Everlasting Shadows

Chapters

Prelude
Chapter One: Life Leason's
Griffon and Mare

Prelude

I look up into the starry night, marveling at the consolations. Taking in the simplicity of just lying under the starlit sky. My eyes fall on the moon, its pale light drawing me in, its soft beauty unmatched. I smiled as I looked up at it, my mind wondering back to the first time I had ever looked up at that beautiful orb in the night sky, and first realized its beauty.

I chuckled to myself as I think about it, because that same night was the whole reason I’m where I am now. I’m not sure if it was always for the best, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Sure, I would have loved to have one more night with my friends, but I was doing this for them, and the land that I’ve come to call my home.

Oh, I’m sorry I almost forgot you can call me Shadow, everypony does, I’m a black unicorn, with a long flowing silver mane, my eyes are a deep red, like the last scraps of light of the setting sun. I’m also on the smaller side…who am I kidding I get called a filly way too often, even though I’m only half a head shorter than your normal pony. I’ve been called cute more than beautiful, and a bit hard headed at times as well. It doesn’t make life easy when you’re a hard headed child trying to act like an adult, TRUST ME!

Anyway, let me first explain a little about being a unicorn and magic itself, I know that a lot of you are most likely unicorns or understand magic in one way or another. Well bear with me please; as I was saying, unicorns are in there own right, users of magic. Most use magic in their every day lives for just small things, from telekinesis (levitation magic to those who don’t know) for moving things around the house, to the harder spells like helping keep monsters from the Everfree forest out of Equestria. Magic also takes its toll on a unicorn as well, if you use too much magic, you’ll either burn out or you could even die. The body can only handle so much power.

Magic is not easy, but it always comes to a unicorn sooner or later. For me it was a nightmare, by the time I was an older filly I grew to hate magic. It was so damn hard on me that I decided to say “Fuck you spells” and be done with it. I think that is one reason it took me so long to get my cutie mark. I was such a silly filly when I was younger if only I could go back and tell myself to get over it. Oh…I’m wavering again, sorry. Where was I? ...Oh yes, magic just sucked for me let’s leave it at that.

The last thing you should know about me is that I didn’t grow up in Equestria like most pony’s do. I was found as a foal only a day or so old on the door step of Xen’s orphanage in the Zebra city of Kelf just outside of the Zebra badlands, and there was only one other pony who lived there for a little while when I was a small filly. Her name was Rose Bud, she was an earth pony whose parents had passed away while trying to find out about the cat people who lived on the other side of the badlands. She lived there for two years then, after finding family she had in Canterlot in Equestria, she left, just as most of the children did. Leaving me with no family, no friends, and no pony’s to help me learn of my own kind let along the importance of finding what my one special talent was.

Well after a while, I got too old to be living at Xen’s and had to be placed in a foster home outside Manehattan. That didn’t last long, and trust me that isn’t the story you need to hear, not yet and it will just get me prattling on again. To put it simply, when I was sixteen and still with no cutie mark (Not something I really cared about until I moved to Equestria and got teased for it), I ran away…and that is where my life, my real life truly started.

You can call me Shadow, and this is life…

I made my way down the alley way, heading toward one of the few area’s that I knew I’d be able to find a good mark. A mare has to eat after all, and the ponies who come to this part of the city always have more than enough bit’s to spare and it’s not like I’d ever hurt anyone. Preparing for this takes a bit of thought, a bad grab could mean bad news for me. So I did my best to keep to the shadows, making sure every hoof step fell as quietly as they could, and a small knife held in my muzzle (for protection). I could never really hurt another pony, but it did help to have it in case something went wrong.

There she was, the perfect mark, She looked like one of your normal upper Manehattaners, she was walking around with a beautiful scarf and hat on. Her white coat shined like she had just left one of the spas and her purple mane was styled like one who was expecting an audience with the royal family. All in all she was very beautiful and alluring, I almost wasn’t able to take the next couple of steps so I could take the small pouch of bits she had sitting at the top of her saddle bags.

It was one problem I had, when I saw an attractive mare I always started staring, pulling my attention away from the task at hand. Just like any night though I shook my head, letting my head clear for a moment then I started to move forward again. The pony who was my target was talking to someone that I couldn’t see just on the other side of the ally.

“Darling, I have no idea where we are.” Said the white Mare shaking her head slowly “I’m sure you don’t know. Do you?”

Another voice came from the other pony just out of my sight, his voice deep and with a hint of an accent “Eeyup, I reckon we’re only a couple blocks down from Broadway.”

“Big Mac, I had no idea you knew your way around a city like Manehattan, I hadn’t even thought you had ever gone much farther outside of Ponyville.” Said the mare quietly with a small chuckle.

“Ma’ uncle and aunt had me come stay here a few times when I was a colt. Granny said I was too much of a hand full back in those days.”

I shook my own head wondering why I was still standing here in the shadows listening to these two go on. If I didn’t do it soon, I would have to wait for another opportunity, and I couldn’t chance that. I mean it isn’t often that some pony makes my work this easy. Then I noticed that I was staring at her again, of course I was. I shook my head and moved my head forward and waiting for the mare who was talking with much more enthusiasm, to move back just a little more. And there it was, she moved her flanks back some as she moved her front hooves in some kind of odd gesture.

This brought her saddle backs right into a sliver of the shadows right next to my muzzle. With a quick movement I reached into the bags, took hold of the pouch, and pulled it out quickly yet silently. It was, I thought, one of my better grabs. I had practiced this kind of thing a lot when I was a filly, it was the only way to get treats at the orphanage sometimes.

Then as quickly as my hooves could take me yet staying silent, I took off down the dark alleyway and back toward my makeshift home. It didn’t take long, my “home” was a block away from where I had taken the coin purse from the white mare. Normally I wouldn’t steal so close to my home, but today would make the fourth day that I had gone without a proper meal. Everything went well so I figured all was good.

When I made it back to the three boxes, resting against a wall with a tin sign that acted like a roof that made up my home, I came to a stop a little too late. Next to my home was none other than Quick Shot, a big unicorn stallion with a red coat and black mane. His cutie mark was a badge and he was a big pain in my ass. He worked for the Police, in the department that helped families find there lost fillies, or in my case, run away foster kids.

“Well, look who decided to show up. I have been standing in front of your little shithole for almost five minutes. I have more ponies to check on tonight that isn’t you. Now do you have my payment, or do I have to finally tell my superiors that you have been found?” Quick Shot said with a smug smile.

I rolled my eyes and leaned against the wall of the alley and yawned a little “I don’t have it yet, I just got a chance to get out and get enough to feed myself, which was the deal we had. I make enough bits to get by and the rest I give to you.”

“Yes it was, but when you put me off for a couple of weeks I start to get mad. You know your foster family is offering a small reward for finding you right.” He said smiling.

I knew that was a lie, my foster parents didn’t give a shit about me, they only wanted the pay check they got for taking in the foster foal. When a colt or filly ran away the foster parents were put under investigation. With that they wouldn’t be able to take in more foals until it was done. They wouldn’t offer a reward, but they would be playing the part of the worried parents. Quick Shot was only saying that to get me to hand over my “protection” payment to him. In reality it was just a bribe to the officer.

“I am not too worried about you turning me in. All that will happen is you’ll tell them, they’ll find me, interview me, and I’ll tell them all about what you had done to me, the bribes and how long you had known where I was. What is it now, five months?” I said with a cocked grin on my face.

“That’s not something that I have to worry about, fillies try that kind of thing all the time. Now stop stalling and just give me the bits you owe me. I’ll even leave you a little bit to by something to eat.” He said moving closer to her.

I will admit, I was scared of him. He was much bigger than I am (though that’s not saying much) and I wasn’t as much of a threat to him as I had acted. If he wanted he could honestly arrest me and take me in for robing another pony, and he would find something on me as well. How long would it take for the Mare I had robbed to come to the police station looking to file a police report about her missing bag of bits. Not long at all I’m sure.

All this may be true, but that didn’t stop me from standing my ground. “Listen here, I will pay you at the end of the week with extra to make up for the lost time, I just can’t do it yet. Now can we get this over with and we can go our separate ways?”

I regretted saying it as soon as it was out of my muzzle. I had just shown him a small bit of weakness, my quick attitude to get things done and be on my way showed him just a small fraction of the fear that was growing inside of me. I knew he saw it too, as soon as he moved his head closer, his face inches from my own saying slowly “I don’t think so. Though I do have another way you can pay me back.”

I didn’t like where this was going, I could tell something was wrong when I looked into his eyes. They had no compassion in them at all, only a primal hunger that I had only seen once before. It was something that made my stomach turn and my knees shake. I tried to back up some, but found my way blocked by something I couldn’t see at the moment.

“St…stay away from me.” I said, un-able to keep my voice steady.

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll use my magic on you.”

He laughed at that his own horn glowing a soft gold as he pulled his police baton out of his belt. “Oh that’s rich, I know more about you than you think small fry. You have no magic from what I was told, your file says your either un-able to concentrate enough to use it, or you were born with a disability to use magic. It does happen with unicorns, but it’s rare. So why should I be scared of a blank flank filly with no magic. Honestly I think you should pay me back right now, right here in this alleyway.”

I was about to reply with something I was hopping was witty, when I felt something smash against my face throwing me to the ground hard. My head swam for a moment and my right ear was ringing, the taste of blood in my mouth from where I had bit my cheek when I landed. Then I felt his hot breath inches away from my face saying quietly “You see this is what you will end up as anyway, might as well get you ready for it now. I promise I’ll make it easier than most buck’s would.”

My body felt like ice as those words left his lips. I couldn’t believe what he was saying. He was going to do that to me, the thought of a stallion mounting me or even touching me in such a way was too much for me. I felt hot tears starting to fall from my eyes, something that just made me even more ashamed than this stallion wanting to take me in such a way. It made me feel weak, and I was so tired of being weak.

“Don’t touch…me…” I cried into the ground as he moved around me.

“Shut your mouth, or I’ll make this worse for you.” He said smacking my back end with his baton, pain lancing through my body.

I screamed as I felt something crack, tears flowing onto the dirty ground. All I wanted was to be away from this, for my mind or my soul to just vanish and leave this retched life behind. All I wanted was to be left along and to not be so weak any more. It was right then, as I heard him pulling off his belt that a feeling ran through me. But not the one I was thinking was just about to come.

It was a feeling I had, had before only a couple of times. It was like some kind of cosmic energy flowing through my body and up to the tip of my horn, it was like the entire world was there for the taking. When this had happened to me before I was scared of it, because I knew what would come next would be out of my control, but now it couldn’t have happened at a better time.

