Shining's Rise To Power - Two Sister's Banished

“I will now ask you a series of questions. Once answered I will be able to know if you’re ready to handle what’s next… Understand?”

“Yes”

“Oh and remember not to lie as the stage after this will check how you have been though out your life… Lying now could jeopardise everything we have done… Please heed my warning there will be no going back placing one hoof wrong could devastate you forever… Are you sure you wish to continue??”

“Yes I’m sure I will do my best…”

“It won’t matter if you do your best here are you sure you have been a good pony throughout your life?”

“I believe so….Yes.”

“Okay…” His face still held gentleness but went stern. “Question 1: what has been your main meaning in life? What have you always wanted the most?”

“I have always wanted to do the very best to protect my family and do my part for equestria.”

“Question 2: Have you ever abandoned any pony or responsibility to allow you to do or get your own desires?”

“I will admit I have abandoned posts to see to my little sisters needs and I have let ponies down but only for the wellbeing of others or that I have tried and just wasn’t able to complete the task despite doing my best.”

“Question 3: Have you ever told a lie to hide the truth from someone even if telling them will help in the long run?”

“No I have always told the truth even if it shatters that pony the truth sometimes hurts but you have to hear it… even if It gets me or others in trouble I have always spoken up or if been confronted have told the truth.”

“Question 4: Have you ever given up something you wanted the most in life for someone else to be happy or have you given to someone in need of help and not wanted anything for it?

“I have done both… I had a crush on a mare I loved and was going to ask her out went my friend asked me how to ask her out… I told him and they both have been happy ever since. I have also given my time, effort and everything in this world to love, care and protect my foals and family… And I failed…

“You failed?” He stopped walking turning and looking me dead in the eyes…

“Yeah I fail to protect My Empire… My citizens… My wife… I failed to be there for her when she needed me the most… It’s probably the only thing I regret…”

“By regretting it shows me you still carry a burden on your shoulders… You need to move on and I’m sure it wasn’t your entire fault as I remember someone saying that the empire was attacked?”

“Yes a surprise attack but I wasn’t there in my wife's last seconds alive…”

“That may be true but I pretty sure she loved you and doesn’t blame you… I don't mean to be harsh but we need to get moving we don't have long and if you pass these stages we will need all the time possible..." He walked over placing a big fluffy wing over my back pulling me in. I gave into the gentle embrace. "Now stop crying and let’s get to the next stage we don’t have long?!” We walked as he gave me so reassuring words we got to the second arch and we walked through.

As we walked the ‘walls’ showed pictures of my life from the moment I was born all the way through as we walked I became older and older. I watched the flashes of the wedding… The empire battle with Sombra… The birth of my foals… All the way until the fall I watched the flashes of chrysalises death…sending shivers down my spine. I watched the funeral… we walked closer to a vague 'wall' right in front of us stood a large image of the Canterlot city. In shambles bloody bodies and limbs. The broken castle to rubble lying around everywhere…

“I want you to walk through the image I will walk around this will calculate everything the times you have been loyal, honest, happy to the times you have been sad, hurtful or murderous… walk through when ready…” He walked around looking at the picture of death and bodies I knew this had to be done… I took a deep breath prayed that cadence would shine down and walked through. We walked down the ‘hall’ flashes came up but unlike the ones before they didn’t stay… they vanished within seconds.

“Why don’t these images stay?”

“Because this is the future wing we have just walked your past and you walked through the picture of your present this is the future… Your future like most in equestria at this point isn’t set it was until the war but now time and the future have no idea what’s going to happen so now it’s looking for answers… You see if this wasn’t happening these pictures would form lines of path and paths from them and so on when you pick a path for your future the ones that don’t connect to that pacific future they fade and new ones replace them. When we reach the end of this wing we will see your result and go on to the next stage there is only 2 more stages from this wing. When we have completed them we will walk back through. When we do, this wing will look a lot different.”

We eventually reached the arch. Darkice stopped and touched his horn to the arch he then looked at me with a smile and walked in the smallish room… I followed… nervous…

“This is the resulting chamber… This is where I give you back any information the present scan found… you have seen your past and your very uncertain future. How do you feel?”

“I’m scared…” I was terrified this was my fate I was either going to get a good result and be fine or get a bad result and from the very long list of ‘bad affects’ I was terrified…

“Don’t be you did fine… you didn’t lie with any question I gave you at stage 1. You have demonstrated a sense of pride for family and the way others judge you. You have been kind, honest, generous and loyal to others around you. You have tried your hardest to keep family and equestria safe no matter the cost. You have been a happy and joyful stallion. You are always ready to help others and eager to learn more. You’re willing to see through your own opinions to help others. So that’s all good but there is some bad every pony has it but yours is a little different… You have gone into battle and have killed many ponies and beings to help equestria be that you’re ordered or you have done it on your own a cord… That’s all fine you were a guard once so I’m happy to take your occupation into it. It’s not illegal and you were tasked to protect your kingdom. However the brutal killing of the Changeling queen has quite shocked me!”

“She attacked my empire killed my citizens and murdered my wife!”

“Yes noted but once you had her against that wall and secured, you could have walked away. But instead you tortured her… you got Revenge…”

“Shit….”

