They say old habit die hard. Well, they certainly didn’t die with Shadow Strike. Sixteen years has passed since his birth, and he still wears nothing but black. Two lifetimes and he still is the same he has always been, just in a different form. Of course, he didn’t realize that he was being as he was. As his memories are still locked away. However, on a day like today, he will recover his first bit of memories once he makes it back home from school. Now a fully grown teenager, Shadow was going through his final years in school. Living in Ponyville with his family that had taken him in after Faust had delivered him to them. They were a couple who had issues having foals to begin with, so a gift from Faust herself made the couple all the happier. So they took him and raised him. Even though he wasn’t a pony that walked on all fours and had hands, he was still a pony.

Shadow always found it odd that he wasn’t like the rest of the ponies though. Sure, he was a pegasus. But one that was so...physcially different.He stood on two hooves instead of four, he had hands, his whole body was just more humanoid than anything. This, of course, provoked a lot of teasing and prodding throughout his younger years. But eventually, he was accepted just as another pony would be...by most anyways. He could always get away from it all though. All he had to do was find a nice cloud high above the town and just relax there. Another thing that caused him some issues is the strange markings that were on his whole body, including his face. Where did they even come from? Shadow wished he knew. His style of clothing remained the same as well. A black long coat, a black t-shirt, and black jeans. He even found a pair of boots just like the ones he wore when he was human, only fit for ponies.

“Yes, he was becoming a mixture of his human and pony lives. Only this time, instead of being a unicorn, he is now a pegasus. Once he made it back home, he sets his bag down by its usual place by the front door.

“Mom? I am home.”

“Ah, welcome home sweetie! Did you have a good day at school?”

The grey-furred mare with a black mane and tail approached him and wrapped her forearms around him in a hug. He returned the hug with a smile and nodded.

“Yeah, it was pretty okay I suppose. I got picked on a few times. But, what can you do huh?”

“Oh don’t you pay themany mind. You are still a pony, despite what shape you are. But enough about that. You father and I wish to speak with you in the living room.”

Shadow’s heart rate went up a bit. Like every teenager’s does when their parents call them into the living room.

“What..did I do…?”

“Oh no. You aren’t in trouble! We...have something we were told to give you once you reached of age. It was given to us when Faust sent you to us.”

“O-oh...thank Celestia…”

He said as he placed a hand over his beating chest.he thought they may have found out who had accidently sat Sugarcube Corner’s sign on fire. But luckily no one will ever find that out...hopefully. Once in the living room, his mother sat by a large burly stallion who’s fur was a light brown and a long mane and tail, with the mane slicked back

“Come have a seat, son.”

He said in his usual gruff but caring tone. Shadow nodded and sat down on the couch opposite of his parents. He father picked up a black cylindrical object that had a grip for a hand on it. Shadow looked at the object curiously.

“We were told to give this to you once you became sixteen years or older. I believe now is the perfect time to return it to you.”

He said as he held it out to Shadow.

“This...is mine?”

He reaches out and takes it into his hand. He wraps his fingers around it slowly. When he does, a dark blue aura filling his eyes as memories of...someone using this item as a form of a weapon. The being looked like him. He had a human body but no pony features. His gray fur stood on end and his jet black mane started flowing with a none existent wind for a few seconds before it all stop. He presses the switch on the object when it extended with a blunt point on the end of it.

“I...I remember this. I remember how I used it. I remember the skills that I…”

He places his head in his free hand and lets out a groan of pain, a massive headache coming on as the first set of memories flood his mind. His mother leaped off the couch and got to his side, lightly running a hoof up and down his back. His father going to his other side and lightly places a hoof on his shoulder.

“Are you alright, Shadow?”

He lifts his head back up with tears flowing down his eyes, and he wasn’t sure why. He quickly reaches up to wipe them away and looks at his now shaking hand.

“Why...am I crying?”

His mother closed her eyes and continued to gently rub up and down his back.

