Aetiology

Chapters

Chapter I - Faith
Chapter II - Light
Chapter III - Promises
Prologue

Chapter I - Faith

Aetiology
Chapter I
Faith

“For the last thousand years, you and your family have been acting like you’re different from us, like you’re not one of us. Well, I’ve got news for you, Spark Shadow. The darkness is all around us, and it’s inside you. You can fight it all you want, but one day you’re going to realize it’s there. And I sincerely hope I’m around to see it when it happens.”

***

Spark Shadow rubbed the sleep from his eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight. He looked out of the mouth of the cave, smiling at the familiar sight of the rippling sea of green grass; the dew was sparkling on each blade as the sun began its ascent through the sky. His eyes fell on his hooves, and he scooted back in a panic when he noticed that he had rolled closer to the edge of the cave in his sleep.

Safe in the darkness, he looked outside again. He knew he’d been out there once, a long time ago, but it was an ancient memory by now. He hadn’t been out since; the magic barrier went up at night and went down during the day, but to step into the light was sure suicide.

He sighed and turned away from the light. It doesn’t matter how long I stare outside, he thought bitterly. I’m still stuck in this cave. My brothers and sister are still stuck in this cave. And those damned shadow ponies are still stuck in this cave. He glanced back outside, the corner of his mouth rising slightly when he saw the cliff in the distance. At least we won’t be stuck for long.

“Wake up, guys,” Spark said with a yawn, pushing himself to his hooves and stretching his legs in the dim light of the cave. He rubbed his purple mane with a hoof and frowned at the five sleeping ponies around him. “You hear me? Come on, let’s go!” His horn began to glow a soft, pure white, and he used his magic to nudge them all at once.

The first awake was Jasper, his unicorn brother. He yawned and stretched on the floor, then stood up; with only a terse nod, he began to groom his immaculate blue mane and rust-colored coat.

The next to stir was Storm, their only sister. She stretched her light-brown wings before nuzzling her white-tipped nose right back into Flex. She seemed tiny next to him; but then, she seemed tiny next to everypony. I’ll never understand how that little pony is the fastest thing in the cave, Spark mused with a smile.

Flex’s massive, sculpted earth pony frame dwarfed his sister’s. His blond mane mingled with her tan one on the stone floor around them. He surreptitiously fluttered open one purple eye to look at Spark before quickly closing it again. A moment later he began snoring dramatically.

Spark rolled his eyes and looked down at his other two brothers. “Ghost? Dream? You guys awake?” Dream rolled over to face him and smiled lightly. He flapped a lazy wing in response, and then shifted his gaze to a nearby wall. Spark followed his gaze to see a line of bugs emerging from a crack in the wall, bringing them small worms, mushrooms and moss. Dream had a way with animals.

Two knocks echoed from beside him, and Spark turned around to find himself face-to-face with Ghost, who smiled as Spark inhaled sharply in surprise. Ghost was pure black and had had his eyes gouged out by two of the other shadow ponies, a terrifying sight to behold for everypony except his own siblings.

“Let’s get outta here before the idiot squad shows up,” Storm said, prodding Spark’s flank with a hoof.

Spark nodded. The mouth of the cave was a dangerous place to be after sunrise. Not only was it the only place in the cave where you could be touched by the sunlight, but Black Moon’s goons would be arriving any moment to carry out his newest scheme to escape the cave after centuries of imprisonment.

He scowled at the thought of Black Moon, the only alicorn in the cave. Black Moon was the self-proclaimed Shadow King, and Spark and his siblings were the only ones to refuse him their allegiance. They were all shadow ponies in the cave, but Spark and his siblings had been deemed the Shadow Six centuries ago to remind them that they weren’t as different as they thought.

Black Moon was also the only pony other than Spark who could remember the day the old wizard had sealed them away in the cave. Since then, not a day had gone by where the alicorn hadn’t sent out a few of his shadow ponies to test yet another fruitless escape plan of his. Many of those ponies had not come back. Their bones sat in the grass outside, being bleached by the sun.

I can’t really blame him. On that first, glorious day, we had all that space to ourselves, and now…

“Spark, are ya coming?” He was shaken from his thoughts by Storm’s voice, and he looked up to see his family trotting away from him and further into the cave. Spark cast one last look at the daylight outside, and then followed his siblings into the darkness.

As they made their way through the cave, they passed several shadow ponies who gave them wicked glares and growled in their direction. The Shadow Six took no notice of them; after nearly a thousand years, they’d gotten used to it.

A group of ponies in single file trotted past them, each clad in crude armor. “Haven’t you tried dragonscales already?” Spark called, stifling a giggle. “Don’t forget to hold each other’s hooves so you don’t get stuck out there!” The family shared a laugh as the shadow ponies continued towards the entrance without a word.

After a few more minutes of navigating the dark tunnels, they arrived at their destination: a large pit in the ground. Spark was the first to jump down, his hooves sliding against the rocky slope as he made his way to the bottom. Jasper followed suit while Flex opted for a mighty leap. Dream flew down slowly while Storm zoomed past them, and Ghost still managed to beat them all to the ground.

“Yeah, yeah,” Flex said, nudging his brother playfully. “You’re a buckin’ ninja. Now hurry up ‘n check if anypony’s around.”

Ghost took a sharp breath in through his nose, swiveled his ears, and knocked once on the ground. He rarely spoke, choosing to use his hooves to communicate instead. The only times he did speak were when it was absolutely necessary—or whenever he wanted to make a joke aimed at Jasper.

Flex moved next to the biggest boulder in the pit—one that matched the shiny boulder on his flank, although he’d tried to convince everypony that it was actually a raw diamond—and shoved. The boulder rolled aside to reveal a wooden door built into the wall of the pit. Jasper opened the door and the Shadow Six trotted inside.

When they had first discovered the cavern centuries ago, Dream deduced by the single dragon’s egg which lay in a nest of wood that it had once been an egg chamber. Jasper had used the wood to create a door, among other things, and Dream had taken care of the dragon’s egg until it had hatched centuries later.

“Surty? Are you in here?” Dream called through the pitch black. “Spark, please turn on the lights.”

Spark was already charging his magic; in his entire life, he’d only been able to master two spells, and one of them was the ability to form lightning from his horn. It was an ability he’d been forced to teach to Black Moon soon after he’d gotten his cutie mark, a white lightning bolt.

The white lightning crackled around his horn and burst in all directions, hitting the crystals they’d set in the walls and illuminating them, bathing the ponies in a soft glow. The glow always brought a smile to Spark’s face. It was the closest he could come to sunlight in the darkness of the cave. The smile disappeared briefly when he remembered why the cave was so dark in the first place.

Long ago, there’d been a unicorn whose power had been harnessing the light. He’d enchanted the entire cave to glow as brightly as Spark’s crystals did now. And then five hundred years ago, Moon threw him and some other ponies outside without protection to see if he could protect them from the light, Spark recalled, shivering. And then the dragon came... The lighting had dimmed significantly since then.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Surty the baby dragon, who screeched happily from a far corner of the room. Dream flew over in a blur of black and blue to hug him. As much as Spark enjoyed sleeping at the mouth of the cave to watch the sunrise, this cavern was their true home.

His other siblings had already begun to help themselves to the food that Dream’s bugs were providing via cracks in the wall. Spark took some mushrooms in his magic, and then made for the open door as he remembered something he’d wanted to do that morning. I hope she hasn’t eaten yet…

“I’ll be back soon,” he called to nopony in particular. He was nearly at the door when he was cut off by Flex, who took up most of the doorframe.

“Where ya goin’? You’re gonna miss breakfast, and I’m damn hungry so I’m not gonna wait for you. Can’t let these muscles deteriorate,” Flex added with a wink.

“There’s something I want to do. You can replace the rock and close the door. I’ll be back in a few,” Spark said quickly before dipping under Flex’s burly foreleg and galloping out the door. “Start without me!”

“Well,” Flex called after him as he struggled to climb the steep walls, “when you’re done with your li’l fillyfriend, you can open the door yourself!” Spark heard him chuckle to himself, and a moment later the rumble of the boulder sliding back into place echoed through the pit.

***

“Good morning, Equinivere.”

The unicorn mare smiled at the sound of his voice, turning away from the vines she’d been placing along the wall to greet him. “And good morning to you, Sparky,” she replied, brushing her flowing mane with a blue forehoof. The white flower perched behind her ear teetered precariously, and she adjusted it quickly with her magic.

Spark looked at the wall behind her and grinned. “I see you’ve been doing what you do best.”

“Oh, you know me. Anything to make this place a little more beautiful.” Just like my poor brother used to do, she thought with an internal sigh.

“Beautiful just like you.”

Equinivere blushed and they shared a smile.

“I was wondering if you wanted to join me for some breakfast,” he said, hovering the mushrooms between them.

“Oh, Sparky, you sure know how to treat a mare,” Equinivere giggled, and now it was Spark’s turn to blush. “Well, I am a tad hungry. Why don’t we go down to the mouth of the cave and watch our brave heroes as they venture into the sun yet again? I could use a little entertainment.”

“If you like,” said Spark, the smile on his lips faltering for a fraction of a second.

It had been nearly four centuries since their relationship had begun, and still her heart would skip a beat whenever she’d hear his voice. He wasn’t like the other shadow ponies in the cave. Every pony in the cave feared the sun and ran from it. Spark was the only one who embraced it.

She could listen to him for days on end as he would describe the sunrises he’d seen and the creatures that roamed outside when he’d wake up at the entrance. “Imagine being out there, the grass brushing your ankles as you gallop through endless fields of green, the wind rustling through your mane and tickling your coat, the warmth of the sun all over you and the sky so big and blue you could drown in it.”

She’d tried to imagine it, but it had been outside the limits of her imagination. Spark and Black Moon were the only ponies who could remember how it felt to be outside, and Equinivere had always been jealous of their memories. I wish I could feel it, Sparky. I wish I could experience it all with you, but if you had to choose between escaping with me and staying here with your family, I know what you would pick.

The walk to the entrance took less time than they would have liked, but it had been filled with new tales of birds and dragons. As they approached the entrance, they came across the group of shadow ponies who were preparing to go outside. They wore crudely-made suits of dragonscales and were giggling madly as they tied themselves together with rope.

“Remember those trades I’ve told you about?” Spark said in a low voice, nodding at the rope. It was made of vines. “That’s one of them.”

Equinivere nodded. When Spark had told her about the exchanges they would make with Black Moon, she’d told him that it was very generous of the King to allow them peace in return for things that his brother Jasper could fashion so easily. Spark hadn’t thought so.

They sat down near the entrance and ate their mushrooms as they waited for the show to begin. They didn’t have to wait long. A minute later, the group of scaled ponies lined up together at the edge of the darkness, the end of the rope held tightly in the jaws of another group that would remain inside. Finally, slowly, they all took a single step into the light.

A moment later they were pulled back into the cave. Equinivere had had a fit of the giggles when they’d stopped in their tracks and turned on each other, but her laughing stopped abruptly as she watched them re-enter the cave. Their eyes are so empty…

“This is wrong, Equi,” Spark murmured. “Moon shouldn’t force them to do this. I’ve seen enough ponies die out there in the sun.”

“But at least he gives them some sense of hope, Sparky,” Equinivere argued. She knew what was coming next. He was always trying to convince her to break her allegiance to the Shadow King, and she was always arguing that Black Moon was the only pony in the cave that had a plan… even if those plans did fail every single time.

“But does he give you hope?”

“You know where my loyalties lie,” she said in a small voice, not for the first time.

“Why won’t you join my family so we can be together? At least we aren’t his slaves.” Spark turned to look at her and she looked away, ashamed.

Because if Black Moon does finally manage to escape, you are the last pony he is going to take. And as much as I love you, Sparky… She hesitated for a moment and then said, simply, “That isn’t enough.”

“What if I could promise you freedom? What if we could escape, just you and me and Jasper, Storm, Flex, Dream and Ghost?” She felt a hoof on her cheek and looked up to see Spark gazing at her with determination. “Would you come with me then?”

Equinivere gazed back at him, her mouth half-open, but she closed it after a long moment and looked down at her hooves. Spark dropped his hoof from her cheek and sighed. He abruptly rose to his hooves and began to address the shadow ponies around them.

“My friends and brothers, why are you still going along with this crazy crusade for a mad pony? Even if you do end up walking out of here alive, you’ll always be his slaves. You may think you’re working towards freedom, but as long as you’re working for him, you’ll never be free.”

Equinivere looked up; the shadow ponies were staring at Spark with blank expressions, and Spark was rubbing his brow with a hoof. Why does he even attempt to reason with them? He knows as well as I do that—

“My dear Spark Shadow, do you really think I’m a mad pony? I’m so hurt.” Equinivere jumped to her hooves and Spark slowly turned in the direction of the voice. “Besides, at least they’re working towards a common goal. What have you ever done for your fellow pony?”

From the shadows of the cave trotted forth a tall, pitch black alicorn. On his face was an expression halfway between a sneer and a smile.

“Now is that their goal or your goal, Moon?” Equinivere’s eyes drifted to the dragonscale-clad ponies who were now being dragged to another part of the cave, confused looks on their faces. “You wipe their minds in the sunlight and the first thing those blank slates are introduced to is your next plan for escape. Are you really going to pretend they’re not your slaves?”

Black Moon approached them and held out his forehoof. Equinivere quickly bowed and kissed it, keeping her gaze to the floor. “My King,” she said dutifully.

Black Moon turned to Spark, his forehoof still extended. Equinivere looked up to see Spark balance on his hind legs and give the alicorn a dramatic bow. “My dear king,” he said mockingly as he dropped back onto all fours. “I’ve noticed that you still haven’t tried any of your plans for yourself. I guess royalty doesn’t exactly lead by example, but then again I suppose you’re just too busy being a royal pain in the ass.”

The Shadow King growled, dropping his hoof and spreading his wings menacingly. His horn started to glow, black lightning crackling along its length.

“Oh! I see you’ve added your own personal touch to my spell. How’s that working out for you?” Spark grinned and tensed his muscles. White lightning began to crackle around his horn. Oh, Sparky, please stop provoking him…

“Are you really ready to die, Spark?”

“I’m always ready to die, Moon,” Spark replied casually, dropping into a fighting stance. “And when it happens, I can promise you that I’m taking you out with me.”

There was a tense pause. The two stared each other down, lightning crackling threateningly on their horns, echoing in the cave. It sounds like a thousand tiny pebbles ricocheting off the walls of an endless pit, Equinivere remarked as she watched, her heart pounding in her chest.

Then the lightning faded and Black Moon dropped his stance, chuckling as his wings fell to his sides. “My magic is working out quite well, actually. It’s only a matter of time before I break through that barrier and step into the night.”

He turned to Equinivere and smiled a gentler, friendlier smile than before. “Equinivere, dear, your King desires your company.” He moved closer and bent low. His muzzle brushed her ear. The white flower shook and fell from her hair as he whispered, “You wouldn’t want to disappoint your King, now would you?”

“No, my King,” she murmured, her eyes to the floor. Black Moon moved away from her and she picked up the flower with her magic, carefully replacing it behind her ear.

“Good mare.” Then, addressing Spark, he said, “Good things happen when you fall in line and listen to your superiors, Spark Shadow; perhaps you’ll learn that someday. And tell that unicorn brother of yours that I would like to make another trade. I need more rope, and he needs to sharpen our knives. And in return…”

He leaned in closer to Spark, their snouts nearly touching. Equinivere could see the alicorn’s bright red eyes reflected in the darkness of Spark’s, and wondered how the smaller unicorn wasn’t flinching under his gaze.

“…I’ll make sure nopony finds out about that secret little room of yours.”

***

Jasper’s hooves and horn were tingling. It was a constant reminder of all the ore deposits under his hooves that he’d never be able to touch. He’d found iron once and hid it away, using it to make a hammer and a spike—which had resulted in his cutie mark, a hammer and shield (why it wasn’t a hammer and spike, he didn’t know)—but Black Moon had soon discovered it and forced Jasper to trade it to him.

He ignored the tingling—an ability that now came as easily as breathing—as he slid the stone greaves off his hind legs. The sound of the boulder rolling aside prompted him to look up at the door. Spark trotted into the cavern a moment later.

“So, how is that fillyfriend of yours?” Jasper asked.

“She get fat from eatin’ our food yet?” called Flex from the back of the cave.

“No fatter than your lazy flank,” Spark called back with a smile. Then, lowering his voice, he turned to Jasper and asked, “You finish the stone armor yet?”

“I’ve only ten years’ worth of work left to do,” Jasper replied, snorting. “Truly, Spark, I don’t believe these stones will work as well as you seem to think. And even if they could shield us from the sun, nopony except Flex has the physical ability to fight his way out.”

“Make it five years. And don’t worry about us getting out, just worry about making something that’ll keep us safe outside until nightfall.” Spark paused, and then chuckled to himself. “’Don’t worry.’ I’m talking to the grand master of worrying. Before you got your cutie mark I coulda sworn it’d end up being your worried face.”

Jasper chucked a rock at him, which Spark promptly caught it in his magic. They both laughed. Despite my trepidation, it’s the only plan we have. And there is so much ore out there, just waiting to be turned into armor and hammers and… “How much longer will it be until the meridian?”

“Five years, like I said. And if we miss that, we’ll have to wait another two hundred for our next chance.” Spark looked down at his hooves and coughed awkwardly. “Is there going to be enough for all six of us and Equinivere?”

Jasper shot him a dirty look. “There is barely enough for our family, as I’ve told you before.”

“Well, do what you can. But I’m not leaving this place unless we all leave together.” Spark looked past Jasper and he followed his brother’s gaze. Flex was throwing rocks at Ghost and Storm; whether it was to help them hone their agility or to hone his aim, Jasper couldn’t be sure. Dream was trying to teach Surty how to fly.

“Jasper, I think it’s time we tell them what we’re planning.”

***

“You bastards!” Storm cried, her cerulean eyes wet with tears. “Why didn’t you tell us? We coulda been helping! Prepping!”

Because we didn’t want to give you false hope in case I was wrong. Because we didn’t want Black Moon to somehow find out about our plans. Because we didn’t want anypony to know until we were absolutely sure that we would succeed, Spark thought as he watched his sister cry.

She flew over to Spark and started punching him weakly in the chest. He tried wrapping a foreleg around her, but she pushed him away and flew back to Flex, burying her head in his dark brown fur. Maybe we should have told them earlier. I hate seeing her like this.

“How much time’ll we have?” Flex asked. He seemed unperturbed by the fact that two of his brothers had been keeping an enormously important—the most important—secret from them for years. In fact, with the exception of Storm, Spark was surprised by how well they were all taking it. Their excitement seemed to override any anger they might have felt.

“Once the sunlight hits the barrier, the barrier’ll go down,” Spark explained, gesturing in the air with a hoof. “The sun will then disappear behind a cliff, giving us two seconds of darkness before it touches the entrance of the cave again. Once we’re out there, we’ll have seven seconds to get the armor on and find shade before the light touches us.”

Nine seconds. Nine seconds, and at the end of those nine seconds we’ll either be in the shade or ripping each other’s throats out. That, or Black Moon will be dragging us back inside to be his slaves for eternity... “So,” he continued, shaking the thought from his mind, “any of you fillyfoolers in? Or wouldya rather stay in this hole for the rest of your miserable lives?”

Flex merely grinned in response. Storm lifted her face from his chest and said, “M-my wings could use a good stretch, I guess.”

Dream smiled down at his dragon. “Surty, I hope you can fly by the time we get out there.”

“And what about you, Ghost?” asked Jasper, turning to face his blind brother who was sitting on the floor. “We will not have the time to show you where the armor is once we exit the cave. You might not make—”

Ghost interrupted him by holding up both forehooves and punching them together. He nodded vigorously and smiled.

“Well, guys,” Spark said, breathing an internal sigh of relief, “we’ve only got five years to get ready for this. Let’s get to work!”

***

Storm could hear the screams as she sobbed quietly into Ghost’s chest. Calm down, girl. I’m safe here. I’m always safe here. I have nothing to worry about. Calm down. She glanced up at the door to their cavern, half expecting it to burst open any moment. That’s insane. Stop it. I’m safe.

Her other brothers stood near the door, bent low and ready to attack just in case. The Shadow Six went through the same thing once a month; Storm would cry relentlessly while her brothers prepared to kill anypony who burst in through the door.

Every full moon, Black Moon would allow his male subjects a night of indulgence. Every female in the cave was free game on those nights, and even though it had been centuries since Storm had been subjected to it, she couldn’t help but feel utterly terrified whenever those nights came around.

And in a few months the new foals will be born and in a hundred years those foals will be colts and fillies and they’ll all get to participate too and it’ll never, ever end…

Storm buried her head deeper into Ghost’s fur and he stroked her mane softly, fruitlessly trying to calm her down. She cried harder as the noises became louder. It was a terrifying symphony of hysterical laughter and blood-curdling screams that echoed from the cave above and shook her bones.

Through it all, she could hear Spark speaking quietly to himself. “Hide, Equinivere,” he murmured, repeating it over and over as though she could hear him. “Don’t let them touch you.”

***

Five years passed much faster than Jasper would have liked.

Each time he’d finished a new piece of stone armor, his siblings practiced putting it on again and again until they could slide it on within a second. Once they’d gotten that part down, either Flex or Dream would go to the cave entrance with the piece and, feigning frustration with it, throw it just outside the barrier. To anypony looking outside, the armor would just look like chunks of rock.

They’d also spent much time training their muscles and building their speed. Surty had finally learned to fly, but, like all the pegasi in the cave, failed to keep up with Storm, who could now circle the perimeter of the cavern faster than anypony could blink.

Ghost had taken to wearing his stone armor around the cavern in order to become accustomed to its weight. Dream was teaching his bugs to meticulously fill the gaps in their armor so that no sunlight could breach it.

Flex wasn’t taking any chances. He had hollowed out the center of a large rock which they would bring outside to provide them with a tiny, makeshift cave. It had holes and cracks, but it would be safer than being in direct sunlight with just the armor on.

It was all enough to make Jasper feel slightly optimistic about the whole thing. The only thing he was really worried about now was Spark. Spark had been spending all his spare time with Equinivere instead of training, playing innocent games with her in order to surreptitiously prepare her for being outside.

Jasper shook his head bitterly at the thought of Equinivere. If anything is going to prevent our escape, it is going to be that mare.

“You should lighten up every now and then, Jasper,” Spark said suddenly, derailing his train of thought. “I’m surprised your face hasn’t warped into a permanent frown already.”

Jasper sneered playfully at Spark, but he couldn’t shake the worry he felt. We only have a few hours until we attempt our grand escape, and he and his fillyfriend are the only ones who are not prepared. And he has yet to even tell her of our plan…

Spark turned away from Jasper and called out to the other ponies in the cave, “You guys all know your game plans for tonight, right?”

Storm zoomed across the cavern and hovered to a stop before him. “Yup! The barrier goes down and we plunk ourselves outside and put on all our armor and go rollin’ down the hill and dive into that cave-thing Flex made, right?” She sped off with a wide grin on her face before he could reply.

“More or less,” Spark called after her with a laugh. “Anyway, I’m gonna go get Equinivere. Think you’ll all be ready in time?”

The question is, Jasper thought as he watched his brother turn to leave, will you be?

Once Spark had left, Jasper turned to the rest of the Shadow Six and addressed them with newfound determination. “We are going to succeed tonight, with or without the help of our dear brother.”

His family all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him in concern. Flex and Storm exchanged looks, but he continued, undaunted. “Look, we have worked long and hard for our freedom, but if Spark’s fillyfriend cannot keep up with us or if anything else goes awry…” He paused and swallowed nervously. “Do any of you truly believe you would be able to continue on without looking back?”

