Pony POV Series Shining Armor 'The Final Page'

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
"Shining Armor"
Chapter 23
The Last Page

Dust to Dust?

"Uncle Cool Sun! I'm bored..."

"I know, Kiddo, but it shouldn't be too much longer."

Uncle wasn't paying attention to me. He was still wearing his guard uniform.

"Uncle Cool Sun, why does momma have to be there when my little brother gets here?"

Uncle jumped. "Uh...well...you see...the...um..." He rubbed his head. Why does he look so nervous? "Well...uh...you see, Kiddo, when Celestia brings him, one of us has to be there so she knows who to give him too."

"I thought it was a magic mirror and that's why Daddy had to be here too."

"Oh! Well, you see they already did that and Celestia has to bring him to your momma after he comes out of the mirror back in Canterlot."

Who are they trying to fool? Everypony knows the stork brings foals! My baby brother isn't even here yet and he's already hogging momma and daddy! And Uncle Cool Sun is paying more attention to him than me too!

When he comes they're not going to pay any attention to me at all!

I huffed and crossed my hooves...Then I heard crying. Was that my little brother? Why is he crying? Is he hurt? I...I know I didn't want him taking all the attention, but I didn't want anything bad to happen to him!

"Uncle, what's going on?"

"I think your brother is here, Shining," Uncle said. He looked so nervous and worried! Was my little brother okay?

A few seconds later one of the grown ups came out of the room.

"Is Starlight okay? Is the foal okay?" Uncle Cool Sun asked.

I looked up at her worriedly.

"They're fine," the nurse smiled. "You can see them now."

---

We walked in. Daddy was standing next to Momma. She looked so tired. Why did she look so tired? How hard was it to get a foal from the stork? And why does daddy act like his hoof hurts?

Uncle nuzzled momma and looked at a little bundled thing next to momma.

"Momma...is my baby brother okay?"

Momma chuckled. "They're fine, Shiny...but I'm afraid you didn't get a little brother. You got a little sister."

Little sister?! I thought I was getting a brother!

Momma unwrapped the little thing and...

She's so little...I'm not a big pony and she looks so tiny to me...

Uncle Cool Sun smirked. "Cute little sprite, isn't she?"

"Shining, this is your baby sister."

I got close to her. I didn't expect her to be so little...

"She smells funny..."

"Well...that's because she just arrived. Babies...kinda smell funny when they first get here."

The little filly looked up at me with those tiny eyes.

I blinked. We just kinda stared at each other for a bit. I...I didn't know what to say to her...I...I just didn't think she'd be so tinny tiny...She looks so fragile...I'm almost afraid to touch her.

"Um...h-hi...I'm S-Shining Armor, your big brother..." I said, it was all I could think to say.

She cocked her head and stared at me...Okay, I guess that's kinda cute...

She booped me on the nose lightly with her hoof and giggled and made...baby sounds...I guess.

She reached out for me and I got a little closer as she grabbed my nose.

"I think she likes you, Shining," daddy said, smiling.

I blinked, looking at the tinny tiny pony hugging my nose. She was smiling at me. She just seemed...happy. My tiny...cute...fragile little sister liked me. She was happy to see me.

I nuzzled her. "I...I think I like her too..."

Why did I think something so tiny would be a threat to me? She was so tiny...anything could hurt her...Everything could hurt her...Someone needed to keep her safe...

"Momma...what's her name?"

Momma and daddy blinked. "Uh...we were kind of expecting a colt too..." daddy said.

"...How about Twilight, honey?" momma asked. "The name runs in my family. And you got to name Shining."

I smiled to my baby sister, who gave a yawn. "Twilight..."

+++

Mom sure had gotten fat lately. Mom and dad already told me how my little brother was coming soon, and it would take eleven months. Why was that? Couldn't dad just look in the magic mirror and out he'd come?

And whenever mommy wanted something, mommy was going to get it! It didn't matter what I wanted to do, or where I was, or what was promised, if mommy wanted it, it happened. Daddy is saying how I need to help too. But I was in the middle of playing swords with Gaffer when daddy called me in to be with mom when he went to get something.

And mom's been acting really really weird. First she's really angry at daddy, then she wants to snuggle with him, then she acts super friendly with other ponies visit, and then she cries, but says nothing wrong.

And I don't get why daddy had to get up in the middle of the night and go out and buy tofu, I thought mom hated tofu. Then she wanted scrambled eggs mixed with cheese, then mixed with nuts, then mixed with peaches, then mixed with cheese, nuts, and peaches. I'm sure there was as much eggs as there was other stuff.

"Daaaaddy, why I do to do all this stuff?" I asked.

"...Because when we were waiting for you, I had to go through this alone, now that you're here, you can help too."

Huh? Mommy was like this waiting for me? Why? Did she want me that bad?

"Where are my truffles?! Don't you love me anymore Moonlight?! Shining! Don't leave mommy all alone!"

Daddy breathed in and sighed. "And you were worth every second of it."

+++

"Son, we have something we need to tell you," said dad, sitting next to mom on the couch. We were sitting in the living room. Why? What was going on? Maybe they were getting me that new Captain Equestria action figure I wanted!

"You're going to be a big brother! We have a new baby on the way!" Mom said.

Huh?

"Honey! I wanted to coast into it."

"Dear, we if let you 'coast us into it' we'd have been here all day. So yes son, we're going to have a new addition to our herd next year."

I stared blankly. So...mom and dad were going to use the magic mirror again? So wait...this meant...

"I'm gonna have a little brother!" I jumped for joy. "This is gonna be soooooo coool! Ooh, we can play hoofball and hide and seek and build a treehouse and i can share my GG Joe toys with him and we can hide under vases together!"

"...You could do all that with a sister as well," dad said.

"Except the vases, the neighbors thought we were haunted the last time!" Mom added.

+++

"What I'm saying is that he's too powerful. He's well past the age for random magic surges. But the level of mana he's holding is greater than that of colts a year older than him. It's just not natural."

"Is...is his magic too much for his body to handle?" Mom asked worried.

"Huh? No no, his body is handling the level of mana just fine, that isn't the point."

"You say my son isn't in danger, but that isn't the point?" Mom asked.

"What I'm saying is," the doctor said, "His magic is too powerful for a foal his age to have. I can see it, why can't you? The colt is dangerous."

I held in my gasp from my hiding place.

