Power Ponies: The Shadows of Power Collection

The train bound for Ponyville arrived just in time for Spike to finish the second book.  He put it down then eagerly reached for the second; only to be stopped by Twilight clearing her throat.

“We're here Spike, you can finish you comic in the Library.”

“Awe c'mon Twilight!” Spike begged.

Twilight shook her head, and this time she was adamant.  “You're not going to be able to walk and read at the same time.  Ponyville may not be as big as the other cities, but there are still a lot of people on the streets.

“You could always carry me on your back while I read.”

Twilight shot Spike a condescending glare.

“Okay okay.” Spike sighed and gathered up the comics putting the two he read on the bottom.  “Then let's just hurry and get back to the library.

With that Twilight lifted spike up with her magic and placed him on her back.

“I'll go as fast as I can.” She assured him.

Some words can sting.

Others can destroy.

Some words can often inspire.

But inspiration can be deadly.

“Happy birthday little Inkie!” Shouted Ink Chrome's father to his now five year old daughter.

“We hope you like our gift to you.” Added her mother.  “It's something we both worked really hard on.”

Ink Chrome tore into the brightly colored box, revealing what appeared to be a sketchbook, and a paint brush.

“Huh?” The young mare lifted up the book and flipped through the empty pages.  “It's blank.” She noted aloud.

“It's a very special book created by your father and I.  It combines your father's magic with my love of art.  Try it out.”  Her mother insisted.

“Okay then...” Ink opened the book to an empty page, and after a moments hesitation painted a very crude looking stick pony onto the page.  To her amazement the book began to glow, and soon the pony came right off the paper.  It turned to face her and took a bow; making Ink feel like a princess.

“This book will bring anything you create within it to life.” Her mother explained.  “That way you will never run out of pages.  We hope your creativity will last forever.”

Ink Chrome's face lit up with a wondrous enthusiastic smile.  She began to furiously draw into the book creating creature after creature as her cutie mark appeared.

As the years went by Ink Chrome's fame began to expand.  Ever popular with the children of Maretropolis, Chrome found a wonderful job at the Museum of Modern Arts where she would spend hours a day entertaining young mares and colts while their parents roamed.  It wasn't a difficult job, after all all she had to do was paint, which was easily her favorite thing in the world to do.  Yet as her fame grew, so did her infamy.  Many parents feared Ink Chrome, and would not like their kids near her or her creations.  Some famous artists whose art was on display would often tell Chrome that she had no REAL future as an artist.

“This is all just magic.” Chastised one pony.  “There's no real art here.”

“Your paintbrush is nothing more than a magic wand.” taunted another.

But isn't that the point? Ink Chrome would ask herself.  Art was always magical to her, but perhaps it was easier for her to have such a perspective with her book.  She would often try to use other books, but each one filled up in a matter of days, and the still, lifeless, motionless inklings just didn't feel the same.  So Ink Chrome tuned out the noise, she continued to paint for the children, and she filtered out the criticism and the hate.  At least until one day, when the Museum of Modern Arts had a special guest appearance.

“Wooow!”

"Whoa!!!"

“Such grace!”

“What beauty!”

Pony after admiring pony praised the beautiful Radiance and her gem encrusted constructs.  Even the little children that Chrome would create for where whisked away by their parents to pay homage to the gorgeous artistic hero.  Ink Chrome alone stood unimpressed among the horde.

“You can't be serious!” She proclaimed.  “I have been doing this exact same thing for years now, and all I ever received for my efforts was hate.  Now this pony comes along, does the exact same thing, and you ADORE her?!”

The crowed fell silent as a confused, and slightly startled Radiance trotted steadily up to Ink Chrome.

“My dear.” She chimed with a giggle.  “There isn't a possible way you can do what I can.  My abilities are one in a million.”

“Wanna bet?” Challenged Ink who quickly revealed her ink stained book and brush.

“Alrighty dear” Radiance shook her hoof as she adjusted her bracelets.  “Lets see if your art can Stand up to mine.”  Radiance's right bracelet began to glow, and soon a magnificent glowing tower stood behind her.  The massive pillar was lined with what appeared to be gems and gold, and housed several fantastic looking pony busts which extended from it's sides in various locations.

Ink Chrome flipped open her book, and began to paint.  As she frantically moved her muzzle her annoyance and anger seemingly oozed from her mind and onto the drawing itself.

