The Shadow Stallionby Ephraim BlueChaptersPrologue - A Vanishing ActChapter 1 - Cleaning The LibraryChapter 2 - The Forever NightChapter 3 - TrespasserChapter 4 - New Line of WorkChapter 5 - HiredPrologue - A Vanishing ActThe Shadow Stallion By: Ephraim Blue Prologue - A Vanishing Act Ponyville Streets June 19th 4:30 AM Pitch Black loved to roam the streets. They were always quiet... and relaxing... and did I mention quiet? Well, that was to be expected. The streets were always quiet at 4:30 in the morning. What was even better than roaming the quiet streets, was finally being able to stretch his legs. He had been cooped up on his house all day, he hadn't gotten to exercise like everypony else did. Actually, he never did. While everypony is usually up and about in the morning, he was always hiding in his house next to the old library. That place wasn't really the best place to be. The library was always dusty, old, and definitely needed new books. He should know. He's only been there about three times in the past week. He was, as you might say, a caretaker of sorts for that old place. Since nopony actually lived there, he was asked by the mayor one day to make sure that it was kept in top position. He went over every other day to dust, check the books had been left around carelessly by others, and reshelf them if necessary. It wasn't a bad job at all. He loved to have something to occupy his time. It wasn't low paying either. He was just lonely doing it. Sometimes, he wished that somepony would enjoy doing what he did all the time. But then again, who would want to stay up every night just to reshelf books? Nopony in this small town, that's for sure. The streets remained quiet. They always have been quiet to him. If there was one pony in the entire land of Equestria that wanted to stay up all night and just roam the streets, he would be glad to meet that pony. But, there was nopony quite like Pitch Black. For he had a secret. It wasn't a life threatening secret. Nothing like that. It was a secret that he kept hidden because nopony would truly understand what he would be talking about. The secret? He vanished at the sight of day. I don't mean he skedaddled out from where he was. Nor do I mean that he was simply afraid of the light. I mean that he literally vanishes when sunlight touches him. That's how his life had been ever since he was a filly. His parents had found out about this 'power' shortly after he was born. Whenever the sunlight touched him, he vanished instantly. Both of his parents obviously freaked out over what had happened. He reappeared that very night, right in the exact spot he vanished. His parents had cried their eyes out when they found him again. They were so relieved about what happened, that they sobbed all throughout the night. The next day, as soon as the sunlight touched him again, he vanished. Once again, his parents freaked out. They didn't calm down until he reappeared again that night. After this happened the second time, they maser sure to keep me out of the light from then on out. They got a new house on the countryside, staying out of big cities and other towns. The house was kept nice and dark, preventing most of the sunlight from entering the house. He still accidentally wandered into a small patch of light every once in a while, but still reappeared that night. They kept him out of schools because of this. Instead, they homeschooled him for his education. He didn't mind being taught by his parents. He eventually learned about him being able to disappear as soon as the light touched him. Sometimes, his parents used that as a form of punishment if he did something really bad. He got used to it... eventually. Life went on fine until the tragic event that happened to him recently. When he was staying hidden during the day, like he always did, a fire started in his old house. He tried to get to the sink to collect water, but the flames had blocked his path. They had also blocked all of the entrances and exits of the house. His parents came up with a plan. They certainly weren't happy about it, but it was the only thing they could do. They led Pitch to a small, wooden room with a retractable roof. They told him to stay in the middle of the room, and walked toward a button on the wall. Pitch realized what was happening too late. His parents pushed the button, allowing sunlight to enter. He vanished. When he reappeared that night, everything was burnt down. There were other ponies there as well. They almost immediately noticed him and asked if he knew what happened. He told them about the fire, as well as how his parents had 'hidden' him, allowing him to survive. Ever since that day, he had lived in the closest town there was. Ponyville. It was a nice, relatively quiet town. Especially at night. He wandered the streets frequently, hoping he would forget about that day. But he could never forget the look on his parent's faces right before he vanished. The look of sorrow mixed with happiness. Is my secret a gift... Pitch thought as he continued to walk down the street. ...or a curse? Whatever it is, its my special talent. He looked down at his back, not realizing that he was wearing a cape. He lifted his cape to reveal a clouded sun, symbolizing him vanishing as soon as the sun touched him. Most ponies who visited him during the day and saw his cutie mark, usually thought that he was good at cloudy days, or adjusting the weather to be a cloudy day. He was a pegasus after all. He just went along with what they thought. They wouldn't believe him if he told them what it really meant. Sighing, he lowered his cape to its original position. Some might think that a cape would get in the way of flying, but it really doesn't. It helped him keep warm at night, as well as make him look at least 20% cooler while flying, by Rainbow Dash's standards. He had never met this Rainbow pegasus. He had heard of her miraculous Sonic Rainboom as a filly, as well as leader of the weather team, but never actually met her. He had heard from his friends, that visited every once in a while, tell him that she said it a lot. He glanced at the horizon, seeing the tiniest batch of sunlight. On instinct, he ran toward his house. Just as the sun lit up the town with its light, he had closed the door to his home. The house was relatively dark. It made total sense, since he couldn't be seen during the day. He had kept all of the blinds closed, windows tightly shut, and door locked almost all of the time. That was how he lived. That is how he must live. And that is how he liked it. Chapter 1 - Cleaning The LibraryChapter 1 - Cleaning The Library Ponyville Library June 19th 9:30 PM The for rest of the previous day, Pitch sat in his house as he always did. It wasn't bad. He was just bored. As previously stated, he didn't get to stretch his legs. That's the main reason he came out at night. If he stayed in his house all the time, he would have cramps for as long as he lived. Throughout the day, he mostly slept. Being awake all night really does a number on a pony. After he awoke around three that evening, he went downstairs to eat. He usually had his friends bring him a variety of foods, which he paid for using the money that the mayor gave to him for his services on the library. He watched the hours on the clock tick by, waiting for night to fall upon the town. After many hours of waiting, he stepped outside to the beautiful night sky. It was always beautiful. The stars that lit it up, the moon shimmering onto the town, and even the Mare in the Moon was beautiful. He never really understood why it was always there. He just allowed it to brighten up the night sky. He walked over to the library like he always did. It had been about two days since he had cleaned the place up. It was time for the library to have another checkup. As he approached the door, he found a note attached to it. It read: Dear Mister Pitch Black, We understand that you are the one who takes care of the library in Ponyville. We wished to inform you of this earlier, but there were several ponies that said you did not want to be disturbed during the day. Therefore, we have hung this note on the library door so that you may read it when you have the chance. We had come to inform you that there would be a new guest coming to the town. She will be staying at the library until further notice. She will arrive on the 20th, so we hope that you get this note before then. Until then, you may continue to take care of the library. If of any convenience, we wish that you send us a letter saying that you agree to these terms. Thank you, and have a nice day. The Royal Guard Pitch reread the letter several times to make sure he got the message. There were several things he could not get strait. First, the royal guard was Princess's