Author's Note: Here it is my boys, if you're from my old fanfiction, I'm happy that you sustained through the long wait. Here it is, what I consider to be far better than my previous work, and really am proud to make.

Props to the amazingly talented jhayarr23 for the cover art, and the equally talented Family Force Five for their great songs!

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, full of riches and curiosities, where wonderment and awe were paramount, where imagination ran wild, and adventure laid as far as the eye could see, there lived a family on the Southernmost edge of the Everfree Forest.

No, this family did not have a mansion or castle made of crystal, nor did they have any riches or any fame. In fact, they had very little at all, only a plot of land, and a small, rundown and unpainted house to live in, but at least they had each other, and really, that was all they had anyway.

Now, being on the Southernmost edge of the Everfree Forest had its perks. Due to all the creatures and dangers that came out of the forest, that left the small family very isolated and left to provide for themselves. Afterall, who doesn't love some wide open fields and alone time?

However, this was all that this family would ever get in life, poverty and privacy….

Soul Glow gripped at the root, and with all the might that a hungry pony foal could muster, ripped the plant out of the ground, dried dirt flying everywhere.

Satisfied by his pull, he used his unicorn magic to levitate the plant into a nearby wheelbarrow, which had already been well filled three times over after hours of work.

However, this young foal did not toil in the dust and dirt by himself.

His father, a stallion who had aged decades in the span of a few years through intense labor, used his mouth to uproot the plant, himself being a mere Earth pony, Soul Glow gaining his unicorn powers on his mother's side.

Even with his magic, however, the young Soul Glow found it hard to keep up with his father's seer strength and stamina, himself filling four wheelbarrows for Soul Glow's one.

This was to be expected after all, a mere child couldn't keep up with his father. However, Soul Glow tried to do his part, even if it amounted to little.

"Hey, Pappy!" The unicorn called to the stallion. "When dah ya reckon dinner'll bah ready?"

He called it dinner, but really that was about the only substantial meal that he ate.

After a brief and early breakfast consisting of a few slices of bread, he and his father would then plant, pick, haul, and tend to the fields until the evening, perhaps a quick break in the middle, then retreat into their home for a well deserved dinner.

This diet had left Soul Glow in a skinny state, even for being a young unicorn, a race not known for physicality.

A growing colt needs his dinner after all, especially after hours of farmwork.

"Ah reckon in just a few moments now." His father spoke, munching on a dried piece of wheat between his teeth.

The grown pony dumped his sack of collected crops into a nearby wheelbarrow, telling his son

"Now give muh a hoof with dis."

Soul Glow hummed a tune to himself, as he quickly sprinted over with childlike energy, spilling his collection into the wheelbarrow before grabbing hold of one of the ends.

Soul Glow's father himself had more than enough strength to manage one wheelbarrow on his own, even if he hadn't eaten since this morning. However, he wished to push Soul Glow with physical labor any chance he could.

Afterall, unicorns gained strength at a much lower rate than Earth Ponies, it was just the way things were. And if Soul Glow was to eventually take over the family farm, the young colt would need all the extra strength he could muster.

He even discouraged his son on using magic on the occasion. Afterall, using magic would only leave his muscles to grow flabby.

With a solid nod, Soul Glow and his father lifted the wheelbarrow, the wheels having fallen out and lost long ago, the whole thing now just being a giant barrel.

Even though his father carried the lion's share of the weight, what remained was still rough on the little colt, however his tune held strong, even if it did waver a bit.

Father and son, they hauled the heavy wheelbarrow across their field, the hot sun hitting their already dirtied coats.

While his father had a brown coat of fur, Soul Glow inherited a solid white color from his mother, making the dirt and sweat of the work even more obvious.

As the two carried this heavy piece of metal, they both heard a shout coming from the house.

"Dinner's ready, everypony!" Followed by the ringing of a bell.

Knowing exactly what this meant, Soul Glow dropped the wheelbarrow in excitement, himself quickly springing towards the house, practically leaving a trail of drool as he ran.

His father quickly moved towards Soul Glow's side of the barrow, grabbing it with one hoof as the other slung underneath the iron hull, the contents almost falling to the ground.

With a grunt, he managed to lift the thing before it came crashing to the ground.

However, even if he wanted to shout at his son, to scold him for not finishing his work, his lips didn't open into scowl, only curled into a smile.

His body had often gone long days without a rest, worn out from the work and beaten from the elements.

Whenever Soul Glow broke out into his childlike state, whether that be through spastic movement or a blur of words and song, his energy would always provide a bit of light for anyone around him, his father included.

Besides, he heard his wife. It was dinner time, and he was hungry too.

Soul Glow burst into the house, racing no one towards the dining room.

Even if he didn't have any brothers or sisters, he would still race and run, almost as if his siblings were right behind him, just as eager to be first as he was.

And as he ran, he sang, he sang a song filled with as much energy as his movements, the tune carrying throughout the house.

"Ah come from da land where da mullet attacks! Business up front, party in da back! Ya gotta style in da south when ya steppin' out! Put a gold tooth in yer mouth! Look at cha now!"

His mother, listening the the nearby kitchen, couldn't help but smile as she stirred the pot, adding the final ingredients to the stew.

Whenever her son broke out in song, which was quite often, her heart would melt at his cute little voice blaring with such confidence and pride.

He was so precious to her, as all little children are to their mothers.

Soul Glow quickly cut through the small house, making his way to the kitchen, where he practically lunged into one of the dining room chairs, the crude wooden piece almost crumbling underneath his weight, even if it was small.