I started to cry harder, but at the same time I smiled letting a laugh escape my lips and through my sobs. When I did he stopped his movements saying “What was that?”

I looked back at him from the ground smiling wider as my horn started to glow a deep red “Remember when you said I don’t have any magic?”

He looked at my horn a small bit of fear coming to his eyes as he started to make his own horn glow. “What about it?”

“I do have magic, I just never use it, because I can’t control it. I do so hope that whatever happens next is painful.” I said, as I did my body started to feel like it was on fire, and I screamed as the familiar magic exploded out of my horn.

Quick Shot tried to throw up a shield spell, but it wasn’t strong enough. My magic enveloped him and lifted him up, popping the shield like a soap bubble. He was lifted higher his eyes going wide as he started to scream, as though something was burning him from the inside out. As I screamed with him I started to stand my eyes glowing a bright white, then with a quick jerk of my head, I through the large stallion at the far wall.

It felt like it had taken forever for his limp body to fly across the alley, as if everything was now going into slow motion. I wanted to hear his body crack against the brick wall. The sound never came though, because when his body was inches away from the wall, another unicorns magic enveloped Quick Shot’s body catching him at the last moment in a steady blue light. Slowly his body was floated to the ground.

My body couldn’t take the back lash of the magic I had just used and I passed out. The last thing I heard was a mare’s voice saying “Thank Celestia, I didn’t think we would make it in time…”

When I awoke, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time. I was first of all clean, my mane was washed and my coat as well, second I was warm in a bed. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around the small room I was in. At first I thought somepony had taken me to their house to tend to me, but after a quick look around I knew I was wrong. This was a hospital room, it had to be, no one would have their house set up like this.

The room was cool and had the same light green blue walls with metal trays and things in jars all over the place. After I got my small look around I felt my head pound, it was like small hammers were slamming themselves on the back of my eyeballs. I tried to lift my hoof up to rub my head, then I realized I couldn’t, someone had tied my hooves down to the bed. I started to panic, thrashing my head and starting to yell.

Before I could do much more though a blue earth pony came in to the room wearing some kind of white outfit with an odd hat on her head, her cutie mark was a red cross with a syringe lying next to it. She moved over to me quickly and started to speak to me in a soothing voice as she started to undo my bindings “Calm down dear, I’m nurse Red Cross and you’re in the hospital. A friend of yours brought you in after the attack you had.”

I pulled my hooves up once they were free saying “Why did you have me tied down and what friend are you talking about I don’t have any friends?”

“We had to tie you down because you were having some kind of nightmare and you were thrashing, we didn’t want you hurting yourself. And as for your friend she’ll be right back. You have a concussion from the blow you took to the head and a cracked hip. Your friend can tell you more about that when she gets back, I’m just here to make sure you don’t overdo it. You did some kind of powerful spell and it took a lot out of you as well.” Said Nurse Red Cross with a smile “Now please lay back down and rest.”

I did as I was told and rested my head back on the pillow watching her leave the room. Once I knew she was gone I got back up and started to pull the small wires off my body and quickly got up. My body felt terrible and my hip did hurt a lot. I knew I should be resting, but I could do that when I got back to my home. Right now I needed to get away, for all I knew that asshole Quick Shot had woken up and taken me here and was about to turn me in as a runaway.

I couldn’t have that happen to me, I wasn’t going to go back to that house, even if it killed me, and if he was going to have me arrested for attacking him, I wouldn’t go to jail for him either. I made my way down the hall and out the first door I saw that looked like it lead outside. Once I was out though I saw I was just in a small square garden that looked like it was meant for some kind of outdoor therapy. I was about to head back in and try my escape again when a soft beautiful voice started to sing something not far away from me.

“My little sunshine….my little sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey.” The voice sang then her song went into a hum, and when I moved closer I saw it was a white unicorn with a purple main, three diamonds made up her cutie mark. I realized that she was the same mare I had stolen from earlier.

I turned to leave again when her voice stopped humming and she turned her head saying “Are you really going to just walk away without a word or a thank you. Really dear, that is quite rude.”

I didn’t know what to say at first, especially when I saw that she was smiling and not yelling at me. I shook my head and said the only thing that I could think of “Who are you?”

She laughed and moved closer to me “The better question my dear is who are you? Though I guess who I am is a fair question as well. I am Rarity, and I am one of the ponies who saved your life, or at least made sure you didn’t kill that officer.”

“Wait a moment, you came to help me when he attacked me?”

“From what he is saying, you attacked him. Said something about you being a runaway and he was trying to bring you in…” she started to say before I interrupted her (like I said, Young and hard headed).

“What the fuck, really, he is going to say that when he tried to rape me in that alley, and he has been taking bits from me for months now…” my muzzle was slammed shut and held that way by some blue magic that was coming from the unicorn.

“It isn’t polite to interrupt another pony when she is talking darling. Now can I finish?” she said, and once I nodded she continued “He is saying that yes, but Big Mac and I had been going down that alley when he attacked you. We tried to make it to you to help, but not in time to stop your burst of magic. We told the police what happened and they believed us.”

I felt the spell around my muzzle fade away, and I said “Why would you do that for me?”

“I would do that for any pony in need dear, I was looking for you because when you took my bit pouch I knew you needed some pony to help you in some way. I have a tracker spell on my things and I would have been able to keep up with you and find you much faster normally, but something about you made my spell mess up a little. It must have been the magic you had pent up inside of you.” She said with a smile.

I felt tears start to fall again as I looked away from her “You’re lying, you were just looking to get your bits back.”

“Well I did want to get them back yes, you did take a lot, but I still would have left you with something and tried to help you. I think every pony has a reason for living like you are. I take it you are a runaway, but I’m not sure why.”

“It’s none of your business.” I snapped at her.

The smile on her face fell a little as she said “Darling you do know that you won’t be able to leave this hospital without being spotted. The police are keeping an eye on you, even if you can’t see them right now, they are here. They know the story that officer told them is fake, but they do know you’re a runaway.”

It felt like my world had fallen apart. My legs seemed to just refuse to hold me up any more and I fell to the ground starting to cry, un-able to hold back anymore as everything that happened before and now came crashing down on me. As I cried, to my surprise Rarity came over to me and pulled me into a soft hug letting me cry into her shoulder. It was a kindness I wasn’t used too. After a little time went by I couldn’t help it, I was done, I just let it out by saying “I can’t go back to that house, they are just the worst ponies I have ever met. I don’t want to go back to a life where ponies hate me just because of where I was born.”

Rarity shushed me saying “Listen dear, I know there is a reason you ran away, and I can tell you haven’t had a good life. Listen how about I make you a deal, if you tell me your name and what that spell you used was, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

I looked up at her, my eyes red and puffy “What do you mean?”

“Like I said I want to know what that spell was that you used to attack the officer and what your name is, that is all.”

I let my head fall back and rest on the grass my eyes falling on the night sky, I saw the moon and the stars. I smiled as I really looked at the beauty that was in front of me. I’ve looked up at the sky before, but only seeing it as a sign it was time to sleep or to go out and steal so I could get a few bits to eat. Now for some reason I just looked up at the sky, seeing the magic that was in the simplicity of it. It was the only thing I could see as pure freedom, the night sky was able to be as beautiful as it wanted, its power unmatched, and same for its beauty.

I knew then that I wanted to be as beautiful and powerful as that night sky, showing the world how great I could be, if they would only look at me for what I really was. I wasn’t just a black coat that was full of pain and anger, I was something beautiful. It was then I said to the unicorn “I’ve never had a real name, but the Zebra’s who raised me liked to call me Shadow because of my black coat and how well I was able to sneak around the house at night. As for that spell I have no idea what it was. I have never been able to control my magic, so I never use it, every so often it likes to just explode out like that. This was the first time it helped me.”

Rarity looked a little shocked at that “Do you know how much power you had bottled up inside of you?”

“Not at all, all I know is it hurts when I use it and somepony always seems to get hurt.” I said still looking up at that night sky again.

Rarity smiled at that and said “Well Darling, I think you need to start learning how to use your magic, because that was really powerful. How about this, I know a pony where I live who would be able to help you control your power, because she had the same problem you did when she was young as well. That is if you don’t mind going to a small town with some pony you just met.”

I looked at her and said “Who will I live with if I do?”

“Well I’m sure I can help you find a place to stay that will treat you much better than you’re used to. Also I’m sure my friend will find your cutie mark quite interesting”.

I laughed at that saying “What cutie mark are you talking about, I don’t have one and I never will, how many ponies at my age do you know who don’t have one.”

“Well I don’t know how old you really are, but you did just get it a moment ago while you were looking up at the night sky.” She said as her smile got bigger.

I jumped to my hooves and looked back at my flanks seeing if she was telling me the truth. My jaw fell to the floor as I saw it wasn’t a lie. On my flank was something that looked like fire wrapping around in a circle making its way toward one spot right in the middle in the background were small dots that looked like starts.

“What is it?” I asked not sure what this cutie mark meant or even what it was “It looks like some kind of explosion, but it’s beautiful.”

“If I remember right from the small lessons I always seem to get from Twilight about stars, this looks like a nebula, with the stars around it.”

The name sparked something in my mind, a memory from some of my lessons back in the Zebra lands. I looked back at Rarity saying “Isn’t it like a star dying?”

“No I think that is a Nova, a Nebula is the birth of a star. Twilight could tell you more about it, but if I would have a guess at it I’d say it has something to do with a gift toward magic or some kind of power, or it could even just be a love of the night sky.”

“So I still don’t know what makes me special.”

She moved up to me and pulled me into a hug again, I didn’t know what to make of it so I just let her. Then she said to me “Listen darling, you are special just like every pony. Now that you have your cutie mark you just have one more clue to who you are.”

I felt tears filling in my eyes as I wrapped my hooves around her, for the first time in my life, I felt like I was being accepted by somepony. I looked up at her and said “Will you really help me find a home…help me get out of this life? Do you really have the power to do that?”

She smiled and said in her calming voice “Well one of my best friends is a princess dear, I’m sure we can work something out. Now let’s get you back to your room so you can rest up. I have a couple of letters to send.”

Chapter One: Life Leason's

“I don’t want to!” I yelled as loud as I could standing tall (as tall as my small frame could at least) in front of the large book shelf in Twilight Sparkle’s Library. It had been just over a month since I had come to the small town of Ponyville with Rarity. I hadn’t expected things to go as well as they had. The princess she had talked about was named Twilight Sparkle, I knew I had heard about her before, but I couldn’t place it at the time.