"Dangerous?" Dad whispered.

"Yes, dangerous! He could put an airtight shield around somepony's head, or create a force field INSIDE a pony and expand it, or say if he got mad at somepony, he could simply crush another foal with one. I live in this neighborhood with my foals. If he got into an argument with them, he could put up a forcefield when one was crossing the street and they'd then get hit by a carriage! Who could stop him? You? Foals with power are DANGEROUS! He's a walking time bomb! PLEASE, If you really love him, if you don't want him to do something that he'll always regret that will snowball him into something worse, you need to have his horn shielded or severed from his magic center."

"WHY YOU!" Mom snapped. "My son isn't like that at all! How can you be a parent yourself and say that? Why I oughta-"

Somepony punched some other pony hard. I snuck a peek, it hadn't been mom, it was dad?

"Get out." Dad said calmly. "That is stupid. My son would never do anything like that. Ever. It's not in his nature. It's not who he is. His magic shields others! It doesn't hurt them! You say my son is special and that makes him a monster? That I should mutilate my son just because you're afraid of him? Get out!"

The stallion he had punched was picked by his wife. She growled at mom and dad. "That is assault! I am telling the guards!"

"And this is harassment!"

"It's not harassment to worry about my family!"

"Then it's not assault to protect mine!"

"We'll see who the guards agree with!"

Dad left ahead of mom, she found me behind the couch. "...Shiney? Have you been?...During that?...I'm sorry you had to hear all those horrible thing about you."

"Are...are they true?" I think I sniffled. "Am I a bad pony?"

She hugged me close and nuzzled me, "No. Not in the least! And I don't want you ever think you are young stallion...You are a sweet, kind, and loving little colt, who I am so proud to be the mother of. Don't ever think that, my little pony. Repeat after me, you're not a bad pony."

"I'm...I'm not a bad pony."

"That's a good colt." She kissed me below my horn. "And I know, you're special, and that is never a bad thing. Be proud Shining, you have magic that lets you protect others. And that makes you-"

"A knight in shining armor?"

"...heh, yes dear, it does."

The next day, some guards (but not uncle Cool Sun) were at front door for some reason, and dad said he had to go spend a week at a special vacation spot that was super secret and couldn't tell me about.

A week later he came back looking, really ruffled. The first thing he said to mommy when he got back, "Worth it."

+++

In the backyard, six colts were tackling a huge moral dilemma. How could six ponies play a game with only one set of goals painted on the far fence? We'd voted for hoofball (myself, my fellow unicorn Crono, Pit, our pegasus neighbour, and Leon, an earth pony from down the street voting for. Gaffer was against, and Poindexter wasn't voting as usual. A suggestion of baseball was met with 'no, just no' and nervous looks in my direction) but we hadn't really thought it through.

"So Gaffer goes in the goal and the rest of us try to score past him?" Pit said. His cutie mark would be a winged bow, but we were all too young to have earned them - or even be all that worried about them for that matter.

"Uh, no..."

"But Gaffer always goes in goal!" Leon protested. His cutie mark would be a silver cross.

"Yeah but that's when there's more of us and we're in the park."

"Soooo, why don't we go ta the park?"

"We can't go too far from the house, my mom and dad are doing work."

"What about your uncle?"

"He's away to join the Guard, 'member?"

"I could go in goal..." Poindexter spoke up.

Chrono, who would go on to earn a half-clock-face cutie mark, shook his head. He didn't talk much, so I decided to elaborate on why Poindexter wasn't a good keeper.

"Nah, you're too slow for a goalie. I could go in goals too but everypony says I'm a better striker..."

"That's kind of weird now that I think about it, aren't earth ponies like Poindexter meant to be strong and unicorns like Shining meant to be smart?" Leon mused.

"Well, yeah, but...Hey!"

"There's nothing WRONG with it, it's just I think you guys swapped or something, you got some of his earth pony stuff and he got your brains."

"Whatever. And anyway it's not important who goes in goal 'cos no one is going in goal, we all are if we can stop the ball!"

"Well what are we gonna do?"

"Anypony near the goal gets to stop it."

"Huh? But then how do we stop a foul ball?"

"Um...You can only use your hooves to stop it in the air...if you're behind the edge of the shed!"

"...That sounds dumb, we should just do shootouts with Gaffer in goal."

"If we do that we all have to take a turn, it's not fair Gaffer's always in goal!"

"Maybe we should just play with toy soldiers..." Gaffer whined.

"We voted for Hoofball, we're gonna play Hoofball!" Pit said.

We tried to play but as always seems to happen trying to keep a ball lower to the ground and not going over fences, within ten minutes it had gone into the neighbors. At least it didn't go through the window this time.

"Oh shoot...Last one to hit it gets it."

That had been me. Maybe I'd be lucky and it would be at the park getting a walk...

The fence wasn't that tall though. I climbed over it easily enough, and there was the ball, lying in the middle of the garden.

"Found it!" I reported as I kicked it back over. I was still learning to do my magic so my telekinesis wasn't so good yet.

Clearly it was away, it would be rushing out the second the ball landed if...

"Woof!"

"AAAAH!"

I bolted for the fence, trying to climb back over. I switched to plan B and jumped right over it.

"Whoa, did he spot you?" Pit asked.

"Yes, he spotted me!"

"Uh, Shining, if you can jump it, what about-" Poindexter began, only for a shape to descend from the sky.

"Agh! Max, get off, I wasn't coming to play, I just wanted my ball!" I protested as the neighbor's dog slobbered all over me.

+++

"The knights of olden days wore gleaming shining armor of silver, except Lady Bluebelle, who did have hers done in pink with yellow polka-dots, and Sir Fluffy Kitten who did have his painted like a tiger. Many wore silver barding as part of their strict code of cavalry..."

"That's 'chivalry', kiddo, but not bad! It's at least related to knights..."

"Cool Sun, don't correct him!"

"You corrected me, sis!"

"Yeah, but you're my little brother, I was supposed to correct you! Keep going, Shining."

"Uh, okay...their strict code of cav...chivalry...which also had them act in a noble way, such as defending the honor of the innocent and righting wrongs. They would joust in tournaments and fight dragons and evildoers to protect the land..."

I can't quite say how myths and legends of knights became a foalhood favorite of mine(!). Something just seemed interesting to a foal called 'Shining Armor' about ponies in shiny silver armor trotting around in the olden days fighting off bad guys...