Dream trotted over to Jasper and put a navy blue foreleg on his shoulder. “Jasper, we’re going to make it. Nopony is going to be left behind.”

“Well, I hope you are correct. Black Moon will most likely kill any of us who do not make it out of the cave. I just wanted to make sure that all of you know what we have to lose,” Jasper said solemnly, looking over at his family. “I love you all, and no mare is going to stand between us and our freedom.”

Dream nodded at a part of the cavern wall and smiled. “Don’t worry, brother. If any of us don’t make it, the chest we put in the wall will keep whoever it is alive until they can be rescued.”

Jasper had carved out a hole in the wall years ago. They’d filled it with everything they’d need to survive in case something went wrong: enchanted crystals that would give off light for the next two hundred years, a few dozen bugs who’d be able to collect food, maps of all the hiding spots in the cave, an enchanted tuning fork that would vibrate whenever a source of fresh water was nearby, a hammer and a small blade, and a light brown feather to remind whoever was left behind that their family would come to their rescue.

“Dream, if something goes wrong tonight, I doubt we will even be able to return here, much less find solace in the contents of that chest.”

Dream chuckled and mussed Jasper’s mane with a forehoof, prompting the unicorn to smile in spite of himself. “Have faith, brother. Nothing can stop us now.”

***

“So, Sparky, what was it you wanted to speak to me about?” Equinivere yawned and blinked her pale blue eyes repeatedly before rubbing the sleep out of them.

“Shh!” he hissed, glancing around nervously. In a low voice, he said, “I don’t want anypony else to hear. Come with me.”

Spark led her to the entrance of the cave. It was still dark outside; sunrise would be in nearly two hours. None of the shadow ponies would be there until daylight, so they stood alone in front of the barrier. The starry night sky was laid out before them in the distance.

“So, my mysterious pony, what have you brought me here for?”

It’s now or never. Spark took a deep breath and kneeled before her, taking her hoof in his own. “Equi,” he began nervously, looking deep into her eyes, “I love you. Will you spend forever with me? Also—” He glanced to his right, searching for the cliff in the distance. “—there’s something special I’m gonna want to do with you in about two hours.”

Spark looked back up to see Equinivere with tears in her eyes. She blinked them back and nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, Sparky! I will do whatever it is you want me to do, as long as you are always by my side.”

“I’ll always be by your side, Equinivere.”

“Do promise me, Sparky.”

“Equinivere,” he murmured solemnly, “I swear by the blood in my heart, by the strength of my hooves, and by our yearning for the light that I will be by your side forever and always.”

Her face broke into a grin at that and she pulled him to his hooves, pressing her lips against his. Spark could feel her smile against his own, her tears wetting his muzzle.

“There is something that I want you to have,” she said suddenly, pulling something from her mane with her magic. A small knife floated out of her royal blue hair and hovered before Spark. “This belonged to my brother once. He gave it to me for safekeeping, before he went outside… where the dragon…”

Her voice hitched and she trailed off. Spark nodded sympathetically as he took the knife from her and placed it in his own mane. Where the dragon tore his head off before swallowing his body whole, 500 years ago. At least he put up a good fight before he died.

At that moment, Spark wasn’t sure what was making him the happiest: knowing that Equinivere would be by his side forever, the honor of owning the knife of an old hero, or the pride of having his true love trust him with it. Focus, Spark. We don’t have time to waste.

“There’s something you need to know, Equi, and we don’t have any time to spare,” Spark said, his smile replaced by a serious grimace. “My family is escaping tonight and you’re coming with us.”

Equinivere’s eyes widened, and then she giggled at him. “Sparky, you truly should not joke like that.” Her laughing stopped abruptly when he placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Sparky, tell me you are joking.”

“I’m not joking,” Spark said softly, and her eyes seemed to widen further. “We’ve been working towards this for the past two hundred years, ever since I first noticed the barrier fail.”

“What?” she whispered back, and Spark could see that her mind was racing. “The barrier failed? Why did you not tell me? Is that what is going to happen tonight?”

Spark pointed to the cliff in the distance. “That cliff over there is what makes it happen. By my calculations, in two hours that cliff will cover the sun, giving us a few seconds to get outside while the barrier is down. Those rocks in the grass there are pieces of armor. They’ll protect us until we can find shade.”

He turned back to Equinivere, who appeared to be in shock. “How… but… we… we are finally going to be free?”

“Yes, Equi. We’re going to be free.”

“Wait,” she said after a moment, brushing her mane with a hoof. No, please, now is not the time for second thoughts… “I need my flower! It must have fallen off while I slept.”

Spark cocked his head in confusion. “The flower you always have in your hair? Equi, we need to be ready now! You can have all the flowers you want once we’re outside.”

“Sparky, you know what that flower means to me. I will not leave without it.”

He thought about that for a moment. He could see Jasper’s angry face in his head, telling him that she was going to cost them their freedom. No, she’s right. She tore that flower from her brother’s hooves the year before his death, when he was being dragged back into the cave. She got her damn cutie mark by learning to enchant it to stay fresh forever. She’s not going to leave without it.

Spark looked back up at her and sighed. “Then go. Now. Grab it and come back, and don’t stop for anything or anypony. I don’t care if Black Moon himself wants to talk to you. Don’t you dare stop. Come to our cavern as soon as you find the flower.”

Equinivere let out a long breath that Spark hadn’t noticed she had been holding. “Thank you,” she said, kissing his cheek before turning back to the endless network of caves. “I love you,” she added over her shoulder, flashing him a smile before breaking into a gallop.

Please, Equi, don’t prove Jasper right, he thought sadly as he watched her go. He remained at the entrance, watching the sky brighten slowly in the distance. After a few minutes, he made his way back to the cavern.

***

Careful, careful, you cannot risk waking them up, now, Equinivere thought to herself as she tip-hoofed around the sleeping ponies. All you need to do is grab the flower and then you will be free. Just grab the flower and you can be with Sparky forever.

The thought made her giddy, but she kept her focus as she crept carefully through the room. When her white flower came into view, she sighed inwardly in relief. One step closer to freedom. She lifted it with her magic, tucked it gently behind her ear, and began to make her way back.

“Couldn’t sleep, my dear?” She froze in place as the loud whisper of Black Moon’s voice struck her ears. He stepped out of the shadows. His eyes were trained on hers, staring into her soul as she stood perfectly still, watching him back. “Come. We don’t want to wake up your brothers, now do we?”

“Of course not, my King,” she whispered back, fighting to keep her voice even. She trotted slowly over to him and bowed obediently, kissing his hoof. “I… I was feeling chilly so I went for a walk. But then I felt lonely, so I returned to retrieve my brother’s flower.”

Black Moon let out a low chuckle and ran a hoof through her mane. She shivered at his touch. “My loyal subject, how long have you been a favorite of mine?”

“I am afraid that it has been too many years to count, my King.”

“Then you must be aware that I can read you like a book, correct?”

Equinivere began to tremble. No, no, this cannot be happening. “Of course, my King. Nopony could ever know me better than you.”

“Then you wouldn’t lie to your king, would you?” His voice had dropped much lower, accusation dripping from each word.

“M-my King? I do not understand,” she replied, her voice catching in her throat. Black Moon leaned closer to her; she could feel his breath on her muzzle.

“Come, my dear,” he whispered, a faint smile forming on his lips. “Tell your king what you know.”

***

With Flex doing the bulk of the lifting, the Shadow Six managed to haul the hollowed-out rock he had made out of the pit. Storm had flown up ahead to scout the tunnels. Her all-clear signal echoed back to her family, who stood nervously at the edge of the pit.

“Alright, guys,” Spark whispered. “It’s time.” I just hope Equinivere is by the entrance. Why didn’t she come to the cavern like I asked?

They moved out, inching through the twists and turns of the tunnels, working their way towards the entrance. A smile broke out on Spark’s face when he saw Equinivere standing by the entrance. “Equinivere,” he called out as quietly as he could, “come over—”

“SPARKY, RUN!”

Her voice died in her throat as black lightning enveloped her and she collapsed to the floor. Spark froze in place, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched her body twitch for a moment before going limp. And then the laughter began. Soft giggles echoed all around him, growing to hysterical cackling, and he tore his eyes away from her lifeless body to see the glowing eyes of Black Moon’s shadow ponies.

“My congratulations, Spark,” Jasper said flatly, though anger was evident in his voice. “Your fine fillyfriend just murdered your entire family.”

Spark’s mind raced as he struggled to come up with a plan. It’s not going to end like this. Not now, not after we’ve worked so hard… Wait, I’ve got it! He turned to his siblings, his voice low as he said, “Listen. On three, we toss the rock at the shadow ponies and make a break for the opening.”

“I’m afraid that your greed and all your little secrets have made it much too late for that,” Black Moon said, stepping out of a side-tunnel and trotting over to Equinivere’s body. “Oh, and don’t worry about her. She’s merely unconscious.” Spark sighed in relief. The alicorn pouted at him. “What, did you think the rest of us didn’t deserve to know about the barrier lapse? Well, it makes no difference now.”

Black Moon moved to the entrance and placed a hoof on the barrier. It vibrated at his touch and he tilted his head upwards to look at the sky. The sun was beginning to break the horizon. “You know, Spark Shadow, when I’m free, I’m going to build a grand entrance at the mouth of this cave, right through the barrier. Your fellow ponies will be able to wait out the sun and escape into the night, but not you. No, you and your family will never see the light again.”

“Storm?” Spark whispered, not taking his eyes off Black Moon.

“I’m with ya ‘til the end, big brother.”

“No, don’t worry about me. Just take care of the others.”

“Wha—?”

“Three!”

Flex lifted the hollow rock and launched it at the ponies behind him. Spark charged Black Moon, lightning crackling down his horn as he ran, his siblings following behind him, bolting towards the entrance as sunlight began to hit the cave. The barrier dropped. Both Spark and Black Moon’s horns were lit with electricity.

The sun disappeared behind the cliff. Now or never.

The white lightning bolt collided with the black one, and the air exploded.

Spark was thrown into the air. He landed on his hooves and felt the soft ground beneath him. Letting out a breath, he swiveled his head to congratulate his family on escaping, but the words died as he looked back at the cave.

His siblings had been thrown to a back wall. They lay on the floor in a heap, staring at Spark in disbelief. Black Moon was against another wall, his eyes wide with rage. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, was all Spark could think as he swiftly turned and galloped away. The sunlight fell across the entrance behind him, trapping those inside once again.

“I’ll come back for you! I promise!” he screamed over his shoulder, tears beginning to fog his vision as he sprinted down the mountain, sunshine on his tail. He felt a twinge of guilt for not having the time to use the stone armor Jasper had worked so hard on, but right then, he felt guilty about a lot of things.

In the distance behind him, Black Moon’s howl of fury echoed in the cave.

***

Jasper grabbed Equinivere in his magic and what was now the Shadow Five began to gallop back to their own cavern, hoping against hope that they would be able to reach the pit, but it was useless. Moments later they were surrounded by shadow ponies.

Black Moon, who had been watching Spark as he disappeared down the mountain and out of sight, now turned back to the Shadow Five, panting hard. Equinivere was beginning to come to, and she left out a soft moan from the ground as her eyes fluttered open.

All these ponies are carrying knives in their manes; I can feel it. If I can focus my magic enough, maybe I can—

“You’re Jasper Shadow, am I correct?” Jasper blinked and looked up at the black alicorn who now stood before him. In the silence that followed, Dream grabbed Surty in his hooves and threw him towards the entrance.

“Surty, fly and get somewhere safe!” he called after the green dragon, who flapped his wings, flew past Black Moon and stopped in the sunlight. He swiveled in the air and looked to Dream with confusion before flying back inside and lying down next to the entrance.

Black Moon chuckled, watching the dragon. “Well, at least one of the things you love isn’t willing to abandon you.”

Jasper glared at him. “’Jasper Shadow’ is correct,” he said, fighting to keep his voice steady as he prepared to bring the knives around him to life.

“You know, your brother did a very good job of keeping all of you hidden from me. It was such a pain trying to find you,” Black Moon said plaintively. He pulled a knife from his mane with his magic and inspected it. “You do such good work, Jasper Shadow. It would be a shame to lose a talent like yours.” He placed the knife back in his mane. “I guess this makes you the new leader of the Shadow Six—make that Five,” he amended with a smirk.

“Perhaps it does, but do not expect me to aid you. Unless you believe our bones would be more willing to help.” Jasper’s family snickered behind him.

“Oh, but you haven’t even given me a chance, my loyal subject,” Black Moon replied with mock hurt. His eyes drifted to the injured unicorn behind Jasper and he narrowed his eyes. “But first things first, yes? You have somepony that belongs to me.”

Jasper turned his gaze to Equinivere, suddenly feeling foalish for having grabbed her in the first place. He looked back at Black Moon, and now it was his turn to smirk. “According to my brother, she ceased to be ‘yours’ a few hours ago.”

A look of surprise crossed Black Moon’s face, which was quickly replaced by an expression Jasper couldn’t read. “Is that true, my dear?” he asked her, his voice even. “Are you no longer your king’s faithful subject?”

Equinivere rose to her hooves. For a moment, Jasper thought she would deny everything; after all, despite her love for Spark, her loyalty had always been to the Shadow King. But to his surprise, she told the truth.

“H-he asked me if I would spend forever with him, and I t-told him that I would,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Then he s-said that we would escape tonight, and I agreed to go with him. I am so sorry. I do not know what I was thinking. Please forgive me, my King.”

“Well,” Black Moon said after a pause. “I guess this night has been disappointing in more than one way. Your brothers will not be pleased to hear this, my dear.”

“We will gladly take her in,” Jasper said without thinking as he readied his magic. What? Why?

“And are you sure about that?” Black Moon said, echoing Jasper’s thoughts. “I actually have a few options for you, Jasper Shadow. That is, if you’re at all interested.”

“If you mean to kill us regardless, why would we be interested in your pathetic little games?”

The alicorn laughed. “Because, my little pony, I don’t want to kill you. Frankly, I’ve always wanted Spark’s head to keep as a souvenir, but that’s not likely to happen now. No, you’re much more valuable to me alive.”

Jasper stiffened. Black Moon was beginning to get under his skin. “What is it that you’re offering?”

“You have your pride. I respect that. But you’re also the leader of your little family now,” the alicorn drawled. Looking past Jasper, he remarked, “Your poor sister looks like she’s about to cry.” Jasper twisted his head far enough to look at Storm. Three distinctly large pegasi were standing behind her, laughing and staring at her coat. Flex shifted to block their gaze, but their eyes never left her rump.

“And you still have a unicorn that I would like to see returned to my side,” Black Moon added. Jasper’s legs suddenly felt weak. He longed to return to their cavern, to seal it shut for the next two hundred years and wait for Spark to rescue them. He did promise to save us, right? “I’ll even give you and your family safe passage back to your room.”

His ears perked up. He heard Storm’s sniffling, heard Dream murmur prayers. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Ghost shaking his head. But this is not his choice. It is mine. “Perhaps we will entertain your offers,” Jasper said slowly, turning back to face the alicorn. The shadow ponies gave a collective laugh, and he could feel their eyes piercing his coat, but he did his best to ignore it.

“First of all, we can kill you all right here and now, quickly and painlessly.”

Jasper rolled his eyes. “If you were going to kill us, it would most certainly be neither quick nor painless.”

“True,” the Shadow King replied with a grin before taking a few steps back towards the mouth of the cave. “Second, you and your family can venture out into the sun.” What? Surely he would not allow us to depart just like— “Well, not you,” he continued. “But the rest of your family can spend their days carrying out my plans to escape.”

Oh, that is it! Jasper thought as he grabbed a knife from the crowd of shadow ponies. It flew out of an earth pony’s mane and came to a stop against Black Moon’s throat. A silver sheath of magic held it firmly against his black coat.

“I guess that’s a ‘no’, then,” Black Moon said flatly, raising an eyebrow.

“That would be a ‘no’,” Jasper said, pushing the knife a little harder. “If the third option is as terrible as the first two… Well, we will see who will have whose head as a souvenir.”

Black Moon snorted in disgust. “Then I think you’ll like this option best. How about this: we do nothing to you. You and your family go back to your cavern, only coming out when I require your services.”

“And the catch is…?”

He motioned to Equinivere. “All you have to do is leave her here with me. And considering everything she told me about your plans tonight, I think it’s a fair trade.”

Jasper thought this over. He could hear his family behind him, telling him not to give in, but he couldn’t understand what they were saying. Everything we have done, all our planning, our years of hard work… all of it is now gone, and it is because of this mare.

He dropped the knife from Black Moon’s throat, picked up Equinivere in his magic, and tossed her at Black Moon’s hooves like a ragdoll. The Shadow King smiled at him, looking almost grateful, and then nodded at the shadow ponies that surrounded the family of five. They split in half, a path forming down the middle.

Slowly, wordlessly, Jasper led the group through the path and back towards their pit. They had barely taken ten steps when they heard Black Moon call after them. “Then again,” he said, “you did try to escape and leave all of us here to die. Perhaps a little revenge is in order.”

The Shadow Five had half a second to think before the wall of shadow ponies came crashing in on them.

***

Black Moon’s howl of anger echoed in his ears, but Spark didn’t have time to worry about that. He didn’t even know where he was going, only that the mountain sloped down before him and the sunlight was catching up to him from behind.

He galloped as fast as he could, but the heat was overwhelming, and the sunlight was nearly blinding him. His eyes darted around as he sprinted, searching desperately for shade.

On his way down the mountain, he tripped over a rock and caught his ankle in a patch of weeds, adding to his agony and exhaustion. Pushing the pain from his mind, he forced himself to run faster even as his body protested with every move he made. I promised them I’d save them. I can’t stop now.

Spark was wheezing now, his legs aching beneath him, his hooves cracking, his head pounding, his eyes burning—but he couldn’t stop. There was too much at stake. Please, Sky Pony, just give me some shade…

And then he saw it. It was square and made of wood and he wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it had an open door. And inside the door was shade.

He pushed his body to move faster than it ever had before, and as the sunlight licked his tail, he dove in through the doorframe. Safe in the darkness, he rolled onto his side, reveling in the coolness of the shade as he watched the sunlight hit the spot he’d been standing a moment ago.

Catching his breath, he looked around. There was light peeking through the cracks in the walls, but it wasn’t touching him. I think I would know if I was in the sunlight… What’s that tinkling sound?

Spark’s panting was erratic and his vision was beginning to blur. As he rolled onto his back, he could barely make out the face of the pony who stood over him. The pony’s long white hair nearly reached Spark’s muzzle.

“What an unexpected surprise,” the pony murmured. “White streak on your back… Running to avoid the sun… Yes, I think you’re just the one I wanted to see.” He looked up towards the door. “I suppose this will have to do until nighttime...”

Black smoke appeared and wrapped itself around Spark’s entire body. Not having the energy to fight back, he lay limp on the floor, his eyes fluttering shut in exhaustion. The smoke was surprisingly cool and comfortable on his coat, and his breathing slowed as he finally slipped into unconsciousness.

“I have big plans for you, colt,” the pony said, his voice fading into the darkness. “Big plans, indeed.”

***

Chapter II - Light

Aetiology
Chapter II
Light

“Has Spark ever told you about that first day outside? What am I saying? Of course he has. Anyway, you remember how he said that we separated into two groups: us–the Shadow Six–and you and Black Moon and the rest of the shadow ponies? Did you ever stop to think that maybe there was a reason for that? That maybe there was a reason you were not a part of our group to begin with? Because maybe if you and Spark had spent one second just considering that before you decided to fall in love, none of this would have happened.”

***

Why is it so warm?

Spark Shadow wrenched his eyes open. Through his bleary vision he could make out a bright and colorless glow. It was a familiar glow; he’d woken up to it before, at the mouth of the cave, but now it seemed to surround him. He was shocked into consciousness when he realized that it was touching him.

With a terrified scream, he rolled over, fell off the thing he was lying on and onto the floor, collected himself, and scooted to the darkest area of the room. His back to the wall, he squeezed his eyes shut and began to tremble. This is a dream, he thought, trying desperately to convince himself. This is just a dream, it’s not real. Open your eyes and you’ll be back in the cave…

He opened his eyes slowly and groaned. So much for that theory.

The room he was in was made completely of wood, with a perfectly flat floor and four perfectly flat walls, and a door across from him. There was a table pushed up against the wall, and the thing he’d fallen off appeared to be a bed. There was a bag by the table, but he was too afraid to check it.

What is this place? Spark looked down at his body to check for injuries, but to his surprise he appeared to be incorporeal. Hang on, it’s just black smoke. Wait, why am I covered in smoke? He shook a foreleg to rid himself of it, and was only mildly surprised that it appeared to be attached to him.

He looked back up at the bed. Streaks of sunlight fell across it through cracks in the walls. If I was in the sunlight, why didn’t I go crazy? Why can I still remember things? I thought your mind was supposed to be erased… He looked back down at the smoke. This stuff must be some kind of magic armor. But who…?

At that moment, the door clicked open and a shadow stepped inside. Spark pressed his back farther into the corner and stared at the figure in the doorway, who began to advance upon him. The soft tinkling of bells filled the air.

“Ah, you’re finally awake! It was really touch-and-go there for a bit, colt. You pushed yourself so hard to avoid the sun that you passed out as soon as you got here.”

Spark could see the pony now that he was in the room. He had long, curly hair that tumbled out from under a pointed blue hat and fell from his chin almost all the way to the floor. On his back was a matching blue cape. Both the cape and hat were decorated with bells and yellow stars. What a strange-looking pony.

“You’re one of the shadow ponies I locked in the cave, aren’t you? I remember you quite well. You’re the one with the white streak down your back,” the stallion continued. “Do you remember who I am?”

I remember that tinkling sound, Spark thought, staring at the jingling bells. I heard it in the field on that first day. “A-are you my father?”

“Ah ha!” laughed the stallion, making Spark jump in surprise. “So you do remember! Call me Starswirl, colt; most ponies do these days. What about you, do you have a name?”

Did he say “most ponies”? There are more of us? “My name is Spark Shadow,” he replied. His fear was gone, replaced by a long list of questions. He started with the two most important ones. “What do you mean ‘most ponies’? And why aren’t you crazy from being in the sunlight?”

“There are ponies everywhere, colt. Only the shadow ponies—that is, the ones in the cave—suffer extreme reactions to the light,” Starswirl explained in a patient voice. “Now I have a question for you: do you know why you’re able to speak and understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”

Spark opened his mouth to answer, but stopped himself and frowned. Suddenly he realized that he had never bothered to question the words he could speak, or why he knew what a bell was without ever having seen one before. “I don’t know,” he answered sheepishly. “I’ve always been able to talk and understand what other ponies are saying.”

Starswirl nodded and turned to the bag on the floor beside him. The bag began to glow—I guess he has a horn under that giant hat—and a book floated out of it and onto the table. He flipped through the book for a minute before turning to Spark and saying, “Algae and unicorn saliva!” He beamed with pride as he slid the book back into the bag.

“What…?”

“By the by, what would a colt like yourself be needing this for?” Starswirl’s hat lifted slightly, and out from under it floated forth—

“My knife!” Spark leapt at the glowing blade, but the elder pony was hovering it just out of his reach. He tried to wrench it from his magic with his own, but Starswirl was much too strong. Spark fell back on his haunches, panting. Starswirl seemed at once bewildered and amused. “Give it back,” Spark whined.

The old unicorn lowered the knife so that it hovered before his own eyes. Sunlight glittered off the metal, catching its dull edge and rusted coat. “And why should I? What makes this old thing so important?”

