Brothers' Past

“Out of my way peasant child!” a stallion yelled out as he smacked a young filly, knocking her to the ground. Her parents ran over to her to make sure she was alright. As they took care of her, the stallion continued walking out of the town and into the wilderness.
He walked into a clearing in the dense forest and when he was sure he was alone he took a scroll out of his saddle bags; opening it and placing it on the ground. When it was flat he stepped back a few feet and sat on the ground, remaining motionless.
Hours had passed since he placed the scroll, and when he was about to stand up and reclaim it, a rabbit jumped out of a bush and he sat back down. The rabbit started moving closer and closer to it, eventually right next to the parchment. It started sniffing the scroll and when the fluffy creature touched it, an electric burst of energy shot out. The fluffy fur of the creature turned completely black and its eyes disappeared along with the picture and words on the scroll. The stallion began to smile, he stood up and approached the wild animal and as he got close it disappeared, somehow it fell into its own shadow.
He walked up to its shadow and used his magic to pull it out of it. “Well, looks like my spell worked.” He held the rabbit up higher and using a swift motion he snapped it’s neck and threw it to the ground. He stood next to it for a moment and at random, the black fur of the dead thing started turning blue. The entire body started blowing away in the wind as dust. He looked back over to the scroll and the blue dust started rebuilding its self until it turned back into the rabbit.
“Excellent, the spell is perfect.” he smiled. He picked up the scroll and placed it on top of the rabbit. He removed the paper and the rabbit's fur returned to a normal tan color and the brown eyes returned. As the rabbit tried hopping away he picked it up again.
“Where are you going little one? Don’t you want to see the downfall of pony kind?”
The rabbit began struggling to loosen his magic grip.
“I’ll take that as a 'No'.”
The stallion snapped it’s neck and threw it to the ground again. This time however, it did not turn to dust, but lay there waiting for decay to remove it's body from the cold ground as it's soul had just been. He smiled at himself then started heading back to the town.
Upon his arrival, he was immediately met with several of the royal guards. “Good evening gentle-colts, how can I help you-?” he asked sarcastically as he stood at the edge of the forest.

“Nexus Black, you are under arrest for practice of black magic!” one of the guards yelled at him.

“Just black magic? I believe you are mistaken, good sir. Last time I check I also performed a bit of necromancy and murder, and just this morning child abuse-"

“None of this is helping your case-"

“It’s not supposed to.” He smiled at them cynically.
One of the guards started to run at him, sword drawn. When he was close enough Nexus pulled the spell scroll out of his bag, throwing it at the guard's face. It stuck to him and he began screaming in agony as he struggled to get the scroll off him. During the guard's useless struggle, Nexus merely stood at the forest edge, watching him with a dark smile creeping on his face.
As he stood there contemplating his evildoing, the screams from the guard started to die down until he was completely silent. His coat started fading black. As his armor began to rust, his horn cracked, turning into blue dust.

“Perfect, the spell is now completed-“

“What did you do to him!?”One of the guards yelled at him. He smiled and approached the infected guard.

“Not much just...altered him. Nothin' special.” He removed the scroll and just like the rabbit his eyes were gone. However this time, the scroll still had the pattern and words on it. He looked at the scroll as though he were a professor intrigued by a student.
“Fascinating-“

“Change him back!” the guard demanded. Nexus ignored him and looked at the infected guard who in turn smiled in darkly sinister way at him.
“Did you hear me!? I said change him back-“
“I’m sorry I don’t take orders from peasants” Nexus smiled and began to walk away, and as he did the guard charged at him. Just like before Nexus threw the scroll at the guard's face. When the scroll was attached to him the effects started appearing faster, the stallion didn't have time to scream; the magic of the scroll started changing him immediately and in less than a second, he became just like the other guard.
“You should have known better than to attack me while my back was turned, foolish mortal.”
He removed the scroll from it's target, and both guards growled at each other like animals.
Nexus stepped away from them thinking they were going to fight, but instead they just growled at each other. “Silence!”
Nexus yelled at them and they both stopped; he began smiling.
“Speak.”
After that the two guards began laughing hysterically.
“Fight”
One of the guards tackled the other and they began fighting.
“Stop!”
They stopped dead in their tracks, remaining motionless. Nexus smiled and looked up at the other guards; whispering to himself.
“Kill.”
Out of nowhere the other two guards began screeching and moving towards the still sane guards, forcing them to move back.

“Nexus Black this is your last warning! Change them back or else!”

“Or else what? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m the most powerful Unicorn there is. Now, Kill them my spawn!”
Just then, one of the infected guards leaped onto him, biting down on his spine and tearing it right out of his body.

“Polish!” another guard yelled right before he was head-rammed by the other infected guard. The infected guard leaped at him and disappeared into his shadow leaving nothing but his rusty armor behind. The guard began to panic, and before he could fully react, he started coughing up blood.
A moment later his body exploded in a bloody mess that sprayed everywhere. After that, the two infected guards turned around and faced the one that was left, as they began to attack him Nexus yelled. They froze in place at his command. Nexus walked past them and over to the guard that was attempting to scurry away from him.

“Don’t be afraid child, I promise I won’t hurt you-“

“Liar!” he yelled at him.

