Rise of Shadows

Where the hay was Night Shade? Nightingale paced the council room, where Nightlock was huddled in a corner, shaking.

Wow. A fake brother crying for his fake sister. It sickened Nightingale to think such miniscule ponies could love each other in the way they did. Love was weird. And stupid.

Five thousand years ago, Nightingale fell in love. But what did he do to her? Threw her out the door and fell in "love" with the next prettiest unicorn.

Nightingale liked to think she was doing Night Shade a favor, stealing her away from her "boyfriend" four years ago. Oh stars, what the hay would she do if Night Shade found out about her life?

No, she mustn't think about it. Soon, Night Shade will return, laughing at the fun she had scaring the hay out of some Equestrians.

This will all be over soon.

But will it? Those six ponies that met her and Night Shade seemed stupid enough, but will they figure it out? That they were the Shadowbolts? And would they figure out their planned attack on the Wonderbolts?

Ugh. Those puny flyers disgusted Nightingale.

'Oh, look at me, I'm a pretty red flyer who farts smoke while we fly in a goose formation!'

"Oh, Nightingale, what are we going to do?" Nightlock wailed from the corner.

"Nothing, you ninny," she told him, "and stop crying, you little bitch. You're bringing shame to the Shadowbolts."

Nightlock sniffled, perturbed by the insults. But this was how Nightingale was, mean, crude, and well, a bitch.

This was the way the Queen paved her. This was the way she would mold all Shadowbolts. Nothing would stop them.

"Gather the Shadowbolts," Nightlock told her.

Nightingale chuckled. "You, my stupid minion, have no right to tell me what to do. You are nothing compared to me, so don't waste my time with your silly antics."

"I came here because I needed your help to find her, my sister!"

"Well too bad!" Nightingale told him, making him cower.

"I'll go now," said Nightlock, starting to inch his way out.

"You may not leave my presence."

Nightlock scoffed. "You are a dictator, nothing else. You do not deserve to lead us, the Shadowbolts. You should be overthrown."

As fast as lightning, Nightingale slammed against Nightlock, causing him to crash into the wall. Nightingale put her elbow to Nightlock's throat, choking him.

"Talk like that, and I'll cut out your tongue," she warned him.

Nightingale let go of Nightlock, and he gagged as he sagged to the ground.

"You're...the devil," Nightlock gasped out, and Nightingale smiled at him.

"Yes, yes I am," Nightingale replied, slapping him with her tail.

~~~~~~

Nightingale didn't care about anypony. What they said, what they did. But when the Shadowbolts talked about rebelling against her? Well, drastic measures were taken.

Nightlock was a ticking time bomb. And when he blew up, Nightingale would do what she needed to do to protect her rule.

Even if it means lying to her star Shadowbolt.

Even if it means...death.

She never liked Nightlock. Only kept him around because she wanted Night Shade to stay faithful.

Night Shade was never supposed to leave Nightingale's watch. Her past was too important. Too vital to Nightingale's war.

And now she was gone. Gone into Equestria, the very place Nightingale has sworn to protect her from. That place was evil. Equestria revolted against the Queen. Turned her into the thing known to Shadowbolts as Her Imperial Majesty.

Nightingale walked around Shadow City, oblivious to the ponies cringing around her.

Suddenly a pony tapped on Nightingale's shoulder. Turning around, she saw it was Cinder, a pegasus who had a crush on Night Shade since she came here four years ago.

"Is it true?" he asked her. "Is Night Shade really gone?"

"Yes, Cinder. It is," replied Nightingale in a monotone.

He scoffed. "Then we have to find her! Send out three pegasi and bring her home!''

"No, Cinder. It isn't safe. Besides, Nightlock has already asked me that question."

"Then let me and Nightlock go. It'll be two ponies. Just two to find her."

The love in his eyes disgusted Nightingale. She would have to whoop it out of him during training.

"No, Cinder. She is the best flyer in the Shadowbolts. She will be fine on her own, and if she has any sense, she will find the Queen. But for now, we must plan the attack on the Wonderbolts."

Cinder's eyes looked like they were about to shoot lasers. "If four thousand Shadowbolts can go at once, why can't one or two to look for a pony?"

Nightingale's anger grew. What was the real reason? So they wouldn't find out about their past as well? So they'd be faithful to Nightingale?

"Because I said so," Nightingale ordered, her voice like lava. "Now, if you have any sense at all, you will leave now."

Cinder shook his head at her. "You will never change, will you?'' he said, flying off.

No, stupid colt. If she did change, her power over them would falter. She would become a mindless zombie Shadowbolt, under the rule of another.

For she was evil. She embraced the evil inside.

She was the one who advised the Queen a thousand years ago.

She was the cause of the menace called Night Mare Moon.

And Nightingale loved it.

~~~~~~

Zelda nodded to Nightingale as she entered the apartment complex. Instead of houses, each Shadowbolt, unless you wanted to live with another, would get an apartment. Zelda was the "real estate agent" of Shadow City, and she lived in the same complex as Nightingale.

"So, Miss Scowls-A-Lot," Zelda greeted Nightingale, "did you have a nice day?"

Nightingale returned the greeting by saying, "well, Mother, I didn't have a 'nice day'. Thank you for asking."

Zelda was the only pony who ever talked back to Nightingale. She was the first Shadowbolt chosen by Nightingale, thousands and thousands of years ago.

Nightingale ignored Zelda a lot. It was the only way to actually be able to live with her.

"Nightingale, I heard Night Shade was taken today. I'm sorry to hear that."

She grunted in response. Zelda wasn't a particularly bad pony. She was spirited and had a lot of spunk. And, she wasn't afraid to talk back, despite the consequences.

But she always knew her place.

Never questioned authority. Sort of like a filly.

"If you want, a few of us can go searching for her," Zelda inquired.

"You have no idea how many bucking ponies have asked me that today."

"Then you should allow it.''

"No, Zelda! It's too dangerous!"

"Oh, come on. She's your star. Your assistant. Your lackey, whatever. You should let Nightlock go, or Cinder or Stratus or somepony."

Nightingale sighed. Did Night Shade mean something to her? Or was she just a prized trophy?

"Fine," she finally told her. "You go, Cinder, and Stratus. Don't let Nightlock go. I have something special planned for him."