Ray of Dawnby RayDawnChaptersChapter 1: Thoughts that are not my own.Chapter 2: Canterlot HighChapter 3: A New TaskChapter 4: RevelationsChapter 5: The Chapter Where Stuff Goes Down...Chapter 6: Rising Shadows and Rising LightsEpiloguePrologue: Aqua BlazeChapter 1: Thoughts that are not my own. Years Later I just got evicted....again. I lost my job recently. I'm no good at anything...as evident by my bare flank. In my depressed state I looked at the mirror and then my flank. I see my sister's scarf and shed a tear as I hug the scarf "I miss you...Aqua." Years have passed and I spent all those years with my muzzle in a book. I go back to my place, gather my books, and trot to the homeless shelter. I sigh as I see Fluttershy "Hey RayDawn! Are you here to volunteer?" "Yes." I lie. "Great! You volunteer a lot! Even more than me! You are so kind!" She smiles as she says, giddy. "I know." Every time I come to get shelter I volunteer as to not get suspicion from Fluttershy. It would pain me to hurt someone so kind. Fluttershy continues her work and leaves. I complete my work at the end of the day and get my room. I fall asleep and I dream of my family. I see my mother, I had seen pictures of her, and of my sister. One thing I could not explain was that all of the shadows were moving. I shrug it off and continue through my dream. I have dinner with my would-be family, but as I reach for my glass my family looks at me with green glowing eyes with red pupils. "What's going on!" I shout as my sister grabs my neck and squeezes. "You are why I died!" She screams. "What!?" I raise my eyebrow as she lets go. "I died looking for you! And when I found you he found me. He killed me from my mind and raided my thoughts to find you! Now he has found his low-life, blank flank son!" "What are you talking about?!" I ask. "You'll find out soon enough!" She says this and drops to the floor. "Are you okay!?!?" I walk closer as a dark shadow engulfs me. "You will be my minion. FOREVER!" The shadow invades my mind and clouds my thoughts. "Now to find Twilight Sparkle!" The shadow says with my voice. Months after The Changing I have gained better control of myself now, but dark thoughts still cloud me. I have own place again, but I refuse to spend too much time outside. I'm too afraid of this shadow to talk to other ponies. It would make me do something. The voice has been quiet, but I guess this is to save his strength to take me over for once and for all. I only go to the market rarely and have moved from ponyville. Far from ponyville. I live in a small village now. I eat my daisies, thinking of my friend Fluttershy. I miss her. She was so much like my sister, who I had only recently stopped grieving for. I think of my old "home" and shed a tear. "Who would've thought you would've been so much of a softie!" The voice said. "You are such a disgrace! The time for action is at hand! Let me control us and everyone will bow to us!" "Never! I will never let you control me! Begone!" "I will never leave! You are my minion and you will do my bidding, SLAVE!" He then takes over and I blackout. The Voice's perspective "Yes! I never thought that brat could keep me at bay for months! He must be strong...at his age I was but a weak sorcerer. He is truly dangerous. But now I must get to that accursed new princess! And that dragon too!" I trot through the town while wearing my son's cape and hat. Most probably to hide his horn and his flank "what a disgrace!" I, or rather, we say. "Now to Ponyville!" Chapter 2: Canterlot High Voice's perspective We trot to Ponyville and immediately spot a yellow pegasus with pink hair. "Hey RayDawn! I've missed you so much! How are you?" She says. "Hi there...." We scan our memories "...Flutter..shy. " "Are you okay?" She looks worried. "Huh...Oh! Yeah, I'm fine." We struggle to catch our words. Apparently RayDawn still has something left in him. "Just tired." I lie, faking fatigue. "Oh. Do you have anywhere to stay?" She asks. "I wouldn't want you to be homeless on your visit." Her eyes showing worry. "I don't have anywhere to stay..." RayDawn blurts while looking down in embarrassment. How is he resisting! Gah! "Oh. You can stay with me and my friends if you want." Her eyes have this look in them. Is it pity? We think. "If you insist, I'll only be here for a short while." We say in unison, but meaning two completely different things. "Yay." She whisper cheers. "We'll be at Twilight's castle having a sleep over." "Sounds like a plan." We say. If I can get them away from twilight I can- Don't you dare foul monster!" RayDawn intervenes. "Follow me." Fluttershy says. "Do you know every pony?" "No." I say lying. "We need you to meet them, then." She says. She leads me to a farm of apples and I see a light orange pony with blonde hair, orange pegasus with purple hair, green pony with red hair and a bow, and a white unicorn with mostly pink hair. "Girls, now was did ah tell ya?!" "To leave the bats on the other side of the farm alone." The fillies say in unison. "And wad ya do?" The earth pony said. "We bothered the bats." They said in unison. "Hey, Applejack. This is RayDawn." Fluttershy points to us. "Well howdy pardner!" She says. "Hi Applejack! Who are those three?" I ask pointing to the fillies. "Why that's Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and mah sister Applebloom. They are the Cutie Mark Crusaders." "Hi there!" Sweetie Belle says. "Nice ta meet ya!" Applebloom says. "Hey." Greets Scootaloo. "It is nice to see such a young group of friends." I say. "Well...I guess. Didn't you have friends when you grew up?" Sweetie Belle says. "At the orphanage, I used to stick to myself and my sister." RayDawn says. "But one day she got adopted and I never saw her again...Until her funeral. I never got adopted and eventually I got kicked out when I turned full grown, but my studies of magic kept me going." "That's so sad..." Fluttershy says with a tear in her eye. "That was not what I expected." Applejack says. "ah just met ya, but you seemed so happy." "I am." We say through gritted teeth "Well we got to go meet pinkie and the others. Bye Applejack!" Fluttershy says. "He seems nice." Applejack says. "Is all that you said true?" Fluttershy asks as we trot to sugar cube corner. "Yes. All of it." RayDawn says. We continue trotting and we reach Sugar Cube Corner. "There's Rarity and Pinkie Pie." Fluttershy says as she points out two ponies talking and we could have guessed who Pinkie was. "Hey Fluttershy-" Pinkie gasps "Ohmygoshanewpony!" "He is RayDawn. He is one of my friends who will join us at the slumber party. Before you say anything, he will sleep in a different room than us." Flutters says. "Why your hat is divine! I see you have good tastes! We will definitively get along." Rarity says. "What a warm welcome. Thanks." RayDawn says. What an imbecile! "You are welcome! We will throw a party for you later. Bye!" Pinkie says quickly. "Bye!" I say. "Time to meet one of my oldest friends: Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy says. We trot to Rainbow Dash's house and we see it is suspended in mid-air. "Who's the new colt?" The rainbow haired pegasus says. "You must be Rainbow Dash." We say. "You must've heard about me cause I'm so awesome, right?" Rainbow Dash says. "Not exactly. I heard about you from Flutters." We say. This is so boring! I'm going to rest! RayDawn's Perspective Finally! Free of him! "Twilight's slumber party will start soon! C'mon!" Rainbow then grabs us and races us to Twilight's castle. We arrive and see Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity. "You must be RayDawn! I'm-" I cut twilight off mid-sentence. "Twilight Sparkle. No intro needed." I say. "The party will be over here! Spike!!" Twilight shouts. A little dragon comes from another room and appears next to twilight. "Yes. Twili-" spike cuts off as he sees me. "Are you okay?" Twilight asks spike. "You look like...like...Sombra..." Spike whispers the last part. "What?" Twilight asks. "Nothing! Nothing at all." Spike seems jumpy as he says this. "Okay then....let's go..." Twilight says. We go through the castle and reach a giant room. "You'll bunk with Spike." Twilight says. We start the party. We play some games and I braid Fluttershy's hair like I did to my sister. "Hey, RayDawn! Do you want to hear the story of my first rain boom!" Rainbow says. "Sure." I say. Rainbow then provides to tell me how they all got their cutie marks from her awesomeness. "How did you get yours?" She points at my cape. "Oh...uh...you see...I..." I stutter. "Spit it out." Rainbow says. "I can show you instead..." I take off my cape and look down in defeat. Everyone gasps "This is really rare!" Says Twilight. "Most ponies get their cutie marks really early on in development. Strange." "It means there is something wrong with me." I says. "Darling....Twilight didn't mean it like that..." Rarity says. She says this and I trot in defeat to Spike's room. "Gah!" Spike exclaims. "Hey." I skulk around. "Come here." Spike says. "Why? Do you need a failure?" "This is yours." Spike pulls out a gray rock sphere with a gray gem. "What is it?" "This is the last Element of Harmony. It was always in stone and no one could use it. Celestial told me to give this to a gray pony with a dark blue mane." He explains. "How do you know you are supposed to give this to me?" I ask. "Because Celestial told me to wait for a pony who's flank was bare and that this pony would look like Sombra." "But what element is it?" "Nopony knows. You must activate it's special trait." He says. "Alright. I will keep this then. By the way, who is King Sombra?" "He was a bad pony who enslaved the Crystal Empire!" "Strange...Goodnight Spike." I say. "Bye RayDawn." Middle of the night: Voice's Perspective Now that everypony is asleep I can act my revenge! I move my son's body around and get to Twilight's room. I get our horn ready, but RayDawn wakes up and starts struggling "Get out!" He says. How dare you defy me! (Sombra) I dare doing this because you want to harm my friends! (RayDawn) "You would throw yourself away for your friends?!" He says. "Yes I would!" Just then the rock we were holding breaks apart into a silver and black gem. The black part glows faintly... RayDawn's Perspective "My element is...self...sacrifice..." I say. I toss myself into the nearest room and start struggling again. "I will make you my slave like I did to the crystal ponies!" The voice says. "No way. You're Sombra...and my dad!" I say in shock. "Yes I am Sombra and you will never beat me, RayDawn!" He shouts. "I don't need to beat you! I just need to stop you!" I say this and launch a beam of light at us. It sends us spiralling into a mirror nearby. I brace for impact, but everything goes black instead. ... We are greeted by a sign as we wake up and it read: Canterlot High School Chapter 3: A New Task RayDawn's Perspective I read the sign, but get an excruciatingly painful headache that makes me spaz out on the floor "AHHHHHHHHH!!! Make it stop!!!" I shout. The tearing pain ripping through my mind... I am finally relieved of this pain after what feels like hours, but my head feels empty....Strange...Why is there an absce- I am pulled from my trance by a two legged creature "Are you Oka-" I cut off the flame haired being. "What in celestia's name are you? Wha..." I look at where my hooves should be "Where are my hooves!? Why is my muzzle so small!?" I freak out. "Are you from Equestria?!" She asks in disbelief. "Yes, but what happened to me?" I ask. "First, relax. Now, my name is Sunset Shimmer. What is yours?" She says. "I am RayDawn. Answer me, please." I plead. "Okay then. You fell through a mirror and it teleported you to here. You can just go back to Equestria by going through that portal. Let me help you get up." I get up with her help and she leads me back to the portal. She reaches out a hand to the portal, but nothing happens "WHAT?!" She shouts. "Was something supposed to happen?" I ask. "Why didn't the portal work? I need to ask Twilight." She says. "Wait a minute! How do you know Twilight?" I ask. "Oh right! Well in this realm everyone has a doppelganger." She says. "Does this mean I could meet me? Or...my...family...again?" I ask, but say the last part as a whisper to myself. "Yes, you could, but I have never seen you before. Finding yourself isn't very likely." She says. Maybe this means I can't find my family either... I almost tear up when I say this I really miss them...well most of them... "Are you okay? You look as if you are going to break down." Sunset says. "I think so, but I-" The headache comes back and sends me to my knees. "Make it stop!" I shout. "What happening?!" She asks with pure terror on her face. "I don't know!" I hear doors slam open and a group of people come out. "Sunset! I thought you were just going out for a breath of fresh-who's he?" Says a pink being. "I'm not sure, Pinkie." Sunset says. "But he came from Equestria and now the portal's closed." "So he can't get back home?" Says a being with yellow skin and pink hair, who said this so low it barely was audible. "Apparently, Fluttershy." Says Sunset. Then, it hit me. I say all of their names "Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie..." just then, a purple girl passes through the doors. "And Twilight Sparkle!" "You're good! Now, what does Pinkie stand for?" Pinkie asks me. "I really can't even begin to guess..." "It's Pinkamena." "Wait! How did you know I was from Equestria?" I ask Sunset. "Easy. You were freaking out about not having you're pony parts. Also, I am from Equestria too. One more thing through...You are a human now." Sunset says. "What do I do now? I don't have a family, place to stay, or bits." I say. I look at the group of girls and they look at me with confusion. "Well...you could stay with me." Fluttershy blushes while saying this. "I wouldn't mind..." "Thanks for the offer, but I am a stalli-dude and it would be wrong. So I will find my own place to live." I say. There is bound to be a homeless shelter around here and if I can't find one, then I am screwed. It is winter after all, but it isn't snowing, at least. "Are ya sure that's ah good idea?" Says Applejack. "Yes." I say. Last time I accepted your help I-he-almost killed you guys. "If you really think you're okay...Bye!" Pinkie says. With that the girls leave. I walk into the city and go job searching. Without my horn, this will be a hard day. I search all day for a job and it starts snowing. "Looks like i am going to have to sleep in an alley...again." I find a box and position it so I could sleep inside it...mostly. I wish I accepted those girls' help, but I would've put them in danger from Sombra...WAIT! HE'S BEEN SILENT THIS ENTIRE TIME! In that moment I realized