"That's very good, Shining!" My mother smiled.

"Are there real knights around today? Like the Guards, are they knights even if they wear gold?" I asked.

"Well, kiddo...Sorta. Most of the Guards these days are kind of like knights but not the old kind in some ways. They still defend the innocent and protect the land, but there's no jousting..."

"So old knights aren't around any more?"

"Well, there are Guard regiments called the Heavy Cavalry and the Cataphracts. Lord Commander The Prince Ultramarine founded the first regiment like it over a thousand years ago and went to the chaotic lands of Equorpe to restore harmony. I guess the Pegasus Legion kind of counts but their armor isn't all that shiny..."

"So are you gonna be a cattyfract?"

"No, I'm joining the Canterlot Guards when I enlist, kiddo. Cataphracts don't really guard things most of the time, they train to fight if there's ever a really big problem. They're meant to charge in to help other guards if there's something wrong."

"So...they guard guards?" I wondered.

"Sort of. Plus they're called heavy cavalry for a reason..."

"They're all fat?"

"Uh, no, they wear barding that weighs...a lot. Like remember how heavy that bag of flour you helped your mom carry was? It's more than ten bags of flour."

I did the math. More than ten bags of flour? That could mean it weighed up to eleven!

"Wow, thats heavy...Is there lighter armor?"

+++

The big clay pots were so big! But there wasn't anything in them. What did papa and mama call them again? Bases? Cases? Vases? But we had pots in the kitchen with nothing in them most of the time, why weren't they called vases?

I looked in them to see there was any treasure once, but all I did was break one, mom spanked me a lot for that, said something about it being really old. But that couldn't happen again right? No way. The other pot broke totally by accident. What's the difference?

Besides, this time I'll be inside the pot on the floor already.

This old pot makes a much better mobile cave! It's so dark in here, it's like it actually goes on forever in here. A dark little spot that actually is better on the inside than the outside. Maybe there are bats and spiders? On second thought, maybe not. Maybe he was in a tank. Or a digging machine. Or a...what that thing in that 'sight-friction' book called again? A sub-marine!

Off I go, exploring the deep dark, unexplored darkness, who knew what was waiting for me? What treasures and wonders are waiting to be found! It's so safe and snuggly inside here.... Actually it's a little cold but it's okay! Oof! I wonder if I just came into contact with some ancient ruins. Maybe I'll meet some seaponies!

"..why is that vase moving around the floor?! YOU HAVE A GHOST AAAAAH!"

We have ghosts? Oops. My submarine is gone! Mama is holding it in her magic.

"...Shining?"

"Yes mama?"

"You just made Mrs Buttercups think we're haunted."

"Cool!"

"..."

"I mean, uh, sorry..."

+++

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. Where am I? Who am I? I am Shining Armor. What am I? I am a unicorn. How am I? In a lot of freakin' pain. It feels like my soul hurts. Where am I again? In a big heap of trouble.

And my back feels colder than ice and but burns like it's on fire.

Maybe all of that was just one big stupid contrived nightmare? Come on alarm clock! I'll never hate what music you play ever again! Let me know that was all just a nightmare!

...

Blagh! Hey! What! Did I fall asleep in a haystack? Hey! Hey you guys! Don't just stand there! There was a stallion in that cart of hay you just dumped out, don't ignore him! And why is everything so faded and gray? The wolf! No...it's...I don't see anywhere. What the hay is going on?

How can I feel so heavy and yet so hollow at the same time? Come on! Are you guys deaf? Can't you see me? Can't you feel me?

Why are you looking around? I'm right in front of you.

"Stupid pegasi wind pranks."

Pegasus? Wind prank? Come on!

"It is no use dear...they can't hear or see you, they can't hear or see nothing."

"Oh! You can see me?! Who...who are you?" She was faded, transparent, like a colored shadow.

"I am no one. I am nothing. Who I was, was F______n F___t handsome."

"Hold on I think you're getting a little bit too friendly there! What do you mean 'was?' "

"I was an avatar of a lovely draconequus trapped in the shape of a unicorn who went from universe to universe, providing wares and services for anypony willing to pay the price."

"You were a cursed shop owner."

"It wasn't me who was cursed. Just most of my wares! Ha ha! Then that bucking eraser had to say some horse apples about me being a corruptive influence who didn't belong here and destroying the lives of innocent ponies! They knew what they were getting! It's not my fault they didn't read the fine print!"

"So you were a sadistic nutcase, great."

"I wouldn't say sadistic so much as...morally challenged. So who were you, you studly piece o' stallion?"

"Personal space! And I AM Shining Armor!"

"... You can still say your name. I've never met a shadow of existence who can do that before."

"A what?"

"That's what you are you stupid moronic idiot. You're an echo. A hoofprint.  A flare on the back of somepony's eyes after the camera flash. You're not even dead, you're where dead people would go if they could die. You're nothing."

"I am NOT nothing! I think! I feel! I exist!"

"And have feelings too. A double-freak. And if you exist, try convincing them. And once you give up on getting back to Miss Harmony, give me a call."

The shadow of a bright yellow earth pony with a red mane with a mexicolt accent slipped out of nowhere next to me. EEP! "Welcome to the family senor! You're right now, how do you say, the borderland, lots and lots of those pursued by the vacío lobo come here expecting a cheat, instead they find the end of the road."

"Is that what happened to you Miss..."

Fiesta Flare was the name of the pony who once existed, our new brother. And no, my entire universe was erased! Because it was deemed a failure, and she was judged to be not worthy to enter the 'fixed' version..."

"I'm sorry." A part of me felt like she was familiar.

"I don't mind. I don't mind anything. I don't 'I' either. Don't is really all I really 'do'! Haha!..." She grinned at me. "We are nothing. Nothing doesn't have different parts. All that is nothing, is one nothing. We are you, and you are us!"

"NO WAY!" I snarled.

"Hey, don't make a scene weirdo."

"You can see me?"

"See who?"

"Me?"

He shrugged me off and went back to ignoring me.

"Jolly interesting." A white earth mare with a blue eyes, and...yellow, purple, and dark purple mane and tale, geeze. Her cutie mark I think was a magnifying glass and a puzzle piece.

