. Few ponies ever ventured into the forest, and if he was seen, it was chalked up to another sighting of the mysterious ‘Bighoof’. His latest mission, being recruited by Fluttershy, was to find some special herbs. His hands were far better at gathering plants than even his magic could do. Granted, it was getting better with practice, but he always loved working with his hands anyway.

Every so often he would pause, and scan the area. Something was following him, but he paid it little heed. The creatures of the forest mostly avoided him in this form, and the few aggressive creatures quickly learned not to bother the biped as he roamed the forest. Having one’s stinger forcible inserted into a tender opening tended to deter even the the crankiest of manticores.

Soon he was done with his gathering, and decided to head back to Fluttershy’s cottage with his spoils. As he rounded a tree, he knew something was wrong just a moment before the trap went off. A loud snap, and a groan was all the warning he got before a net sprung up around him, hauling him into the tree above. He wasn't worried about the situation, but neither was he amused. He was even less amused when three foals shot out of the woods, covered in hoof-made ghillie suits.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, JUNIOR DETECTIVES, YAY!” The sound blasted out like a grenade, making his ears hurt and his teeth rattle.

“Oh great. I got caught by the foal scouts.” he sighed to himself, trying not to laugh at the situation. “You fillies selling any cookies?”

All three fillies gasped in unison. They seemed to do alot in unison, like some sort of sugar-fed hive mind. “He can talk!” they chimed together.

“Of course he kin talk. How else does he gran wishes?” Exclaimed the yellow filly with the red mane.

The Orange pegasus retorted. “It doesn’t grant wishes, silly. It’s a mean nasty monster that eats foals!”

“I heard it helps people, but will trick you if you make a deal with it.” responded a white unicorn with lavender and pink curls.

“Well to be honest, ponies are a bit stringy.” The three stopped talking and stared up at the creature in the net, now looking down at them. Fear was plain on their faces. “However, a nice tender foal is delicious if you braise it slowly over hot coals. Muahahahahahaha!!” he ended with his most evil laugh.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

*gasp*

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!” The forest was once again shattered by the voices of the three young foals, now holding each other and screaming for all they were worth. It went on until the yellow one, wearing a large red bow, noticed that the creature was still laughing, but not in a menacing way. She shook the other two to get their attention and stop them screaming.

“Wow. Fit a whole two lungfuls into that one, didn’ja?” Drax continued to laugh as the three girls stared at him. “Oh c’mon! Can’t ya take a joke? It’s the least you can do after getting me stuck in this thing.”

“So yer not gonna eat us?” Responded the orange filly.

“Naw, I haven't had meat since I moved to Ponyville.” He chuckled as they all gulped at the implication. “Hard to make friends if they are afraid you are gonna eat em!”

The white unicorn perked up at this. “You wanna be friends with ponies?”

“Ah don trust ‘im!” piped up the yellow earth pony.

“Actually, I already have alot of pony friends.” He grinned at them. “I help folks out alot around town, and most never know I am there.”

“I think yer right, Applebloom.” The pegasus filly growled. “I don't trust him either. I still say hes a mean monster that likes to carry away foals to eat em!”

“Am not!” Retorted Drax.

All three foals turned and yelled back. “Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

As this was going on, a yellow pegasus moved into the area, hearing the shouting and wondering what had gotten the three girls so worked up. She was shocked at what she saw, and at first was afraid to reveal herself. Then she realised that the creature in the net was somepony she knew, and steeled herself to confront the situation. Gathering her courage, she put on her mask of assertiveness, just like Drax had taught her and strode into the clearing.

“Girls!” she squeaked. But was not loud enough to be heard

“Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!”

“Umm.. girls, please.”

“Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!”

“GIRLS, PLEASE!” She managed to yell, barely above a talking tone.

The effect was immediate. The group stopped instantly and all faced the now glaring Fluttershy. Well, as much as she was capable of glaring, when not using “The Stare”.

“Please girls, umm.. stop what you are doing. Please let that man out of the net, and stop yelling.” She looked up at the human, who was now grinning like a fool in the net at the situation. “And you! Why do you have to provoke them Drax? You know how excitable the are. Meep!” Her hooves flew to her muzzle as she realized what she had just let slip, and her eyes went wide in horror.