He had been waiting for this since the moment he woke up, the breakfast much to small to satisfy himself.

His father and himself had practically been running on no energy this whole day, his joints, arms, hooves, his whole body aching from the heavy labor.

Soul Glow broke temporarily from his excitement as he stared down at the dinner table with awe, his stomach growling from a hard days work.

The Glow family was a poor one, one who ate irregularly, and of often a poor diet.

However, after hours of back breaking farm labor, Soul Glow would be more than happy to eat even a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.

Dinner was the biggest, and also only real, meal of the day.

It was complete with a hearty hay stew, fresh and warm bread, a nice collection of plump berries and collard greens which his mother had collected in the early morning, and a big lichen pie to finish the whole course off.

Not long after, his father came into the room, also taking a seat, wiping the dirty sweat from his sun beaten brow.

To much of Soul Glow's surprise, his mother walked into the dining room with yet another stack of plate. Levitating them with her magic, they were gently rested on the table.

The young unicorn practically cried out in joy upon seeing all this food. His mother must've worked especially hard to cook all of this.

And all of this, all of this family and food, security and love was made possible due to his parents, who both worked day and night in order to make ends meet, all for their son.

Soul Glow showed his appreciation for his parents' labor through another short spout of lyrics.

"Mama, what ya got cookin' up in dat kitchen?! Cookin' some of dat lichen?! Ya know ah love yer food! Everything ya cook is so good, fer a southern colt like muh! Ya gotta cook it up clean, cook it up mean! Mama don't like it when ya got leftovers! Gimme some of dem collard greens!"

It seemed as if seventy percent of anything noise that came out of Soul Glow's mouth was in a tune, or would harmonize with an instrument if only his parents could afford one.

One time he tried to make some sort of lute from a piece of wood and a few strings, but halfway through his creation, his father mistook it for a piece of firewood, and off it went into the fireplace.

"Why do you wanna sing?" His father asked, as he nibbled on his carrot, the family already beginning their food while he was singing.

Although his father was more than accepting of his son's interest, sometimes it seemed that Soul Glow was more keen on singing than his field work.

Why, if only Soul Glow spent half his energy that he used on singing to farm, then perhaps they would already have moved to a much better place!

"It's da sound comin' out when ah'm communicatin'." Soul Glow innocently answered back with a mouthful of food.

To him, singing was just second nature, as natural as speaking was for other ponies.

His mother smiled at Soul Glow.

Even if her husband saw how little use singing was for the life of a struggling farmer, it reminded her of her younger days, the days when every street corner and restaurant had at least one singer or entertainer.

She saw them all, from the leather tramping pony, to a clean cut choir band, all of them just trying to make a living doing what they love.

"Why, with that cutie mark of your's…" His mother said. "...you're destined to be a famous singer."

"Ya really think so, mama?!" The son quickly answered, himself having to swallow hard on his meal.

"I know so, sweet pea." His mother gave him an approving nod. "Once we get out of here, we'll send you to some kind of music college, and you'll refine your skills, and become the greatest musician to ever live."

For as long as Soul Glow could produce sound, it had been no secret that he was a fan of singing, and that this would be something which was not a mere phase, but something which he would pursue for years to come.

One of the earliest indicators had been his cutie mark.

Soul Glow had earned his cutie mark when he first started to talk, his first words being an entire album of lyrics, rather than the standard 'Mamma' or 'Dada'.

His pale white flank bore the outline of a shield, followed with a microphone in the center, the entire piece almost illuminating, or rather, glowing with a sparkle.

While the meaning behind the microphone was obvious, the shield was another matter.

Soul Glow debated on the meaning, but was never able to come up with much of a conclusion. His father had guessed that maybe it would mean that Soul Glow would eventually become the 'guardian' of the farm, and watch after it. But even that sounded far fetched to the simple minded Soul Glow.

However, even if singing was his passion, a song on an empty stomach was no such song at all.

To Soul Glow, a song was only really a song if it was sung with meaning, with passion, not something that needed to be manufactured and rehearsed, but something from the heart.

And how could you sing from your heart when your stomach was empty?

With that in mind, the foal turned to his food, still piping hot, and lived out one of the most favorite parts of his day.

The cool evening air brushed the coats of mother and son, the both of them well satisfied after their large and hard earned dinner.

Even while Soul Glow and his father toiled in the hot and dry fields for hours on end, his mother didn't fare any better.

Waking up in the wee hours of the morning, she busied herself mostly with cleaning around the house, and when the sun finally picked up, she would leave to forage and explore the edges of the forest for any sort of food. Once that was done, she would prepare and serve the boys their small breakfast, and after that, the rest of the day was spent cooking and cleaning around the house, mostly in the cleaning aspect.

Sure, unicorns do have a stereotype for being clean freaks, but the amount of dirt and dust that gets tracked into the farmhouse was truly unreal. On its worst days, it would make even the most pig pen of ponies want to take a bath, which was something that only occured once a week.

But all the chores of the family were now done for the day, the fields had been worked and the food had been eaten. Now, the slim period of relaxation could take place.

A simple but large rocking chair, which had been in use long before Soul Glow was born, was one of the few items which his mother had treasured, created by her now husband as a wedding gift.

She slowly and comfortably rocked back and forth, her child joining her, his head resting in her lap, his wild and long hair acting as a sort of pillow.

Currently, the only noises would be the sounds of the rocking chair, the natural noises of the forest during the evening, and the tired but steady breathings of her son, his chest rising and falling in long and drawn out sessions.

