The great city of Canterlot. A beautiful, thrilling place for those who could afford it, but a tough environment for those who could not. You may think that this city, with all it's festivities and holidays, would be one of complete smiles and happiness, wouldn't you dear reader? But you're wrong. It has its issues like any other large city.
There are three rings of class that made up the city. Ponies could travel between rings of course, there are no physical boundaries stopping them. But they would always have to return to that ring which they belong. It's just the way things work in Cantelot.
The outer ring, which one would walk into the moment they stepped through the gates, consists of the lower class. These ponies usually have little or no money for even themselves, let alone to spare. Shops in that ring usually have few items to sell, though no item found within them would be of great value.
The second ring, that of the middle class, contains ordinary shops with ordinary ponies to run them. They aren't poor, but they aren't exactly rich either. The second ring is where the majority of visitors tend to stay, and not just because that's where the train station is.
The third ring, is the upper class world. There, everypony is rich, items are of high quality and high price, and the homes are large and glamorous. It is a rare sight to see one of the third ring ponies away from their section. And the only time a first ring pony would even think about stepping into that world would be for thieving.
But in the center of it all lies the richest building in the city Canterlot Castle, where the royal family rules over its people from above. The only way to enter it is through either royal business, or by being escorted by guards. It is surrounded by a strong magic barrier, from the depths of the dungeons, to the highest towers. This barrier prevents any creature from entering or leaving without permission.
In one of these towers resides our heroine, trapped against her own will, using all her wits in order to escape her prison.
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Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
My Faithful Subjects!
Shadow Spirit had given up trying to break through the magic barrier that Princess Celestia had created. Wearing out her magic after only three hours, she turned to using brute force to break down the door. However, the door was magicked as well, and her efforts were in vain. Now she simply leaned against the door, exhaustedly thumping it with her head every few seconds. But she grew too weary even to do that, and stopped.
Today is a Joyous Day Indeed!
Silently turning her head to look about the room she was given, she grimaced. In her anger and disgust over what they did to her, she had trashed the once beautiful guest room. Her bed lay in shambles,The fluffy pillows ripped apart, the polished wooden posts completely destroyed until they were no more than splinters. The thick velvet curtains once hanging from the tall ceiling now lay in shreds across the marble floor, which had a few cracks in it from her tantrum. Any furniture that had not been destroyed was scattered about the room on its side. And the dress. Oh that beautiful white dress she was given was no more, only traces of it left. She preferred her ratty old cloak anyway.
For One of Our Kin Has Returned to Us!
After her tantrum, she had cried until she slept amongst the trash. All the emotions just flowed out of her body without her consent. She couldn’t help it. She missed her family. They had never been without her, they needed her too much. And she need them. The night passed, and with the morning sun came her strength, which she had used up trying to escape.
It Has Been a Great Many Years,
Standing slowly, she shuffled away from the door and to one of the floor-length windows, her long cloak trailing behind her. She scoffed at the view. Below her she could make out rich and snooty ponies strolling about below her. She turned her gaze to the far Northern edge of the city, and her ruby eyes softened. That was where her family resided. She hoped they were okay without her. She knew the food stash was running a bit low, but she had never liked the idea of one of her little thieves going out without her watchful eye.
And There May be Few Who Remember Her Name.
Shadow Spirit’s thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. She inhaled sharply, and braced herself as the door opened.
But Let Her In,
Two guards made their way into the room, clearly trying not to notice the damage. Behind them came the two Royal Princesses themselves. Princess Celestia’s face was calm, but Princess Luna snorted at the room. It had previously been made clear that the younger sister did not approve of Shadow Spirit’s presence in the castle.
Open Your Hearts,
“You really made yourself at home here, didn’t you?” The princess mocked, but was hushed by her sister. “Luna, why don’t you wait outside with the guards. I want to speak with her alone.” Princess Celestia emphasized the last word, and Princess Luna sulked, yet she left the room anyway. The guards followed, and Princess Celestia closed the door gently behind them. Shadow Spirit said nothing.
And Show Her Your Kindness.
“Please forgive my sister’s rude behaviour. These last few days have been… stressful for her. Shadow Spirit snorted, but made no reply. The princess sighed and took in the room’s damage. Shadow Spirit prepared for a scolding, but was only met with a chuckle. She looked sharply at the princess. Princess Celsetia was… smiling? “Not bad, you clearly have much strength, especially to be able to tear apart that bed. But it’s nothing like the damage I have caused to my rooms before, if I do say so myself.” Shadow Spirit blinked in surprise. She couldn’t imagine the princess upset and throwing a tantrum like a small filly.
