Twilight's Shadowby Zaiker42ChaptersStrange VisitorIn-DepthRoughing ItStrange VisitorTwilight's Shadow -Strange Visitor- "Stay calm," Twilight told herself in the most un-calm tone she had ever spoken to herself in her entire life. "He's just some sort of odd, bipedal, black and red spiky thing sitting on your couch, reading a book. Everything is perfectly fine and normal and super duper with the world." She turned to give him another inspection--her fourth inspection in just as many minutes--and her eye twitched. He just didn't seem natural. He was also looking up from his book and calmly meeting her gaze, which caught her off-guard. "... Are you quite finished eyeing me, Equine?" It--he--asked. "I find it rather annoying." Twilight blushed and hid her face behind her hoof. "Um, er, uh, y-yes, I guess so..." "Good. If you'll excuse me, I'll just keep reading until you're done having a mental breakdown. Quite the collection of books you have here. You know, in your... library-house... tree... thing you have going on here." She stood for a few moments, staring at him incredulously. He thinks I'm weird because of my house? she thought in aggravation. "Who do you think you are, showing up in my home and talking to me like that?" she shouted at him. "I should just inform the Princess of your little visit! I'm sure she'll love to hear all about how you broke into her own student's house and--" He sat up at the word "Princess" and held up his index finger as if to stop Twilight from talking. She reluctantly complied. "... This 'Princess.' Who is she, exactly? You make her sound like your main authority here." Twilight blinked in surprise. "You... you don't know about the Princesses?" "Now there's two of them?" he muttered to himself. "You. Girl. Whatever your name is. Tell me about them." Twilight huffed indignantly and turned away. "First of all, my name is 'Twilight Sparkle,' and you may address me as such." "... Twilight... Sparkle..." the creature managed out, seeming somewhat repulsed by the words as they left his mouth. "Very... interesting name you've got there." She glared at him. "First you insult my house, then my name. Wow. You're just delightful company, aren't you?" "Hmph. I don't really want to sit here and listen to you whine. Either tell me about these Princesses or I'll just go ahead and find out some other way." "... The Princesses are the rulers of Equestria--" "Equestria... explains why the main intelligent species here is a bunch of pastel-colored horses. Seems childish to me." "Ask me a question, and then you--oh, never mind. Princess Celestia is the older sister, she is an alicorn in charge of raising and setting the sun each day." She waited for a moment, but her company didn't interrupt this time. "Princess Luna, on the other hoof, is the younger sister in charge of the moon. She is also an alicorn, and was, until quite recently, banished to the moon." He sat in silence for a few minutes, brow furrowed, in deep thought. Finally, he said, "So let me get this straight. This is some sort of torture I'm undergoing in one of the Doctor's research labs, correct? He seems to have finally found a way to work his way into my mind and--" "What in the name of Celestia are you talking about?!" "Everything happening right now. It's obviously some sort of sick dream the Doctor created to torture me. You sound like you're explaining some sort of back-story established on some sort of childish TV program. If I was anyone else, I'd probably be laughing right now at how ridiculous that all sounds." "Well... well... you're the one who asked, Mr. Mysterious Dark Bipedal... Thing!" He blinked, then sighed and shook his head. "My name is Shadow, girl. Shadow the Hedgehog. Best that you remember it." Twilight raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Hedgehog? You look nothing like a hedgehog. Hedgehogs are small, and covered in small prickly spines th--" "I am well aware of what a normal hedgehog in your world looks like, thank you very much. I could give you several reasons why you look absolutely nothing like a horse." "I can give you one, too." Twilight retorted. "I'm a pony, not a horse." "Of course you are." Shadow sneered. "Because 'horses' are just too mature, eh?" "What's that supposed to mean!?" "I hate everything about this place, and I haven't even left this room. I'll bet that everything else in this world is just as disgustingly vibrant and pastel, and all your little... 'pony' friends are all nice and sickly sweet or something, and that these two 'Princesses' of yours 'rule the land with love and kindness' or whatever the government runs off of here." He sat down on the couch and folded his arms, facing away from Twilight. "I can't wait to get out of this stupid universe." Twilight looked at him for a moment, then turned away from him and began walking toward the room where she had set up her living quarters. Suddenly, a small purple and green dragon entered the tree-house. "Hey, Twilight!" he called, "I'm hom--" The room was completely silent as the newcomer stared blankly at the strange thing he had spotted on the couch. He examined it for a few moments before excitedly exclaiming, "Cool!" and running up to him. "Spike, could you please not--" "Hey there! I'm Spike!" said the dragon to the hedgehog. "Who are you? What are you? You're pretty cool. What's with all the bands and bracelets and stuff, though? Ooh, right, name! What's your name?" "Spike!" an exasperated Twilight called out. "Please, just... leave him be. He's not very good company. Come on, I need to write a letter to Princess Celestia, and I'll need you to send it." Shadow turned and looked at Twilight. "Is he a dragon?" "... Yes. Like he said, his name is Spike, and he's a baby dragon." "Why is he here with you?" Shadow asked, apparently genuinely curious. "I hatched him as a foal." Twilight stated simply. "... A child?" "Yes." "So... are you his 'mother' or something?" "Oh, no, she's nothing like my mother." Spike said with a frown. "She just feeds me, gives me a place to stay, sometimes tucks me in at night... huh..." "I'm more of a mix between a big sister and a mother, I guess. We usually just go with 'sister,' though." Twilight added. Shadow un-folded his arms as he processed this new information. "Huh... interesting. Maybe there's more to this world than I originally thought." Spike and Twilight shared a glance as Shadow mulled over his thoughts. "So, you were gonna write a letter to the Princess?" Spike asked. Twilight nodded. "Yes. I suppose we should do that now. It won't be a very long letter, so we should be done in a few minutes." "So who is he, anyway?" "I don't really know the details, but I did get a name. He said his name was... Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog." "Shadow, huh? And he's a hedgehog? Definitely not one from around here, that's for sure. I don't think hedgehogs around here look like that... or have fangs." "He has fangs? I didn't even notice." "Yeah. He looks like a pretty scary guy in general. Cool, but scary." "Well," Twilight said, scratching her chin thoughtfully, "we could always ask Fluttershy to take a look at him for us. I'm sure she'd know something." "I don't think that would work." Spike said flatly. "Why not?" "Fluttershy is a flying pony afraid of heights. He is a black and red hedgehog that stands on two legs and is as tall as you... and he has fangs. Think about it." "Oh. I guess you're right." "And here I thought you were the smart one." Dear Princess Celestia, Upon my return to my home from one of Pinkie Pie's latest parties, I discovered a strange, bipedal creature lying on my couch, reading one of my books. Apparently, his name is "Shadow" and he is another world's version of a hedgehog, though the resemblances to our hedgehogs are actually quite few and far between. His fur is mostly jet-black, with streaks of red adorning his hair, arms, and legs. He also has hands and fingers similar to Spikes claws. He looks to be a little over three feet tall, though I was unable to get any proper measurements. I was just wondering whether you would have any advice on what I should do about