“She gave it to me!” Spark cried, leaping at the blade once again, black smoke whirling around him as he sprung. Starswirl stumbled back in surprise, allowing Spark to pry it from his magic with his teeth. He retreated to his corner and watched Starswirl intently, but the old pony made no move to get it back. Carefully he tucked the knife into his mane, his eyes never leaving Starswirl’s.

“Did you say ‘she’? There are others left in the cave?” Starswirl asked slowly, moving closer to Spark. His eyes were twinkling beneath his curly mane.

Suddenly Spark could remember everything. Gasping sharply, he jumped to his hooves and galloped towards the door, but magic promptly grabbed his hooves and held him in place. He struggled against it for a moment, and then turned back to the bemused wizard. “My family is still in there!” Spark shouted frantically. “I have to save them!”

“Now calm down, colt,” Starswirl said, but his eyes betrayed his shock. “What’s been going on in that cave?”

Spark collapsed to the floor. All of a sudden he felt lost and utterly alone, and tears sprung to his eyes. The centuries of his life flashed in his mind’s eye, the years blurring together in a montage of continuous darkness. Where do I start?

He took a deep breath, fought back the sobs, and began. He told Starswirl about his life since he had been locked in the cave: Black Moon’s cruel reign, how his family had distanced themselves from the rest of the shadow ponies, and all the ponies who’d been born and killed on a whim.

Spark spoke of Equinivere and her brother’s knife, Jasper’s ability to find and control metal, Dream’s talent of communicating with animals, Storm’s speed, Flex’s strength, and Ghost’s heightened senses. He finally ended his tale with how he had escaped and how certain he was that his family was suffering every moment he wasn’t there. By the end of his story, his muzzle was soaked with salty tears and his voice was cracking.

Starswirl had remained silent and still during Spark’s speech, but now he paced back and forth, mumbling under his breath, his eyes shut tight. Spark watched him, choked sobs escaping his throat now and again, wondering what was going through the old pony’s mind.

“Tell me, Spark,” Starswirl said suddenly, halting in his tracks and turning his head to face Spark, whose sobs had now stopped completely and was wiping his eyes with a smoke-wrapped hoof. “If you went back there to save them today, what would you do? Would you be willing to kill other ponies? How would you even get them out of there?” He paused and lowered his voice, adding solemnly, “How can you be sure they’re still alive?”

“I… I don’t know,” Spark mumbled. “But I can’t just abandon them there with Black Moon. I have to go back for them. I promised.” He looked up and stared into the older unicorn’s eyes with desperation, his voice cracking as he spoke. “Please, Starswirl, you have to help me.”

Starswirl held his gaze for a long moment. Finally he said, “I will help you, Spark Shadow, but it will take some time.”

Spark grinned and got to his hooves, smoke trailing him as he cantered over to Starswirl. “How much time?”

“A very long time, I’m afraid,” replied Starswirl, and Spark’s smile vanished. “Spark, in order to save your family, you’re going to need training. Now, I’ve been searching for an apprentice for years, but I have thousands of years’ worth of things to teach, and nopony—well, nopony except me and the shadow ponies—lives for nearly that long.”

Spark blinked in surprise. We’re the only ones who live this long? The question was quickly pushed aside by the thought of being the wizard’s apprentice. I don’t have time for that. For all I know, they could be dead already!

“The journey will be hard, colt, and I won’t blame you if you return to the cave before your training is complete. But I know that, deep down, you know that you can’t save them without my help.”

“No,” Spark said firmly, looking towards the door. “I don’t have time for that. I have to go back. They’re my family! I can’t just leave them there, they could be dead already and—”

“If they’re dead already, what would you accomplish by going back there? And if they’re still alive, how are you going to get them out? And even if you did manage to escape together, how would you survive in the sunlight?” Starswirl sighed softly and shook his head. “If I hadn’t been here to protect you from the sun, you would be dead or insane right now. Do you really want to risk that with your family?”

Spark scowled. His immediate instincts were to argue and run away, but his expression softened as the rational part of his mind pushed the instincts away. No, he’s right. If I go back now, we’re all going to die. But if I wait, if I go back when I’m stronger, then I can save them for sure. And if they’re dead by then… at least I’ll be able to avenge them. He let out a long sigh. I don’t see any other choice.

“Fine,” Spark mumbled, pulling his gaze away from the open door. “I’ll be your apprentice.”

Starswirl smiled down at him and extended a hoof towards him, which he stared at in disgust. Scowling, he took the hoof in his and bent low to kiss it as Black Moon had so often made him do, but the old pony simply laughed and pulled his hoof away.

“Oh, no, colt! I’m your mentor, not your king. We shake hooves,” he explained, extending his forehoof again to Spark. The younger unicorn smiled in relief, straightened up and shook hooves.

They smiled at each other for a moment, and then Starswirl tilted his head towards the doorway expectantly. Spark turned to look outside; the sun wasn’t nearly as blinding as it had been before, but as beautiful as the outdoors were, he couldn’t help but feel terrified at the prospect of stepping out there.

“The smoke will protect you, colt. And I’m here if anything goes wrong. Don’t worry.”

Spark nodded. He wasn’t entirely convinced that it was safe, but he began to take slow steps towards the door nonetheless. When his hooves were an inch away from the light, he paused, swallowed the lump in his throat, squeezed his eyes shut, and stepped into the sun.

***

Where are they taking me?

Jasper was being dragged through the darkness, laughter echoing around him—in his ears or in his head, he couldn’t tell. Then for a moment he was weightless, falling through the air. He landed with a heavy thud. But this is the pit… Are they finally bringing me home?

The laughter receded into the distance and he heard the familiar creak of the door being opened, and then he was picked up by his legs and thrown inside. He landed painfully on the flat slab of rock he’d once used for his work. The door slammed shut.

Jasper opened his eyes carefully and was met only by darkness. He breathed a sigh of relief that ended in a fit of coughing; metal filled his mouth and he spat it out. How long has it been since Spark’s departure? he thought, and realized that he didn’t know. The days had blurred together quickly; today was the first that he had not been stabbed with a knife or bludgeoned with a rock. The wave of peace that washed over him was utterly foreign.

There was a quiet knock. “Ghost?” Two more knocks, followed by the sound of a pony dragging himself along the cavern floor. If Ghost is resorting to dragging himself… He didn’t want to finish the thought. Instead he said, weakly, “I’m glad to see you’re alive.”

“You’re a surrendering mule.” There was no levity in his voice. Jasper flinched. At least he hasn’t attacked me yet; perhaps he’s forgiven me. I wonder if Flex and Dream and Storm have as well…

His stomach turned at the thought of his only sister. Where is she? A pretty mare, all alone with those savage colts… He shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut. I cannot allow myself to have those thoughts. Black Moon said he did not mean to kill us, after all. And if Ghost is here now, then the others should be returned shortly as well.

Before he could muster the strength to rise to his hooves, the door opened again and something heavy landed on his back, winding him. Laughter echoed in through the door and was silenced with a slam. The thing on his back began to moan quietly.

“Jasper, is that you, brother?”

“Yes, Dream, it’s me. Ghost is here as well.” Jasper shifted his weight, causing Dream to roll off of him. He landed on the cavern floor and cried out in pain. Oh, I really did not mean to do that, Jasper thought, wincing at the sound. “Sorry…”

Dream’s whimpering subsided after a few minutes, and Jasper was struck once again by complete silence. Forcing himself to his hooves, he slowly made his way to where they had hidden the chest in the wall. His horn began to glow, and he panted with the effort of opening the chest and removing the enchanted crystals.

Jasper placed them gingerly in the notches in the cavern walls, smiling gratefully as the glow returned his vision, and then turned to inspect his two brothers. The smile vanished instantly. By the Sky Pony…

Ghost’s hind legs were bent at unnatural angles. A bone protruded from his left leg. Above his cutie mark—a stick broken into thirds, although nopony knew what it meant—was a deep gash that ran nearly all the way to his withers. Robbing him of his sight wasn’t enough, so they had to take away his agility as well?

“Guys, I think something’s wrong with my wing.” Jasper shifted his gaze to Dream and his stomach churned anew as he took in the sight of the pegasus’s right wing. It was thoroughly mangled; his feathers were matted with blood and bones jutted out from under his torn skin. It looked as though an entire chunk of flesh had been ripped out of him.

“Stay where you are, Dream. I’ll take care of it.” Feeling weaker than he’d felt before, he bent his head into the chest and grabbed the hammer and maps in his teeth. Stumbling over to his brothers, he began to work.

The maps were torn into strips and used to bandage Ghost’s hind legs. The hammer was used to reset the bone. Ghost was utterly silent throughout the process, but Jasper could see that he was clenching his teeth. A tourniquet was then fashioned from the remaining strips and placed at the base of Dream’s wing.

His work complete, Jasper collapsed to the floor between his brothers and blacked out as the waves of nausea and pain came to a climax.

When he came to, he panicked briefly at his semi-obscured vision before he realized that somepony had bandaged his head. How long have I been unconscious? he thought as he raised a hoof to his forehead and was painfully reminded of a deep gash above his eye. There was a sling around his right foreleg; he hadn’t even realized that it was broken.

The door to the cavern swung open suddenly. Jasper flinched, anticipating the echoes of hysterical laughter that were sure to follow, but his ears were met only by the sound of grunting, coupled with hearty chuckling.

“What’s the matter, you buckin’ mules? This hunka meat too big and sexy for you to throw in a hole? Put some spine into it!”

With a final grunt, the shadow ponies tossed Flex into the cavern and stood catching their breath in the doorway. The earth pony landed heavily on the cavern floor and lifted his head, one eye swollen shut, to look at his siblings.

His eye drifted from Jasper, who was sitting on the floor, to Dream, who was leaning against the wall, to Ghost, who was lying down. His expression turned to rage as his eye searched the room frantically for the missing pony.

“Where the buck is Storm?!” he demanded, twisting his head to face the shadow ponies at the door. “What have you done with her?!”

A dark grey pegasus colt took a step forward, smirking down at Flex. Jasper squinted at the pony through his bandage and groaned. Nails. I truly despise that idiot.

Flex struggled onto his hooves but promptly collapsed to the floor, wheezing. Nails chuckled and slowly reached into his spiked orange mane with a hoof, retracting it to reveal a small, thin object. Through the blur of his bandage, Jasper could barely make out what it was. Storm’s feather!

Nails lifted it to his snout, his eyes fluttering as he inhaled deeply. The feather ruffled in front of his nose. Jasper gagged in disgust. “We’s not done playin’ with cute flyin’ filly,” Nails said with a giggle. “She too much fun.”

“Give. Her. Back!” Flex lurched forward, digging his hooves into the ground beneath him to propel himself towards Nails, who quickly stepped out of the door with the others and slammed it in Flex’s face.

Jasper watched sadly as Flex beat at the door with his hooves, screaming obscenities. He knew it wouldn’t help. He could feel the metal that the shadow ponies had put in place to reinforce the door; it was only able to be opened from the outside.

He pushed himself onto his hooves and limped slowly to his brother, whose hooves had begun to crack and bleed against the door. Stopping behind him, he placed a gentle hoof on his shoulder. “Flex, we have to—”

“YOU!”

Jasper had fully expected to be yelled at. He’d expected screaming. He’d expected to be kicked out of the family for his decision to surrender to Black Moon. He’d even expected crying.

What he hadn’t expected was the punch that sent him flying through the cavern and skidding across the floor.

Jasper moaned and opened his eyes just in time to see Flex’s hoof come smashing down into his muzzle.

“You bucking traitor! This is your fault!”

As another hoof smashed into his chest, Jasper’s thoughts drifted elsewhere. Yes, this is my fault. I was the one who had trusted Spark from the beginning. Even when I’d had concerns about Equinivere, I’d kept my faith in Spark. And when Spark failed our family, so did I. I gave us to Black Moon. I destroyed Dream’s wing. I broke Ghost’s legs. I put Storm through whatever she is going through right now.

His body grew cold and numb. Flex was still beating him with bloody hooves, but it felt impossibly distant now. He watched as Ghost and Dream both tackled Flex, felt as his brother’s weight was lifted off his stomach, and then allowed his eyes to slide shut.

“No, Flex is right,” he managed to sputter, the taste of copper on his tongue. “This is my fault.”

For the second time that day, Jasper slipped into oblivion.

***

“Spark, my boy, do I really have to remind you again? A unicorn’s magic begins with telekinesis. Once you can control that, you can control all your magic.”

Spark ignored his mentor and narrowed his eyes, concentrating harder on the pile of rocks before him. With only one hind leg holding him up, he struggled to maintain his balance as he focused on levitating the rocks. Several fillies trotted by and giggled, leading Spark to believe—and not for the first time—that some of these exercises were merely for Starswirl’s amusement.

Two months had passed in the tiny earth pony village, and Spark’s training had become a little harder each day. His telekinesis had been adequate for lifting small objects back in the cave, but Starswirl had made him practice until he could lift something heavier than a rock.

On top of his magic training, he’d had to learn to maneuver in a new set of armor. The black smoke, while weightless and comfortable, had prevented Spark from performing magic. A local seamstress had made him a new set of armor, one enchanted with a peculiar iron thread that would protect the wearer from light while allowing their magic to pass through it.

The new armor was heavier than anything Spark had worn before, but it was worth it just to be able to stand in the sunlight.

“Focus! If you can’t control your body and magic simultaneously, you might as well go home with your tail between your legs and present yourself to that Black Moon pony.”

Spark gritted his teeth and focused harder. “Present yourself to Black Moon.” The white glow around his horn grew brighter, his leg growing steadier as he concentrated. Present Equinivere to Black Moon. The magic around his horn pulsed, his entire body growing hotter beneath his armor. He squeezed his eyes shut as sweat dripped from his brow.

You presented her to Black Moon, Spark. You broke your promise.

His horn pulsed one last time, a second, brighter glow surrounding the first. The ground disappeared beneath him. The guilt was eating at his heart, the anger fuelling his magic and burning his horn. She belongs to him now and it’s all your fault.

A blunt object smacked him across the face suddenly and Spark lost his balance, tumbled to the ground and opened his eyes. The stones that he’d been levitating came crashing to the ground before him, glowing with flames.

He slowly turned to look at the village and covered his face with a hoof as he took in the damage he had caused. Several of the villagers’ shacks were now falling from midair; those that weren’t in the sky were on fire.

He peeked out from behind his hoof to look at Starswirl. The bearded pony was panting hard, his wooden staff hovering beside him in a sheath of blue magic.

“What the… How did… Spark, what was that?!”

“I, uh, got distracted,” Spark answered sheepishly. “Sorry…”

A large crowd of villagers was now storming towards the pair, shouting angrily over one another. Spark could hear demands for everything to be fixed, as well as demands for his head on a pike. Swallowing nervously, he crawled over to Starswirl and hid himself as best he could behind the elder pony’s starry blue cape.

“Spark, just keep your mouth shut and act apologetic,” Starswirl muttered over his shoulder, and then addressed the crowd. “Fillies and gentlecolts, I humbly beg for your forgiveness. Magic can be quite unpredictable at such a young age.”

Spark crept out from behind Starswirl and stared at the rabble. They were now murmuring amongst themselves, so the ancient pony continued his impromptu speech. “The damage is minimal, and I will gladly fix everything that was broken in the, uh, accident. I promise you, the worst is—”

At that unfortunate moment, there was a loud groan from behind them. Starswirl, Spark and the rest of the ponies looked up in time to see the water tower come tumbling to the ground.

Spark’s ears flattened against his head. Great. Surveying the damage, his eyes widened in horror as he realized that the town’s water tower—the village’s only source of fresh water in a 30-mile radius—had come crashing down on top of the hospital.

“Spark, you should probably crawl back to the shack as quickly as you can. I’ll be there shortly.” Starswirl turned back to face the now-advancing crowd, chuckled nervously, and then whispered back over his shoulder, “And start packing.”

You don’t have to tell me twice, Spark thought as he sprinted away.

Half an hour later, Spark was standing in the center of their shack, staring at his bags and marvelling at how all his worldly possessions occupied such a small space.

He’d fled the cave with only a knife, having lost the few things he’d wanted to bring along in the explosion. Now, along with the knife, he carried two sets of armor (he could practically hear Jasper telling him how tacky the armor looked and how useless it was for anything other than being in the sun), a set of magic-enhancing gemstones, and a small book called “Basics of Unicorn Magic”.

It was more than he’d ever owned in his life, but from what he’d seen of the villagers’ possessions, he was well aware that it was next to nothing.

The door swung open behind him, and he turned away from his bags to watch as Starswirl entered the shack. Sweat was dripping down his muzzle and he seemed older and wearier than usual, but there was a wry smile on his face as he shut the door behind him.

“A word of advice, colt: never tell an angry group of ponies that you’ll gladly remove every drop of spilt water after you’ve finished repairing their buildings,” he said, chuckling to himself. “Down on the ground with magnifying glasses they were! ‘Ah ha! You’ve missed a spot, you lazy, good-for-nothing…’” He trailed off and let out a long sigh. “But don’t you worry, Spark. The damage has been undone.”

Spark’s eyes filled with shameful tears, and suddenly he was very grateful that Starswirl was unable to see his expression through the armor. Although he was completely encased, the visor was further enchanted to allow him to see through it and breathe fresh air.

“Colt, the sun is going down. You can take off your armor now.”

The stitching along the armor’s neck, torso and legs glowed white and came undone, releasing Spark from his cage. He floated the pieces into his bag, attempting to hide his teary eyes from his mentor. But a moment later, Starswirl approached him and, lifting a hoof to his chin, made the younger unicorn turn to face him.

“You did nothing wrong, my boy. It was an accident. A mistake. And mistakes are the only way we learn,” he said kindly, dropping his hoof.

Spark sniffled and turned his gaze to the floor, tears dripping off his muzzle to pool beneath him. “I’m sorry, Starswirl.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, colt. In fact, I saw great potential in you before I had to whack you in the face with the staff,” Starswirl said with a laugh. Spark chuckled in spite of himself. “I didn’t mean to do it, but you didn’t react when I shook you, so I had no choice.”

Spark smiled slightly, pride beginning to fill the guilty void inside him. He looked back up at the bearded pony, who then added, “What was it that distracted you?”

Spark’s face dropped instantly and he looked back to the floor, fresh tears beginning to well up in his eyes as he explained, embarrassed, what he had been thinking about. “When you said that I might as well present myself to Black Moon, I started thinking of Equinivere and what he’s putting her through because of me…”

Starswirl nodded in understanding as Spark trailed off. “Emotion is a very powerful thing, colt. And you may be a thousand years old, but thanks to my spell, you’re barely an adolescent, which is when emotions are the most powerful. Even the tiniest bit of emotion can make a pony do things he otherwise might never do…” He trailed off and sighed.

At that moment, there was a thud against the wall of the shack, followed by more thuds and shouting.

“They’re throwing rocks at us!” Starswirl exclaimed crossly, shaking his head in disbelief. “I suppose that’s our cue to leave. Grab your things, boy. This place is far too small—not to mention uptight—for you to practice your magic here. We must travel to a place that is big enough to take you seriously.”

After a moment of deliberation, Spark took the armor he’d been wearing back out of his bags and slid the pieces back on, carefully stitching them back together. If I’m going to be walking, I might as well be getting used to this weight in the meantime. He floated his saddlebags onto his haunches, and then turned to face Starswirl, who was opening the door.

“Wait,” Spark called after him, hesitating in the middle of the shack. “Where are we going?”

“Why, the land of magic itself, of course,” Starswirl called back over his shoulder as he trotted into the starry night. “Great Breton!”

***

Jasper’s internal clock had ceased to tick long ago. Unable to see the outside world from the cage of his cavern, he had no idea how much time had passed since Flex had attacked him on their first day back together.

He passed the time wordlessly, keeping to himself as he napped and ate, hoping each time he closed his eyes that Flex wouldn’t kill him in his sleep and that Storm would be back when he opened them again. His body had mostly healed, but now and then he’d have a coughing fit that tasted like copper. Flex hadn’t attacked him since the first time, and Storm still had yet to return.

Jasper shut his eyes and the image of Flex smashing a hoof into his muzzle played on his eyelids. He had every right to try to kill me. I almost wish that Ghost and Dream hadn’t been there to prevent him from doing so…

The sound of shuffling made him open his eyes, and he saw Ghost on his hooves, facing the door. Jasper followed his gaze, and a moment later the door opened for the first time in nearly a year. This time there were no echoes of vicious laughter, just the faint sound of moaning as Nails threw a sack into the cavern.

“Took what we want from Sweet Flanks,” he said, scowling. “No fun now.”

As soon as he left, Jasper and his brothers were on their hooves, racing to the sack. Flex was the first to reach it, and he grabbed the fabric in his teeth, ripping a hole in it. They watched nervously as the fabric fell back to reveal Storm, and Dream stumbled backwards at the sight. Jasper’s own stomach churned as he stared in shock at what the shadow ponies had done to his only sister.

She was a mess of blood and dirty fur, moaning quietly as she lay on her side in the sack. Her once-wavy, shoulder-length mane was greasy and torn, and her scalp was visible in the places her hair had been ripped out; her tail was the same. Her coat was torn in multiple places, blood seeping from each cut and running together, nearly covering her from head to hoof.

Jasper moved to look at her back, and his jaw dropped as he noticed the two deep gashes that looked as though somepony had been trying to carve lightning bolts into her. Even her cutie mark, a heart bearing wings, had been slashed through. After a moment, Flex slowly reached out a hoof to her, running it gingerly across her cheek.

Her bloodcurdling scream pierced the silence of the cavern, echoing off the walls, making them all flinch in shock as Storm abruptly leapt to her hooves and sprinted to a rock on her mangled legs. She dove and cowered behind it.

The scream faded and Flex shot Jasper a look that said, “This is your fault.” Jasper glowered back at him but kept silent. Flex was right, after all, but at least Storm was alive. They all were, and that was the only thing that mattered right now. At least we all survived the ordeal.

All four brothers approached the rock slowly, careful to look as non-menacing as possible. The poor girl, Jasper thought sadly, watching her with pity. We may be her family, but all she can see is are shadow ponies surrounding her. He sighed and shook his head. And I cannot blame her for that. If anypony is at fault, it’s me.

They came to a stop a few steps from the rock and Flex continued carefully, moving beside Storm and wrapping a foreleg around her. “By the Sky Pony, Storm, what the buck did they do to you?” he murmured. She fought to escape his grasp, but he held her gently even as she screamed for a second time. He brought her to his chest and held her close as she bit at his forelegs and kicked at him.

They never managed to break her, Jasper realized with some relief. She fought the whole time.

After a few tense minutes, her voice cracked and she stopped screaming. Her jaw went slack around Flex’s foreleg and she went limp in his embrace.

“She passed out,” Flex said softly, more to himself than anypony else. Then he turned to Jasper and looked him in the eyes. “Jasper, I’m sorry. She’s alive. We’re all alive because of you.”

Jasper was taken aback, but simply nodded in response and looked away.

“Can ya help her?” Flex asked him after a pause.

“Of course,” he answered, trotting over to look over Storm’s unconscious body. “We must get her cleaned up first. Bring her to the flat rock. Dream and Ghost, kindly fetch some water and bandages. We need to do this while she is still unconscious.”

As Flex held her down against the rock, Jasper and Ghost sanitized her wings and legs. Dream’s insects were busy gathering what little water they could carry; the minerals would do a great deal to aid Storm’s healing.

Bracing her legs against the flat rock, Jasper snapped her bones back into place. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Flex wince at the sound. When it was over, Storm lay on the rock, wrapped head to hoof in bandages but much better off than she had been before.