personal guards. Why would they send him a letter? Second, there was no name saying who would be staying at the library, or even how long they were staying. He was bothered by these thoughts. However, he shrugged them off and used his key to open the doors to the library. The inside was the same it had always had been. Round and filled with books. A bit dusty, but that was nothing that he couldn't fix with a duster. He marched into the building, flicking on the lights and making the entire room light up. He walked over to the small, hidden closet underneath the stairs. Opening it, he picked out several cleaning supplies needed to clean this place up. Lets see, he began thinking. Broom. Dustpan. Mop. Bucket. Duster... Yup. Everything still seems to be here. Picking out the broom and the dustpan, he began to sweep the floor. Some might find doing some chores without magic to be hard, but Pitch found it quite easy. All you had to do was sweep the floor with the broom in one hoof, while the other hoof held the dustpan to the floor. He swept as much as he could before glancing at the clock. It read 10:46. Thinking that it was time to move on to something else, he put the broom and dustpan away after cleaning them off. He then picked up the bucket and the mop. He filled the bucket with water from the sink in the kitchen. After doing so, he dipped the mop into the bucket. He let it soak a bit before pulling it out and started mopping the floor. Mopping wasn't really a needed thing, but he still did it to get rid of the rest of the dust he could not get on the floor. He flew above the wet floor, preventing his hooves from getting wet. Once he was done mopping, he sat on top of the stairs to wait for it to dry. While doing so, he picked up a random book off the shelf and began to read. After about two hours, he looked up from the book to see that the floor had dried. He flew down to the secret compartment inside the stairs. Picking up the duster, he began to sweep the bookshelves and all the books on them. The entire library was completely clean with about an entire night's hard work. Looking at the clock after he was completely finished, he saw that it read 4:45. Sighing, he put away all of the materials that he had gotten out. After doing so, he turned off the lights on the library and closed the door. He locked the door using his key that he kept with him almost all the time. Once done, he began to walk home. He started thinking about the letter that was left on the library door for him. It had said a new guest was coming to stay at the library temporarily. If I didn't know better, he thought. Pinkie Pie is going to throw her a party tomorrow at the library. That is where she was staying. Pinkie would definitely find out where she was staying sooner or later. He opened the door to his house just as the sun had started to rise from the horizon. After slowly walking up the stairs, he fell onto his bed and immediately fell asleep. Pitch Black's House June 20th 6:00 PM Pitch awoke around six that evening. It totally made sense to him about waking up that late. He had used up all of his energy the night before when he cleaned the library. He grumbled as he arose from his bed. He was used to being a heavy sleeper, but staying asleep till six meant that he was really tired. He fixed himself a quick meal before checking his mail. It was all the same stuff he normally got. Bill, bill, bill, and a single party invite. He tore open the party letter and read to himself: Dear Pitch Black, You are hereby invited to attend a surprise party in the Ponyville Library at 6:30 this evening. We hope that you will attend. Sincerely, Pinkie Pie He finished his small meal just as he finished reading the letter. He looked outside to see of it was dark enough for him to travel outside. It was, much to his surprise. It was supposed to be the shortest night and the longest day of the year. He just shrugged it off and headed on over to the party. Ponyville Library June 21st 4:25 Pitch quickly lost track of time once he got to the party. They all started playing pin the tail on the pony, which turned out to be more fun than he had ever imagined. He had never really been much of a social pony, due to his ability. This was perhaps one of the best nights that he ever had. Then, for no reason, all of the ponies started to exit the building. He looked around in confusion. Where is everypony going? he thought. Without being one to usually try and stand out, he hung with the crowd. He didn't notice the small red line coming from the area where the sun was supposed to rise. Chapter 2 - The Forever NightChapter 2 - The Forever Night Town Hall June 21st 4:28 AM The crowd made its way to the town hall in the center of town. It didn't take long to walk to, so Pitch found himself there in no time. When he entered the spacious building, he found it decorated with what seemed like some of the finest fabric Pitch had ever seen. They hung from the pillars and the platform the princess was supposed to raise the sun from. Oh no! he thought. Today is the Summer Sun Celebration! I completely forgot! I have to get out of here. He quickly turned to the doors, only to find that they were closed. He glanced at the clock on the wall. 4:29 it read. There was no time left. Once the princess raised the sun, he would disappear. He heard everypony gasp around him. He turned in the direction they were facing to see that the princess wasn't there. A dark mist formed onto the platform. It took the shape of a dark alicorn, laughing maniacally above them. The mayor ordered the guards to attack, only to see them swatted away like flies. The dark alicorn asked a question in a booming voice. "Do you fools know who I am?" "I know who you are," a single voice from the crowd spoke. All ponies there turned to her. What Pitch saw, was a purple unicorn standing in the middle of the floor. "Your the Mare in the Moon: Nightmare Moon!" Pitch looked at the moon in the sky. For the first time he had ever known, the face that was in the moon had left. He stared back at the unicorn with raw amazement. How had she known bout this alicorn's coming? "Well, it's nice to know that somepony knows who I am," Nightmare Moon stated. "I suppose you know why I am here as well?" "Your here to.." She looked around at all of the ponies staring at her. "To..." Nightmare Moon once again laughed, using her mane to flow toward the sky. Her alicorn magic had suddenly forced all the sunlight that was found in the sky to vanish. "The night, shall last forever!" Nightmare Moon yelled. Pitch could only stare at the events that were taking place. The night is going to last forever, he thought. This is probably the greatest thing that has ever happened to me! Pitch immediately ran outside. The night sky seemed even better than before. He was glad for there to be everlasting night. He never had to hide from the sun again. Ponyville Streets June 21st 4:30 AM It was still 4:30. Its been that way for about 2 hours now. Ever since Nightmare Moon prevented the sunrise, the clocks stopped working. The clocks have a special magical effect that tells them where the sun is. The time changes when the sun moves. Since the sun wasn't moving anywhere, they couldn't tell time anymore. Pitch didn't mind. He liked how the time never changed. It allowed him to stay outside for however long he wished. He had to remember to thank Nightmare Moon for what she had done the next time he saw her. Thinking about Nightmare Moon made Pitch think about that purple unicorn. He had never seen her in town before. Granted, he never really saw anypony around town, but he had heard of them, and his friends got pictures of them for him. He had never seen that unicorn before this day. Now that he thought about it, was that the pony who was supposed to be staying at the library? Curious, he walked to the old place. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. He found party supplies everywhere. Not just on the floor, but also on the ceiling as well. How did that happen? Simple answer. Pinkie Pie. He shrugged off the work that he would save for later and walked upstairs. The curtains on the window were open, which said that if somepony was up here earlier, they looked out the window for a reason. He found that the pillow on the bed was certainly disturbed. This meant that the pony who was supposed to come, did certainly come earlier. However, he never found a single clue on who was actually staying here. He shrugged it off and looked out the window once again. Unexpectedly, he saw the light of the sun come over the horizon. Fear overtook him. He was afraid of what was going to happen. He certainly didn't want it to happen either. Out of fear, he bolted for the stairs. He had just reached the top of the stairs when the sun reached him. What?! he thought. The sun is not supposed to rise that quickly! Please don't make me disappear! But as fate would have it, he did disappear. Ponyville Library June 21st 7:30 PM Pitch reappeared in the same spot he vanished. Unfortunately, that happened to be the top of the stairs. He was unexpectedly thrown down the stairs at amazing speeds. He was about to hit the final step when he stopped in midair. He slowly opened his eyes. The floor of the library was right in front of him. He reached his hoof out to set it on the floor. once he did, the force that was keeping him in the air let him drop. he caught himself and prevented any pain by flapping his wings slightly. Curiously, he turned in all directions to see what caught him. His eyes soon fell upon the purple unicorn from earlier. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" she asked. Chapter 3 - TrespasserChapter 3 - Trespasser Ponyville Library June 21st 7:35 PM "Your house?" Pitch asked the unicorn. "This is a library. Nopony lives here." "Now somepony does," the purple unicorn responded. "Well, yes, but that is only temporary." "It was." "Was?" "Yes. I was the pony temporarily staying here. Now, I have been arranged to stay here for as long as I wish." "That explains it." "Explains what?" "Who was staying here. I was told two days ago that there would be a temporary guest staying here at the library. I thought it was you, but I couldn't be certain." "Why were you told about me staying here?" "Because I am the caretaker for this old place." "Since when?" "Since the mayor hired me." "Okay," she said. "But that doesn't explain why you were upstairs in my bedroom when you weren't there a second ago." "And how would you know that?" "Because I was just up there. I finished coming down when you tumbled down the stairs." "Ah." "Now, how did you get up there?" "I've been up there since this morning." "That's impossible." "Not for me?" "Why is that?" "You wouldn't believe me." "Try me." Pitch sighed before replying. "What happened to Nightmare Moon?" "That doesn't answer my question," the unicorn replied. "True, but the sun rose this morning when Nightmare Moon made night eternal. What happened to her?" "Me and my friends turned her back into Princess Luna." "And the sun rose after that?" "Correct." "Then that is why I was upstairs." "That makes no sense." "To you." "Then explain it to me," she demanded. "Why?" Pitch asked. "Because you were in my room." "No." "No?" "That's right." "No what?" "No, I wont tell you why I was upstairs." "Why not?" "Because I already told you." "No you didn't." "Yes I did. I said that because you turned Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna, I was upstairs in your room." "How?" "What?" "How were you in my room since this morning?" "Now that is the correct question." "Why's that?" "Because it explains everything." "Then why didn't you tell me earlier?" "You never asked." "I'm asking now," she said. "True," he replied. "Well what are you waiting for? Tell me." Pitch sat on the stairs behind him. "Have you ever had a secret that you kept hidden from everypony just because they wouldn't understand what you're talking about?" "Yes, but I don't see how that relates to our previous topic." "It has everything to do with it, because its my secret that tells you why I was in your room." "Well what is your secret?" "Its also my special talent." "What do you mean by that?" "Take a gander," he said as he lifted his cape. The unicorn took a look at his cutie mark. "How does a cloudy day relate to being in my room?" "It does not mean I'm good at cloudy days." "Well, what does it mean?" "A power of mine." "What do you mean?" "I mean what I say. A power of mine." "What is this power?" He waited a bit before saying: "I can't exist in sunlight." The unicorn stared at him blankly. "That isn't possible." "Then how am I able to do it?" "You can't. You're just saying that to give a reasonable excuse to get out of what I might do." "But I can do it." "Than prove it." "I can't." "Why not?" "Its not daytime, is it?" "True, but you're going to stay here until it is." "Just so that you can prove I can't not exist in sunlight?" he asked her. "Correct," she replied. "All right then." "Really? You'll be willing to cooperate just like that?" "Sure. There isn't anything else I have to do at this time." "True," she said. "By the way. I never got your name." "Twilight Sparkle. What's yours?" "Pitch Black." Ponyville Library June 22nd 4:30 AM The hours through the night dragged on. Pitch mostly sat reading a book while Twilight spent most of it cleaning all the party supplies. Eventually, the hour arrived. "All right," Twilight said. "Its time." "Yes," Pitch replied. "It is indeed time." "Hey Pitch," Twilight began. "Yes Twilight?" "If you can't exist in sunlight..." "Actually, I just disappear as soon as sunlight hits me." "Same thing. Anyway, what happens to you once you disappear?" "You know, I'm not really sure. All I know is that I don't reappear till the sun has set." "Really?" she asked. "Really," he replied. Pitch walked upstairs to the now closed window with Twilight. "Are you ready for what I'm about to do?" he asked her. "Yes. Show me." He nodded and opened the curtain up slightly, just enough to let a tiny bit of light in. He reached his hoof out toward the light. Touching it, he disappeared into thin air once again. Ponyville Library June 22nd 7:30 PM Pitch once again appeared inside the library. He took a look at his surroundings to see that the only difference was Twilight. she wasn't in the room anymore. He walked down the stairs to see her talking to a small purple dragon. "And he just disappeared!" Twilight said to the dragon. "I can't believe that he just disappeared!" "Umm, Twilight?" the dragon said. "What?" she asked, only to get a finger point in Pitch's direction. She turned to see that he had returned. "Hi," Pitch said. "If you don't mind, I would like to go home to rest now." Chapter 4 - New Line of WorkChapter 4 - New Line of Work Pitch's House June 22nd 7:35 PM Pitch had walked home slowly. The two times he disappeared in the last two days was too exhausting to think about. I'm never doing that again, he thought. I've had enough time wasted to do anything else. His door was locked. Just like always. He grabbed his key and turned the lock. Once he was through the unlocked door, he sighed and sat at the table where he ate a couple of oats he left unattended for too long. They were slightly stale and crunched as he chewed on them. He didn't mind. It was better than not having anything to eat for the last two days. His thoughts turned to the purple unicorn he had seen at the library. She was just so curious. Curious enough to test if somepony actually had these powers, and curious in general. She came from Canterlot, which supposed that she was probably rich in some way. He was informed by The Royal Guard that she would be coming, which would imply she was important in terms of royalty. She had also claimed that she and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon, which tells him that she was powerful in some way. Just who was she? Why had he been informed by The Royal Guard about her? Answers formed in his head quickly. She's obviously somepony who worked at the library in the castle. She probably did so well a job, they decided to promote her to be the librarian here in Ponyville. They said that it might be temporary if she couldn't handle it. But there is still the question about Nightmare Moon. He tilted his head to the sky and then back at his oats to take another bite. I'll ask her if I see her again. For now, I need to find another job. As long as Twilight is staying at the library, I won't be able to work there anymore. Finishing his small bunch of oats, he got up from his seat and made his way back to the door. He opened it and walked through. Before closing the door, he took a quick look at the night sky. It was the nearly the same as it ever was on any other night. Nearly the same... The stars that usually tracked around the entire night sky were nearly gone entirely. There was one... two... about 10 stars maximum, and then the moon in the sky. It ruined the night's beauty greatly. That beautiful night sky that nopony ever saw because they were asleep wasn't the same as it was before Nightmare Moon vanished. Back then, the sky was full of stars from the frozen north to the dry south. Now, it was just sad. He looked at the ground beneath his hooves. I wonder if any other pony has noticed the lack of stars in the sky. Probably not, because those fools always come out during the blazing mornings. None of them wish to experience the beauty of the night. He shut his door and locked it behind him. Once done, he trotted toward