All six eyes turned around to stare in shock at the human standing before them, having blinked his way free of the net. The reality of who and what he was kept them stunned as if they had been hit by Fluttershy’s Stare.

“Aww, sorry Shy. They snuck up on me and got me in this net.” He smiled evilly at the four stunned ponies. “I was just having a lil fun with them for tricking me like that.”

Applebloom, usually the most level headed of the bunch, was first to recover. “Mista Drax? Is that really you? B-but yer ah big black ally-corn!” She shook her head in disbelief.

He gave a sigh, and his smile faded a bit. “Yea, its me. Let me show you.” and he began to shimmer. In a blink he had resumed his pony form, and sat down in front of them.

Scootaloo came too next, still looking confused. “But you hang out with Dash, and Twilight! You’re dating Pinkie Pie! I don't get it. How can you turn into that.. THING?”

Sweetie Bell was next in the interrogation. “I think it’s romantic! Like Pony and the Beast!”

Fluttershy had recovered enough to start falling over herself to apologise. “I’m so sorry Drax, I never meant to.. oh! Fluttershy, you are such a loudmouth!”

He walked over to give the shy pony a hug. “Don't worry about it Shy. It’s ok now. These three would have found out eventually, the way they are always snooping around.” ‘Damn meddling kids!’ He snickered to himself. “It’s about time I shared my story with them. But on one condition.”

The three looked at him eagerly and chorused, “ANYTHING!”

He put on his serious face. “You must Pinkie Pie Swear to NEVER tell another soul, as long as you live.”

All three chimed in again:

“Cross my heart,

Wish to fly,

Stick a cupcake in my eye!”

Drax grinned again, showing magically enhanced canines, suddenly appearing like fangs. “Good. I would hate to show you what happens to ponies that break promises...”

All three gulped in unison, their eyes grown wide.

And just as fast, his normal smile was back, and he plopped on his rump before them. “Ok then, here’s the story of how I came to Equestria, and how I got my CUTIE MARK!”

At the mention of their favorite subject the three cheered just as loud as before.

Training for months with Twilight Sparkle, Drax managed to hone what she called his “Blunt Force Magic” into something more delicate and precise. He wielded some of the most powerful magic ever seen in Equestria, but it was like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. At least, that was how she put it. Soon he had perfected telekinesis, and was able to move multiple objects with ease. Control was still slow coming, but he worked hard and his precision increased.

Again at the library, he was in the process of levitating himself, several pieces of furniture, and sorting away several books to their proper place. Years of multitasking had helped him grasp this quickly, but he still had trouble sorting what went where, as he tried to stuff a lamp into a bookshelf.

“You need to focus more, Drax! Let your magic senses feel each object, and catalogue where they are.” Twilight was berating him again at his fumbling. He was still able to do more at once than even her, but he grew distracted too easily and mixed things up.

“Yes, Master Yoda. I will try harder.” he snarked back.

She stamped her hoof in frustration. “Oooh.. why do you keep calling me that? It’s not funny! This is a serious lesson, and you need to FOCUS!”

“Sorry Twi.” he responded, still not even opening his eyes. “Old joke, from an older story. I am trying my best to focus, but I need something else to occupy my mind. ADD is a bitch.”

“What’s ADD?”

“Trust me, you don't wanna know. Can ya put on some music or something?” He tried again, getting three books to stack in a row, but then placing them on a chair, instead of the shelf.

“Oh, all right. But I don't understand how you can concentrate by adding more distractions.” She clopped over to a record player and started a song playing. It was a soothing classical piece from Canterlot. Much better suited to a night of study than the usual party music he got around Sugarcube Corner.

At the thought of Pinkie Pie, part of his mind drifted. It was absurd that of all the ponies he had known, he would become closest to the one he had the least in common with. He had always had a crush on Rainbow Dash when watching the show. And her voice still gave him chills. But the Pink earth pony was the one he fell in love with. Her energy and enthusiasm tempered his normal cynicism and apathy. And her outgoing happiness offset his normal shy antisocial nature. She had helped to pull him out of his shell as surely as he had broken her out of hers.