They had taken a long time to talk with me, Twilight asking me where I had lived most of my life, to what I was able to do with my magic. So I told her the truth. I told her I was scared of my power, so I didn’t use it. Rarity told her about the power I’d displayed that night and the princess was very interested. So she said she would take me in as her first Student, (I had no idea what she meant by that at the time).

So that’s how it all started, I ended up staying with Rarity and every day I was sent over to Twilights house, which was a library (Who lives in a library?) and she would have me read books on basic unicorn spells for hours. At first I thought I was going to hate it, but in reality it turned out to be something I really liked. I never had much time to read when I was growing up and the books she had were interesting. Though I wouldn’t tell her that, not just yet.

So now we are here, Twilight has started to teach me how to use my power, and we were having the same argument we’ve been having for the past few days now. I didn’t want to use my magic and she did. She moved closer to me, a small sigh coming from her lips as she said “Listen Shadow, sooner or later you are going to need to use your magic. It’s in a unicorn’s nature to use magic no matter how big or small.”

I huffed and stomped a hoof down on the floor looking up from my latest book, responding with a bit of an attitude “Well, I’m not your normal unicorn, my magic is dangerous and I won’t use it.”

She sat down rubbing a temple with her hoof saying slowly “From what you have told me about the few times you have used your power, it sounded like a magical back up.”

I looked up at her cocking an eyebrow “A what now?”

“When a unicorn with a lot of power doesn’t use it, the power starts to back up. Then when the said unicorn has a peak of some kind of strong emotion like fear or anger, then that power can come rushing out in one big magical back lash. I have a feeling that’s what’s been happening to you. If this first happened when you were a filly, I could understand why you were scared to use your power. The problem is I can’t help you figure this out unless I see what your power is like.” She said finishing with putting a hoof up in the air as if proving a point.

“Well I still don’t want to use it.”

“All I’m asking you to do is a simple levitation spell. It’s the first spell a unicorn learns and it’s simple to master. Do that for me at least and I’ll make you a promise, if you can’t at least control it by the end of the lesson, then I’ll let it go and I’ll admit you’re right.” Twilight told me with a small smile on her muzzle.

I frowned and finally said “Fine, but if I can’t get it right, then I’m done.”

She rolled her eyes and said “Agreed. Now all you have to do is focus on the object you want to lift. Think of your spell as an extension of yourself, the magic is something you can use to lift the object and control where it goes.”

I got up and walked over to her noticing just how tall she was. I looked around after a moment the said to the older mare “What do you want me to levitate?”

She moved a side and pointed a hoof at the broom that was sitting in the corner, “I want you to lift that broom and move it around the main room of the library. That’s all I need you to do and we’ll be done for the day. Oh and if you try and act like you can’t I’ll know. Magic is my special talent after all.”

I rolled my eyes and did as she told me. I let my red eyes fall on the broom and started to focus my magic on it, my horn starts to glow with a bright red light and so does the broom. I follow what Twilight told me and force the magic to pick the broom up. It started to wiggle then with a loud boom, it flew into the air. For a moment I felt a spark of joy fill my heart, soon followed by dread, as the magic did as it always had and too much came pouring out of me. The jolt of magic launched the broom forward and through the wall, leaving a small hole. I ran to the window and watched as the broom vanished into the distance even after I had let the spell go.

Tears filled my eyes, but I did my best to hold them back. Once again I was a failure. It was then that I heard the small snicker from Twilight. I turned my head around and looked at her in amazement. She was on the ground, wings covering her head as she tried to hold back small fits of laughter.

Hot rage filled me at the sight and I responded as one might expect of a teenager “Oh yeah laugh it up. Make fun of the filly who can’t help the damage she does with her magic.”

She took another moment to get a hold of herself, then the violet Alicorn got to her hooves and wiped her eyes saying “Shadow, I’m not making fun of you, I wasn’t expecting you to have as much magical skill as you do, and when I saw what you just did it reminded me of when I had something like that happen to me when I was a filly.”

My anger vanished quite quickly at that and I couldn’t help asking “What do you mean?”

“When I was young and taking my entrance exam to get into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, I was supposed to make a dragon hatch from an egg.” She said walking over to a picture of herself (oddly without wings) and a small baby dragon. “I did hatch him, but I also turned him into a very large dragon and turned my parents and a couple of teachers into potted plants. Celestia herself had to come and help me calm down and turn everything normal again. I did a lot of damage to the school, but Celestia was fine with it. She just told me that I was very gifted and took me under her wing as her own private student.”

I looked at the joy in her face as she told me that story and couldn’t help a smile of my own as I said “You look like it was the best day of your life.”

“It was one of them yes, I’d gotten my cutie mark as well, so I was quite happy.” She said then she looked the picture next to the one I was looking at. “Though I would say that one was the best day of my life, it was the day I was forced to move here to Ponyville.”

I sat down and looked at the picture again then at the one next to it. It was a picture of Twilight, and five other ponies, one of which was Rarity. I was sure the others were the friends I had been told about by Rarity, the bearers of the elements of harmony. I looked at it wondering what it was like to have such responsibility in your hooves. “Why was that the best day of your life? Was it because you beat Nightmare Moon (I read about that one for the first time just today) or was it because you found the strongest magic known to pony kind?”

She laughed a little bit again then said “I will admit that it was kind of neat, but that wasn’t why I love the day I came to Ponyville. No I love it because it was the day I met my friends, it was also when I found out that friendship was magic and something I needed more than just studying.”

“So making friends was better than defeating someone as evil as Nightmare Moon?” I asked a little surprised by her answer.

She smiled at that “I used to think that books and learning magic was what life was all about. Who needs friends I used to say to myself. I found out how wrong I was when I found them though, and yes it was much better than defeating Nightmare Moon. I couldn’t have done it without them and even if I could have, where would I have been?”

I looked at her again and said “I’m not sure.”

“I’d be in Canterlot with spike and no friends, and Equestria would’ve still fallen, because friendship is what has always saved us from disaster.” She said

I frowned at that and looked away and out the window. My eyes fell on the sky. The sun was starting to set and in the distance I could see the moon poking out from the horizon. I wanted to know what it was like to have friends just like Rarity and Twilight, but I had no idea how I would find any. I had always been a loner pony and I had always been ok with it growing up, or at least that is what I had told myself.

Twilight moved next to me and sat down putting a foreleg over my shoulder. For a long time we just sat there watching as the moon made its way into the night sky and the stars came out, beautiful across the black sky. When the sun had fully set, Twilight said “You really like the night sky don’t you?”

I let my head rest on her side, my eyes not falling away from the beautiful sight as I said “It’s funny, I never really noticed it when I was growing up, and I never felt like I needed to look up at the sky. In the Zebra lands the night is something to be feared. Monsters and other things live in the night. When I came to Equestria I didn’t have time to notice it either. It wasn’t until I first met Rarity and relaxed for ones, that I looked up and saw it and noticed how beautiful it was. When I saw that, all I wanted was to be able to be as beautiful and as pure as that star filled night, I wanted to be more than just a blank flanked shadow.”

She nuzzled me at that and said “My little pony, do you want to know what I see when I look at you watching that sun set every day you’re here?”

I took my eyes away from the sky and said “What is that?”

“I see a lost filly that has found something good for once in her life, and she’s scared to look away from the beauty, just to make sure it isn’t a lie. When you look up at that sky the real Shadow comes out, and I don’t see a blank flanked Shadow who doesn’t have a place in the world, I see something beautiful.” She said smiling.

I held back the tears I could feel, not wanting to show her how much those words meant to me. I felt that if I cried I would look weak…and I failed, I pressed my face in to her chest and started to cry. It was the second time I had ever let anyone see me like this. I wasn’t crying because I felt sorry for myself, I was just crying because I could and it felt right.

Twilight rubbed my main and nuzzled me more, like a mother would. It only made me cry more, but it was ok. I finally knew what it meant to have something good and I wanted to let it be, even if it didn’t last.

When some time pasted I was finally able to pull away and look up at Twilight saying “I don’t want to be a nopony, there has to be a reason my magic is as strong as it is. Hiding it only seems to hurt me…so…Twilight can we try again…I think…no, I know I’m ready.”

She smiled at me and nodded “Come here then Shadow and I’ll show you myself how I learned to control my own power.”

A year had passed and my life was great…for the most part that was. Rarity had taken me in for good and I was part of the family now. Rarity wasn’t a whole lot older than I was so I didn’t really look up to her like a mother, she was more like a big sister. That also could have been that her own sister, Sweetie Belle was the same age as I was (Pushing Seventeen) and it felt better that way.

Funny thing was a couple of days after I had my break down with Twilight, I made my first friend, who happened to be Sweetie Belle. It turned out that their parents traveled a lot for work and Sweetie Belle lived with Rarity more than her parents. The two of us shared the bedroom and after the first night we were talking so much that Rarity had to force us to go to bed, and we became best friends.

I think that’s what started the change that I went through over the first year in Ponyville. Sweetie Belle told me how she got her own cutie mark, (it was a beautiful bell with a couple of musical notes around it) and for once I wasn’t jealous. I guess she was a late bloomer as well, maybe not as late as me, but I was not going to go there. Her two friends were the same way, Scootaloo had flames with two large wings for a cutie mark, and Apple Bloom’s was an apple seedling just starting to bloom.

The three of them had all become good friends to me, but Sweetie Belle was the one that I trusted the most, I would tell her anything. Well everything apart from the small secret I still hadn’t been able to tell any pony about yet. I knew sooner or later Sweetie Belle would find out, but for now I was ok with it staying quiet. I mean it wasn’t hurting any pony not to know, right?

Where was I…oh yeah…A year has passed now and I was just leaving my lesson with Twilight. I didn’t get to be at her place as long as when I first moved to Ponyville to do school, but I still have to take a few hours every day to go in and learn from the older mare.

I looked up to her almost as much as she looked up to her own mentor. By now I could better control my magic and was much better at casting spells. Now and then I would still have a hard time keeping it under my control, but Twilight said she had the same problem when she was younger and it would come with time.

Now I could levitate things without dropping them (or sending them flying), I could even lift heavier things than a normal unicorn could. Twilight was still better, but she’s an Alicorn. I was able to teleport as well and I seemed to be quite good at it, same for a few other spells that had to do with stealth. Twilight was amazed when I first checked out a book called “Silent Hoof” and mastered six spells from it in under a week. So I figured that it has something to do with my special talent. Even though the both of us really didn’t know what that was. All we knew is that my cutie mark of a nebula surrounded by small white stars, was just that, it was a picture.

Twilight took a couple of guesses at it saying that part of it may mean that I’m good at magic, though I didn’t see it. The other was that since a nebula was the birth of a star, maybe it meant I had a love of the new night sky and maybe my talent had something to do with Astrology. Whatever it was though I was just happy I had one.