“I do not lie for I am a stallion of my word. Therefore, when I say I will not harm you, it is the truth.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”
He took the scroll and swiped it right in front of his face. The spell still worked without contact due to it's strength. His coat started turning black and his armor began to rust just like those before him.
“See, now that didn't hurt at all did it?” he smirked. The guard stood up and began laughing along with the others.
“Silence.”
Nexus turned around and noticed every pony standing around him.
“What do you all think you’re doing? You have work to do.”

“What do you mean?” a stallion asked as he stepped forward.

“From this day forward, this land is under my rule. For my first order as your king, I demand you build me a castle worthy enough to be deemed my home.”

“Why should we have to do anything for you!?” Another stallion yelled out from the crowed. Nexus stomped his hoof on the ground and the stallion was shot into the air, landing on the ground in front of him. When he tried to stand an infected guard came from his place behind Nexus and shoved his head into his lord's shadow, which then shrank decapitating the foolish stallion.

“Any other questions? Objections?” Nexus looked around, everypony else was too terrified to speak up, leaving silence hanging in the air broken by his speech. “That is what I thought.” He stood up on his hind legs and slammed his front hooves on the ground, causing all of the buildings and trees surrounding them to collapse. From their ashes the ground turned into a pitch-black transparent glass-like surface.
"The ground you are all now standing on is called ‘Black Crystal’. You are to use it to forge my new castle." After that Nexus smiled and began to walk back into the forest, leaving the villagers with the infected guards who began hissing and growling at them in an attempt to scare them into doing work.
Years had passed since that day; during the construction of Nexus' new castle a stallion approached him as he sat in his throne. The stallion bowed in front of him and then spoke in a frightened, feeble voice.

“Uh…my Lord we uh…have a slight problem with the construction of your new castle-“

“What is it?”

“The structural design of it is…unstable, if we continue building it, it could collapse and possibly kill us-“

“Yes, continue building.” Nexus interrupted him.

“But Sire, didn't you hear me-“

“I did, and I do not care. If you or any other dies while constructing my castle, I shall resurrect you from your state of death and force you to continue building.”

“Can you at least call off the guards-“

“Are you giving me a command, you insufferable-!?”

“Sir please! With those guards constantly attacking us when slow down... we might wind up dying during construction-“

“Living Shadows.”

“…I-I’m sorry?”

“They are known as Living Shadows, if you address them any other way I shall have you executed.”
Nexus waved his hoof and the two smiling mares sitting next to him began fanning him off. The stallion grew angry at him but since he was unable to attack without being killed or worse, he merely got up and walked back to the construction site.
Several months later the same stallion appeared with nine others that were dressed in the gear of explorers. As they approached him the lead stallion slapped a chalice out of his magic grip. It spilled on the ground beside him, staining the floor with the drink.

“What is the meaning of this?” Nexus asked in a calm tone of voice.

“Nexus Black, I am here to end your reign of terror-“

“Is that so? Well then, too bad that my reign is not of ’terror’, for you see, these ponies choose to be my slaves. Isn’t that right?” Nexus asked the mare sitting to the left of him, using his magic to pull her head back by her mane.

“Yes my lord, it is an honor to be by your side!” the mare replied with a smile on her face.

“…Is there something wrong with you?” Nexus asked as he stood up.

“Nothing is wrong my lord. I am so very honored to be one of the only to mares be your side.” Nexus looked away from her and towards the construction site. “Is something wrong my king-“

“Come with me, all of you.”
Nexus began walking off, followed by the ten ponies that had come to dethrone him and the two mares that he always had by him. When they arrived at the site everypony started cheering for Nexus. “What’s going on here-!?”

“Praise our true king!” a stallion shouted above all the cheering. As everypony cheered for him the ten that had risen up against him grew irritated.

“Enough, what is wrong with all of you!?” one of the rebellious stallions yelled, causing the cheering to die down. “This beast has enslaved all of you, why would you praise him!?”

“Because this supposed ‘beast’ has taught us power!” a mare yelled as she stepped forward, eager to defend her king.

“He showed us the power within the shade!” a stallion added.

“We praise him because he is the true king of this land!” and just then all the cheering started up again.

“It looks as though I was right. They really do wish to serve me.” Nexus smiled to himself; out of nowhere the stallion from before turned around and tackled him.

“You fiend! Look what you've done to them! You corrupted their minds-!”

“I did nothing but show them the true world.” As he stood up the stallion lifted his hoof to harm him, but out of nowhere a mare ran up to him, using her horn she pierced his throat. She pulled her horn out, and he rapidly bled to death.

“Don’t you dare attack my king!” she yelled, afterwards she faced the others and glared at them angrily. They began to back up but were stopped by Nexus' new followers. The rebels attempted to run but were tackled to the ground by four different ponies, who picked them up and tore their limbs off leaving them ragged bloody heaps of flesh, bleeding to death.

“Incredible…I honestly did not think you would all worship me like this-“

“Of course we’d worship you my lord. Your are our deity, our god, our savior, you are...our King.” And just then everypony that was forced to obey him bowed down to him, treating him as though he was truly their king. The mare looked up at him from her kneeling position, “I speak for everypony when I say this; from this day on, we are yours to command.” Nexus smiled.

“You shall all really do as I say unconditionally? Well…in that case, I feel just in showing some mercy.”

“How so my lord?”

“You may all stop building the castle, and in it's stead, you shall be my warriors of the Shade.” At his speech everypony started cheering again.

“My lord, since we are joining as a new order, what should we be named?” Nexus pondered his thoughts for a moment, then finally spoke.

“We shall be known as the Children of The Shade.”