“But you have never done anything since… you see well-mannered and have shown a healthy mind set… I am willing to overlook that but it can’t go unpunished…”

****

“What did he do dad?”

“He gave me the sign of evil… the Blue smoke that leaks from my eyes is the sign of evil a warning that I have done bad things but I am better now. Also that I carry dark magic that’s what the dark blue tips of my wings are about it shows I’m very powerful and capable of all levels of magic so beware if you flick the wrong switch you could end up in shit.”

“Oh so the blue parts weren’t part of you before?”

“The story will explain…”

****

“Unpunished?”

“Don’t worry… I won’t be hurting you let’s get into the next stage and it will all become clear…” We walked through the other arch on the opposite side of the ‘chamber’. All these colours danced across the ‘celling’ and bounced of the ‘walls’ and ‘floor’ it was so pretty. “Okay so you have passed the test and the time has come to give you what you need… Power. But I’m not just going to adorn you with Power but I will give you a way to restore your equestria. Please don’t go all power crazy like Sombra did you have morals and you are better than that…”

“Yes, Darkice.”

“Good so now I will grant you will the highest level of power and the status that goes with it… Shining Armor you at the end of this stage will have the power to save equestria and become its new rule. I’m granting you Alicornhood… I will give you wings and the power that goes with it then I will give you the knowledge and guidance you need to control it. I will then perform your Punishment and we will walk out of here to where I first saw you. Do you understand?” I was shocked I don't know if it was the fact that I had completed it or the fact I was being rewarded… after what felt like hours my mouth finally formed words.

“Yes. Darkice I understand and I’m ready to do it…”

“Good, here…” With a flash of his horn I was lifted into the air as the world turned blue. I felt all tingly and a little pain as muscles on my back started to grow and bones snapped into position. I was then place back to the ‘floor’ I felt dizzy but I felt good as well.

“You okay?”

“Y YE YES I’m fine…” I said a bit uneasy

“Good now spread your new wings let’s check they work.” I looked at my sides and yes 2 big white wings had grown fluffy and soft. Along with that my legs where longer I realised this when I looked to Darkice I was his height maybe a few inches shorter but I would be taller than Celestia. My horn much longer and sharper was also strange and I would have to be careful not to hurt someone with it! I spread my wings bones cracking and muscles moving slowly at first. I opened and closed as instructed. “Now let’s try hovering. You need to know all of this now otherwise you will be useless in a fight.” It took a few attempts but I got it I hovered for about 3 minutes before landing with grace as did Darkice. “Now for spells you know the fighting spells so I don’t have to teach you that. Thankfully! The only difference is the power level so its higher you can shoot longer and will easily out match any unicorn… When you get back to the library take a look through as many books as possible and if you want practise just ask me and I will bring you here… I would do it with you now but your sister will be getting worried. Shoot a few spells at me and try out a little just to get a feel for it as we don’t want you blowing up Canterlot even more!” I shot a few spells and blocked some as well my magic was faster and a lot more accurate I loved it!

“Okay fun and games aside as you is quite a quick learner. Your punishment… This will not hurt its just affect more than anything. DO NOT BLOCK MY SPELL!” I might have been as powerful as him but the shear force that he spoke and the authority scared the fucking shit out of me… I wasn’t stopping him from performing what was right. He trusted me it seemed and I trusted him. He shot 2 spells at me one at my wings and one at my eyes. The then magically gave me a mirror my eyes had the smoke you see today and my wings faded from white to a dark blue.

“I like the wing affect but won’t ponies find me scary like this?”

“If they trust you to save them then the look will not matter and they should be right to partially fear you your very powerful… now let’s get back…”

We flew all the way back. Me having to stop every 5 minutes and land because I wasn’t used to the durability but Darkice knew this. We flew through the future wing and paths started to form it was cool how my life was being sorted out… we made it make to the beginning where I first met Darkice…

“Oh almost forgot I have a present for you…” Before I could ask what I heard her…

“Shining?”

“Cadence!!!” I was shocked, happy and relieved…

“Hey honey, I know it's hard. I know you love me and I’m sorry to have to place our foals on you and you alone. You’re doing great and I love the new look.” She nuzzled into me tiny as can be. I was much taller and I was about her height before!

“I would hate to end this so quick but Twilight is starting to panic and its hard to keep you both here…”

“I know I’m ready for the transfer…” Cadence kissed me and told me not to worry I would always be with her no matter what.

“Shining I’m going to give you Cadences power...You will be able to feel the love 2 ponies share and help them.”

“Okay…” I was confused but happy that I had seen cadence as she faded I felt a tingle.

“Done… look at your cutiemark.” Looking at my cutiemark I saw the blue star in the middle above my shield had now a little crystal heart symbolling the new talent. “When you deal with the royal sisters you will need to cast a spell in my book I will flick to it when we get out of here. That spell will make Celestia’s and Luna’s talents go to you. This will allow you to move the sun and the moon the same way they do… remember if you need my guidance just ask the book and don’t worry I will tell twilight what happened before you awake in the library.” He embraced me, my neck instinctively tucking under his. “You will do just fine… I’m always here.”