that Sombra was missing. "He's not with me! Equestria could be in danger! My friends are in danger! I need to warn them!" I get up and rip the box in half as I do so. "Great..." "Stop right there! Do not turn around!" Says a feminine voice. I turn around and look at a hooded person with a contraption in their hand. "Stop! Give me your money and I won't shoot!" "I don't have any money to give." I say. "Stop lying to me!" "Not lying." I say as I cross my arms. "Enough!" She points the contraption to my head, but I grab it with my right arm and she misses. I punch her and she drops the contraption. She runs away and I give chase. She crosses the road. I give chase and almost get ran over. She looks back at me and gloats "See you next time!" I return to my alley and sit in the cold. I start to shiver. Am I going to die here? I succumb to the elements and lay down to die. ... I awake in an astral plane of some kind and am greeted by a mare. "Hello Brother." "Sis?" I ask. "It has been so long! How are you? Wait one second!" I fix myself. "You are dead, so how can I see you? Am I..." My words falter. "No, you are not dead. You are about to be." She says. "Then why am I here?" "To receive a message. Ray...look for yourself and you will find your destiny. Goodbye." "Wait! I have questions I need to-" I am then ripped from the astral plane and tossed back into my own consciousness. ... "Do you think he's alright?" Says a faint voice. "I don't know...I am not too good with this kind of thing." Says a more regal voice. "I really hope he is-look! He is coming to!" Says a voice that I remember. "Sun...set?" I ask as I see all seven girls looking at me. "Where am I?" "Well, ya had us worried." Applejack. "Yeah dude! You could have DIED!" Says Rainbow. "Yeah! After I saw that gun on the floor and you laying down I...I...I thought I lost a friend. So I called the girls and they helped me take you to my place." Said Pinkie Pie. "Thank you, but can you help me one last time?" I say to the girls. "What do you need help with?" Says Rarity. "First I..." I look at my tattered clothes "need new clothes a-" I get cut off. Rarity squeals "I can help with that!" "Did I say something off?" "Nope. Ya just activated Rarity." "What does that me-" I get pulled away by Rarity right before I finish my sentence. We spend the next three hours looking through clothing until I have more than a wardrobe's fill of clothes. "Now, what did you need?" Says Rarity, who has now calmed down. "Well, now I need to find the me of this world." I say. Chapter 4: Revelations Third Person Twilight awoke with her friends around her. Fluttershy had curled herself into a ball, Applejack was sprawled over the floor and so was Rainbow. Twilight looked at Rarity and noticed that she still was as elegant as ever. How does she do it? Twilight thought to herself. Well, I need to get ready for this busy day. Winter was always slower than the other seasons in terms of royal duties, but busy nonetheless. Twilight headed for her bathroom when she heard moans-moans of pain. And then, silence. Twilight rushed to the sound and saw RayDawn muzzle down in the library, with a giant mess all around the library. "What happened?!!?" Twilight shouted. RayDawn did not answer. "RayDawn?" Again, no answer. "You are scaring me!" Twilight was really starting to get worried. And for a third time, silence... "RAYDAWN!!!" Twilight walked fearfully to the body. "This is not a fun game!" Just then Pinkie ran from the bathroom and to the library and saw Twilight checking on RayDawn. "Is he okay?" Pinkie was really worried. Twilight looked at Pinkie with wide eyes and practically non existent irises. She just stood there speechless. Pinkie walked towards RayDawn's body and checked him. She then let out an ear-piercing scream. The rest of the Mane 6 walked in with some guards and saw a traumatized Pinkie, shocked Twilight, and their guest muzzle down on the steps of the portal. One guard spoke up "What has happened?" Twilight looked down at her guest's body. "Check for yourself..." Twilight had no tone and Pinkie was on the floor, shocked. Rainbow Dash, in a false sense of bravery, dashed ahead of the guards and place her ear on the stallion's back. What she heard was the most shocking things she had ever heard. It was nothing. One of the guards checked as well and told the Mane 6, except for Twilight, who left on her own, to leave. "Well, wut happened, y'all?" Applejack said. "Yes darling, what happened?" Said Rarity. "Is RayDawn okay?" Asked Fluttershy. Twilight look at the floor and tears fell. "He's gone..." Twilight spoke in less than a whisper. Pinkamena looked at her friends with her straight pink hair. "He had no heartbeat..." This hit the mares like a pile of bricks. They had just lost a friend. ... RayDawn looked at his new friends. "I really need your help with this." "Well...how do ya even plan tah do that?" Applejack asked. "I don't even know where to begin. Do any of you have an idea?" RayDawn said. Pinkie's hand shot into the air "ooh ooh pick me! I've got an idea!" "Yes, darling?" Rarity asked Pinkie. Pinkie gave her friends a look "Well, everyone goes to the doctor, so why not check the medical files for Ray?" "Isn't that like really illegal?" Fluttershy said. "So?" Rainbow said. "Well, whose coming with us?" "I am." RayDawn said. "I need to know. Anyone else?" "I'll come too." Sunset said. "Alright then, so Me, Ray, Sunny and Rainbow are going? It's settled then! Hey wait! Applejack why aren't you coming?!" "I ain't going cuz I gotta take care of the farm." Applejack said. "It's okay. Take care of your duties first." RayDawn said. "Thanks fer understandin'." Applejack. "We should get some beauty sleep, then." Rarity said. "Goodnight." "Goodnight!" Everyone said in unison. Then the girls all left the room. RayDawn closed his eyes, but could not sleep. He went through this sleepless cycle for what he thought was hours. He looked at the clock near his bed side, but noticed something move in the corner of his eye. "Who's there?!" He spoke to the shadows. "Relax! You are going to wake everyone up!" Rainbow Dash whispered. "Rainbow?" He asked. Rainbow Dash stepped into the moonlight. "Duh. Who else?" "Why are you here?" He said. "We need to break into the hospital remember?" Rainbow said. "How do you even know it would be that hospital? And how do we know how far back to check?" "We don't! But we know that everyone who has gone through the portal has had their counterpart live close, or in, the city." "Good point, but I have a better idea!" He said. "Save that thought until we meet the others, c'mon!" Rainbow leads RayDawn out of the apartment and into the street where Pinkie and Sunset were waiting. Rainbow looks at RayDawn "Now, about your idea..." "My idea is that instead of looking for my most recent checkup, we look for my birthday, then look through my files chronologically, which should give us my address...With any luck." RayDawn said. "Good idea!" Sunset said. "That should be about 20 years ago." He said. "Your twenty?!" Sunset said. "Why is that such a shock." He said. "Well, you look like a teen." Sunset said. "I am going to take that as a compliment...Let's go." He looked towards the city. "Umm...Girls?" The girls look at him. "How are we gonna get in?" "I hadn't even thought of that!!!" Rainbow said with worry in her face. "We could sneak in!" Pinkie said. "Pinkie...it's a hospital. Doctors will be all over the place." Sunset said. "What if one of us causes a distraction?" RayDawn said. "And someone goes in through the confusion!" Pinkie said. "I'll do it. I'm fast, agile enough to get around, and awesome enough to not get caught." Rainbow said. "Pinkie can help you look for the files and so can Sunset." "That could work!" Sunset said. "Nice plan!" "It's cuz I'm awesome." Rainbow said. "Let's put this plan into action!" RayDawn said. The group of girls and RayDawn got into their positions and Rainbow set off a stink bomb in the lobby, making it seen that it was her. The guards chase her as people went into a frenzy and were directed into a reserved emergency area. Nobody noticed the three people going through the front with clothes pins on their noses. They went into the counter and searched the computer files. Luck looked down at them as they went through the files. Pinkie and Sunset stood guard ready to fight. Of course, they were all wearing masks and black burglar suits (Because why not). RayDawn looked through his birthday files and saw something horrific. His mother had a miscarriage and her son died in her arms and out of grief she killed herself with medical equipment. His grave's location was addressed in the file. He wrote down the address of the cemetery and the row and collumn of his grave. RayDawn had to find out if this was true and six feet of dirt was not going to stop him. "Call Rainbow and let's go." He said to Sunset. Sunset gave Rainbow a call as they got into Pinkie's car. Rainbow Dash ran through the door and got into Pinkie's car with the guards far behind. They raced off into the night and saw the guards look around confused as they made their escape. "So...what...did you...find out?" Rainbow said through breaths. "We need some shovels and we need to burn these clothes." RayDawn said. "Awww. These were our old Halloween costumes!" Pinkie cried out. "Also we can go to the hardware store for shovels, but why do we need them?" "Trust me about this..." RayDawn said with no emotion. "Oki dokie loki." They travelled to Pinkie's place, got changed and woke up their friends. RayDawn explained what happened so far, excluding the info he found. "We need 5 shovels, darling." Rarity said to the man at the hardware store. "Umm...O....oka...y." The man was clearly too infatuated by Rarity and dis not notice the strangeness of their request. The seven walked out of the hardware store and loaded the shovels into Pinkie's car. Then they stopped in place and stared at RayDawn. "What?" RayDawn snapped. "Are ya okay?" Applejack asked. "I'm fine! Let's go!" RayDawn snapped with voice raised. "You're starting to scare me..." Fluttershy whispered in fear. "Relax then, let's go!" RayDawn tried to step into Pinkie's car, but was intercepted by Rainbow Dash. "Yo! Do not talk to Flutters like that! That's really uncool!" Rainbow grabbed RayDawn. Quickly, RayDawn got out of the hold. "I'm sorry..." RayDawn looked at the ground and put his hands into his pockets. RayDawn then noticed that he had something smooth in there. "It's okay, but why did you get so angry and why are we going to this place?" Fluttershy said. "When we get there you'll see..." "Ughh! You're being cryptic." Rainbow whined. Then the seven of them got into Pinkie's car. Of course, they were really scrunched up in the back. (If you don't think it's possible, you should see my family outings). The girls and RayDawn finally made it to their destination-Canterlot Cemetery. "Yo, why are we here?" Rainbow asked. "Like I said, you'll see. Pick up a shovel, except Rarity and Fluttershy, you girls will be lookouts." RayDawn said. "I don't like cemeteries." Fluttershy whispered. RayDawn lead them to a grave and sat on his legs before it. "Who's this?" Sunset said. "My mother...she killed herself in this world." RayDawn said as tears streamed down his face. "Why would she do that?" Pinkie said. "What an awful way to go...Did you from this world see it?" Pinkie asked. "No...c'mon. Goodbye mom." RayDawn said that last part to the grave. RayDawn lead the girls to another grave. "And who's is this one?" Sunset asked, again. RayDawn stalled. "Hello...You in there?" Rainbow said. "It's my grave. In this world I died at birth and my mom killed herself afterwards, leaving my sister alone in this world, but this is a parallel of Equestria, so she's probably dead, too." RayDawn said this while his eyes teared up. "Are ya alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "No, I'm not, but I need to see the body, because I need to see it with my own eyes to believe in this. Let's dig." RayDawn looked at the girls. The girls helped RayDawn dig until they hit the casket. RayDawn cracked open the casket and peered inside. Inside was the bones of a baby. RayDawn started bawling and got out of the grave. "It's...t...t...true..." RayDawn eventually stopped and the girls tried to confort him. Fluttershy was the first to hug him and the rest of the girls joined in afterwards. "Your friends are here to help you through this." Fluttershy whispered. "You girls are my friends?" RayDawn was shocked. "Why else would we break into a hospital's files and go grave digging?" Rainbow said. "Thank-" Just as RayDawn said this a shadow came out of the casket and yelled at RayDawn. "I finally found you, RAYDAWN!!!" Sombra shouted. "Oh no! Dad! Ughh...I mean Sombra!" RayDawn said. "Sombra? KING SOMBRA IS YOUR DAD!?" Sunset said. "Who is Knig Sombra? Does this mean RayDawn is a prince?" Pinkie asked. "King Sombra was an evil king who enslaved the crystal empire! And I guess this means RayDawn is a prince? I don't know." Sunset explained. "You can't escape me this time!" Sombra rushed forwards and rammed into RayDawn, causing an orb of darkness to surround him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!??!?!" RayDawn shouted in pain. "Taking back my body. You got it from me and I will take it back!" Sombra said to RayDawn. RayDawn stopped shouting abruptly and the magic orb left. All that was left was a darker gray RayDawn with really dark blue hair with jet black tips. This new RayDawn also had black bat wings, three horns (One big horn, two small ones), and glowing green eyes with red irises and purple smoke coming out of them. "RayDawn?" Sunset asked. "No. Call me DarkDawn!" DarkDawn then flew into the air. "You girls will never get your friend back!" With this DarkDawn went into the floor and converted into shadow, but as he did this a black and silver gem appeared where he left. Sunset walked up and picked up the rock. "What just happened?!" Rainbow said. "RayDawn needs our help!" Sunset said. "How can we even fight that thing?!" Rainbow asked. "All we need is Twilight's help." Sunset said. "Which one?" Pinkie asked. "Both of them. We need to gather up all of our close friends to beat DarkDawn and get RayDawn back." Sunset looked at the gem she picked up. "This might be just what we need to get RayDawn back." Sunset smiled. Chapter 5: The Chapter Where Stuff Goes Down... Twilight and her friends were at RayDawn's funeral. They were all shocked about their friend's untimely death. They were so shocked that Rainbow Dash and Applejack did not go. Rainbow Dash was angry at herself for not being there for her friends. Applejack was shocked, so she decided to go home and bathe herself in