See here I go getting off track again…So as I was saying I’d just left Twilight’s and was on my way home when I ran into Rarity who just left the market. Her saddle bags were full of apples. I smiled and said “Hey Rarity, fancy running into you here. I thought you didn’t go shopping until Saturday.”

“Oh hello Shadow, normally I do, but I was on my way to Twilight’s and I went thought the market and on my way I ran into Applejack. She somehow talked me into getting a killer of a deal on her best golden delicious apples, now I have too many. I guess we’ll be eating a lot of apple based dishes for the next few days.” She said her legs wobbling a little from the weight of the apples in her bags

“Why didn’t you just say no, I mean it’s not like you have to buy them, even if she is your friend.” I said as I used my levitation spell to lift her bags free so her back could have a rest.

“Darling you have no idea how hard it is to say no to Applejack, and I do really like the apples. Honestly I’m more annoyed at it taking so long, I was hoping I would find you before you left Twilight’s.” She said with a sigh.

“Why is that?”

“I just felt like talking with you is all and I felt that it would be easier away from the house is all.”

That told me one of two things, either I was in trouble and she didn’t want to get after me in front of Sweetie Belle or her parents where over visiting and she was avoiding them. I was guessing the ladder, so I said “Your mom and dad are over huh.”

She rolled her eyes and said in her poor me voice (I have names for all of her mellow dramatic voices) “Oh you have no idea darling. They are going on and on about some rude griffin they ran into in Manehattan. I mean how long of a story does it have to be when all that happened is that she bumped into you.”

“Knowing your mother I’m sure she said something to this griffin and that’s what started an argument.” I said with a snicker.

She nickered and said “I’m sure that is what truly happened, but mother doesn’t see it that way I’m sure. So since they are at the house and I need to talk with you I figured I’d come to you.”

“As long as I’m not in trouble then I’m ok with that. Do you want to go to the park then?”

She looked at me with a knowing look “And why would you be in trouble Shadow?”

“No reason at all.” I lied.

She looked at me for a long moment the said “Ok, but I guess the park is fine, unless you’re ok with going back to Twilight’s, or we can see if Fluttershy is home.”

“You aren’t going to get dirty walking in the park and sitting on a bench Rarity.” I said, it was my turn to roll my eyes it seemed.

“Ok you win, and it is less of a walk, I really don’t want to get any sweatier from this damned heat.”

I let that one go, not pointing out that she wasn’t even sweaty at the moment. So we made our way to the park. We found a nice place to sit down where we had a nice view of the fountain. When we were settled in she looked at me and smiled saying in her sweet voice “So how do you like it here in Ponyville Shadow?”

I laughed at that saying “I figured after a year of living with you that it would be obvious.”

“It’s always good to hear it from you and not just from what I see.” She said.

“I love it here, sometimes when I wake up I think I’m still dreaming and I’m happy to still be in the dream. I know this is all real, but it just feels like it could be taken away. I’m still the same mare I was when you found me, I’m still broken, but thanks to you and Twilight and my friends, I’m starting to heal and mend.” I said smiling back at her.

“I’ve been thinking about that as well, when I first found you, you told me you didn’t have a real name. Do you remember that?”

“I told you that everypony just called me Shadow because of my black coat. I didn’t really know how rare of a color it was until I came to Equestria though and it does seem to be a fitting name at times.” I said wondering what she was getting at.

“I agree with you, I also think that you need a proper name. Something that fits who you are in both ways, not just as the mysterious filly with a black coat. No you are also a beautiful pony who shines like a bright star in the night sky. So after talking with Celestia and Twilight I thought I would give you a new name one that keeps who you used to be and who you are at the same time. It will be the last step in you finding out who you really are I think.” She said looking a little nervous now “That is if you’d let me.”

I was taken aback for a moment, I wasn’t sure what to say. I had always thought of what it would be like to have my own name, but I also liked being called Shadow as well. I shook my head and knew what I wanted so I said “If I like the name then I’ll agree.”

She smiled and said “I still want you to be Shadow so I kept that and finished what I think you should have always been called. I like the name Shadow Star.”

I blinked and blushed a little, I opened my muzzle and mouthed the name silently for a long time, letting the feeling of it roll off my tongue, and then finally I smiled and said “It’s beautiful, I’d be happy to take the name you’ve given me Rarity.” I moved over and hugged the taller mare and said “Does this mean you’ll stop calling me a filly now that I have a real mares name?”

She laughed at that saying “No way darling, Shadow Star you may be, but you’re still not an adult and I just like watching your face when I call you a filly.” I scoffed at that and nickered “See just like that, it’s so adorable.”

“Hey now.” I said acting like I was angry “Don’t make me hurt you. Twilight has been teaching me some pretty cool lightning spells.”

“Oh has she now, has she been showing you how to teleport into the mayor’s office so you could plant magical traps. Traps mind you that made all of the mayor’s papers fly around the room for three hours without stopping?” she said her smile gone.

Looks like I got a two in one today, Rarity used me to escape her parents and I was in trouble. That’s a new record for me. All I could do was look at her and smile weakly “Um…no?”

“Because your word is always true right?”

I gave up and said “It was spike’s idea! He wanted to see who could pull off a better prank than Pinkie Pie, and you have to admit it was funny.”

“Oh yes, doing what a teenage dragon who is just as immature as you and my sister is always the best course of action.” She said with a sigh “Well for punishment Spike and you will be cleaning her office and you’re grounded.”

I got up and stomped a hoof “What? Why should I be grounded I was only helping a friend with a prank and no one got hurt?”

She laughed “As I said, you are still a filly and it’s the only way you’ll learn. Think of it as a life lesson.”

“Yeah what’s that?”

“Whenever the words “Best or out do Pinkie Pie” are said you shouldn’t do it.”

Another year later…

Today was the day, the day I was finally an adult, or so that’s what I kept telling myself. It was my birthday, but Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Twilight, and I weren’t spending the day to celebrate. Today was all about Sweetie Belle, she had an audition to get into Canterlot’s school of Music. Rarity tried to get the day changed, but Sweetie Belle was a last minute audition and they couldn’t see her again for a few months. With school being out and most of the summer being almost over she had to get in now or wait another year to start class.

I told Rarity it was alright and we could do something on a different day. She protested at first, so did Sweetie Belle, but I insisted as long as it was ok if I got to go with them so I could see Canterlot. So that was what we were doing now. The day ended up going better than I thought it would though, because Twilight was joining us. She said she had some business in the capital anyway and she figured since I was going to be there she would show me around some and let me meet with the Princesses.

“Oh my gosh look at that.” Yelled Sweetie Belle in her excited squeak of a voice pointing a hoof up at the towers of the castle.

I followed her hoof and only saw the castle itself, it was quite a sight, but not worth the amount of excitement she was showing, so I pointed this out “Belle, I thought you’ve been to the castle before? It can’t be that exciting.”

“No silly, look who’s up in the top tower. Its princess Cadence, I’ve never gotten to meet her before. I heard she has a beautiful singing voice and I’ve always wanted to meet her.” Sweetie Belle said jumping up and down.

Twilight giggled at that as I rolled my eyes and Twilight said “She does Sweetie Belle, I’m surprised you never told me you wanted to meet her, she comes by my place every couple of weeks. Shadow Star has met her a few times.”

“WHAT!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed with an accusing voice and an overpowering squeak “You never told me that!”

I rolled my eyes again and said “I didn’t think it mattered really, she’s just Twilight’s sister-in-law. She comes over sometimes while I’m practicing with Twilight.”

“You know I look up to her.” Sweetie Belle said.

“How would I know that? You haven’t really said anything about her that I can remember apart from being in her wedding as a flower filly.” I said rolling my eyes again (Wow I really do that a lot)

“I have a poster of her next to my bed!” she said her voice getting higher again.

“You have over a hundred posters on your side of the room, and a few more that have migrated onto my side of the room. Most of them are of Lyra, or a few other music ponies.” I said honestly, I mean it was true, I still don’t know what color her walls are on that side of the room, because she had so many posters.

“Well…I thought I said something before…look it doesn’t matter she’s still here in Canterlot today and that’s just SO cool.” I thought she was going to explode with excitement.

Rarity looked back at her little sister and said in a board voice “Sweetie Belle, do please calm down. We are in Canterlot the royal city, it is uncouth of you to be acting like this. You’ll also mess up your mane, and I won’t sit there listening to mother getting after me because you didn’t get into school because of a messy mane.”

“Sis they won’t care about that, it’s a school of music they care about my voice.” Sweetie Belle said, it was her turn to roll her eyes now making me giggle a little.

“Yes, and it’s a school in Canterlot. The ponies here are not like the ones in Ponyville or even Manehattan. They are dignified ponies here, and you have to look your best if you want to get into their school.”

“Twilight got into the school for gifted unicorns and she’s far from dignified even as a princess.” I said holding back more giggles at the look Twilight gave me…and failing.

“I got in because Celestia liked what she saw in me it’s true, but Rarity is right Sweetie Belle you should do your best to look good, the ponies here are different.” Twilight said as she walked by us looking up at the castle. “As for Cadence if you want to see her then I’ll see if she can make it to dinner with us tonight. I’m here to see her anyway.”

Sweetie Belle looked like she was going to explode again. It was odd to see my best friend act like a fan filly, but I guess everypony will act like that with somepony they idolize. Even if Sweetie Belle had a lot of ponies she idolized.

I walked closer to Rarity and asked “What time do you two have to be at the school?”

Rarity looked at me and smiled (She still had to look down at me…it was annoying to be so short) “We have a little time, though I’d like to get her there early if I can. Why do you ask Shadow Star?”

“I was going to see if I could wander around a little while you two are gone and while Twilight’s busy.”

“You are an adult now dear so I think you can handle yourself in Canterlot, just make sure you don’t get lost, and make sure to meet us at Donut Joe’s in a couple hours.” She said nuzzling me on the top of my head ruffling my mane a little then looking me over “Oh dear I’m sorry, now look who’s getting their mane all messed up.”

I tried to push her away as her magic wrapped around me, it was useless though. Getting Rarity to not fuss with my mane was like getting Spike to go a day without eating a gem, it just wasn’t going to happen. So I let her take my long mane and pull it back and put it into a tight braid leaving part of my bangs out to hang over my face a little, then said again “There we are, now you look more like a presentable Unicorn for this city.”

I shook my head and nickered walking past her to Twilight “Where’s that place you said I should check out again?”