“Well?” Pushed Radiance.  “Have you got anything to share with the class?”

“Real art takes time.” Ink Chrome insisted, much to the annoyance of Radiance.  “And besides.” She continued.  “Why should my art just stand up to yours, when I can just as easily bring it down!”

Ink Chrome performed one final dramatic swish with her brush, and soon a massive hulking golem comprised of ink, and fury arose from her book.  It started out small, but quickly grew and grew until it was towering over Radiance's pillar of light.

“Show her what real art can do!” Chrome demanded.

The hulking ink giant shattered Radiance's tower with a single mighty swing of it's arm.  Radiance had just enough time to banish her construct before the toppled remains crushed not only her, but everyone else present around her.

“Are you insane?!” Radiance enjoined.

“No.” Ink answered.  “I'm just embracing the monster.  The monster you all want me to be!”  Ink Chrome began to furiously paint into her book, creating a number of smaller ink golems carrying swords.  “Destroy this place!” The mad mare commanded to her mindless minions.  “Show them what it means to be a monster!”

Radiance countered by conjuring several armored pony knights.  The army charged the golems in a synchronized roar of enthusiasm, and the sounds of sword fighting quickly filled the room.

“Everyone get back!” Radiance pleaded.  “Get out of the museum while you can!”

“Those pompous piles of pony slime are not going anywhere!” Ink Chrome drew a locked gate and the main entrance to the museum was quickly sealed away behind it's sturdy rod iron-like bars.

“These ponies have nothing to do with this!” Radiance avowed.  “Let them go!”

“These ponies have EVERYTHING to do with this!” her adversary countered.  “They're privilaged and powerful, and everything they say is absolute!”  Ink Chrome turned to face the terrified crowd of people.  Her face twisted beyond recognition by a grizzly murderous smile.  “And they've decreed that I am a demon!”

“If you let criticism get in your way than how can you call yourself an artist?” Radiance insisted.

“I'm every bit an artist as you are!” Chrome rejoined.  “Here's my proof!”  The mad stricken mare conjured a pitch black sword from her book and flung it towards Radiance, who reacted just in time to riposte the construct with a decorative conjured up aegis.

“I see no proof here!” Radiance antagonized.  “All I see is a pony who is drunk on her own demise!”

“Then maybe you're just not looking hard enough.”

A smooth voice from an unknown source was followed up by the destructive vibrations of an earth quake.  The front entrance to the museum as well as Ink's gate were shattered to bits as a violent techno bass caused every pony in the building to collapse to the ground and cover their ears.  Ink Chrome and Radiance looked up to see a technologically tricked-out pony with flamboyant gold glasses and a black face mask emerge from the hole.  Escorting what appeared to be a white unicorn cloaked in darkness itself.

The technological terror of a pony slowly advanced towards Ink Chrome.  His metallic computerized cyber boots created loud blasts of bass with every step he took.  “While you all may see a demon, we see a true artist.  One who has had to struggle to make it by, only to be renounced by a goddess of lies and her blind worshipers.”  The technicolor techno extended a hoof to the disgruntled pony who eagerly grasped it while attempting to fight back tears.

“Who are you?” She asked her savior.

“Yes.  Who are you?” Echoed Radiance aggressively.

“My name is Thunderstep.” Proclaimed the colt.

“That's an odd name.” Chrome pointed out.

Thunderstep smiled, but his face mask kept his amusement concealed.  “It's not my real name, but that name has long exhausted it's use.”

Chrome nodded.  Something about the raw power of this mare, and the pure intimidation of his shadowy friend sparked new life into the mare.  Her rage and madness were washed over with resolve, and a goal.  “Then so has mine!” She announced.  “From this day forth I am Ma..am..En...en...”

“Twilight, how do you pronounce these words?”  Spike held up the comic to her friend who was becoming increasingly annoyed with the dragon's unending narration of the comic.

“Encre. Spike.  Madam Encre.”

“En...cre?” Spike's cluelessness was overwhelmingly apparent.

“It's from an old language ponies from the Crystal Empire use to use.”  She explained.

“Ooooh.”  Spike took another look at the name then looked back up at Twilight.

“So what does it mean?”  He asked her.

Twilight groaned and tossed the dragon a book of ancient language translations.

“It means Lady of Ink.”  She huffed.