him. He doesn't seem like he intends any harm to anypony, but just by looking at him you can tell he's out of place. He probably can see that better than I can, actually. So, any advice you might have would be greatly appreciated. The quicker the better! Thank you in advance! ... What do you mean, "I sound like I'm worried about him?" Why wouldn't I be worried about him!? He's in a place he's unfamiliar and uncomfortable with, it's only natural! ... Don't write this part down, Spike, just sign the letter! ... SPIKE! Oh, right, sorry, Twilight. ~Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle In-DepthTwilight's Shadow -In-Depth- To My Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle, You should probably lay off all this late-night studying you've been doing. It seems as though it's beginning to have negative effects on your mind. I mean, really, Twilight, when you get to feeling better, you should re-read your last letter. I'm sure it will give you as much of a laugh as it gave me. All joking aside, I am quite serious about the late nights. Hallucinations are never a good thing. Trust me on this one, you do not want to be having those for very long. I'll be waiting patiently for you and your friends' newest findings on the magic of friendship. Until then, Twilight. Sincerely, Princess Celestia Spike finished reading the letter, and looked up at Twilight, who simply sat in silence for a few moments. "Uh, Twilight?" he asked. "I don't think the Princess believes you about that Shadow guy." "Really, Spike? I never would have guessed." Twilight answered sarcastically. "So, that eliminates the Princess from the list of ponies that could give us a clue as to why he's even here." "Wasn't she the only pony even on the list in the first place?" Twilight sighed. "Yes. Yes, she was." "So what are we supposed to do now?" "I dunno, Spike. Let's go see if he'll give us any details about his world. I'm sure he'll be able to take my mind off of the fact my teacher and the ruler of Equestria just wrote off there being an alien in my living room as a joke." "To be honest, I probably would've done the same thing." The pair walked down into the living room to notice their visitor was now laying across the couch, reading a new book he seemed to have picked up while they were gone. He glanced toward them as they approached him, "Hmph'ed" grumpily and returned his gaze to the tome in his hands. "So, uh, Shadow. I don't think the Princess is going to help you out." He quirked his left eyebrow and lowered his book. "Why?" "She, uh..." Twilight stammered as she recalled the contents of Princess Celestia's letter. "She didn't exactly believe me when I told her about you. She doesn't believe you exist." He shrugged and went back to his book. "Not particularly surprising." he said, sounding rather bored. "Until about an hour ago, I wouldn't have believed she existed." He closed his book and placed it on the floor next to the couch and righted himself to where he was in a sitting position and said, "I don't suppose you could just figure out some way to fling me back to my world, could you?" Twilight shuffled her hoof on the ground and sighed. "No. I don't think I could do that. I mean, traveling across dimensions isn't something that's really been studied all that well. Because, you know, it's um... supposed to be scientifically impossible." "Right. Right. Of course." Twilight sighed and levitated the book Shadow had deposited on the floor and inserted it back into its proper place. When she turned around, she was met with an entirely different pair of crimson eyes. While up to this point, Shadow had always seemed to have an angry look in his slanted eyes, he now had a surprised look in his just as surprisingly large, round eyes. He blinked at Twilight a few times, then looked at the book she had placed in the shelf, then back to Twilight, now having regained most of his composure. "That was you, yes?" "Uhm, yes, it was." Twilight answered, a little thrown off by his rapid change in demeanor. "Why?" He closed his eyes and sat in silence for a few seconds,almost as if he was reminiscing about something. "No reason, it's just that possessing an ability like psychokinesis isn't exactly common where I come from." "Oh, well, I get that. But it's pretty much one of the first things a unicorn learns when they figure out how to control their magic, so--" "Wait." Shadow interrupted. "Magic? Real magic? You're completely serious? ... Of course you are, you're a talking pony, of course you're magical..." He said in exasperation as he put his head in his hands and sighed. "This is just getting worse and worse..." "You don't even have magic where you come from?" "No. Because magic is fictional and ridiculous." "Well, listen up, Shadow," Twilight sneered. "Here, all unicorns, and the princesses, who are alicorns, can all use magic. So if you're going to be sticking around, you're just going to have to deal with it!" Shadow huffed and turned his head away from Twilight. "Trust me, I'll be out of here as soon as I find a way home." "You... you...! Gah! You're so infuriating! You act like you're some big shot and you're so much better than all of us! What makes you think that?!" "Because I am. You're all pathetic." Twilight's jaw hit the floor. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She felt angry and hurt, like she wanted to cry and buck this monster in the face at the same time. "H-how... ?" she stuttered, shaking. "Why would you... WHAT IS UP WITH YOU?!" she shouted as she loosed a burst of magic toward him. He flung himself off the couch as the cushions exploded, his metal shoes clanging as he hit the floor, and dove away from the second shot she flung at him. He seemed relatively calm for someone under attack, and wiped the dust off of his shoulder and smirked. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he asked, tauntingly. "Looks like you've got some fire in you after all, girl. Unfortunately, it's still pretty pathetic. I know a child who could easily build a weapon with the same firepower as your precious 'magic' in minutes." Twilight's eye was twitching now, and all she could feel was anger and hatred toward this hedgehog. What had been genuine concern and curiosity had all but completely melted away. "Get. Out." She growled, as her horn's light intensified and her eyes burned a bright white. "And never show your face to me ever again." He laughed. "Oh, this is cute. You're threatening me, aren't you? Well, looks like this perfect little world of yours isn't as perfect as it looks, eh?" he asked, smirking the whole way through. "You're just as violent as every other sentient species. And you know what? Fine. I'll go. I was just about done here anyway." "Oh my goodness! What is going on here?" a new voice called out in alarm. Twilight blinked and her eyes and horn seemed to burn out as she looked toward the door of the library where this new voice had emanated from. Shadow turned too, satisfied Twilight was disarmed. What he was met with didn't particularly surprise him at this point. A yellow pony with wings and pink hair stood at the door, blue-green eyes wide with fright and confusion. Shadow looked back and noted the exploded couch and scorched floorboards and chuckled. This was barely anything to be afraid of in his book. His face fell back into his signature uninterested frown and he turned around to face her. "Hmph. Get out of my way, creature," he said as he approached the door. "I have no further need to--" A blast of force sent Shadow flying into the wall above the door. He groaned as he fell backward and landed on his back. He blinked a few times, and then his face contorted with rage. Suddenly, he vanished in a flash of blue light. Twilight ignored his little vanishing act and galloped over to a very crestfallen yellow pegasus. "Oh my gosh, Fluttershy, I'm so sorry you had to meet up with him! He was a terrible, mean creature, and I should have sent him away as soon as I found him!" Fluttershy looked at the floor and then up to Twilight. "I-it's okay, Twilight. It's not your fault. I just wish he wouldn't have been so mean... I really would have liked to spoken with him. He seemed like such an interesting animal..." Spike, who had long since hidden behind the wastebasket, approached Fluttershy with a sullen look on his face. "Yeah, I thought he was cool, too..." he said, sadly. "... Until he started trash-talking Twilight and pretty much all of Equestria!" he finished angrily, stamping his foot on the ground. Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth in shock. "H-he really did that? W-w-why would he say such m-m-mean things? That's just... not right!" "Tch. Wow. This is almost sickening," spat a certain, all-too familiar voice. The three gathered at the door whipped around and saw a very angry hedgehog glaring at them from across the room, shocked. "What, you thought I was done with you after that last little shot? Well, you'd be wrong. So now..." he began walking toward Twilight, cracking his knuckles. "The real fun begins." Before he could reach Twilight, Fluttershy's expression hardened and she stepped in front of her friend. "Now wait just a minute, you!" she shouted. Shadow stopped and looked the pegasus directly in the eyes. in contrast to what he had seen earlier, these eyes were those of someone determined to get their two cents in about something. He didn't falter, but felt himself tense up, as if he was being rooted to the spot. "You can't just waltz into somepony's house, run your mouth at them, and then attack them like some sort of violent, mindless... jerk!" Fluttershy continued. "And furthermore, I don't know who or what you are, but I--" "How are you doing this?" Shadow suddenly interrupted. Fluttershy abruptly halted her sentence, surprised. "W-what?" "How are you keeping me here? I have quite literally lost all ability to move." Shadow's anger seemed to have faded, and he was looking at Fluttershy expectantly. She blinked and looked away, and he immediately began stretching, as if he was stiff. "Well, I, um..." "Never mind. I think I've already figured it out," he said, apparently calmed. "For reasons I cannot explain, however, I seem to have been stripped of my anger at your friend, so I think I'll take this opportunity to leave." He vanished again and reappeared, already at the door. Fluttershy quickly turned around and reached out to him. "Wait!" she called. "Please don't go!" Twilight huffed and walked back toward her destroyed couch. "Let him go, Fluttershy. It'll be in everypony's best interests if he just leaves now." Shadow turned and nodded. "For once, we are actually in agreement. I don't belong here, and it's painfully obvious. So, 'Futtersly,' or whatever your name is, I'll just be going now." "B-b-but!" "I bid you all farewell," were his final words as he vanished once more, leaving only the two ponies and the dragon in the library. Fluttershy sighed and turned to Twilight. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it again before a single word was uttered. She turned and flew toward her cottage home without so much as another sound. Spike shook his head sadly and headed off towards Twilight's bedroom to turn in for the night, leaving Twilight all alone in the main room of the library. She took a good look around and noticed a piece of paper by the shelf in which she had placed the last book Shadow had read. She picked it up with her magic and levitated it over to herself. On the paper was a series of sketches. One was a rather faithful rendition of herself, minus the colors, with a small question mark pointing to her horn, and a few notes scribbled her and there about certain parts of her anatomy. The next was what Twilight supposed was a picture of her eye, slanted as if she was angry of frustrated, unlike the bright happy eye on her smiling face. The final sketch was a simplified picture of her cutie mark, without the smaller white stars surrounding it, with another question mark pointing to it. She shook her head sadly at the drawing and folded it up carefully. "Oh, Shadow..." she sighed as she looked out her window. "There's so much you don't understand about our world... you'll never make it out there by yourself. I'll find you... and I'll fix this. I have to." Roughing ItTwilight's Shadow -Roughing It- Shadow pushed aside another tree branch and continued further into the dark forest on the outskirts of the town and grumbled to himself in frustration. He had already fallen multiple times over assorted plants and tree roots since he had found the path into the forest and was beginning to become very agitated. "Tch," Shadow spat as he continued down the pathway. "This is just great. First I randomly show up in some screwed up alternate universe, then I get blasted by some frilly unicorn and stared down by some pegasus that looked and sounded like she was completely helpless!" It was then he arrived at some sort of river that cut through the path he was travelling on. There seemed to be nothing particularly dangerous or important about the river, it was just sort of there. Shadow shrugged and jumped in, expecting to plunge down and swim across. Instead, he stopped short about ankle deep, still braced for impact. He looked down at his legs and quirked an eyebrow. He couldn't see his trademark metallic shoes, but he knew they were right there, pretty much directly beneath the surface. He sighed and chalked it up to wacky, pastel physics, or something to that general effect. Shadow took one step toward the other bank of the river and immediately regretted it. The ground shook, the water began to stir, waves rippling in the once calm stream. He shifted himself into a fighting stance and prepared for battle, when suddenly a large sea serpent rose from the tides... ...and flamboyantly stroked its obnoxious, somewhat familiar, two-toned mustache. Well, it's official, Shadow thought as he stared blankly at the creature. I've finally lost my mind. "Well, hello~!" the serpent called to Shadow, smiling at him. "It's not very often I get visitors around here, not since those nice ponies who saved my precious mustache from eternal ruin! What brings you to this part of the Everfree, mysterious stranger?" Shadow blinked and shook his head, trying to make sense of the world. "Uh... ahem... my name is Shadow the Hedgehog, and I am actually here because I seem to have gotten lost in this black hole the townsfolk some time back call a 'forest.' May, i ask you a question, sir...?" "Magnet. Steven Magnet~!" the serpent replied, beaming. "... Magnet. Tell me, how is it that I'm not even knee-deep in this river, and yet you seem to be more than half submerged, although you are much larger than myself, as if this were a much larger body of water?" Steven looked around and shrugged. "I'm afraid I don't see the issue here, Mister Hedgehog." Shadow placed his hand on his head and sighed again. Of course he doesn't see any problem there. Physics obviously don't work the same here as they do back home. "Never mind, then. My other question is this... why is half of your mustache... you know... purple?" "Oh, it was horrible~!" he wailed as he he put his "hand" on his head and threw his head back dramatically, as if he were in some poorly-produced middle school Shakespeare play. "It was long ago by this time, but to this day I cannot help but cringe at the sheer inhumanity of it all!" It was then that Steven Magnet proceeded to share his riveting tale of life, love, and loss regarding the events of a certain night a little more than a year ago, on an occasion known as the "Summer Sun Celebration," in which some supposedly "tacky" cloud of mist had rushed past the serpent and torn half of his mustache clean off of his face. His hopes and dreams had been dashed, and he had lost all hope, but then suddenly, a band of heroes arrived to justify the crime against fabulosity that had been committed there that day! Six ponies had rushed valiantly onto the scene, attempting to cross the river to continue their heroic quest, but Steven's blinding despair had prevented him from allowing their passage... until one brace, understanding pony made the ultimate sacrifice and parted with most of her tail to restore the great serpent's mighty mustache to its