Town Hall, where he could hope to find the mayor. The streets still had a few ponies wandering the streets, but they all were headed home. A few of them were fillies, while the rest were adults. Pitch paid them no mind and continued on his path toward his destination. Once he reached it, he knocked three times and heard a voice telling him to come in. He obliged and was greeted by the pony working the front desk. "What can I do for you?" she asked. "I need to speak with the mayor about a job," he said. "My old one is no longer available to me." "What was your previous job?" "Keeping the pubic library clean. I can no longer do that, because there is now somepony living there and will take care of it themselves." "What kind of job are you planning on getting?" "Any job where it can be done at night. I'm not available during the day." "Why not?" "I have my own reasons." "Suit yourself. Can I have you see the mayor tomorrow? She already went home today, I'm afraid." "That's fine. Can you set up the meeting for about 7:00?" "Sure thing, Mr..." "Pitch Black, Ma'am." "Mr. Pitch Black. Okay. I've set up your appointment, and I shall inform her about this tomorrow." "Thank you." "Have a nice evening." Pitch walked out the door he came in, but not before getting a quick glimpse of the clock on the wall. 8:00 it read. Loads of time left. But what would I do with the time I have? he wondered. He quickly came to a simple decision. I'm going to go to sleep. Haven't done that for a while, now have I? He stopped in the middle of the street. Then again, what actually happens when I disappear? Do I just go to sleep? If so, then why do I completely disappear without a trace? Do I turn invisible? I should be able to move then, right? He quietly shook his head. Who cares anyway? Nopony but Twilight actually knows what happens to me, and telling them would probably just make them freak out. He continued his silent walk down the street and back to his home. He looked toward the library and saw that the light's were still on. Wonder what she's doing... He shook his head again. Not my business, he thought before once again reentering his home. He took off his cape and hung it on a small coatrack near the door. He quickly flew upstairs to his room, buried himself in the covers, and fell asleep. Chapter 5 - HiredChapter 5 - Hired Pitch's House June 23rd 9:00 AM It was certainly a warm day. Pitch hasn't left the comforts of his bed, and he can feel the dry air outside. Keeping his eyes mostly closed, he glanced over to the clock on the wall. 9 o'clock. Certain that he slept for more than just an hour, he concluded that it was the morning. Groaning, he slightly flapped his wings to help allow him to arise from his comfort. It also blew slightly cold air around the room, which was always a good thing in the summer. He stretched his back left leg, and then the back right leg. He crouched down and stretched his back and front legs. His back slightly popped, but that was something to be expected. He looked down at the floor and saw a small strip of sunlight almost right next to him coming from the window. The blinds held back most of the light, but there was a gap that let this small bit of light through. Out of sudden surprise and realization, Pitch jumped back onto his bed, breathing heavily. After about a minute, he glanced over the side to see he small strip of light still in the exact same spot. He wasn't terrified of light, it just surprised him. Besides, if he touched it, he would miss the opportunity to get his new job. Cautiously, he grabbed his blanket and threw it over himself. He couldn't use his cape because it was in the other room. For some reason, of the light from the sun touched anything that could be taken on or off, he didn't vanish. Since something could disappear with him, as long as it was smaller or equal to his size, it didn't make much sense. He usually wore the cape for extra protection against the light. He cautiously walked over to the window where the light was coming in. Once he was close enough, he threw the blanket over the window so that it let no light in whatsoever. He folded the ends of the blanket into the edges of the winds to prevent it front falling. I hate this, he thought. Why do I have to live like this? Why was I given this power? He trotted over to the door of his room. This isn't a 'power'. This is a curse. A curse that I'm being forced to live with every single day. Why couldn't I have a good curse, like one where I fall asleep faster than you can say hippo, or one where I could warp up to 30 feet away? Actually, wouldn't those be 'powers'? Either way, its better than disappearing every time the sun touches me. By the time he finished thinking, he had reached the door. After opening it with his right hoof, he stepped through and slowly walked down the steps to the kitchen. What he saw was definitely something he wasn't expecting. Twilight Sparkle was sitting right at the table talking to a friend of his. His friend was an earth pony who went to the market and got supplies for the week. Once he got back, Pitch paid him the amount required and they sometimes talked about what was going on in the town. His name was Swift Hoof, and he didn't know about his curse. "So, why did you want to see Pitch again?" he asked Twilight. Neither of them had noticed him yet. "I wanted to apologize for something I did to him yesterday," she replied. "I was being selfish when he just wanted to get home and move on with his life." "When was this?" "Yesterday at the library." "Strange," he said. "Why's that?" "I never knew him for leaving his house, and you found him at the library yesterday. I always thought he stayed away from everypony during the day." "Yes, but you never saw me at night," Pitch spoke up. Both of them turned and saw him standing at the foot of the stairs. "How long have you been standing there?" Twilight asked. "Not long, but I wish to know why you two are here." "Dude, it's Thursday. I always come on Thursday mornings to get a list of items that you needed me to buy at the market. She's here because she saw me enter the house and wanted to speak with you." "Yeah I heard that part." "Were you really at the library yesterday? I never thought you would ever step outside the house." "You don't know?" Twilight asked. "Don't know what?" he asked back. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Pitch. "I'd rather he not know, Twilight." "Know what?" Swift asked again. "Swift, it doesn't concern you." "Fine then. But I still have a reason to be here." "Right." Pitch walked over to his fridge and picked up a list with various foods' names written on it. "Here's the list. I'll pay you when you get back, as usual." "Same as always," Swift said before taking the list. He got up from the chair and went through the front door. "See ya later." He closed the door, leaving me and Twilight in the room alone. She spoke up before I could. "I'm sorry," she said. "For what, exactly?" I asked. "For ruining your life so quickly like that." "Twilight, not existing for an entire day has only once ruined my life, and it wasn't when you made me stay in the library." "Then when was it?" Pitch was silent for a moment. He turned his head toward the ground. "I was a young colt. My parents had found out about my curse the day I was born. Since then, they had kept me out of range of the sun's light. One day, a fire started in our house. All hate exits were blocked and there was no way out. My parents decided to save me by opening a sun roof in the house and made me disappear. When I came back to reality, the house was completely burned down and fire-ponies were trying to get any information they could on the fire. I told them about the fire, but not about my power. After they were done questioning me, I came to live in Ponyville. I got a job taking care of the library. But you already knew that." Twilight was speechless. Few words could have escaped her mouth then. "I- I'm..." "Don't be," Pitch interrupted. "You didn't know." "So, what are you going to be doing now?" she asked. "I need to get a new job. You took my old one, and I need some way of getting bits for thru food I need." "Well," Twilight began, "If you want, you could always help out in the library." Pitch's ears perked up at that sentence. "What do you mean?" "I mean that the library is really big, and I need all the help I can get. I'll still pay you, of course." Pitch thought about that for a moment. Should he accept her offer, or try to get another job at night? Well, there weren't that many things you could do at night. He smiled and said: "When do I start?" Author's Note Yay! Update! I know I haven't updated for a while, but expect quicker updates in the future! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and tell me what you currently like/dislike about the story. Until then, I shall see you later.