They watched over her silently, and after a long while she began to wake up. Her eyes shot open, and then grew wider in fear as they leapt from pony to pony. Unable to move, she could only squeeze her eyes shut, tears soaking her bandages as she whimpered, “No, no, no, no, no…”

What have they done to you?

***

Storm had always had a much better sense of time than any of her brothers. It had been four months since she had been returned to her family, and she had spent every day of those four months huddling behind a rock in the cavern. One of her brothers would keep her company, sliding her moss and mushrooms from the other side of the rock, and she would hiss or swipe at them, more cat than pony.

They spoke to her from the other side of the rock, telling her about themselves and how they were feeling and what they’d been doing. Ghost wouldn’t speak, so Jasper had had to tell her about what he was doing: Ghost had resumed his training, he said, spending hours just trotting around the perimeter of the cavern on his hind legs, jumping around on his back hooves.

Jasper also told her that he’d been keeping himself busy by chipping bits of metal from the door, melting it with the magical energy of a broken crystal. He didn’t have enough for what he wanted to do yet, but he would eventually.

Dream told her that he was miserable due to his mangled wing. He couldn’t fly anymore and, without Surty, he had nothing to with which to occupy his time other than his insects, and they weren’t nearly as entertaining as his dragon.

Flex spent most of his time sitting quietly on the other side of the rock. When he wasn’t with her, he was waiting for his turn to keep her company. Ghost was quiet as well, but he didn’t give her the same feeling of safety and comfort as Flex.

While her brothers tried to sleep, Storm would be crying quietly to herself behind her rock. Four months had passed, and still she couldn’t shake the memories that haunted her every time the cavern fell silent and her eyelids shut out the light. And every time she started crying, somepony would reach out to comfort her, and she’d promptly push them away.

I’m not ready yet, she would think sadly as she’d whip her foreleg, trying to hurt them. She knew logically that this was her family, the ponies she’d been around for the last thousand years. She knew that they loved her and would never do anything to hurt her, but when she looked at them it was just so hard not to see the shadow ponies that had tried to break her.

Tonight was no different, and after a minute of crying, she heard one of her brothers rise to his hooves and make his way towards her, but then those hoofsteps stopped as another pony stood up and trotted slowly to her. She expected whoever it was to stop on the other side of the rock as always, but to her surprise she looked up through bleary eyes to see Ghost sitting on his haunches beside her.

She glared at him even though she knew he couldn’t see it, willing him to leave her alone, but he simply smiled softly at her and began to hum. It was the melody he’d made up centuries ago. He hasn’t sung this since we were barely a few decades old…

“Hmm hmm hmmmm, hmm hmmhmm hmmmhmm hmmhmmmm…”

As the sound of his humming filled the air, her glare softened and she tilted her head to look at the cavern behind her rock. Her gaze drifted over the rocks that lay at the edges of the cavern and the shapes of her brothers in the center of them, and then down at her own hooves.

“Hmmhmm hmm hmmmm…”

For the past four months, all she had been able to feel were those vicious eyes watching her in the dark, laughing at her as she cried alone, but now… Now she could feel something else, a bright light inside of her that resonated with Ghost’s melody. She let the memory of those eyes leave her, the melody taking its place as its light pushed the despair away.

“Hmm hmm hmm hmmmm…”

She had stopped crying, but now new tears sprung to her eyes as she started to quietly sing along with her brother.

“And you’ll see, my little starlight princess, after darkness comes the light.”

The song ended and Ghost moved closer to her. She pulled herself up to wrap her forelegs around him and nuzzle her face in his neck.

“Ghost, they d-did things to me,” she whispered between sobs. “They hurt me. They m-made me scream. They dug th-things into me…”

Ghost slid a foreleg over her shoulders and pulled her closer, resting his chin on her head.

“Ghost, they… they took turns with me. And they’re s-still laughing. Oh, by the Sky Pony, I can hear them laughing…” The words spilled out of her like vomit. A part of her was embarrassed to be discussing it with her brother, but she ignored that. This is catharsis. Let it out.

The black pony pulled back his leg and placed a hoof on her chin, tilting her head up to face his. He tapped his nose once.

“I know,” Storm bawled, “but I can hear them. T-that laugh, the way they’d b-burst out laughing every time they m-made me scream…”

Ghost tapped his hooves together before flicking the side of his neck.

“You’re right,” she said, sniffling as her tears slowed. “B-but what am I supposed to do now? What can I possibly do?”

Her brother smiled down at her and touched his right shoulder, tapped the rock with the side of his left hoof, and ran his right hoof down the center of his snout to let it rest on top of his heart.

Storm wrapped her brother in a tight hug, and he nuzzled her gently as she cried into his shoulder. “H-how do you always know the perfect thing to say?”

She lifted her head and watched as he lifted a hoof to the spot on his face where his right eye had been. Using both hooves, he gently lifted the corners of her mouth into a smile, and then hugged her tightly. She could hear the rest of her family approaching them, and for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel the need to hide.

Until she felt a hoof touch her back.

“No!” She wrenched away from Ghost’s embrace and backed away quickly from her brothers, her eyes wide as she stared at them. Ghost fell back against the rock, and the three ponies who had joined them looked at each other, embarrassed.

They’re your family, she reminded herself. You have nothing to be afraid of. They’re your light in the darkness, remember?

She hung her head and began to weep, motioning with her hooves for them to come to her. Instantly she found herself in the center of a group hug as her brothers surrounded her and held her tightly.

“Guys,” Storm said after her tears had subsided, “no stallion is ever going to touch me again without my permission.”

There was a beat of silence, and then Flex began to laugh. The other ponies gaped at him.

“What’s so funny?”

“You gonna start fillyfoolin’ now?”

Everypony laughed at that, and Storm was grateful for it. It had been such a long time since she had heard laughter that was not preceded by her own screams. For the briefest moment, the months of torture and entrapment melted away. For the first time in what felt like forever, they were a family again. The Shadow Six, together at last. Wait…

“Hey, Jasper, Spark is coming back for us, right?” Storm asked, suddenly serious. The idea of being a family again had come as a painful reminder that they were still missing one of their own.

For a second she could see a look of fear and doubt flash across Jasper’s face, but it was quickly replaced by a reassuring smile. “Yes, Storm. He promised, after all. He’ll return, and we shall all be running free in the moonlight soon enough.”

Who are you trying to reassure? she thought, but smiled back anyway.

A moment later they were all laughing and joking again, and as they fell asleep hours later with smiles on their faces, nestled together in a pile of wings and fur, the thought of Spark nagged at Storm, keeping her awake until she no longer had the strength to keep her eyes open.

***

“You’re a rotten old jackass!”

They’d been travelling to Gemstone, the capital of Great Breton, for eight entire months now, and Spark was certain that they would have been there seven months ago had Starswirl not stopped every few miles to teach him a new trick.

But despite his frustration, Spark had to admit that he was a lot stronger now. Balancing multiple objects while moving about with his armor on had become a simple trick. Today he had been levitating sand above himself in an effort to use his magic to shape it. That is, up until Starswirl had decided to pop his magic bubble right over Spark’s head.

Starswirl simply laughed at the younger pony. “It’s not my fault you weren’t fast enough to catch it. Why, when I was your age, I was already building mountains out of mud. You can barely hold sand!”

Spark grumbled, suddenly embarrassed. Shaping his magic had been more difficult than he’d expected. He lifted the sand again, managing to shape it into a flower before it burst in his face as his magic imploded with the effort. He tried again and again, until Starswirl prodded him with his wooden staff and raised an eyebrow.

“Come on, colt, that’s enough practice. Now try what I told you.”

Spark sighed under his hood and nodded, edging closer to the canyon beside them and peering into its depths. The canyon’s walls descended into pure darkness; he couldn’t even be sure there was a bottom to it. He gulped and tore his gaze away from the hypnotizing height to look across to the other side. There were sixty feet between him and the outer bank of the city across the canyon, and he needed to build a bridge to get there.

Not taking his eyes off the canyon, he concentrated on the sand around him. Lifting the sand carefully with his magic, he floated the shapeless lump to the crevice and stretched it out, forming a small, narrow bridge. Beaming, he turned to Starswirl.

“Hah! Do you really believe that little stick of sand will carry you across? You’d be tumbling into the canyon before your hoof even touched its surface.”

Spark frowned. He was right; there was no way it would hold any weight at all. Concentrating harder, he pulled more sand to the bridge, making it thicker and wider. He looked to Starswirl again with a smug smile on his face, which vanished when his mentor laughed again.

“If a bird landed on that thing, I’d have to rescue it!”

“B-but it’s thicker now! It could easily hold both of us,” Spark said indignantly.

Now it was Starswirl’s turn to smile smugly. “Then why don’t you take a step and prove me wrong?”

Spark studied the bridge and groaned. The old pony was right again. With a sigh, he shut his eyes, focusing hard on his magic. He felt it pulse in his horn as he reached his magic out to the ground beneath him, pulling at the earth. The dirt began to move, brushing around his armored hooves and spreading out on top of his bridge of sand. He opened his eyes, watching the dirt and sand as it flattened out, the bottom arching to give it support.

“For a minute there, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Starswirl said, marvelling at Spark’s creation. “Come on, Spark. I think you’ve earned a treat. I’ll take you to a restaurant.”

Spark grinned and followed Starswirl across the bridge. “Can we find someplace to lie down first? All that work made me kinda tired.”

“Sure, colt. It’ll be the first thing we do.”

As it turned out, it was not the first thing they did. Seeing a capital city for the first time had erased any trace of fatigue Spark had been feeling, replacing it with an excitement he’d never experienced before.

The first thing he noticed when they entered the market place was a store that had vegetables sitting outside on a stand, completely unguarded. He watched, bewildered, as unicorns simply strolled by it as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

Next to the vegetable stand was a store that had all sorts of strange clothing on display. They didn’t seem very comfortable to Spark, but their appearance was stunning. Jasper would love that place. And beside that store was–

Spark galloped as fast as he could down the street, coming to a halt in front of the store and pressing his armored snout to the window as he stared inside.

“Books! So many books!”

He ran back to Starswirl’s side and begged him for some bits, which Starswirl was happy to give him after Spark had pointed to the book store. With twenty bits in his saddlebag, he sprinted into the store. I’ve read that stupid “Basics of Unicorn Magic” book so many times I can practically recite it word for word!

The books on the shelves were massive, and he wandered the aisles slowly, gazing in awe at the rows upon rows of books. How am I supposed to choose just one? he thought with a frown, using his magic to pull several dozen books from the shelves at once so he could read their titles:

“The Magic of Mulch: The Earth Pony Guide to Farming”
“The Modern Arch: Building a Metropolis in the Modern Era”
“Rubies for Breakfast: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Raising a Dragon (But Were Afraid to Ask)”

Spark…

His magic imploded, sending the books tumbling to the floor. The shopkeeper coughed at him angrily, but Spark’s mind was elsewhere. Did something just call my name?

As though he was being led by his horn, he found himself trotting to the back of the shop. His horn lit up, bathing the shelves around him in a soft, white glow as one of the nearby books started to float over to Spark. It hovered before him and he lifted a hoof to dust off its cover.

“Secrets of the Shadows”

It was old, beaten up, torn in some places, and had a musty smell, but Spark knew this was the book he was meant to buy. Floating it beside him, he approached the shopkeeper, an older beige unicorn with a dark mustache who was staring at him with one raised eyebrow. “How much for this one?” he asked, floating it over to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper took it in his own magic and examined it, frowning as he did so. He shrugged and opened his mouth, and then shut it quickly as his gaze rested on something behind Spark. Spark turned to follow his gaze and realized sheepishly that the shopkeeper was staring at the books he had dropped earlier. “Forty bits,” the older unicorn said in a strange accent, scowling at Spark.

Spark frowned. He only had twenty bits, but this might be his only opportunity to get that book. Wait, isn’t this what Starswirl was telling me about a few days ago? Haggling?

“It’s an old book. It can’t be worth that much,” Spark argued. “I’ll give you… ten.”

The older unicorn sighed and rubbed his brow with a hoof. “Look, it is an old book, but it’s probably worth a lot more than what I offered it to you for. But if you want it that badly… thirty.”

“Twenty and I’ll put away every book I pulled out earlier.”

The shopkeeper looked from Spark in his armor to the pile of books behind him to the sunshine coming in through the window, and sighed again, looking weary. “Alright, alright. Just put the books away first.”

Fifteen minutes later, Spark left the shop, smiling as he felt the added weight of “Secrets of the Shadows” in his bag. He scanned the area and quickly found Starswirl at the vegetable stand, buying a jug that looked like it had some kind of liquid inside it. Spark trotted to his side.

“Did you find anything good, colt?” Starswirl asked, swirling the liquid around the jug.

“I think so. And I haggled him down from forty bits to twenty.”

“Good, but we’ll still have to work on your haggling.” Still? I got it for half price and that wasn’t enough? Spark shook his head in amused disbelief. Cheap mule… “In the meantime, there’s someplace very important that I need to take you. Are you going to be okay without rest or food for a while?”

Spark nodded, mentally trying to come up with a list of things that were more important than rest and food; he couldn’t think of anything. Starswirl trotted off, floating both the jug and his wooden staff at his side.

Starswirl led him through the city to its center, and Spark found himself in front of an enormous palace. His jaw dropped as it came into view, the sheer size of it unlike anything he’d ever seen.

The palace was grand and beautiful, and he stood stunned next to Starswirl as he took in the stained glass windows, the golden spirals that climbed the walls, and the bright green gems inlaid in the walls in mesmerizing designs.

After a few moments he realized that Starswirl had continued on without him, so he hurried to catch up with the old pony, his eyes glued to a spiral of green gems set in the white wall before him. As the pair approached the gate, they were halted by two unicorns in golden armor, each one levitating a spear.

“What is your business at the palace?”

Starswirl took a step forward and said, “I am Starswirl the Bearded. The armored colt beside me is my apprentice, Spark Shadow. We humbly request an audience with the court of Queen Emerald.”

The two guards glanced at each other with unreadable expressions, and then opened the gate with their combined magic. Inside the gate was a courtyard with a small legion of soldiers in training. As they trotted through the courtyard, Spark asked Starswirl where they were.

“This is the courtyard of the Royal Unicorn Palace,” he explained as Spark looked around. “And there are a lot more guards around the palace like the ones at the gate. Security is everywhere due to the Equine Alliance.”

Spark watched a row of unicorns as they practiced stabbing pony-dolls with their pointed sticks. He noticed that some of the dolls had wings and others didn’t, but none of them had horns. “What’s the Equine Alliance? And if they’re allied, why would they need security?”

Starswirl sighed. “Well, it’s an… uneasy alliance between the earth ponies, pegasus ponies and unicorns. You see, colt, the earth ponies grow all the food due to their unique relationship with the earth, the pegasi control the weather, and the unicorns use their magic to manage different things around the world.

“Together, the three races of ponies work together to ensure everypony’s survival, but there is much mistrust between them. There have been cases of rogue earth ponies and pegasi committing serious crimes against the other races, believing theirs to be superior.” He scowled at that, and then shrugged and looked down at Spark. “That’s the gist of it, anyway. I can explain more about it when we have the time.”

Spark nodded. Truth be told, he didn’t care too much for politics; what he was really curious about was the armor the guards wore. It was shiny and golden, and he wondered how strong it was. He smiled as he pictured Jasper stealing a set off a soldier’s back just to study the metalwork.

They came to a large door at the end of the courtyard where another guard stopped them and asked Starswirl what their business was in the palace. Once again, the bearded pony introduced himself and Spark, and the guard escorted them through the door and into the palace.

Spark’s jaw dropped as he entered the palace proper. He’d stepped into an immense room with numerous hallways leading away from it, each hall brightly lit and decorated floor-to-ceiling with paintings of regal-looking ponies. The room had pillars around its edge, and there was a pair of winding staircases in the middle of the room that led to a second floor. On the first floor, between the two staircases, was a large, golden door.

“This is the Grand Hall,” Starswirl whispered as they trotted towards the door. “Magnificent, isn’t it?”

As they approached, Spark noticed that a painting had been hung on it: a statuesque white unicorn with a crown and long, wavy green hair stood next to a much smaller unicorn filly, whose coat was also white and whose red hair tumbled down her shoulders from beneath a smaller golden crown. The older unicorn was smiling; the filly looked almost bored.

“Wait here, Professor,” the guard told them before disappearing through the door.

“’Professor’?” Spark asked, tearing his gaze from the painting to look at Starswirl.

“Spark, we only have a few moments, so listen close,” Starswirl replied in a hushed and hurried voice. “I visit here often and I hold a noble rank with the Queen. Now, unicorn custom requires us to do some things you might not like. So just follow my lead no matter what, keep your mouth shut unless you’re spoken to, and take off your hood.”

Spark opened his mouth to question him, but the elder pony shot him an exasperated look that said, “Just do as I say. Please?” So Spark took off his hood and floated it into his bag without a word. A moment later, the guard opened the door and nodded at them to enter.

This room was almost as enormous as the Grand Hall, but much narrower. Spark noticed with a start that the walls on either side of him were letting in the sunlight through large, colored windows, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that the light was not touching the red carpet that led down the center of the room.

He looked around; the walls were decorated with great tapestries that seemed to be telling the story of sun-praising unicorns. The red carpet before him led to a staircase nearly twice his height, at the top of which was a grand, golden chair. Sitting in the chair was the same white unicorn with the green hair that he had seen in the painting; beside her stood the filly.

Spark felt a nudge and looked up to see Starswirl trotting slowly towards the staircase. He followed the bearded pony, still marvelling at the grandeur of the room, and before long they came to a stop at the base of the stairs.

Spark tried to keep his eyes downcast, but he cast a furtive glance up at the Queen anyway, and then to the filly beside her. The filly noticed him looking at her and scowled down at him. She turned up her snout and scoffed quietly. Spark blushed and looked back down at his hooves.

“Professor Starswirl the Bearded, it is such a pleasure to see you again,” the Queen said in a prim accent.

Spark looked back up to see that the Queen had risen to her hooves and was now holding out a hoof, smiling expectantly at Starswirl. The old pony smiled back and climbed the stairs, using his wooden staff for support, and stopped before her. He planted a kiss on her hoof.

“Queen Emerald, the pleasure is all mine,” he said before turning his head to nod towards Spark. “I would like to introduce my apprentice, Spark Shadow. He has shown immeasurable potential for magic and I believe he would make a fine addition to Great Breton’s ranks.”

“If he has your approval, then it is a pleasure to meet him.” Queen Emerald smiled down at Spark and extended a hoof towards him as well. Starswirl nodded encouragingly and Spark climbed the stairs. Staring at the hoof, he hesitated. The thought of Black Moon came to his head and he suppressed a frown of disgust. Starswirl said to follow his lead, so just do it. Don’t think about it. One second and it’ll be over.

Spark kissed the hoof and repeated what his mentor had said: “The pleasure is mine, Queen Emerald.” He glanced up at the white unicorn filly as he said it. Her snout was still upraised. Spark fought the urge to roll his eyes.

“Such a gentlecolt! I see he has been paying attention to your teachings, Professor,” the Queen said warmly, and then turned her attention to the filly behind her. “Princess Ruby, that is not how we greet visitors to our court, now is it?”

Princess Ruby sighed in exasperation, but approached Spark anyway. She extended a hoof and said in a practiced manner, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Spark kissed her hoof as well, and the Princess lowered it quickly and took a step back towards her mother, glaring at Spark. Are all the royal fillies like her? Spark looked back up at the Queen, who was still smiling warmly, seemingly unaware of her daughter’s reluctance to have anything to do with the other unicorn.

Starswirl broke the silence. “Queen Emerald, I’m afraid I am in need of a favor from your court. If we may talk in private…?” He glanced at Spark apologetically.

“Why, certainly, Professor. Princess Ruby, kindly escort young Spark on a tour of the Royal Palace.”

“But mother!”

“Ruby,” the Queen said, her stern voice in contrast to her kind face, “these fine ponies are our guests. Take him to the back and show him the library. Please.”

Ruby groaned and motioned at Spark. “As you wish, mother. Please follow me, pony.” She trotted past him, and he followed her uncertainly down the steps, casting one last glance at Starswirl before following her around the back of the throne and into a much smaller room. Once inside, the doors closed and the Princess turned to look Spark up and down. “You are rather ugly, you know.”

“Wha—?”

“And that cloth you are wearing is tacky and repulsive.”

“Hey—!”

“And you smell horrid,” she continued, sniffing at him. He backed away quickly from her snout, glowering at her as she sighed. “But you will have to do. You are my new special coltfriend, pony. You will love me, pamper me and protect me. In return, I will take care of you and tend to your needs. Now come, we must get you to a bath.”

Spark watched in utter confusion as she turned away from him and towards another door. Jasper would be absolutely in love with her, he mused, following her out of the room.

“My name is Spark, Princess,” he said when he caught up to her. “And another thing–”

Princess Ruby cocked her head at him. “Yes, what is it?”

“What’s a bath?”

***

Every turn was precisely calculated. Every tuck of her wings increased her speed and kept her from colliding with the wall. And every lit crystal she passed was a checkpoint that reminded her just how slowly she was flying.

Faster, I need to be faster, because if I slow down they’ll catch me, and if they catch me, they’ll...

Storm shut her eyes and pumped her wings harder. She knew the walls of the cavern by heart now, knew how far the tip of her wing was to the rocks, and how much space she could climb before hitting the stalactites that hung from the ceiling. The perimeter of the cavern was approximately three quarters of a mile, and she could make a lap faster than she ever had before, but it still wasn’t fast enough.

The days had begun to blur together: wake up, eat, gather water from the cracks in the wall, wait for Spark to rescue them, fall asleep.

Jasper had finally chipped enough metal off the door to create a prosthetic wing cover for Dream. It was flimsy and Dream was still unable to fly, but it covered his bones and would help his wing heal. Ghost had become proficient at moving around using only his hind legs; when he wasn’t training, he was waiting by the door for the shadow ponies to return, ready to attack. Flex had taken it upon himself to help Storm with her training.

Jasper called out to her suddenly, his voice distant as she flew. “Storm, would you mind terribly slowing down just a tad? It’s become quite windy in here.”

If they chase me and I’m slow, they’ll catch me, but if I fly faster, they won’t catch me, because I’ll be faster than them. So I have to fly faster or else they’ll chase me and then they’ll catch me and they’ll do it again and again and again–

The pebble that struck the side of her head suddenly was just enough to snap her out of her thoughts, and her eyes flew open as she heard her brothers scream her name. Slowing down, she turned to look at them and watched as Jasper and Flex fell to the floor. Dream and Ghost had their forelegs clamped around large rocks.

Storm giggled and flew over to land beside Flex. “Um, what happened?”

“I think you just started a tornado,” Flex said with a grim smile as he rubbed the shoulder he had landed on.

“She tried to kill us is what she did!” Jasper groaned, scowling at Storm. He groaned again as he noticed the scattered remains of his work area, the tiny pieces of metal strewn across the cavern.

“Oops, sorry guys,” Storm said, putting on an apologetic face and stifling another giggle. I can’t believe I flew that fast!

At that moment, Ghost leapt to his hooves and growled, facing the door. The rest of them followed his gaze.

“Flex, remain with me,” Jasper ordered in a low, hurried voice. “Dream, please stay back. Storm, take cover.” Storm didn’t need to be told twice. She was already on her way to the back of the cavern to hide behind a protruding rock in the ceiling.

The door clanked open behind her as she dove behind the rock.

