MLP: The Journey of the Harmony Knights (Under Editing)

Chapter Three: A Hidden Shadow

Everyone started to settle down and get ready for the night. Several large tents, all made of tan or beige linen, circled around the main bonfire while the others made smaller fires for their evening meals. One of the unicorns blew a dog whistle, and a dozen dogs appeared out of the farm animals. They began circling the camp like guard dogs. Many of the ponies walked amongst them and fed them treats, completely unafraid. Many of the ponies have put on their armor for night guard duties while the rest of them were getting ready for the night. Fireheart, Sandstorm, Storm Blaze, and Dawn were each finishing up their respective dinners.
"Night Mom, Dad, and Dawn," Storm Blaze said to them wearily as she headed to her tent. 
"Night sweetie," said Sandstorm.
"See ya in the morning," Fireheart said.
"Night Stormy," said Dawn with a playful smile.
Storm Blaze let out a soft laugh at her best friend's teasing nickname for her. When the two of them had both become best friends, they gave each other playful nicknames. She shook her head and went to sleep on her cot.

Storm Blaze was immediately surprised to see that she was floating in a gorgeously beautiful place filled with stars sparkling in rainbows of colors like diamonds, the sky was in the deep shades of sapphire blue and indigo purple. But there was only stars, no moon or sun shining in the sky. There also seemed to be a trail made of silvery stardust below her and there seemed to be a shivering bundle at the middle of the trail.
Feeling both curious and sympathetic, Storm Blaze floated quietly onto the stardust trail and she was surprised to feel how cool it was underneath her hooves. She quietly walked towards the shivering bundle at the center of the trail. She could see a young unicorn, a stallion by the looks of it. The unicorn is gray in color with short cornflower blue and arctic blue mane and tail, and bright azure eyes. He is wearing a brown poncho on him, so his cutie mark couldn't be seen. She could hear silent sobbing and puddles of tears had been made just as well from the unicorn's tears.
Poor youngster, thought Storm Blaze as she felt a wave of sympathy and empathy for the colt.
Storm Blaze approached the colt quietly and placed a gentle hoof on top of the colt's back, she soon started stroking his back with a gentle smile. The colt gave a small jolt and had looked up to see her standing there.
"W-Who are you?" The colt stepped back, his eyes wide with fear and confusion. "How did you get here?"
Storm Blaze became silent, unsure if she should give the colt her real name. "I'm called Storm Blaze." The unicorn gazed at her in curiosity and confusion. "And how I get here is a whole other story. I mostly went to sleep and ended up here somehow." Storm Blaze stepped an inch closer to the colt and sat down in front of him, he inched away a bit from her, but he remained seated in front of her. "Though, you haven't answered my questions."
"My name is Stygian," whispered the colt. "For you, it's the Dream Realm. But for me, it's Limbo."
"LIMBO!?" At Storm Blaze's startled shriek, her wings had popped up again and Stygian had quickly covered his ears from her shriek. Sunrise cleared her throat, refolded her wings, and took a few deep breaths before she calmed down. "So sorry, I only thought that terrible enemies of Equestria had ended up here. But you..." Despite his waves of defeat and lack of hope, Storm Blaze could see a faint glimmer of pony warmth and love that most enemies lacked. He almost looked like he had friends once, but was casted away for some reason over a misunderstanding. "Are clearly the furthest thing of being evil as some of these idiots here." 
Stygian looked on the edge of chuckling, but his sadness and loneliness overwhelmed his gaze again and Stygian looked away from Sunrise again. She frowned at him concern, she doesn't want to pester him into showing his past despite her curiosity. Maybe she should show him her own formerly lonely past to get him to trust her.
"How did you find my choker?" whispered Stygian as his eyes found the choker. "I thought I had lost it forever after I tried to get help."
"I found it in a jungle a few weeks ago," Storm Blaze explained. A sudden realization had came over her. "Stygian, I think a piece of whatever spell you had cast upon it had entered the choker and I have the ability to communicate with you."