Prologue - A Vanishing ActThe Shadow Stallion By: Ephraim Blue Prologue - A Vanishing Act Ponyville Streets June 19th 4:30 AM Pitch Black loved to roam the streets. They were always quiet... and relaxing... and did I mention quiet? Well, that was to be expected. The streets were always quiet at 4:30 in the morning. What was even better than roaming the quiet streets, was finally being able to stretch his legs. He had been cooped up on his house all day, he hadn't gotten to exercise like everypony else did. Actually, he never did. While everypony is usually up and about in the morning, he was always hiding in his house next to the old library. That place wasn't really the best place to be. The library was always dusty, old, and definitely needed new books. He should know. He's only been there about three times in the past week. He was, as you might say, a caretaker of sorts for that old place. Since nopony actually lived there, he was asked by the mayor one day to make sure that it was kept in top position. He went over every other day to dust, check the books had been left around carelessly by others, and reshelf them if necessary. It wasn't a bad job at all. He loved to have something to occupy his time. It wasn't low paying either. He was just lonely doing it. Sometimes, he wished that somepony would enjoy doing what he did all the time. But then again, who would want to stay up every night just to reshelf books? Nopony in this small town, that's for sure. The streets remained quiet. They always have been quiet to him. If there was one pony in the entire land of Equestria that wanted to stay up all night and just roam the streets, he would be glad to meet that pony. But, there was nopony quite like Pitch Black. For he had a secret. It wasn't a life threatening secret. Nothing like that. It was a secret that he kept hidden because nopony would truly understand what he would be talking about. The secret? He vanished at the sight of day. I don't mean he skedaddled out from where he was. Nor do I mean that he was simply afraid of the light. I mean that he literally vanishes when sunlight touches him. That's how his life had been ever since he was a filly. His parents had found out about this 'power' shortly after he was born. Whenever the sunlight touched him, he vanished instantly. Both of his parents obviously freaked out over what had happened. He reappeared that very night, right in the exact spot he vanished. His parents had cried their eyes out when they found him again. They were so relieved about what happened, that they sobbed all throughout the night. The next day, as soon as the sunlight touched him again, he vanished. Once again, his parents freaked out. They didn't calm down until he reappeared again that night. After this happened the second time, they maser sure to keep me out of the light from then on out. They got a new house on the countryside, staying out of big cities and other towns. The house was kept nice and dark, preventing most of the sunlight from entering the house. He still accidentally wandered into a small patch of light every once in a while, but still reappeared that night. They kept him out of schools because of this. Instead, they homeschooled him for his education. He didn't mind being taught by his parents. He eventually learned about him being able to disappear as soon as the light touched him. Sometimes, his parents used that as a form of punishment if he did something really bad. He got used to it... eventually. Life went on fine until the tragic event that happened to him recently. When he was staying hidden during the day, like he always did, a fire started in his old house. He tried to get to the sink to collect water, but the flames had blocked his path. They had also blocked all of the entrances and exits of the house. His parents came up with a plan. They certainly weren't happy about it, but it was the only thing they could do. They led Pitch to a small, wooden room with a retractable roof. They told him to stay in the middle of the room, and walked toward a button on the wall. Pitch realized what was happening too late. His parents pushed the button, allowing sunlight to enter. He vanished. When he reappeared that night, everything was burnt down. There were other ponies there as well. They almost immediately noticed him and asked if he knew what happened. He told them about the fire, as well as how his parents had 'hidden' him, allowing him to survive. Ever since that day, he had lived in the closest town there was. Ponyville. It was a nice, relatively quiet town. Especially at night. He wandered the streets frequently, hoping he would forget about that day. But he could never forget the look on his parent's faces right before he vanished. The look of sorrow mixed with happiness. Is my secret a gift... Pitch thought as he continued to walk down the street. ...or a curse? Whatever it is, its my special talent. He looked down at his back, not realizing that he was wearing a cape. He lifted his cape to reveal a clouded sun, symbolizing him vanishing as soon as the sun touched him. Most ponies who visited him during the day and saw his cutie mark, usually thought that he was good at cloudy days, or adjusting the weather to be a cloudy day. He was a pegasus after all. He just went along with what they thought. They wouldn't believe him if he told them what it really meant. Sighing, he lowered his cape to its original position. Some might think that a cape would get in the way of flying, but it really doesn't. It helped him keep warm at night, as well as make him look at least 20% cooler while flying, by Rainbow Dash's standards. He had never met this Rainbow pegasus. He had heard of her miraculous Sonic Rainboom as a filly, as well as leader of the weather team, but never actually met her. He had heard from his friends, that visited every once in a while, tell him that she said it a lot. He glanced at the horizon, seeing the tiniest batch of sunlight. On instinct, he ran toward his house. Just as the sun lit up the town with its light, he had closed the door to his home. The house was relatively dark. It made total sense, since he couldn't be seen during the day. He had kept all of the blinds closed, windows tightly shut, and door locked almost all of the time. That was how he lived. That is how he must live. And that is how he liked it.
Chapter 1 - Cleaning The LibraryChapter 1 - Cleaning The Library Ponyville Library June 19th 9:30 PM The for rest of the previous day, Pitch sat in his house as he always did. It wasn't bad. He was just bored. As previously stated, he didn't get to stretch his legs. That's the main reason he came out at night. If he stayed in his house all the time, he would have cramps for as long as he lived. Throughout the day, he mostly slept. Being awake all night really does a number on a pony. After he awoke around three that evening, he went downstairs to eat. He usually had his friends bring him a variety of foods, which he paid for using the money that the mayor gave to him for his services on the library. He watched the hours on the clock tick by, waiting for night to fall upon the town. After many hours of waiting, he stepped outside to the beautiful night sky. It was always beautiful. The stars that lit it up, the moon shimmering onto the town, and even the Mare in the Moon was beautiful. He never really understood why it was always there. He just allowed it to brighten up the night sky. He walked over to the library like he always did. It had been about two days since he had cleaned the place up. It was time for the library to have another checkup. As he approached the door, he found a note attached to it. It read: Dear Mister Pitch Black, We understand that you are the one who takes care of the library in Ponyville. We wished to inform you of this earlier, but there were several ponies that said you did not want to be disturbed during the day. Therefore, we have hung this note on the library door so that you may read it when you have the chance. We had come to inform you that there would be a new guest coming to the town. She will be staying at the library until further notice. She will arrive on the 20th, so we hope that you get this note before then. Until then, you may continue to take care of the library. If of any convenience, we wish that you send us a letter saying that you agree to these terms. Thank you, and have a nice day. The Royal Guard Pitch reread the letter several times to make sure he got the message. There were several things he could not get strait. First, the royal guard was Princess's personal guards. Why would they send him a letter? Second, there was no name saying who would