Chapters A filly, that was close to marehood, was counting with her hooves over her eyes.
She was dark gray unicorn with cheerful red eyes. Her dark violet mane was slightly curly with a streak of white and flowed next to her right side of her face. Upon her flank was a four-pointed, white star that had a triangular shadow shooting down to the right.
This filly was Shadow Shine.
"37," she said. "38... 39..." She uncovered her closed eyes and took in a deep breath to scream: "40!" She opened her eyes. "Ready or not, sister, here I come!"
Shadow Shine began galloping down a hallway of the gray, crystal castle she lived in. She giggled.
"I'm going to find you, sister," she declared cheerfully.
Shadow Shine stopped when she reached a door. She activated her magic and sloowly opened the door.
"Buck," she cursed. "Sister isn't here..." Behind the door was an empty closet that had a crying mare in it.
Shadow Shine closed the door and trotted away, ignoring the pleading cries from the mare to come back.
"Sister," she whispered angrily to herself, "where the buck are you?"
*Pwu-ooooOoOOOOOM...*
"Huh?" Shadow Shine stared out a nearby window. "What's that noi-"
*THOOM*
Shadow Shine continued staring out the window, which now showed a barrage of every color imaginable. Two silhouettes flapped their wings in the air...
Shadow Shine gasped.
... The silhouettes had horns as well.
"B-but," she stammered, "that's impossible." She sat down on floor, still gawking at the winged and horned silhouettes. "Daddy said there are no more alicorns."
Now here comes the sad part.
Then, she heard screaming...
Screaming that belonged to her father.
A shadowy blob that sounded like her father and resembled her father zoomed through the air, and the blob was sent down an ice chasm that sides slammed together, encasing the shadow.
"No," she whispered. She looked away from the window. Tears began to build up at the bottom of her eyelids. Her lower lip quivered. "No... No, no, no, NO!!"
She shook as she cried. Her face was towards the floor, and tears fell freely.
Shadow Shine's ears twitched. "Sister," a voice said, "we believe we hear crying in that direction. Shall thou or we look for its owner?"
"Yes," another voice said. "Thou may go look for its owner. We shall try to soothe this young one, here."
Silence reigned for about two seconds...
Sweet Celestia. Twilight is giving me the Death Stare.
... Silence reigned for 2.3 seconds before Shadow Shine leapt into action. She charged her horn and cast the "Position Changer" spell.
Instantaneously, Shadow Shine appeared in the castle's throne. She wobbled dizzily and fumbled with her hooves.
"Stupid advanced spell," she muttered.
She felt a hoof grasp her left shoulder. She whirled around and saw her mother.
Her mother was an amethyst purple earth pony mare with an lapis luzuli mane and tail. Her eyes were a darker purple. Her body was crystalized.
"Shadow Shine," she whispered fearfully. "You must hide. Go to the dungeons until you can only sense me within the castle or..." Her mother choked a bit from sadness. "... or until you can't sense anyone." Tears fell from her mother's eyes.
Hoof-steps could be heard... and they were getting louder.
"Go," her whispered with her eyes quivering. "Go now!"
Shadow Shine cast the spell again, but she appeared in the dungeon hall this time.
She sat down and curled her tail around her hooves. Then she thought, "Now to wait for only Mommy's to be present..." She felt tears well up in her eyes again. "...Or until I feel nopony to be present."
She put her head between her hooves and cried.
:×××××:
Shadow Shine clutched the window's metal bars. She was trying to see what was happening outside.
Mommy and Daddy's 'Snow-Shield,' as she liked to call it, was being over-layered by what felt like an invisible spell.
She almost let go of the metal bars at the next thing she saw.
Two winged and horn creatures, one with light colors of white and a mane and tail of pink, green, blue, and indigo, and the other with dark colors of dark blue and a mane and tail of a slightly blue with sparkles, were speeding with their wings to the sky to escape the spell shields.
But what surprised Shadow Shine the most was what the lighter one was holding. A lavender, unicorn filly with a navy blue mane and tail, each with a pink and purple streak.
Her sister.
That's when she realized she couldn't feel her mother's presence.
