For the first time in my existence, I felt the sensation of flesh. A heart thumped within my newformed chest while lungs gasped for air. A tingling ran from my spine all the way to my hooves. I felt alive. I liked it.
I opened my eyes, and saw her. The lavender mare in whose mind I had resided for the past few days. Looked upon her with eyes she’d given me. My gaze met hers. I opened my mouth to speak.
And then the feeling of exhaustion hit me. If I weren’t already crumpled on the floor I would have collapsed completely. My eyes closed, and in that moment I yearned for a sleep which I had never felt before. In another moment, I had it.
…
My next sensation was one of warmth, of softness covering my body. My senses made out the feeling of a bed, of warm blankets. I shifted instinctively, settling further into the warmth and comfort. But this time, my body rejected sleep, my eyes resisting and forcing themselves open.
I found myself aware of several things. I was in a luxurious room, in a splendid four-poster bed. Sunlight streamed across the room from large windows along the room, barely veiled by indigo curtains. I was also not the room’s sole occupant.
On a sitting couch next to the bed sat a particular pony I had come to respect: Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia and scholar of friendship. She seemed to be asleep, however – curled up on the couch with a book lying on the floor before her.
I smiled. It produced a warmth in my chest to know she’d stayed at my bedside until I’d awoken. The others distrusted me, had been prepared to unleash the Elements of Harmony upon me if this new body was inhabited by a more malign presence. But Twilight had faith in me, had faith that I would prevail against the darkness I’d fought, my struggle against my own self to gain control of the body I now possessed. That meant a lot to me.
I reached a hoof out to her, brushing hers lightly. When this failed to rouse her, I drew back, smiling and thinking, I’ll let her sleep… she’s waited for me, I’ll wait for her.
I didn’t have to wait long. Before the sunlight’s angle grew much further, she began to stir. Slowly she rose to a sitting position, yawned, and opened her eyes. Her gaze fell upon me and her eyes met mine.
“Good morning, Twilight.” I said. I then frowned, realizing what I’d just said. “It is morning, right? Was I out the whole night?”
“Good morning, Shade. Yes, you were. You passed out right after your body formed.” She smiled. “Rainbow Dash was convinced you were faking it. Still, I was able to convince Princess Celestia to put you up in a good room until you recovered.” Her face changed to one of concern. “How do you feel?”
“I feel alive.” I stretched, my muscles responding with a pleasurable ache. I then levitated the blankets off me and stepped onto the floor, my hooves supporting me as though it weren’t the first time. I noted that I seemed to tower over Twilight, almost a full head taller than her. “It’s a wonderful feeling, not being cooped up in your head. No offense.”
She laughed a little. “None taken. I have to admit, it’s a little weird not hearing your thoughts all the time. It’ll take me a while before I can get used to talking to myself again.”
I chuckled. “Well, I-“ I was interrupted by a growling sound from my stomach. “I guess I’m hungry. Do you mind if I have breakfast with you?”
Twilight’s smile faded. “Princess Celestia wanted to see you as soon as you woke up…”
“Oh.” One half of my mouth turned into a frown. “I should have expected such. Well, let me at least find a mirror and make myself presentable.”
Twilight nodded. “There’s a bathroom over there,” she gestured with a hoof towards the other end of the room, where a bathroom indeed awaited. I made my way over there, not bothering to close the door behind me.
I stared into the mirror for what seemed like a long time. I stared into my own red eyes, pleased to see that the whites of my eyes were actually white, and not green with the taint of dark magic. It was also with surprise that I noted that my horn actually looked… normal. Gone was the curvature and the red gradient. It was a good change, I felt.
My mane was a mess, though. It looked just like Sombra’s, and I couldn’t fathom how Sombra could have stood to have his mane like that. I levitated a nearby hairbrush and attempted to tame it. My success was… limited. At least when I was done with it, it hung down a bit and didn’t look so wild. Maybe in time I’ll get used to it. I smiled at the thought.
When I was done with that I levitated a small cloth to me and turned on the water faucet, lowering the cloth into the stream to get it wet, and then wiped my face off, enjoying – well, not enjoying, but glad for – the feeling of the cold water on my face. Once that was done and the water was turned off, I turned and started to exit the bathroom, but something caught my eye: My cutie mark in the mirror’s reflection – a trio of red crystals, one larger and lower than the others.