Stygian got up and looked at the choker with such a heartbreaking and fond expression it almost made Storm Blaze looked away from the awkwardness. "You are quite right. My father gave it to my mother as an engagement gift, it's all I have left of my parents. It was the spell I had tried to do before I have lost it years ago." Stygian stepped back from Storm Blaze, his expression was terrified and unsure.
"Don't worry, I promise to keep an open mind throughout your memories," said Storm Blaze gently as she gave Stygian a nervous smile. "Maybe you can do the same thing for me once I show you my memories."
"Wait, what?" Stygian gaped at Storm Blaze in surprise and his eyes met hers before he calmed down. "Y-You trust me to see your memories?"
"But of course I do," said Storm Blaze as she stood alongside Stygian. "Besides, it sounds fair, doesn't it? I will see your memories and you should see mine. It might keep you away from Limbo." Storm Blaze paused for a moment, her voice had became quieter. "You'll also might see some similarities between you and I."
"I highly doubt that, but let's do it." Storm Blaze smiled as Stygian stood next to her.
She soon led him off the trail and into her memories. The two of them had both ended up in the desert around nighttime. They saw the desert nomads' campsites.
Stygian looked around in surprise and glanced up at Storm Blaze curiously. "Can they see us?"
"No, this is just a memory," replied Storm Blaze.
In the memory, the adults were talking quietly about the desert journey while the foals were laughing and playing together. But at the end of the desert nomads' group was a filly version of Storm Blaze, who was watching the starry night sky and the glowing moon.
"Why are you not joining the other foals?" Stygian asked Storm Blaze.
Storm Blaze's ears twitched and a mysterious expression went over her features. "You'll see."
"Hey flightless!" That's when they saw a red pegasus colt with a yellow mane and tail. "What are you wishing for? To fly?"
His friend, a yellow pegasus colt with a red mane and tail, laughed mockingly. "She can't! She can hardly fly at all!"
As the two colts both laughed at their mean jeers, but Filly Storm Blaze ignored and continued looking up at the night sky. Though, a single tear ran from Filly Storm Blaze's left eye.
"You couldn't fly and you were teased for unable to fly like them?" Stygian whispered to Storm Blaze. Storm Blaze nodded and gestured him to continue to watch her memories of the past.
But a sudden yelp could been heard from the two colts. Sandstorm could been seen giving the two foolish colts both a light electric shock. Everyone shrank away from the protective unicorn mare. "You two should be ashamed of yourself. Why would you two call her all of that when you two could have been in her place?" The two colts flinched, but Storm Blaze continued watching her adoptive mother. "Now, leave her alone and return to your parents. I'm sure your parents will want to word in your behavior." The colts looked panicked when they saw their parents waiting for them.
That's when Storm Blaze's memories had came to a quick stop and they were at an oasis with no other ponies or critters around the area.
"You have a...?" Stygian started to say, but he quickly stopped himself and looked up at Storm Blaze apologetically.
Storm Blaze gave Stygian a sad smile before she unfolded her wings and revealed her unfortunate secret that had made her an outcast. Her right wing is in a normal height and size, but her left wing is smaller in both height and size than her right wing.
Stygian gasped softly and gave Storm Blaze a sympathetic and apologetic look. Storm Blaze shrugged with a small smile and refolded her wings. 
"I had been trying to keep my stunted wing a secret for a long time," said Storm Blaze regretfully. "But you see how well that had turned out."
"I'm so sorry Storm Blaze," Stygian said softly they both sat down at the edge of the oasis together. "Now I understand what you meant about the two of us having some similarities."
That's when Storm Blaze felt something and soon noticed that everything around has became blurred.
"Storm Blaze? Why is everything becoming blurry?" Stygian's voice held a good deal of uncertainty and fear as he inched closed to Storm Blaze. 
"I'm about to wake up my dear," said Storm Blaze gently to Stygian. "When I sleep we shall meet again and shall be safe from limbo here, if that's alright by you?"
"It's more than alright," Stygian said with a small smile. "I am more grateful to you than you realize. Farewell for now my friend."
"Farewell for now my friend," said Storm Blaze as she gave him one more smile before she had woke up.