She let go of the metal bars and let gravity pull her down to the floor.
"I'm," she told herself. "... I'm all alone..."
She whirled away from the wall and bucked it.
She bucked it over, and over, and over, screaming and crying, "Stupid, bucking world! Why bucking me!?" The wall earned a dent.
"What did I do!?" Another dent. This time, deeper.
"Why did you take away my father!?" Deeper.
"Why did you take away my mother!?" Deeper.
She panted.
"WHY DID YOU TAKE AWAY MY SISTER???!!!?" The wall shattered as her hooves slammed against it.
Shadow Shine collapsed and wept.
"Why?..." She sniffled. "Why did you take my Sparkle?"
She looked up at the ceiling. Her eyes were red and brimmed with tears; her cheeks were caked with dry tears.
She then whispered, "Why did you take my Twilight Sparkle?"
"Child," a male voice asked, reverberating around the unlocked cell, "why are you crying?"
Shadow Shine's ears twitched, and her eyes widen. "Daddy?"
"Yes, little Shadow," Sombra's voice replied lovingly. "Now, tell me your troubles, child."
Shadow Shine burst into tears and blubbered out, "Oh, it's just tragic! You and Mommy are gone! And, and... And two alicorns took away Twilight! So now I'm all alone!"
"Shadow Shine," Sombra said somewhat fiercely, "look at me..."
Shadow Shine looked at one of the two remaining walls, that Sombra's voice sounded the most powerful from.
Her shadow was now the shape of what Sombra would be facing forward. However, where his eyes would be were red shaped eyes with purple energy wafting out. The eyes looked concerned.
"... Don't cry. Things will get better."
Shadow Shine sniffled. She asked, "Shadow Promise?"
"Fill my heart, with shadows," Sombra chanted, "may my eyes, be your windows."
Shadow Shine smiled. She put her hoof on the shadow. "Thank you, Daddy."
She laid her head against the shadow, that somehow felt warm and had a heartbeat, and she fell asleep.
1: 1000 years feels like a day...
Shadow Shine groggily woke up. She shivered and groaned.
"Wake up, Shadow Shine," a familiar voice said.
She replied with a moan.
"Shine," the voice said sternly, "you need to wake up. I need your help."
"Wha-at," she whined.
"Firstly, that's no way to speak to your father," Sombra said. "And secondly, I need your help to curse the Empire, so I can return to the throne!"
"Ughh," Shadow Shine responded. "Fine..."
She got up and rubbed her eyes. She was still in the unlocked cell, and she felt really sore. She stretched out her legs. Several pops later, and she was shaking out her mane and tail.
"Huh," Shadow Shine thought out loud. "That spell must have been pretty weak if your back after one, measly night!"
"Actually, it's been 1000 years... Strange how time flies," Sombra droned.
"It's," Shadow Shine stumbled with her words. "It's been how many years?" She gulped. Her knees began to lightly knock against each other.
"1000 years," Sombra said. "Why are you surprised?"
"Why am I," Shadow Shine began. "Why am I surprised?! You acting totally calm about this!"
"Well, I put an immortal spell on you and cast several sleep spells, which eventually added up to a year. Any questions?" Sombra's eye shadows gazed at her with a concerned look.
Shadow Shine shook her head. "No. I think I understand."
"Good," Sombra said somewhat cheerfully. "Now, go up to the throne room. I'll meet you there." Then his eye shadows disappeared, and his shadow was replaced by Shadow Shine's.
She sighed. "Best get trotting, Shine," she muttered to herself.
:×××××:
Shadow Shine arrived in the throne, only to notice her shadow change again to her father's.
"Grand! You're here," he announced. "Now, it's very simple what you must do. You need to cast a Li-"
He stopped abrubtly. Shadow Shine heard him sniff a few times.
"Why," he said. "How..? Why am I sensing Dark Magic?"
Shadow Shine's ears flicked about.
"Whoa," they heard a young, male voice say. "When did you learn to that?"
"That was a little trick Celestia taught me," a female voice replied. "You stay here."
"Huh," the male voice said, relieved. "If you insist."