I wondered. Is that Sombra’s cutie mark? Or my own? I didn’t remember Sombra’s cutie mark and no one in Canterlot had seen it while he was king, so I remained in the dark as to whether this was another unwanted relic of “my” past, or a part of my own self-identity. I sighed and left the bathroom.
Twilight was no longer in the room, but instead was waiting outside. The golden doors opened up onto a balcony, from which stairs descended into the castle. All things considered, it looked like I’d gotten a good room. Bodes well for my future, I thought. If Celestia had seen fit to give her latest “guest” a room like this, then it meant she at least intended on letting me go free. Otherwise, she’d simply have thrown me in the dungeon. There was still a chance I’d end up there, but it was a slim one, I hoped.
Twilight led me around and through the castle on the way to Celestia’s throne room. I slowly began to recognize the path from when Twilight had walked in, still carrying me in her mind. I looked around at my surroundings as I walked. Despite the guard presence, the castle was truly beautiful. It was clear that it was built by architects more concerned with things like aesthetics and beauty than with war. This was a castle, but it wasn’t a fortress – it was a work of art. Much like the Crystal Castle… when it wasn’t corrupted by dark magic.
At last we reached the throne room. Two guards flanking the door opened the way for us, and we proceeded inside. Celestia sat on her throne, regal and radiant as I suspected she always was, looking down upon us with a gaze that was severe but not overbearing.
Twilight promptly bowed before her, but bowing was not an instinct for me, and something – perhaps pride – made me hesitate a moment before I followed suit. I recalled that this was one of the ponies who had once bested Sombra himself. This was also the mentor of Twilight Sparkle, and the ruler of a kingdom. All very good reasons to show deference.
If Celestia noticed my hesitation, she made no show of it. Instead she merely said, “Shade.”
I rose to my hooves and looked up at her. “Yes, your majesty?” The words came a little slower than I would have liked.
“While I wish I could simply welcome you to Equestria, the circumstances surrounding your… origin means that I have to set some ground rules in place.”
I wouldn’t expect any less. “Name them.”
“For starters, despite you being, for lack of a better term, Sombra’s heir, the Crystal Empire is not yours to rule. That responsibility falls to Princess Cadence.”
“Why her?” Something inside me flared up, some sense of being wronged. I fought it down – I had little attachment to the Crystal Empire more than any other place, and I would be unwelcome there besides. But I’d already spoken.
“Princess Cadence is the distant living heir to the Crystal Empire, and as a result has the ability to channel the power of the Crystal Heart. More than that, she is also recognized by the crystal ponies as the Crystal Princess.”
“Sounds reasonable.” I was dimly aware of Twilight Sparkle looking slightly aghast at how I spoke to Celestia – like to an equal, not to a social superior. I suppose it was some subconscious remnant of Sombra’s time as king. “What else?”
“Twilight Sparkle trusts you completely, and as a result so do I, but other ponies may not feel the same way. Until you have earned their trust, you will stay with Twilight Sparkle, both for your protection and others.”
“Understood and agreed.” I was actually glad at this, being officially assigned to stay with Twilight.
“Finally, it is important that you learn the values which Sombra lacked. To that end, you will be studying the magic of friendship with Twilight, and will report your findings to me along with her and her friends.”
I thought for a moment at this. “The magic of friendship… can it really hold such power?” I said, more to myself than anypony else. “I suppose it must, or else Twilight would not have come this far. I accept.”
Celestia regarded me solemnly with her gaze. “Understand that the purpose of friendship, while a form of strength, is not power in and of itself. Keep that in mind.”
“Of course. Anything else?”
“No. You are free to go with Twilight and her friends.”
“Thank you, your majesty.” I bowed once more, deciding it was best to make up for any lost respect.
“You may go. Oh,” She smiled, a wonderfully warm smile. “Welcome to Equestria.”
“Glad to be here, Princess.” I smiled, my genuine delight keeping me from spitting the title. Another instinctive reaction that I was thankfully able to control. I turned to Twilight. “Time to meet your friends.”
“Of course. Celestia’s staff has prepared a breakfast for us, so they’re probably waiting for us in the dining hall.”
…
After going through several majestic hallways, we entered into a long room with a nearly-as-long table in the center, with a great variety of dishes upon it. Awaiting us, already seated, were Twilight’s five friends and her dragon assistant, falling silent from their previous conversations as we entered the room. I noted the fact that they still had their Elements equipped, and noted also that they weren’t exactly greeting me with smiles.
“Hello, girls,” Twilight said jovially. “This is Shade.”