her family's love, as she did whenever somepony she knew died. Pinkie, Twilight and Fluttershy were at the funeral. Twilight was lost in her thoughts and Pinkie was trying to distract herself by eating food. Fluttershy was crying, but not for RayDawn's death. She noticed the lack of guests and thought back to what RayDawn said at the slumber party before his death. RayDawn's family is dead. All of them except for his missing father-hopefully. Fluttershy cried not just for RayDawn's solitary death, but for the death of his family. All of them were lost in their own grievances, so they had no time to think as to why or how he had died and they were all way too caught in their trances to notice the tiny crack on the crystal mirror, which had rendered it useless. But most of all, everypony was too caught up in their own experiences that they could not hear the screams of their presumed dead and six-feet underground friend. "HELP MEEE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!! PLEASE, HELP ME! ANYPONY?!" RayDawn had woken up in his casket and began to scream, yell, and cry out to anypony. His throat was parched, but that would never stop him from screaming. The only thing that would stop the screams would be the immeasurable and excruciating pain that would reach RayDawn. He started to have convulsions. He looked at his body below him and his body was starting to disappear and break apart into shadows. "NO! I DON'T WANT TO BECOME ANYTHING EVEN CLOSE TO MY FATHER!" He cried, but his fate was already sealed. RayDawn would become a shadow, like Sombra, and his heart would be corrupted. Eventually he stopped crying and watched his fate surround him. ... Sombra flew through the night, with Pinkie Pie's car chasing him. Drivers were shouting curses at Pinkie and her random ability to speed. As Pinkie was speeding Fluttershy was hugging her knees, Rarity was hugging Applejack in a bear hug, and Rainbow and Sunset were clutching what was nearest to them at that moment, and all through that while Pinkie was smiling. "Cursed girls! That insignificant child has no more dominion in this body!" Sombra whispered. There was no retaliatory remark to his statement, which pleased Sombra. This caused him to stop and celebrate, but then turned around. He noticed the girls' car and flew away at max speed, much to Pinkie's disappointment. "Aww. He got away!" Pinkie whined as her car skidded to a halt, which made the girls all sigh in relief. "Thank god it's over! I think we have done way too much illegal stuff for today." Rainbow Dash said, which shocked, literally, everyone in the car. "Nevah thought y'all would evah say that, Dashie." Applejack said. Sunset recovered herself and looked at her friends. "I don't think we can handle this alone. We need to call in some help from Twilight." The girls all noded in agreement. "Let's head to my place." "I'll drive!" Pinkie said. Upon saying this all of the girls looked at Pinkie and, in unison, yelled "No!" Sunset then said "I'll drive, Pinkie." All of the girls sighed in relief, again. "Fine." Pinkie pouted, which fell upon blind eyes. Sunset and Pinkie switched seats and Sunset drove to her apartment. When they got to her apartment the girls all piled out of the car and Sunset opened up her door. Inside was a very small room with a small bed, a desk with a chair and computer, and a door which led to the bathroom. Rainbow Dash spoke up. "This place is small Sunset. How do you manage?" All the girls looked at Sunset as she grabbed a book out of her mostly concealed closet in the hallway to the bathroom. "I just do. That's strange...Twilight wrote to me already." Sunset's eyes widened. "Well, what did she say, darling?" Rarity said. "It says that recently one of her friends died and that they went to his funeral." Sunset had shock written all over her face. "That's so...sad!" Fluttershy cried. "What was his name?" "His name was...RayDawn." Sunset had a confused look on her face. "How is that even possible?! We have met both versions of RayDawn!" Pinkie said in disbelief. "You know it's bad when Pinkie can't make sense of things, but maybe Twilight can?" Sunset asked the group of girls surrounding her. "It's worth a shot. Get to writing!" Rainbow said while holding a pen to Sunset. Sunset grabbed the pen and proceeded to write in the journal. ... Twilight was mourning in her castle with her friends around her. Everypony was silent, but that silence was broken to the sound of vibrations. "Sunset replied." Twilight spoke like a zombie, in a lifeless manner. "WHAT!?" Twilight's scream startled all of the girls around her, and Spike. "What happened?" Spike said. Spike had walked in to witness her scream. "My friends in Canterlot High just met somepony from Equestria, had an adventure with him where they found his dead human counterpart. Worst fo all, after they found his dead counterpart, he was overtaken by King Sombra and changed into demon!" Twilight had a worried look on her face. "How is this possible? How is there more than two of him in these two worlds. This is confusing! I need to get over there, now!" Twilight looked at her friends. "I think I may need all of your help this time." "Ohmygosh! We can go to the human world?!" Pinkie's hair inflated and curled up. "Yes." Twilight looked at the mares and they all nodded in agreement. They walked to the library and gazed upon the mirror, it's clear and smooth features perfect...except for a small crack. "No no no no NO! I need to tell Sunset." Twilight looked at the mares and said "the mirror is out of order with just this small crack." Of course, this got a reaction of whines and Pinkie's hair slightly deflated. "I need to write this immediately!" ... Sunset and company were driving to Canterlot High School and could see the school as Sunset's journal started to vibrate in her lap. "Twilight replied quickly this time! It must be urgent." Sunset said to the girls. "Uh-oh." Pinkie looked at her direction. "Hey Sunny look! We are here!" Pinkie practically yelled. "The portal's broken." Sunset said looking defeated. Rarity gasped. "Of everything that could've happened, this is the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" Rarity proceeded to faint, which received a look from Applejack. "This ain't no time tah joke!" Applejack said with frustration. Rarity gasped again. "A lady would never joke at a time like-" Rarity was cut off by Rainbow Dash's finger touching her shoulder and the other hand pointing forward. In front of the statue was their friend-gone-possessed-turned-demon, as Pinkie put it. Their friend, or as Sunset saw it, Sombra was standing in front of the statue flapping his bat wings furiously. Now he had black spots all over his gray skin, completely black hair and his clothes were tattered after a recent growth spurt. He was probably slightly under seven feet now. The girls ran up to him. "Stop! Expel yourself from our friend's body!" Rarity shouted. DarkDawn smiled. "This is my body now! Your friend has left this body! My son is probably in Tartarus right now!" Where all shadow ponies go!" Sunset was getting really mad. "What did RayDawn ever do to you?!" Sunset blurted out. "Nothing, but everypony is born to serve me!" DarkDawn's eyes widened with an insane look on his face. Sunset was appalled by this and so were her friends. "We're gonna stop you before you do anymore damage!" Rainbow shouted. "Good luck, but unfortunately I must go. The Crystal Empire awaits it's ruler!" DarkDawn turned around and grabbed at the statue and ripped a hole to Equestria through it. My son was stronger than I thought. Sombra thought to himself. "NO!" Sunset dashed forward and grabbed DarkDawn as he stepped into the portal. "Sunset!!!" Everyone yelled as Sunset fell through the portal, but before she fell through she tossed her journal back to her friends. Hopefully keeping some way to contact them if the worlds were never reconnected. Chapter 6: Rising Shadows and Rising Lights Sunset awoke to a headache. She reached for her temple when she made contact with a horn, with her hoof. Sunset gasped as she remembered what had happened. My friends are on the other side of the portal...but at least they have my journal. Equestria must've changed quite a bit since I left. I've missed this place. Sunset got on her hoofs and trotted around. There's no one here? There's a note here... Sunset walked over to the desk in the library and read the note. Dear Royal Guard, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and I have travelled to the Crystal Empire in hopes of receiving the magical spell for restoring artifacts from StarBurst, the new Crystaller. We will be back on the earliest train tomorrow, so do not worry about us. Stay diligent and brave! I have sent Starlight to the empire ahead of me, so she could send word of my arrival. From, Princess Twilight Sparkle After reading this, Sunset decided she needed to meet her friends there, so she ventured to the train station. On the way to the train station Sunset began thinking to herself. What happened to me? Why do I have a raging headache? I guess it's because of the mirror, but I feel as though I'm forgetting something. Upon reaching the train station, she looked at a mirror and noticed a bump on her head. She then remembered about King Sombra. Oh no! Sombra probably knocked me out and is probably on his way to the Crystal Empire now! I have to warn them! Sunset was fidgeting as she waited for the train, rather impatiently. Hopefully they are okay... ... Sombra got up and looked back at the crack on the mirror. My son must've truly been good at magic if in my weakened state, only armed with his magic, that I will eventually get rid of, that I could single handedly rip a hole through dimensions. Sombra felt an odd feeling in his chest. What is this feeling? Is it... PRIDE? FOR THAT WORTHLESS PONY OF MY SEED! HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE MY POWERS OF SHADOW! I DON'T EVEN THINK HE HAS MY PEOPLE'S BLOOD! WHY WOULD I BE PROUD OF HIM!? Sombra mentally screamed at himself. He would never let his heart have pride for anypony, but himself. Sombra was about to trot out, there was no need to run, but then heard moans coming from a flame haired pony. She groaned and looked at Sombra. "Why are you doing this to your own son?" Sunset asked Sombra. She looked at him, expectant of an answer. She instead received a hoof stomp to the head which knocked her out. "I am doing this because I loved somepony, only to have her taken away from me! BY MY OWN SON!" DarkDawn yelled to the heavens. "I told myself not to love anymore, but I so foolishly did. Now, I am going to take everything FROM HIM! AND FROM THAT BLASTED TWILIGHT SPARKLE AND HER DRAGON FRIEND! THEN, I WILL TAKE BACK THE ONLY THING I HAVE LEFT! THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE!" Sombra started to shake from rage and tried to dissipate into shadows, but could not. "BLASTED CHILD!" Sombra started to walk away from the mare when he noticed a letter on a desk. He read it and smiled devilishly. Foolish Sparkle. You will never be able to beat me in my home, in my castle, and with this new body. This body will survive the Heart's powers, but I will get hurt on the inside. I will most likely just get a headache. Sombra shrugged it off and looked at his black demon wings. Sombra shot through the roof and headed to his new kingdom - to - be, with a smirk on his face. ... "All is set, Princess." Flash Sentry spoke to Princess Cadence. "Is...Twilight on her way here?" Flash blushed. Cadence saw this and chuckled. "Yes, Flash." Cadence stared off into space. "Be safe..." Just then, Starlight arrived into the room. "What is your news?" Cadence was willing to give Starlight a second chance, but was still a little sceptical. With obvious awkwardness in the air Starlight spoke up. "Princess Twilight is here." Starlight then left to meet her mentor. Cadence watched her leave and followed suit. After crossing multiple corridors she met Twilight in the Crystal Heart's area. It is still working just fine, but is weak due to my daughter's accident. Luckily, Shining Armor is not having trouble with Flurry Heart. Cadence smiled as she saw Twilight in the area. "Sister! How are you? With all the recent...events...I hope you are okay." "It still hurts, but we can't mope forever. Also, some strange things are occurring." Twilight looked like a train wreck, but considerably better than when at the funeral. "What kind of things are happening?" Starlight lifted an eyebrow. In her rush, Twilight never told Starlight about RayDawn. Starlight had been away from Ponyville for a while before RayDawn died and had come back to be told to go to the Crystal Empire. "First, we get a new friend, named RayDawn, then he dies, and lastly we find out the Crystal Mirror is broken and there is a RayDawn from Equestria in the other world! So naturally, I have to fix the mirror and go investigate." Twilight spoke without energy. "Oh. That...sounds...Who is that galloping over here?" Twilight turned around to where Starlight pointed and saw a pony with a mane of crimson and yellow galloping over, but what stood out was a bump on her head. "Sunset! What are you doing here?! Are you okay?!" Twilight was shocked. "King...Sombra is...coming and he is mad! Also, he...he...he took RayDawn's body, so the Heart can't stop him from entering!" Sunset cried out to her mentor. "How can this be?! Sombra is in pieces! This is not possible!" Twilight said this and started towards the Heart, but a voice stopped her in her tracks. "Hello there...Princess." Twilight turned around to see her dead friend standing there. "Is this your friend?" Sombra held up a purple baby dragon who was asleep and wrapped in a dark red magic. "I saw him walking around by himself, so I decided to give him a lift." Sombra grin maliciously. "Let him go!" Twilight cried out. She couldn't lose Spike, she couldn't. "Stop!" "NO! I will take everypony you love from you! Starting with him!" DarkDawn shouted and woke Spike. "Little dragon...TIME TO MEET YOUR-" Sombra something surround him, but lifted himself into sky. Sombra got away, but Spike was caught in the darkness. Spike cried out for Twilight, but he was enveloped. "NO!" All of the ponies shot forward to Spike and Sombra saw his chance. He swooped down and grabbed the Crystal Heart. "MINE!" Sombra gleefully shouted as he grabbed the Heart and swooped upwards. "Now this empire will fall to me again!" "Not if I have anything to say about it!" A voice shouted. Then a pillar of black smoke appeared before them. "Not this time..." the pillar of smoke evaporated to reveal Spike, undamaged and clean, but what got everypony's attention was the gray unicorn with blue hair, one