“We knew this day would come, Shadow. And for the sake of your younger mind, we never told you. Faust was very clear that you needed to find out what is going on on your own. We were to just care for you and love you like the son we always wanted.”

They went on about how they could have never had a child on their own and explained why he looked the way he did to him. Everything as becoming clear in why he was so different. But even their knowledge was limited. They only knew the things that Faust had told them through a letter that was left with him.

“Wow... I knew I was different, but a divine birth? So...I am literally the son of Faust…?”

They nod to him.

“In a sense, yes. But you have been our son as well. And we love you Shadow. So so very much.”

He takes his parents into his arms and hugs them closely. This news was extremely life changing for him. Not only was his real mother the creator of all things pony, but these memories he got from this single item. They gave him a new purpose in his life. To find out just what these memories meant, and where he can find more.

--Later That Evening--

Tonight was the night of the ‘’Summer-Sun Festival’. The day that princess Celestia raises the sun to usher in the summer season. Shadow didn’t really like to attend these kind of things. So he just stayed outside the town hall while everypony was doing their own thing inside. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his extendable baton. He flipped the switch and twirled it about in his hand. Shadow didn’t know any kind of martial arts before. Now, since he had touched this weapon. Memories of expert usage of this weapon and a martial arts known as ‘Aikido’ rang in his mind over and over. As if muscle memory had set in without him really doing anything. He was lost in this thought until he got the shivers up and down his spine as a dark blue cloud flew out of the town hall over his head. Then watching a cyan blue pegasus mare fly out after it. Then watched a lavender purple mare unicorn run out as well. Shadow was very curious. And decided to give chase after the blue smoke creature.

“Something about that thing makes me feel...off. But I can also feel something else. Maybe it knows more about these...memories.”

He said as he flew off after it. Eventually, he followed it to an old decrepit castle that was sitting in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Once inside he looked around so see what he could find. Eventually, he came to a big, empty room. In his mind he imagined it to be some kind of hall that held valuable artifacts or something along those lines. But then his thought process was cut off by the voice of a female.

“Well well, What are you doing out here, little colt?”

Asked the approaching mare who was lingering in the shadows. When she revealed herself to him. Shadow knew who0 she was.

“Nightmare Moon. So the legends are not a lie. You have come to bring eternal night then have you?”

Once she got a good look at his face, her eyes widened and blinked a bit. She began to approach him slowly with a glare.

“Who are you..? I demand an answer. Now.”

“Come on Lulu. How could you forget me?”

He said with a hand on his hip. But then he caught himself, covering his mouth.

“What...did I just say…?”

Nightmare Moon back away from him whenever he said that name. How did he know that name was the real question. She then got in closer to him, her face mere inches away from his.

“Look at me, boy.”

She ordered. Be another headache came on as soon as he tried to. He felt to his knees and grabbed at his head, grunting in pain as it felt like his head was going to burst.

“What ails you? Obey me!”

Her voice sounded like it was getting further and further away as his vision blurred. Eventually, he blacked out from the feeling and fell to the ground in front of her. When he comes to, however, he sees a pair of teal blue eyes gazing over him with intense curiosity. Shadow slowly sits up and places a hand on his head, feeling the slight pain that was leftover from his ordeal from earlier.

“Sister, come away from him.Now.”

Shadow looked over to see Celestia herself, the sun princess. Then he looked down at the smaller light blue alicorn.

“But Tia…”

“Go, now. Away from ehre young one. Neither my sister nor you should be within viewing distance of one another. Not yet.”

Before he could protest, Celestia teleported him out of the castle and back to Ponyville in front of his home. His mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts. What was that he was feeling? Why the sudden headache? And why in all of Equestria did he say what he said? Who is Lulu? Many question needed to be answered. But for now, he was just exhausted. A good nap will do him some good.

Author's Note

Calm your tits all. Just because he is the 'son of Faust' doesn't mean I am going to go all holier than thou with this story. It's just how it worked out.

May the darkness grant you peace.