I observed each of them. Rainbow Dash and Spike were giving me death glares. Applejack’s gaze was less severe but still wary, and held much more scrutiny. Fluttershy looked more afraid than anything else. Rarity appeared to be staring at my mane. And Pinkie Pie had her head tilted to the side, staring off into the distance as though pondering something.
I felt something that was unfamiliar to me: self-consciousness. I wasn’t quite nervous, of course, just very aware of being outnumbered six-to-one by ponies (and a dragon) who had multiple reasons to hold a grudge against Sombra – and me.
I tried to give a reassuring smile. “No need to introduce yourselves, I already know you all, in a way.”
Twilight gave what I assumed was an attempt at a laugh. “Oh yeah, that’s right!” I assumed it was an attempt to break the ice, so to speak. Despite this, the ice remained as cold as the Frozen North. Perhaps sensing this, she found herself a seat at the head of the table.
I followed and sat beside her. Spike was sitting opposite me, and I could tell he was not happy. I could sense each of their gazes on me as I stared at the table and the various dishes upon it. I assumed this was a feast fit for a king, though for a first meal I didn’t feel particularly picky. I didn’t recognize anything in particular, not even the simple meals Twilight seemed to prefer. I levitated something flowery over to my plate and took a bite out of it. The taste wasn’t enough to distract me from the silence.
I was completely uncertain what to do other than eat. I didn’t know what to say that might ease the tension I felt. At last I decided to resolve things the only way I could think of – bluntly.
“You know,” I began, “If you have a problem with me being here, just say it… please.” For some reason I nearly stumbled over the word “please.”
Everypony stopped eating, or pretending to eat, and the ones who weren’t already staring at me were doing so now. After a moment Applejack swallowed her food and said, “It’s not that, Shade-“
“Yes it is.” Rainbow Dash interjected.
Applejack glared at her tactless friend and continued. “-It’s just… well, trust isn’t just something that comes instantly.”
Twilight started to say, “Applejack…”
“Sorry, Twi, I know you trust him and all, but the rest of us are gonna need a little time.”
“It’s more than that,” I ventured, “You see Sombra when you look at me, don’t you?”
Yet another silence reigned, at least for the moment that I allowed it. “Well, as far as I’m concerned the resemblance is skin-deep. I have none of his memories, and I’ve made it clear with Celestia that I have none of his goals. All I want is a chance at a life of my own.”
A small sound came from Fluttershy’s direction, that in any less tense of a social situation wouldn’t have been recognized as speech. “I’d… be willing to give you a chance.”
A moment passed, and then I smiled at her. The smile was picked up by Pinkie Pie, who joined in with “Me too! As soon as we get back to Ponyville I’m going to throw a super-duper welcoming party!”
Rarity smiled as well. “And I’d love to personally give you a bit of a makeover so you’ll look less like Sombra!”
The corners of Applejack’s mouth twitched. “Well, that’s a start. I know so long as you keep your word, you’ll win everypony’s trust in no time.”
I turned to the last pony in the group. “What about you, Rainbow Dash?”
She was still staring daggers into me, a frown on her face.
“Please?” Twilight said.
The frown slowly faded. “All right, but I’ve got my eye on you.”
I chuckled. “Fair enough.”
Perhaps it was the fact that my laugh didn’t sound like the evil laughter they’d heard from Sombra, but I could tell that Rainbow Dash relaxed slightly. Spike still looked apprehensive, but he returned to eating… gems? Yes, gems. I thought it a waste of jewels, but he was a dragon, what could I say? Though we continued to eat in silence, somehow it was though a weight was lifted from the room.
Author's Note
Well, I think my writing's improved a little bit since my first story, eh? Note that updating may be a bit slow, since my mental muse has been a bit low-key lately, but rest assured, Shade and his story are very much in my thoughts.
Fun Fact - I keep forgetting Spike exists.
The rocking of the train car was surprisingly relaxing, and I might have drifted off to sleep were it not for two factors. One was the gorgeous landscape of Equestria, the rolling green hills and fields that followed the breathtaking mountain that Canterlot was built into. The other was the babble of conversation that surrounded me. Some of it even involved me.
“Ooooh,” Pinkie Pie squealed in delight. “I can’t wait to get back to Ponyville and start preparing a welcoming party!”
I was starting to form a train of thought regarding what kind of a name for a town “Ponyville” was, but it was derailed when Twilight added, “I’m sure you’ll love it, Shade! Pinkie Pie throws the best parties around!”