glowing purple eye with both eyes having red irises, and wisps of shadows escaping from his fur. "DAD!" "What!?" Erupted from most of the ponies around. "Did I forget to mention King Sombra is RayDawn's father?" Sunset spoke, but nopony answered. "And what will you do?" Sombra laughed. "I'm done with you. I will end your reign right now." RayDawn said back. "Then get ready!" Sombra shot a beam of darkness at the group of ponies behind him. Cadence and Twilight both shot a shield up together, but Sombra broke the shield and the beam hit them, cancelling the ponies' flying and magic abilities. Also, he caused them to be stuck like statues. "How are you this strong?!" Twilight asked him with disbelief on her face. "With the power of my old amulet. The Alicorn Amulet." Sombra stared at Twilight. "Not even the two alicorn sisters could beat me!" "That was a cheap shot!" RayDawn looked at his father with hateful eyes. "Leave them out of this!" "You will fight me alone! Let's see how you do against me!" Sombra charged up his magic beam, abandoning DarkDawn's body. Sombra rose as a pillar of shadow. He shot the beam of magic at RayDawn, who instinctively shot his own beam back. "Look at you! Trembling!" Sombra laughed. RayDawn was getting worried, the beam was getting closer to him at a slow rate. "You may be strong, stronger than me even, but this amulet makes me stronger! You could never have beaten me at full power!" No! I can't lose like this! My friends! I'm gonna let them down. RayDawn was pulled from his trance by his friends encouraging shouts. "You can do it! Beat him! Please make it through this!" RayDawn smiled as he heard the shouts of his friends. He felt himself get stronger as a black and silver gem came out of his shadows. All of his friends were wrapped in a light colored to them. I can do this! Sombra knew he was gonna lose and he couldn't let that happen. "I won't let you beat me! If you won't give up I will get you to!" Sombra shot a second beam of magic at RayDawn's friends. "NO!!" RayDawn teleported in front of the magic beam. They all stopped glowing and Sombra's beam reached RayDawn in an explosion. After it exploded all that was left was shards of the gem RayDawn had and burn marks. "NO! How could you do that?!" Twilight said while everypony was in shock. Sombra laughed at the mares. "Foolish son of mine! Giving his life up to save his friends! What a joke I helped make! Shadow ponies are meant to be evil and hated, not heroes. If you decide to change what you are, then you will meet a terrible fate. Let this be a lesson to you and your friends, Sparkle! Now watch as I cement my rule here and destroy the Crystal Heart!" Sombra raised his hoof and Twilight and her friends cried out, but their cries were not heard by King Sombra. In a few mere seconds all would be lost, but fate had other plans. A shadow rose from the ground and grabbed the Crystal Heart. "Got it!" RayDawn said as he lunged to the Heart's place. "RayDawn!" The mares, and Spike, all exclaimed in unison. Sombra had pure terror on his face. "NO! STOP! STOP...PLEASE!" Sombra cried out. RayDawn reached the pedestal and placed the heart. A brilliant light coursed through the Crystal Empire. Sombra and DarkDawn's abandoned body broke apart. The mares turned around to celebrate. Then they saw RayDawn on the floor having convulsions and breaking apart. The shadow parts of his body disappeared and the glow in his eyes disappeared. "NO! We can't let this happen! There has to be something we can do!" Rainbow Dash said. "He saved us and I for one will not let this happen to a friend!" Rainbow Dash started crying, which was rare. "I'm afraid there is nothing we can do, my little pony." Said the voice of the Sun Princess, who was beside the Moon Princess as they landed. "Celestia! You have to help him!" Rainbow yelled. "There is nothing we can do." Luna said. "It's...okay...I...I...really think...that this is...my destiny...to help my only friends." RayDawn coughed and black liquid came from his mouth. By this point, almost everypony was in tears. "I can...at least...see my family again. Except for my dad. I don't want to see him again." "RayDawn. You shouldn't pass on with hate in your heart. Forgive your father and you will not regret it. I know what it is like, to have hate, but you will do yourself a favor if you let it go. Pass on peacefully, RayDawn, and let love fill your heart.." Luna said. "You're right...I must let love enter my heart...only then...can I be different than my father." RayDawn looked at the crystal forms of his friends. "You know...Sombra didn't take away my family...he...he gave me a new one." RayDawn smiled at the tearful faces of his friends. "Thank you...Sombra. For teaching me to move on." RayDawn's body was almost gone, only his head was left. The Crystal Ponies surrounded the son of their most hated enemy and lowered their heads. "Bye...RayDawn." Fluttershy cried. All of the mares felt the finality of her words. Then, the harmony stone shards and RayDawn were lifted into the air and they were wrapped in the light blue light of The Crystal Heart. RayDawn felt a warmth fill his heart. He was crying and smiling at the same time. This feels...great.. I never thought I would feel like I belong. This is amazing. It feels like...like...like destiny...like...a transformation. A good one, not like the darkness that filled my body. A blinding light filled the area and a warmth radiated from the light. The light died down to a dim as the transformation stopped. RayDawn smiled and saw that his friends were now short, really short, and they were staring at him in shock. "What?" RayDawn was confused. "Well...you're really tall now...and...well...you're shining like a crystal pony, but you...you should probably look in a mirror, darling." Rarity spoke to RayDawn. Something bad happened, didn't it? I'm probably some...kind...of... RayDawn jaw dropped as he looked into a crystal. Looking back at him was a really tall crystal pony, but this crystal pony was shattered, with darkness in between each crack in the crystal. His mane was blue, pure sky blue, but his tail was dark blue. His horn was glowing as it was a bright light. He had two wings made from the darkness in between his body. RayDawn started sobbing as he noticed his flank. On it was a cutie mark. It was a ying-yang sun with gray flames in between a half moon and half sun circle and surrounding it was 2 white stars over it and 1 black star under it. My goodness. What happened to me? What does my mark mean? RayDawn voiced his thoughts. "What happened?" RayDawn looked back at the mares and Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie group hugged him, to be followed suit by the rest of their friends. I love you mares. RayDawn smiled back at the mares. "Are you a royal now?" Pinkie asked. RayDawn looked confused as they let him go. "What?" RayDawn answered Pinkie's question with another "Yes, but no. He hasn't ascended. His shadows are just leaking out of his body in the form of wings because there is not enough space on the inside of him." Celestia said. "He really isn't even an alicorn, he is something even rarer, half crystal pony and half shadow pony. I guess your cutie mark reflects that, you are the balance between light and darkness and the stars must be your family. He is royalty because of King Sombra. It makes you a prince." "Whatever it means, I love it. I finally have a place in life, but I doubt that my place is ruling the Crystal Empire. I don't want to end up like my dad." RayDawn looked at the two sisters. "Well, you can choose your place in life, if you wish to." Luna added. "Royalty isn't my place. My studies have been my place for a long time. I guess I will go live in Ponyville, since I have friends there." RayDawn looked at the mares. "If you will have me..." "Well, shoot. O' course we would! Yah can stay with Big Mac." Applejack said. "Why wouldn't we want one of the most awesome ponies ever living in Ponyville. You risked your life for us!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, literally radiating admiration, but then calmed down. "I mean, yeah! We would be cool with that." Everypony laughed. I think I am gonna like living in Ponyville. RayDawn thought. They started walking away, but RayDawn heard familiar voices in his head. You've made your mother so proud. Move on past our deaths, brother. RayDawn knew these voices as his sister and mom, but a third voice came up and surprised him. Son, you deserve a long and happy life. Now go live it. His dad had spoken to him. RayDawn started to year up. "Thank you." RayDawn whispered to his dad, wherever he was. RayDawn and his new friends walked off, but RayDawn felt as though he had forgotten something. ... "Those idiots forgot to take the amulet. Now with this I can resurrect the Shadow King. All thanks to them." A mysterious cloaked figure said and started laughing. THE...END? Epilogue RayDawn awoke in his bed after hearing a noise. He got up and looked around. All the glass around him was broken. "Wha?" RayDawn looked around more and saw a note in front of a cracked mirror. You need to give back what you took... "I haven't taken anything. Well, I don't think I have..." RayDawn looked at the cracked mirror. He saw himself, a gray unicorn with dark blue hair, but no wings or horn of light like at the empire. "What?" He saw his flank, no cutie mark. "NO! It couldn't have been a dream." RayDawn saw his crimson eyes staring back. "I...I thought I had a family again." RayDawn lowered his head. Behind him King Sombra appeared. "Look at you! Pitiful." Sombra chuckled at his "son." "LEAVE ME ALONE!" RayDawn began to sob. "I hate you!" "Why? I haven't done anything to you." Sombra laughed and RayDawn lunged at him, only to fall through. "You need to face reality finally." "I don't want to!" RayDawn heard a voice outside. "Is everything alright? Hello? Sweetie?" An elderly voice called out. "Eventually you will have to stop imagining these adventures and ponies like me. Goodbye. Hopefully, for the last time." Sombra disappeared from the place in a blink of an eye as an elderly nurse walked in. "No! I was a hero! I...I...I was somepony important! I...I..." RayDawn started sobbing and the nurse hugged him. "Shh. Shh. It's okay. You are a hero, it's alright." The nurse held RayDawn as tightly as she could. "Calm down and take your medicine. I'll go get it for you." RayDawn hesitated. I need to leave this place, this place...it is taking my sanity and with each passing day, I lose myself. RayDawn opened the window and and jumped out of it. He landed immediately and started galloping. He heard alarms start blaring as he jumped to the fence. He grabbed it and climbed only to get caught by a securi-pony who lifted him in magic and dragged him away. RayDawn read the sign and all the suppressed memories came back. Canterlot Institute For The Criminally Insane I killed Aqua Blaze in one of my delusions. RayDawn thought as they dragged him away. RayDawn sobbed again and finally stopped fighting. I've faced my reality, but I don't want it. I would much rather live in my dreams than in this reality. I don't want to face this again. RayDawn thought of all of his imaginary friends and closed his eyes. ... When he opened his eyes he was in his made up world again. I'd much rather believe this lie than face the truth. RayDawn then said to himself "Home sweet home." ... "Master, I have retrieved the first ingredient for your resurrection. The alicorn amulet." The mysterious cloaked pony said. "Good. How did you get it?" Another cloaked pony said as it grabbed the amulet. "I gave some schizophrenic a good dream and grabbed it from his dream, making his dream partially real." "As always, a good job. Maybe I will appoint you my advisor when I take over this world." The second cloaked pony grinned. "As you wish, Master." The first cloaked pony said. "But why a good dream?" The Master said. "Because, he used to be my brother." Aqua Blaze pulled her cloak back and revealed a stitched up horn attached to her, with stitches trailing her face. "Now, go back to your Franken-corn buddies." The master disappeared in the shadows. Aqua Blaze walked away and frowned. "I wish things were better between us Ray, but you make it so hard." Prologue: Aqua Blaze I was raised in an orphanage thanks to a dead mom and missing father, probably missing due to the fact his son was a blank flank. Even if he met me, a full grown stallion with no cuie mark, he would never want me. I never saw myself as special. During this time I never played mostly with the other foals of my age, leaving all the ponies alone. The only pony who I ever talked to was a yellow filly, my step sister, of which I knew she was because I had heard her father had left my mother when she was found pregnant with another stallion's child. She died at birth and he commited suicide from grief while trying to kill his daughter, trying to leave me alone. She lived, I was born, and we shifted from foster home to foster home. Mostly, it was my fault because I was unlovable by all, which has been proven by time, except a certain yellow filly with a red and blue mane, my sister, Aqua Blaze. We both wore glasses and I was a gray unicorn with a black and blue mane as dark as the moment the sun was almost ready to rise, hence my name, RayDawn. While at our newest foster home we were greeted by our new father, a professor in magic. I picked up a book with arcane symbols and started to read. I was so intrigued that I was sucked from reality. Only to be startled as Aqua Blaze shouted "Hey! Brother! Where are you? HELLO?!" "Don't worry! I'm coming!" I reluctantly pulled myself from the symbols and trotted downstairs. "Doing nerd stuff?" My sister said with a kind, caring, and sincere smile. "You know it!" I laughed. These kind hearted moments would only last until I started to receive magic training with our foster father, and she was a pegasus, which meant she couldn't join in. I didn't get magic at first, but light magic was a breeze. We eventually left his care and I continued to study during that month, using spellbooks i found and my sister, being the kind soul she was she eventually got adopted. I thought this was amazing! A new home for us to go to. "Sorry Ray, but I was the only one to get adopted...sorry." Aqua Blaze said, which devastated my heart. "But we have always been together!" I cried. "But we always will be! In here." She touched my chest. "Don't be sad, here take this. Remember me with it." She said as she gave me her scarf, which matched my hair. I hugged my sister for the last time in my life that day. I continued my studies and I stayed at that orphanage until I was kicked out. I never was adopted again.