Welcome Her Like You Would a Friend.
There was a flash of light, and she had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, the room was back to it’s original state, fresh and clean like before. Fresh flowers had even appeared in the vase. “That’s better, don’t you think?” The princess smiled warmly at Shadow Spirit, and she had to look away. She was ashamed of herself for acting the way she did. However, she refused to apologize or even speak to these mares.
Though it May Be Difficult For Her,
Shadow Spirit walked to the bed. She climbed on it and settled atop the covers, her back to the princess, who sighed. She wanted to be left alone, and tried to make it apparent. But soon there was a sudden shift in the mattress as more weight was added to it. Instead of leaving, Princess Celestia had climbed on next to Shadow Spirit, and wrapped a wing around the young mare. Shadow Spirit was almost tempted to lean into the body, it had been so long that she had been held like that. Maybe she was wrong about the princesses. Maybe they weren’t as bad as she thought.
For She Has Been Alone So Long,
“I’m so sorry, Shadow Spirit,” the princess whispered. “We took you from your home, and keep you locked in this room. But please understand. You are a princess now. We’re doing this for your own good.”
Away From Home.
Any thoughts Shadow Spirit had about the princess being kind vanished as quickly as they came. And it was then that she found her voice.
But Now She Has Returned.
“For my own good? You think that this is for my own good?!” She shrugged off the princess’s wing and stumbled away from her. “I don’t belong here. I shouldn’t be anywhere near here!” Her voice raised its volume as she thrust a hoof out, pointing towards her home. “Those streets are where I belong! I have a family to take care of out there, yet you keep me locked away from them! You think that I should be here, with you stuck up, insensitive royal fools, just because I can use magic, yet I have these?!” She yanked off her cloak, and spread her large grey wings. She felt exposed with them out though, and tucked them away again.
So without further ado,
Taking a deep breath, she sighed. “You have no right to keep me here, no right to pretend I am your kin.” Her voice was softer, calmer, but there was a sharp edge to it. She glared at the other princess, who said nothing. She merely sighed and stood from the bed, walking toward the door. Softly, she replied, “I know you miss your family, more than you think. They need you. But we need you here too. You will learn in time.” She left the room, and locked the door behind her.
Please Welcome, Princess Shadow Spirit!
Shadow Spirit threw herself on the bed, and cried once more.
Shadow Spirit raced through the alleyways, four unicorn guards hot on her tail. Her brown cloak billowed out behind her, flapping in the wind from her speed. The saddlebags strapped tightly to her back thumped against her sides, the food they contained bouncing around inside. Yup, today was just another market day in Canterlot.
Market day for most ponies meant browsing through stalls in the cheery sunlight, buying food and clothing, and perhaps finding a valuable trinket or two. For Shadow Spirit and her family though, it meant sneaking around in the shadows, putting on award-worthy performances (distractions), and hopefully not getting caught stealing what they needed. In this last aspect, Shadow Spirit had failed.
She mentally cursed herself for not watching the surrounding ponies closely enough, as she turned another corner, dodging a few crates. One of the unicorns had pushed ahead of the others, and was about ready to grab her tail. Thinking quickly, she spotted a cart of apples someone had conveniently left unattended. Horn glowing red, she used her magic to knock over the cart right as she passed. The guard ran into the cart, and slipped on a few of the round fruits, falling flat on his stomach. However, there were three guards left, and they still pursued her.
Scanning for her next trick to perform, Shadow Spirit rounded another corner, the territory becoming familiar again. There were several boxes stacked neatly next to an old bookshop. She ran to them, hopping expertly from one box to the next until she reached the top. Looking down, she stuck her tongue out at the guards, who were having trouble navigating up the small tower in their heavy armor.
"Well, this was fun boys, but our lovely stroll ends here," she taunted at them, before leaping from the boxes to an awning hanging over the window of the shop. She bounced off the awning and shot into the air towards the roof. She didn't bounce quite high enough though, just a few inches short of the roof's ledge. Reluctantly, she opened her wings the slightest fraction that she could, and flapped the rest of the way. She only hoped the guards didn't see. News of an Alicorn in Canterlot would no doubt bring trouble to her family.