be staying at the library, or even how long they were staying. He was bothered by these thoughts. However, he shrugged them off and used his key to open the doors to the library. The inside was the same it had always had been. Round and filled with books. A bit dusty, but that was nothing that he couldn't fix with a duster. He marched into the building, flicking on the lights and making the entire room light up. He walked over to the small, hidden closet underneath the stairs. Opening it, he picked out several cleaning supplies needed to clean this place up. Lets see, he began thinking. Broom. Dustpan. Mop. Bucket. Duster... Yup. Everything still seems to be here. Picking out the broom and the dustpan, he began to sweep the floor. Some might find doing some chores without magic to be hard, but Pitch found it quite easy. All you had to do was sweep the floor with the broom in one hoof, while the other hoof held the dustpan to the floor. He swept as much as he could before glancing at the clock. It read 10:46. Thinking that it was time to move on to something else, he put the broom and dustpan away after cleaning them off. He then picked up the bucket and the mop. He filled the bucket with water from the sink in the kitchen. After doing so, he dipped the mop into the bucket. He let it soak a bit before pulling it out and started mopping the floor. Mopping wasn't really a needed thing, but he still did it to get rid of the rest of the dust he could not get on the floor. He flew above the wet floor, preventing his hooves from getting wet. Once he was done mopping, he sat on top of the stairs to wait for it to dry. While doing so, he picked up a random book off the shelf and began to read. After about two hours, he looked up from the book to see that the floor had dried. He flew down to the secret compartment inside the stairs. Picking up the duster, he began to sweep the bookshelves and all the books on them. The entire library was completely clean with about an entire night's hard work. Looking at the clock after he was completely finished, he saw that it read 4:45. Sighing, he put away all of the materials that he had gotten out. After doing so, he turned off the lights on the library and closed the door. He locked the door using his key that he kept with him almost all the time. Once done, he began to walk home. He started thinking about the letter that was left on the library door for him. It had said a new guest was coming to stay at the library temporarily. If I didn't know better, he thought. Pinkie Pie is going to throw her a party tomorrow at the library. That is where she was staying. Pinkie would definitely find out where she was staying sooner or later. He opened the door to his house just as the sun had started to rise from the horizon. After slowly walking up the stairs, he fell onto his bed and immediately fell asleep. Pitch Black's House June 20th 6:00 PM Pitch awoke around six that evening. It totally made sense to him about waking up that late. He had used up all of his energy the night before when he cleaned the library. He grumbled as he arose from his bed. He was used to being a heavy sleeper, but staying asleep till six meant that he was really tired. He fixed himself a quick meal before checking his mail. It was all the same stuff he normally got. Bill, bill, bill, and a single party invite. He tore open the party letter and read to himself: Dear Pitch Black, You are hereby invited to attend a surprise party in the Ponyville Library at 6:30 this evening. We hope that you will attend. Sincerely, Pinkie Pie He finished his small meal just as he finished reading the letter. He looked outside to see of it was dark enough for him to travel outside. It was, much to his surprise. It was supposed to be the shortest night and the longest day of the year. He just shrugged it off and headed on over to the party. Ponyville Library June 21st 4:25 Pitch quickly lost track of time once he got to the party. They all started playing pin the tail on the pony, which turned out to be more fun than he had ever imagined. He had never really been much of a social pony, due to his ability. This was perhaps one of the best nights that he ever had. Then, for no reason, all of the ponies started to exit the building. He looked around in confusion. Where is everypony going? he thought. Without being one to usually try and stand out, he hung with the crowd. He didn't notice the small red line coming from the area where the sun was supposed to rise.
Chapter 2 - The Forever NightChapter 2 - The Forever Night Town Hall June 21st 4:28 AM The crowd made its way to the town hall in the center of town. It didn't take long to walk to, so Pitch found himself there in no time. When he entered the spacious building, he found it decorated with what seemed like some of the finest fabric Pitch had ever seen. They hung from the pillars and the platform the princess was supposed to raise the sun from. Oh no! he thought. Today is the Summer Sun Celebration! I completely forgot! I have to get out of here. He quickly turned to the doors, only to find that they were closed. He glanced at the clock on the wall. 4:29 it read. There was no time left. Once the princess raised the sun, he would disappear. He heard everypony gasp around him. He turned in the direction they were facing to see that the princess wasn't there. A dark mist formed onto the platform. It took the shape of a dark alicorn, laughing maniacally above them. The mayor ordered the guards to attack, only to see them swatted away like flies. The dark alicorn asked a question in a booming voice. "Do you fools know who I am?" "I know who you are," a single voice from the crowd spoke. All ponies there turned to her. What Pitch saw, was a purple unicorn standing in the middle of the floor. "Your the Mare in the Moon: Nightmare Moon!" Pitch looked at the moon in the sky. For the first time he had ever known, the face that was in the moon had left. He stared back at the unicorn with raw amazement. How had she known bout this alicorn's coming? "Well, it's nice to know that somepony knows who I am," Nightmare Moon stated. "I suppose you know why I am here as well?" "Your here to.." She looked around at all of the ponies staring at her. "To..." Nightmare Moon once again laughed, using her mane to flow toward the sky. Her alicorn magic had suddenly forced all the sunlight that was found in the sky to vanish. "The night, shall last forever!" Nightmare Moon yelled. Pitch could only stare at the events that were taking place. The night is going to last forever, he thought. This is probably the greatest thing that has ever happened to me! Pitch immediately ran outside. The night sky seemed even better than before. He was glad for there to be everlasting night. He never had to hide from the sun again. Ponyville Streets June 21st 4:30 AM It was still 4:30. Its been that way for about 2 hours now. Ever since Nightmare Moon prevented the sunrise, the clocks stopped working. The clocks have a special magical effect that tells them where the sun is. The time changes when the sun moves. Since the sun wasn't moving anywhere, they couldn't tell time anymore. Pitch didn't mind. He liked how the time never changed. It allowed him to stay outside for however long he wished. He had to remember to thank Nightmare Moon for what she had done the next time he saw her. Thinking about Nightmare Moon made Pitch think about that purple unicorn. He had never seen her in town before. Granted, he never really saw anypony around town, but he had heard of them, and his friends got pictures of them for him. He had never seen that unicorn before this day. Now that he thought about it, was that the pony who was supposed to be staying at the library? Curious, he walked to the old place. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. He found party supplies everywhere. Not just on the floor, but also on the ceiling as well. How did that happen? Simple answer. Pinkie Pie. He shrugged off the work that he would save for later and walked upstairs. The curtains on the window were open, which said that if somepony was up here earlier, they looked out the window for a reason. He found that the pillow on the bed was certainly disturbed. This meant that the pony who was supposed to come, did certainly come earlier. However, he never found a single clue on who was actually staying here. He shrugged it off and looked out the window once again. Unexpectedly, he saw the light of the sun come over the horizon. Fear overtook him. He was afraid of what was going to happen. He certainly didn't want it to happen either. Out of fear, he bolted for the stairs. He had just reached the top of the stairs when the sun reached him. What?! he thought. The sun is not supposed to rise that quickly! Please don't make me disappear! But as fate would have it, he did disappear. Ponyville Library June 21st 7:30 PM Pitch reappeared in the same spot he vanished. Unfortunately, that happened to be the top of the stairs. He was unexpectedly thrown down the stairs at amazing speeds. He was about to hit the final step when he stopped in midair. He slowly opened his eyes. The floor of the library was right in front of him. He reached his hoof out to set it on the floor. once he did, the force that was keeping him in the air let him drop. he caught himself and prevented any pain by flapping his wings slightly. Curiously, he turned in all directions to see what caught him. His eyes soon fell upon the purple unicorn from earlier. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" she asked.