Chapter 1: Thoughts that are not my own. Years Later I just got evicted....again. I lost my job recently. I'm no good at anything...as evident by my bare flank. In my depressed state I looked at the mirror and then my flank. I see my sister's scarf and shed a tear as I hug the scarf "I miss you...Aqua." Years have passed and I spent all those years with my muzzle in a book. I go back to my place, gather my books, and trot to the homeless shelter. I sigh as I see Fluttershy "Hey RayDawn! Are you here to volunteer?" "Yes." I lie. "Great! You volunteer a lot! Even more than me! You are so kind!" She smiles as she says, giddy. "I know." Every time I come to get shelter I volunteer as to not get suspicion from Fluttershy. It would pain me to hurt someone so kind. Fluttershy continues her work and leaves. I complete my work at the end of the day and get my room. I fall asleep and I dream of my family. I see my mother, I had seen pictures of her, and of my sister. One thing I could not explain was that all of the shadows were moving. I shrug it off and continue through my dream. I have dinner with my would-be family, but as I reach for my glass my family looks at me with green glowing eyes with red pupils. "What's going on!" I shout as my sister grabs my neck and squeezes. "You are why I died!" She screams. "What!?" I raise my eyebrow as she lets go. "I died looking for you! And when I found you he found me. He killed me from my mind and raided my thoughts to find you! Now he has found his low-life, blank flank son!" "What are you talking about?!" I ask. "You'll find out soon enough!" She says this and drops to the floor. "Are you okay!?!?" I walk closer as a dark shadow engulfs me. "You will be my minion. FOREVER!" The shadow invades my mind and clouds my thoughts. "Now to find Twilight Sparkle!" The shadow says with my voice. Months after The Changing I have gained better control of myself now, but dark thoughts still cloud me. I have own place again, but I refuse to spend too much time outside. I'm too afraid of this shadow to talk to other ponies. It would make me do something. The voice has been quiet, but I guess this is to save his strength to take me over for once and for all. I only go to the market rarely and have moved from ponyville. Far from ponyville. I live in a small village now. I eat my daisies, thinking of my friend Fluttershy. I miss her. She was so much like my sister, who I had only recently stopped grieving for. I think of my old "home" and shed a tear. "Who would've thought you would've been so much of a softie!" The voice said. "You are such a disgrace! The time for action is at hand! Let me control us and everyone will bow to us!" "Never! I will never let you control me! Begone!" "I will never leave! You are my minion and you will do my bidding, SLAVE!" He then takes over and I blackout. The Voice's perspective "Yes! I never thought that brat could keep me at bay for months! He must be strong...at his age I was but a weak sorcerer. He is truly dangerous. But now I must get to that accursed new princess! And that dragon too!" I trot through the town while wearing my son's cape and hat. Most probably to hide his horn and his flank "what a disgrace!" I, or rather, we say. "Now to Ponyville!"
Chapter 2: Canterlot High Voice's perspective We trot to Ponyville and immediately spot a yellow pegasus with pink hair. "Hey RayDawn! I've missed you so much! How are you?" She says. "Hi there...." We scan our memories "...Flutter..shy. " "Are you okay?" She looks worried. "Huh...Oh! Yeah, I'm fine." We struggle to catch our words. Apparently RayDawn still has something left in him. "Just tired." I lie, faking fatigue. "Oh. Do you have anywhere to stay?" She asks. "I wouldn't want you to be homeless on your visit." Her eyes showing worry. "I don't have anywhere to stay..." RayDawn blurts while looking down in embarrassment. How is he resisting! Gah! "Oh. You can stay with me and my friends if you want." Her eyes have this look in them. Is it pity? We think. "If you insist, I'll only be here for a short while." We say in unison, but meaning two completely different things. "Yay." She whisper cheers. "We'll be at Twilight's castle having a sleep over." "Sounds like a plan." We say. If I can get them away from twilight I can- Don't you dare foul monster!" RayDawn intervenes. "Follow me." Fluttershy says. "Do you know every pony?" "No." I say lying. "We need you to meet them, then." She says. She leads me to a farm of apples and I see a light orange pony with blonde hair, orange pegasus with purple hair, green pony with red hair and a bow, and a white unicorn with mostly pink hair. "Girls, now was did ah tell ya?!" "To leave the bats on the other side of the farm alone." The fillies say in unison. "And wad ya do?" The earth pony said. "We bothered the bats." They said in unison. "Hey, Applejack. This is RayDawn." Fluttershy points to us. "Well howdy pardner!" She says. "Hi Applejack! Who are those three?" I ask pointing to the fillies. "Why that's Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and mah sister Applebloom. They are the Cutie Mark Crusaders." "Hi there!" Sweetie Belle says. "Nice ta meet ya!" Applebloom says. "Hey." Greets Scootaloo. "It is nice to see such a young group of friends." I say. "Well...I guess. Didn't you have friends when you grew up?" Sweetie Belle says. "At the orphanage, I used to stick to myself and my sister." RayDawn says. "But one day she got adopted and I never saw her again...Until her funeral. I never got adopted and eventually I got kicked out when I turned full grown, but my studies of magic kept me going." "That's so sad..." Fluttershy says with a tear in her eye. "That was not what I expected." Applejack says. "ah just met ya, but you seemed so happy." "I am." We say through gritted teeth "Well we got to go meet pinkie and the others. Bye Applejack!" Fluttershy says. "He seems nice." Applejack says. "Is all that you said true?" Fluttershy asks as we trot to sugar cube corner. "Yes. All of it." RayDawn says. We continue trotting and we reach Sugar Cube Corner. "There's Rarity and Pinkie Pie." Fluttershy says as she points out two ponies talking and we could have guessed who Pinkie was. "Hey Fluttershy-" Pinkie gasps "Ohmygoshanewpony!" "He is RayDawn. He is one of my friends who will join us at the slumber party. Before you say anything, he will sleep in a different room than us." Flutters says. "Why your hat is divine! I see you have good tastes! We will definitively get along." Rarity says. "What a warm welcome. Thanks." RayDawn says. What an imbecile! "You are welcome! We will throw a party for you later. Bye!" Pinkie says quickly. "Bye!" I say. "Time to meet one of my oldest friends: Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy says. We trot to Rainbow Dash's house and we see it is suspended in mid-air. "Who's the new colt?" The rainbow haired pegasus says. "You must be Rainbow Dash." We say. "You must've heard about me cause I'm so awesome, right?" Rainbow Dash says. "Not exactly. I heard about you from Flutters." We say. This is so boring! I'm going to rest! RayDawn's Perspective Finally! Free of him! "Twilight's slumber party will start soon! C'mon!" Rainbow then grabs us and races us to Twilight's castle. We arrive and see Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity. "You must be RayDawn! I'm-" I cut twilight off mid-sentence. "Twilight Sparkle. No intro needed." I say. "The party will be over here! Spike!!" Twilight shouts. A little dragon comes from another room and appears next to twilight. "Yes. Twili-" spike cuts off as he sees me. "Are you okay?" Twilight asks spike. "You look like...like...Sombra..." Spike whispers the last part. "What?" Twilight asks. "Nothing! Nothing at all." Spike seems jumpy as he says this. "Okay then....let's go..." Twilight says. We go through the castle and reach a giant room. "You'll bunk with Spike." Twilight says. We start the party. We play some games and I braid Fluttershy's hair like I did to my sister. "Hey, RayDawn! Do you want to hear the story of my first rain boom!" Rainbow says. "Sure." I say. Rainbow then provides to tell me how they all got their cutie marks from her awesomeness. "How did you get yours?" She points at my cape. "Oh...uh...you see...I..." I stutter. "Spit it out." Rainbow says. "I can show you instead..." I take off my cape and look down in defeat. Everyone gasps "This is really rare!" Says Twilight. "Most ponies get their cutie marks really early on in development. Strange." "It means there is something wrong with me." I says. "Darling....Twilight didn't mean it like that..." Rarity says. She says this and I trot in defeat to Spike's room. "Gah!" Spike exclaims. "Hey." I skulk around. "Come here." Spike says. "Why? Do you need a failure?" "This is yours." Spike pulls out a gray rock sphere with a gray gem. "What is it?" "This is the last Element of Harmony. It was always in stone and no one could use it. Celestial told me to give this to a gray pony with a dark blue mane." He explains. "How do you know you are supposed to give this to me?" I ask. "Because Celestial told me to wait for a pony who's flank was bare and that this pony would look like Sombra." "But what element is it?" "Nopony knows. You must activate it's special trait." He says. "Alright. I will keep this then. By the way, who is King Sombra?" "He was a bad pony who enslaved the Crystal Empire!" "Strange...Goodnight Spike." I say. "Bye RayDawn." Middle of the night: Voice's Perspective Now that everypony is asleep I can act my revenge! I move my son's body around and get to Twilight's room. I get our horn ready, but RayDawn wakes up and starts struggling "Get out!" He says. How dare you defy me! (Sombra) I dare doing this because you want to harm my friends! (RayDawn) "You would throw yourself away for your friends?!" He says. "Yes I would!" Just then the rock we were holding breaks apart into a silver and black gem. The black part glows faintly... RayDawn's Perspective "My element is...self...sacrifice..." I say. I toss myself into the nearest room and start struggling again. "I will make you my slave like I did to the crystal ponies!" The voice says. "No way. You're Sombra...and my dad!" I say in shock. "Yes I am Sombra and you will never beat me, RayDawn!" He shouts. "I don't need to beat you! I just need to stop you!" I say this and launch a beam of light at us. It sends us spiralling into a mirror nearby. I brace for impact, but everything goes black instead. ... We are greeted by a sign as we wake up and it read: Canterlot High School
Chapter 3: A New Task RayDawn's Perspective I read the sign, but get an excruciatingly painful headache that makes me spaz out on the floor "AHHHHHHHHH!!! Make it stop!!!" I shout. The tearing pain ripping through my mind... I am finally relieved of this pain after what feels like hours, but my head feels empty....Strange...Why is there an absce- I am pulled from my trance by a two legged creature "Are you Oka-" I cut off the flame haired being. "What in celestia's name are you? Wha..." I look at where my hooves should be "Where are my hooves!? Why is my muzzle so small!?" I freak out. "Are you from Equestria?!" She asks in disbelief. "Yes, but what happened to me?" I ask. "First, relax. Now, my name is Sunset Shimmer. What is yours?" She says. "I am RayDawn. Answer me, please." I plead. "Okay then. You fell through a mirror and it teleported you to here. You can just go back to Equestria by going through that portal. Let me help you get up." I get up with her help and she leads me back to the portal. She reaches out a hand to the portal, but nothing happens "WHAT?!" She shouts. "Was something supposed to happen?" I ask. "Why didn't the portal work? I need to ask Twilight." She says. "Wait a minute! How do you know Twilight?" I ask. "Oh right! Well in this realm everyone has a doppelganger." She says. "Does this mean I could meet me? Or...my...family...again?" I ask, but say the last part as a whisper to myself. "Yes, you could, but I have never seen you before. Finding yourself isn't very likely." She says. Maybe this means I can't find my family either... I almost tear up when I say this I really miss them...well most of them... "Are you okay? You look as if you are going to break down." Sunset says. "I think so, but I-" The headache comes back and sends me to my knees. "Make it stop!" I shout. "What happening?!" She asks with pure terror on her face. "I don't know!" I hear doors slam open and a group of people come out. "Sunset! I thought you were just going out for a breath of fresh-who's he?" Says a pink being. "I'm not sure, Pinkie." Sunset says. "But he came from Equestria and now the portal's closed." "So he can't get back home?" Says a being with yellow skin and pink hair, who said this so low it barely was audible. "Apparently, Fluttershy." Says Sunset. Then, it hit me. I say all of their names "Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie..." just then, a purple girl passes through the doors. "And Twilight Sparkle!" "You're good! Now, what does Pinkie stand for?" Pinkie asks me. "I really can't even begin to guess..." "It's Pinkamena." "Wait! How did you know I was from Equestria?" I ask Sunset. "Easy. You were freaking out about not having you're pony parts. Also, I am from Equestria too. One more thing through...You are a human now." Sunset says. "What do I do now? I don't have a family, place to stay, or bits." I say. I look at the group of girls and they look at me with confusion. "Well...you could stay with me." Fluttershy blushes while saying this. "I wouldn't mind..." "Thanks for the offer, but I am a stalli-dude and it would be wrong. So I will find my own place to live." I say. There is bound to be a homeless shelter around here and if I can't find one, then I am screwed. It is winter after all, but it isn't snowing, at least. "Are ya sure that's ah good idea?" Says Applejack. "Yes." I say. Last time I accepted your help I-he-almost killed you guys. "If you really think you're okay...Bye!" Pinkie says. With that the girls leave. I walk into the city and go job searching. Without my horn, this will be a hard day. I search all day for a job and it starts snowing. "Looks like i am going to have to sleep in an alley...again." I find a box and position it so I could sleep inside it...mostly. I wish I accepted those girls' help, but I would've put them in danger from Sombra...WAIT! HE'S BEEN SILENT THIS ENTIRE TIME! In that moment I realized that Sombra was missing. "He's not with me! Equestria could be in danger! My friends are in danger! I need to warn them!" I get up and rip the box in half as I do so. "Great..." "Stop right there! Do not turn around!" Says a feminine voice. I turn around and look at a hooded person with a contraption in their hand. "Stop! Give me your money and I won't shoot!" "I don't have any money to give." I say. "Stop lying to me!" "Not lying." I say as I cross my arms. "Enough!" She points the contraption to my head, but I grab it with my right arm and she misses. I punch her and she drops the contraption. She runs away and I give chase. She crosses the road. I give chase and almost get ran over. She looks back at me and gloats "See you next time!" I return to my alley and sit in the cold. I start to shiver. Am I going to die here? I succumb to the elements and lay down to die. ... I awake in an astral plane of some kind and am greeted by a mare. "Hello Brother." "Sis?" I ask. "It has been so long! How are you? Wait one second!" I fix myself. "You are dead, so how can I see you? Am I..." My words falter. "No, you are not dead. You are about to be." She says. "Then why am I here?" "To receive a message. Ray...look for yourself and you will find your destiny. Goodbye." "Wait! I have questions I need to-" I am then ripped from the astral plane and tossed back into my own consciousness. ... "Do you think he's alright?" Says a faint voice. "I don't know...I am not too good with this kind of thing." Says a more regal voice. "I really hope he is-look! He is coming to!" Says a voice that I remember. "Sun...set?" I ask as I see all seven girls looking at me. "Where am I?" "Well, ya had us worried." Applejack. "Yeah dude! You could have DIED!" Says Rainbow. "Yeah! After I saw that gun on the floor and you laying down I...I...I thought I lost a friend. So I called the girls and they helped me take you to my place." Said Pinkie Pie. "Thank you, but can you help me one last time?" I say to the girls. "What do you need help with?" Says Rarity. "First I..." I look at my tattered clothes "need new clothes a-" I get cut off. Rarity squeals "I can help with that!" "Did I say something off?" "Nope. Ya just activated Rarity." "What does that me-" I get pulled away by Rarity right before I finish my sentence. We spend the next three hours looking through clothing until I have more than a wardrobe's fill of clothes. "Now, what did you need?" Says Rarity, who has now calmed down. "Well, now I need to find the me of this world." I say.