current glorious state. However, it wasn't until about halfway through Steven's description of said "heroic ponies," that Shadow actually gave the sea snake his full attention. "... and then there was this one pale yellowish pegasus, with a mane and tail the loveliest shade of pink, I tell you! Oh, but she was a shy little one, I could tell. Much more timid than the others. Though last I heard she started a modeling career or something, which both makes sense and doesn't make any sense whatsoever at the same time..." Shadow's ear twitched as he listened carefully to the description and quickly realized that it seemed to fit perfectly with the pegasus he had met back in the treehouse. Butterfly, was it? No, that's not it. Uh, Flutterfly, maybe? No, no, that's not it either. Posey? ... No. No, that's not even close, where did that even come from? Oh wait, is he still talking? I should probably try to pretend I've been listening the whole time. Hopefully I don't zone in on some phrase that, taken out of context, sounds incredibly inappropriate like in all those movies that blue idiot forces me to watch... "... it was sore for hours, but the end result pleased both me and the lovely dear!" Steven finished with a grin. Oh, for the love of... "U-um...," Shadow stammered, attempting to keep his composure, "can you, uh, repeat that last part for me please?" "Were you paying attention? Oh, I knew you looked somewhat out there! I was describing that white unicorn who pulled off one of my scales to cut off part of her tail to fix my lovely mustache!" Steven snapped. Shadow growled inwardly, not wanting to anger any more intelligent life forms until he found a way to get back to his world. "Right, right, of course. I apologize, I'm not feeling quite myself at the moment." Steven nodded and sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry for barking at you like that. The first impression you make on a stranger is always the most important, so I should try to keep more of a lid on my temper." Shadow winced. Ow, he thought, remembering his inability to keep a lid on himself back in the library. Just grind some more salt into the wound, why don't you? Steven glanced at the watch he wore on his wrist that had either been there the whole time or had just magically appeared there, which, if Shadow were to be completely honest, wouldn't have surprised him at all at this point, and gasped. "Oh no! I'm late~!" he shrieked. "I'm sorry, Mister Hed--" "Shadow. Just Shadow will do." "--Mister Shadow! I really must be going now! Ta-ta!" With one final stoke of his mustache, Steven Magnet dived back down into the water and vanished from sight. Shadow stood there for a few moments and took one cautious step toward the middle of the river where he had once been, expecting some sort of massive drop-off or something... but he never found one. "Hm. Well. I've honestly probably never been this confused before in my life. And coming from a two-time amnesiac, that's really saying something," Shadow mused as he watched the water ripple. "Congratulations, Equestrio, or whatever it is you're called, you've officially blown my mind." And with one last confused look around, Shadow the Hedgehog crossed the depth-changing river and continued his expedition into the dark, dreary Everfree Forest. Shadow walked unhindered down the path for what seemed to him like a few hours but in all actuality was probably only about an hour tops before he reached a long, precarious looking rope bridge. The ropes supporting it looked like they had been rather recently repaired, but the planks were worn and creaky, and a good chunk of them were missing. "Oh, this is just fan-freaking-tastic. Nothing but gumdrops and ice cream all around in this stupid forest. Stupid place getting my hopes up by showing me firendly, purple, mustached water dragon things and then screwing me over with this stupid death bridge. Thanks a lot, forest. Thanks a lot." "So, are you done ranting?" a familiar feminine voice asked from behind Shadow. "Or do you need me to leave you alone while you yell at the bushes for a few more minutes?" Shadow stopped dead and turned around slowly. Just as he thought, the last person--or rather, pony, he would have wanted to see him have a mental breakdown was now standing in front of him, a smug smile adorning her stupid purple face. "... We are never to speak of this moment ever again," Shadow stated firmly. "I dunno," Twilight replied, looking at her hooves in the same way, Shadow noticed, that human females would look at their nails. "I kind of want to go back home and tell Fluttershy about this whole thing. She might get a kick out of it." "You wouldn't." "Maybe not... if you agree to come back to the library with me." Shadow raised his eyebrow in confusion, something he somehow knew he wasn't going to stop doing anytime soon. "Why? I would've thought you'd want me out of your home for good." "Because, Shadow the Hedgehog, you know absolutely nothing about Equestria. Not only do I know a lot about Equestria, but I am also on very good terms with the two demi-goddess alicorns who run Equestria. I think you could probably use my help." Shadow was about to shoot a retort back at the purple unicorn, but as he opened his mouth, he quickly realized that he had nothing to say. He slowly closed it and turned around. Twilight walked closer to Shadow and sat down next to him. "Well? Would you like me to help you?" Shadow stood there for a few moments, his expression neutral and unwavering. Finally he nodded. Slowly and surely he nodded. "That would be helpful, yes. Better than wandering around this stupid forest forever." Twilight smiled and looked out across the bridge alongside Shadow. "By the way... I feel really bad about the whole thing with you back home... I'm sorry." "Tch, you still on about that? Don't bother dwelling on that. I am the one who started it, after all." "Yeah, but I snapped at you and left a you-shaped indent in my wall." "I hit it that hard? Huh. Didn't even notice." Twilight rolled her eyes and turned to walk away. "Whatever, Mister Macho." "By the way, Twilight...," Shadow began as he turned to face her. "How'd you even find me out here in the middle of nowhere?" "Oh, it was simple, really. I just used a modified version of a spell my friend taught me to search for those golden bracelets you're wearing, and then when I pinpointed your location, I just warped to you." "Huh. You did all that with your, uh... unicorn magic?" Shadow asked, still wary of the whole concept of "magic." "Oh, yes!" Twilight answered excitedly. "There's so many things magic can do, and what I did was just some of the more basic spells I can perform!" "Advanced tracking procedures and teleportation are 'basic' magic tricks for you? Hm. I'm new to this whole magic thing... but you sound like...," Shadow paused, mulling over the proper way to continue his statement. "... You sound like you're a cut above the average unicorn. Special." Twilight stopped for a moment, but shook her head and shrugged. "Maybe a little, but I don't let that get to my head. It's important to remember that no matter how powerful or how special you are, you shouldn't brag or boast about it, and you should save your powers or talents for when they are really needed." They stood in silence for a minute or two, then Shadow turned around and walked beside Twilight. "So, you planning on taking us back to your tree anytime soon?" "In a minute. First I want to know something. You can teleport too, right? then why didn't you just go across the bridge." "Too far. Don't have the weird, mystical objects from my world that I need to do fancier things easier." "Wait, so mystical stones or something give you extra power?" Twilight asked, curious. "Yeah," Shadow replied flatly. "Have you ever used those stones to defeat some wacko, evil guys?" "I lost count after seventeen... wait, was it seventeen?" "Looks like we have more in common than either of us thought, Shadow..." Suddenly there was a flash of bright, violet light and the forest was silent, save for the wind whooshing past the trees and undergrowth as the Everfree returned to its natural, uninhabited state.