Now she was more sedate around her friends, and not as manic. They responded to this by taking more time to get closer to the real Pinkie, and she blossomed into much more complex person. No longer was it just “Random Pinkie”, but instead they asked, and understood her.

In turn, Drax had himself become more open. He had always had and incredibly open mind, but his heart had often been shielded from years of hurt. Now he openly embraced his friends, without having to hide the flinch that was his reaction in the past. Even his agoraphobia had nearly gone. He walked happily through crowds of ponies, without a care.

“Excellent!” Twilight cheered, breaking him from his reverie. “You did the best I have ever seen you do. That music really did the trick I guess.” She smiled at him proudly. The life-long student, now a teacher herself. “I may have to try it myself, next time I have a study session.”

Drax looked around, seeing that he had not only put every book on the shelf, but alphabetized them, dusted the shelves, arranged the furniture, and moved himself across the room. “Uhh.. yea. It helps to block out distractions, and gives the hyperactive part of my mind something to focus on.” he shrugged. ‘Yea, like a certain hyperactive pink pony...’ he thought.

“Well whatever works.” Twilight came over and gave him a celebratory hug from behind. “If you keep practicing, you will be able to do amazing things with that talent of yours.”

He smiled at the praise from his new teacher in magic, then she started to massage his shoulders from behind. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling, before giving a big sigh and doing what he knew had to be done. “Thanks Twilight. But you really know better.”

Twilight whined, a very un-Twilight sound. “Awww.. Drax. I miss how it was when you first got here.” wrapping her hooves around his neck, she placed her chin on his shoulder. “Ever since you and Pinkie started going steady, it hasn’t been as much fun with you.”

“C’mon Twi, it was one time. It’s not like we dated or anything.” He turned and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Pinkie is my heart now, and I would never do anything to hurt her. So now we are just friends.” He paused a moment, trying to keep his tone level. “Umm, and could you please stop stroking my wings?”

Drax sat at a table inside Sugarcube Corner. He was taking a break after the morning rush, now that the crowd had died down, he could focus on his latest project. His hobby of cooking had paid off, and he helped expand the menu of the little shop. Now they featured a full service breakfast menu, and hot food was to be had every morning, in addition to the usual baked goods. Sugarcube Corner was now and the best bistro in Ponyville.

Laid out on the table before him was the multiple intricate parts for a compact device. Even someone from his old would would be hard pressed to recognize the iPod in it’s disassembled state. Months of practice had honed his skills and control to a level that he could move and control each of the dozens of pieces with clockwork precision.

Still more months of research and experimentation had lead him to a breakthrough in magical energy. He had found that certain gems could be altered to mimic his own magic absorbing abilities. Magical power could be charged into a gem, and act as either a capacitor, or a battery, storing it for later use. In the case of the capacitor, the energy could be released all at once, good for casting powerful spells that required more energy than the caster could supply. The batteries, on the other hoof, released a steady rate of power, and could be used to power other magical devices. What was better, since the battery also absorbed power, they slowly recharged themselves to capacity when not in use. And now he had a way to power his iPod.

Concentrating, he began to assemble the device, as all the parts levitated in the air. Each part came together with a precision that would make a watchmaker weep, and yet he still had enough concentration to watch the world around him. In particular, a energetic pink pony that was busy bouncing around the room, preparing treats for an upcoming event. She was all over the place at once, in her usual energetic Pinkie way, balancing a tray of dark cupcakes on her head, freshly topped. He grinned and reached out with his magic to give her a telepathic smack on the flank, sending her jumping into the air with a surprised shriek.

“Oooh! Draxy! Don't do that! You naughty, naughty pony! You almost made me drop the cupcakes, and I need them for the super awesome tasting party that I am having later. These are my super secret special new recipe I wanna try out.”

Drax just grinned and swung the one cupcake that had actually fallen around in front of her. He had caught it as it fell, and now plopped it to her mouth for a bite. She squealed and chomped the treat, then dove into his lap. She gave him a big sloppy kiss, and he could taste the overwhelming flavor of dark chocolate and... something salty? “Sea salt?” he asked her with a puzzled smile, licking the still-warm frosting from his muzzle as they pulled apart.