Right now, just him laying on her, herself stroking his mane with a hoof, was just about the only free time she could really afford anymore.

Even if free time was rare for this hardworking family, it was a ritual which was practiced at the end of every day, and one which both Soul Glow and his mother loved.

His mother absolutely adored her son, whenever he sung, no matter how loud or unexpected, she loved and supported him.

But still, even if she would clap and give encouragement whenever her son sang, she did appreciate the times when he was quiet, when the air was still, and she could solely focus on Soul Glow in this rare form.

During this time, his mother would mostly ponder on the future of her son, praying that his life would be far better in the future, that he would be able to rise above these tough times, and apply himself to live out whatever dreams he could imagine.

Soul Glow, himself half asleep from the a hard days work, thought little of his future.

To him, all that mattered was that he was with his family, and that he was able to sing whenever he pleased.

But by this time, his body and voice were tired after a day of abuse, and with little energy left, gazed up at the sky.

Besides singing, it was one of the only sources of reliable entertainment around here.

Staring at the stars, Soul Glow only marveled at them, his mind too small and tired to think of them as others would.

To Soul Glow, the stars resembled the bright lights and loud speakers of a stage, himself hearing about such contraptions in the dime novels that his mother would read to him in the morning.

He blinked, tried, a combination of his exertion and the gentle and soothing feeling of his mother's hoof strokes beginning to get the better of him.

His eyelids grew heavier, his breathing more pitched, the early stages of snoring.

As he gazed across the night sky, he eventually came into view of the moon.

Hit by this wave of strong light, he was reawakened, almost rejuvenated by this visual stimulation.

It was a large object, much larger than any star the young colt had ever seen. It was a bright white ball in the sky, the sun of the night, bearing a strange shape which looked like a unicorn, the Mare in the Moon, they called her.

"Momma…" Soul Glow asked, himself still staring at the milky white orb in the sky. "Why is dar ah mare in da moon?"

His mother ceased her mane stroking, turning her head towards to sky, the bright moonlight illuminating her face.

"Well, that's a story which has been passed down for a long time." She tells her son, looking back at him. "Why, I remember the day I was in school, and my teacher told me about it."

"School?" Soul Glow questioned, this being a new word to him.

Soul Glow's mother almost shook her head in disappointment, herself having to stop herself mid motion.

She herself had been educated and eventually had received a few years of study is a small and unassuming college.

However, the family comes first, and thus her education was forced to come to an end.

"You know how every morning you and I sit down at the dinner table, and I read you books and you practice your horn writing?"

Soul Glow couldn't help but cringe at the memories.

It was very sloppy indeed, as irregular was the roots of the plants which his family would eat.

It showed no signs of progression no matter how hard Soul Glow had tried, which wasn't often.

His mother would often rationalize it as Celestia gave him double the singing talent, but only half the horn writing.

"School is sort of like that." His mother told him, as she continued to stroke his unkempt and dirty mane. "Except you're with many other ponies of your age, and are taught by an older pony."

"Like ya?" He muttered out.

His mother let out a light laugh at this, finding it funny that her son referred to her as 'an older pony'.

"Well, not quite." She went on to tell him. "They are taught by a pony who has been taught to teach."

"Taught tah teach?" He questioned.

Soul Glow, himself, found it hard to recieve any sort of education outside of basic speaking and a few squiggles on a paper that vaguely resemble writing. It was a whole other animal for him to even imagine what kind of things a pony who is taught to teach would be educated on.

"Mh hm." She told her son. "One day, you'll be able to go to one."

Out of the entire family, Soul Glow, his mother and father, his mother was the only one to receive any sort of formal education, even elementary school was something that his father didn't quite excel at.

This gave his mother a sort of drive, a self created obligation to teach Soul Glow as much as she could with what little resources she had.

Any chance she could, the mother would turn something into a teaching lesson, whether that be Soul Glow counting how many seeds he had planted that day, or himself having to draw from memory what each plant looked like fully grown.

Soul Glow's mother took her son's question as another teaching lesson.

Parables and old mares' tales were great at that sort of thing.

"A long time ago, there were two sisters who once ruled in harmony." She begins to tell her son. "One raised and lowered the sun, while the other raised and lowered the moon. Overtime, the sister who tended to the moon grew jealous. The ponies would play in her sister's day, but sleep and fear her night. This led her to become a wicked mare of darkness who sought to bring all of Equestria into an eternal night."

Soul Glow didn't know what 'eternal' meant, but by the look on his mother's face, he could assume that it wasn't good.

"Ah remember Papa talkin' 'bout some castle in da forest." Soul Glow recounted, this being the only thing he could relate to the story. "Said somethin' 'bout dark magic."

"The Castle of The Two Sisters." His mother answered. "Where the two sisters used to live."

"When Nightmare Moon was banished, not every last bit of her dark magic went with her…" She explained, her voice fading as she dwelled on the legendary battle that took place so long ago.

She gazed at the forest, the area being known for housing the most dangerous and mysterious creatures of Equestria.

She never really liked talking about such topics, evil magic and the like never sat well with her, especially given their close proximity to such a force.

Even if she had served her own time in the college education system, she still found herself believing in taboos and superstitions.

She felt as if the forest had ears, that whenever she spoke ill of it, it listened, and would act out on such disrespect.

"In the night, when the full moon is at its peak, and the mare in the moon is most visible, strange things happen around the castle."

"Can we see da castle?" The young one asked, innocently curious as to the castle's existence.

Who knows? It could be fun.