Standing triumphantly over the unicorns below her, she winked and ran off along the roof, knowing they wouldn't be able to catch up to her now. However she was unaware that there was somepony who had watched the whole ordeal, and seen everything.
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A few hops, skips, and jumps across rooftops, and soon Shadow Spirit found herself at the Western border of the city. Feeling safer than before, she left the rooftops and settled along the stony streets. By now it was late in the evening, the sun starting to set in the sky. Ponies were settling in their homes, preparing for dinner if they had any. A few nodded wearily towards her, she would nod in reply. The wall that surrounded the city came into sight, and Shadow Spirit walked alongside it, heading North. The farther she went, the fewer citizens she came across, until it she was entirely alone in the streets.
Along with the amount of ponies about, the buildings changed as well. They grew shabbier, emptier. This section was where the poorest of the poor lived. Many of the houses were no longer made of stone, but of wood, showing just how truly old they were compared to the rest of the city.
It was in one of these such buildings that Shadow Spirit stopped in front of. The wooden edifice was tall, and rather large, but it was completely in shambles. Once, it served as a theater, grand as any at that time. Now it merely sat here, dying and forgotten. Any traces of glass windows were gone, only empty holes remained. The wood was rotting and ready to give away at any moment. Inside, any remaining furniture was bare or moth eaten. The entire building seemed to sag, like it was begging for someone to cause it's collapse. Nevertheless, this was the one Shadow Spirit entered.
She warily stepped through the house, trying not to make a sound. The theater groaned around her, in the way that all old buildings do. She navigated her way past the grand stage, towards the back rooms, where performers would prepare themselves for performances. Now however, the rooms served a different purpose. She opened the door to the largest room slowly.
And suddenly she found herself ambushed, unable to protect herself.
"Shady!!! Attack!!" Came the cry of her little attackers. Shadow Spirit collapsed in the doorway. "Oh no! The warriors have attacked me! I am completely unable to protect myself!" She cried, dramatically raising a hoof to her forehead. The ten "warriors" jumped up and down, throwing themselves at her repeatedly, until they were interrupted by a loud cough.
"Ahem, if you are done, I'd like to actually eat." The voice belonged to a light pink Pegasus, who was currently sitting in the corner of the room. She had an annoyed look on her face as Shadow Spirit stood, untangling a few of the children from her hooves. "Hello to you too Dusty," she replied, dropping her cloak by the door. She untied her saddlebags and tossed them over to the smaller mare. "I got the bread, and carrots, but only about half the hay we wanted."
The mare grunted, but smiled. "Whatever, thanks for getting it anyway, Shady." She took the bags and made her way to the old kitchen to prepare dinner.
Shady stretched out her legs and wings before sitting on the floor by a young green unicorn. He smiled up at her, green eyes shining. "Did you bring us more food?" He asked. She chuckled. "Yes I did." She replied. "Did you have an adventure?" His twin brother asked eagerly. The rest of the children followed suit with eyes pleading for a story. She grinned mischievously and stood. "Of course, what kind of market day would it be without an adventure?" Some of the older colts and fillies gathered around the younger ones. They knew her stories were stretched a bit for entertainment, but they enjoyed them nonetheless.
~~~~~~~~
"... They had me cornered, guards on every side of me. The wall at my back stretched higher than you would believe! I could feel my magic running low, there was only one thing left to do..." Shady told her captivated audience. Of course, she was stretching the truth some, but the little ones would only be satisfied with a grand performance, nothing less. "I flipped back my cloak, spread my wings, and flew!" A tiny pegasus filly squealed and clapped in delight. "The guards were so speechless, they couldn't even move! I flew all the way across the city, fast as a bullet. When I landed, I disappeared into the shadows. They wouldn't have seen me even if I was right in front of them. The End."
The group clapped and cheered while Shady took a bow. Before long, Dusty returned, skillfully balancing a very large tray full of food on her back, her wings spread out for balance. "Dinner is served, eat up!" She called as the children excitedly ran towards the food. But before they devoured everything, Shady stopped them. "What do we say to Dusty, children?" She asked sternly. The children bowed their heads. "Thank you for the meal Dusty!" They cried, and immediately went to eating.