“Yep! That's my new recipe. I remember that trick you taught me about putting salty and sweet together, and I wanted to try it on some new cupcakes!” She bounced back out of reach, never letting the plate of cupcakes move out of level. “So whatcha think?”

Drax grinned back at her, as the final pieces of the device on the table snapped into place. He seemed to be somehow better able to control his gift when he was distracted by the pink bundle of energy. His subconscious did all the work flawlessly while his mind focused on the pony he loved.

“Very yummy, but not as yummy as you.” he winked at her.

“Yay! I’m super happy that you like them, cuz I worked extra extra hard on the recipe to get it just right.” Pinkie squealed and bounced, blushing under his flattery.

He returned his attention to the device in front of him. “Well, here goes. Time to see if this thing works or not.” He used his magic to press the power button, and held his breath. It took several minutes, and then the familiar silver apple logo appeared. He let his breath out in a rush, grinning as the device booted up.

Pinkie, seeing his smile, broke into a cheer.

“Hip, hip, hooray!

It’s a wonderful day.

Draxy is so awesome,

The clouds go away!

He makes things work,

when trouble is in the way.

Cuz he’s the awesomest pony,

Hip, Hip Hooray!”

Drax winced at the horrible lyrics, but not at the voice. It has lost some of it’s shrillness since her breakthrough, and now had a much warmer tone to it. The breathing exorcises he had taught her probably helped as well. And besides, he now loved her voice, no matter what its sounded like. However, no amount of practice could teach her better lyrics.

He looked back at the device, now booted up, and carefully used the tip of his hoof to unlock the passcode. With a smile he made his way to the stored music, and pulled up a music video. This was one that had always reminded him of the pink earth pony, and now he played it for her at last. Using an amplification spell, he filled the room with music from another world, and they danced until they fell down, laughing from exhaustion.

Manehattan. Home to thousands of ponies, and one of the economic hubs for Equestria. The rich, and famous, as well as the powerful lived here. It was also home to the biggest recording studio in the realm, and THE place to get music published. Drax was here on invitation from the famous DJ Pon-3, to show off his iPod, and the music it contained. Sounds and music never heard in this world, but that had caught the attention of the famous jockey on her last trip to Ponyville, where she performed at one of Pinkie Pie’s massive block parties. Despite his newfound confidence with crowds, he was still rather intimidated by a place with so many ponies at once. A lifetime of agoraphobia does not go away easily.

He made his way to the building he was told held the recording studio, rather annoyed at the flying restrictions imposed in the metropolitan spaces. ‘Traffic lights, in the sky? Really?’ But he still found the place, and walked into the lobby. After announcing himself at the welcome desk, he didn't have long to wait before the white unicorn with the impenetrable shades came down to meet him. Her look was rather distinctive, with the electric blue mane and the musical cutie mark.

“Draxy!” The unicorn beamed. “I’m so glad you could make it. C’mon up and lemme show you around.”

He followed her into the elevator, which took him up to her private studio. They made small talk about things in Ponyville. Yes, he was still with Pinkie Pie. No, he wasn't looking to ‘branch out’. Of course the elevator music was horrible, despite being in a record company building. Wasn’t all elevator music bad? Finally they made it to the studio floor and exited into a rather well decorated pad. The DJ’s personal studio apartment, in fact. He groaned, not liking how this was going. Again.

Surprisingly though, the little pony refrained at making any passes at him, (other than the one in the elevator) and she showed him how the recording studio was actually built into her apartment. She showed him over to a comfy couch, where he could relax and talk terms.

“So, what do you think you can do with what I have, DJ?” Drax leaned back, as the mare stretched out across from him.

“Please. DJ Pon-3 is just my stage name. You can call me Vinyl Scratch.” She smiled at him, slipping the large glasses up onto her head.

Drax stared a moment, and realized how much everything made sense. The bronies back home never did decide on a name for her, and everyone wondered why she always wore the glasses. Now he knew. “Wow, that’s pretty damn cool lookin.”

