Shades

   Cortina giggled. She had learned how to craft things with crystals. She loved making things out of crystals. She created a small clasp, studded with black crystals for her cape, as well as twin swords, one white and one black. She was now six, with some vocabulary as well as some other things. Her magical talent had expanded. She just loved making crystal things. Every year, her father would come and expand her cave, and bring her gifts. He would also visit her once a month to spend the day with her. He gave her a new cloak, as her first one was too small. It was silk this time, with a golden clasp, also studded with black crystals. She created her own items. Now it was time for her to do something she was finally ready to do. She was going to go outside.

   The stairs that led to the open world were tall, too tall for a filly. She also noticed that Father used his magic to reach the top. Because she was young, she had no idea how to teleport. Maybe I can just... Change the shapes of the steps, the way Father taught me, even though that was with making items out of crystals... The unicorn filly aimed her horn at the steps and tried channeling her magic through her horn. She scrunched up her eyes and focused her magic. Unfortunately, she was unable to do anything. Then she had another thought. Dark magic... Isn't that what Father called it? It was green, purple, and black. My magic is blue, though. Or is that a different kind of magic? Cortina focused again, eyes closed in concentration. She focused, trying to channel darkness through her horn instead. It gave her an... Uncomfortable feeling. Then it came, surging through her horn. Purple mist seeped through her closed eyes, and the uncomfortable feeling grew stronger. Beads of sweat trickled down her face. Then she opened her eyes.

   The staircase had black crystal railings up to the top, and the stairs had changed shape, glittering black up to the top. She stepped out, and experienced a bright flash. She looked up to see lightning flashing across the sky. Then, halfway down, the lightning became cotton candy and smothered a changeling who was flying by. That must have been with the new rulers of Equestria. Father was one of them. The others were apparently called Discord, Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon, and Tirek. The old rulers, three alicorns, as Father called them, were named Cadence, Celestia, and Luna, who became Nightmare Moon. Then several ponies, of mixed races, saw her walking around. They wore armor bearing blue stars on the front. They must've been supporters of the former rulers, and when they saw the filly prancing in the heart of the Forest, they surrounded her.

   "Halt!" the leader said. "This is the Everfree Forest! Get back to your family before we make you! This is wild territory! Nopony goes here!" Cortina smiled. She seemed to grow just an inch taller, "Is that so?" She lit up her horn with dark magic, and a black crystal grew at her hooves, lifting her up even further. Her twin blades appeared behind her. Cortina's cloak billowed behind her. "Then you shouldn't be here either."

    She leaped off her crystal, and used more dark magic to sprout black wings of pure shadow. She landed in front of the first guard, her twin swords piercing his armor. They turned, at an angle, so a crack could be heard. The white sword slid out, piercing the armor on his chest. Then the two blades flew foreward, ramming the guard into a tree, and also piercing further into his armor, although no blood was seen, blocked by the armor. The blades bubbled black, and dissapeared, reappearing behind another guard, ramming him into the ground by his neck. A sickening crack was heard, and the remaining four guards stepped back, frightened by the filly and what she just did. Then both blades pierced two guards. Their backs collided as the swords slid through and out, coming out perfectly clean. The next guard was the leader. She summoned small black crystal shards that pierced his coat and the flew over, pinning him to the tree. Another crystal was levitated down his throat. She used dark magic, and a bolt hit the base of his horn, slicing it clean off. The lead guard must've tried to scream, because he was struggling quite a bit. The remaining guard had no wings or a horn. She sliced off his armor. The dead five guards all became trapped within tendrils of shadow, which contracted and vanished, taking all signs of a struggle with it. She then allowed her magic to dissipate. She smiled, before it turned into a frightening expression, full of hate and evil. Her horn lit up, and she allowed her magic to flow through this time. She picked up a spear that did not vanish, and the floating spear flashed across. An X covered his cutie mark, and he screamed. It was bleeding, running down his white flank. "Blank-flank!" Now she took the spear and carved a circle around the mark, and ripped it off. The guard was probably in excruciating pain, especially when the cold air came in contact with the muscle. Then she took another Crystal, and stabbed his esophagus.

   Once again the guard screamed, but only blood came out. Cortina enjoyed this. Then she allowed tendrils of shadow to trap the guard, before covering him entirely. It sank into the ground, leaving nothing there. The spear vanished as well. Not noticing it, her pink coat had darkened a little, becoming a little more dull as well. Her blue eye had darkened slightly too. A flash came from under her cloak, and her magic wings dissipated. She looked and saw her cutie mark: a white crystal sword, the left side red, with a background of black shadows. She smiled. Now all she had to do was find her father...

   Cortina smiled, and now attempted a teleportation spell. She felt a tingling. Then she  vanished in blue light, and reappeared. She was out of the forest. She saw the gleam of what was probably the fires of some kingdom in what she guessed was the north. The Crystal Empire was in the north. Using dark magic, she sprouted wings of shadow again and flew foreward as fast as she could. When she reached it, she landed, and her wings dissipated. Cortina threw aside some foolish ponies and marched up to the entrance. She smiled, and saw the King. He turned, and she spoke, "Hello, Father."