Chapter 3 - TrespasserChapter 3 - Trespasser Ponyville Library June 21st 7:35 PM "Your house?" Pitch asked the unicorn. "This is a library. Nopony lives here." "Now somepony does," the purple unicorn responded. "Well, yes, but that is only temporary." "It was." "Was?" "Yes. I was the pony temporarily staying here. Now, I have been arranged to stay here for as long as I wish." "That explains it." "Explains what?" "Who was staying here. I was told two days ago that there would be a temporary guest staying here at the library. I thought it was you, but I couldn't be certain." "Why were you told about me staying here?" "Because I am the caretaker for this old place." "Since when?" "Since the mayor hired me." "Okay," she said. "But that doesn't explain why you were upstairs in my bedroom when you weren't there a second ago." "And how would you know that?" "Because I was just up there. I finished coming down when you tumbled down the stairs." "Ah." "Now, how did you get up there?" "I've been up there since this morning." "That's impossible." "Not for me?" "Why is that?" "You wouldn't believe me." "Try me." Pitch sighed before replying. "What happened to Nightmare Moon?" "That doesn't answer my question," the unicorn replied. "True, but the sun rose this morning when Nightmare Moon made night eternal. What happened to her?" "Me and my friends turned her back into Princess Luna." "And the sun rose after that?" "Correct." "Then that is why I was upstairs." "That makes no sense." "To you." "Then explain it to me," she demanded. "Why?" Pitch asked. "Because you were in my room." "No." "No?" "That's right." "No what?" "No, I wont tell you why I was upstairs." "Why not?" "Because I already told you." "No you didn't." "Yes I did. I said that because you turned Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna, I was upstairs in your room." "How?" "What?" "How were you in my room since this morning?" "Now that is the correct question." "Why's that?" "Because it explains everything." "Then why didn't you tell me earlier?" "You never asked." "I'm asking now," she said. "True," he replied. "Well what are you waiting for? Tell me." Pitch sat on the stairs behind him. "Have you ever had a secret that you kept hidden from everypony just because they wouldn't understand what you're talking about?" "Yes, but I don't see how that relates to our previous topic." "It has everything to do with it, because its my secret that tells you why I was in your room." "Well what is your secret?" "Its also my special talent." "What do you mean by that?" "Take a gander," he said as he lifted his cape. The unicorn took a look at his cutie mark. "How does a cloudy day relate to being in my room?" "It does not mean I'm good at cloudy days." "Well, what does it mean?" "A power of mine." "What do you mean?" "I mean what I say. A power of mine." "What is this power?" He waited a bit before saying: "I can't exist in sunlight." The unicorn stared at him blankly. "That isn't possible." "Then how am I able to do it?" "You can't. You're just saying that to give a reasonable excuse to get out of what I might do." "But I can do it." "Than prove it." "I can't." "Why not?" "Its not daytime, is it?" "True, but you're going to stay here until it is." "Just so that you can prove I can't not exist in sunlight?" he asked her. "Correct," she replied. "All right then." "Really? You'll be willing to cooperate just like that?" "Sure. There isn't anything else I have to do at this time." "True," she said. "By the way. I never got your name." "Twilight Sparkle. What's yours?" "Pitch Black." Ponyville Library June 22nd 4:30 AM The hours through the night dragged on. Pitch mostly sat reading a book while Twilight spent most of it cleaning all the party supplies. Eventually, the hour arrived. "All right," Twilight said. "Its time." "Yes," Pitch replied. "It is indeed time." "Hey Pitch," Twilight began. "Yes Twilight?" "If you can't exist in sunlight..." "Actually, I just disappear as soon as sunlight hits me." "Same thing. Anyway, what happens to you once you disappear?" "You know, I'm not really sure. All I know is that I don't reappear till the sun has set." "Really?" she asked. "Really," he replied. Pitch walked upstairs to the now closed window with Twilight. "Are you ready for what I'm about to do?" he asked her. "Yes. Show me." He nodded and opened the curtain up slightly, just enough to let a tiny bit of light in. He reached his hoof out toward the light. Touching it, he disappeared into thin air once again. Ponyville Library June 22nd 7:30 PM Pitch once again appeared inside the library. He took a look at his surroundings to see that the only difference was Twilight. she wasn't in the room anymore. He walked down the stairs to see her talking to a small purple dragon. "And he just disappeared!" Twilight said to the dragon. "I can't believe that he just disappeared!" "Umm, Twilight?" the dragon said. "What?" she asked, only to get a finger point in Pitch's direction. She turned to see that he had returned. "Hi," Pitch said. "If you don't mind, I would like to go home to rest now."
Chapter 4 - New Line of WorkChapter 4 - New Line of Work Pitch's House June 22nd 7:35 PM Pitch had walked home slowly. The two times he disappeared in the last two days was too exhausting to think about. I'm never doing that again, he thought. I've had enough time wasted to do anything else. His door was locked. Just like always. He grabbed his key and turned the lock. Once he was through the unlocked door, he sighed and sat at the table where he ate a couple of oats he left unattended for too long. They were slightly stale and crunched as he chewed on them. He didn't mind. It was better than not having anything to eat for the last two days. His thoughts turned to the purple unicorn he had seen at the library. She was just so curious. Curious enough to test if somepony actually had these powers, and curious in general. She came from Canterlot, which supposed that she was probably rich in some way. He was informed by The Royal Guard that she would be coming, which would imply she was important in terms of royalty. She had also claimed that she and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon, which tells him that she was powerful in some way. Just who was she? Why had he been informed by The Royal Guard about her? Answers formed in his head quickly. She's obviously somepony who worked at the library in the castle. She probably did so well a job, they decided to promote her to be the librarian here in Ponyville. They said that it might be temporary if she couldn't handle it. But there is still the question about Nightmare Moon. He tilted his head to the sky and then back at his oats to take another bite. I'll ask her if I see her again. For now, I need to find another job. As long as Twilight is staying at the library, I won't be able to work there anymore. Finishing his small bunch of oats, he got up from his seat and made his way back to the door. He opened it and walked through. Before closing the door, he took a quick look at the night sky. It was the nearly the same as it ever was on any other night. Nearly the same... The stars that usually tracked around the entire night sky were nearly gone entirely. There was one... two... about 10 stars maximum, and then the moon in the sky. It ruined the night's beauty greatly. That beautiful night sky that nopony ever saw because they were asleep wasn't the same as it was before Nightmare Moon vanished. Back then, the sky was full of stars from the frozen north to the dry south. Now, it was just sad. He looked at the ground beneath his hooves. I wonder if any other pony has noticed the lack of stars in the sky. Probably not, because those fools always come out during the blazing mornings. None of them wish to experience the beauty of the night. He shut his door and locked it behind him. Once done, he trotted toward Town Hall, where he could hope to find the mayor. The streets still had a few ponies wandering the