"No, Soul Glow." She told him, that strong but rare stern tone present in her voice."The castle is falling apart, not to mention swarming with Bugbears, Timberwolves, and everything in between."

"Can we at least look at it?" Soul Glow asked, himself not seeing the harm.

Soul Glow, himself, had never really seen any dangerous creature before, his parents keeping him away from that part of the forest since the day he was born.

He saw animals, of course. Cute little bunnies and prancing deer, how could any other creature be dangerous?

"How many times must I tell you? The Everfree Forest is a dangerous place."

Despite the two's best efforts at keeping him away, his natural curiosity always would get the better of him.

It had gotten better as the years went on, but his mother recounted a time when it seemed like everyday Soul Glow would draw close to the edge of the forest, almost like a foal putting their hoof onto a hot frying pan. No matter how much the foal was warned on the dangers, the words of warning only seemed to egg him on.

"A few seasons of this work, and we'll save enough to finally get out of here." His mother stated, steering the conversation towards something more positive. "Maybe we'll move to Canterlot or that town up North. Ponyville, I think it's called. I keep telling your father, even near the Everfree Forest is no place to raise a foal. Too much could happen."

Soul Glow, for the first time that night, raised his head from his mother's lap, casting a gaze of confusion at her.

To every rational adult, the Everfree Forest was a dangerous and unpredictable place. But to young Soul Glow, who had been largely sheltered from its horrors, he saw it as just as much of a home as his house, and nothing bad happens when you're home.

Catching his gaze, the mother caught herself, ceasing such talk around her very young son.

"But nothing is going to happen to you, Soul Glow." She comforted, tightening her hold around him as if that would protect him against the world. "As long as you stay by your momma's side, no creature in all of Equestria can hurt you."

Soul Glow really didn't understand what she meant by this. Despite his hard existence, it was a sheltered one, sheltered from all the violence and crime of other ponies. Living in a small house in such a strange part of the world left him little in the avenue of friends, he only knew his two parents.

However, even if he didn't understand the meaning behind her words, he still understood the feelings of her touch.

Her hug was warm, and warm was good. Her touch soothed him, and being soothed was good.

Everything was alright.

"Ah love ya, momma." He said, burying his head into her stomach. "Ya 'n papa."

And with that, his mother wrapped her body around him, a sort of hug.

Unable to take the pressures any longer, his mother's warm love, the cool outside air, the gentle sounds of the night, the beautiful starry sky, Soul Glow eventually drifted off into slumber.

Even if Soul Glow once found himself on the brink of a deep sleep, he now found himself on the precipice of a whole new burst of energy.

Just like any child, just a few hours of sleep was all he needed before he jumped back into gear, full of life and energy, ready to take on a new day with new excitement and songs.

However, it was not daytime, and Soul Glow could not give into the newfound energy, and surely he could not deliver his new pitch in music.

During the time of darkness, his parents were sleeping, recovering from yet another hard day of work, and preparing for the next one.

Any attempt he made at singing was sure to wake them up, something which he definitely did not want to do.

Soul Glow tried all the usual method to relieve this, counting sheep, but that didn't seem to work. He was just too energetic for these simple methods to work.

Without much else to do besides stare at his bedroom ceiling, Soul Glow sat up in his bed.

It was a straw bed, rough in its construction, but practical for its purpose.

Just like most things in the house, it was made by his parents.

Now in a comfortable position, Soul Glow began mumbling and muttering, mouthing the words to whatever song that came to him.

Soul Glow didn't have to think of his next lyric or line, it flowed naturally, his singing was truly second nature, just as talking was for other ponies.

As he whispered, every single line of lyrics just came to him.

He didn't need to plan the whole song in advance, it just came to him.

"Mah mama raised meh in da durty south, a Kountry Gentlecolt. So ya best watch yer mouth. Mah mama raised meh in da durty south, a Kountry Gentlecolt. That's what it's all abou-"

Soul Glow stopped himself as he heard noises coming from the outside.

The wind had greatly picked up, the whistling of the wind growing louder as it scrapped against his thin walls.

Hearing this, Soul Glow let out a light whistle, matching the rhythm of the wind.

Perhaps it was the wind that had awakened Soul Glow from his nap, or maybe he truly only needed a few hours of sleep to function.

Either way, no matter the real reason, Soul Glow was now wide awake, impossible for him to fall back asleep.

The night air felt good on the young colt, himself toiling in the hot sun for most of his day, the cool breeze soothed his sunburned skin.

Soon the cool wind would turn into much more, and the browning leaves would fall from the trees, only to be buried by a blanket of snow.

Fall had just began, but the emotions and thoughts of winter were still in the back of his family's mind.

While most saw the upcoming winter as a happy time, a time for hot cider by the fireplace and playing in the snow, for a poor family such as his, it wasn't quite like that.

The cold snow, instead of being seen as a creative platform for rolling around in, it was seen as the destroyer of crops, a time where food just couldn't grow, and the family had to ration out what little food they had.

But to the mind of a child, one who was kept away from these horrors, whose parents gladly forgoed their dinner so their son wouldn't go to bed hungry, it was just another time.

And anytime he spent with his family, mouth wide open in song, was a good one to him.

"Winter came sprin'." Soul Glow silently sang, swinging his legs back and forth as he did so. "All da birdies started tah sing."

The wind began to pick up even more speed, scratching against the house.

The window drapes, which had long since lost their color, blew off the hinges, revealing to Soul Glow the outside forest and the starry night.

Once again, his eyes met with the beautiful sky.

He stared up at the moon in awe, its milky white glow illuminating his bedroom, Soul Glow's bedside candle long since gone out.