Dusty smiled and slid a plate of food over to Shady. "Nice story. Is that why you were so late today?" She asked. Shady nodded as she took a small bite out of her dinner. "There was somepony who wasn't watching the distraction quite as close as I thought. She saw me grab the bread, and called me out on it. Let me tell you, those guards are getting faster all the time." Dusty nodded in agreement.
"Well at least you got away. I was having a hard time keeping the kids busy. They get antsy without you, you know." She huffed, blowing a few strands of shaggy white hair out of her face.
Suddenly a lanky brown stallion came up to them, sitting down with his food. He flashed a grin. "Well ladies, you'll be pleased to know that I found our next job," he said. "Already? You're getting faster at this, Crimson Streak." Dusty snorted. Crimson Streak, named for the red stripe in his mane, flashed her a grin. "Just you wait. This will be our biggest job yet. If we succeed, we could go without stealing for another six months!" He exclaimed. A few of the younger colts and fillies looked up curiously.
Shooting a stern look towards Crimson Streak, Shady nudged the two out of the room and into the hallway. Once the three friends were out of hearing from the others, Shady sighed. "How big of a job are we talking about?" She asked. Crimson Streak frowned. "Very big. We're talking the royal family here." Dusty screeched at him. "You mean WHAT?!" She yelled. He waved a hoof in her face. "Not the royal-royal family, just a cousin or somepony less important. I'm telling you, if we pull this off, we'll be set!" He stomped a hoof down for emphasis, which ended up putting another hole in the wooden floor."And maybe we can afford some repairs...." He added, looking around the room at various other holes.
The two mares were silent for a moment. Then Shady spoke up, determination in her voice. "I'm in." Dusty turned to her, eyes wide. "You have got to be joking! Shady, if we get caught, we'll be grown in prison!" She exclaimed. "But if we pull this off, we could make our lives better than before! Look at this place, it’s ready to collapse as we speak!" She replied. "Dusty, I know you want us to be careful on these jobs, but we have to take risks sometimes. Think of the-" "I do think of them!" Dusty snapped. "If we get caught and taken away, who will look after them? No one. We three are the only ones capable of caring for all of them. If we're gone, they'll be separated and thrown back into orphanages. And that's IF they survive long enough."
There was a long pause. Then Crimson Streak spoke up. "I think if all three of us go, we can make it. The kids will be fine by themselves for a few hours. The older colts can handle it." Another pause. Then finally Dusty sighed. "Oh hell, there's no stopping you two. Fine. I'm in." The others smiled. "Besides, what could happen if all of us go? We, the best thieves in Canterlot!" Shady proclaimed proudly.
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"Shit shit shit shit shit!" Shady muttered under her breath while running alongside Dusty and Crimson Streak. Once again she was being chased by guards, cloak flapping behind her. Three days and nights of planning, and they didn't even stop to consider the fact that somepony might get up for a glass of water in the night. They made it past security guards, cameras, even guard dogs. Only to be caught by a young mare making her way through the halls. Once she saw the three thieves sneaking through the halls, she instantly started screaming. And boy was she loud. Guards came running immediately.
Tearing through the halls trying to find a suitable exit, more guards suddenly appeared. Shady realized soon enough that there wasn’t any way to escape.They were on the third story of the building, which meant they couldn’t just all jump out of a window. Dusty had injured a wing upon entering the building, and Crimson Streak could only teleport by himself, even then only small distances. Shady herself could feel her magic running low from using it to break in. Taking a deep breath, she stopped running and turned to face the guards head-on. The others skidded to a halt.
"Shady what are you doing?!" Dusty cried. Instead of replying, Shady used her magic to pick up a small potted plant, and smash a large window with it. Crimson Streak realized what was about to happen and looked at Shady grimly. "Dusty, we need to go, now." He said softly, tugging her towards the window. She resisted. "But... Shady!" Shady looked back and smiled. "You can't fly well with that injured wing, Dusty, and Crimson Streak can teleport only short distances. There's no way we could all escape. I’ll distract the majority of the guards for as long as I can." By now Dusty had stopped resisting, and was being dragged closer to the window. "Take good care of our little ones for me. I'll make sure you get home to them safely."
Sniffling, Dusty nodded and spread her wings. Crimson Streak said nothing, but simply teleported away. "Hey... I expect you home in time for breakfast, you hear?" Dusty smiled grimly. "Always." Shady replied as her friend clumsily flew away into the night.