***

Two earth ponies trotted into the room and stopped just inside the doorway. Nails appeared from behind them and approached Jasper and Flex in the center of the room. Ghost was off to the side, still growling at the intruders. Dream had hidden himself behind a rock on the ground. Storm was hidden behind a rock in the ceiling at the back of the cavern.

Jasper glared at Nails as the pegasus dropped a small box at his hooves. His gaze turned to the box. He could feel its contents.

“Hello, friends,” giggled Nails. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, and then turned his gaze to the rock where Storm was hiding. He laughed harder. “Hello again, Sweet Flanks.”

“What do you want, Nails?” Jasper had gone back to glaring at him.

“Master wants to talk to Jasper pony.”

“You may tell your master that he can sit on a pointy rock,” Jasper growled.

“Now, now, Jasper Shadow. At least your brother had the decency to insult me to my face. That is, until he abandoned all of us.” The voice came from just beyond the door, mocking and acidic. It made Jasper’s stomach turn, but he showed no sign of his disgust as Black Moon stepped into the cavern. “Hello, Jasper.”

The alicorn spread his wings and flew to where Storm was hiding. “Hello, Storm,” he said with a chuckle. Jasper could hear Storm whimpering as Black Moon flew around the cavern for a minute, enjoying the opportunity to stretch his wings.

“Well, far be it from me to break family tradition,” called Jasper dramatically as he watched the Shadow King fly. “Why don’t you go sit on a pointy rock?”

“Jasper, I’ve come to talk with you in private,” said Black Moon, ignoring the question as he landed a few feet from the other ponies and took his time trotting over to them. “I was hoping we could reach an…” He paused and stopped before Jasper, the corners of his mouth curled up in something resembling a friendly smile. “…agreement,” he finished, kicking the box at Jasper’s hooves. “I come bearing gifts. This one is free. Walk with me and there will be better ones for you and your family.”

Jasper looked down at the contents that had spilled out of the box. Four pounds of iron carbonite. That is more than enough to fix Dream’s wing. He shook his head and looked away. “What could you possibly have that we would want?”

Black Moon clenched his teeth and whistled; from outside the door, Jasper heard a pony snort and kick at something.

“Awwwwwuuuuurrrrr!”

Dream shot forward from his hiding place. “Surty! Give him back!” Flex restrained his pegasus brother from bolting out the door. Dream whined as he flapped his wings uselessly.

“You heard your brother, Jasper,” said Black Moon, stretching a wing towards the door. “Are you really going to deny him his pet?”

Jasper looked at Dream. His brother was staring into his eyes, silently pleading with him. “Fine,” he said, his gaze lingering on Dream’s. “I shall come with you. Give us the dragon first.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Nails?”

Nails trotted out the door, returning a moment later with Surty, his teeth wrapped around its neck. He dropped it in front of Dream, who fell to his haunches and scooped up the baby dragon, his eyes brimming with tears.

Black Moon looked at Jasper and tilted his head towards the door. “Shall we?”

The alicorn trotted out the door, followed closely by Jasper and the two earth ponies. Jasper glanced back to see Nails laugh one last time, his head facing Storm’s hiding spot. As soon as Nails was out the door, it slammed shut behind them. The group made their way out of the pit and headed for the opening of the cave.

“I see you made your brother a brace for his wing. I apologize for that, by the way. I never meant for things to get that serious.” Jasper blinked at Black Moon. His usual mocking tone was uncharacteristically absent from his voice. “But your fellow ponies had so much anger that needed releasing. You did all intend to abandon us, after all.”

Black Moon glanced down at Jasper and he looked to his hooves in sudden shame. “And one of you managed to succeed,” Black Moon continued. “I suppose your plan was to leave and never return, even if only one of you escaped.”

Jasper continued to look at his hooves, once again feeling foalish for ever having believed in Spark’s plan.

The rest of the journey was made in silence, and after a few more turns, they arrived at the cave entrance. Jasper squinted at the brightness; it had been nearly a year since he had seen the sunshine. Through his half-blinded vision he could make out the familiar shapes of ponies preparing to carry out another one of the Shadow King’s escape plans. They seemed to be wearing some kind of crude armor.

His eyes adjusted to the light and he realized what they were wearing. Rocks. He looked outside and noticed a few rocks lying in the sunlight.

“I see you remember those,” Black Moon said, having followed Jasper’s gaze. “Tell me, do you think the plan would have worked?”

Jasper thought about it and shook his head. He turned to look at Black Moon, whose eyes were still fixed on the rock armor outside. “No,” he said, feeling defeated. “Spark was becoming desperate and he was willing to risk it all on... rocks.”

“So he was desperate and greedy,” Black Moon said, cocking his head. “He must have had no trouble at all getting all of you wrapped up in his scheme.” Jasper frowned. He’s right, he thought, glancing at the sky. Spark is my brother, but Black Moon is right.

There was a brief silence. Black Moon’s eyes were still on the rocks outside, and without shifting his gaze, he spoke. “Every day for the past year, I’ve been staring at that armor you made. Every day I’ve been staring at my own failure out there in the sun. Those rocks have been mocking me, telling me that I simply don’t have whatever it is that you and your family have; those talents that make you each so special.”

He seemed to be talking more to himself than to Jasper. After a long moment, he broke his gaze from the rocks and turned away. “Come. This isn’t where I wanted to bring you.”

The pair continued in silence; Nails and the other ponies had stayed behind at the entrance. As they passed the pit, Jasper noticed the guards protecting the hole and the door at the bottom. It was as if Black Moon had placed an entire legion of unicorns outside their door. Each guard grinned wickedly at Jasper as he trotted by.

A few minutes later, they found themselves at the back end of the cave. It was dark and musty, and Jasper coughed as he inhaled the dust that had been floating around the cave for millennia. So this is the slave area, he thought as they passed sickly-looking ponies with their hooves in the walls, occasionally pulling away to drop small nuggets of ore into piles that lined the walkway.

“We are not going to become your slaves, Black Moon,” Jasper murmured, frowning at the malnourished ponies. “So if that is the reason you brought me here, then you have wasted both of our time.”

Black Moon raised an eyebrow at this and chuckled, his familiar mocking tone suddenly present in his voice. “’Wasted your time’? Aside from chipping away at that door, what else could you have been doing that would qualify this as wasted time?” As soon as it had appeared, the mocking tone vanished. “No, I have no intention of turning you or your family into slaves.”

Jasper breathed a sigh of relief and Black Moon continued. “Like I’ve told you before, you’re all much too valuable to me for your talents to be wasted on common slave work, and I can’t trust you enough to let you outside. No, Jasper, I have something even better in store for you.”

After another half-hour of walking through the dark cave, Jasper began to feel something in his horn. His eyes went wide at the sensation; it was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. Black Moon smiled at him as they came to a door.

“I see you’ve noticed the treasures we keep back here,” the alicorn said, tilting his head towards the door. “Would you like to take a look?”

Jasper pushed the door open slowly, and his jaw dropped at what he saw. Piles of iron, nickel, lead, copper, gold and silver were arranged neatly around the room, as well as other minerals he didn’t know the names of.

“I need you, Jasper Shadow. Your gift with metal is far greater than anypony else’s in the cave, and I’m willing to work out a deal for your cooperation.”

Jasper stared at the metals, unable to take his eyes off of them. Look how they shine, even in the dark! Look at the colors! Look how much there is! How have I never felt this before? His mind raced as his eyes shot from pile to pile. If Black Moon had asked me ten minutes ago if I wanted to help him, I would have said no, but this… By the Sky Pony, this changes everything!

“Make armor for me and my shadow ponies. In exchange, we will take the locks off your door. You and your family will bear my seal and any who touch you will face immediate death.” Black Moon moved closer to Jasper and bent low, their faces nearly touching. “Make my ponies resistant to the sun. Make them a fighting force that will crush anything that opposes us when we finally leave this wretched cave.”

Black Moon put a hoof to Jasper’s cheek, gently turning his head to face his own. Lime green eyes stared into bright red ones as Black Moon whispered, “Use your talents to make us invincible.”

“Ye—”

Jasper’s assent was interrupted by the clinking of chains from across the room. His eyes followed the sound and fell on a pony who was chained to the wall. Their legs were bound together, their neck was tied to prevent movement, and they had something around their muzzle to prevent them from speaking.

His heart skipped a beat as he realized who it was.

Equinivere.

“What is she doing here?” Jasper demanded, rounding on Black Moon, who had straightened up. “What have you done to her?”

“She refused to be a slave, Jasper. Normally, the punishment would be to throw her out into the sunlight or simply kill her,” he explained in an even voice as he stared at the shaking mare. “But this one is far too special to me.” He turned back to Jasper and his lips curled in that familiar corruption of a smile. “If you choose to work for me, consider her your model and my first test subject.”

Jasper opened his mouth to object, but stopped as he realized what was happening. Here I am, being offered full safety and freedom for my family, he thought, anger rising in his chest, and yet again, this mare is in my way.

Black Moon’s smile faded as he leaned down close to Jasper, once again using a hoof to force the unicorn to look into his eyes. “You will work for me. You will build me an armory using every piece of metal in this cave. You will free your family and you will stand by my side as this world bows to my hooves. And you will not let this mare stand in your way. Do you understand me?”

Black Moon straightened up again after a moment and Jasper sighed. He looked up at the alicorn who stood before him, his black wings spread, his hoof extended towards him.

A true king of the damned, Jasper thought as he bowed and kissed the hoof of his King.

“Good Shadow.”

***

It had been a good day as far as Starswirl was concerned. He’d spent the past two hours talking with Queen Emerald over a jug of freshly-squeezed apple cider, and together they had set up everything that was needed for Spark. The Queen is so much fun when she’s drunk, Starswirl thought as he stumbled through the hallways.

Queen Emerald had sent a servant to find Ruby and Spark, so Starswirl was more than surprised to find his young student sitting in the main hall at the base of one of the staircases, wearing full armor.

“Spark, how long have you been waiting for me?” The colt didn’t answer. “And why are you wearing all your armor? The sun has nearly set. Take off your hood.”

Spark merely sat silently, slouching closer to the ground. Starswirl frowned and used his own magic to remove the hood and place it on the floor beside his apprentice. Spark’s eyes were wide open and staring at the floor, and his ears were flattened against his purple mane. Starswirl raised an eyebrow.

“Colt, what are you…” He paused and sniffed the air. “Why do you smell like wildflowers?” Spark simply lowered his head further, and Starswirl’s eyes went wide with the realization. “Did Princess Ruby give you a bath?” His apprentice nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the immaculate marble floor. Starswirl chuckled. “Well, you don’t smell like a corpse in the desert anymore. So what’s wrong?”

Spark lifted his head to look at Starswirl. He was blushing. “Um, Ruby and her servant…” He shifted his legs, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “They were very… thorough.”

Starswirl burst into laughter, not sober enough to hold back. Spark held his head in his hooves in embarrassment as his mentor fell to the floor, clutching his stomach and howling with laughter. A few of the guards approached them, causing Spark to sink even lower to the floor, hiding his face in shame.

After a few minutes, the laughter had mostly subsided and Starswirl returned to his hooves, still chuckling softly. “Well, at least now I can take you out in public and not have ponies run away in disgust. I promised you a trip to a restaurant, didn’t I?”

“Fine. Whatever. Can we just go now, please?” Spark mumbled, his hooves muffling his voice.

“Don’t you want to say goodbye to your fillyfriend?”

Spark took off at that, bolting towards the courtyard, his cheeks bright red. Starswirl followed at a leisurely pace, still chuckling to himself.

The sun had set by the time they arrived at the restaurant, so Spark had taken off his armor. His eyes were still wide and his ears were still flush against his mane.

“So, Spark,” Starswirl began after their food had arrived, “why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“Um, well,” Spark said, his cheeks beginning to flush yet again. “First she said I smelled ‘horrid’ and that I needed a bath. So she took me to this room with a tub and told me to take off my clothes while she filled the tub with water. Then, while the water was running, she left the room and came back a minute later with another mare, and they made me get in the tub.”

Spark shook his head softly and closed his eyes as though reliving a terrible memory. “So they started scrubbing my back with a sponge and some soap, but when my back was done, Ruby started bringing her sponge lower… and lower…” He trailed off, opening his eyes and blushing harder.

Starswirl chuckled again. Fillies these days. If Princess Ruby was being that forward, she must really like Spark. He began to wonder if Spark had ever had a bath in the cave. For that matter, he wondered if any of those ponies had ever felt truly clean.

“Um, Starswirl,” Spark started to ask, prompting the wizard to look up from his mug of coffee, “is it wrong that I, uh, liked it a little?”

***

A few moments later, Starswirl put the sopping wet napkin down, chuckling once more at Spark. “Well, now we know how far I can spit coffee. But no, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Spark calmed down at that, his ears returning to their normal state and his blush fading from his cheeks. He looked down at his plate of fresh vegetables and began to play with the carrots.

All of a sudden, there was complete and utter silence.

The restaurant had been noisy with conversation, but now it was totally silent. Spark could hear every pony’s breathing, and he looked up from his plate to see what the matter was. To his surprise, every pony in the restaurant had stopped what they were doing and were now facing the same direction with their eyes shut. He looked outside and noticed that the unicorns on the street were doing the same thing. Everypony’s horn was glowing.

“Starswirl, what’s going on?” he whispered, suddenly frightened. “Why did everypony just stop?”

Starswirl smiled down at his apprentice and shook his head. “Shh. Look to the east and concentrate your magic on the sky.”

Spark frowned, but did as he was told. He faced the east and shut his eyes, focusing his magic on the starry void.

Thank you for waking me up…

Spark’s eyes snapped open and he watched as the moon broke the horizon and began to rise through the dark sky. He turned to Starswirl, his eyes wide with amazement. “Did… did the moon just thank me? What just happened?” He looked around; the restaurant-goers had resumed their conversations as though nothing had happened.

“Yes,” said Starswirl nonchalantly, taking a bite of his daisy sandwich. “The moon has always been kind. The sun, on the other hoof, usually demands more focus.”

“But… what happened?” Spark managed to sputter, thoroughly confused.

“Spark, remember when I told you earlier about the Equine Alliance?” Starswirl asked between bites. Spark nodded. “Well, I left out what the unicorns did exactly because I wanted to show you by example. What just happened was that the unicorns of Great Breton all joined their magic, and Queen Emerald used that magic to set the sun and raise the moon, completing the cycle.”

Spark touched his horn with a hoof and grinned in understanding. “So the purpose of the unicorn race is to raise the sun and moon?”

“That is a very simple way to put it, yes. But the true nature of our power comes from balance. Unicorns bring harmony to the world, you see. The grass and food that grow on the plains, the water that flows through the rivers, the animals that live off the land,” Starswirl said, beaming at Spark with sudden pride, “all life revolves around harmony, and the magic of the unicorns ensures that the balance is always kept.”

“So by raising the sun and the moon, we maintain the harmony of the world?”

“Again, there is more to harmony than the raising and the setting of the sun and moon. All three races work together to maintain harmony.”

Spark nodded, and silence fell upon the pair as they continued to eat. Then Spark remembered something, and without looking up from his vegetables, asked, “So then how come every unicorn added their magic except you?”

There was a pregnant pause, and Spark looked up at Starswirl. The old pony had an unreadable expression on his face, and he quickly hid it with the daisy sandwich. “Well, let’s just say,” he began, taking a bite out of it, “that I have too much magic in me. I have no power to speak to the moon, the sun, or the stars.”

Spark still didn’t understand, but he felt like he had learned enough already, and he was tired. “Starswirl, where are we going tonight? I could use that rest now.”

Starswirl finished the sandwich, saying as he chewed, “We’re going back to the palace. I have a room set up for us. And tomorrow you’re to start your first day of school.”

“’School’?”

“Yes, school. Queen Emerald has been gracious enough to allow you to join Princess Ruby for basic magic lessons. There’s a lot I have left to teach you, colt, but you’ll need a basic understanding of magic and its practical uses before I can really start. Plus, it would benefit you greatly if you had other ponies to train with.”

Spark sank into his cushion, the blush returning to his cheeks. “So I’m going to be spending all day with… her?”

“Spark, you have nothing to fear from her. She’s just a filly, after all.”

The young unicorn groaned and sank deeper into his chair, blushing furiously as he recalled the sponge travelling lower, lower, lower—

Oh, I have plenty to fear.

Chapter III - Promises

Aetiology

Chapter III

Promises

“The will of the shadow is neither to defend nor to attack, but to obey. It follows endlessly, mimicking every command from its master with utmost precision. But it behooves the master to use caution, for the shadow will only follow while in the light. Should the master wander into the darkness, the shadow will join the collective brotherhood to rid itself of its host, for a shadow is an entity of darkness that calls nopony its master.”

– Secrets of the Shadows, Introduction

***

“Yeah, I could definitely get used to this.”

The metal armor covering Spark’s coat melted and disappeared beneath his skin. With a second pulse of his magic, the metal oozed out of his pores to spread itself out over his coat. The armor covered him head to hoof, protecting every inch of his body.

“Impressive,” Ruby remarked, circling him as he made the metal rise and sink over again. “Professor Starswirl has truly outdone himself this time.”

“No kidding. No more struggling to get in and out of this—what’s it made from again?”

“The royal blacksmith told me that it is forged of steel and dragonscales. Much better than that tacky iron weave armor you insisted on wearing for four years, is it not?”

Spark shot her a look. “We’ve had this conversation at least a dozen times since you had this made for me last year, Ruby. But yeah, it is pretty awesome. I look a lot cooler in black.” But I bet I’d look a lot cooler without the golden unicorns of Great Breton on my flanks… Spark added mentally, rolling his eyes beneath his armor.

“Yes, Spark, this is simply marvelous. You know, there is something just so desirable about a stallion of such mystery.” She stopped and batted her eyelashes at him. He allowed the armor to sink into his coat before blinking at her in response.

Ruby pouted as her eyes fell on the knife at his side. “I do wish you would rid yourself of that horrid artifact. It clashes horribly with my family’s emblem.”

Spark lifted the knife from its holster with his magic and turned it over before his eyes. His reflection on the blade frowned back at him. “Like I keep saying, Ruby: you’ll have to rip it from my cold, dead hooves.”

Before she could retaliate, Starswirl trotted past and interrupted their argument. “Don’t you two have a test to be taking this morning?”

“Yes, Professor Starswirl,” they replied in unison. Spark sheathed his knife and turned to follow him, but he was already gone.

“Come along,” muttered Ruby, and the pair hurried down the halls together. After a minute, she slowed her pace to a trot and gave him a worried look. “I am not so sure that I am ready for this.”

“We’ve been studying transmutation for six months already, Ruby. And I’ve been helping you study for weeks. You’re going to pass.”

“But what if I fail? What if I cannot turn the item into a tree, or what if the tree does not bear fruit? If I fail this exam, then I will never be truly considered as royalty! I will be the laughing stock of Great Breton,” she wailed, stopping in her tracks. “Oh, Spark, hold me.”

Spark sighed and wrapped a foreleg around her as he stroked her mane. “Stop worrying so much, Ruby. You’re going to pass.”

“Oh, but you don’t know what it is like, Spark. You’ve practically mastered just about everything, and here I am worrying about turning something into a tree.”

I guess that’s sorta true, Spark mused, thinking back on his education. In only five years I’ve just about mastered teleportation, levitation, transmogrification, and basic transmutation. But I’m still worried about this... “There, there,” he said lamely. “Now come on; they’re not going to wait for us long.”

Ruby sighed and pulled away, looking only slightly mollified. “Oh, alright. Thank you, Spark.”

They continued in silence through the hallway. When they were nearly at the Grand Hall, Spark heard a familiar shrill voice that made him stop in his tracks and grit his teeth. Ruby swiveled to look at him and sighed. “They are in our class, Spark. You cannot tell me that you did not expect them to be here.”

“I was hoping they’d die before the exam, actually,” he replied with a wink.

“Now, now, don’t let the lord and lady of the western kingdom hear you speak ill of their children,” Ruby said with a mock-stern expression, “or we may never be allowed the privilege of seeing the Bluebloods again!”

“What a tragedy that would be.”

She giggled and they continued into the Grand Hall. Spark noted with relief that the sunlight had not yet stretched itself across the room. In the center of the hall stood two ponies with gleaming white coats, perfectly-styled blond manes, and twinkling blue eyes. Spark scowled at the pair as grins broke out across their faces.

“Why, Crissy,” said Regal Blueblood, “it appears they’ve decided to join us after all.”

“And here I thought little Ruby would have delayed them by demanding kisses from her little coltfriend. Or that little Spark would have dragged her into a broom closet to have his way with her,” his twin sister, Crystal, replied. “I hear that is a very romantic gesture for a pony of his class,” she added in a mock whisper.

“First off, she’s Princess Ruby to you idiots. Second, I couldn’t have dragged her into the broom closet even if I had wanted to. With all the inbreeding in your family, there are more Blueblood foals being stuffed in those closets than brooms. And who knows what goes on in your shared room once you’ve locked the door.” Spark smirked, quite pleased with himself.

But Regal and Crystal merely laughed in response. “Look, Reggie! Look how it speaks to us as though it thinks it’s worth listening to!”

“Oh, Crissy, don’t you wish that that inferior pony would learn its place and go back to the street where it belongs?”

I wonder how hard it would be to levitate their teeth through the back of their skulls…

Spark’s thought was interrupted by the sound of the throne room door opening. Professor Elixir, a plump, mint green unicorn, trotted into the Grand Hall with a clipboard hovering at her side. “Princess Ruby, please follow me,” she said primly before returning to the throne room.

Ruby cast a nervous glance at Spark. He smiled warmly and touched her shoulder. “Good luck, Ruby. I know you can do it.”

“Thank you, Spark,” she replied, returning his smile before following the professor into the throne room. The golden door swung shut behind her.

“Crissy, dearest, do you think they’ll let her retake the test after she fails?” Regal asked loudly after the door had shut. “It would be such a shame if the Princess herself were to be cast out of the Royal Palace for possessing no talent whatsoever.”

“I certainly hope so, Reggie; after all, she’s no good at anything else. Why, if they don’t, she would be forced to sell her body on the street for bits!” Crystal smirked at Spark. “I do hope you’ve been helping her practice for her inevitable career.”

Spark simply glared, knowing full well that any retort he came up with would only lead to them mocking him even more. Did the royal family know how annoying these two were when they took them on as their honorary niece and nephew?

“Oh, what am I saying? Of course you haven’t,” she said suddenly. Spark raised an eyebrow, waiting for the punchline. “You don’t have any bits!”

Maybe it’d be easier to start with one tooth…

His thought was once again interrupted by the door swinging open to reveal a beaming Ruby. A bright red apple floated next to her; she took a bite out of it and giggled.

“You did it!” Spark called happily, rushing to meet her. She finished chewing the piece of apple and gave him a hug.

“You must be so happy, Spark,” said Regal from behind them. “This means you’ll have more time to save up your bits.”

Spark ignored them and smiled at Ruby, brushing her red mane out of her eyes. He could see the heat rushing to her cheeks as she leaned in closer to him and closed her eyes.

“Spark Shadow, please follow me,” called Professor Elixir from the doorway, prompting Ruby to open her eyes and scowl.

“My turn,” Spark said, turning towards the throne room. “Don’t listen to those two, okay? Just wait here while I ace this thing.” They both cast a scornful glance at the Blueblood twins before Spark followed the professor through the door.

***

“Oh, Ruby, congratulations!” Ruby started and turned her head sharply to see a smirking blonde filly at her side. “We’re just so happy for you! Aren’t we, Reggie?”

“Of course we are.” Ruby swiveled her head to see Regal at her other side. Why is it that these two cannot leave me alone? she thought as he gave her a sideways glance. “After all, a princess who fails her exams can never be considered a true princess.”