The Mare in the Moon was the center of his attention, the story his mother told him still fresh in his mind.

To most ponies, the story of The Mare in the Moon was simply just that, a story with no real meaning, just a silly story to pass around over a fireplace.

But to Soul Glow, and other young foals, this story was only real to him, with not a single element of falsity in its telling.

Frankly, it didn't matter what his mother had told him. It could have been a story of a talking sponge for all he cared. To him, his mother would never lie, and thus everything she stated must be entirely true and taken with as many grains of salt as somepony could carry.

So, that would mean…

He averted his attention from the moon, and onto The Everfree Forest, the wild and tangled trees all too visible from his glassless window.

So, then that would mean that somewhere in The Everfree Forest, the ruins of a castle lay, decaying and collapsing as the hostile woods took it over.

Soul Glow pondered about this, and what situations he may find himself in.

As with most children, Soul Glow had a natural curiosity about the world around him, himself being so close to an unexplored wilderness did not help the matter.

To him, the Everfree forest was not something to be feared, but rather something to play in, to frolic in the fields and sing to his heart's content, when free time would allow him of course.

And now, there was a castle in the middle of it all? Soul Glow himself couldn't even imagine what would be in a place like that. He had only heard of such constructions from his mother.

This brought Soul Glow to another thought.

The castle was once some place ruled by princesses, and princesses were rich, very rich indeed.

He was then brought to another though.

His family didn't have much money at all. In fact, most would call his family a poor one, living on a bit a day, however this would be a foolish phrase to use as his family didn't even have a bit to their name.

And a treasure trove of wealth was merely a few trots away?

This was not an opportunity to pass up.

Soul Glow put his dirtied hoof to his chin, smiling to himself as he thought just what he could bring back to the family.

Gold, crown jewels, priceless artifacts? Who knows what could be in there?!

With this in mind, Soul Glow got up from his bed, and went to his bedroom window.

Thankfully, the young foal didn't even have glass on his window, and thus he easily climbed through it, his hooves making contact with the cold grass of the outside world.

Soul Glow took a gaze to his left, and then to his right, analyzing his surroundings.

Even if Soul Glow had been born and raised in that house, and these surroundings had been there for as long as he could remember, he had never ventured out at night.

And at night, it seemed like a whole other world.

The moon illuminated most of the area, giving everything an almost milky white hue.

Soul Glow knew where everything was around here, every rock, hole in the ground, anything. He had lived here his whole life, it was only natural.

However, even as he stared on into the dark forest, Soul Glow couldn't help but feel something heavy in the pit of his stomach, almost as if he had eaten rocks. And that couldn't be the case now, he hadn't tried that since he was really little.

It must be not rocks, but a growing fear, Soul Glow being nervous about this unknown region.

Even now, as the fog and darkness crept throughout the forest, the tingle in his belly didn't subside, but only grew bigger.

The young colt took a breath, and began to slowly walk to the forest edge.

What scared him most was not any creature in the forest, but if his parents happened to catch him now.

They had warned him many times over about entering the forest, and himself not only slipping out of his house during the night, but now was entering the restricted area. If Soul Glow were to be caught now, his hide would be tanned for sure.

At the very edge of the forest, Soul Glow stopped, taking a look into the endless sea of trees.

The moon's light, now obstructed by the treetops, had abandoned the forest, Soul Glow unable to see far into the forest.

The young colt shuddered, wondering just what in Celestia's name could be in there.

Lions? Tigers? Bears?

Perhaps.

An endless amount of treasure and riches, enough to help him and his family for generations? Almost certainly.

Soul Glow held his breath, and lifted up one trembling hoof.

It was a rush, a feeling of exhilaration, the unknown and scary, the riches and wonder all swirling around in the young colt's head.

He was going into territory which he was only allowed to peer into, but never to enter.

To Soul Glow, this was something similar to putting a pony on the moon, if such an achievement was even possible.

Nervous, Soul Glow's heart practically stopped as his hoof made contact with the cold forest floor.

He looked back, seeing his house, and looked ahead, seeing nothing but trees.

He was now in the forest! He did it!

Laughing and smiling, he pranced through the forest, not a care in the world.

He had done it, he had made it into the forest, and to him, that was the dangerous part.

Now his parents wouldn't know what he was just doing, he felt a great stress be lifted from his frame.

Sure, his parents may be mad when he initially returned, but once they saw what he had brought with him, a feast of honor would surely follow.

Soul Glow stopped himself, as he heard a noise.

It was faint, but definitely something.

No, it wasn't the sounds of him, but almost like a scratching sound, followed by some kind of growl.

Soul Glow's eyes darted around the woods like a scared rabbit, searching for any source of that sound.

All he saw was woods, his house now long since gone as he had drawn himself deeper into the forest.

He saw movement, a rustling of trees and branches, and then his heart practically jumped out of his chest.

What he saw was a large creature, one that his parents had often warned him about whenever he strayed too close to the forest.

Soul Glow had seen the occasion wild dog before, but this was something much different than that.

It bore a resemblance to a regular wolf, only it's frame was much larger, it's body much taller, comprised entirely of twigs, logs, and leaves.

The young one began to gasp and weeze, himself struggling to get the words out.

"Ah...ah...ah"

The lumbering thing heard his horse breathing, turning its head towards the foal, revealing its green glowing eyes, its sharpened wooden teeth letting out a snarl.

"Ah timberwolf!" Soul Glow cried out, his fur turning even whiter than normal.

The timberwolf let out a loud howl, scratching at the ground.