The guards finally caught up "Well, let's dance, you creepy identical freaks." Shady smirked, her horn glowing with red magic.
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"Your highness, we apologize for disturbing you, but we bring you a thief."
Shady lost the magic battle quickly after it started. She only hoped that it was long enough to allow her friends to escape. Once she was drained completely, the guards surrounded her, locking her in magic hoofcuffs. They led her out and away from the elaborate manor, and to the castle, which was a short distance away. She couldn't help but stare at the high walls and polished floors. But once she was finally brought to the great throne room, she kept a calm and blank expression.
Before her sat Princess Luna, who ruled throughout the night while her sister slept. Her starry mane flowed gently with magic, and she raised an eyebrow as Shady was brought forth. Shady was unsure of what to expect from the younger of the sisters, as she had fully returned to her duties only a few years ago. Even then, not as many were brought before her for judgement as they were Princess Celestia.
The princess studied Shady for a long while before speaking. "Tell me young unicorn, what is your name, and why do you wish to steal from my family?" Her voice was smooth, and resonated throughout the room. Shady shrugged away from the guards and stepped forward towards the princess.
“My name is Shadow Spirit. I don’t wish your family any harm, I only want to provide for my own.” She stated. Princess Luna frowned and murmured something under her breath before turning back to Shady. “I understand that you need to take care of your family, but thieving is a serious crime. Therefore you shall be imprisoned until further notice. You-” “Please, your highness, there are several children that I must care for, they-” “THAT IS ENOUGH” The royal princess boomed angrily.
Startled, Shady reared, and the guards moved forward to grab her. One of them pulled at her cloak, and she struggled. Hoping to pull her down, the guard yanked as hard as he could on the cloak. But instead, the cloak tore in two, it’s ancient threads finally giving out. Shady gasped and landed on all fours. Her wings were now exposed, revealing her true race.
The princess stood immediately. The guards, unsure of what to do, stepped back in shock. Shady took this moment of surprise and bolted. She heard the princess shout after her, but she kept running towards the door. She was a bit clumsy due to the hoofcuffs, but she got the hang of them and quickly gained speed. She was almost there when crash! She ran smack into another pony. The two fell back and rolled a bit. Looking to see who ruined her escape, she came eye to eye with none other than princess Celestia herself. The older princess frowned, and began using her magic.
Shady found that she could no longer move her limbs, and her eyelids were drooping. She tried to fight it, but failed, and quickly succumbed to the forced sleep.
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When Shady regained consciousness, she found she couldn’t move her body at all. Her eyes were open and she was standing tall, yet she couldn’t will her limbs to move. She wanted to scream, but her mouth wouldn’t open, she couldn’t even move her facial muscles to scowl. So instead she took in her surroundings.
She appeared to be on a high balcony, standing before all of Canterlot. The sun was high in the sky meaning it must have been around noon. On each side of her stood the princesses. Princess Celestia was giving a speech of some sort, while princess Luna stared ahead silently. Both princesses were wearing elaborate garments that complimented their mane colors. Shady herself was wearing a soft white dress, which covered her long tail and flowed out behind her. Two holes had been designed into it for her wings, which were pressed to her sides as usual. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever worn, yet she hated it. Her black curly hair had been pinned up elaborately, and silver shoes had been placed on her hooves.
The crowd below her listened intently to princess Celestia’s speech, many with shocked looks directed towards Shady. She assumed she was to be given a public execution, and everyone was just appalled at the idea of somepony trying to rob the royal family. An alicorn no less. That is, until she finally began listening to the princess’s words.
“So without further ado, please welcome Princess Shadow Spirit!” the princess had announced with a smile, and the crowd began cheering. The princesses turned and walked back through the balcony doors, and Shady felt her body follow suit. She couldn’t properly react to the announcement, nor fly away like she wished. All she could do was think.
Once the doors were shut behind them, princess Luna turned to her sister. “Sister are you sure of this?”Princess Celestia only nodded before leading the two down a hallway, then up a narrow flight of stairs. “Yes Luna, as I said before, this is for the best.” Shady had no choice but to follow the two, still confused as to what just happened. At the top of the stairs, the older princess opened the door, and Shady felt herself walk inside. All at once, she collapsed to the floor, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted. Shaking her head, she found she could move again. Turning to the door, she saw that it had been shut and locked already.