"It seems that you've managed to hold onto your light of existence. Otherwise you should have faded into Her Nothingness' Oblivion. Might also explain why more and more of us can observe here, when normally, we can not escape the nothingness, FOR WE ARE THE NOTHING. Ugh!...If you still hold your light of existence...your fate isn't' sealed. Jolly strange though, Black-Jack never just leaves a job half done, but it must have backed off for some jolly reason. Maybe your jolly love is jolly still wanting you to jolly exist, and is jolly chaining you to reality. Perhap-"

"Don't go saying things you should go saying senorita."

"Who are you Miss?"

"...My name, was Puzzlemint. My birthday was in october, my favorite color was yellow, like the sunshine. My favorite flower was lillies, my favorite hobby was puzzle solving. And assuming the wolf doesn't finish what it started on you, and assuming your light doesn't end up escaping your shadow from the wound the wolf inflicted upon you, there is a real possibility that-"

"Don't go telling things you shouldn't." A purple pegasus shadow, her cutie mark was a large classic five white pointed star with a magenta one inside and some spiral sparkles. "More to the nothingness, means more company, means more of us, means that meaningless existence ends sooner, all is forgotten, all fades to dust, and the dust to nothing, why encourage anything? Songs fade. Melodies are forgotten. Dreams go POOF into the ether. Sacrifices are for naught."

I looked at her. A part of me felt like I was looking at a fun house mirror of somepony I once knew...No, like something had just left behind a bitter echo of them.

Puzzlement looked at me closer. "You should be happy Bright Eyes already finished D__t off or __ come after you in a second, your light is special..."

"D__t?"

"It's not important, what is, Captain Shining Armor is as long as you have your light, you have hope, if-"

"Starsong Melody is warning you senorita."

"-Find Cadence! She's looking for you! She won't leave this city until she finds you! It doesn't matter if your friends say you don't exist! Your actions haven't truly faded! They're just disconnected for now! Not yet! Be reunited with her, and I surmise you can jolly be saved!"

"Wait! You mean my friends don't remember me right now?"

"The closer you get to her, the more 'real' you become again, if you can embrace you, I think you can be freed!"

"Big mistake sister." They fell on top of her.

"Get his light! I WANT IT!"

"No me!"

"Me!"

"Shining!Run!"

"I can't just leave-"

"I don't exist! They'll kill you!"

"October birthday, lilies favorite flower. I won't forget." I ran.

"Don't let him-" Then they screamed and vanished from wherever they came from.

IT appeared in front of me, which made me guess I was running in the right direction.

".I tolD yoU thiS woulD bE ouR finaL hunT"

Oddly. I felt this strange calm instead of fear for once. "What kept you? My predecessors said it's not like you to take a break in the middle of business."

".fivE rumoreD crystaL skullS thaT feeD ofF mentaL energY tO poweR aN alieN spacE shiP underneatH ponyvillE .anD A stallioN witH sunglasseS whO wanteD theiR drilL tO piercE tartaruS sO theY coulD havE A 'bonuS supeR bosS' fighT"

"I've got you pinned. It would have taken you no time to finish me off. You're making excuses."

".yoU arE ,A paradoX withiN A paradoX inserT .youR immediatE erasurE woulD brinG abouT A worlD ,I...havE nO...DESIRE...foR ,I saW iT .thE wolF haS neveR beeN awakE thiS lonG  .thE wolF shoulD havE nO desireS ,theY arE thE patH oF thE canceR .safetY measureS haD tO bE madE .noW perhapS onE meanT tO exisT shalL adverT thaT worlD"

"If me being around stops a world even YOU don't want. Can't you just let me go?! We both want the world safe and I don't have anything against you!"

".nO .yoU arE aN infectioN .yoU arE A contaminatioN froM A goddesS noT oF thiS timelinE .anotheR worlD noW misseS A goddesS becausE oF youR existencE .yoU twisT mindS anD memorieS anD fateS witH youR presencE .desireS arE whaT separatE thE wolF froM thE cancerS !iF thE wolF giveS iN tO desirE iT wilL BECOME A CANCER !noW disrupT thE timelinE nO furtheR"

"Catch me if you can!"

I threw the hay cart on him and ran like Tartarus. Hey, I'm not Twiley, but I can move my force fields just fine, and they can hold plenty! Besides, the wolf fixed up the cart before chasing after me.

I galloped PAST the wolf, in the direction the wolf wasn't wanting me to go.

".theN sO bE iT .iT iS mY fatE"

I plowed past ponies, getting responses ranging from angry shouts at me in ponsian to looking around confused, I sadly didn't have time to worry about giving bumps and bruises, and no it's not just because I knew the wolf would fix it up or since I was kinda between existing and not existing they'd probably forget me the moment I was out of sight.

I hadn't been kidding when I said the different temples made this place like a maze! I just had vague direction of where Cadence MIGHT be -  and the streets were crowded.

Then...I don't believe it. The wolf, it, it began to sing! I got the gut feeling it was singing to me, because I wouldn't be around for much longer. Forget that! On second thought, REMEMBER that!

"The frozen wind blowing,
Broken lines across the land.
The crumbling world,
in their minds are all that stand.
Just like the buffalo
following a herd.
They try to justify
all that has occurred"

I plowed through the doors of a temple, with statues of creatures like Pandora on one side, and statues of various Alicorns on the other. The wolf, actually nodded to one as it chased me. A priest made a holy sign as I ran past. If that was a blessing, I take what I can get!

"I know what I've been told
The hearts of ponies can't be controlled"

The streets work totally to his advantage! I need to get where he can't come through a wall behind me! Wait! What was Miss Huggie's idea? I created a series of force fields, using them as stairs, and go onto the series of flat roof tops! Come on! A bright pink and probably frantic Alicorn princess in a desert city shouldn't be that hard to spot!

"Heat of the desert,
the scent fills my breath.
Without a compass
The hunter knows no disgrace."

I ran from rooftop to rooftop, trying to spot Cadence, very much and literally my savior. The wolf ran up a wall and followed me. Against the odds I finally managed a teleport across two buildings far apart. Guess the wolf didn't count on me NOT being cornered. "HA!" I called back to it.

"Out of the ashes
The Alicorn Rises Still
Freedom calls
For all those who resist chaos' will!"

And it leapt the distance in a single bound. Did I know it could do that? We've done this so many times! Runrunrun! Find the needle in a haystack! Where was a magnet when you needed one?