She rolled her eyes, which were now clearly visible, and just as clearly, two different colors. One eye was a brilliant emerald, and the other a sparkling sapphire hue. “Yea, they call it heterochromia. I call it a curse. It’s not so cool when you are a foal getting picked on in school.” She shrugged, and smiled. “So now I hide my eyes, and hide my name. It makes things easier.”

“Well it’s a shame, because they are beautiful eyes.”

The unicorn blushed, and beamed under the praise. “I bet you say that to all the talented fillies that invite you up to their rooms!”

Drax grinned back and waved a hoof. “Naa, I see some ugly ones, and I call things how I see em. But they still try to invite me to their room...”

The both laughed at that. Vinyl had been around the dark alicorn enough in Ponyville to know his effect on other ponies. She had considered making a run herself, but was deterred by his obvious devotion to the resident party pony. ‘A shame.’ She thought to herself. ‘Too few stallions to go around as it is. And an alicorn to boot!’

She cleared her throat, and began. “So, down to business. I am willing to record any of the songs you have for me. Since they are not from this world, there will not be any ownership issues. My label will take ownership, and issue half of all royalties to you from any sales. In addition to that, you will have a deciding vote on any derivative works I produce from the songs.”

Drax nodded in agreement. “Yea I figured as much, you being a DJ and all. You will probably want to remix things for your performances. I have no problem with that. I do have one stipulation though. I want to be a silent partner. You will get all credit for the production of the songs, and I will keep my muzzle shut. You pay me half, and you get all the credit. I don't want anypony to know about me, or where I got these songs.”

Vinyl Scratch nodded. “That works just fine. I will not be using all of the songs personally though. I have a few other friends in the industry that would make better use of some of the stuff you have. The ‘Raggae’ stuff for instance. I know a filly down south by the name of Robin Marely. She would do some great things with that sound down in the islands. Also, the ‘Dub-Step’, as you call it, sounds alot more like stuff a friend of mine is working on in Baltimare.” She stopped a moment, unsure why the dark stallion looked like he was in pain. “Are you ok, Drax?”

Unable to hold it back anymore, he started to laugh. “Oh man, I’m sorry. The puns are just too horrible not to laugh at.”

The mare looked confused. “What puns are you talking about?”

“Oh, sorry. I forgot you don't know my origin story yet.” He sobered a bit. “Let’s just say, my music is not the only thing that comes from another world. And we have alotta people and places with similar names.”

Her eyes grew wide at this. “I KNEW it! That story about summoning that device with a spell, it was just too fishy.” She took off her glasses and started to twirl them. “Is it true? Did Princess Celestia summon you here to be her consort, but you rejected her?”

Drax winced at that. “Ouch! That’s a new one by me Vinyl. No, the Princess never had any interest in me, and it was another pony that did the summoning.” He sighed. “But that is strictly confidential!”

She waved her hoof at him. “Yea, yea. If you are in showbiz, you know all about secret identities. Yours is safe with me.”

“Good. Now what else did you want to do?”

“Well, I remember you told me you found a way to make a portable power source. I know a pair of colts outta Fillydelphia, unicorns, that are absolute wizards at making magical devices. They are working on making a device to make synthetic music, as well as a portable one for playing back music, much like your gizmo there.”

“Go on.” He replied, very interested indeed. He was looking for someone to apply his new discoveries.

She continued, “Well it just so happens I know them well. They are also a performance group, and I have worked with them on some song mixing. They go by the name of ‘Daft Pony’.”

It took several minutes for him to stop laughing this time. Afterwards they agreed to terms. It seemed that Vinyl was part owner of the company, as well as it’s star performer. She had managed to spin her success into a profitable business, mostly run by her partner. This left her time for performances, and freedom to do things she wanted.

Many of the songs were recorded from the device, some for immediate release, and others for use as fodder for new ideas on music. Some of the genres that he had brought were completely unknown, and would be saved for later, when Equestria was ready for alternative music styles.

Within a month, a prototype was made for the music player, jointly developed by the two inventors and Drax, and was being mass produced under the name ‘iPon’. A week after that, “Equestria Girls” topped the charts as the biggest selling album in Equestrian recording history, and left all of Equestria wondering, ‘What is a Bikini?’