That's when Shadow Shine got a bit confused. A lavender mare with a navy blue mane and tail with a streak of pink and violet trotted out of nowhere and down the steps.
Shadow Shine gasped. "Sister..."
She began to gallop at full speed towards the steps. She skidded when she reached the base, and then she began to rush down the stairs.
:×××××:
Up ahead, Twilight Sparkle froze. Her ears twitched and flicked about. "Spike," she said, "did you follow me?"
Spike, the male voice Shadow Shine and Sombra had heard, replied with, "Twilight, I'm still up here. What are you talking about?"
Slowly, Twilight turned around and saw a gray, unicorn mare with a dark purple and white mane and tail. Her vivid red eyes were brimmed with tears. A sad smile rested on her face.
"Oh, sister," the strange mare said edging towards Twilight. "Is it really you, Twilight?"
"What," Twilight whispered. "H-how do you know my name?"
Shadow Shine's smile turned into a frown. Tears began rushing down her face. "You," she muttered. "You don't remember me? B-but... but your my sister, and sisters remember everything about each other..." Shadow Shine sniffled.
Suddenly, Twilight Sparkle received a headache. She collapsed into a kneeling position with one foreleg on her head.
"Tw-Twilight," Shadow Shine screamed nervously, "are you okay?!"
Twilight groaned. "I'll be okay..." She looked up into Shadow Shine's eyes.
"... Shadow Shine, my sister..."
:×××××:
"She," Shadow Shine muttered while gazing at the unconscious mare. "She remembered my name..."
She threw her forelegs into the air. "Woo-hooo!! She remembered!"
"Um," the male voice from before said. "Excuse me, but..."
Shadow Shine turned around and saw a purple and green, baby dragon.
"... who are you," he asked.
She posed in a regal manner. "I am Princess Shadow Shine, first born of King Sombra and Queen Lapis Lily." She stopped moving and put on a face of genuine curiosity. "What's your name? Are you the only dragon that cares for ponies? Why don't you have wings?"
"Um... Well, my name is Spike, Twilight Sparkle's-" He pointed at Twilight. "-number-one assistant. Uh, I don't know for certain if I'm the only dragon that cares for ponies, but I might be. And I have no clue why I don't have wings."
"Wow," Shadow Shine breathed. "That's amazing. Daddy always told Twili- I mean, my sister and I that dragons were monsters that destroyed everything they saw, including all the alicorns! But then, these two alicorns appeared and killed my Mommy and trapped my Daddy and stole my sister." Shadow Shine blinked, unfazed at what she said.
Spike blinked, trying to take in what Shadow Shine had just said. "D'uhh..."
"I know! Those two alicorns are jerks! You think that ponies would think before they did stuff!"
Spike just nodded dumbly, still putting the pieces together of what she said her life was.
"You know," Shadow Shine continuing her babble, "you're a really good listener. I bet you help Twilight a lot! After all, you have to tell someone your thoughts and feelings. I bet she shares some secrets with you to release those thoughts and feelings..."
Spike finally figured out what she had said before.
"So," he began, "your dad is King Sombra?"
"Yes? You just figured that out?"
"Yes? You just figured that out," Shadow Shine asked.
Spike blinked. "Um, yeah. It's been a wacky day."
Shadow Shine scrunched up her muzzle. "What is this term's, 'wacky,' meaning? I have never heard of it."
"Um," muttered Spike, feeling embarrassed for the mare. "Crazy, strange, peculiar..." He shrugged his shoulders. "... wacky."
"Oh..." She stared at the stair she stood on in thought. "So..." She looked up and narrowed her eyes. "... are you saying my father is wacky? You shall pay for such an insult, peasant!!!"
She tackled him, only to have Spike dodge it.
"Nice try, Princess," he said mockingly. "But I play Hoofball with Big Mac. You're not gonna hurt me." The young dragon smirked at the gray mare who had froze up.
"What is 'Hoofball?'"
Spike narrowed hid eyes. "Have you been living under a rock?"
A soft groan was heard. "No, Spike. Shiny hasn't been living under a rock."
"Twilight!" Spike ran down to her and hugged her. "You're okay!"
Twilight nuzzled him and returned the hug. "Of course I am, Spike."