"Here I am,
Dirty and thankless
I need to heed all instructions"

Wolf...Was there, resignation in its voice there for a moment? I kept using my force fields for ad-hoc bridges. I still had the best view from up here. And the hedge maze has taught me that walls weren't an obstacle for the wolf.

"On my own
Invisible hunter!"

Hear ya pal. ugh! Don't empathize with the horror from beyond trying to delete you...I twisted the hearts and minds of those I met just by existing the wolf said. Princess Celestia said I wasn't supposed to exist. Would it be simpler to just give up? My last chance was a booby trap. Was I doomed to just stay within line of sight of Cadence forever? Would that still even work? Was Canterlot the only place safe for me? What kind of life was that? I...

I felt something else reaching for me. It was cold beyond cold, but...peaceful...quiet...

No! I'm sorry! Cadence. I didn't want her to know! But...what if she tortures herself anyway? What if her asking herself if I did hurts her just as much? Dangit! Did that sound arrogant. But, if I'm going to cease to exist...I want to make as much a finale of it as I can!

You know, I'm almost SAD that Twinkle Shine might not ever know she finally got the message across. Cadence, I'll find you!

"I fight for harmony
in a forgotten place.
Fulfill my duty
then vanish without a trace"

Like any other soldier.

You know it's crazy. I don't think I can hate the big ugly nasty monster ghost wolf. I hate this horseapples. I hate I forgot that I already fell in love once with Cadence. I hate thinking of the friends I neglected. I hate the bigger horseapples I had to go through that nearly nopony else remembers (like pretty much any soldier in almost every war). I hate it's trying to make me go poof when CADENCE will still remember a stallion who never existed.

"I deserve no thanks
For all those I erase
Nothingness calls
To all bending creation to their will."

I might not hate it but I'm not going to let it EAT ME! Hey, dangit, where'd he go?  I-it leapt out of my own shadow and shattered my force field! Down I go! Agh!

"I am the left wing of fate!"

UGH! Everything a blur. My leg broken? No, but it sure still hurts! Get up Shining! You can't give up, you can't! Get up! Force field time - only one chance to use it like this. Gotta make it count. Gotta see if you can kill a ghost.

"REAPER! STOP!"

Minuette? Ugh. Is she, holding her fob watch? I've...never seen her look so serious, she was sad when Sunset and Ranger died but...this look...She's actually scaring me a little.

Wait. She can see this thing? Does she remember me?

The wolf is looking at Minuette, like it doesn't have a clue what to make of her.

"Shining Armor, I'm happy to see you're alright. Except Cadence, everypony else has forgotten you. They think Cadence and I have been out in the sun too long. Thankfully she was able to pull rank and pretty much DEMANDED as their commanding officer to break schedule, and I...I complied by tearing it up, and say we now had a free day. Shining, Cadence is looking for you, she believes you still exist. She told me she'd be looking in the Taghdir ruins for you while I searched the city. The others seemed to forget we had even told them to look for a white unicorn stallion with a shield cutie mark the moment they were out of earshot," She said.

All this time, the wolf's eyes weren't on me. They were on Minuette. I should have run. But there was no way in Tartarus I was throwing somepony else under the bus for my sake.

"...yoU"

"Yes. Me Reaper. Shining. Run for the ruins. She'll be there. Believe you'll find her. She believes she'll find you there. Makes that belief come true, and make yourself come true."

"What about you?!"

"I'll keep the Reaper busy. I'll trade as much time as I can for you."

"Buck that, you think Cadence is going to be LESS sad that you vanish instead?!"

What was this? Why would the wolf have any interest in Minuette? It had never shown any interest in her before! Or had she been escaping it just like I had all this time?...Maybe keeping this all bottled up hadn't been such a flawless idea after all.

"This isn't open for debate Shining, I have what the wolf wants, that it can't find later! Just run! Consider that an order from our princess! Go to her!"

"You're insane if you think I'm just-"

"I'll be fine! I'm sure of it."

"You suck at lying."

"I'm just rusty. I've taken a vow for our princess too, and she needs you more than me."

"And what about Twinkle Shine? You want to leave her without another friend?"

"She'll be okay, I'll be okay!"

The wolf growled annoyed.

"If you don't go Shining, it'll take me in a second, and then take you, and it'll all be for nothing! Trust me, it isn't me it wants...I hope. "

"Minuette-"

"Bucking go, you bucking idiot!"

+++

Shining Armor finally ran for it. Good boy. That left me alone with the Reaper. And lots of ponies trying not to look at me for screaming at thin-air or some faceless nopony.

Shining. If this Reaper has been after you...I can understand why you've been so dead set against telling Cadence the truth...It's the same reason I don't think I could take the next step with Audience so long as there's a chance someday this monster in my watch will take over...

".surrendeR tO thE wolF ,criminaL"

"I have what you want Reaper. I have what you want I bet more than anything. The one who has corrupted and endangered the universe so many times, an alien to this universe, a infection...the one who shouldn't even be in this world, who has twisted the minds and fates of so many. All wrapped up in one little package and unable to do a thing to protect himself. Now you can end that threat."

Come now, I'm indestructible. The whole universe knows that.

"Not anymore. In fact, you never were."

You fool! You can't exist without me! You'll erase yourself!

"Scared? I'm not."

Poor liar!

"You're right. I'm terrified. But if it keeps you from hurting anypony again..."

"Haha! Funny joke! You had me going for a minute!"

I prepared my telekinesis.

"You're actually doing it?! You're insane! No! Sorry! You're a very smart pony! Not insane and not a fool!"

"...Use my name."

"Minuette, stop! I'll swear on any god you like I'll never hurt anyone again! I'll even swear on Her and nothing has ever broken their word to Her! I'll never hurt anypony again! I swear it!"

"I know you won't. And you won't have to worry about the drums ever again. And you know why?"

"You can't do this. You can't do this! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"Because I'm stopping the drums - forever!"

"You idiot, you'll destroy yourself too! Think of your friends and family!"

"I am...Doctor, I'm sorry for everything..."

"NO!"

I tossed the fob watch into the Reaper's waiting jaws, and then-

+++

A brown earth pony with a hour glass cutie mark stopped what he was doing, stood still, and felt it in the air. "Sweet Gallifrey, he's gone. What? The Master is really gone? I can't say his name? Blast it...Guess he really is gone."