streets, but they all were headed home. A few of them were fillies, while the rest were adults. Pitch paid them no mind and continued on his path toward his destination. Once he reached it, he knocked three times and heard a voice telling him to come in. He obliged and was greeted by the pony working the front desk. "What can I do for you?" she asked. "I need to speak with the mayor about a job," he said. "My old one is no longer available to me." "What was your previous job?" "Keeping the pubic library clean. I can no longer do that, because there is now somepony living there and will take care of it themselves." "What kind of job are you planning on getting?" "Any job where it can be done at night. I'm not available during the day." "Why not?" "I have my own reasons." "Suit yourself. Can I have you see the mayor tomorrow? She already went home today, I'm afraid." "That's fine. Can you set up the meeting for about 7:00?" "Sure thing, Mr..." "Pitch Black, Ma'am." "Mr. Pitch Black. Okay. I've set up your appointment, and I shall inform her about this tomorrow." "Thank you." "Have a nice evening." Pitch walked out the door he came in, but not before getting a quick glimpse of the clock on the wall. 8:00 it read. Loads of time left. But what would I do with the time I have? he wondered. He quickly came to a simple decision. I'm going to go to sleep. Haven't done that for a while, now have I? He stopped in the middle of the street. Then again, what actually happens when I disappear? Do I just go to sleep? If so, then why do I completely disappear without a trace? Do I turn invisible? I should be able to move then, right? He quietly shook his head. Who cares anyway? Nopony but Twilight actually knows what happens to me, and telling them would probably just make them freak out. He continued his silent walk down the street and back to his home. He looked toward the library and saw that the light's were still on. Wonder what she's doing... He shook his head again. Not my business, he thought before once again reentering his home. He took off his cape and hung it on a small coatrack near the door. He quickly flew upstairs to his room, buried himself in the covers, and fell asleep.
Chapter 5 - HiredChapter 5 - Hired Pitch's House June 23rd 9:00 AM It was certainly a warm day. Pitch hasn't left the comforts of his bed, and he can feel the dry air outside. Keeping his eyes mostly closed, he glanced over to the clock on the wall. 9 o'clock. Certain that he slept for more than just an hour, he concluded that it was the morning. Groaning, he slightly flapped his wings to help allow him to arise from his comfort. It also blew slightly cold air around the room, which was always a good thing in the summer. He stretched his back left leg, and then the back right leg. He crouched down and stretched his back and front legs. His back slightly popped, but that was something to be expected. He looked down at the floor and saw a small strip of sunlight almost right next to him coming from the window. The blinds held back most of the light, but there was a gap that let this small bit of light through. Out of sudden surprise and realization, Pitch jumped back onto his bed, breathing heavily. After about a minute, he glanced over the side to see he small strip of light still in the exact same spot. He wasn't terrified of light, it just surprised him. Besides, if he touched it, he would miss the opportunity to get his new job. Cautiously, he grabbed his blanket and threw it over himself. He couldn't use his cape because it was in the other room. For some reason, of the light from the sun touched anything that could be taken on or off, he didn't vanish. Since something could disappear with him, as long as it was smaller or equal to his size, it didn't make much sense. He usually wore the cape for extra protection against the light. He cautiously walked over to the window where the light was coming in. Once he was close enough, he threw the blanket over the window so that it let no light in whatsoever. He folded the ends of the blanket into the edges of the winds to prevent it front falling. I hate this, he thought. Why do I have to live like this? Why was I given this power? He trotted over to the door of his room. This isn't a 'power'. This is a curse. A curse that I'm being forced to live with every single day. Why couldn't I have a good curse, like one where I fall asleep faster than you can say hippo, or one where I could warp up to 30 feet away? Actually, wouldn't those be 'powers'? Either way, its better than disappearing every time the sun touches me. By the time he finished thinking, he had reached the door. After opening it with his right hoof, he stepped through and slowly walked down the steps to the kitchen. What he saw was definitely something he wasn't expecting. Twilight Sparkle was sitting right at the table talking to a friend of his. His friend was an earth pony who went to the market and got supplies for the week. Once he got back, Pitch paid him the amount required and they sometimes talked about what was going on in the town. His name was Swift Hoof, and he didn't know about his curse. "So, why did you want to see Pitch again?" he asked Twilight. Neither of them had noticed him yet. "I wanted to apologize for something I did to him yesterday," she replied. "I was being selfish when he just wanted to get home and move on with his life." "When was this?" "Yesterday at the library." "Strange," he said. "Why's that?" "I never knew him for leaving his house, and you found him at the library yesterday. I always thought he stayed away from everypony during the day." "Yes, but you never saw me at night," Pitch spoke up. Both of them turned and saw him standing at the foot of the stairs. "How long have you been standing there?" Twilight asked. "Not long, but I wish to know why you two are here." "Dude, it's Thursday. I always come on Thursday mornings to get a list of items that you needed me to buy at the market. She's here because she saw me enter the house and wanted to speak with you." "Yeah I heard that part." "Were you really at the library yesterday? I never thought you would ever step outside the house." "You don't know?" Twilight asked. "Don't know what?" he asked back. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Pitch. "I'd rather he not know, Twilight." "Know what?" Swift asked again. "Swift, it doesn't concern you." "Fine then. But I still have a reason to be here." "Right." Pitch walked over to his fridge and picked up a list with various foods' names written on it. "Here's the list. I'll pay you when you get back, as usual." "Same as always," Swift said before taking the list. He got up from the chair and went through the front door. "See ya later." He closed the door, leaving me and Twilight in the room alone. She spoke up before I could. "I'm sorry," she said. "For what, exactly?" I asked. "For ruining your life so quickly like that." "Twilight, not existing for an entire day has only once ruined my life, and it wasn't when you made me stay in the library." "Then when was it?" Pitch was silent for a moment. He turned his head toward the ground. "I was a young colt. My parents had found out about my curse the day I was born. Since then, they had kept me out of range of the sun's light. One day, a fire started in our house. All hate exits were blocked and there was no way out. My parents decided to save me by opening a sun roof in the house and made me disappear. When I came back to reality, the house was completely burned down and fire-ponies were trying to get any information they could on the fire. I told them about the fire, but not about my power. After they were done questioning me, I came to live in Ponyville. I got a job taking care of the library. But you already knew that." Twilight was speechless. Few words could have escaped her mouth then. "I- I'm..." "Don't be," Pitch interrupted. "You didn't know." "So, what are you going to be doing now?" she asked. "I need to get a new job. You took my old one, and I need some way of getting bits for thru food I need." "Well," Twilight began, "If you want, you could always help out in the library." Pitch's ears perked up at that sentence. "What do you mean?" "I mean that the library is really big, and I need all the help I can get. I'll still pay you, of course." Pitch thought about that for a moment. Should he accept her offer, or try to get another job at night? Well, there weren't that many things you could do at night. He smiled and said: "When do I start?" Author's Note Yay! Update! I know I haven't updated for a while, but expect quicker updates in the future! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and tell me what you currently like/dislike about the story. Until then, I shall see you later.