Twilight looked a little confused for a moment then finally she said “Oh you mean the book store I used to go to when I was young?” she pointed behind me to a long towered building not far from the castle “That’s Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. In front of it is a market place, the store is just across from the great fountain, you can’t miss it.”

“Okay thank you.” I said as I started to trot away only to be stopped by Twilights voice.

“Just remember to keep an eye on the time okay.”

I looked back at them and smiled waving a hoof and started to head off. It wasn’t hard to find my way to the small shopping center that was right outside of the school. When I found my way there I was lost for a moment in the sight of it however. Celestia’s school was not just a large building, it had magic all around it. I could see floating balconies just outside of some of the upper levels where small classes were being taught, magical colors flowed down the sides of the building at random intervals giving the building a beauty that couldn’t be matched, and at the top was a giant magic telescope.

I’d heard of it before from Twilight, she said it had magic that would make it so you could look farther than any normal telescope could. She had a small one in her own home, though it didn’t have the amount of power or beauty this one did. It was all I could do not to teleport up to the top of the school and take a look.

I shook myself and looked away from the building and looked for the store I wanted to come check out. The shopping center had a few restaurants, a shop that sold what looked like clothes, another was a magic item’s shop, one had a buck standing out front trying to get people to come have a drink at a place called “The Watering Hole.” I didn’t see anything next to him though apart from a dark alley, and I made sure to avoid it, not wanting to go down anymore dark alleys again in my life…if I could help it.

In the middle of the open yard was a fountain of Celestia and her sister Luna both looking up at the sky as water spouted out of their horns. On the other side of it was a small shop with a green roof, a sign over the door reading “Velvet’s Corner.” It had a picture of a stack of books on it, so I made my way over to it and walked in.

The store was filled with books, I thought I’d died and went to book heaven, if such a place existed. I wanted to run around and try to see if I could buy every book in the store, but I kept myself calm and took a moment to breathe. When I was ready I started down one isle only to almost run into the flanks of an off-white unicorn. I fell back and looked up seeing the unicorn had a purple and white mane, her blue eyes looking down at me.

She smiled and using her magic she lifted me back to my hooves saying in a sweet voice “I’m so sorry my dear, I wasn’t watching where I was going. Can I help you find something?”

I shook my head a moment then said “No it was my fault, I just saw all the books in here and was so captivated at how much was here that I wasn’t paying attention.”

She smiled at that and said “Well this is a book store, we sell books, and I’m just a little over-stocked at the moment is all. Though we don’t get many people in here who like books so much that they wouldn’t watch where they were going…well all but one unicorn I know.”

“I know an Alicorn who would do the same thing I just did, she’s the one who told me about the store. She said I could find a few books to help me with my studies here that I couldn’t find anywhere else.” I said as I let my eyes wonder over the shelves, it made Twilights Library look small.

“Oh I always forget to call her that, it’s been a few years and I still can’t help calling my daughter a unicorn, though it’s not every day your child becomes a princess.” She said laughing “I’m sure that’s the same Alicorn you meant am I right.”

I was taken aback for a moment the words in my mouth in a jumble as I gave her a look of amazement. Finally I was able to say “You’re Twilight’s mother?”

She smiled and looked back at me, I could see the resemblance now. They had a similar build and their faces and eyes looked a lot alike as well. Her mother even had three purple starts for a cutie mark. She looked me over then smiled wider saying “You must be that filly Shadow Star that my Sparkle has been teaching. I should’ve noticed sooner, she sent me a picture of you once back when you first moved to Ponyville. She says you love to read almost as much as she does.”

I nodded, still a little shocked that I ran into Twilight’s mother at a book shop. Then I thought to myself that it couldn’t be that odd, her mother lived in Canterlot and Twilight had to get her love for reading from somepony. “I didn’t know you worked at a book store. Tough I haven’t talked to Twilight much about her parents or any of her relatives really. And yes I am Shadow Star, you can call me Shadow if you want too, I’m kind of used to it. It’s nice to meet you…um…” damn I couldn’t remember if Twilight had ever told me her parent’s names… “I’m sorry I don’t think I got your name.”

I felt a hot rush of Embarrassment as I admitted that, but she only smiled and said “That’s ok dear, honestly it’s more my daughters fault, like you said she isn’t big on talking about her relatives. I don’t think her friends even knew she had a brother until right before his wedding. My name is Twilight Velvet and I don’t work here, I own the shop.”

I was shocked again, though not as much as I’d been before. This also made sense, why else would Twilight tell me I should come to this store to get books, because her mother owned the place and would have what I needed. So I smiled and said “So she was named after you then, I like that.”

“She was indeed, my husband’s idea really, but enough about me how about you. Tell me what you came in here looking for and you can tell me a little more about yourself dear…” and with that she was off walking me around the shop showing me all kinds of books I’ve never even heard of, and they all sounded extremely interesting.

I gave her a list of the books I needed for Twilight’s new class she was going to be starting with me in a couple of weeks, and I told her a few others I wanted for myself as well. She smiled at every title I told her and was off in a flash grabbing every single one I read off and setting them on the counter. Soon a good sized pile was lying in front of me.

As she worked I told her more about myself and my studies with her daughter and the small adventures I would have with my friends. She drank it in like a mother would with her own daughter who had come home for the summer from a school in another city far away. After a couple hours had past of us just walking around the book store and talking I realized that I had to get going or else I would be late getting back.

“I do have to get going or else I’ll be late getting to Joe’s, how much do I owe you for the books.” I figured it was going to be a lot and I hoped I had enough bits from the small purse of coins Rarity gave me.

“Well the books you had on the list from Twilight won’t cost you a thing, they already belong to her, just don’t tell her I let you take them for free. She always seems to think I need the books she gives me to make me more bits. The other three books though will cost around fifteen bits.” She said with her heartwarming smile.

“That’s all, even for the books I wanted I thought it would be more.”

She winked “Discount for being a doll and keeping this old mare company for a while.”

I levitated the bits to her saying “Thanks again for this, and it was nice to meet you.”

“Same here, and if you ever want somepony to talk to all you have to do is send me a letter. I do so enjoy hearing from ponies I think of as family. Now you better run along before Twilight gets worried.” She said giving me a quick nuzzle.

I smiled at that and made my way out the door, my saddle bags full of books. When I got outside the street was full of ponies. I guessed the school must’ve just gotten out or was on break or something. I made my way past the ponies I could, trying to just get out of the Shopping Center. I knew it was hopeless though, that was if I wanted to make it on time. I looked around trying to see if there was a way I could get out of there faster, that didn’t involve teleporting. I wasn’t half bad at it, but the backlash could piss off another pony if I did it wrong.

I looked to my right and saw the alleyway that I saw before, the one that earlier had a pony yelling about trying a drink at some bar. Being this close I could see down it a lot better and there was in fact a door to a bar at the end and the alley twisted around leading toward more sun light. I figured it was a good short cut out of the Shopping center.

Looking around knowing time was going by I made my decision, I mean this was Canterlot not Manehattan, what could go wrong here? I walked into the shadow of the alleyway and trotted quickly down it. When I reached the door to the bar I turned heading down the curve that went to the left, I saw that it was a long way down, but at the end was a splinter of sun light, and a couple of drunk looking ponies wandering around down the other alley.

I started myself on this path and I wasn’t going to stop now. So I moved quickly, at first I thought, hey this isn’t too bad, then about half way down a pony stepped into my way. I stopped, my ears flattening against my head as I said “Pardon me sir.”

“Well look at what little thing walked down our little alleyway bucks.” Said the Stallion who was standing in my way.

I couldn’t make out much of what he looked like, I just got a quick look at the color of his coat and the sound of his voice. That small bit of information put ice in my veins. I backed up more, only to back into another large stallion, I jumped and tried to find a way out. Looking back I saw two more blocking the Alley behind me. Panic started to set it and I tried to call on my magic so I could teleport away, but the magic kept on slipping away.

“She looks a little small for us I think Boss, I mean she is no bigger than a filly.” Said one of the bucks behind me.

The Stallion in front of me laughed and his horn started to glow giving me a better look at his face as the small alley filled up with a dull light. I saw what I feared, it was him Quick Shot, the Pony who tried to rape me and black mail me back in Manehattan. He moved his face close to mine and said “Well this really is my lucky day, bucks we have ourselves a former runaway of mine. The one who got me kicked off the force, little Miss Shadow.”

“Boss isn’t she a little young to be doing this too?” one of them said sounding a little sick “I mean it’s one thing when it’s an adult mare but she’s a filly.”

“Oh don’t let her small size fool you, she is old enough, she’s just a small fry, always has been.” He said one of his hooves slammed into my face and making my head bounce off the wall. His horn glowed brighter and he cast a spell. My own horn felt like somepony just shoved a few red hot needles into it. I couldn’t help myself I screamed at the pain.

“Damn it boss now she is going to get people looking down here.” Said the first stallion sounding even more scared than his partner.

Quick Shot’s horn glowed again and I felt something cover my muzzle making the scream die down. He looked at the other two and said “We’ll have to get her out of here before somepony comes looking, I owe this bitch a lot of pain for what she did to me.”

The fear I felt before only grew as I saw the look in his eyes as he looked me over, his face inches from mine as he said “I’m going to make you pay for what you did to me, this time you won’t be using that spell like you did before. I used a magic blocker on you.”

Before he could say anything else though I heard a voice that made my heart jump for joy. Twilight said from behind the other two “Step away from my student.”

Quick shot looked up saying “Shit it’s the fuckin princess.”

“I said back away from her before I’m forced to make you.” Her voice was filled with anger.

“You two deal with her while I get the little bitch out of here.” Quick Shot said lifting me up with his magic. I tried to fight back, but my head was on fire and my horn hurt.

“Now miss Alicorn why don’t you mind your own business and…” started one of the other stallions, only to be cut off as a flash of light filled the Alley

“I said BACK AWAY!” screamed Twilight sending another jet of light at the other buck, knocking him out like his friend who was talking a moment ago.

“Ah I see, so you must be Princess Twilight. Good thing it was you and not one of the royal sisters or that other one from the Crystal Empire.” Quick Shot said with a grin.

“Why…” Twilight started, but before she could answer another voice from behind her said in a silky voice “Because they would have been harder to do this to.”

A blinding explosion of light erupted from behind Twilight making her fly forward and bounce off the coble stone road; skidding to a halt next to me. My eyes fell on hers as they looked out at me blindly, they looked like empty orbs. If it wasn’t for the rise and fall of her chest, she would’ve looked dead.

What or who ever had used the blinding spell said in that same silky voice “You’re lucky I was still in the area Quick Shot, or else this could have gone much worse for you.”