It was dusk, and the moon was rising. Princess Luna had been performing her duties for some time now, and it once again became second nature to her. As she sat staring at her work, she sighed sadly to herself. She was so happy to be back in the world, with her loving sister again at her side, but so far she was still otherwise without friends. Now that ponies had mastered the technology to light the night, they stayed awake at all hours, and for this she was happy. Yet her own shyness, and the stigma of what she had once allowed herself to become kept her from going out and making friends.

As she stared longingly out into the night, she heard her sister trot up behind her to join her on the balcony. It was moments like this that they were best able to be together, and she treasured every moment. But today, the sadness was stronger than usual, and even her sister’s normally cheery disposition was hard pressed to pierce the funk she was in.

“Beautiful work as always my dear little sister.” Celestia sat down beside the midnight mare, and gave her a loving nuzzle. “I so love having you around to make my nights worthwhile again.”

Luna nuzzled back, but only half-heartedly this time. “I love you too sis. But I’m just not feeling myself right now.”

A worried frown crossed her face as she looked at her younger sister. “Whatever is wrong, you know you can talk to me about it. I will do anything to make my dear sister happy.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Luna, you know better. Tell your big sister what’s troubling you.”

The dark alicorn paused a long time, gazing up at the stars, then steeled herself. “It’s just.. I love you Celly, and I love being with you again. But... I still feel so alone sometimes.” She turned and looked at the white mare. “I want some friends. I want to find love. I want to... belong.”

The white mare ruffled the smaller one’s mane. You will always belong so long as we have each other. As for friends, there is nothing stopping you from going out and meeting new ponies.” She tolled her eyes. “I mean, sure, you may have to wear a disguise at first. It’s not easy being a goddess in public. But once they see the real you, they will love you as much as I do.”

The dark alicorn looked down, still feeling disconsolate at her position. “B-but... Celly? What if I want more than just a friend? What if I want someone to love? I don't want what I am to get in the way of them loving who I am.” She sighed. “I am afraid nopony would ever see anything more than Princess Luna, or even worse, the pony that was once Nightmare Moon.”

Celestia wrapped a wing around her sister. “I wish I could tell you it will be easy, but it wont. I have never taken a consort, because I could not bring myself to be hurt when they grew old and left me. But you, my dear sister, you still have a chance at happiness.” She sighed. “It will not be easy, and there will be pain along the way, but if you search and have patience, love will come.”

Finally gaining the courage to bring up her real issue, she timidly looked up at her sister again. “W-what about that other pony? The dark alicorn I saw you talking to before? Is he like us? Can he learn to love me, and not grow old?”

Suddenly standing up, a shocked look in her eyes, the Dawn Princess replied. “Drax? Oh no.. No no, dear sister. You can never be with him. He has a dark destiny ahead of him, and we must never become entangled in his path.” She shook her head. “No, he is in love with another pony, and he has a dark prophecy looming over his head. For you to try to approach him would only find you hurt.”

“But Celly! He’s the only other alicorn in Equestria!” The dark mare cried, plaintively. “We were meant to be together. I can make him love me, I’m sure of it. Then we can be happy together, forever!”

The sun goddess stamped her hoof, now agitated. “NO! I forbid it. I will not see you hurt again, sister. You must stay away from Drax, or he will drag you down with him when his destiny comes to claim him.”

Shocked at the sudden violence in her sister’s voice, Luna took a step back. Then just as suddenly the dawn mare’s feature softened again, and she stepped forward to embrace her younger sibling.

“I’m so sorry Luna, I really am. I just don't ever want to see you hurt, the way I hurt you so long ago.” She nuzzled her sister then pulled back to look her in the face. “Please, Luna. Promise me you will not seek out the other alicorn. He is dangerous, both to you and himself. And I could never bear to let you be hurt that way.”

Luna nodded, tears of frustration and sadness in her eyes. “I-I... I promise Celly. I trust your judgement. But I’m still so lonely...” she sobbed into her sister’s pastel mane, and was held by the only pony that could ever truly know her.