“Likewise, a princess who cannot find a suitable husband will never amount to very much at all,” added Crystal in a knowing voice.

“I suppose Spark could be considered suitable if little Ruby is incapable of finding anypony better,” Regal mused with a small frown. “Such a shame that he can’t seem to take the hint, though, isn’t it?”

Ruby stared at her hooves, shuffling uncomfortably. If it is so obvious to these brainless buffoons, why can’t Spark see it as well? “Spark just has a lot of things on his mind, that’s all,” she murmured. “He does care for me.”

Like vultures preparing to go in for the kill, the twins circled her slowly as she kept her eyes to the ground. “A colt like Spark only has two things on his mind,” Crystal said slowly, as though explaining it to a foal. “Those two things are violence and fillies. But it’s no wonder he isn’t interested in you; look at that mess you call a mane! And the circles around your eyes—tell me, Ruby, do you use any makeup at all?”

At that moment, Ruby wished that she could teleport away like Spark could, but all she could do was stare silently at her hooves and pray that they would leave her alone.

“You know, I always carry my makeup with me. I’m sure that by the time Spark finishes his exam, we can have you looking like the beautiful princess of his dreams.”

Ruby’s ears swiveled to attention. She looked up to see Crystal’s smiling face. Perhaps I could trust her just this once? “Alright,” she said, and then narrowed her eyes as she added sternly, “but no tricks!”

Crystal’s smile shifted into a smirk. “I would never dream of it, Your Highness.”

***

Spark was staring at the tree so hard that he thought his eyes would fall out of their sockets. His horn ached as he stretched his magic around every cell of the tree, trying desperately to make it bear fruit. His labored breathing and sweating forehead stood testament to the effort he was making, but…

“Spark Shadow, I’m afraid your time is up.” Professor Elixir let out an exasperated sigh from the edge of the throne room. Spark’s gaze remained on the tree as he struggled to cast the spell. “You will not be receiving a passing grade for this test.”

“Please, Professor Elixir, I can do it! Just one more minute and—”

“Spark, your time is up,” called Starswirl, who was standing beside his colleague. Spark sighed and released the tree from his magic grip before swiping the sweat from his forehead. “Now, why do you think the tree didn’t bear fruit?”

Spark squeezed his eyes shut. I can turn an object into an apple. I can turn an object into a tree. So why can’t I turn something into a tree that can make apples? Why can I master everything but harmonious magic?

“I couldn’t combine the spells,” he said slowly, searching for the words to explain. “The processes just didn’t… function together. It’s like harmonious magic is the only thing I can’t do.”

“Very well, Spark Shadow,” Professor Elixir said sharply as she scribbled something onto her clipboard. “Please return to the Grand Hall.”

Wishing he could disappear into the floor, Spark hung his head and trotted towards the golden door. “Doesn’t matter anyway,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m not royalty; Ruby is. And she passed her test. That’s all that matters.” He pushed open the door and stepped into the Grand Hall. “Hey Ruby, let’s get out of—”

“Let me go! Get off of me!”

Spark’s head snapped upwards and his eyes went wide. Regal was holding Ruby down by her shoulders as Crystal smeared something bright red all over the Princess’s face. Ruby whimpered and struggled against Regal’s grip, but the twins simply laughed at her attempt to escape.

“Let her go, Regal!” Spark yelled from across the room. The white lightning bolt on his flanks began to pulse. One bolt of lightning and they will be dealt with, Spark, his own voice whispered in his mind. It would be so quick and easy.

“Oh, there you are, Spark,” Regal laughed, looking up from the whimpering Ruby. “Would you like to see Crissy’s latest masterpiece?”

“Why, this? You’re too kind, Reggie, but I’m afraid that it was all too easy to make little Ruby seem pretty. Anything is an improvement over nothing, after all,” Crystal added with a malicious giggle.

“Regal, let her go, or…” The pulsing in Spark’s flanks grew in intensity, as though something were pounding at his cutie marks with a hammer. They’re hurting Ruby, Spark, the voice hissed in his mind. They’re monsters. “…Or I’ll kill you.”

Regal blinked and released Ruby from his grip. “Crissy, did this lowly colt really just have the audacity to threaten his superior?” He narrowed his eyes at Spark and trotted slowly towards him. “What do you think your little threat will accomplish, street rat? Do you think it will magically turn you into royalty?” he spat as he advanced. “No, little Spark, you are nothing but a prole who happened to impress an old, confused wizard.”

They deserve to die, Spark, whispered the voice in his head.

“She’s a princess, Spark. She belongs with us,” Regal hissed as he stopped before Spark, their muzzles nearly touching. He lifted his hoof and pressed it to Spark’s chest. “You belong outside.”

Kill him, Spark.

Spark’s eyes twitched painfully, and Regal’s eyes shot open in sudden terror as Spark’s pupils stretched into dragon-like slits. Black magic gripped Regal’s throat in a sheath of pure, shimmering darkness, and he stumbled as Spark started to shove him backwards across the Grand Hall.

The white lightning bolt on Spark’s flanks pulsed again and black clouds shimmered into existence beside him, crackling with electricity that licked at Regal’s coat and scorched the white marble floor beneath them. When Spark opened his mouth to speak, the voice that escaped his throat was not entirely his own.

“You will never touch her again. You will never speak to her, or of her, again,” he boomed, his eyes burning in their sockets. “I will flay the skin from your bones. I will burn the mane from your head. I will bask in your screams as your world becomes pain.” Regal stopped stumbling backwards as his rump collided with the wall. His mouth was open as if to scream, but no sound came from his strangled throat as the lightning crept ever closer. “Your misery shall be my joy.”

“SPARK SHADOW!” screamed a mare from across the room.

Spark’s magic imploded, releasing Regal’s throat and causing the black clouds to dissolve into thin air. He clenched his eyes shut as they pulsed once more and his pupils returned to normal. When he opened his eyes again, he was met with Regal’s terrified face. He glanced over his shoulder to see Professor Elixir galloping towards him. Her mouth moved and her face was contorted in fury, but whatever she was shouting he did not hear.

He was staring at Ruby. Her eyes were full of unbridled fear; her mouth, smeared with red, hung open in utter disbelief. Crystal lay beside her on the floor, her forelegs wrapped protectively over her head as she trembled. Spark looked back up to see Starswirl the Bearded staring at him from the golden doorway.

In a flash of white magic, Spark teleported away.

***

“Five feet, then ten feet, then back to five feet,” Jasper instructed, gesturing to the air with a hoof. “And lastly, up to the ceiling.”

Dream nodded and flapped his wings, lifting off of the cavern floor. He hovered at five feet, pushed himself to ten feet, and then lowered himself back to five. With a deep breath he pumped his wings once and rose to the ceiling. His triumphant smile had barely finished stretching itself across his face when it contorted in pain and he plummeted to the ground.

“I take it that it works?” Jasper asked with a wry smile as he carefully removed the metal prosthetic from his brother’s wing. Dream chuckled in response. It isn’t quite perfect yet, but at least he can finally fly again... “What happened when you rose to the ceiling?”

“Part of the wing froze when I tried to pump it harder,” Dream explained with a small frown that quickly turned into a wide grin. “But this one is so much better than the last ones, Jasper.”

Jasper hovered the prosthetic before his eyes, bending it gently to see what the problem was. “Not to worry; I can fix this easily. Could you ask Surty to help me again?”

“No problem, brother,” Dream said, rising to his hooves. “Come here, Surty!” he called, looking around the cavern for his baby dragon. “Daddy needs you to do your special trick again.”

Jasper moved to the flat rock that served as his workbench and laid the metal wing on top of it. After removing a small pin from the faulty joint, he glanced up at the wall beside him and picked up the clamp that hung there. I truly despise working for Black Moon, but I must admit that having enough ore to craft my tools has been absolutely wonderful, he mused as he clamped the pin.

He floated the clamp to the hole in the wall that had once held their hidden chest. Surty was already there, awaiting Dream’s instructions. “Okay, Surty,” Dream said, trotting over to stand beside Jasper, “do your trick for daddy.”

Surty reared back and coughed before thrusting his head forward and spitting fire at the clamped pin. After a few moments, Jasper removed the clamp as Surty’s firebreathing ended in a smoky coughing fit. Dream trotted over and hugged the baby dragon, murmuring quiet thanks as he petted his scales.

Jasper placed the red-hot pin onto his bench and immediately began to pound out the notches with a hammer. When he was finished, he dunked the finished product into a small bucket of water, and then slid the pin back into place in the prosthetic wing.

“Try flying for a few minutes,” he said as he reattached the prosthetic to Dream’s broken wing, “and then let me know how it feels.”

Jasper quickly lowered his gaze and returned to his workbench. A moment later, he felt a hoof on his shoulder and he glanced upwards to see Dream’s concerned face. “Jasper, you have no idea how thankful I am for this,” he murmured seriously. “We’re all so thankful for what you’ve done.”

Jasper looked past Dream at the rest of his family. Flex wore hoof covers that allowed him to plow through rocks at triple his natural pace. Storm was flying through the air, the armor around her wings reducing her drag and increasing her speed. Ghost was in his training area, a set of rocks that he could kick and punch without hurting himself, thanks to the greaves on his legs.

“We can’t let you carry your burden alone, brother.” Jasper returned his gaze to Dream, who was giving him a small smile. “You’re going to have to let us in someday. We want to help you as much as you’ve helped us.”

Jasper forced himself to return the smile as he shrugged his brother’s hoof off of his shoulder. As Dream trotted away and took to the air, Jasper squeezed his eyes shut and tried to force the burden that he carried from his mind. It was no use. The memory played mockingly on his eyelids, as fresh in his mind as though it had happened yesterday.

***

“How long will it take for you to craft armor for all of my subjects?”

Jasper was bowing low before Black Moon, but now he glanced up at the piles of ore that were scattered neatly around the room. He mentally calculated how long it would take him to craft the nuggets into armor. “I will be able to create one hundred and fifty pieces in under a year, my King.”

“One hundred and fifty?” Black Moon sighed and Jasper shifted his gaze to look up at him. “My faithful subject, I will need much more than that.”

“I don’t understand, my King. There are so few of us in the cave.”

Black Moon chuckled. There was a faint clinking of chains and Jasper looked past the alicorn to see Equinivere trembling against the wall. “Jasper, we have been trapped here for over a thousand years,” Black Moon began in a patronizing voice. “Surely a stallion as intelligent as yourself cannot believe that a king would be content with only a few dozen subjects.”

He paused and allowed that to sink in before continuing. “Tell me, Jasper,” he said, cocking his head, “are you a better stallion than Spark? You wouldn’t break an oath for your own benefit, would you? Especially if the safety of your family hung in the balance.”

“I am,” Jasper replied tersely, bitter at the mention of his brother. “And no, I wouldn’t.”

“Good. Come with me.” Black Moon trotted past Jasper and out the door. Jasper followed, pausing in the doorway to glance back over his shoulder at Equinivere. He snorted at the sight of her tearful, pleading eyes and shut the door firmly behind him. “You know what happens at every full moon, yes?”

“Yes, I’ve heard the screams,” said Jasper with a small frown as he followed the Shadow King down the hall.

“I have always kept Equinivere safe with me on those nights, and I’m sure you’ve heard the other mares running through the halls, trying to escape. But there are those who cannot be granted the privilege of only a single night...” Black Moon trailed off as they came to another door. He pushed it open with his magic, and Jasper suddenly found himself struggling to stay on his hooves as he stared into the dimly-lit cavern before him.

At least a hundred mares were chained to the walls and floors, screaming their throats raw as they were mounted again and again by giggling colts and stallions. Those that weren’t being mounted had bulging bellies and were sobbing in resignation. In the center of the room, young foals were being beaten relentlessly by slightly older colts.

“Viciousness is something of a necessity when you live in constant darkness, wouldn’t you agree?” Black Moon whispered in Jasper’s ear.

“But they are only foals,” Jasper protested weakly.

“And the foals will grow into colts, and the colts will grow into stallions. Good soldiers need to be trained, and the best time for that is in their youth.”

Jasper’s gaze travelled slowly around the room and fell on a familiar pegasus. Nails was mounting a screaming mare nearby, ripping her mane with his teeth. As if sensing Jasper’s eyes upon him, he glanced up and flashed him a bloody grin.

Jasper’s stomach churned and he bolted down the hallway, away from the screams. He turned a corner and doubled over, emptying his stomach’s contents onto the stone floor of the hall. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned against the wall as he panted, sweat dripping from his brow. The screams faded and after a moment, Black Moon approached him from behind.

“Why would you allow that?” In his mind, he couldn’t help but see Storm in the place of the screaming mare. His stomach threatened to empty again.

“Your sister had her own room, you know,” Black Moon said as though reading his thoughts. “Nails was very disappointed when I forced him to stop, but I could not allow her to be harmed; not while you were still of value to me.” He paused and added, “Harmed much, anyway.”

Jasper coughed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Is that supposed to make me feel better? he thought, trying to hide his contempt.

“I have two thousand ponies that require armor and you’re the only pony in the cave who can make anything of value,” Black Moon continued after a moment. “Tell me what you need from me in order to make it happen.”

I need you to help my family escape the cave, and then I need you to impale yourself on your own horn, Jasper replied in his head. “I need your slaves to bring all of the ore to my cavern, along with any wood you can find,” he said with a sigh as conflict and acid bubbled in his stomach.

“Very well. You will have the ore and all the wood we can spare. And you will finish your work within the year,” Black Moon added firmly. “If I find out that you are of no use to me, Jasper Shadow, then your family will be of no use to me either. Do you understand?”

Jasper nodded tersely, feeling numb.

“How soon will the first batch of armor be ready?”

“Three weeks, my King.”

Jasper looked up to see Black Moon smiling, his red eyes twinkling in the dim light of the enchanted crystals that lined the wall. “Good Shadow.”

***

Jasper opened his eyes and found himself staring at the tools that hung on the wall by his workbench, tools made by the ore that Black Moon had provided. Five years, he thought miserably. I have been his slave for five years. How peculiar it is that my only solace is in knowing that my family will never have to carry my burdens.

His gaze fell on the opposite end of his workbench. A single white flower rested there, preserved by magic that would never allow it to fade. “Why do I continue to protect it?” he whispered to himself. To remember why you’re here, his voice replied in his head. To remind you of what you have to lose if you fail again.

He shook his head to rid himself of the memory, if only temporarily. No... It is to remind me that there is still hope for us. Forcing a smile onto his face once more, he pulled his gaze away from the flower and turned to watch his brother fly.

***

“You can’t stay up here forever, Spark.”

Spark didn’t reply; the lump in his throat silenced any rebuttal that he might have come up with. He kept his gaze on the horizon as the tapping of Starswirl’s staff approached him from behind. His legs dangled off the edge of the roof. The capital city of Gemstone lay before him, buildings of marble and stone that rose from the ground to meet with the setting sun.

“Spark, I must say,” Starswirl began as he lowered himself to sit beside Spark, “this is all my fault.”

No it’s not, Spark thought angrily as he watched the sun dip lower beneath the horizon. You’re not the one who lost control. You’re not the one who almost killed Regal.

“Unicorns have been trained in the same way for nearly a thousand years. I’ve been so set in my ways that I neglected to treat you like the unicorn you are,” Starswirl continued. “You are not a normal unicorn, colt. You have more magical potential than anypony I’ve ever trained before. You are special, and so you require special training. I’ll have to discuss it with Queen Emerald, but I believe I have a plan.”

Spark glanced up at Starswirl, glad for the armor that covered his face; he didn’t want the elder pony to see the regret in his wet eyes or the pain that made his lower lip tremble. Starswirl smiled down at him sadly, and he realized that, armor or not, the old wizard knew exactly how he was feeling. He shifted his gaze back to the sunset.

“By the by, Ruby was very upset when you disappeared,” Starswirl added after a long moment. Guilt bubbled in Spark’s stomach as he remembered the look on her face before he had teleported away. “I think she deserves to know what happened… even if you don’t fully understand it yourself.”

“Oh,” Spark replied in a small voice. “I didn’t mean to abandon her. I guess I’ll talk to her after dinner.”

“Good.” Starswirl stood and placed a hoof on Spark’s shoulder. “Now, where did we end your training yesterday?”

Spark smiled in spite of himself. Training is normal. Normal is good. Normal is what I need right now. “We were about to test the portal on myself, Star—Professor Starswirl. Yesterday you taught me to send a bolt of lightning through it, and you said that the next step was to see if I could pass through it myself.”

A white circle shimmered into existence on the ground below him. He stood up and turned around to see that a white circle had also appeared on the roof beside Starswirl. “After you, Spark.”

Spark approached the circle. He cautiously dipped a hoof into it, and then pulled it out again. Still intact, he thought as he inspected his hoof. That’s a good sign, right? He gulped, squeezed his eyes shut, counted down from three, and then jumped into the circle. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in front of the palace. He grinned at the guards from behind his armor; the guards stared back indifferently.

An hour later, Spark was sitting at the excessively-long dinner table, poking at the cooked tindoras on his plate, and ignoring the conversation that drifted around him. I hate these fancy foods so much, he thought as he stared at the small, cucumber-like greens. Scowling, he forced one into his mouth and tried not to gag as he swallowed it. Give me moss and worms any day…

Queen Emerald and Princess Ruby sat opposite him and Starswirl, and he caught snippets of their conversation as he pushed the food around his plate.

“The Bluebloods are leaving for the western kingdom in the morning…” Thank the Sky Pony for that!

“The meeting with the leader of the pegasi…” Politics. Boring!

“Ruby is moving on to the next stage in her celestial magic training…” Good for her!

“Spark, are you finished with your dinner?” Spark blinked and looked up to see Starswirl staring at him curiously. He glanced around the table and noted with embarrassment that everypony else had finished their meals. “The Queen and I are going to have some tea, colt. You and Ruby should go and study for a while.”

“Right,” Spark replied, rising from his cushion. Ruby stood and followed him as he trotted out of the dining room and into the hallway. The walk to her room was silent save for the echoes of their hoofsteps on the marble floor. When they arrived at her room a few minutes later, Spark took a seat on the cushion by Ruby’s desk while she sprawled out on the bed nearby.

“Spark,” she murmured, prompting him to look at her, “what happened this morning?”

He didn’t answer right away. How am I supposed to explain it to her? She’ll think I’m a monster. He sighed and shook his head. No, she already thinks I’m a monster.

“When I saw what they were doing to you,” he said slowly, struggling to find the words, “I felt… I don’t know how to explain it. It was an anger that was a thousand times more intense than anything I’ve ever felt before. And then something… or someone… told me to just kill them.”

Ruby stood up and trotted over to wrap her forelegs around his neck. Her pale blue eyes sparkled with tears. “You did all that just to protect me?”

Spark frowned and shook his head. “At first? Yeah. I wanted to save you,” he whispered. “But after that, I just wanted to make them suffer.” His voice hitched and he looked away. “I… I’m scared, Ruby. That wasn’t me. I didn’t mean to hurt Regal like that.”

Ruby nodded and pulled away from him. She stood with the posture of a princess, and announced, “Spark Shadow, as the Princess of Great Breton, I command you to promise me that you will never allow yourself to become that pony again.” Despite the faint smile she was wearing, Spark could see the fear that mixed with the tears in her eyes.

“I don’t know if I can promise you that, Ruby. I don’t know if I can control that… darkness.”

Ruby’s smile faltered. “Then I want you to make me a different promise,” she said in the same practiced voice. “Spark Shadow, promise your Princess that you will only use that darkness to protect the ones you love.”

I can do that, right? Spark pushed himself to his hooves and met her pleading eyes with a determined nod. “I promise you, Princess Ruby, that I will only use the darkness to protect the ones I love. And if it ever tries to make me fight the ponies that I want to protect…” He trailed off and squeezed his eyes shut as the memory of what he had done—what he had almost done—played in his mind. “…I’ll fight it instead.”

Ruby abruptly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Spark’s eyes went wide as hers fluttered shut, and after a long moment, she pulled away, her grin spread from ear to ear. She walked backwards towards the bed and hooked his leg in her fetlock, pulling him towards her. Together they fell onto the bed, and with her head nestled in the crook of his neck, they soon fell asleep.

The sound of cabinets being slammed shut prompted Spark to open his eyes. Daylight filtered in through the window and he reflexively brought his armor out from under his skin. When his eyes focused, he saw Ruby surrounded by half a dozen suitcases, all of them overflowing with trinkets and clothes. He rose from the bed, yawned, and stretched his legs. “Ruby, what are you doing?”

“Spark, could you have paid any less attention to last night’s dinner conversation?” she asked sharply as she sat on a suitcase to force it shut. No, I don’t think I could have. “I am going to meet with the leader of the pegasi today. My mother was going to do it, but she insisted on sending me instead. In a few days, I will be negotiating storm schedules with those insufferable brutes.”

Spark snorted. “Well, you have fun with that. Meanwhile, I’ll be here—”

“Did I not mention that you’re coming along as well?”

“What?” Spark groaned and sat down hard on the bed. When was I volunteered for a diplomatic mission? Is this my punishment for not paying attention at dinner? By the Sky Pony, I swear that I’ll never ignore dinner conversation again! “Why me?”

“I don’t know, but you really should start packing,” she replied as she leapt onto the lid of another suitcase. “I will see you at breakfast when you are ready.”

“Yeah,” Spark grunted, trotting towards her to give her their usual goodbye hug. The memory of last night’s kiss resurfaced in his mind, causing him to stop in his tracks. Ruby approached him and wrapped him in an embrace, and he was instantly thankful for the armor that prevented her from seeing his reddening cheeks.

“Do hurry,” she said quickly before turning back to the suitcases on the floor.

***

It’s about time that colt spent the night in a room that wasn’t his own, Starswirl mused as he finished packing Spark’s things. He really needs to start caring about other ponies so that he can move on from—

“Starswirl? What are you doing in my room?” Starswirl looked up to see Spark standing in the doorway with a confused look on his face. The younger unicorn’s gaze fell on the saddlebags by the bed. “Did you pack my stuff already?”

“I came to wake you an hour ago and you weren’t here,” Starswirl explained, flashing Spark a knowing smile.

“I, uh, fell asleep at Ruby’s desk,” Spark muttered.

“I see. Well, I couldn’t trust you to be ready on time—no offense, of course—so I took the liberty of packing your things for you. I packed you a few books, a jug of water, and some food,” Starswirl said as he levitated the saddlebags and placed them onto Spark’s haunches. “Now hurry and join Princess Ruby for breakfast. It will be a long journey, and the pegasi are not known for their patience.”

Spark nodded. “Thanks, Starswirl,” he said before hurrying out the door.

I’m going to miss that boy, Starswirl thought sadly as he watched the younger unicorn disappear from the doorway.

***

Judging by the sun’s position overhead, Spark deduced that it was mid-afternoon when their royal escort left Great Breton and entered earth pony territory. He moved away from the carriage’s window and closed the curtains. The heat of the desert was roasting him inside his armor, but he didn’t want to risk having it off.

I wish I could have asked Starswirl about that scroll he gave to the royal guard captain while we were getting in the carriage, he thought, remembering the scowl on the captain’s face. It’s going to bug me all the way to the neutral meeting place and back. And that could take days!

“Spark, if I had known that you were going to be silent the entire trip, I would have brought the Bluebloods along instead,” Ruby huffed from the bench across from him. “At least they know how to keep a pony entertained.”

“Sorry. I’m just distracted,” Spark replied, shaking his head as he turned to look at her. “But there is something I wanted to talk to you about. Last night—” Ruby’s ears perked up and Spark awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. “—when you kissed me…”

“Yes?” Ruby breathed as she leaned forward.