I couldn’t see who was talking to him, but I could tell he was from a faraway land by his accent. Quick Shot moved closer again then looked up past me to the other presence saying “I didn’t think I’d get this lucky, I was really just looking for easy tail tonight. I guess good things come to those who wait huh.” He laughed at his own jest “Do you need the Alicorn, I thought that was one reason you came to Canterlot in the first place.”

“No, I needed to try the spell on an Alicorn, but Princess Luna would’ve been who I needed to take with me. If I were you I would hide the body of this one away for now until she succumbs to the magic poison. I must be on my way to let my elder’s know of this. Thanks again for the help with the other matter we talked about before Quick Shot. We’ll be sending your payment next week.” Said the other

“Any time.” Quick Shot said and I heard the, whatever he was leave. “Now where were we…oh yes that’s right.” He looked at the two bucks who were out cold “Damn it all, that fuckin Alicorn had to attack my only two earth pony’s.”

I didn’t listen to him at all, my eyes were only on Twilight and what I just heard the stranger say. I felt the hot rage I had before building up inside me, only this time I knew how to channel it. I felt my body start to move as I got to my shaky hooves. I looked at Quick Shot who still looked a little amused that I was trying so hard. My horn started to glow with its deep blood red light.

“Oh how cute, you’re going to attack me are you? Well you can try, that spell I put on your horn will only hurt you more the more powerful of a spell you try. It’s a police pony spell to keep unicorns in check when they’re being arrested.” He said laughing as my horn got brighter.

I planted my hooves, and ignoring the pain as I screamed at him “Fuck Off and leave me ALONE!” with the last word I screamed with anger and pain as my magic blew apart his spell around my horn, making it feel as though I had just been hit in the head over and over again, and on top of that it also felt like somepony just ripped my horn off. I didn’t care though, I drew on the dark power I felt inside me, drawing on the emotions I was feeling. I whipped my head down and a large blinding bolt of red arcane lightning came down hitting the ground just in front of myself and Quick Shot.

I was able to throw up a protection spell at the same time so Twilight wouldn’t get hurt by the spell, but Quick Shot wasn’t fast enough. The blast exploded outward throwing his body back down the alleyway. He didn’t even have time to scream as a good part of his coat and skin were roasted away in the attack leaving him with third degree burns across most of his body.

When the anger and power passed I fell to the ground. I noticed a lot of flashes of light around me. I looked up and saw Princess Luna looking down at Twilight then at me, behind her were a few of her guards. When her eyes fell on mine she said “What happened here?”

I could feel consciousness slipping away, so I did the only thing I could and said “Magical…poison…Twilight needs help…other unicorn…attacked…” and I was out…

Griffon and Mare

I woke up in a soft bed, I was having a little bit of déjà vu, as I remembered two years ago waking up in the hospital. The first thing I knew was that I was in the hospital, second is that my body hurt, and last was that somepony was talking just on the other side of the doorway to my room.

“Are you sure sister?” came the hushed voice of Celestia through the door. (I knew her voice well, from all the times she came over to check on Twilight over the years)

“I am Tia, that little unicorn used arcane lightning, she’s lucky that she didn’t hit him directly or else he would’ve been no more than a charred husk of meat.” Said the voice of who I assumed was Princess Luna.

“That kind of spell is too powerful for a normal unicorn, not even Twilight could’ve done that spell before she became an alicorn, are you sure you didn’t see something that just looked like it?”

“Sister, I know that spell very well, I know how it looks, feels, and everything. I am the one who created that spell after all, if you remember.”

“All too well.” Said Celestia’s voice again “But what does this mean? I haven’t heard of a unicorn being able to do that kind of thing in over a thousand years.”

“I know what you mean sister, and I know it doesn’t make sense. All we can do is wait and see if this happens again. That unicorn may have used a spell only meant for ponies as powerful as us, but she did get a nasty back lash from it. She’s lucky she didn’t make the spell more powerful, because the back lash could’ve killed her.” Said Luna with a sad tone.

“I agree with you sister, I’ll be sure to have Twilight keep an eye on her.”

“How is Twilight by the way Celestia?”

“She took a bad hit from some kind of magical poison that seems to have been altered to hurt alicorns, luckily, it was a weak spell and it responds the same to normal magical antidotes. I think she’s talking to her parents in the next room.”

“I am glad to hear it. Though I’m worried about this, it just doesn’t add up. The unicorn that was burnt by Shadow Star is barely alive, when we looked him up, we found he was the pony who attacked Shadow Star two years ago when Rarity found her. I don’t know how he could’ve used a spell like that on Twilight.”

“I don’t think he did, the spell came from a gem stone, which means it could only be one kind of race who attacked her.” Said Celestia in a somber tone “But I can’t say yet until I do some digging.”

“I understand sister; I’ll let you get to it then. I’m going to go have a word with Shadow Star when she wakes up, then Twilight. I’d like to see what else I can learn from them.” Luna said.

After that the sisters said their goodbyes, Luna came into my room. I did my best to look like I was sleeping. She walked over to my bed and said in a quiet tone “It’s really hard to fake sleeping when you’re in the presence of the Princess of the Night you know.”

I opened my eyes and said “Have to work on that one I guess…”

“It’s ok Shadow Star, and I know you were eavesdropping on my sister and I, you have every right to know what’s going on.” she said sitting down next to my bed.

I found my eyes wandering over the larger mare for a moment before catching myself and saying “I wasn’t trying to Princess Luna, I just woke up and you two were out there talking.” Then a memory came back to me “Twilight!”

She cut me off “She’s fine, as you may have gathered from listening to my sister and I. You, on the other hoof, are not.” I saw her eyes go sad as she said “That power you used was more than just a fear fueled attack from a young unicorn. That was what I call Star Magic, a mysterious magic that normally only shows up in Alicorns. Where did you learn to use a spell like that?”

“I wasn’t shown how to do that at all, it just happens when I get scared or feel threatened. That time was the first time I had a little control over it.” I said honestly. “Before when I felt that power it would just cause extreme pain on whomever it was cast on. The lightning is new.”

“Odd.” She said. “Well you’ll need to learn how to keep those emissions under control then Shadow Star. I’m not sure how you can use those kinds of powers, but I do know that if you do it again you could die. Your body can handle a lot of power going through it, but only an Alicorn can handle that much power. If you made the attack any more powerful the back lash would’ve torn you to shreds. I’m shocked you were able to awaken after the back lash you took.”

I looked around the room seeing it was still only sunset. I looked back at her and said “I’m used to taking a beating I guess. I will do my best to keep the power under control.”

“I am sure you will, but there is only one way you can learn how to keep control on the trigger for that power. That is learning to control your emotions. I’ll talk with Rarity and Twilight about this and see if we can find something for you that will help.” Princess Luna mentioned. “Now can you tell me what happened earlier?”

So I did, starting with my trip to the bookshop and taking my short cut. I told her how I ran into Quick Shot and couldn’t believe who it was, I told her about the fear and about Twilight showing up only to be taken down by the strange figure, and I told her about the attack I did. When I finished I said “I have no idea who the other strange figure was, but his accent reminded me of a Cheetah who visited our village where I grew up in the Zebra badlands. She said she came from beyond our borders.”

Luna looked shocked at the story and she stood quickly saying “Are you sure about this?”

“I am really good with accents, having grown up around many different kinds.”

She cursed under her breath, then looking at me again saying “The people past the Zebra badlands are known as the feline tribe or in their old tongue, The Xytoe. They are one of the few races in this world who can use magic that are neither pony nor zebra kind. If you are right then my sister’s suspicions are correct.”

“What kind of problem would they have with Equestria?”

“It’s a story for another time. You go ahead and rest and remember what I told you. I have to get back to the castle so I can talk with Celestia.” She said turning to leave.

As she started to walk out of the room I said “Princess Luna, what about Quick Shot…? What will happen to me because of what I did to him?”

She smiled as she turned back to me “Luckily for you, he’ll live, so there will be no action taken against you. He attacked you and has a history with you. When he is fully healed he will be put on trial and sent to prison for his crimes.”

I smiled saying “Thank you Princess.”

“You’re welcome, now get some rest.” And with that she was gone.

It only took another day of rest for me to be able to leave the hospital and go back to Ponyville with Rarity. That first night back Pinkie Pie threw me a big party that she called “Thanks for saving our Twilight” party. Rarity’s house was filled with ponies that night and we ended up having a lot of fun, though I was still a little weak and couldn’t dance much. Twilight came over to me later that night and sat down watching her friends all have fun.

“Thanks again for what you did Shadow, even though I know that spell hurt you so much.”

I blushed and said “It’s okay, I’m just glad you’re okay. I don’t think I’m walking down any more alleyways though.” I chuckled a bit.

She laughed at that and said “I’m just glad you aren’t scared of using your magic again.”

“I know that magic is special now, thanks to you, and I like it too. This wasn’t like before where I was just scared of what I would do. Last time, I didn’t know that I could control my power.” sipping on some punch I continued. “Though, I would prefer to use my normal magic and not that other kind again if I can.”

“I’ll have to teach you how to use less harmful lightning magic soon I think. Though the books I had you get from my mother’s shop will help you a lot too.” She said smiling.

I’d forgotten about Twilight Velvet until then, the memory of her made me smile too as I said “She is a nice pony, but I wish you would’ve told me who I was going to see.”

She blushed at that “I have a bad habit of leaving my family out of a lot of things in my life, because of that I also forget to talk about them. I’m glad you had a chance to meet her though. She’s been waiting to see my first student for a long time now.”

Before I could say anything else, a purple and green dragon walked up to us, he was only slightly taller than me. Spike smiled fluttering his newly uncased wings saying in a voice that was a deeper tenor giving a small hint at what he would sound like when he was fully matured “Hey Shadow, would you honor me with a dance.”

He blushed a little as he said that holding out a claw. I blushed, but got up anyway saying “The pleasure would be mine Spike.”

Twilight just giggled and watched as her number one assistant pulled me onto the dance floor. I danced with Spike for over an hour before the music finally stopped and the party started to die down. I was panting with all the movement I was doing, still managing to smile though. Spike on the other hoof looked like he was fine, he wasn’t even winded.

He blushed again and said quickly “Thanks again for saving Twilight, Shadow Star, and I’m glad you’re ok too. It’d be a lot less interesting of a place around here if something would’ve happened to either of you.” And before I could respond he gave me a big (to hard) hug and ran off.

Sweetie Belle walked over to me and nudged me with her flank saying “You should keep an eye on him, and make sure not to lead him on. Spike is a kind dragon and gets crushes to easily.”

“Wait…what…but how, I mean I’m a…he’s a…” I managed to sputter as I blushed harder realizing I almost said too much.