The moonlight shown on the creature, its leafy brows twisted into a crazed angle.

Soul Glow wasted no time, doing an about face, and taking off in the opposite direction.

The young colt heard the deep howl of the creature, and knew that he was now being chased, each heavy step from the wolf sounding like a horse cart crash.

Each growl, each howl and twisted cry was growing louder, the sounds of its teeth gnashing now becoming apparent.

Soul Glow trotted, no he absolutely sprinted through the forest, his small frame able to dodge and slide through the thin gaps between the wild trees.

However, the timberwolf was gaining, the thing smacked and crashed into everything it came across, trees falling down like toothpicks, not hindering the beast in the slightest.

Soul Glow felt not only sweat on his face, but tears welling up in his eyes. He should've never defied his parents, he should of just stayed in bed and gone back to sleep.

The young foal gagged, himself completely out of breath, energy drained, and calves burning.

Soul Glow closed his eyes, wanting to open them again in his bedroom, that this whole thing was just some bad dream, that it wasn't real and he would soon be in his mother's warm arms.

When he did open them, he felt not his mother's love, but of the cold night air, the leaves smacking him in the face as he ran from the monster, ensuring to him that this was all too real.

However, even if he didn't see his nice warm bed, he saw a strange building not too far from where he was.

What Soul Glow saw was a destroyed and dilapidated structure, high towers made out of cracked and weary stone, broken down and crumbing walls, a roof that had long since been destroyed, caved into the whole building, and what's left of the structure being covered in a thick green moss.

It must be The Castle of The Two Sisters!

With his small muscles screaming for air, Soul Glow pushed on, almost given a newfound source of adrenaline by his discovery.

The young colt heard the timberwolf roar again, this time it being much closer.

He could actually feel its breath on his back!

Soul Glow leaped through the open doors of the castle, and with the remainder of his strength, he slammed the heavy stone doors closed.

Immediately after, a large crash could heard from outside, undoubtedly it being the timberwolf.

The creature slammed itself against the stone door again, and then again, each time it being like a cannon firing off, the door cracking underneath the weight of the beast, but still holding.

Seeing that its midnight snack had slipped through its wooden fingers, Soul Glow heard the timberwolf let out a hair raising cry, the young foal himself covering his ears to avoid further pain.

And then, it was dead silent, as if nothing had ever happened in the first place.

Soul Glow collapsed to the ground, himself exhausted and covered in sweat, his legs aching and his adrenaline now subsiding.

He had slipped out of his house, against the wishes of his parents, leaving for the most dangerous forest in Equestria for the promise of riches, and just narrowly avoided death at the teeth of a timberwolf.

But never mind that, Soul Glow had made it! He actually made it to the castle!

Soul Glow, after a few more well earned gasped, stood up, looking around this new environment.

The entire castle was in a horrible state, much more than his house.

Not a single flag nor banner remained intact, shreds of the once proud and beautiful fabric now nothing more than litter on the broken and cracked stone ground.

However, even this dark and dank castle was much safer than The Everfree Forest, and the timberwolf that was surely still prowling around outside.

Soul Glow shuddered as the thought about the wolf. Even if he found what he was looking for, he would still need to find another way out.

But that wasn't the priority now for this little one.

Right now, the sole focus of Soul Glow was to find whatever valuable he could, and then get on out of there.

With each step he took, his hoofsteps echoed on the old stone floors, and carried in the lifeless building.

But he found nothing, nothing but dust, broken rocks, and more decay.

It was almost as if this castle was the site of some grand battle, the former occupants leaving only destruction, but no diamonds of any sort.

Soul Glow carried on, himself entering another room.

This one was much wider than the others, still destroyed and torn apart.

The roof was also completely gone, allowing the powerful moonlight to fill the room, The Mare in The Moon now clearly visible, almost as if looking down on the young colt as he wandered.

However, what was most curious about this room was the statue lying in the middle of it all.

Even if it was still very dark, the moonlight shone just right on the statue, allowing its details to be displayed with surprising clarity.

Soul Glow walked up to the statue, narrowing his eyes at it, himself mere inches away from its base.

It was of a pony, a much larger pony than himself, with a sparkly long flowing mane, not scraggly and unkempt like his own. It was also of a mare, herself standing on her hind legs, eyes narrowed and mouth agape, on the verge of attack. He also noted that it was of an alicorn, the statue having both a horn and wings.

Soul Glow thought that it must be a statue of one of the princesses, perhaps the one who turned evil.

Her twisted expressions gave the young colt that feeling.

He had never seen a statue before, and this such one, carved with such detail and accuracy, surprised the young foal.

Soul Glow recounted when he once tried to recreate his mother out of leaves and mud, a Mother's Day gift. However, this piece was much more accurate in depicting a pony form.

As if by a trick of the light, the mouth of the statue moved slightly, as it whispered

"Hello…"

Soul Glow nearly jumped out of his fur, screeching in fear as he jumped back, his whole body shaking like an earthquake.

A long way from home, away from his protecting parents, Soul Glow stood petrified, staring at the statue with wide eyes, himself letting out a horse weeze as his hair stood on ends.

Only when the statue spoke again did the young unicorn halt his croaks.

"Why do you scream, my little pony?"

Hyperventilation, his chest rising and falling with the intensity of a war drum, Soul Glow swallowed hard.

"Yer ah...ah...ah…" Soul Glow struggled with his words, even more than usual, before letting out his complaint. "Yer ah talkin' statue!"

"Are you surprised by my presence?" The statue asked, as if confused by the child's behavior.