“Why did you do that?”

Ruby blinked and leaned back against the wall of the carriage. “W-whatever do you mean by that?”

“I mean, why did you kiss me?”

Ruby blinked again and pressed a hoof to her face. What’s she all upset about? She hissed softly and lowered her hoof after a moment. “Spark,” she said gently, “isn’t it obvious? I lo—”

The pair jumped as the carriage door burst open and a royal guard appeared in the doorway, his calm expression betrayed only by his frantic eyes. “Princess, get down on the floor! We got Earthers!”

Earthers… aren’t they the earth ponies who think the Equine Alliance is unfair? A memory of a conversation he’d had with Starswirl years ago popped into Spark’s head. “Earthers, colt, are ponies who think that the other races are unworthy of the fruits of their labor. And they are more than willing to kill for their beliefs.”

“Spark,” the guard barked, shaking Spark from his thoughts, “can you pro—”

The spear hit him midsentence. His eyes bulged and froze, still locked on Spark’s, as he fell limp against the side of the carriage, blocking the door. Spark turned to look at Ruby, whose pristine white coat was now tainted by drops of red. Her eyes were trained on the guard’s neck, where the spear protruded from his throat and pinned him to the carriage.

As Ruby screamed from beside him and blood pooled beneath the guard on the carriage floor, Spark turned to look outside. Two more guards lay dead on the sand outside, impaled by spears that turned the sand beneath them a muddy red. Looking past the corpses, Spark spotted their attackers.

Ten earth ponies galloped towards them in the distance. Their spears and blades glinted in the sunlight as their hooves kicked up a sandstorm behind them. Spark glanced over his shoulder at Ruby. His cutie mark pulsed. He looked into her terrified eyes and felt his own begin to twitch. And then he heard the voice.

They want to kill her, Spark. They want to kill you. Make them suffer.

He roared as his pupils stretched painfully into slits. With black magic crackling down his horn, he bolted out of the carriage, breaking the wooden spear that held the guard in place. As he galloped across the sand, he glanced upwards to see a barrage of arrows falling towards him. Isn’t that cute?

With a wave of shimmering darkness that cast a shadow on the sand, the arrows disintegrated. He grinned and shifted his gaze back to the endless sea of sand before him. A blue earth pony was sprinting towards him, a spear attached to the saddle on his back. Bury him.

The pony squealed in horror as a bolt of black lightning struck the ground at his hooves. He screamed as the sand twisted beneath him, pulling him deeper down until he disappeared below the desert’s surface. Spark giggled madly, watching the sand until it ceased to shift.

There was a shout to his left and he swiveled to see another Earther racing towards him. A sword swung from a holster on his leg as he leapt into the air above Spark. Boom, said the voice in Spark’s head as lightning shot from his horn. Two down, whispered the voice as chunks of flesh rained down around him.

Spark turned his attention to the eight remaining Earthers. They stood in a group, watching as the pieces of the former pony fell from the sky. Spark approached them slowly, noting with glee the unconcealed fear in their eyes as they raised their weapons. Play with them, Spark.

He cocked his head and a massive lightning bolt struck the sand beneath them. He smiled at the sound of their nervous stammering as the sand shifted around their hooves, locking them in place. Stopping before them, he watched them struggle and smirked. Make them suffer. Slowly.

One by one, each pony gradually sank into the sand. He reveled in their screams as they were forced to watch each other drown, and grinned wickedly as the realization that they would be next grew in their eyes. When the last pony was buried up to her neck, Spark stopped her from sinking further and smiled as she begged for mercy.

Spark, look at her eyes! See the way they bulge from her head? They want to escape, Spark. Why don’t you help them escape? Spark levitated the knife from his holster and bent closer to the crying mare. He could still hear the muffled voices of the others as they struggled desperately below the surface.

“Please, don’t,” she whimpered, her terrified eyes locked onto the knife.

“The eyes want to escape.” Spark moved the knife closer to her eyes, but stopped abruptly as the sun reflected off its blade and into his shielded eyes.

Equinivere… What am I doing? What’s wrong with me? The black sheath of magic that held the knife turned to white before it faded completely. The knife fell onto the sand between Spark and the earth pony, and he stumbled backwards as he watched the earth pony’s eyes grow wider in surprise.

Sparky, please, this isn’t you, Equinivere called to him. He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on the memory of her face. Don’t let the darkness win.

Panting hard, he grunted in pain as his pupils twitched and expanded. He opened his eyes and stared at the writhing sand beside him. A bolt of white lightning struck the sand, blasting it open, and the earth ponies emerged, coughing up sand. He turned back to the one he had planned to torture. She trembled before him, her eyes locked on his even though she could not see them.

“You lose. Take your friends and go home,” Spark rasped, trying to steady his voice. “Never hurt another creature again. Don’t make me regret letting you live.”

Once the Earthers had left, Spark made his way back to the carriage. He glanced at the sun; it had barely moved. The heat of the desert was making him sweat beneath his armor. The earth pony mare’s terrified face appeared in his vision and he mentally swatted her away. “They’re gone,” he called to the guards as he approached the carriage, “and they won’t be coming back.”

The nearest guard nodded and tilted his head towards the carriage. “Please wait inside, Spark Shadow.”

Spark stepped inside the carriage, noting that the corpses had been moved away and that the blood had been removed from the carriage floor. The only remaining evidence of what had transpired were the dried blood on the sand outside, the chunks of meat in the distance, the dead pony under the sand, and the erratic pounding in Spark’s chest.

He shut the door behind him and collapsed onto the bench opposite Ruby, avoiding her gaze. After drawing the curtains shut and allowing his armor to sink back into his coat, he allowed himself to meet her eyes. She wore the same expression she’d been wearing when the guard had been killed in the doorway, except that now it was directed towards him.

“Ruby…” he began, but promptly realized that he didn’t know what he could say to calm her fears. He trailed off and they sat in silence; the only sounds were Spark’s labored breathing and the muffled conversation of the guards outside.

“Was that the same darkness as before?” Ruby whispered. Spark nodded and looked away. “You kept your promise to me, Spark. You protected me.” He looked back at her and saw that she was smiling with relief. He tried to match her smile and failed. “Thank you,” she murmured, leaning towards him and wrapping him in a close hug. He felt her jaw open and close inaudibly against his shoulder, until finally she whispered, “I love you.”

Spark clenched his eyes shut. Guilt and shame built in his stomach, moving upwards until it became a lump in his throat. I killed them. I killed them and she loves me for it. Why does she have to make things harder?

“Spark, did you not hear me?” she said softly, caressing his cheek. “I love you.” She leaned in to kiss him, and this time Spark moved away. He opened his eyes nervously to see her scowling before him. As she pulled away from him, she hissed, “Why will you not kiss me? Is your Princess not good enough for you?”

“Ruby,” he said as gently as he could, placing his hoof on hers. She shook it off and leered at him. “I’m… I’m already promised to somepony else.”

He shrank back as her eyes went wide. “You have been my coltfriend since we were children!” she sputtered, her face red with fury. “How did you manage to get yourself promised to somepony else? Who is this filly who thinks she can take from a princess?”

Spark felt his magic instinctively grip the knife at his side, and he immediately winced as Ruby’s gaze flitted to the blade. “Rid yourself of that knife,” she shrieked. “Throw it outside and forget about her! That is a command from your Princess!”

He stared at her as Equinivere appeared in his mind’s eye. She smiled at him sadly, her blue mane shimmering in the dim light of the cave as she approached him. Sparky, was all that she whispered before her image dissolved and he found himself staring into Ruby’s furious eyes. He glanced back down at the knife and whispered, “No.”

Ruby roared angrily and Spark drew his armor from his coat as she threw the door open with her magic. “Get out of my carriage, Spark Shadow,” she growled through gritted teeth. “You can walk with the guards for the rest of the trip. The Princess of Great Breton does not share her carriage with… with street ponies!”

She glared at him as he exited the carriage. Shutting the door behind him, Spark heard a single muffled sob escape from within. He sighed and joined the guards, shaking his head when they asked him what was wrong. She’ll be fine, he thought firmly, looking back at the carriage. By the time we get back to Gemstone, she’ll be my friend again.

***

Blue feathers whizzed past Jasper’s ear, prompting him to glance up from the scrap on his workbench. An oblivious Dream soared happily through the cavern, flanked by Surty and Storm, who had no trouble keeping up with him. Satisfied that the metal prosthetic on his brother’s wing would not fail anytime soon, Jasper turned back to work on Black Moon’s latest request: armor for Nails.

He scowled at the memory of Nails flying around their cavern, wearing Jasper’s armor, and flying so fast that it would snap under the pressure. It won’t happen again, Jasper thought as he levitated an enchanted crystal out of its notch on the wall and onto his bench. With a well-placed swing of his hammer, he broke off a shard from the crystal.

Flex had dug out a nearby hole in the ground, which now served as a fire pit. Jasper floated the shard and scraps into the pit, and then covered the hole with an iron lid. Gathering the scrap metal together in his magic—he’d done it enough that he didn’t need to see them to be able to gather them up—he lifted them to the top of the hole, and then slammed them down onto the shard.

A muffled explosion echoed in the fire pit. The iron lid was sent flying across the cavern and Ghost ducked just in time to avoid being decapitated. “Sorry,” Jasper yelled sheepishly before peering into the pit. A glowing ball of fused metal sat at the bottom. Titanium! With a proud grin, he levitated it onto his workbench.

Working quickly, he hammered it out into a thick sheet before using a bending fork to manipulate it into the shape of a pony’s torso. When he was done, he stepped back to admire his work. His eyes fell onto his own titanium shoes and chest plate, and his grin returned at the sight of the tiny crescent moon on his chest.

The armor that Jasper made for Black Moon’s shadow ponies bore a full moon, but Jasper had insisted on using the crescent moon for the Shadow Five’s armor. I suppose I should be grateful for small victories, he thought as he stared at his blurred reflection in the chest plate on the workbench. They’re all I have now, after all.

He swiveled as the cavern door opened, and suppressed a groan when Nails trotted inside. “Hello, friends,” the pegasus giggled before kicking a hunk of metal in Jasper’s direction. “Jasper pony fail again. Armor cracked! Nails wonder if Master know how bad Jasper pony’s work is?”

Jasper narrowed his eyes as he watched the hunk of metal come to a skidding stop at his hooves. This armor was perfection. You have no appreciation for art, you miserable brute. “Why, Nails,” he said, forcing a smile onto his face, “I have something special for you this time! It is made of a much better sort of metal. As a matter of fact, I’m just finishing your chest armor now. Your wing armor, however, is ready for you to use.”

“I certainly hope so, Jasper,” Black Moon said as he trotted in through the door. “I hate being forced to reward Nails, my most loyal subject, with inferior products.” He turned his attention to the rest of the Shadow Five, who were standing in a group before the door with wary expressions. Black Moon cleared his throat and spread his wings.

“Family of Jasper Shadow,” he began, and then paused to frown. “You call yourselves ‘family’, but are we not your family as well? You all have such wonderful talents that would be of great use to me—to all of us. As your King, it is so hard for me to sit idly by and watch those talents go to waste in this hole you call a home.”

Jasper opened his mouth to reply, but balked as Ghost stepped forward and reared up to stand on his hind legs. Black Moon watched with a patient smile as Ghost cleared his throat, and promptly frowned when the black earth pony merely shrugged. The frown deepened into a grimace as Ghost spun around, dropped onto all fours, lifted his tail, and wiggled tauntingly.

“Well,” Black Moon said, his face contorted in disgust as he lowered his wings, “once you’ve all realized that you have no other option, I will gladly accept you into my ranks.” He turned to Jasper, who quickly covered up his muffled laughter with a cough, and said, “My pegasus captain will not tolerate another of your failures, Jasper Shadow.” His eyes fell on the white flower and he added, “Perhaps taking away some of your freedoms will give you the motivation to succeed.”

“That will not be necessary, my King,” Jasper said as evenly as he could manage. He levitated the wing armor from behind the bench and placed it gently onto Nails’ wings. Tightening the leather straps, he continued, “This is made of the finest metal in the cave. Even he cannot break this armor.”

“Are you sure about that?” Black Moon approached the pair and observed as Jasper finished making his adjustments. “Tell me,” he said to Nails, “does this armor feel stronger?”

“Master,” Nails said, bowing low before the Shadow King, “this armor feel weak. Lighter than others.”

Black Moon cocked his head, the slightest hint of a smug smile forming on his lips as he asked, “How is this superior to your other designs, Jasper?”

Uncultured, unworthy little beast, Jasper thought angrily, glaring at Nails before bowing his head. Being careful not to sound patronizing, he said, “My King, this metal is titanium. It is lighter than iron, but is composed of much stronger bonds. Nails is capable of neither piercing nor cracking it, I assure you.”

Black Moon nodded thoughtfully and tapped the armor with a hoof. “And will it increase his speed as well?”

“Yes, my King. I have tested the same design on my sister. It decreased her drag considerably.”

“Very well then, Jasper Shadow.” Black Moon whistled sharply and a small legion of shadow ponies burst in through the door, each one clad in Jasper’s armor and brandishing spears and blades. They immediately began to charge at the Shadow Five, but stopped in their tracks when Black Moon called for them to halt. “We are here for a show, not a fight,” he called to the disappointed shadow ponies. “Nails, if you would take flight, I would very much like to know how that armor feels.”

“Yes, Master.” Nails extended his wings and pumped them hard. Jasper had to suppress a gasp as the pegasus bolted towards the back wall of the cavern. He’s nearly as fast as Storm!

Black Moon trotted over to the rest of the Shadow Five. His horn glowed and a spear came floating to his side. Pointing it at Flex, he asked, “Flex Shadow, yes? What do you think of my captain?”

“I like Nails, Moon,” Flex said with a grin. “He’d make a real nice rug.”

An amused smile spread across Black Moon’s face. “Nails,” he called without looking up, “my loyal subject, what are your thoughts on the armor?”

“Master, Nails is impressed,” Nails called back as he soared around the edge of the cavern. “Flying faster and stronger!” The titanium armor grazed an exposed rock on the wall, and the rock promptly fell to the floor, having been severed by the metal wing. I told them it was strong, Jasper thought with a wry smile.

“And how is your agility? Can you move as freely as you need to?”

“Yes, Master!”

“Flex Shadow,” Black Moon said, lowering his voice, “my ponies tell me that you have strength that is second to none. Is this true?”

“Lemme put it this way, Moon,” Flex replied, chuckling. “A few years back, some of your ponies thought it’d be a good idea to get in front of my legs. Have they woken up yet?”

“I believe those particular soldiers died,” Black Moon answered with another amused smile. He certainly appears to be in a pleasant mood. How strange… “How hard can you throw a spear, Flex?” Flex merely grinned as Black Moon placed the spear in his hooves.

With a small grunt of effort, Flex hurled the spear directly at Nails’ forehead. Nails’ eyes widened and he pushed himself into a barrel roll, causing the spear to graze the titanium on his wing instead. Sparks flew as metal collided with metal, and Nails came to a hovering stop in the air while the spear clattered to the floor.

“Wonderful,” Black Moon said, laughing as he gestured for Nails to return. “That is enough for now, my loyal subject.” He turned to Jasper and said, “I apologize for doubting your work. How long will it be before the remaining pieces of his armor are ready?”

Jasper breathed a sigh of relief. “Three days, my King.”

“Excellent.” Black Moon paused as Nails landed at his side. “You mentioned that your sister has been using this design as well?”

“Y-yes, my King,” Jasper stammered as a wave of fear chilled his blood. “She has been using the same type of armor for six months now.” Except that she isn’t wearing it right now because she was helping Dream with his rehabilitation…

“Then I am sure you wouldn’t mind if I asked for her opinion on this armor.” Black Moon turned his gaze to Storm and gave her a smile. “Please come here, Storm Shadow.”

“Not a chance, Moon,” Flex growled, stepping in front of his sister.

The shadow ponies immediately resumed their charge, and this time the alicorn did nothing to stop them. Jasper watched, untouched, as the guards held their blades to the family’s backs and throats, pinning them down against the cavern floor.

“My sweet Storm,” Black Moon said softly, beckoning her with his hoof, “all I ask is for your opinion, and in return, your family will not be harmed.”

“O-okay,” she whimpered, and the guards removed their blades from her body. “Just d-don’t hurt them. Please.”

Nails spread his wings as Storm approached him cautiously. She began circling him to inspect the armor, but quickly jumped away when Nails pressed his snout to her rump and giggled, “Sweet Flanks, you Nails’ favorite.”

Black magic appeared around her hooves and she froze in place, terror on her face as both her and Jasper’s eyes looked to Black Moon’s glowing horn. “I asked for an inspection, my dear,” the alicorn said with a frown. “What do you think of the armor?”

“It’s good, Moon! It’s great! Now p-please let me go,” she stammered.

“Thank you. And now, my sweet little Storm Shadow, there is one last little thing I need you to do.” The black aura moved, forcing Storm to move closer to Black Moon until their snouts were nearly touching. In the silence of the cavern, his whisper was loud enough to pierce Jasper’s heart.

“Run.”

***

The magic faded from her hooves. Her eyes went wide as Nails began to charge. She had no choice. She turned around and broke into a sprint. A scream echoed in her ears as her hooves pounded the cavern floor; she assumed it was her own. She squeezed her eyes shut as she galloped, but a giggle from behind prompted her to open them again. The back wall of the cavern loomed before her. Leaping onto the wall, she pumped her wings and pushed off, somersaulting into the air while Nails crashed into the wall behind her.

Storm rose to the ceiling and narrowed her eyes as she entered the maze of stalactites. The sound of titanium slicing through rock taunted her from behind. Tears from her unblinking eyes dribbled horizontally across her face as she weaved between the stalactites. A hoof brushed hers, causing her to squeal and pump her wings even harder.

“Help me!” she sobbed, sparing a glance at her brothers as she dipped below the hanging spikes of rock. Ghost, Dream and Flex were still pinned to the floor, but Jasper was inexplicably frozen in place, his expression blank as he watched her fly. Why aren’t you helping me? she thought, but then noticed that his silver aura was fading from his tools as quickly as it appeared. Please, Jasper, help me…

She looked up in time to see the wall before her. Somersaulting once again, she prepared to return the way she came, but was forced to freeze when she realized that Nails had her cornered. She pushed herself against the wall, her wings fluttering weakly as she looked for a way out, but there was no way to escape. I’m trapped. I’m trapped. Please, Sky Pony, somepony, anypony, help me…

“Hello, Sweet Flanks,” Nails giggled, pressing his body against hers.

***

Dream gritted his teeth. His sister’s screams were assaulting his ears. The spears were digging into his back. He glanced to his sides and saw that Flex and Ghost were in as much pain as he was, but Jasper seemed oddly unaffected. He looked up to see Black Moon smiling smugly as Nails traced his tongue around Storm’s cheek.

This is a nightmare. Why isn’t Jasper helping her? he thought as anger boiled inside of him. Why isn’t anypony doing anything? Scales brushed his cheek suddenly and he looked to the side to see Surty gazing at him with confused eyes. A slight smile crept on Dream’s face as an idea appeared in his head. I guess it’ll have to be me, then.

“Surty,” he whispered, “do your trick for daddy.”

The dragon took to the air. A moment later, fire roared from above Dream’s head, and he leapt to his hooves as two burning guards collapsed to the floor. Another guard leapt at him, and Dream merely spread his wings, allowing the metal prosthetic to slice through the shadow pony’s throat. The guard’s blood dripped from his wing as he took to the air.

Dream pulled his right hoof back and pushed himself to fly faster as he closed in on Black Moon. With all the strength he could muster, he extended his leg and punched Black Moon square in the muzzle.

“Run!” he screamed as he swiveled in the air and came to a stop. He felt his wings go limp and he fell to the floor, watching in disbelief as nopony moved at all. Black Moon watched him over his shoulder, a smile on his face as he slowly shook his head. Dream’s gaze fell on his muzzle. I hit him with all I had, so why does he look completely untouched?

“Nails, I am satisfied with the armor. Return to my side,” Black Moon called. Dream watched as Nails reluctantly backed off of Storm and landed beside the alicorn. Storm fell to the floor and curled up against the wall, sobbing into her wings. “Now then,” Black Moon said, cocking his head at Dream, “what shall I do with you?”

***

“My King,” Jasper rasped, shaken from his numbness, “you must honor our agreement. You told me that, as long as I serve you, nopony will touch my family.”

“Leave this cavern,” Black Moon said to the guards. Jasper watched as they shuffled out the door, and then galloped over to Dream. He stopped in his tracks as his brother was enveloped in blackness and whisked out the door.

“Moon,” Jasper growled, rounding on Black Moon, “you said that nopony would touch him. Bring him back or I assure you that you will never see another piece of armor again.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that, my loyal subject. Your King will keep his word.” Black Moon trotted slowly towards the door, and then paused in the doorway. “Nopony will touch Dream—” He glanced back over his shoulder, “—ever again.”

***

Even after a thousand years of living in a cave, trudging through the desert in heavy black armor while his closest friend in the world refused to speak to him had quickly become one of his least favorite things. It’s been two whole days and she still hasn’t spoken to me, Spark thought in disbelief as he started to climb yet another sand dune. How long can a girl hold a grudge, anyway?

Some of the guards had joked with him, asking if he had been stupid enough to cheat on the Princess of Great Breton. Others had merely offered words of advice: “this is just something mares do,” and “she’ll get over it eventually.” Equi never got angry with me, Spark remarked as he trotted slowly up the slope. Not like this, at least.

As they crested the dune, Spark looked up to see a group of pegasi approaching them from the sky. One carried a flag: a spiked helmet with wings. Guess that’s the symbol of Flockland. It looks kinda like Storm’s cutie mark. The pegasi landed at the bottom of the dune, and the carriage rolled to a stop before them. Spark watched over his shoulder as a guard went to open Ruby’s door.

The royal guard captain cleared his throat. “Announcing the arrival of Her Royal Highness Princess Ruby of Great Breton!” he bellowed as Ruby stepped out of the carriage. She glared at Spark as she passed him, and Spark rolled his eyes under his armor in return.

“Princess? They sent their Princess?” A large, purple pegasus stepped forward, his fiery red mane surprisingly stiff in the slight breeze. A scimitar was sheathed at his side, and scars were scattered across his muscular frame. He scowled at Ruby, and then turned his head towards the guard captain. “Where is Queen Emerald and why does she think I would want to negotiate with her little filly?”

“Commander Tantrum, I can assure you that I am well-versed in my mother’s affairs. I am here in her stead, and I am more than capable of representing Great Breton,” Ruby said evenly, her snout upraised.

“That’s ‘Commander Typhoon,’ Princess. And you’re late. We don’t much care for unicorns who think they can insult us.” What a weird accent, Spark thought as he stared at Typhoon. He’s rolling his r’s and his vowels are all wrong…

“Our apologies, Commander,” the guard captain said quickly, stepping forward and bowing his head. “We were ambushed by Earthers.”

“Well, is that all?” Typhoon snorted. “I just assumed that you were stopping at every reflective surface you could find to admire yourselves in, unicorn.” He looked over the captain’s shoulder and guffawed at the sight of Spark. “Or perhaps you were too busy foal-sitting to make it here on time.”

Ruby scoffed. “Commander, I would very much like to return to my palace, and I’m sure that you and your ponies would like to resume stealing candy from foals. Now come, we have business to discuss.”

Typhoon nodded tersely. The royal guards quickly formed a tight perimeter around Ruby while the pegasi lined up beside their commander. Spark glanced from one group to the other and decided to ready his magic just in case. But what ensued was not a battle of spells and swords; what ensued was a battle of wordy politics that found Spark struggling to stay on his hooves.

