It had been a year since Twilight and Garrett started officially dating. By then, Garrett became as tall as Shining Armor. They were at one of Pinkie Pie's sleepover parties. They were sleeping together, and Twilight cuddled on Garrett. But Garrett wasn't having any pleasant dreams. He was having a nightmare. One he wished he'd forget. "No... No... No..." he said in his sleep, "NO!" He then woke up, breathing intensely. He got out of bed, galloping out of the room. He needed air. Twilight didn't feel Garrett's warmth around her. She slowly woke up, wondering where Garrett was. She got out of bed, asking, "Garrett...?"

She found him outside, weeping. "Garrett? Are you okay?" Twilight asked, looking at Garrett. Garrett tearfully looked at Twilight and said, "Oh hey babe... Sorry, I uh, had a nightmare..." Twilight walked up to him, putting her wing on his back, asking, "What was the nightmare about?" She looked into his cyan eyes. "Sunny and I never told you about our parents, did we?" Garrett sadly said, and Twilight shook her head no. "Their names were Ray Shimmer and Shimmering Dawn. I called them Mom and Pop. Twilight, I love you, and I don't want to hide any secrets from you. So I'll tell you what happened to our parents." Twilight sympathetically said, "Take your time."

"I was a young colt back then," explained Garrett, "Pop wanted to take Mom, Sunny and I on a camping trip. Sadly, Pop forgot his map and compass. We got lost in the forest. Though, not the Everfree Forest..."

Flashback...

"Uh Ray, I don't think this is the way to the Everfree Forests," said Shimmering Dawn as she and her children Sunset and Garrett followed her with her husband, Ray Shimmer. "I thought I forgot something," said Ray, "but don't worry, we'll get there." The Shimmer Family wandered around, until they got out of the forests, but they were in unfamiliar territory. "Yep, we're definitely lost..." Ray confirmed. "Should we ask Somepony for help?" Dawn asked. "Sounds like a terrific idea dear," said Ray, but little did they know was that they were being watched by a mare. Not just any mare, but a unicorn mare, with a broken horn. She was Tempest Shadow, right hand pony to the Storm King! Much later, as the Shimmer family looked around, a sinister voice said, "well, well, well, looks like Tempest was right." Out of the shadows, a limber gray wolf with an eye patch and X on his chest walked in, with an evil smile, revealing his razor sharp teeth.

Garrett looked at the wolf, scared of him, and whimpered, hugging Sunset. Tempest Shadow walked in, glaring at the family.

Sunset was scared of Tempest, wondering what happened to her horn. "Pardon me sir, but could you tell us where we are?" Ray asked. "You're in the property of the Storm King," said the wolf, "I am his executioner, Skoll Jaeger." Ray gulped at the mention of executioner. "I beg your pardon Mr. Jaeger..." Ray nervously said, "my family and I got lost so..."

"You don't get any pardon," interrupted Tempest, "you are trespassing under the property of the Storm King!" She glared at them. "And do you know what we do to trespassers?" Skoll asked, "We flog them. Then we enslave them. Then we flog them some more." He still smiled evilly. "What does flog mean?" The young Garrett asked. Tempest was silent as Skoll said, "You'll find out, little one." He clashed his teeth together, smiling, scaring Garrett.

"Please, don't hurt my children," begged Dawn. Skoll laughed and tauntingly said, "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way, Colt." Ray frowned and said, "What did you just call me?" Skoll smirked and said, "You heard me, Colt." Ray got mad and said, "I'm not a Colt! This is a Colt!" He pointed to Garrett, and then punched Skoll in the gut with his hoof. "Nobody calls me a Colt!" Ray angrily said. He kicked him back. "A little fight in you," said Skoll, "we're going to have to fix that." He then pulled out the obsidian orb and threw it at Ray, and the effects started working instantaneously. Ray Shimmer started turning to stone. "What's happening to me?!?!?!" He asked, "Sunset! Garrett! DAWN!!!!!" And just like that, Ray Shimmer was now a lifeless stone statue.

"DADDY!!!!!" Sunset and Garrett screamed. "RAY!!!!" Dawn shrieked. She glared at Skoll and growled, "You murderous monster!!!" She charged at him, stabbing his paw. Skoll growled, "Looks like you got some spunk!" He then pressed the orb on Dawn, turning her to stone. "Sunny... Garrett..." she struggled, "Mommy loves you bo-" Shimmering Dawn didn't finish her sentence. She was now a lifeless statue. Skoll then got out an axe, and smashed the statues to bits, permanently killing them.

"MOMMY!!!" Garrett cried. Sunset was paralyzed with fear. Skoll cornered Sunset and Garrett. Sunset hugged her brother tightly. "P-p-p-please..." she tearfully begged, "d-d-d-don't hurt my brother..." Skoll laughed and taunted, "What if I say no?"

"Enough Skoll!" Tempest bellowed, as she found her voice. "Tempest Shadow," said Skoll, "you dare stop my execution? The Storm King will not be pleased." Tempest glared and said, "I don't care. There's been enough slaughter already. Besides, these young ones have learned their lesson. Isn't that right?" The frightened Sunset nodded. "Leave this forest, and never return," threatened Tempest, "and if you dare tell Anypony of what happened, we will find out, we will find you, and we will see to it you both suffer a fate far worse than your parent's deaths. Understood?" Sunset and Garrett nodded, saying, "We understand..." Tempest then used her broken horn to blast a tree. "Now GO!!!!" she yelled, and they ran.

Present...

"And that's what happened," concluded a tearful Garrett. Twilight wiped both their tears as she said, "Garrett, I didn't know... I'm so sorry..." She hugged him tightly. Garrett sobbed, "It still hurts! I miss them so much! I'm scared, Twilight! What if they come for me...?" He hyperventilated. "They won't hurt you," promised Twilight.

Shimmering Dawn is created by BChunter426.