The Master could not return, would not return, and was impossible to return, because one that hadn't existed in the first place couldn't 'return' from nothing.

++++

Minuette, whatever happens, please be safe! I never want another pony to die for me ever again.

Run to the ruins.

Run for my life. No, run for my EXISTENCE!

Run to Cadence.

Run. Run. Run.

...I've been running...for so long...from that thing...it feels like...I've been running from it...my entire life...like I...I wish I could rest...just a...just...just a tiny rest...just a little...rest...

---

Me wake up. Sun not out. It dark. It scary. Me scared. Where Mama? Me cry. Nopony come. Why no pony come? Do ma-ma not love me now? Mama! Mama!

Me turns and cry in crib. Crib rock. Rocking make me think of ma-ma. Where ma-ma? Please ma-ma! Please come! Ma-ma!

Big black shape cover crib. Big black doggie. Big black doggie scary...Mama! Save me help me Mama! Big black dog staring down at me. Me can't get away! Me try to crawl. Me too small! Mamaaaa!

Scary dog lean in crib! It have big teeth - Mama!

".therE waS nowherE yoU coulD ruN froM mE"

((((SHINING!)))

---

I'm awake! Agh, sweet Celestia, that nightmare...except it wasn't a nightmare. It's not just hunting me here. It's hunting me there too...at this rate it'll.

Loving Celestia.

Mom.

That thing. It'll be waiting for me, on the day I'm born. Day? Who the buck am I kidding? That thing is no mindless animal or brain-dead robot. It'll be waiting for me the moment the doctor cuts the umbilical cord.

My...my first dream of my past...of my life...it was in reverse. Does that mean the day I'll be born will be in reverse too?

I can't defend myself anymore. No pony there can defend me anymore. Celestia won't know I was being born. Nightmare Moon wouldn't care. It won't listen to Pandora even if she would know. As for Cadence...

Next time I fall asleep just might be the last time.

Cadence. I have to go to her now! Buck it! Buck everything! I have to tell her now! Buck it yes I love her! I love her! I loved her, forget about now I loved her, then fell in love with her all over again! How much more in love can you get?!

She's my sunshine and I want to be her sunshine! Her, Twilight, Spike, our parents! I want us all to be one big family, and to have our own family. We'll see our foals fly over Canterlot and with horns of their own...

I want to live! I want to be!

Cadence, don't stop believing, I'm coming...

I hear a howling. The sun is beginning to set.

Ugh,  I wish I had a second to catch my breath.

"Then take it, we'll carry you, Shining."

"It's the least we can do for the world's best big brother, Shiney!"

"Ugh. Have you put on weight in the last year and a half or somethin' Shine? I'd fly you or have wrinkles teleport you if I thought it wouldn't be a bigger flag to wolfie!"

Wait, what. You three? Wait. How...how are you here? You're just voices in my head. Right? How are you carrying me? Isn't...isn't that breaking the rules? I thought you weren't supposed t...supposed to help like this...

"Shining, right now your existence is on the edge of the cliff, it could fall into the abyss never to return, or return to solid ground. You life is hovering between 'yes' and 'no'. We can move through the air, and help balance you back."

But only one of you have wings.

"Shiney, a way past cool hero once said 'even without wings, I can still fly!' "

"...I'm sorry Shine. This is the best we can help now. When the wolf took a bite out of you, we lost track of you again. It's been keeping us from sensing you, and basically locked us out, it took us this long to find our way back to you. I'm sorry. We should have been able to do more for you. You're our responsibility."

"I'm my own responsibility. It's my life."

"We're a herd Shine, we're each other's responsibility. And you've been there for us more than you know, it's only right we return the favor. But if wolfie comes at you again, we can't hoofs-on meddle. We're visitors. It isn't. Lookin' at it one way, we're the alien otherworldly abominations, and the wolf is a natural mundane part of the world."

You guys have helped me more than once. Thank you.

"You're welcome Shiney!"

"Shining, if we do not speak again after this is all over. I wish you know. I couldn't be more proud of you. You are a white knight in shining armor."

Thank you. Heh. I think you're making me blush.

"Oh, Shine, you're so modest."

What I care about is protecting my family, friends, Princess, and country. You think I care about some fancy medal or statues?

"Sometimes Shining, the medals and statues, aren't about you, they're about who you'll inspire with them."

"Heh, you better make Cadence happy, Shine."

"I KNOW you'll make Cadence happy Shining."

"You and Candy will be the best Shiney!"

"Just kidding, I know you'll make'er happy too Shine!"

"Hey, she hasn't said yes yet. Save it for then!"

"Shining, before things go on, we want you to know our names. You have a right to know."

"Your names? You have names?"

"What made so you sure we didn't Shine? The name's Half-Light Noon."

"And I'm Half-Light Dawn, Shiney!"

"And my name Shining, is Half-Light Dusk."

"Dawn, Noon, Dusk, again, thanks for all your help."

"We're here, Shining."

The center of the Taghdir ruins. It still reminds me of an arena.  Maybe it was one. There's no ceiling. There are a few plants scattered here and there, I don't know if they were weeds or not. There are murals on every section of wall. One has a golden Alicorn giving horns to a centaur. Another shows a draconequus...a familiar draconequus tearing the wing off an Alicorn. And a big one shows a tiny Alicorn going up against a giant snake. If there's a story here, I don't get it.

Cadence. Where is she? These ruins are still big. She could be anywhere!

"Shiney, sing to her."

"What? I don't care how good the echo here is, it's not going to cover-"

"Shine, she's the idea of music. And what she's thinking about right now more than anything is you! You don't think that's isn't going to get her attention?"

"But I don't sing."

"Yes you do Shiney."

"I sing awful!"

"Shine, right now isn't the time to worry if you're ready for the theater!  Sing for Cadence's Sake, literally! Sing that you love her!"

"What?! Shouldn't-"

"Love is the strongest of bonds Shining and it's literally magic in our universe! You don't have time! And you need to remind reality of your bond to Cadence!"

"...Alright, and girls, thank you."

Every time I stop and stumble
in doubt and darkness
I close my eyes and think back to you.

We made a vow, a promise,
To carry onward,
We'll see it through.

The most beautiful voice in the world answered.

When I was young, the sky shone clear and bright and blue,
And I smiled through every day, knowing that all my dreams would come true.

Now that I've grown, that sky fades dark and disappears
And the future I once dreamed dissolves
before my doubts and fears.