Let me get this straight, Spark thought to himself as he listened to the pair argue. The earth ponies are angry that the pegasi are making it rain too often, which makes it hard for food to grow. The pegasi are angry that the unicorns are keeping the sun in the sky too long, which makes their clouds heavier with more water. The unicorns are angry that the other races are angry, because it would be impossible to shorten the sun’s time in the sky, and because all the earth ponies need to do is plant more food to absorb the excess water.

He groaned and rubbed his armored forehead as he tried to follow their conversation. But the unicorns are telling the pegasi to just schedule their rainstorms better in order to give the ground more time to absorb the water. And the earth ponies are telling the pegasi that they can’t control how fast their plants are growing… Spark watched as Typhoon and Ruby shouted at each other and shook his head. I think the real problem here is that the pegasi are just stubborn, winged mules.

“Fine,” Ruby huffed after what felt like hours. “There is a forest in the northern outlands of our kingdom that is of no use to us. Until this matter can be settled with the earth ponies, we will allow you to send your extra storms there.”

“So be it, Princess. But if any of your little unicorns give us trouble, the pegasi will cut them down and come for your head,” Typhoon snarled as Ruby turned away, her snout in the air as she trotted back into the carriage.

“Come here, Spark,” said the guard captain as the unicorns and pegasi retreated to their own sides. Spark nodded and followed the captain over to Typhoon. “Commander,” the captain said, pulling the scroll from his armor, “I come bearing a message from Starswirl the Bearded.”

Typhoon snatched it from the captain’s magic and unrolled it. His scowl deepened as he read through it. After a moment, he stared at the captain, who half-nodded, half-shrugged. Typhoon crushed the note under his hooves and shook his head. “Alright, unicorn. But when you see that old wizard again, you tell him that the pegasi owe him no more after this.”

“Understood, Commander,” the captain replied. “Retrieve Spark Shadow’s saddlebags,” he called over his shoulder. Spark frowned as he watched a guard lift his saddlebags from the carriage before dropping them at his hooves. “There is a note and a bottle from Professor Starswirl in your bags.” The captain prodded one of the bags with a hoof and nodded sharply. “Good luck, Spark Shadow.”

As the captain made his way back to the carriage, Spark stared at the bags in the sand. There must be some mistake, he thought, and began to follow the captain. He was quickly stopped by the flat side of a blade being smacked against his hind leg. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Typhoon shaking his head and sheathing his scimitar. “I don’t know what they told you, lad, but you’re coming with us.”

“What? Why?” Spark blinked at Typhoon in confusion, and then turned back to the carriage. “Ruby!”

Ruby poked her head out of the open window. Her eyes went wide, but she quickly narrowed them and shouted, “Good riddance!” Spark watched in disbelief as she ducked back inside the carriage and shut the curtains behind her. A few seconds later, the guards finished hitching themselves to the carriage and began their journey back to Great Breton.

“Alright, lads, somepony grab the boy and his bags. We’re going home,” Typhoon barked from behind Spark. A pair of burly forelegs wrapped themselves around him, and a moment later his hooves left the sand. His head spun and his breathing became labored as the dune grew smaller in the distance.

Yup, I’m never ignoring dinner conversation again, he thought flatly as he watched Ruby’s carriage disappear into the sudden blackness.

***

“I can’t buckin’ believe you’re still makin’ him that armor,” Flex spat in disgust.

“It has only been two days,” Jasper replied evenly as he worked the metal on his bench. “Besides, you know what I will do if Dream is not returned.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Flex sighed. “You did somethin’ to their armor so that you can make them explode.” He paused and added, “Just wish you coulda convinced Moon to wear some of that armor, too.”

Jasper shrugged. Small victories, he reminded himself. The pair turned to look at the door as Ghost jumped to his hooves. It swung open, and Jasper sighed in relief as Dream’s laughter trickled into the cavern.

“Guys, they’re all gone!” Dream called, practically skipping into the cavern. “Everypony in the cave disappeared! We’re free!”

What did he just say? Jasper thought as he exchanged a worried glance with Flex. A blur of brown shot past them as Storm hurried over to greet her brother. “Dream, whaddya mean they’re gone? The other shadow ponies escaped?”

“Guys, where did you go? Black Moon is gone!” Dream stepped into the cavern, and Jasper’s heart sank when he saw his brother’s eyes.

“What the buck did he do?” Flex murmured as he and Jasper cautiously approached. Upon closer inspection, they could see the black magic that seeped from Dream’s eyes, forming two shimmering clouds that obscured his vision.

“Dream…?” Storm lifted a hoof to touch him, but abruptly yelped and pulled back. “What is this? What did Moon do to you?”

“You don’t have to hide!” Dream called, twisting his head to look around the cavern. “We did it! We outlasted them all!”

“Dream!” Storm pounded at Dream’s side, but he made no indication of feeling it. Flex wrapped his forelegs around Dream’s neck. Jasper reached out to touch him, and gasped sharply as his hoof came into contact with an invisible barrier just an inch from Dream’s blue coat.

“Storm? Flex? Jasper? Ghost? Anypony?” The excitement in Dream’s voice gave way to fear as he swiveled his head wildly. “Surty!” With a quick pump of his wings, he slid easily out of Flex’s grasp and knocked Storm to the ground. He flew across the cavern and landed in front of his dragon. “Surty, where’d everypony go? Where’s Storm?”

Surty cocked his head in confusion and flew over to Storm. Sitting beside her, he pointed to her and roared softly.

“Don’t fly away, Surty,” Dream murmured, flying over to the dragon. “It’s okay. Daddy’s here,” he whispered, reaching out to pet him. Surty’s head bypassed the barrier and connected with Dream’s hoof, prompting Storm to burst into tears. “I don’t know where they went, but they’ll be back for us. They wouldn’t leave us behind.”

Black Moon trotted in through the door behind the family, walking around Storm to tap Dream with a hoof. He smiled as it made contact with the barrier. “You know, I’ve always wanted an excuse to try this spell on another pony, and I am so delighted that I waited.” He shifted his gaze to Storm. “Tell me, my sweet Storm Shadow, was it worth it trading your freedom for his?”

Storm sat down hard and sobbed into her hooves. Ghost sat down beside her and held her head to his chest. Don’t you dare blame her for this, Moon, Jasper thought angrily, but he held his tongue. There was no point in getting into any more trouble.

“How long…?” Flex asked, his voice uncharacteristically shaken as he trailed off.

“He was willing to give his life to protect his sister. I merely gave him what he wanted.” Black Moon shot a pointed look at Jasper and added, “Nopony touched him, and no pony will ever touch him again.”

“Moon…” whispered Jasper, but there was nothing that he could say. Instead, he sank to the floor beside his sister and watched as Dream trotted around the cavern with Surty, searching for the family he would never find.

“Now finish the armor for my ponies, Jasper,” Black Moon said firmly as he strolled out the door, “before tragedy befalls yet another member of your family.”

The door slammed behind them. Storm wailed into Ghost’s chest as Flex lowered himself to the floor to comfort her as well. Four of the Shadow Five sat on the cold stone floor, mourning the loss of one more brother.

“Don’t worry, Surty.” Dream fluttered his wings and flew in circles around the cavern while Surty hovered in the middle of the room, gesturing towards the rest of the family in vain. “They’ll come back for us. We won’t be alone for long.”

***

Prologue

For thousands of years, the ponies had been in charge of all aspects of life.

They had once controlled the forces of nature with their wings, cared for animals with their kindness, and sent the sun and the moon through the sky with their magic. But when their population had begun to dwindle, nature had resumed its wild reign over the world, the animals had learned to care for themselves, and the celestial bodies had begun to move on their own accord.

It was late evening, and Spark Shadow was sitting on a mountaintop, watching the sun as it passed by overhead.

That old pony was right all along, he mused, chewing on the last of his hay. This is my fate. The last thing I’ll ever do’ll be fulfilling my promise. The unicorn blinked into the sunlight and smiled. I guess I couldn’t have asked for a better way to go.

He glanced down at the bones of his family and his love that lay around him. Filled with a sudden sense of peace, he lay back on the grass and shut his eyes. With his last bit of strength, he rolled onto his side and pulled close the bones of the mare who had been by his side until the moment she had finally passed.

Spark lay there quietly, his breathing becoming shallower with each passing second, until he finally heard the sound of hoofsteps approaching him. He had been expecting this. A hoof glided across his back. He lay still, and a fresh wave of comfort passed through him as the visitor spoke in that old, familiar voice.

“You’ve done a great job, colt. You’ve kept your promises. There’s just one more thing I need from you.”

Spark sucked in a breath of fresh air. He held it for a long moment. He thought of his family and of his love, he remembered centuries’ worth of memories, and with one last smile, he finally exhaled. The smile faded from his lips and the world slid away beneath him, lulling him into his final sleep…

***
Aetiology
Prologue

ae•ti•ol•o•gy
n. pl. -gies
Variant of etiology
1. The study of causes and origins
2. (Medical) The study of the cause of a disease
***

Four thousand years ago...

The forces of nature were balanced, the animals were cared for, and the sun and the moon rose and set like clockwork. Starswirl the Bearded intended to keep it that way.

It had been fifteen hundred years since his last rebirth, and Starswirl was beginning to feel the effects of old age. Where his mane had once been a luxurious bright yellow, it was now a long, curly bundle of off-white that ran into his beard. His coat had once been a bright blue, but now it was a blueish-grey that no longer matched his eyes, hat or cape.

It wasn’t all bad, though. His beard was now long enough for pensive stroking, which, as a wizard, he took much pleasure in.

But now, as he stroked his beard and watched the few remaining ponies go about their lives, he could find no pleasure in it. These ponies were aimless, uncivilized beings. They did nothing more than eat and sleep and go about their days wordlessly and without purpose.

He remembered the humans who had once populated the land, and cursed them for having left the ponies to fend for themselves. The humans had been their caretakers, keeping them alive and cared for as they ran their cities and civilizations by themselves, only needing the occasional pony to pull a carriage or be given to their daughters as birthday presents.

The time had come for Starswirl to renew the land once again. He had mixed feelings about it.

He’d done it before. He’d recreated the pony races twice before today, but today would be different. Previously there had been humans to live in harmony with the ponies, but without the humans these new ponies would have to be built to care for themselves. These new ponies would be the caretakers of the land, building their own cities and civilizations with their own hooves.

This is going to be a challenge, he thought sadly.

His usual spell of rebirth would spawn nothing but unguided, aimless creatures like the ones he was looking at through his window. No, he needed a new spell, a grander spell, that would create ponies like himself: ones with goals, ones who could speak and discuss life, ones who could build their own cultures and towns like the humans before them.

He turned away from the window and made his way to his laboratory, muttering under his breath as he trotted. “I have to gather my elements, I have to gather my tools, I need a guiding spirit, a plan, a place for testing, a source of power—” Starswirl stopped in his tracks, sighed, and rubbed a forehoof against his brow. “I need to make a list. I really hate lists.”

He arrived at his lab after a few minutes and began to scan the many shelves, searching for the ingredients he would need. The lab was a part of a castle that had once held a royal family. It was massive, larger than some cities, and it contained everything there was to be collected.

He worked his way through the wings, pulling bottles from the shelves as he went. Jars of scales, feathers and tufts of fur lined the shelves of the Beasts section; rare rocks and minerals sat in bottles throughout the Earth section. With his saddlebags nearly full of samples and extracts, he entered the final wing.

“This potion would be a thousand times easier if I still had my bottles of love and loyalty,” he complained as he trotted through the section marked “Emotions.” The section held all sorts of things: jars of baby kisses; bottles of laughter and dedication; containers holding the essence of truth and lies. But he had used the last of his essence of love and spirit of loyalty to settle a rising aggression between the humans and ponies many generations ago, and he’d forgotten to replace them.

“I’ll just have to make do without it,” he grumbled as he scanned the shelves for an alternative. “It’s not as though love and loyalty are necessary to a society, right? Oh, what am I thinking, of course they are! I need something to keep them together, some kind of fellowship, or camaraderie, or—”

Starswirl’s gaze stopped on a misplaced vial at the end of the shelf, and an excited grin lit up his face like a wildfire in a forest of dry leaves.

“Togetherness!” he cried, galloping down the aisle. His hat flew off as he ran, revealing his glowing horn underneath. The vial floated over to him and he ground to a halt, lifted the vial to his eyes and hoped he’d remembered to seal it properly the last time he’d used it.

“YAHOOOOO!”

His sudden urge to bounce up and down was quickly suppressed once he remembered how old he was. Sure enough, the vial contained one last drop, and with the humans gone, it would be impossible to obtain anymore. With the drop of togetherness, his pony creations would be able to live in harmony as the humans once had. This new generation would be his greatest creation to date.

A half hour later, the raw base of the potion was complete and his star-spangled wizard’s hat was back on his head. He tucked the potion into his saddlebag, carefully resting it beside the vial of togetherness. He couldn’t risk adding the togetherness until he knew the full effects of his potion. No point in creating a bunch of talking lizards, after all.

With his saddlebags resting atop his starry cape, his hat on his head and his wooden staff hovering at his side, he set off to find the perfect testing ground.

***

Starswirl spun in a circle at the bottom of the mountain and took in his surroundings. The base of the mountain was covered in tall grass, although the area in which he was standing was covered in rocks. A small forest lay nearby. The top half of the mountain was blanketed with snow, while the bottom half was grassy and peppered with the occasional tree.

He noted that the hard ground was unlikely to be damaged in an accident, and that there was enough room to be blown backwards a couple of miles and still land softly in some grass. And if his potion turned out to be a complete failure, there was fresh snow up the mountain, and nothing made him feel better about his failures than building a snowpony.

Starswirl dropped one saddlebag on the ground along with his wooden staff, and turned away from the mountain. Looking at the world behind him, he felt a twinge of regret. A part of him wished the humans would return, partly because magic was a precise science and any slight change could have severe consequences, but also because he felt he was stealing everything they were and giving it all to the ponies. The other part of him, however—and perhaps it was the older, wiser part of him—was sick of everything being the same.

Yes, what this world needs now, he thought as he took one of his few remaining bottles of pony essence and mixed it with a bit of his raw base potion, is something completely different. He shook the potion, took a deep breath, and poured it into a pit of rocks that he’d made in the ground.

Perhaps not that different, Starswirl thought wryly as he pulled himself out of the pond a few minutes later. His potion had awoken the rocks he had poured it on, and the ensuing rock monster had punched him rather hard in the chin, sending him flying into a pond nearly 200 feet away. Now why would pony essence bring a rock to life? Ah, well.

He’d wound up with a mouthful of pond algae, and now he had the idea that the algae mixed with his own saliva would be just what he needed to fix his potion (though he couldn’t be sure if it would actually work or if it was just brought on by being hit in the head with a small rock appendage). He galloped back to his testing spot, trying in vain to think of anything but the way the algae was now coating his tongue. It’s like licking an eel!

The rock monster seemed to have gotten itself trapped between some other rocks by the time Starswirl returned, but it had calmed down and was now merely complaining about the weather and how stiff its joints were. I’ll fix that later. First things first… Starswirl spat the algae into another bottle of pony essence, added it to his raw base potion, shook it up, prayed to the sun that he was right, and poured it into the rocks.

As smoke began to rise from the rocks, he decided it would be best if he hid in some tall grass nearby, lest he be punched by a rock again.

After nearly half an hour of hiding inside the grass, Starswirl poked his head out to see what had gone wrong. There had been no explosions, he could hear no complaining (other than the rock-monster who was now whining about his inability to move), and nothing had tried to kill him. Well, Starswirl, the first step in successful alchemy is not being dead, so we’re off to a good start.

He cautiously approached the pit of rocks, and discovered… absolutely nothing. The rocks weren’t even wet. It was like he’d never poured the potion at all. “Maybe I’m losing my touch,” he said with a sigh, and glanced up at the white mountaintop. Suddenly I feel like building a snowpony.

His thought was interrupted by a squeal.

Starswirl looked around, startled, but apart from the rock monster, there were no creatures in sight. Frowning, he shut his eyes and focused on the noises around him. He could hear the wind breezing past his ears, the rock monster whining nearby—

Another squeal, louder and clearer than the first. His eyes snapped open and he galloped in the direction of the noise. The grass brushed his old legs as he ran, the bells on his hat and cape jingled in the wind, and he prayed that he’d gotten it right on the second try.

***

Starswirl had been following the noise for at least three miles now, and his legs were really beginning to ache. Whatever it is, it’s certainly fast, he thought as he weaved his way through the forest. He gratefully slowed to a trot as he finally approached the source of the noise, and stepped carefully into a small clearing, unsure of what he might find there.

He sighed in relief. There in the clearing were nearly two dozen ponies playing together in the dirt. Maybe I didn’t need that togetherness after all, he thought with a proud grin. But as he watched, he realized that there was something off about the scene before him. They all had dark coats, but that wasn’t it; besides, that could be fixed. No, there was something else that was strange about all this.

The bearded wizard whistled sharply and the ponies froze where they were to stare at him. He counted twenty-three: twelve colts and eleven fillies. Seven had wings, eight had horns, and eight had neither, but one of them, a pure black pony, had wings and a horn. He stared back at them, taking slow, cautious steps towards them, and then stopped in alarm as he realized what was off.

Their muzzles are all soaked in blood!

Starswirl looked to each of them in horror and now he could see the gashes and bite marks in each of their coats, the blood that matted their fur and dripped from their teeth. There was a noise to his right; he turned to see the black alicorn wrestling with a dark blue unicorn with a white streak down its back. Oh, by the moon, they’re not playing at all! They’re trying to kill each other!

There was another noise to his left, a high-pitched squeal, and he swivelled to see a filly pegasus collapse into the dirt. The rest of the ponies scattered as he dashed to her side. She was different from the rest, smaller and much lighter-colored, and he lifted her gingerly onto his back before taking off after the other ponies, determined to put a stop to their violence.

The sky was beginning to darken overhead, and he glanced to the west to see the sun touching the horizon. How long have I been on this mountain? He shook his head and turned his gaze back to the forest before him, searching the trees for the missing ponies. If these damn creatures manage to escape... No, no, I won’t let that happen. My new world is not going to be destroyed by these things.

Galloping as fast as his ancient legs would allow, he realized suddenly that he had no idea what he would do with them once he finally found them again.

The sun had almost set when he heard the yelping, and he followed the sound to a giant willow tree up the mountainside, slowing to a stop as soon as he saw the ponies sitting beneath it. To his relief, they seemed to have calmed down, but he ducked behind a nearby bush anyway. The last thing he wanted to do now was to scare them off again.

Wrapping the pegasus filly in his magic, he gently floated her into the shade of the tree. The ponies had stopped fighting completely; they licked their wounds and growled at one another, but apart from that, they seemed rather docile. It must be the shade, Starswirl noted. It seems to have a tranquilizing effect on them.

Indeed, the darker it got, the calmer they became. Soon they had divided themselves into two groups: on the left were sixteen ponies who gathered around the alicorn, and on the right were the other six, consisting of two earth ponies, two unicorns, and two pegasi, including the injured filly.

The second group was huddled together, licking each other’s wounds and nuzzling one another. The first group, on the other hoof, seemed to be bowing to the alicorn. Now would be the time for the old pony to make his move. Slowly he removed a spellbook from one of his saddlebags, being careful not to make too much noise. He couldn’t afford to have them go running off again.

I can’t have these... things running around and wreaking havoc all over the place. The sooner I take care of this mistake, the sooner I can get back to creating non-bloodthirsty ponies,he thought as he came to the section titled “Lightning Spells”. Ah, this will do nicely.

***

It was completely dark when Starswirl decided to make his move. The yelping and growling had stopped completely, and all of the ponies were silent and settled except for two: a unicorn from the smaller group was locked in a staring contest with the alicorn, their eyes shooting daggers at each other.

Starswirl burst from his hiding place, his magic charging in his horn as he readied a deadly bolt of lightning, but the glow faded as he approached them. The two glaring at each other hadn’t even looked up at him, and only a few of the others seemed to even notice him. None made a move to attack, and suddenly Starswirl was struck by a wave of guilt.

These ponies were the first he’d ever created without the help of humans. In a way, they were his children, the first creations he’d ever been able to call his own. He knew they were dangerous, that they had the potential to tear apart any world he could create, but looking upon them now as they sat quietly in the darkness, he just didn’t have the heart to kill them.

His decision was confirmed a moment later when the unicorn broke his staring contest with the alicorn. Rising to his hooves, he approached Starswirl slowly, coming to a stop before him and staring up at the bearded pony with wide, light purple eyes. Starswirl looked down at the colt, smiled warmly and leaned down to come face-to-face with him.

This is the one with the white streak down his back—the one who was fighting with the alicorn in the clearing.

The small unicorn searched his face for a long moment before opening his mouth, dried blood cracking on his fur as he uttered a single word:

“Papa?”

***

The ponies seemed to respect power—or perhaps just taller ponies—and thus were quite willing to follow Starswirl around the mountain. It would be several hours before dawn broke, and as he watched the moon pass through the sky, he became increasingly worried as to what would happen once the sun rose again.

The other reason he had chosen this mountain was the vast network of caves it contained. The cave had been the former residence of a very large dragon, and as such was large enough for whatever ponies he created to live comfortably within it. The cave also had a single entrance, which would facilitate Starswirl’s plan to keep these ponies out of the sun, although he hoped he wouldn’t have to go through with that.

The hike to the entrance had taken most of the night, and Starswirl could sense that the sunrise would soon be upon them. When the cave came into view, he stopped just inside the entrance, and used his magic to send a small orb of light deeper inside.

Mesmerized by the light, the ponies followed the orb into the cave as the sun began to rise. When they were all fully inside, Starswirl turned and galloped into the newly-risen sun. He heard their hoofsteps behind him and, praying to the moon that he was wrong, turned around to watch as the ponies followed him into the sunlight.

But just as before, the moment the sunlight struck them, they froze in place, and a moment later they were at each other’s throats. Starswirl heaved a sigh as he watched them attack one another. Reaching out with his magic, he shoved them all back into the darkness of the cave.

***

Starswirl sat outside the cave, gazing sadly upon his creations. It had taken him four hours to construct a magical barrier across the mouth of the cave, and now the twenty-three ponies sat in the darkness, staring back at him.

The barrier would keep them from escaping at night and dissolve during the day in order to recharge. Locking them away like prisoners had been his last resort. He hadn’t wanted to do it, but—and now he looked at the bite marks on their coats and shivered—he hadn’t had any other option.

Along with the barrier, he had enchanted them all with another spell, one perhaps more selfish than merely locking them away from the sun to prevent them from killing each other. These ponies would age extremely slowly; it would be a millennium before they’d even be adolescents.

If I’m not going to let them die in the sunlight, I’m certainly not going to let them die in the darkness in a few years’ time. No, these ponies will be around as long as I am. Perhaps even longer… He sighed and turned away from the cave.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that they’ll forget the sun’s effects and escape into the day. And if that happens, they’ll either end up killing themselves or getting eaten by a passing dragon…

As he made his way back down the mountain, he forced the thought of them escaping the cave to the back of his mind. He knew that if they ever managed to escape when the sun wasn’t in the sky, there would be no stopping the devastation they were sure to cause.

But he couldn’t think about that right now. He still had three bottles of pony essence remaining, as well as the vial of togetherness. He had a job to do.

He had a new pony population to create—one that would be able to roam free in the sunlight, one that would build their own civilizations, one that would no longer need the humans to take care of them...

One that would be kept far, far away from his shadow ponies.

***