Soul Glow could only help but stare at the statue, eyes wide open, but at least he stopped yelling.

Even if his heart was pounding, the very calm and collective nature of the statue confused the young colt.

Soul Glow had never seen a statue face to face, only heard the term during his vocabulary lessons with his mother. Maybe they all talked, and Soul Glow just didn't know.

But even still, the foal wasn't sure. As far as he knew, inanimate objects can't talk.

"I can sense your fear." The statue went on to state. "And I shall say that you have nothing to fear here, child. I think we could be friends."

As any child, Soul Glow took these words with the highest meaning, believing them to the point.

Whether it be a natural curiosity, or the desire to find a friend, children will always try to talk to strangers.

Afterall, after just being chased by a timberwolf through the hostile Everfree Forest, making a friend sounded pretty good right now.

"Who...who are ya?" Soul Glow asked, his voice beginning to grow more stable as his confidence was restored.

"I am a friend." The statue let out in a calm and mindful manner. "And who do I owe this lovely visit to?"

Even if the situation was a very strange one, the statue's soothing and friendly demeanor was enough to alleviate Soul Glow of his nerves.

"Ah'm...ah'm Soul Glow." The foal stated, finally calming down.

Now that he had given the statue his name, he somehow felt more comfortable around the thing, as if just by simple dialogue, he had gotten used to this situation.

"Jeez…" Soul Glow muttered, himself looking around the horribly lit castle. "It shar is dark aroun' har. Ah can barely see ya, if it weren't fer da moon pokin' through da roof."

"I can see you clear as day." The statue responded.

"How?" Soul Glow questioned, raising a brow at this.

"I know where everything is back here." The statue tells him. "I've lived here for many years, longer than you or your even your parents have been alive."

"Whah dah ya mean?"

The statue let out a sigh at his question.

"Most ponies have forgotten of my existence, how I was banished from this world many moons ago, left alone to wallow in my regrets."

"Wha...whah happened?" Soul Glow asked, himself not understanding at all.

The statue took a breath from its nose, before asking in an inquisitive voice

"Have you ever heard the tragedy of Nightmare Moon?"

"Mah momma told muh." Soul Glow answers, recounting the tale. "She told muh dat Nightmare Moon was evil, and tried tah take over Equestria, but Princess Celestia stopped har."

"Hm…" The statue dwelled on this, a slight edge in her voice. "That is a lie...a lie that has unfortunately eclipsed the truth."

This set the young colt off.

"Are ya callin' mah momma ah liar?!" He snarled at her, this being one of the few moments where Soul Glow could show anger.

The very act of questioning his mother was seen as such a despicable act in Soul Glow's eyes. To Soul Glow, both of his parents had done so much for him, and thus can be seen by the young colt as being wholly good, and thus should never be questioned.

"Oh no, child." The statue back peddled, sensing his obvious outrage. "Only that your mother has been fooled, that she is just as much of a victim of deception as yourself."

"Whah does dat mean?" Soul Glow raised an eyebrow, grammar once again working against him.

"Perhaps it is better if I tell you a story instead." The statue offered. "How about it, Soul Glow?"

Soul Glow had really gotten into stories over the years, mostly due to his mother reading them to him every morning and right before bed.

Besides singing, this was one of the few forms he had which allowed him to forget the ache in his hooves and the sunburns on his skin. It allowed him to escape into a whole new world, one where he wasn't starving all the time.

Also, the last story his mother told him was very interesting.

A story from a talking statue must surely be just as good!

Soul Glow eagerly nodded at this proposition, awaiting this surely entertaining story.

"Long ago, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest sister used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn. The younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects. But as time went on, the younger sister grew sad and miserable. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. The younger sister tried to reason with the older one, to show the ponies what the night had to offer. But the older sister forbad it, and casted her unto the moon, where she has remained for nearly a thousand years."

Soul Glow, in a rare case, was completely silenced by such a tale.

The young colt thought heavy on this story, even if his thoughts were childlike.

He felt a great weight of sadness and regret, empathy for the younger sister, as if he himself had cast her away, even if it happened a millennia before his time.

To Soul Glow, the factual details did not matter, nor was he even aware of them in the first place.

"Can you imagine that, young Soul Glow?" The statue asked. "To have worked so hard on something, and for it to be all for not?"

"Dat's jest horrible…" The foal trailed off.

He remembered the time he spent all day harvesting the fields before pa had arrived home.

His father would be so proud of him, he had collected from the fields all by himself, three wheelbarrows of almonds, all before his father had even arrived at home.

However, Soul Glow would later find out that they weren't due for another few weeks, and all his hard work had done was waste a rather large amount of food.

"I can image." The statue informed the foal. "For you see, I am the youngest sister. I am Nightmare Moon"

The statue allowed this revelation to hang in the still night air, the stuffy walls of the castle blocking off any wind.

The young colt felt uneasy upon hearing this, remembering what his mother had said about that pony.

Soul Glow kicked at a pebble with one of his hooves, stating

"Mah momma told mah dat ya was evil."

There was a definite change in the air after he uttered those words.

"Evil…" Nightmare Moon muttered, a hint of venom in her voice. "Let me inform you about evil…"

She gritted her teeth, letting out a horse growl before recounting the details.

"I was left alone, betrayed, forgotten, abandoned by my own blood. My sister cast me out of society, and has forgotten about me, leaving me on the moon to decay, this castle being the place where I can exert some will, funny considering this was the very spot where I was banished…"

The voice stopped, as a small trickle of tears came from one of the statue's eyes, running down its muzzle before dripping on the cracked and ruined ground.