Chapter 4: Revelations Third Person Twilight awoke with her friends around her. Fluttershy had curled herself into a ball, Applejack was sprawled over the floor and so was Rainbow. Twilight looked at Rarity and noticed that she still was as elegant as ever. How does she do it? Twilight thought to herself. Well, I need to get ready for this busy day. Winter was always slower than the other seasons in terms of royal duties, but busy nonetheless. Twilight headed for her bathroom when she heard moans-moans of pain. And then, silence. Twilight rushed to the sound and saw RayDawn muzzle down in the library, with a giant mess all around the library. "What happened?!!?" Twilight shouted. RayDawn did not answer. "RayDawn?" Again, no answer. "You are scaring me!" Twilight was really starting to get worried. And for a third time, silence... "RAYDAWN!!!" Twilight walked fearfully to the body. "This is not a fun game!" Just then Pinkie ran from the bathroom and to the library and saw Twilight checking on RayDawn. "Is he okay?" Pinkie was really worried. Twilight looked at Pinkie with wide eyes and practically non existent irises. She just stood there speechless. Pinkie walked towards RayDawn's body and checked him. She then let out an ear-piercing scream. The rest of the Mane 6 walked in with some guards and saw a traumatized Pinkie, shocked Twilight, and their guest muzzle down on the steps of the portal. One guard spoke up "What has happened?" Twilight looked down at her guest's body. "Check for yourself..." Twilight had no tone and Pinkie was on the floor, shocked. Rainbow Dash, in a false sense of bravery, dashed ahead of the guards and place her ear on the stallion's back. What she heard was the most shocking things she had ever heard. It was nothing. One of the guards checked as well and told the Mane 6, except for Twilight, who left on her own, to leave. "Well, wut happened, y'all?" Applejack said. "Yes darling, what happened?" Said Rarity. "Is RayDawn okay?" Asked Fluttershy. Twilight look at the floor and tears fell. "He's gone..." Twilight spoke in less than a whisper. Pinkamena looked at her friends with her straight pink hair. "He had no heartbeat..." This hit the mares like a pile of bricks. They had just lost a friend. ... RayDawn looked at his new friends. "I really need your help with this." "Well...how do ya even plan tah do that?" Applejack asked. "I don't even know where to begin. Do any of you have an idea?" RayDawn said. Pinkie's hand shot into the air "ooh ooh pick me! I've got an idea!" "Yes, darling?" Rarity asked Pinkie. Pinkie gave her friends a look "Well, everyone goes to the doctor, so why not check the medical files for Ray?" "Isn't that like really illegal?" Fluttershy said. "So?" Rainbow said. "Well, whose coming with us?" "I am." RayDawn said. "I need to know. Anyone else?" "I'll come too." Sunset said. "Alright then, so Me, Ray, Sunny and Rainbow are going? It's settled then! Hey wait! Applejack why aren't you coming?!" "I ain't going cuz I gotta take care of the farm." Applejack said. "It's okay. Take care of your duties first." RayDawn said. "Thanks fer understandin'." Applejack. "We should get some beauty sleep, then." Rarity said. "Goodnight." "Goodnight!" Everyone said in unison. Then the girls all left the room. RayDawn closed his eyes, but could not sleep. He went through this sleepless cycle for what he thought was hours. He looked at the clock near his bed side, but noticed something move in the corner of his eye. "Who's there?!" He spoke to the shadows. "Relax! You are going to wake everyone up!" Rainbow Dash whispered. "Rainbow?" He asked. Rainbow Dash stepped into the moonlight. "Duh. Who else?" "Why are you here?" He said. "We need to break into the hospital remember?" Rainbow said. "How do you even know it would be that hospital? And how do we know how far back to check?" "We don't! But we know that everyone who has gone through the portal has had their counterpart live close, or in, the city." "Good point, but I have a better idea!" He said. "Save that thought until we meet the others, c'mon!" Rainbow leads RayDawn out of the apartment and into the street where Pinkie and Sunset were waiting. Rainbow looks at RayDawn "Now, about your idea..." "My idea is that instead of looking for my most recent checkup, we look for my birthday, then look through my files chronologically, which should give us my address...With any luck." RayDawn said. "Good idea!" Sunset said. "That should be about 20 years ago." He said. "Your twenty?!" Sunset said. "Why is that such a shock." He said. "Well, you look like a teen." Sunset said. "I am going to take that as a compliment...Let's go." He looked towards the city. "Umm...Girls?" The girls look at him. "How are we gonna get in?" "I hadn't even thought of that!!!" Rainbow said with worry in her face. "We could sneak in!" Pinkie said. "Pinkie...it's a hospital. Doctors will be all over the place." Sunset said. "What if one of us causes a distraction?" RayDawn said. "And someone goes in through the confusion!" Pinkie said. "I'll do it. I'm fast, agile enough to get around, and awesome enough to not get caught." Rainbow said. "Pinkie can help you look for the files and so can Sunset." "That could work!" Sunset said. "Nice plan!" "It's cuz I'm awesome." Rainbow said. "Let's put this plan into action!" RayDawn said. The group of girls and RayDawn got into their positions and Rainbow set off a stink bomb in the lobby, making it seen that it was her. The guards chase her as people went into a frenzy and were directed into a reserved emergency area. Nobody noticed the three people going through the front with clothes pins on their noses. They went into the counter and searched the computer files. Luck looked down at them as they went through the files. Pinkie and Sunset stood guard ready to fight. Of course, they were all wearing masks and black burglar suits (Because why not). RayDawn looked through his birthday files and saw something horrific. His mother had a miscarriage and her son died in her arms and out of grief she killed herself with medical equipment. His grave's location was addressed in the file. He wrote down the address of the cemetery and the row and collumn of his grave. RayDawn had to find out if this was true and six feet of dirt was not going to stop him. "Call Rainbow and let's go." He said to Sunset. Sunset gave Rainbow a call as they got into Pinkie's car. Rainbow Dash ran through the door and got into Pinkie's car with the guards far behind. They raced off into the night and saw the guards look around confused as they made their escape. "So...what...did you...find out?" Rainbow said through breaths. "We need some shovels and we need to burn these clothes." RayDawn said. "Awww. These were our old Halloween costumes!" Pinkie cried out. "Also we can go to the hardware store for shovels, but why do we need them?" "Trust me about this..." RayDawn said with no emotion. "Oki dokie loki." They travelled to Pinkie's place, got changed and woke up their friends. RayDawn explained what happened so far, excluding the info he found. "We need 5 shovels, darling." Rarity said to the man at the hardware store. "Umm...O....oka...y." The man was clearly too infatuated by Rarity and dis not notice the strangeness of their request. The seven walked out of the hardware store and loaded the shovels into Pinkie's car. Then they stopped in place and stared at RayDawn. "What?" RayDawn snapped. "Are ya okay?" Applejack asked. "I'm fine! Let's go!" RayDawn snapped with voice raised. "You're starting to scare me..." Fluttershy whispered in fear. "Relax then, let's go!" RayDawn tried to step into Pinkie's car, but was intercepted by Rainbow Dash. "Yo! Do not talk to Flutters like that! That's really uncool!" Rainbow grabbed RayDawn. Quickly, RayDawn got out of the hold. "I'm sorry..." RayDawn looked at the ground and put his hands into his pockets. RayDawn then noticed that he had something smooth in there. "It's okay, but why did you get so angry and why are we going to this place?" Fluttershy said. "When we get there you'll see..." "Ughh! You're being cryptic." Rainbow whined. Then the seven of them got into Pinkie's car. Of course, they were really scrunched up in the back. (If you don't think it's possible, you should see my family outings). The girls and RayDawn finally made it to their destination-Canterlot Cemetery. "Yo, why are we here?" Rainbow asked. "Like I said, you'll see. Pick up a shovel, except Rarity and Fluttershy, you girls will be lookouts." RayDawn said. "I don't like cemeteries." Fluttershy whispered. RayDawn lead them to a grave and sat on his legs before it. "Who's this?" Sunset said. "My mother...she killed herself in this world." RayDawn said as tears streamed down his face. "Why would she do that?" Pinkie said. "What an awful way to go...Did you from this world see it?" Pinkie asked. "No...c'mon. Goodbye mom." RayDawn said that last part to the grave. RayDawn lead the girls to another grave. "And who's is this one?" Sunset asked, again. RayDawn stalled. "Hello...You in there?" Rainbow said. "It's my grave. In this world I died at birth and my mom killed herself afterwards, leaving my sister alone in this world, but this is a parallel of Equestria, so she's probably dead, too." RayDawn said this while his eyes teared up. "Are ya alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "No, I'm not, but I need to see the body, because I need to see it with my own eyes to believe in this. Let's dig." RayDawn looked at the girls. The girls helped RayDawn dig until they hit the casket. RayDawn cracked open the casket and peered inside. Inside was the bones of a baby. RayDawn started bawling and got out of the grave. "It's...t...t...true..." RayDawn eventually stopped and the girls tried to confort him. Fluttershy was the first to hug him and the rest of the girls joined in afterwards. "Your friends are here to help you through this." Fluttershy whispered. "You girls are my friends?" RayDawn was shocked. "Why else would we break into a hospital's files and go grave digging?" Rainbow said. "Thank-" Just as RayDawn said this a shadow came out of the casket and yelled at RayDawn. "I finally found you, RAYDAWN!!!" Sombra shouted. "Oh no! Dad! Ughh...I mean Sombra!" RayDawn said. "Sombra? KING SOMBRA IS YOUR DAD!?" Sunset said. "Who is Knig Sombra? Does this mean RayDawn is a prince?" Pinkie asked. "King Sombra was an evil king who enslaved the crystal empire! And I guess this means RayDawn is a prince? I don't know." Sunset explained. "You can't escape me this time!" Sombra rushed forwards and rammed into RayDawn, causing an orb of darkness to surround him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!??!?!" RayDawn shouted in pain. "Taking back my body. You got it from me and I will take it back!" Sombra said to RayDawn. RayDawn stopped shouting abruptly and the magic orb left. All that was left was a darker gray RayDawn with really dark blue hair with jet black tips. This new RayDawn also had black bat wings, three horns (One big horn, two small ones), and glowing green eyes with red irises and purple smoke coming out of them. "RayDawn?" Sunset asked. "No. Call me DarkDawn!" DarkDawn then flew into the air. "You girls will never get your friend back!" With this DarkDawn went into the floor and converted into shadow, but as he did this a black and silver gem appeared where he left. Sunset walked up and picked up the rock. "What just happened?!" Rainbow said. "RayDawn needs our help!" Sunset said. "How can we even fight that thing?!" Rainbow asked. "All we need is Twilight's help." Sunset said. "Which one?" Pinkie asked. "Both of them. We need to gather up all of our close friends to beat DarkDawn and get RayDawn back." Sunset looked at the gem she picked up. "This might be just what we need to get RayDawn back." Sunset smiled.