Glancing back at the room, she ignored everything else and instead walked to the bed. On it sat her neatly folded cloak, repaired as though it had never been torn. She nuzzled the fabric gently, reminded of her home. Sitting down on the bed, she sighed before glaring out the large window angrily. “Don’t worry, I will come home.”
Author's Note
Okay, sorry for taking so long with writing this, I got caught up in some stuff, plus I wasn't sure how to write some parts of this chapter ^~^' But I've finally got it out! I know a lot of people don't like Alicorn OCs, and they also don't like "Red and Black" OCs. Well Shady just happened to be both, but I like to think that she doesn't fall completely under the reasons why people don't like those characters. So please don't hate on this story just because you don't like Mary Sues or horribly depressing characters with no background that look like Shady, okay? Thank you :)
Ch. 2: Thump in the Night
After the princess’s visit, and Shady’s second round of exhausted crying, she settled in for the night. This time without destroying the room. The bed was soft and warm, and she drifted into a dreamless sleep within a few short minutes.
Tap tap tap.
Shady rolled over in her sleep and sighed.
Tap tap tap tap tap.
She opened her eyes.
TAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAP!
Sitting up with a start, Shady peered out into the darkness of her room. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed a shadowy figure outside the balcony door. Warily, she crawled out of the warm bed. There was a candle atop the wooden dresser next to the bed, and Shady lifted it with her magic, finding that it had indeed returned to her. Beside the candle had been a small box of matches, which she used to light the candle. The entire room was filled with a soft yellow glow.
Creeping towards the window, Shady nearly dropped the candle in surprise once the figure came into light. Sitting outside the door, with a very pissed look on her face, sat Dusty.
"Dusty!" She cried, and trotted up to the glass. Indeed, it was her long time friend who was sitting outside her room, one hoof pressed to the glass, her usual scowl upon her face. Shady set the candle on the floor and placed her hoof against her side of the glass. She smiled at Dusty.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been tapping on your window? The palace life must be really great if you’re sleeping that heavily.” Dusty spat, clearly upset. She stomped a hoof on the ground. Shady rolled her eyes and sat, used to the ill-tempered mare. “Trust me, it’s been one hell of a day. Or two days, really.” she replied. This only seemed to annoy the pegasus more. “Two days? What about this past week? Jeez Shady, what have you been doing all this time?!”
Shady’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean a week? The failed heist was two nights ago.” Now Dusty was confused. “Shady, that wasn’t two days ago… it was six.”It was then that she noticed Dusty’s left wing, the injured one, was completely healed. Scanning her memory, Shady couldn’t find anything between crashing into Princess Celestia, and waking in front of all of Canterlot.
Shady recalled that Princess Celestia’s horn had been glowing when she blacked out. Had she used some kind of sleep spell on her? She snarled automatically at the thought. Dusty was taken aback at the sudden change in expression.
“What is it Shady? Are you okay?” she asked. Shady stood and began pacing angrily. “No I am not. Those princesses are planning something, and I want to know what it is. They take me from my home, turn me into a zombie for a week, and make me a princess out of nowhere without even my consent! Just who do these mares think they are?!” Dusty sighed. “Only the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria. But what do they want with you? A simple minded young mare.” Shady gave her an annoyed look.
“I don’t know. But I do plan on finding out. By the way,” she cocked her head. “How did you even get up here without being seen?” Dusty shrugged. "I just flew up here. The night guards don’t patrol the skies very well. At least not the way I came. Although I did hear some shouting, so there must have been a commotion somewhere else." Shady frowned. “That’s rather strange...” she murmured.
“Strange indeed, now isn’t it? Of course, this is all rather strange.” a male voice called from nowhere, startling the two mares. Dusty rose to her feet, ready to fight if necessary. “Who’s there?” she snarled. “Oh… neither here nor there, I am everywhere!” the voice called out. It laughed and bounced along the walls of the room, surrounding Shady. “What kind of dumb trick is this? Reveal yourself!” she called, annoyed. The voice laughed directly in her ear. “As you wish… Princess.”
Turning towards it, Shady found herself muzzle-to-muzzle with a strange creature. she shrieked and fell back, landing on her rear. Dusty did the same. The creature was a mismatch of many animals, and confused both the mares, for neither had ever seen such a creature. The creature laughed, revealing itself to be the owner of the voice.