"Hey, Twilight? Why did you just call this mare Shining Armor's nickname?'
Twilight winced as Shadow Shine began zoning out. "Spike. Shiny was Shadow Shine's nickname first."
"Why do you have a brother," Shadow Shine asked while whispering. "Am... Am I not a good enough sibling..?" Suddenly, rage flickered in her eyes. "You're... You're trying to replace your own sister!? How dare you!!! "
Twilight was taken aback. Her eyes widened. "No, no, no, no! I... I would never! Or at least, now that I have my memories back..."
That's when something sparked in Twilight's eyes. She gasped. "The Princess... Princess Celestia has been lying to me!?"
Twilight's eyes warped red. Her coat paled to a brilliant white. Flames licked her mane and tail.
She began to hover in the air. She closed her eyes, but when she opened, all one could see was darkness.
Darkness... That was the only thing Twilight could see at the moment: darkness.
"H-hello? Where am I," she inquired.
A boisterous, female chuckle was heard.
Twilight obtained a fierce expression and charged her horn. "Show yourself," she growled.
Suddenly, a form of a tall mare came into being within the darkness. She was purple eyeliner and silver armor. Black, regal, feathered wings stood erect on her shoulders. Her mane and tail seemed to be made up of the stars themselves. A majestic horn jutted out of her forehead. She opened up her previously closed eyes, revealing aqua, draconic orbs. She smiled at the lavender unicorn, forcing the inevitable appearance of her sharp teeth.
Twilight's ears wilted as she concluded who the alicorn before her was.
"Hello, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare Moon said courteously with a nod.
Twilight began to scream.
Spike rubbed his eyes and opened them. Everything was dark, but there was a gray and purple blur in front of him.
The blur slowly warped into Shadow Shine who was staring at Spike with her big, concerned eyes.
"Are you okay," she asked.
Spike nodded and rubbed his eyes again.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Spike stopped, opened his eyes, and raised an eyebrow. "You could be stuck here forever if you fall asleep.
All grogginess left Spike as Shadow Shine's horn lit up.
"There. I casted a Wake Spell on you." Her horn magicked a light.
"Where are we," Spike asked.
"We're in space."
"What!?"
"What? You've never been in space before?" She looked utterly bewildered.
"No! Do you come up here often, or something?!"
"Yeah. Daddy would bring us up here all the time for magic lessons so we didn't accidentally kill somepony."
Spike gawked at the gray mare. "K-kill?!"
"Ugh. Would you stop screaming? Faust Almighty..."
"Hahaha..." Spike wiped a tear. "Oh, that's good! Nopony says 'Faust' anymore, Shadow."
"Really? How do they express unexpressable emotions then?"
"Sweet Celestia, Sweet Luna, Sweet Mother of Celestia... Lot of Celestia related stuff."
"That sounds... 'wacky' to me."
"Shadow Shine... You're wacky."
"Whatever... Let's go back."
She charged her horn, and Shadow Shine and Spike disappeared with a magical 'pop.'
Shadow Shine gazed at the sight before her.
She had taken Spike and a very quiet Twilight Sparkle to the Crystal Heart.
"Okay. Here it is. Ready, Twilight," Shadow Shine asked.
Twilight cocked her head. "For what?"
"To purify Daddy, of course! The only reason he turned 'evil' is because he didn't get his yearly purification! Now help me power up the Heart."
"He needs to be purified?"
Shadow Shine facehoofed. "Stupid Amnesia Spell... Look, I'm going to teach you a spell that you'll need to use on the Heart, okay?'
"Um, okay..."
One rushed lesson later, Twilight Sparkle and Shadow Shine were performing a spell on the Crystal Heart.
The Heart began to twirl and spin and radiate with power. Turquoise sparks flew off of it. It began to hum with energy.
A drop of sweat ran down Twilight's muzzle. She scrunched her eyes concentration.
Then, the Crysatl Heart had a orb of energy surround. The orb began to grow... fast.
Twilight and Shadow owned their eyes simultaneously. Their eyes were white with magic.
Finally, the orb of energy covered the Crystal Empire and exploded.