Sweetie Belle just giggled harder and said “Shadow you’re so cute when you do that. Like I was saying, Spike likes ponies and he had a crush on my sister for a long time until she finally had to tell him she only liked him as a friend and nothing more. He seems to have taken a liking to you now, so please make sure you tell him the truth before he gets too attached. Now let’s get to bed I’m tired.”

I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, so I nodded and followed her up to our shared room. The next morning I awoke to find Rarity sitting next to my bed looking down at me with her beautiful eyes. I jumped a little then said “Rarity what are you doing in here?”

“I’m sorry darling I was coming to wake you up because it’s getting really late, but I couldn’t help watching you sleep. You look so peaceful when you’re asleep.” She said.

I noticed her eyes looked red, like she had been crying. I scooted up in my bed saying “Rarity are you ok?”

Her smile left her lips as she looked down at her hooves saying slowly “No Shadow I’m not. I just got done with my meeting with the Princesses and Twilight. They said that because of the gifts you have with magic and knowledge of the lands beyond our borders, they have a task for you.”

I was a little lost and I said. “What’s so bad about that?”

She looked up at me, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks “Shadow Star, the Princesses want you to join a new elite guard they are forming to help keep Equestria safe. They want you to join a training group that starts in a couple weeks, and you’ll be gone for a long time.”

She started to shake as sobs racked her body, I reached out and put a hoof on hers. I wasn’t too shocked, after hearing what the princesses had been talking about and after my talk with Luna, I had a feeling something would be done about me sooner or later. At least this sounded like it was a good something and not a bad one. But it seemed to be hurting Rarity so I said “It can’t be all that bad Rarity, it could be like college. It’s not like your losing me forever.”

“That’s just the thing. This can end up turning into a job for you and a dangerous one at that. I don’t know what I would do if something was to happen to you while you were gone. Your life was hard enough before I found you and all I wanted for you is to have a good easy life.” She said crying harder now.

I pulled her head into my shoulder and let her cry, rubbing her mane slowly “I’ll make you a promise okay. I promise I won’t let myself get hurt or worse, and I will always make sure to come home when I can. I mean who knows maybe this will all blow over and the training is really just a way for Luna to help me learn to control the harder part of my powers and my emotions.”

She took a long moment to get a handle on herself “I just wish you could get your training here in Ponyville, I feel like this is a bad idea. It’s all happening to fast for me.”

“When did the princess tell you this?” I asked, finding it odd that this was all happening a couple days after my attack in Canterlot.

Rarity sniffed and using a handkerchief, she whipped her eyes saying “This first came up a week or so ago, Luna and Twilight were worried about your power. I told them there was no way I’d let you leave Ponyville, not unless they had a better reason.”

I was taken aback for a moment “Wait, you mean they’ve been planning this for over a week?”

She nodded “The program that starts soon is called the G.P.P. but I don’t know what it stands for. They need ponies who are gifted in stealth and magic for a new unit with the Royal Army. Luna herself is leading the program and Celestia is behind it as well.”

“So they just want me because of how good I am at Stealth spells?” I wasn’t too surprised by that.

Rarity started tearing up again “I didn’t want you to leave, but after what happened to you, I know you need this. It’s time you went and found your place in the world. And yes they need you for the spells, but that’s not the only thing dear, you know more about the Zebra badlands and their culture than most ponies living in Equestria.”

I smiled as a thought ran through my mind, I knew something would happen as I said before, this was honestly what I was hoping for. I hadn’t told Rarity or Twilight yet, that I’d sent a letter to Princess Luna and Celestia about trying to join the Royal guard. They told me they thought my talents could be used elsewhere. I figured this was what they meant. The only thing this attack did was make Rarity see that I needed this.

“I’m ok with doing this Rarity, and like I said I’ll be safe, and if everything goes well you’ll see me again by Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

She sniffed one more time and hugged me. She slowly got to her hooves and said “Well, how about we start getting things ready for you.”

“Attention Cadets.” Yelled a tall female griffon who had red feathers and fur, she was the drill instructor for the program I was now in. It was our first day here. I was fitted with a padded uniform and made to look like the six other mares that were standing in line with me trying to keep still and at attention.

She continued. “I am Sergeant Black Talon and you will address me as such or Drill Instructor, not Black, or Talon not DI, you hear me Cadets?”

“Yes Sergeant Black Talon.” We all said in unison.

“Good, now today you’ll all be starting on your nine week training course for the new program called G.P.P. or the Griffon Pony Project. You will all be placed into teams with one griffon partner; depending on how well your talents work with each other. There are only three team slots open in the program right now. Each week you will all receive scores on how well you do in the testing. The one team with the lowest score each week will be bumped out of the program. This will all happen in the first eight weeks, by the last week there will six of you left and we will hold one last test. The top three Cadets will get the job and stay in the program. The rest of you will be placed under a spell so you are to never speak of what you’ve seen and will see here.”

The mare next to me put a hoof up in the air saying “Drill Instructor, there are only six of us, if we are all in a team that will only be six teams, how can you cut one team a week?”

Sergeant Black Talon walked up to her and poked her in the muzzle with one of her black talons and said in her loud voice “Do you think I can’t count Cadet?”

“No ma’am…I mean yes ma’am I think you can count.”

“Then don’t ask stupid questions. There are other teams you’ll have to compete with. The Stallions are in the room next door and they have eight more to add to the teams. All in all there are fourteen teams and only three will make it through.” She said putting her talon back to the floor “Now Cadets go over to the tent you see at the end of the room, you’ll be assigned your partner.”

We all did as she said, making our way quickly to the large tent that was erected in the corner of the room. I, of course, was made to go first, the others saying something about smallest to tallest. I really didn’t mind though, I figured that I would get better luck in picking my partner this way. I honestly didn’t know much about griffons, but from what I learned from growing up where I did, they could be pretty rude, or at least my old teacher used to say so.

“Cadet Shadow Star, right?” said a cute pegasus mare that was standing behind a desk inside the tent.

“Um…yes….” I said looking for a rank on her uniform.

She smiled and said “I’m captain Sharp Feather, but you can just call me Ma’am, I don’t have my rank on at the moment. I kind of left it at home.” She blushed a little. “Don’t let Black Talon get to you, she’s always worked up like this on the first week.”

I smiled for a moment, then let it pass “Ma’am, I won’t let any of it get to me.”

She chuckled and said “Well good for you.” She looked over some of her notes finally saying. “So I see you’ve lived in Ponyville for just over two years, it says you were placed under the care of one Miss Rarity, and you had schooling with Princess Twilight Sparkle. I take it you must be quite talented to have her as your mentor.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Would you mind giving me a list of some spells you’ve mastered then?” She asked.

“Well I wouldn’t say mastered quite yet, but I am getting close, I know a spell that will bend light around my body to be mostly in shadows, but I’m trying to make myself go fully invisible, I have one that muffles my hoof steps, another for a silent teleportation, also one that will hide my voice from any who are more than three feet away from me. I have more I’m working on, but those are some of my better spells.” I said to her nervously doing my best not to blush.

“That’s impressive, I know that most stealth spells are not easy to do. How are you with offensive spells?”

“I…well, I mean I know a few and I’m not bad at them, but I prefer not to use them. I’ve had some bad experiences in the past with going overboard.” I’m doing my best to stand up straight as I spoke.

“Yes, I’ve read the report from Princess Luna about your power, from what I’ve seen you can’t control that yet.” She said looking back up at me. “That’s one reason you’re here, the problem is I have to put you with a partner and most of the ones I have won’t like being around a unicorn that could kill them if your anger gets out of control.”

Her tone changed a bit as she brought this up, so I said. “I can control it a lot better than I could before Ma’am. Also for me to get that far and that bad with my power it takes a lot, both times it’s happened I thought my life was in danger and it was the only thing I could do.”

She let the smile creep back to her lips as she looked me over (why was it so cute when she did that) “I like you, you don’t back down or try to hide what you did. I think you’ll go far with us if you keep that up, but I still have a problem on my hooves. The partners we’ve gathered may not work for you, I have to look into a few things. I want you to head back to the barracks for now. Be back here at 0900 tomorrow and I should have an idea of who to set you up with.”

“Yes Ma’am.” I said and walked out of the little tent.

Black Talon was waiting for me as I made my way out. “Cadet Shadow Star, come here for a moment.”

So doing my best to not roll my eyes (and failing) I made my way over to the older griffin “Yes Drill Instructor.”

She moved her head closer to mine and said in a more hushed tone “Listen kid, I just wanted to make sure you understand something. When the others get back to the barracks they will all have partners assigned to them, I knew you wouldn’t be getting one today, so I planned on letting you stay in a room tonight if you want. The others will tease you for being the only one who wasn’t assigned one and I can’t have any problems if you know what I mean.”

I was taken aback “Do you mean you don’t want me in the barracks because you think I’ll get mad at them and do something?”

“Well in a way yes and keep your voice down Cadet.”

I stepped back “No thank you Sergeant Black Talon, I’m not worried about what they’ll say to me or any pony else. Now if you’ll let me be dismissed I would like to get some lunch before I head back to the Barracks.”

She sighed and waved a talon. “Dismissed, but like I said, No trouble. And don’t be a smartass cadet.”

I nickered and trotted away. Down the hall I got into a small line behind some of the males from the other class getting some lunch. I was still fuming as I moved slowly in the line not really caring what the lunch pony put on my tray. I just couldn’t believe that the captain and the drill instructor were scared of my power. I haven’t ever hurt any pony who teased me before, I was more used to that than anything.

“DAMN THEM ALL TO THE FUCKING MOON!!” I said a little too loudly, I blushed and looked up seeing that the pony in front of me was looking at me with a confused expression, I blushed harder saying quickly. “Sorry about that, didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

He laughed and said. “No problem at all miss…”

“Oh sorry, I’m Shadow Star.”

The Stallion who I was talking with was a tall grey unicorn with a red and orange mane that was cut short, he had a cutie mark of twin lightning bolts crossing each other. He gave me probably the friendliest smile I’ve ever seen and put a hoof out to me saying. “Well it’s nice to meet you Shadow Star, I’m Lightning Rider, you can call me Rider though, most ponies do. So I’m guessing it’s your first week huh.”

My eyes widened “Is it that obvious?”

“From the way you stomped into here then yelled out about nothing, well yeah. It’s okay though, it’s mine too, or at least with this program. So what’s eating at you?” he asked as he took his tray and started to walk away.

I figured he wanted me to follow him so I picked up my tray in my magic and followed, as I trotted next to him levitating my tray I said “The drill instructor seems to think that since I didn’t get a partner today and because of my past, that I shouldn’t be around other ponies right now, she wanted to set me up in a private room.”