"Hmm, not a very graceful princess are we? Of course, we already know that." He smirked. Shady rose and backed away from him, instinctively placing herself between him and Dusty. "Who are you?" She asked. "And uh, what are you?" Dusty added from behind. He laughed and moved closer. "Why, I am Discord of course, spirit of chaos, mad genius, most handsome draconicus to ever live?" Both mares stared at him blankly. he sighed, defeated. “Wow, tough crowd…”
“Well… What are you doing here?” Shady asked, still wary of this strange creature. He snapped his fingers and appeared next to her, his arm around her as though they were long-time friends. “Well, ever since I sided with you ponies ten years ago, I’ve found my life rather dull. ‘No more chaos’ Celestia says. And without MY magic controlling Equestria, my life has become just SO docile. So of course I simply HAD to come and visit my dear friend Celestia once I heard there was a new princess in town. And my, what an interesting case this has been.”
Throughout his speech, Discord kept snapping his fingers and teleporting throughout the room. It was making both Dusty and Shady dizzy. Finally, Shady stopped him.
“Discord,” she said, “All I want to know is this: how did you get past the magic barrier, and is there any way you can get me out?” He laughed. “Oh this silly thing?” He flicked the window and it jiggled like jello. “This is nothing. Honestly though I’m surprised Celestia didn’t use something stronger. But then, you don’t exactly have the magic strength now do you? A shame; otherwise you COULD get out. I however, can come and go as I please.” To demonstrate, he stuck his head through the glass, right in Dusty’s face. Annoyed, she pushed him away.
“Well that’s no help.” She sighed and turned back to Shady. "Told you you should have practiced more with Crimson Streak..." Shady rolled her eyes and grumbled. "It's not my fault I didn't learn magic as a filly like normal ponies..."
Discord laughed and floated around the room, moving as though he were swimming. "Well princess, you don't have much to worry about in the case of magic." She looked up at him, cocking her head. "Oh yes, they wouldn't have told you yet. The "Elements of Harmony" as you ponies call them will be visiting tomorrow to greet the new princess." He turned into a bird suddenly and sat on Shady's horn. "And a little birdie told me that Princess Twilight herself is staying to teach you magic, since you're clearly lacking in that department." Shady shook him off. "So?" She asked.
"So, I'm hinting that there would be your time to make a deal with the princesses. They want you to use magic. You want something yourself. See where I'm going with this?" Discord waggled his eyebrows at her. Shady understood immediately. "You're right, I can turn this around, at least a little bit." "Hold up, why are you helping us out here?" Dusty eyed Discord suspiciously. "You said that you were a 'master of chaos'. What's in it for you if you help us?"
Discord leaned through the glass and roughly patted Dusty's head, much to her discomfort. "What a smart little pony you are, but I'm afraid I have nothing to tell you there. I am merely looking for something fun to watch. I certainly do find this whole situation fun. But now my little ponies, I must be off. Can't have Celestia realize that I'm sneaking around without her now can I?" He started to snap his fingers but Shady stopped him.
"Wait!" She called. He looked at her. "Will I see you tomorrow? With the others?" She asked. She thought his eyes softened for a moment before they instantly hardened. "Sorry princess. I had a bit of a falling out with a certain mare several years ago." His tail twitched. "It would be tremendously awkward to meet up with her again. You'll be on your own by then." His tail twitched again and he was gone.
Shady turned back to Dusty, who was making a disgusted face at her. "What is it?" She asked, sitting next to her on her side of the glass. "Oh Discord, will I see you tomorrow?" Dusty mocked in a high pitched voice. "What are you, a filly?" "Shut up, I didn't mean it like that." Shady rolled her eyes. "It's just... Discord is the first pony, well, creature, to have openly given me information since I got here. He could very easily be lying, but I have the feeling that he isn't."
Shrugging, Dusty stood and looked to the sky. "It will be dawn soon..." She murmured. "Go on home Dusty." Dusty looked back to her long-time friend. "Will you be okay? Here?" She asked worriedly. Shady smiled sadly. "I'll be fine. I'll see what I can do about that deal. Tell everyone I'm okay, and send them my love." Dusty nodded as she turned away. "I will. They.... The little ones have been asking for you, you know." Shady's heart clenched as her friend flew off into the night. She returned to her bed wearily, yet found that sleep was not going to come easily to her as dawn approached.