It was a calculated tear, one which would work well on this low intelligent pony.

"And now, retribution is all I ask for…" The statue continued. "Justice for the wrongs that have been done onto me."

Soul Glow had remembered one of the many moral guidelines his parents had placed onto him: Don't lie, don't steal, but most importantly to always fight for what's right and good will prevail.

Soul Glow had heard her story, had seen her tears, his heart only growing heavier by the moment.

And he came to a conclusion.

The statue, now revealed to be Nightmare Moon, had had a wrong done onto to her, a very unfair and unjust wrong. However, if Soul Glow helped to right the wrong, that would be considered fighting for what is right, and thus good shall take over evil.

If he did that, he would be making his mother proud.

Even if the statue did not have eyes, the presence inside could still see Soul Glow in great detail. She knew that he was quiet a young colt, one with little to no education, one who could be easily manipulated.

"I know your face, Soul Glow." The statue informed the young foal. "That clueless look, rough fur covered in dried dirt and dust, a skinny frame with a certain hunger to your face."

Soul Glow looked over himself as she spoke. To him, this state of being was just natural, something that he had always dealt with, and never questioned.

"You are a farmer, yes, but not just any farmer, but a very poor farmer at that, one who has to struggle to survive and feed himself. Would this be correct?"

It was good that Nightmare Moon was bound to an immobile stone statue, or else she would be bearing quiet the grin.

"Mah pa hasta work hard in da fields, all of us hafta." Soul Glow replied, his mind drawing back to the countless hours they've spent toiling in the dirt, all the sunburns and similar injuries.

Those didn't feel good.

"Yes, your whole family has to work hard just to scrape by in life…" The statue confirmed,sensing Soul Glow's growing discontent. "I know how you feel, Soul Glow."

This broke the foal out of his state, meeting the statue with a dirt plastered eyebrow, raised in confusion.

If this statue was indeed Nightmare Moon, then she was once a princess. How could she know how this farm pony felt?

"Despite myself once being a princess, my power and influence vast, I now have nothing." She goes onto explain. "I too, now, must work hard just to scrape by, sure there was quite a bit of magic left behind after my fight with my sister, but that is slowly fading. Once I had domain over this whole castle, now if I wish to peer into Equestria, I must do so from this statue alone."

She scoffed, coming back with

"And just think, while I struggle to simply exist in this world, and while your whole family struggle to feed themselves, Princess Celestia is in Canterlot right now, gorging herself on cakes and bananas, and when she's ready to rest in for the night, she shall sleep in a bed that's worth more than all the bits your family will ever make..."

The statue paused, before asking

"Now how does that feel?"

Nightmare Moon, even constrained by the statue, still saw the look of confusion and horror on the young pony's face.

Normally, any pony of deep thought would've been able to rationalize the situation, as such: Celestia was a Princess, and thus had dominion over a large population, making her royal duties extremely draining and exhausting, especially now that Luna had left the picture.

But to a colt so young, and so uneducated, he was unable to see it as such, and only as an unfair life of luxury, where Celestia would only worry when her next spa appointment was, while Soul Glow worried about where his next meal would come.

The wicked mare felt ecstatic by this.

Soul Glow's watered eyes bounced around the room, trying to find some sort of answer, some way to turn this into another cheery childlike moment, some way to turn this into a musical tune to light up this dark castle, but he found none.

"Purdy unfair…" The unicorn muttered, his voice trembling, lip quivering as he thought of his family's situation, and how well off others were. "Mah momma and pa are great ponies, dey deserve more."

Soul Glow then felt a great deal of remorse wash over him, the colt regretting his past feelings on this pony.

"Ah thought dat ya was evil." Soul Glow tells her, meeting her in the eye with an affirmative stare. "But, ya not evil. Nopony who cries is evil."

"We both have shed tears tonight, my little pony." Nightmare Moon states, even if her's were crocodile tears. "Both of us aren't evil. We are simply ponies who have been wronged, left alone and abandoned."

These words manipulated the mind of the young colt, these feelings causing him to hang his head in self pity.

His parents had always tried to keep their son happy, having him not think about their current situation in life, how hard and uncertain it was.

But now that this statue had begun talking, she only reminded him of him and his family's struggles.

If there was ever a time where he needed his mother's warm and loving hug, it was now.

"But together, we can right these wrongs." She informs him. "Together, we have the power to cast aside this selfish ruler, and together we can give your family the life they deserve."

Soul Glow looked back up at the statue, a tear rolling down his cheek, splashing onto the dirty floor.

One of the main wishes of any child is to see their parents happy, healthy, and successful, not to be in pain and hardship. A good child would try and help their parents when they're down. Afterall, they are the reason the child has life in the first place.

And now, Soul Glow finally had the chance to repay them.

"I just need your help." Nightmare Moon told the boy. "We can do great things together, great things for your family, and all of Equestria."

"Buh how can ah help?" Soul Glow questioned, his voice weak and powerless. "Ah'm jest a regular ol' pony. Hay, ah can barely use mah magic."

As he muttered this question, a twinkle of wicked intentions flashed only briefly in her stone cold eyes.

"Why don't you stay for awhile, Soul Glow?" Nightmare Moon asked. "There is much to discuss…"

Author's Note: Well here it is, my country gentlemen, my first chapter. And thank you all who have read and given feedback on, Spirit of Fantasy and MissEljebel. Check them both out for some cool content! I hope you guys enjoy and don't forget to follow, favorite, and comment! I would really enjoy some feedback!