He set his tray down at an empty table and sat down gesturing for me to join him, so I did. He then took a bite of his sandwich then said. “What could be so bad about getting your own room?”

Wow that was the thing he took out of my rant? I just rolled my eyes. “It’s not the room I had a problem with, it’s the fact that she thinks I need to be away from others for their safety, like I’m some kind of monster.”

“Oh don’t look so down about it, so what if they’re scared of you, I’d take it as a compliment. If you’re scaring them then you’ll have a hoof up on the competition later on. How do you think the others will feel once they think you’re scary? Messing with a pony’s head is the best way to win any fight.” He said winking at me, when he saw my face he quickly added. “Not that I’m saying you’re scary or a monster, honestly all I see in front of me is a little cute mare who’s mad.”

“Oh please don’t call me cute, I hate being called cute.”

“Truth hurts, get used to it.” He said with a laugh.

I liked his laugh, it reminded me of the crack of thunder from far away, not loud, but deep and nice. It made me smile a little as I said. “Okay I see what you mean, don’t let it get me down, just fight though it and prove them wrong.”

“Isn’t that what I said?” he asked looking up from his sandwich.

“I guess, in a roundabout way and you’re right, I won’t let it get to me, I’ll just do what I think is right and make it through to the end.”

“Good girl, now why don’t you start eating before I feel all odd about stuffing my face in front of a cute mare.” He said laughing again.

I couldn’t help myself and I found myself laughing as well. After a little while a red and black griffin walked up to the table and sat down with us. He looked over at Rider saying. “Hey Rider, been looking all over for ya. Who’s this? Did you really find a date this fast?”

I almost spat out my food, trying not to choke saying “No…he’s just…”

The griffin cut me off laughing as he said “I’m just kidding.”

“Sorry Shadow, this here is my partner, he likes his little jokes.”

“How ya doing, names Flip, nice to meet you.”

“I’m Shadow Star nice to meet you.”

“Flip and his sister are both in the program just like us. I was happy that he joined, we’ve been friends for years and with him as my partner we’ll make it in for sure.” Rider said with a smile.

“Speaking of partners. Where’s yours Shadow?” Flip asked looking around.

“I won’t know till tomorrow, long story trust me.”

“That sucks.” Flip said looking down at his own meal (fish and some odd seeds I couldn’t place) “Just pray you don’t get my sister, I feel bad for any pony who ends up with her, she can be kind of a frigid bitch if you know what I mean.”

“Oh she isn’t that bad Flip.” Rider said with a chuckle.

“She’s a bitch and you know it and she only cares about winning and herself, she’ll make a terrible partner.” He said with a laugh.

The two of them started to get into what sounded like an old argument and I just let my attention wander looking around the mess hall. I saw that a few tables had griffons and ponies sitting at them, some chatting, some looking nervous. I wondered what my own partner would be like. I just hope that I could get along with her.

“Shadow you still with us?” came Rider’s voice pulling me back to reality.

“Huh? What now?”

“I was asking if you’re going to stay here all day or if you were going to be doing something after lunch?”

“Oh…yeah I have to finish some reading today before tomorrow’s classes start.” I said.

“Well if you ever feel like pulling your muzzle out of the books come find us. Flip and I both normally like to train during free time, they have a good area to train behind the main building.”

I nodded. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” The two of them left and not long after, so did I.

I made my way out of the mess hall and headed for the mare’s barracks or at least I tried to, as I stepped out into the hall, I ran right into something hard and feathery. I heard a plate hit the floor followed by the sound of food splattering. I looked up into the face of a pure white griffin with dark blue eyes. She was skinny and had a beautiful long beak and nice curves…thinking to myself “wait was I checking out a griffon? Odd.”

Those blue eyes went from shock to anger in the span of two seconds. She poked me in the chest with her white talon saying. “Hey pipsqueak what’s the big fucking idea, don’t they teach you damn ponies how to watch where the fuck you’re going?”

“Wait a minute, it’s not like I could see you on the other side of the door.” I said with a hint of anger in my voice.

“Yeah well maybe you should look at what door you’re walking through next time dipshit.” She said pointing up at a sign over her head that said “IN”

Great now I couldn’t read, how else could this day go wrong? Like life, as it so often does, had to answer. I let my own hard headed anger take over “Oh shut your beak, bird brain, it was an honest mistake no need to get so worked up over a fucking plate of shitty food.”

In a flash her talon was wrapped around my horn and she was holding my head close to hers “I don’t like it when a pony or griffon or anyone is rude to me got it? You ran into me and messed up my lunch, I didn’t do anything wrong, now I suggest you get the fuck out of here before I do something you’ll regret.”

I wanted to say something witty back. The thought died as I looked at the razor sharp talons she had. I just nodded as best as I could and moved around her looking back only after I got a few feet away. I saw she was picking up her food with a grumble. My eyes fell on her tail watching it swish back and forth…then I pulled my eyes away, a little voice in my head saying “She’s a griffin and a bitch, stop staring.”

I walked away and went back to the Barracks. I spent the rest of the night there doing my best to read one of the books I took with me. Turned out that reading was really hard when your mind kept going back between being mad at the griffon female, that drill instructor and the sight of the griffon’s flanks. I felt like I was going mad. So instead of getting some well-deserved reading done, I spent the rest of the night fuming.

“Cadet Shadow Star, Front and Center!” Came the loud voice of Black Talon pulling me out of a nice dream.

I was up in an instant and in front of the tall griffon. I stood at attention, just noticing that I was the only one out of my bunk, “Yes Drill Instructor.”

“Report to the Captain’s office A.S.A.P!”

“Yes ma’am, but why does she want me there so early.”

“Did I say ask dipshit questions Cadet? I don’t think so, now move it!” I didn’t need any more provocation, I practically ran out the door.

I was halfway down the hall when I realized that I had no Idea where the Captain’s office was. I had no idea what I was going to do, so I did the only thing I could, I started running down the halls. I was hoping I would see a door with the Captain’s name on it, what I didn’t expect, was to run into Lightning Rider. When I say run into, I meant that literally.

“Whoa, slow down kid. What has your horn all twisted in a knot?” Rider asked me as he offered a hoof to help me up.

I took it. “I was told to get to the Captains office A.S.A.P. the problem is I have no idea where her office is. When I met her it was in a tent in the middle of one of the large meeting rooms.”

“Oh is that all? Her office is just down that way, third door on the left.” He pointed a hoof down the way I just came.

I sighed and turned toward a wall and started to bang my head on it “Why am I so stupid.”

“Well I wouldn’t say you’re stupid. Her name isn’t on the door so it’s easy to miss. She just transferred here last week from what heard, so it’s not surprising you didn’t know where to look for her.” He said with a friendly smile.

“Thanks again Rider, I better get going before I’m any more late than I am now.” I told him waving a hoof.

“Shadow Star, hold up a sec.” He said moving up next to me. “Are you free tonight?”

What was this, is he going to do what I think he is going to do? I readied myself saying “I’m not sure yet, why?”

He looked a little nervous now as he put a hoof behind his head and looked away sheepishly “I was wondering if you’d be okay with meeting me tonight and going on a walk…as friends of course.”

Yep, it was just what I thought, it was the nonchalant way of asking a girl out. I’ve seen it a few times when I was growing up, all the young zebra stallions would ask the zebra mares out in much of the same way. I shook my head and tried to let him down as nicely as I could “Listen…you’re a nice guy and all, but I’m not really looking for anything…”

He cut me off as we reached the Captains door “We’re here. Listen just a walk that’s all I’m asking for, I’m not asking you on a date or anything like that. I just like to go on walks and Flip’s not one for things that don’t involve flying. I just want a friend or something like that to walk with tonight. Just think about it okay, if I don’t see you tonight at 2100 hours then I’ll know your answer.” And with that, he was off humming a marry tune to himself.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was deciding to ignore it for now though. I moved toward the captain’s door and knocked, after a moment the soft voice of Captain Sharp Feather came through the door. “Come in Shadow Star.”

“You wanted to see me?” I poked my head in the door just a little

“Yes, come on in and take a seat, I have your partner all set up for you.”

I thought as much. “I thought you said to come by the tent at 0900?”

“I changed my mind, I found a partner for you last night and I woke up early. I also didn’t feel like trotting all the way down to the other side of the fort just to see you. So I had Black Talon wake you.” She said looking down at some notes.

“Okay, so who will I be with?” I asked hoping I wasn’t out of line. I just wanted this to be over with so I could get on with my life, and watching Rider and Flip yesterday kind of made me want a cool partnership like them too.

“Her name is Aura, she’ll be here with us in just a minute I think.” She said looking back up at me. “She was the only one I could talk into being your partner, said something about not caring who you were as long as you two could win. I like that kind of thing out of a team, so I figured why not.”

Before I could get a word out to ask more, there was a tap on the fogged glass of the door. The Captain said to come in and soon I found myself looking eye to eye with the griffon from yesterday. Her white feathers bristled and she pointed a talon at me “What the fuck are you doing here tiny-tard?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing bitch-feathers.” I said back getting to my hooves.

“Oh good you two have met, now take a seat both of you.” Said Captain Sharp Feathers, we started to protest, but she cut us of “NOW!”

We both did as we were told, but I wasn’t able to stop my mouth from running away on me “Why did you stick me with her?” I pointed a hoof “She’s so rude.”

“Oh yeah? Like you’re one to talk.” She said to me then she looked at the Captain “Listen Cap, ya know I’m loyal to the cause and helping out Equestria along with my brother, but I can’t work with this twerp.”

It was something I could agree with her on, the Captain on the other hoof didn’t care “Both of you be quiet.” We did “Now listen here. You two are the only ones left without partners, and with the contract you two signed there’s only two ways out of this partnership. You two fail out of the program, or you two retire. Either way I can’t change this, and honestly I don’t want to. You both have skills that will benefit Equestria, as long as you can learn to work together. I don’t care if you like each other or not, but that would help immensely.”

I felt like a brick had just been dropped on my head. I really wanted to be in this program, and I knew I could pass as long as I did my best. If I had to put up with a bitchy griffon to do it then so be it. Bitch or not I would show them all that I was strong. So with gritted teeth I said “Fine, I’ll do it.”

“Yeah same here. I’m no quitter and I’m not going to be starting now.”

“Good, now I suggest you both start to get better acquainted because you only have a few days until the first elimination. I wouldn’t want to see you two lose out in week one.” She said with an evil smile.

The two of us who were just staring at each other both turned our heads to look at her both saying in unison “Wait…What…”