Strange VisitorTwilight's Shadow -Strange Visitor- "Stay calm," Twilight told herself in the most un-calm tone she had ever spoken to herself in her entire life. "He's just some sort of odd, bipedal, black and red spiky thing sitting on your couch, reading a book. Everything is perfectly fine and normal and super duper with the world." She turned to give him another inspection--her fourth inspection in just as many minutes--and her eye twitched. He just didn't seem natural. He was also looking up from his book and calmly meeting her gaze, which caught her off-guard. "... Are you quite finished eyeing me, Equine?" It--he--asked. "I find it rather annoying." Twilight blushed and hid her face behind her hoof. "Um, er, uh, y-yes, I guess so..." "Good. If you'll excuse me, I'll just keep reading until you're done having a mental breakdown. Quite the collection of books you have here. You know, in your... library-house... tree... thing you have going on here." She stood for a few moments, staring at him incredulously. He thinks I'm weird because of my house? she thought in aggravation. "Who do you think you are, showing up in my home and talking to me like that?" she shouted at him. "I should just inform the Princess of your little visit! I'm sure she'll love to hear all about how you broke into her own student's house and--" He sat up at the word "Princess" and held up his index finger as if to stop Twilight from talking. She reluctantly complied. "... This 'Princess.' Who is she, exactly? You make her sound like your main authority here." Twilight blinked in surprise. "You... you don't know about the Princesses?" "Now there's two of them?" he muttered to himself. "You. Girl. Whatever your name is. Tell me about them." Twilight huffed indignantly and turned away. "First of all, my name is 'Twilight Sparkle,' and you may address me as such." "... Twilight... Sparkle..." the creature managed out, seeming somewhat repulsed by the words as they left his mouth. "Very... interesting name you've got there." She glared at him. "First you insult my house, then my name. Wow. You're just delightful company, aren't you?" "Hmph. I don't really want to sit here and listen to you whine. Either tell me about these Princesses or I'll just go ahead and find out some other way." "... The Princesses are the rulers of Equestria--" "Equestria... explains why the main intelligent species here is a bunch of pastel-colored horses. Seems childish to me." "Ask me a question, and then you--oh, never mind. Princess Celestia is the older sister, she is an alicorn in charge of raising and setting the sun each day." She waited for a moment, but her company didn't interrupt this time. "Princess Luna, on the other hoof, is the younger sister in charge of the moon. She is also an alicorn, and was, until quite recently, banished to the moon." He sat in silence for a few minutes, brow furrowed, in deep thought. Finally, he said, "So let me get this straight. This is some sort of torture I'm undergoing in one of the Doctor's research labs, correct? He seems to have finally found a way to work his way into my mind and--" "What in the name of Celestia are you talking about?!" "Everything happening right now. It's obviously some sort of sick dream the Doctor created to torture me. You sound like you're explaining some sort of back-story established on some sort of childish TV program. If I was anyone else, I'd probably be laughing right now at how ridiculous that all sounds." "Well... well... you're the one who asked, Mr. Mysterious Dark Bipedal... Thing!" He blinked, then sighed and shook his head. "My name is Shadow, girl. Shadow the Hedgehog. Best that you remember it." Twilight raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Hedgehog? You look nothing like a hedgehog. Hedgehogs are small, and covered in small prickly spines th--" "I am well aware of what a normal hedgehog in your world looks like, thank you very much. I could give you several reasons why you look absolutely nothing like a horse." "I can give you one, too." Twilight retorted. "I'm a pony, not a horse." "Of course you are." Shadow sneered. "Because 'horses' are just too mature, eh?" "What's that supposed to mean!?" "I hate everything about this place, and I haven't even left this room. I'll bet that everything else in this world is just as disgustingly vibrant and pastel, and all your little... 'pony' friends are all nice and sickly sweet or something, and that these two 'Princesses' of yours 'rule the land with love and kindness' or whatever the government runs off of here." He sat down on the couch and folded his arms, facing away from Twilight. "I can't wait to get out of this stupid universe." Twilight looked at him for a moment, then turned away from him and began walking toward the room where she had set up her living quarters. Suddenly, a small purple and green dragon entered the tree-house. "Hey, Twilight!" he called, "I'm hom--" The room was completely silent as the newcomer stared blankly at the strange thing he had spotted on the couch. He examined it for a few moments before excitedly exclaiming, "Cool!" and running up to him. "Spike, could you please not--" "Hey there! I'm Spike!" said the dragon to the hedgehog. "Who are you? What are you? You're pretty cool. What's with all the bands and bracelets and stuff, though? Ooh, right, name! What's your name?" "Spike!" an exasperated Twilight called out. "Please, just... leave him be. He's not very good company. Come on, I need to write a letter to Princess Celestia, and I'll need you to send it." Shadow turned and looked at Twilight. "Is he a dragon?" "... Yes. Like he said, his name is Spike, and he's a baby dragon." "Why is he here with you?" Shadow asked, apparently genuinely curious. "I hatched him as a foal." Twilight stated simply. "... A child?" "Yes." "So... are you his 'mother' or something?" "Oh, no, she's nothing like my mother." Spike said with a frown. "She just feeds me, gives me a place to stay, sometimes tucks me in at night... huh..." "I'm more of a mix between a big sister and a mother, I guess. We usually just go with 'sister,' though." Twilight added. Shadow un-folded his arms as he processed this new information. "Huh... interesting. Maybe there's more to this world than I originally thought." Spike and Twilight shared a glance as Shadow mulled over his thoughts. "So, you were gonna write a letter to the Princess?" Spike asked. Twilight nodded. "Yes. I suppose we should do that now. It won't be a very long letter, so we should be done in a few minutes." "So who is he, anyway?" "I don't really know the details, but I did get a name. He said his name was... Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog." "Shadow, huh? And he's a hedgehog? Definitely not one from around here, that's for sure. I don't think hedgehogs around here look like that... or have fangs." "He has fangs? I didn't even notice." "Yeah. He looks like a pretty scary guy in general. Cool, but scary." "Well," Twilight said, scratching her chin thoughtfully, "we could always ask Fluttershy to take a look at him for us. I'm sure she'd know something." "I don't think that would work." Spike said flatly. "Why not?" "Fluttershy is a flying pony afraid of heights. He is a black and red hedgehog that stands on two legs and is as tall as you... and he has fangs. Think about it." "Oh. I guess you're right." "And here I thought you were the smart one." Dear Princess Celestia, Upon my return to my home from one of Pinkie Pie's latest parties, I discovered a strange, bipedal creature lying on my couch, reading one of my books. Apparently, his name is "Shadow" and he is another world's version of a hedgehog, though the resemblances to our hedgehogs are actually quite few and far between. His fur is mostly jet-black, with streaks of red adorning his hair, arms, and legs. He also has hands and fingers similar to Spikes claws. He looks to be a little over three feet tall, though I was unable to get any proper measurements. I was just wondering whether you would have any advice on what I should do about him. He doesn't seem like he intends any harm to anypony, but just by looking at him you can tell he's out of place. He probably can see that better than I can, actually. So, any advice you might have would be greatly appreciated. The quicker the better! Thank you in advance! ... What do you mean, "I sound like I'm worried about him?" Why wouldn't I be worried about him!? He's in a place he's unfamiliar and uncomfortable with, it's only natural! ... Don't write this part down, Spike, just sign the letter! ... SPIKE! Oh, right, sorry, Twilight. ~Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle
In-DepthTwilight's Shadow -In-Depth- To My Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle, You should probably lay off all this late-night studying you've been doing. It seems as though it's beginning to have negative effects on your mind. I mean, really, Twilight, when you get to feeling better, you should re-read your last letter. I'm sure it will give you as much of a laugh as it gave me. All joking aside, I am quite serious about the late nights. Hallucinations are never a good thing. Trust me on this one, you do not want to be having those for very long. I'll be waiting patiently for you and your friends' newest findings on the magic of friendship. Until then, Twilight. Sincerely, Princess Celestia Spike finished reading the letter, and looked up at Twilight, who simply sat in silence for a few moments. "Uh, Twilight?" he asked. "I don't think the Princess believes you about that Shadow guy." "Really, Spike? I never would have guessed." Twilight answered sarcastically. "So, that eliminates the Princess from the list of ponies that could give us a clue as to why he's even here." "Wasn't she the only pony even on the list in the first place?" Twilight sighed. "Yes. Yes, she was." "So what are we supposed to do now?" "I dunno, Spike. Let's go see if he'll give us any details about his world. I'm sure he'll be able to take my mind off of the fact my teacher and the ruler of Equestria just wrote off there being an alien in my living room as a joke." "To be honest, I probably would've done the same thing." The pair walked down into the living room to notice their visitor was now laying across the couch, reading a new book he seemed to have picked up while they were gone. He glanced toward them as they approached him, "Hmph'ed" grumpily and returned his gaze to the tome in his hands. "So, uh, Shadow. I don't think the Princess is going to help you out." He quirked his left eyebrow and lowered his book. "Why?" "She, uh..." Twilight stammered as she recalled the contents of Princess Celestia's letter. "She didn't exactly believe me when I told her about you. She doesn't believe you exist." He shrugged and went back to his book. "Not particularly surprising." he said, sounding rather bored. "Until about an hour ago, I wouldn't have believed she existed." He closed his book and placed it on the floor next to the couch and righted himself to where he was in a sitting position and said, "I don't suppose you could just figure out some way to fling me back to my world, could you?" Twilight shuffled her hoof on the ground and sighed. "No. I don't think I could do that. I mean, traveling across dimensions isn't something that's really been studied all that well. Because, you know, it's um... supposed to be scientifically impossible." "Right. Right. Of course." Twilight sighed and levitated the book Shadow had deposited on the floor and inserted it back into its proper place. When she turned around, she was met with an entirely different pair of crimson eyes. While up to this point, Shadow had always seemed to have an angry look in his slanted eyes, he now had a surprised look in his just as surprisingly large, round eyes. He blinked at Twilight a few times, then looked at the book she had placed in the shelf, then back to Twilight, now having regained most of his composure. "That was you, yes?" "Uhm, yes, it was." Twilight answered, a little thrown off by his rapid change in demeanor. "Why?" He closed his eyes and sat in silence for a few seconds,almost as if he was reminiscing about something. "No reason, it's just that possessing an ability like psychokinesis isn't exactly common where I come from." "Oh, well, I get that. But it's pretty much one of the first things a unicorn learns when they figure out how to control their magic, so--" "Wait." Shadow interrupted. "Magic? Real magic? You're completely serious? ... Of course you are, you're a talking pony, of course you're magical..." He said in exasperation as he put his head in his hands and sighed. "This is just getting worse and worse..." "You don't even have magic where you come from?" "No. Because magic is fictional and ridiculous." "Well, listen up, Shadow," Twilight sneered. "Here, all unicorns, and the princesses, who are alicorns, can all use magic. So if you're going to be sticking around, you're just going to have to deal with it!" Shadow huffed and turned his head away from Twilight. "Trust me, I'll be out of here as soon as I find a way home." "You... you...! Gah! You're so infuriating! You act like you're some big shot and you're so much better than all of us! What makes you think that?!" "Because I am. You're all pathetic." Twilight's jaw hit the floor. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She felt angry and hurt, like she wanted to cry and buck this monster in the face at the same time. "H-how... ?" she stuttered, shaking. "Why would you... WHAT IS UP WITH YOU?!" she shouted as she loosed a burst of magic toward him. He flung himself off the couch as the cushions exploded, his metal shoes clanging as he hit the floor, and dove away from the second shot she flung at him. He seemed relatively calm for someone under attack, and wiped the dust off of his shoulder and smirked. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he asked, tauntingly. "Looks like you've got some fire in you after all, girl. Unfortunately, it's still pretty pathetic. I know a child who could easily build a weapon with the same firepower as your precious 'magic' in minutes." Twilight's eye was twitching now, and all she could feel was anger and hatred toward this hedgehog. What had been genuine concern and curiosity had all but completely melted away. "Get. Out." She growled, as her horn's light intensified and her eyes burned a bright white. "And never show your face to me ever again." He laughed. "Oh, this is cute. You're threatening me, aren't you? Well, looks like this perfect little world of yours isn't as perfect as it looks, eh?" he asked, smirking the whole way through. "You're just as violent as every other sentient species. And you know what? Fine. I'll go. I was just about done here anyway." "Oh my goodness! What is going on here?" a new voice called out in alarm. Twilight blinked and her eyes and horn seemed to burn out as she looked toward the door of the library where this new voice had emanated from. Shadow turned too, satisfied Twilight was disarmed. What he was met with didn't particularly surprise him at this point. A yellow pony with wings and pink hair stood at the door, blue-green eyes wide with fright and confusion. Shadow looked back and noted the exploded couch and scorched floorboards and chuckled. This was barely anything to be afraid of in his book. His face fell back into his signature uninterested frown and he turned around to face her. "Hmph. Get out of my way, creature," he said as he approached the door. "I have no further need to--" A blast of force sent Shadow flying into the wall above the door. He groaned as he fell backward and landed on his back. He blinked a few times, and then his face contorted with rage. Suddenly, he vanished in a flash of blue light. Twilight ignored his little vanishing act and galloped over to a very crestfallen yellow pegasus. "Oh my gosh, Fluttershy, I'm so sorry you had to meet up with him! He was a terrible, mean creature, and I should have sent him away as soon as I found him!" Fluttershy looked at the floor and then up to Twilight. "I-it's okay, Twilight. It's not your fault. I just wish he wouldn't have been so mean... I really would have liked to spoken with him. He seemed like such an interesting animal..." Spike, who had long since hidden behind the wastebasket, approached Fluttershy with a sullen look on his face. "Yeah, I thought he was cool, too..." he said, sadly. "... Until he started trash-talking Twilight and pretty much all of Equestria!" he finished angrily, stamping his foot on the ground. Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth in shock. "H-he really did that? W-w-why would he say such m-m-mean things? That's just... not right!" "Tch. Wow. This is almost sickening," spat a certain, all-too familiar voice. The three gathered at the door whipped around and saw a very angry hedgehog glaring at them from across the room, shocked. "What, you thought I was done with you after that last little shot? Well, you'd be wrong. So now..." he began walking toward Twilight, cracking his knuckles. "The real fun begins." Before he could reach Twilight, Fluttershy's expression hardened and she stepped in front of her friend. "Now wait just a minute, you!" she shouted. Shadow stopped and looked the pegasus directly in the eyes. in contrast to what he had seen earlier, these eyes were those of someone determined to get their two cents in about something. He didn't falter, but felt himself tense up, as if he was being rooted to the spot. "You can't just waltz into somepony's house, run your mouth at them, and then attack them like some sort of violent, mindless... jerk!" Fluttershy continued. "And furthermore, I don't know who or what you are, but I--" "How are you doing this?" Shadow suddenly interrupted. Fluttershy abruptly halted her sentence, surprised. "W-what?" "How are you keeping me here? I have quite literally lost all ability to move." Shadow's anger seemed to have faded, and he was looking at Fluttershy expectantly. She blinked and looked away, and he immediately began stretching, as if he was stiff. "Well, I, um..." "Never mind. I think I've already figured it out," he said, apparently calmed. "For reasons I cannot explain, however, I seem to have been stripped of my anger at your friend, so I think I'll take this opportunity to leave." He vanished again and reappeared, already at the door. Fluttershy quickly turned around and reached out to him. "Wait!" she called. "Please don't go!" Twilight huffed and walked back toward her destroyed couch. "Let him go, Fluttershy. It'll be in everypony's best interests if he just leaves now." Shadow turned and nodded. "For once, we are actually in agreement. I don't belong here, and it's painfully obvious. So, 'Futtersly,' or whatever your name is, I'll just be going now." "B-b-but!" "I bid you all farewell," were his final words as he vanished once more, leaving only the two ponies and the dragon in the library. Fluttershy sighed and turned to Twilight. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it again before a single word was uttered. She turned and flew toward her cottage home without so much as another sound. Spike shook his head sadly and headed off towards Twilight's bedroom to turn in for the night, leaving Twilight all alone in the main room of the library. She took a good look around and noticed a piece of paper by the shelf in which she had placed the last book Shadow had read. She picked it up with her magic and levitated it over to herself. On the paper was a series of sketches. One was a rather faithful rendition of herself, minus the colors, with a small question mark pointing to her horn, and a few notes scribbled her and there about certain parts of her anatomy. The next was what Twilight supposed was a picture of her eye, slanted as if she was angry of frustrated, unlike the bright happy eye on her smiling face. The final sketch was a simplified picture of her cutie mark, without the smaller white stars surrounding it, with another question mark pointing to it. She shook her head sadly at the drawing and folded it up carefully. "Oh, Shadow..." she sighed as she looked out her window. "There's so much you don't understand about our world... you'll never make it out there by yourself. I'll find you... and I'll fix this. I have to."
Roughing ItTwilight's Shadow -Roughing It- Shadow pushed aside another tree branch and continued further into the dark forest on the outskirts of the town and grumbled to himself in frustration. He had already fallen multiple times over assorted plants and tree roots since he had found the path into the forest and was beginning to become very agitated. "Tch," Shadow spat as he continued down the pathway. "This is just great. First I randomly show up in some screwed up alternate universe, then I get blasted by some frilly unicorn and stared down by some pegasus that looked and sounded like she was completely helpless!" It was then he arrived at some sort of river that cut through the path he was travelling on. There seemed to be nothing particularly dangerous or important about the river, it was just sort of there. Shadow shrugged and jumped in, expecting to plunge down and swim across. Instead, he stopped short about ankle deep, still braced for impact. He looked down at his legs and quirked an eyebrow. He couldn't see his trademark metallic shoes, but he knew they were right there, pretty much directly beneath the surface. He sighed and chalked it up to wacky, pastel physics, or something to that general effect. Shadow took one step toward the other bank of the river and immediately regretted it. The ground shook, the water began to stir, waves rippling in the once calm stream. He shifted himself into a fighting stance and prepared for battle, when suddenly a large sea serpent rose from the tides... ...and flamboyantly stroked its obnoxious, somewhat familiar, two-toned mustache. Well, it's official, Shadow thought as he stared blankly at the creature. I've finally lost my mind. "Well, hello~!" the serpent called to Shadow, smiling at him. "It's not very often I get visitors around here, not since those nice ponies who saved my precious mustache from eternal ruin! What brings you to this part of the Everfree, mysterious stranger?" Shadow blinked and shook his head, trying to make sense of the world. "Uh... ahem... my name is Shadow the Hedgehog, and I am actually here because I seem to have gotten lost in this black hole the townsfolk some time back call a 'forest.' May, i ask you a question, sir...?" "Magnet. Steven Magnet~!" the serpent replied, beaming. "... Magnet. Tell me, how is it that I'm not even knee-deep in this river, and yet you seem to be more than half submerged, although you are much larger than myself, as if this were a much larger body of water?" Steven looked around and shrugged. "I'm afraid I don't see the issue here, Mister Hedgehog." Shadow placed his hand on his head and sighed again. Of course he doesn't see any problem there. Physics obviously don't work the same here as they do back home. "Never mind, then. My other question is this... why is half of your mustache... you know... purple?" "Oh, it was horrible~!" he wailed as he he put his "hand" on his head and threw his head back dramatically, as if he were in some poorly-produced middle school Shakespeare play. "It was long ago by this time, but to this day I cannot help but cringe at the sheer inhumanity of it all!" It was then that Steven Magnet proceeded to share his riveting tale of life, love, and loss regarding the events of a certain night a little more than a year ago, on an occasion known as the "Summer Sun Celebration," in which some supposedly "tacky" cloud of mist had rushed past the serpent and torn half of his mustache clean off of his face. His hopes and dreams had been dashed, and he had lost all hope, but then suddenly, a band of heroes arrived to justify the crime against fabulosity that had been committed there that day! Six ponies had rushed valiantly onto the scene, attempting to cross the river to continue their heroic quest, but Steven's blinding despair had prevented him from allowing their passage... until one brace, understanding pony made the ultimate sacrifice and parted with most of her tail to restore the great serpent's mighty mustache to its current glorious state. However, it