Chapter 5: The Chapter Where Stuff Goes Down... Twilight and her friends were at RayDawn's funeral. They were all shocked about their friend's untimely death. They were so shocked that Rainbow Dash and Applejack did not go. Rainbow Dash was angry at herself for not being there for her friends. Applejack was shocked, so she decided to go home and bathe herself in her family's love, as she did whenever somepony she knew died. Pinkie, Twilight and Fluttershy were at the funeral. Twilight was lost in her thoughts and Pinkie was trying to distract herself by eating food. Fluttershy was crying, but not for RayDawn's death. She noticed the lack of guests and thought back to what RayDawn said at the slumber party before his death. RayDawn's family is dead. All of them except for his missing father-hopefully. Fluttershy cried not just for RayDawn's solitary death, but for the death of his family. All of them were lost in their own grievances, so they had no time to think as to why or how he had died and they were all way too caught in their trances to notice the tiny crack on the crystal mirror, which had rendered it useless. But most of all, everypony was too caught up in their own experiences that they could not hear the screams of their presumed dead and six-feet underground friend. "HELP MEEE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!! PLEASE, HELP ME! ANYPONY?!" RayDawn had woken up in his casket and began to scream, yell, and cry out to anypony. His throat was parched, but that would never stop him from screaming. The only thing that would stop the screams would be the immeasurable and excruciating pain that would reach RayDawn. He started to have convulsions. He looked at his body below him and his body was starting to disappear and break apart into shadows. "NO! I DON'T WANT TO BECOME ANYTHING EVEN CLOSE TO MY FATHER!" He cried, but his fate was already sealed. RayDawn would become a shadow, like Sombra, and his heart would be corrupted. Eventually he stopped crying and watched his fate surround him. ... Sombra flew through the night, with Pinkie Pie's car chasing him. Drivers were shouting curses at Pinkie and her random ability to speed. As Pinkie was speeding Fluttershy was hugging her knees, Rarity was hugging Applejack in a bear hug, and Rainbow and Sunset were clutching what was nearest to them at that moment, and all through that while Pinkie was smiling. "Cursed girls! That insignificant child has no more dominion in this body!" Sombra whispered. There was no retaliatory remark to his statement, which pleased Sombra. This caused him to stop and celebrate, but then turned around. He noticed the girls' car and flew away at max speed, much to Pinkie's disappointment. "Aww. He got away!" Pinkie whined as her car skidded to a halt, which made the girls all sigh in relief. "Thank god it's over! I think we have done way too much illegal stuff for today." Rainbow Dash said, which shocked, literally, everyone in the car. "Nevah thought y'all would evah say that, Dashie." Applejack said. Sunset recovered herself and looked at her friends. "I don't think we can handle this alone. We need to call in some help from Twilight." The girls all noded in agreement. "Let's head to my place." "I'll drive!" Pinkie said. Upon saying this all of the girls looked at Pinkie and, in unison, yelled "No!" Sunset then said "I'll drive, Pinkie." All of the girls sighed in relief, again. "Fine." Pinkie pouted, which fell upon blind eyes. Sunset and Pinkie switched seats and Sunset drove to her apartment. When they got to her apartment the girls all piled out of the car and Sunset opened up her door. Inside was a very small room with a small bed, a desk with a chair and computer, and a door which led to the bathroom. Rainbow Dash spoke up. "This place is small Sunset. How do you manage?" All the girls looked at Sunset as she grabbed a book out of her mostly concealed closet in the hallway to the bathroom. "I just do. That's strange...Twilight wrote to me already." Sunset's eyes widened. "Well, what did she say, darling?" Rarity said. "It says that recently one of her friends died and that they went to his funeral." Sunset had shock written all over her face. "That's so...sad!" Fluttershy cried. "What was his name?" "His name was...RayDawn." Sunset had a confused look on her face. "How is that even possible?! We have met both versions of RayDawn!" Pinkie said in disbelief. "You know it's bad when Pinkie can't make sense of things, but maybe Twilight can?" Sunset asked the group of girls surrounding her. "It's worth a shot. Get to writing!" Rainbow said while holding a pen to Sunset. Sunset grabbed the pen and proceeded to write in the journal. ... Twilight was mourning in her castle with her friends around her. Everypony was silent, but that silence was broken to the sound of vibrations. "Sunset replied." Twilight spoke like a zombie, in a lifeless manner. "WHAT!?" Twilight's scream startled all of the girls around her, and Spike. "What happened?" Spike said. Spike had walked in to witness her scream. "My friends in Canterlot High just met somepony from Equestria, had an adventure with him where they found his dead human counterpart. Worst fo all, after they found his dead counterpart, he was overtaken by King Sombra and changed into demon!" Twilight had a worried look on her face. "How is this possible? How is there more than two of him in these two worlds. This is confusing! I need to get over there, now!" Twilight looked at her friends. "I think I may need all of your help this time." "Ohmygosh! We can go to the human world?!" Pinkie's hair inflated and curled up. "Yes." Twilight looked at the mares and they all nodded in agreement. They walked to the library and gazed upon the mirror, it's clear and smooth features perfect...except for a small crack. "No no no no NO! I need to tell Sunset." Twilight looked at the mares and said "the mirror is out of order with just this small crack." Of course, this got a reaction of whines and Pinkie's hair slightly deflated. "I need to write this immediately!" ... Sunset and company were driving to Canterlot High School and could see the school as Sunset's journal started to vibrate in her lap. "Twilight replied quickly this time! It must be urgent." Sunset said to the girls. "Uh-oh." Pinkie looked at her direction. "Hey Sunny look! We are here!" Pinkie practically yelled. "The portal's broken." Sunset said looking defeated. Rarity gasped. "Of everything that could've happened, this is the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" Rarity proceeded to faint, which received a look from Applejack. "This ain't no time tah joke!" Applejack said with frustration. Rarity gasped again. "A lady would never joke at a time like-" Rarity was cut off by Rainbow Dash's finger touching her shoulder and the other hand pointing forward. In front of the statue was their friend-gone-possessed-turned-demon, as Pinkie put it. Their friend, or as Sunset saw it, Sombra was standing in front of the statue flapping his bat wings furiously. Now he had black spots all over his gray skin, completely black hair and his clothes were tattered after a recent growth spurt. He was probably slightly under seven feet now. The girls ran up to him. "Stop! Expel yourself from our friend's body!" Rarity shouted. DarkDawn smiled. "This is my body now! Your friend has left this body! My son is probably in Tartarus right now!" Where all shadow ponies go!" Sunset was getting really mad. "What did RayDawn ever do to you?!" Sunset blurted out. "Nothing, but everypony is born to serve me!" DarkDawn's eyes widened with an insane look on his face. Sunset was appalled by this and so were her friends. "We're gonna stop you before you do anymore damage!" Rainbow shouted. "Good luck, but unfortunately I must go. The Crystal Empire awaits it's ruler!" DarkDawn turned around and grabbed at the statue and ripped a hole to Equestria through it. My son was stronger than I thought. Sombra thought to himself. "NO!" Sunset dashed forward and grabbed DarkDawn as he stepped into the portal. "Sunset!!!" Everyone yelled as Sunset fell through the portal, but before she fell through she tossed her journal back to her friends. Hopefully keeping some way to contact them if the worlds were never reconnected.
Chapter 6: Rising Shadows and Rising Lights Sunset awoke to a headache. She reached for her temple when she made contact with a horn, with her hoof. Sunset gasped as she remembered what had happened. My friends are on the other side of the portal...but at least they have my journal. Equestria must've changed quite a bit since I left. I've missed this place. Sunset got on her hoofs and trotted around. There's no one here? There's a note here... Sunset walked over to the desk in the library and read the note. Dear Royal Guard, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and I have travelled to the Crystal Empire in hopes of receiving the magical spell for restoring artifacts from StarBurst, the new Crystaller. We will be back on the earliest train tomorrow, so do not worry about us. Stay diligent and brave! I have sent Starlight to the empire ahead of me, so she could send word of my arrival. From, Princess Twilight Sparkle After reading this, Sunset decided she needed to meet her friends there, so she ventured to the train station. On the way to the train station Sunset began thinking to herself. What happened to me? Why do I have a raging headache? I guess it's because of the mirror, but I feel as though I'm forgetting something. Upon reaching the train station, she looked at a mirror and noticed a bump on her head. She then remembered about King Sombra. Oh no! Sombra probably knocked me out and is probably on his way to the Crystal Empire now! I have to warn them! Sunset was fidgeting as she waited for the train, rather impatiently. Hopefully they are okay... ... Sombra got up and looked back at the crack on the mirror. My son must've truly been good at magic if in my weakened state, only armed with his magic, that I will eventually get rid of, that I could single handedly rip a hole through dimensions. Sombra felt an odd feeling in his chest. What is this feeling? Is it... PRIDE? FOR THAT WORTHLESS PONY OF MY SEED! HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE MY POWERS OF SHADOW! I DON'T EVEN THINK HE HAS MY PEOPLE'S BLOOD! WHY WOULD I BE PROUD OF HIM!? Sombra mentally screamed at himself. He would never let his heart have pride for anypony, but himself. Sombra was about to trot out, there was no need to run, but then heard moans coming from a flame haired pony. She groaned and looked at Sombra. "Why are you doing this to your own son?" Sunset asked Sombra. She looked at him, expectant of an answer. She instead received a hoof stomp to the head which knocked her out. "I am doing this because I loved somepony, only to have her taken away from me! BY MY OWN SON!" DarkDawn yelled to the heavens. "I told myself not to love anymore, but I so foolishly did. Now, I am going to take everything FROM HIM! AND FROM THAT BLASTED TWILIGHT SPARKLE AND HER DRAGON FRIEND! THEN, I WILL TAKE BACK THE ONLY THING I HAVE LEFT! THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE!" Sombra started to shake from rage and tried to dissipate into shadows, but could not. "BLASTED CHILD!" Sombra started to walk away from the mare when he noticed a letter on a desk. He read it and smiled devilishly. Foolish Sparkle. You will never be able to beat me in my home, in my castle, and with this new body. This body will survive the Heart's powers, but I will get hurt on the inside. I will most likely just get a headache. Sombra shrugged it off and looked at his black demon wings. Sombra shot through the roof and headed to his new kingdom - to - be, with a smirk on his face. ... "All is set, Princess." Flash Sentry spoke to Princess Cadence. "Is...Twilight on her way here?" Flash blushed. Cadence saw this and chuckled. "Yes, Flash." Cadence stared off into space. "Be safe..." Just then, Starlight arrived into the room. "What is your news?" Cadence was willing to give Starlight a second chance, but was still a little sceptical. With obvious awkwardness in the air Starlight spoke up. "Princess Twilight is here." Starlight then left to meet her mentor. Cadence watched her leave and followed suit. After crossing multiple corridors she met Twilight in the Crystal Heart's area. It is still working just fine, but is weak due to my daughter's accident. Luckily, Shining Armor is not having trouble with Flurry Heart. Cadence smiled as she saw Twilight in the area. "Sister! How are you? With all the recent...events...I hope you are okay." "It still hurts, but we can't mope forever. Also, some strange things are occurring." Twilight looked like a train wreck, but considerably better than when at the funeral. "What kind of things are happening?" Starlight lifted an eyebrow. In her rush, Twilight never told Starlight about RayDawn. Starlight had been away from Ponyville for a while before RayDawn died and had come back to be told to go to the Crystal Empire. "First, we get a new friend, named RayDawn, then he dies, and lastly we find out the Crystal Mirror is broken and there is a RayDawn from Equestria in the other world! So naturally, I have to fix the mirror and go investigate." Twilight spoke without energy. "Oh. That...sounds...Who is that galloping over here?" Twilight turned around to where Starlight pointed and saw a pony with a mane of crimson and yellow galloping over, but what stood out was a bump on her head. "Sunset! What are you doing here?! Are you okay?!" Twilight was shocked. "King...Sombra is...coming and he is mad! Also, he...he...he took RayDawn's body, so the Heart can't stop him from entering!" Sunset cried out to her mentor. "How can this be?! Sombra is in pieces! This is not possible!" Twilight said this and started towards the Heart, but a voice stopped her in her tracks. "Hello there...Princess." Twilight turned around to see her dead friend standing there. "Is this your friend?" Sombra held up a purple baby dragon who was asleep and wrapped in a dark red magic. "I saw him walking around by himself, so I decided to give him a lift." Sombra grin maliciously. "Let him go!" Twilight cried out. She couldn't lose Spike, she couldn't. "Stop!" "NO! I will take everypony you love from you! Starting with him!" DarkDawn shouted and woke Spike. "Little dragon...TIME TO MEET YOUR-" Sombra something surround him, but lifted himself into sky. Sombra got away, but Spike was caught in the darkness. Spike cried out for Twilight, but he was enveloped. "NO!" All of the ponies shot forward to Spike and Sombra saw his chance. He swooped down and grabbed the Crystal Heart. "MINE!" Sombra gleefully shouted as he grabbed the Heart and swooped upwards. "Now this empire will fall to me again!" "Not if I have anything to say about it!" A voice shouted. Then a pillar of black smoke appeared