I saw her!

Then you came to me,
Took me by the hoof,
And the strength you shared helped me to rise and stand.

We trotted towards each other. Nothing else mattered.

Let the clocks tick by,
Let the days fade away,
'Cause I've found the path my heart will
walk today.

Now my heart's alive, and racing
Towards the future,
There's no doubt that
Could dare hold me back.

I'm gonna fly on forward into that blue sky, bound-less and bright.

We still pray and hope
That one day we'll be together
I'll fight onward
And see you again, my friend.

I won't stop until the end,
I won't give in.
When I was young, my friends were always by my side,
If I faltered, they would hold me tight,
push my wor-ries a-side.

The years go by while I fade further
day by day.
Now there's none left to see me, and all alone
I fall and pray.

Then your voice resounds,
Shining like a light
And in har-mon-y our song endures the night.

Though the mount-ains fall,
Though the world fade to dust,
Still in you I've found a strength that I can trust

Can you see me now? I'm racing
Into that blue sky,
Free and faster than ever before

Over the walls
and boundaries of this dark labyrinth
Into the light

With your help my hope is rising,
it's overflowing
Now, I'm nothing, but when I'm with you I fly.

We can make it through this night,
If we con-nect.

Here we stand: here among the ruins,
No path to guide us onward.


We nuzzled each other.

Still I smile and face the day;
With you I'll find my way.

I don't know what it was. But I felt alive again. Whole again. Complete again. Like something torn open was mended.

Now my heart's alive, and racing
Towards the future,
I didn't hesitate.

There's no doubt that
Could dare hold me back.

We're gonna fly on forward into that blue sky, bound-less and bright.

We still pray and hope
That one day we'll be together.

This was where I wanted to be. With her.

We'll fight onward

And see them again, our friends.

And I couldn't argue with that. The grayness started to fade away, the colors coming back to everything.

We won't stop until the end,
We won't give in.

To-mor-row's look-ing bright...

To-mor-row's...look-ing briiiiiiiiiighhhht...

"You're alive, you're real, you're here! Shining,  I don't care how long we're together, but I want it to be every moment it can be! Please, promise me you'll never go away again!"

"I'll sure as Pony Heaven try not to, you just promise the same!"

"I'm not going anywhere, please, just don't go away for a good while yet."

"I'll try my hardest. Cadence I'm so sorry, I didn't want you to worry, I didn't want you hurt!"

"I'll take the hurt, I've decided! Here and now, I'll take the hurt! If we can be together while we can, then that's enough for me."

"...Cadence, I..." I started, trying to put into words what I wanted to say.

"...Remember when we were little and went camping together?"

"...Heh, do I. You saved me from getting skunked, ditz I was."

"Hehe, yeah...and when we went to the museum? And I somehow got those foam darts on the ROOF?"

. "I don't even know how that was possible, you were aiming too low!" She laughed.

We shared a laugh. Thinking about old times...but I was leading into the new.

"Cadence...do you think sometime...we could do stuff together like that again? But...just you and me?"

Cadence blushed, I'm pretty sure I was blushing too.

"Shining...the Hoofmaidens..."

"I'll sing the cheesy love song with them this time," I said with a smile.

She let out a small gasp.

"Shining, do you-"

I kissed her, on the lips. There wasn't anything more that needed to be said. She folded her wings around me and returned the kiss. It was our perfect moment.

".musiC caN noT protecT yoU herE ,thE sandS oF timE themselveS declarE youR existenceE wronG insertioN ,shininG armoR"

The kiss broke, and Cadence pulled back her wings. She looked at the beast.

"S-Shining! What is that thing? I think, I've seen it before..."

No more lies.

"It's the Blank Wolf in the poem. Remember how I said Azure Raven's machine did ___ in? I lied. I destroyed the machine. It was keeping THAT away from ___. It's job is to erase from history anything that doesn't belong in the world and mucks it up. Like ___."

".anD yoU"

"What?! Shining isn't like that monster!"

".yoU neveR thoughT A perfecT whitE knighT strangE, musiC?"

"Shining isn't perfect. He's wonderful. But his has the most awful aim anypony has ever seen, he takes everything too seriously, I have to help him not be by the book when it isn't the point, he keeps things bottled up that he shouldn't, he can be a smartplot sometimes, and he has a six foot wall of horseapples between himself and his real feelings."

"HEY!"

"I'm trying to make an argument Shining!"

"Cadence," I breathed in deep, "It's not going to work. Some kooky twist in the universe literally popped me into the world in the middle of my life. I wasn't on time and spaces blueprint. I literally got snuck in by something after the building already finished and everypony else moved in. I literally came into being on the day of I got promoted. It's just doing its job. I...I'm on its hit-list for a reason. It's what killed the jackass. It's the only reason everything the monster did was undone. Mother Deer called it a guardian spirit of the timeline."

The beast was slowly advancing to us in the center of the arena, no, to me.

"I'm not supposed to be here," I sighed.

"No, you're right here in front of me! I almost lost you forever today, again! I'm a goddess, and I declare, that you are suppose to be there!" She turned to the beast and used the Royal Canterlot Voice

"So GO AWAY!"

It did not seem impressed.

".musiC doeS noT decidE whaT iS anD whaT iS noT supposeD tO bE ,thaT iS anotheR...anD herE ,heR authoritY surpasseS yourS harmonY .I aM mY dutY …regardlesS oF anY desirE .thiS exchangE iS oveR"

The wolf moved like black lightning straight towards me, this time with no intention of stopping until I never existed. I couldn't move, my body froze. I couldn't use my magic, it was like my horn was just for show. I was just a drawing to be whited out...

"NO!"

Cadence tried to hold it with her magic, but it was immune a moment later, and in that moment, it's claws and fangs aimed for my heart.

The claws made contact with flesh, drawing blood.

Cadence cried in pain, the wolf stumbled back, confused and horrified. Cadence panted, bleeding from the claw marks on her chest, from claws that had gone through her peytral like it wasn't even there. I could move again, I felt my magic again.

"CADENCE! I'm supposed to protect you!" I protested

"I'm sorry, dear. I couldn't do nothing."

The wolf was whining and growling like it was in pain. It writhed on the arena floor, contorting its body before forcing itself back, it backpedaled from Cadence. The blood on its claws crackled like lightning and spread. The wolf shook its head, like its skull was about to split in two.