wasn't until about halfway through Steven's description of said "heroic ponies," that Shadow actually gave the sea snake his full attention. "... and then there was this one pale yellowish pegasus, with a mane and tail the loveliest shade of pink, I tell you! Oh, but she was a shy little one, I could tell. Much more timid than the others. Though last I heard she started a modeling career or something, which both makes sense and doesn't make any sense whatsoever at the same time..." Shadow's ear twitched as he listened carefully to the description and quickly realized that it seemed to fit perfectly with the pegasus he had met back in the treehouse. Butterfly, was it? No, that's not it. Uh, Flutterfly, maybe? No, no, that's not it either. Posey? ... No. No, that's not even close, where did that even come from? Oh wait, is he still talking? I should probably try to pretend I've been listening the whole time. Hopefully I don't zone in on some phrase that, taken out of context, sounds incredibly inappropriate like in all those movies that blue idiot forces me to watch... "... it was sore for hours, but the end result pleased both me and the lovely dear!" Steven finished with a grin. Oh, for the love of... "U-um...," Shadow stammered, attempting to keep his composure, "can you, uh, repeat that last part for me please?" "Were you paying attention? Oh, I knew you looked somewhat out there! I was describing that white unicorn who pulled off one of my scales to cut off part of her tail to fix my lovely mustache!" Steven snapped. Shadow growled inwardly, not wanting to anger any more intelligent life forms until he found a way to get back to his world. "Right, right, of course. I apologize, I'm not feeling quite myself at the moment." Steven nodded and sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry for barking at you like that. The first impression you make on a stranger is always the most important, so I should try to keep more of a lid on my temper." Shadow winced. Ow, he thought, remembering his inability to keep a lid on himself back in the library. Just grind some more salt into the wound, why don't you? Steven glanced at the watch he wore on his wrist that had either been there the whole time or had just magically appeared there, which, if Shadow were to be completely honest, wouldn't have surprised him at all at this point, and gasped. "Oh no! I'm late~!" he shrieked. "I'm sorry, Mister Hed--" "Shadow. Just Shadow will do." "--Mister Shadow! I really must be going now! Ta-ta!" With one final stoke of his mustache, Steven Magnet dived back down into the water and vanished from sight. Shadow stood there for a few moments and took one cautious step toward the middle of the river where he had once been, expecting some sort of massive drop-off or something... but he never found one. "Hm. Well. I've honestly probably never been this confused before in my life. And coming from a two-time amnesiac, that's really saying something," Shadow mused as he watched the water ripple. "Congratulations, Equestrio, or whatever it is you're called, you've officially blown my mind." And with one last confused look around, Shadow the Hedgehog crossed the depth-changing river and continued his expedition into the dark, dreary Everfree Forest. Shadow walked unhindered down the path for what seemed to him like a few hours but in all actuality was probably only about an hour tops before he reached a long, precarious looking rope bridge. The ropes supporting it looked like they had been rather recently repaired, but the planks were worn and creaky, and a good chunk of them were missing. "Oh, this is just fan-freaking-tastic. Nothing but gumdrops and ice cream all around in this stupid forest. Stupid place getting my hopes up by showing me firendly, purple, mustached water dragon things and then screwing me over with this stupid death bridge. Thanks a lot, forest. Thanks a lot." "So, are you done ranting?" a familiar feminine voice asked from behind Shadow. "Or do you need me to leave you alone while you yell at the bushes for a few more minutes?" Shadow stopped dead and turned around slowly. Just as he thought, the last person--or rather, pony, he would have wanted to see him have a mental breakdown was now standing in front of him, a smug smile adorning her stupid purple face. "... We are never to speak of this moment ever again," Shadow stated firmly. "I dunno," Twilight replied, looking at her hooves in the same way, Shadow noticed, that human females would look at their nails. "I kind of want to go back home and tell Fluttershy about this whole thing. She might get a kick out of it." "You wouldn't." "Maybe not... if you agree to come back to the library with me." Shadow raised his eyebrow in confusion, something he somehow knew he wasn't going to stop doing anytime soon. "Why? I would've thought you'd want me out of your home for good." "Because, Shadow the Hedgehog, you know absolutely nothing about Equestria. Not only do I know a lot about Equestria, but I am also on very good terms with the two demi-goddess alicorns who run Equestria. I think you could probably use my help." Shadow was about to shoot a retort back at the purple unicorn, but as he opened his mouth, he quickly realized that he had nothing to say. He slowly closed it and turned around. Twilight walked closer to Shadow and sat down next to him. "Well? Would you like me to help you?" Shadow stood there for a few moments, his expression neutral and unwavering. Finally he nodded. Slowly and surely he nodded. "That would be helpful, yes. Better than wandering around this stupid forest forever." Twilight smiled and looked out across the bridge alongside Shadow. "By the way... I feel really bad about the whole thing with you back home... I'm sorry." "Tch, you still on about that? Don't bother dwelling on that. I am the one who started it, after all." "Yeah, but I snapped at you and left a you-shaped indent in my wall." "I hit it that hard? Huh. Didn't even notice." Twilight rolled her eyes and turned to walk away. "Whatever, Mister Macho." "By the way, Twilight...," Shadow began as he turned to face her. "How'd you even find me out here in the middle of nowhere?" "Oh, it was simple, really. I just used a modified version of a spell my friend taught me to search for those golden bracelets you're wearing, and then when I pinpointed your location, I just warped to you." "Huh. You did all that with your, uh... unicorn magic?" Shadow asked, still wary of the whole concept of "magic." "Oh, yes!" Twilight answered excitedly. "There's so many things magic can do, and what I did was just some of the more basic spells I can perform!" "Advanced tracking procedures and teleportation are 'basic' magic tricks for you? Hm. I'm new to this whole magic thing... but you sound like...," Shadow paused, mulling over the proper way to continue his statement. "... You sound like you're a cut above the average unicorn. Special." Twilight stopped for a moment, but shook her head and shrugged. "Maybe a little, but I don't let that get to my head. It's important to remember that no matter how powerful or how special you are, you shouldn't brag or boast about it, and you should save your powers or talents for when they are really needed." They stood in silence for a minute or two, then Shadow turned around and walked beside Twilight. "So, you planning on taking us back to your tree anytime soon?" "In a minute. First I want to know something. You can teleport too, right? then why didn't you just go across the bridge." "Too far. Don't have the weird, mystical objects from my world that I need to do fancier things easier." "Wait, so mystical stones or something give you extra power?" Twilight asked, curious. "Yeah," Shadow replied flatly. "Have you ever used those stones to defeat some wacko, evil guys?" "I lost count after seventeen... wait, was it seventeen?" "Looks like we have more in common than either of us thought, Shadow..." Suddenly there was a flash of bright, violet light and the forest was silent, save for the wind whooshing past the trees and undergrowth as the Everfree returned to its natural, uninhabited state.