“Ah, yes,” I said. “I recall one of them from my time in your mind. It certainly was enjoyable, even if I couldn’t partake in it.”
“Like I said, I’m sure you’ll love it.” Twilight smiled. “Ponyville’s a friendly place, I’m sure they’ll be glad to meet you.”
“That reminds me…” A thought had suddenly struck me. “I should have asked Celestia about this, but what exactly are we going to tell everypony about where I came from?”
Twilight looked a little… lost at this. “The… truth?”
“I’d rather not be known as ‘that pony who used to be an evil king.’ This is all about fresh starts, remember?”
“It’ll be all right, sugarcube.” Applejack was the one to reply. “Nopony out here really knows who Sombra was. We’ll just tell them about how you’re looking for redemption. They accepted Princess Luna again, they’ll do the same for you.”
“Why, what happened with Luna?”
The ponies in the car seemed a little stunned at my ignorance. I followed my statement with “Keep in mind, I’m a thousand years out of date. Not like I remember anything anyways…”
Twilight smiled sheepishly. “It’s… a long story. I’ll tell you later. Applejack’s right, the best way to go about is to tell it how it is.”
I nodded. “Very well. I’ll trust your judgment on this. But another thing – where will I live? What role will I perform in society?”
There was a moment of silence before Rarity spoke: “I-dee-aaa! Your special talent has to do with crystals, right?” She gestured with a hoof at my flank.
“I suppose.”
“Well, as it turns out, I have an… affinity for gems, myself.” She glanced sideways at me, doing her best to look regal . “I’m sure we could work out an arrangement of some sort.”
It wasn’t quite clear to me why Spike was suddenly glaring at me, but I nonetheless responded to Rarity: “Sounds reasonable to me. Of course, I need to figure out what spells I can cast… particularly involving gems and crystals.”
Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, I’d love to help you with that, Shade! I can’t wait to see what kind of magic you can do! You can even stay at my place until you make enough bits to buy a house of your own!”
The thought delighted me, despite having to share the place with a small dragon whose eyes alone wanted me dead, only some of the reasons for which I comprehended. Still, I smiled. “Sounds good to me. Glad we’ve got everything covered in that regard.”
…
Soon I felt the train begin to slow, and soon after that we arrived in Ponyville. As I and the others stepped out of the train, I took a deep breath and looked around. It was just like when, several days ago, Twilight stepped onto the same platform, with me in her mind. Except now, we had our separate bodies, and I for one was enjoying mine.
Before I could do anything else, I was dragged to Rarity’s boutique to make myself look civilized (her words, not mine). My sideburns were shaved off, and my mane was thoroughly combed so that it fell on either side of my neck. At least, that’s how it looked eventually.
Rarity inspected her handiwork. “I still think we should trim it…”
I frowned. “This is the third style you’ve given me. I think this will do quite nicely.”
“I suppose it will. You look quite a bit younger now.” She smiled.
Twilight was standing nearby. “I agree! You look quite handsome, Shade.”
I allowed a faint smile to creep up along my face. “I’m glad to hear that. What next?”
“Well, Pinkie Pie’s party is nearly ready.”
“And as the guest of honor, I suppose I should be on time.” I began walking towards the door. “Lead the way, Twilight.”
…
The party was as bright and festive as the ponies attending it. Every shade of color could be found amongst the decorations and guests in Sugar Cube Corner, with streamers and balloons above and ponies below. Even the food was colorfully decorated, with all colors of frosting on the cakes and sweets.
Amongst it all, I stood out, in more ways than one. I was not only taller than the average pony, but also my dark coloration seemed to cast a shadow over the room. Or at least, that’s what I felt. The ponies didn’t seem to mind: on the contrary, I was surprised by their openness and friendliness. I was greeted warmly by countless ponies, more than I could remember. I couldn’t help but smile.
“See?” Twilight was by my side the whole time. “I knew you’d enjoy it.”
“Whee!” Pinkie Pie bounced by. “This is so much better than the last welcoming party I threw!”
I opened my mouth to ask for an elaboration, but reconsidered. The confused look on Twilight’s face told me I was perhaps wise in not pursuing the topic.
“Oh!” Pinkie Pie said. “You haven’t had your cake yet!” She hopped over to a table at the far end of the room, upon the end of which sat a large, festively decorated cake. “I hope you like it! I was going to decorate it in your colors but we don’t have any grey-colored frosting…”
I chuckled. “Thanks for the thought, Pinkie. I don’t think a grey cake would be very appealing, anyways.” I moved towards the cake, upon which several things happened in more or less rapid succession.