before them. "Not this time..." the pillar of smoke evaporated to reveal Spike, undamaged and clean, but what got everypony's attention was the gray unicorn with blue hair, one glowing purple eye with both eyes having red irises, and wisps of shadows escaping from his fur. "DAD!" "What!?" Erupted from most of the ponies around. "Did I forget to mention King Sombra is RayDawn's father?" Sunset spoke, but nopony answered. "And what will you do?" Sombra laughed. "I'm done with you. I will end your reign right now." RayDawn said back. "Then get ready!" Sombra shot a beam of darkness at the group of ponies behind him. Cadence and Twilight both shot a shield up together, but Sombra broke the shield and the beam hit them, cancelling the ponies' flying and magic abilities. Also, he caused them to be stuck like statues. "How are you this strong?!" Twilight asked him with disbelief on her face. "With the power of my old amulet. The Alicorn Amulet." Sombra stared at Twilight. "Not even the two alicorn sisters could beat me!" "That was a cheap shot!" RayDawn looked at his father with hateful eyes. "Leave them out of this!" "You will fight me alone! Let's see how you do against me!" Sombra charged up his magic beam, abandoning DarkDawn's body. Sombra rose as a pillar of shadow. He shot the beam of magic at RayDawn, who instinctively shot his own beam back. "Look at you! Trembling!" Sombra laughed. RayDawn was getting worried, the beam was getting closer to him at a slow rate. "You may be strong, stronger than me even, but this amulet makes me stronger! You could never have beaten me at full power!" No! I can't lose like this! My friends! I'm gonna let them down. RayDawn was pulled from his trance by his friends encouraging shouts. "You can do it! Beat him! Please make it through this!" RayDawn smiled as he heard the shouts of his friends. He felt himself get stronger as a black and silver gem came out of his shadows. All of his friends were wrapped in a light colored to them. I can do this! Sombra knew he was gonna lose and he couldn't let that happen. "I won't let you beat me! If you won't give up I will get you to!" Sombra shot a second beam of magic at RayDawn's friends. "NO!!" RayDawn teleported in front of the magic beam. They all stopped glowing and Sombra's beam reached RayDawn in an explosion. After it exploded all that was left was shards of the gem RayDawn had and burn marks. "NO! How could you do that?!" Twilight said while everypony was in shock. Sombra laughed at the mares. "Foolish son of mine! Giving his life up to save his friends! What a joke I helped make! Shadow ponies are meant to be evil and hated, not heroes. If you decide to change what you are, then you will meet a terrible fate. Let this be a lesson to you and your friends, Sparkle! Now watch as I cement my rule here and destroy the Crystal Heart!" Sombra raised his hoof and Twilight and her friends cried out, but their cries were not heard by King Sombra. In a few mere seconds all would be lost, but fate had other plans. A shadow rose from the ground and grabbed the Crystal Heart. "Got it!" RayDawn said as he lunged to the Heart's place. "RayDawn!" The mares, and Spike, all exclaimed in unison. Sombra had pure terror on his face. "NO! STOP! STOP...PLEASE!" Sombra cried out. RayDawn reached the pedestal and placed the heart. A brilliant light coursed through the Crystal Empire. Sombra and DarkDawn's abandoned body broke apart. The mares turned around to celebrate. Then they saw RayDawn on the floor having convulsions and breaking apart. The shadow parts of his body disappeared and the glow in his eyes disappeared. "NO! We can't let this happen! There has to be something we can do!" Rainbow Dash said. "He saved us and I for one will not let this happen to a friend!" Rainbow Dash started crying, which was rare. "I'm afraid there is nothing we can do, my little pony." Said the voice of the Sun Princess, who was beside the Moon Princess as they landed. "Celestia! You have to help him!" Rainbow yelled. "There is nothing we can do." Luna said. "It's...okay...I...I...really think...that this is...my destiny...to help my only friends." RayDawn coughed and black liquid came from his mouth. By this point, almost everypony was in tears. "I can...at least...see my family again. Except for my dad. I don't want to see him again." "RayDawn. You shouldn't pass on with hate in your heart. Forgive your father and you will not regret it. I know what it is like, to have hate, but you will do yourself a favor if you let it go. Pass on peacefully, RayDawn, and let love fill your heart.." Luna said. "You're right...I must let love enter my heart...only then...can I be different than my father." RayDawn looked at the crystal forms of his friends. "You know...Sombra didn't take away my family...he...he gave me a new one." RayDawn smiled at the tearful faces of his friends. "Thank you...Sombra. For teaching me to move on." RayDawn's body was almost gone, only his head was left. The Crystal Ponies surrounded the son of their most hated enemy and lowered their heads. "Bye...RayDawn." Fluttershy cried. All of the mares felt the finality of her words. Then, the harmony stone shards and RayDawn were lifted into the air and they were wrapped in the light blue light of The Crystal Heart. RayDawn felt a warmth fill his heart. He was crying and smiling at the same time. This feels...great.. I never thought I would feel like I belong. This is amazing. It feels like...like...like destiny...like...a transformation. A good one, not like the darkness that filled my body. A blinding light filled the area and a warmth radiated from the light. The light died down to a dim as the transformation stopped. RayDawn smiled and saw that his friends were now short, really short, and they were staring at him in shock. "What?" RayDawn was confused. "Well...you're really tall now...and...well...you're shining like a crystal pony, but you...you should probably look in a mirror, darling." Rarity spoke to RayDawn. Something bad happened, didn't it? I'm probably some...kind...of... RayDawn jaw dropped as he looked into a crystal. Looking back at him was a really tall crystal pony, but this crystal pony was shattered, with darkness in between each crack in the crystal. His mane was blue, pure sky blue, but his tail was dark blue. His horn was glowing as it was a bright light. He had two wings made from the darkness in between his body. RayDawn started sobbing as he noticed his flank. On it was a cutie mark. It was a ying-yang sun with gray flames in between a half moon and half sun circle and surrounding it was 2 white stars over it and 1 black star under it. My goodness. What happened to me? What does my mark mean? RayDawn voiced his thoughts. "What happened?" RayDawn looked back at the mares and Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie group hugged him, to be followed suit by the rest of their friends. I love you mares. RayDawn smiled back at the mares. "Are you a royal now?" Pinkie asked. RayDawn looked confused as they let him go. "What?" RayDawn answered Pinkie's question with another "Yes, but no. He hasn't ascended. His shadows are just leaking out of his body in the form of wings because there is not enough space on the inside of him." Celestia said. "He really isn't even an alicorn, he is something even rarer, half crystal pony and half shadow pony. I guess your cutie mark reflects that, you are the balance between light and darkness and the stars must be your family. He is royalty because of King Sombra. It makes you a prince." "Whatever it means, I love it. I finally have a place in life, but I doubt that my place is ruling the Crystal Empire. I don't want to end up like my dad." RayDawn looked at the two sisters. "Well, you can choose your place in life, if you wish to." Luna added. "Royalty isn't my place. My studies have been my place for a long time. I guess I will go live in Ponyville, since I have friends there." RayDawn looked at the mares. "If you will have me..." "Well, shoot. O' course we would! Yah can stay with Big Mac." Applejack said. "Why wouldn't we want one of the most awesome ponies ever living in Ponyville. You risked your life for us!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, literally radiating admiration, but then calmed down. "I mean, yeah! We would be cool with that." Everypony laughed. I think I am gonna like living in Ponyville. RayDawn thought. They started walking away, but RayDawn heard familiar voices in his head. You've made your mother so proud. Move on past our deaths, brother. RayDawn knew these voices as his sister and mom, but a third voice came up and surprised him. Son, you deserve a long and happy life. Now go live it. His dad had spoken to him. RayDawn started to year up. "Thank you." RayDawn whispered to his dad, wherever he was. RayDawn and his new friends walked off, but RayDawn felt as though he had forgotten something. ... "Those idiots forgot to take the amulet. Now with this I can resurrect the Shadow King. All thanks to them." A mysterious cloaked figure said and started laughing. THE...END?
Epilogue RayDawn awoke in his bed after hearing a noise. He got up and looked around. All the glass around him was broken. "Wha?" RayDawn looked around more and saw a note in front of a cracked mirror. You need to give back what you took... "I haven't taken anything. Well, I don't think I have..." RayDawn looked at the cracked mirror. He saw himself, a gray unicorn with dark blue hair, but no wings or horn of light like at the empire. "What?" He saw his flank, no cutie mark. "NO! It couldn't have been a dream." RayDawn saw his crimson eyes staring back. "I...I thought I had a family again." RayDawn lowered his head. Behind him King Sombra appeared. "Look at you! Pitiful." Sombra chuckled at his "son." "LEAVE ME ALONE!" RayDawn began to sob. "I hate you!" "Why? I haven't done anything to you." Sombra laughed and RayDawn lunged at him, only to fall through. "You need to face reality finally." "I don't want to!" RayDawn heard a voice outside. "Is everything alright? Hello? Sweetie?" An elderly voice called out. "Eventually you will have to stop imagining these adventures and ponies like me. Goodbye. Hopefully, for the last time." Sombra disappeared from the place in a blink of an eye as an elderly nurse walked in. "No! I was a hero! I...I...I was somepony important! I...I..." RayDawn started sobbing and the nurse hugged him. "Shh. Shh. It's okay. You are a hero, it's alright." The nurse held RayDawn as tightly as she could. "Calm down and take your medicine. I'll go get it for you." RayDawn hesitated. I need to leave this place, this place...it is taking my sanity and with each passing day, I lose myself. RayDawn opened the window and and jumped out of it. He landed immediately and started galloping. He heard alarms start blaring as he jumped to the fence. He grabbed it and climbed only to get caught by a securi-pony who lifted him in magic and dragged him away. RayDawn read the sign and all the suppressed memories came back. Canterlot Institute For The Criminally Insane I killed Aqua Blaze in one of my delusions. RayDawn thought as they dragged him away. RayDawn sobbed again and finally stopped fighting. I've faced my reality, but I don't want it. I would much rather live in my dreams than in this reality. I don't want to face this again. RayDawn thought of all of his imaginary friends and closed his eyes. ... When he opened his eyes he was in his made up world again. I'd much rather believe this lie than face the truth. RayDawn then said to himself "Home sweet home." ... "Master, I have retrieved the first ingredient for your resurrection. The alicorn amulet." The mysterious cloaked pony said. "Good. How did you get it?" Another cloaked pony said as it grabbed the amulet. "I gave some schizophrenic a good dream and grabbed it from his dream, making his dream partially real." "As always, a good job. Maybe I will appoint you my advisor when I take over this world." The second cloaked pony grinned. "As you wish, Master." The first cloaked pony said. "But why a good dream?" The Master said. "Because, he used to be my brother." Aqua Blaze pulled her cloak back and revealed a stitched up horn attached to her, with stitches trailing her face. "Now, go back to your Franken-corn buddies." The master disappeared in the shadows. Aqua Blaze walked away and frowned. "I wish things were better between us Ray, but you make it so hard."
Prologue: Aqua Blaze I was raised in an orphanage thanks to a dead mom and missing father, probably missing due to the fact his son was a blank flank. Even if he met me, a full grown stallion with no cuie mark, he would never want me. I never saw myself as special. During this time I never played mostly with the other foals of my age, leaving all the ponies alone. The only pony who I ever talked to was a yellow filly, my step sister, of which I knew she was because I had heard her father had left my mother when she was found pregnant with another stallion's child. She died at birth and he commited suicide from grief while trying to kill his daughter, trying to leave me alone. She lived, I was born, and we shifted from foster home to foster home. Mostly, it was my fault because I was unlovable by all, which has been proven by time, except a certain yellow filly with a red and blue mane, my sister, Aqua Blaze. We both wore glasses and I was a gray unicorn with a black and blue mane as dark as the moment the sun was almost ready to rise, hence my name, RayDawn. While at our newest foster home we were greeted by our new father, a professor in magic. I picked up a book with arcane symbols and started to read. I was so intrigued that I was sucked from reality. Only to be startled as Aqua Blaze shouted "Hey! Brother! Where are you? HELLO?!" "Don't worry! I'm coming!" I reluctantly pulled myself from the symbols and trotted downstairs. "Doing nerd stuff?" My sister said with a kind, caring, and sincere smile. "You know it!" I laughed. These kind hearted moments would only last until I started to receive magic training with our foster father, and she was a pegasus, which meant she couldn't join in. I didn't get magic at first, but light magic was a breeze. We eventually left his care and I continued to study during that month, using spellbooks i found and my sister, being the kind soul she was she eventually got adopted. I thought this was amazing! A new home for us to go to. "Sorry Ray, but I was the only one to get adopted...sorry." Aqua Blaze said, which devastated my heart. "But we have always been together!" I cried. "But we always will be! In here." She touched my chest. "Don't be sad, here take this. Remember me with it." She said as she gave me her scarf, which matched my hair. I hugged my sister for the last time in my life that day. I continued my studies and I stayed at that orphanage until I was kicked out. I never was adopted again.