"N-o-O...C-a-N N-o-T B-u-T H-a-v-E, none are above the rules. Violation. Violations must be punished." The wolf howled in torment.

Then...like a shroud had been torn from it, the black smoky nothing was ripped away.  There was a white wolf, the size of a stallion, its golden eyes staring daggers right at me.

"But I will redeem myself," It growled, its voice lacking the ghostly tone it always had before.

"No more words."

If it looked like a being of flesh and blood now, maybe I could beat it like one! I formed a forcefield around and - it dodged the forcefield? How is that possible?! I tried again with similar results and it side stepped my stun spells the same, leaving an after-image as it dodged so fast.

Then it took the offensive, tensing ready for a leap. I thought I was ready, instead Cadence's magic pulled out me of the way. It was a blur, in an instant there was a straight line of claw marks from where the wolf had been right through where I had been, to the arena walls where it landed on all fours, creating cracks and a dust cloud.

Then it did it again. And again. And again. Even with Cadence's magic and using herself as a shield, it was getting me, glancing blows off my sides, the arena floor now a spider web of its claw trails. Wait. It was always doing it in a perfectly straight line. And it always uses the arena walls as a stopper. It can't steer or stop itself...

It's dodging my forcefields, which means it has reason to. It zooms again, I create a small square one just above the ground, and several thick ones ahead of the little one. The wolf trips on the small one and crashes through my several forcefields. It skids across the ground, bleeding.

It gets up and growls, and jumps into the floor! Okay maybe it's not a mundane giant wolf now after all. But I at least managed to hurt it. I see the wolf shaped shadow split into several smaller ones, it leapt out of the ground and-just an illusion? Agh, that one wasn't! Maybe only one is real- Gha! Nope...

"Shining! Enough!"

Cadence stamped on the ground with Earth Pony strength, cracking and unevening the ancient treasure, the wolves all leapt out of the ground at once, all right at once. I created a shield around myself they smashed through, but it gave me time to avoid being mauled from all sides. The wolves fused back into one.  It still had the same injuries as before.

It came at me with fangs and four sets of claws, somersaulting over Cadence. I created the most intense forcefields I could concentrated around my horn and front hooves, and was able to keep its claws on my forcefields until I had a moment of focus to slam its head into the ground. Instead of being dizzy it snarled and leapt at my exposed underbelly.

An intense wave of sound hit in the side before it could cut me open, that left my own ears ringing as it roll around the ground, this time dizzy for real.

I 'dropped' a cube of my forcefield magic on top of it. It then began PUSHING it back up, before my spell finally broke. Ugh. Gonna feel that later. I slammed two force fields into its opposite sides, and dispersed the field a moment later. I might have heard bones crack.

It grabbed one of the broken floor slabs in its mouth and threw it at me fast enough to take my head off. Cadence caught it with her magic and it used it while it was in midair like a springboard to come down on top of me - weighing me down and trying to get at my neck! I proved Earth ponies weren't the only ones strong in the legs by jumping up and landing on my back with the wolf between me and the ground.

Now it kicked me off! I nearly busted my head on the broken stones around. It tensed for another charge at me, I magically grabbed one of the broken stones and brought in front of me. Its own speed led to it impaling itself on the shard. It pulled it out and swung it at me. Cadence grabbed me and took to the air. The wolf leapt at a wall, and then straight at us, leaping impossibly high into the air despite being impaled on a stone. Cadence opened her mouth, and combined her music magic with the Royal Canterlot Voice...Completely disoriented, the wolf fell like a stone, and fell with an earthquaking thud on the sharp rocks below.

Cadence and I landed on the edge of the arena...and the wolf rolled onto its paws and began to limp towards us! Dragging one leg, with breathing loud and labored.. And it was bleeding heavily, movement just making it all worse.

"Stop it, you're hurting yourself, you can't win this," Cadence asked.

"She's right...just stay down..." I pleaded. No matter how much trouble it'd caused me, it was still a living thing...And it was just doing its duty.

"No choice, to the bitter end, must...protect...her." The wolf fell inches from me. It slowly turned its eyes towards one of the statues. I swear it had tears in its eyes. And then it wasn't breathing. As I watched, parts of it turned into bits of light that floated away, until nothing remained.

We stood there in silence. It was gone. The wolf was gone. It was over. I was safe. I was alive. I existed.

I gave a small salute. Even if it'd been my enemy, it'd still just been doing its duty. It wasn't some abomination, this wasn't a personal petty vendetta. It was just like me, a soldier doing its duty.

Then we hugged each other, neither wanting to let go. And I asked. Then and there.

"Cadence."

"Yes dear?"

"Will you...will you marry me?"

"?!" She looked at me in surprise.

Oh no, I said it too soon! Way too soon...stupid, stupid!

"...I...Yes I will! I've been waiting for you to ask! Let's have it be a Canterlot wedding!"

"That...that sound nice." Dangit. You think I'd be rested up with all the naps I've taken today. But...I was just so tired.

"Everypony! They're over here!"

Minuette! She's okay?! Thank goodness...She was with the squad, Twinkle Shine, and a group of Ponsian.

I also realized the damage from the fight was still here, and Cadence realized it too.

"Oh...fudge. We made a bit of a mess here..."

Thunderchild blinked, surveying all the damage

"What the heck were you guys even doing?"

"Um, it's a long story..." I began.

"I, uh, I explained what was going on, you guys did this fighting off the...Right?" Minuette said. That confirmed to me that this wasn't a copy of Minuette...it was our Minuette.

...Girls, you still there?

(Friend's Notes (Dawn): Yep Shiny! We're here! Way to go!)

Glad. Did...Did I just kill our timeline's only defense against things like Nameless?

(Friend's Notes (Dusk): No, Shining. Think of this as the book being reprinted so it can accept a new chapter. You and the timeline are both safe. Rest easy.)

Good to know. That means I can actually enjoy being safe.

"Worry not, Princess, you should have seen what your aunt did," One of the Ponsians said.

"...Aunt Celestia?!" Cadence said in surprise.

"No, Luna. This is a very old city after all..."

"Oh..."

I listened as the group spoke, not feeling like speaking too much. There were a million things I wanted to say to Cadence, a million things I wanted to do. After this long journey, after being in fear for so long... now I can rest, without being afraid of shadows.