As I walked alongside the table, a previously unassuming cylinder suddenly erupted with a volley of paper snakes. So startled was I that I instinctively fired a magical blast at the source. This resulted in the table breaking in two. As a result of the now-angled surface on which it sat, the cake slid towards the broken center of the table – and straight towards me, the side of the cake smacking into my face and covering it in cake frosting.
For a moment, no one made a sound. And then, Rainbow Dash burst into laughter.
I glared at her, but it was a moment before she met my eyes, her own screwed shut in mirth. When she looked back at me, though, she saw something in my eyes that made her stop instantly, and her expression turned to one of… morbid shock? Fear was too strong a word, but something told me my gaze was far more malign than I’d intended.
“Rainbow Dash.” I stated simply and coldly.
“Y-yes?”
“You’re paying for the table.” I smiled just a little.
She breathed a sigh of relief as I went on. “Well, I’d say I’m now properly decorated for the occasion.” And with that I licked around my mouth at the frosting as the room burst out into laughter.
…
The rest of the party was uneventful – cake and conversations were had, but eventually the festivities began to wind down as ponies excused themselves. Eventually, Twilight and I were among them.
After I’d cleaned myself off, we set off for Twilight’s home. She led the way, Spike upon her back and myself trailing along beside and behind her.
“So,” she said as we walked, “What exactly are you going to do with Rarity?”
“I didn’t get a chance to ask, actually. Obviously something to do with gemstones.” An idea suddenly occurred to me. “Twilight, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to use any gems you have as practice materials for spells.”
“Of course.” She affixed me with a curious gaze. “What are you going to do with them?”
“I’m going to find out.”
As we entered the library, Twilight said, “Spike, find a few good-sized gemstones for us.” As Spike hopped off her back, she began to peruse the bookshelves.
“What are you looking for?” I asked.
“Oh, anything on jewels and magic that can affect them.” She pulled out a tome with her magic while Spike returned with an armful of gems. “Don’t mind me, I’ll just be doing research on what kind of magic you’re using.”
I nodded and took ahold of one of the gems in my telekinesis, an octagonal blue jewel, and set it on the floor before me. I closed my eyes and focused on it. In the next few moments, it was as though the jewel had become a part of me, a part of my body and soul, subject to my will. I moved within it as though manipulating my own body. When I opened my eyes, I saw that the crystal had been reshaped into a perfectly spherical orb.
Twilight was flipping through pages of her book like mad. “Fascinating. You didn’t cut it, you actually molded it into a new form! I think we may have stumbled on some secret crystal pony magic…”
I chuckled. “Maybe that’s my special talent.” I closed my eyes and focused again, this time willing the crystal into a different shape. When I opened my eyes, it had been transformed into a three-pronged clawlike shape. I focused again, and this time… the crystal resembled a lowercase h.
I sighed. “I was trying to make a pony sculpture with that one. Guess I won’t be doing any fine masterpieces tonight.” I focused my magic again and returned the crystal to its original shape. “I have an idea of what I can do for Rarity… I’ll propose the idea tomorrow.” I yawned. “For now, I think I should get some rest.”
Twilight nodded before putting the book away. “Of course! Let me get the guest bed ready.” As she trotted upstairs, I took several more gems from Spike – these ones small and misshapen. With magic and force of will, I was able to turn each into a beautifully cut shape as Spike looked on in wonder. Soon Twilight called down the stairs, “Shade, it’s ready!”
I trotted upstairs, ignoring the crunching sounds behind me, and surveyed the bedroom. The guest bed stood opposite Twilight’s own, making the most of the limited floor space in the bedroom. I smiled. “It’ll do nicely.” I then moved towards Twilight and embraced her in one hoof as her expression turned to one of surprise. “Thank you, Twilight, for everything you’ve done.”
Twilight blushed lightly. “It’s no problem, Shade. It’s what any decent pony would do.”
“You’re not just a decent pony, you’re a terrific pony.” I kept smiling. “Well, good night, Twilight.”
“Good night, Shade.” We each settled into our respective beds, even Spike who’d come up from below. I closed my eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.
Author's Note
Trying to figure out how to apply cake to Shade took a while.
Don't be fooled by the rapid update - my muse is fickle, and every chapter threatens to be the last. Well, that's a bit dire, but suffice to say it may take a while to write the next chapter. I just had most of this one pre-written, is all.
