Chapters Shadow Scrolls wasn’t a shy pony. Well, she didn’t used to be, but it had been so long since she’d seen anypony else that she didn’t know what kind of pony she was anymore. Not that it mattered. All that mattered now was that it was a beautiful day in her miniature cloud kingdom, and she had things to do.
Writing was her favourite pastime. She had tried everything creative that she could think of, from origami to sculpting, but writing was the best. She’d always had a soft spot for drawing, but until she could master holding her pencil with her magic, her pictures would never be perfect. Drawing with her mouth for such a long time made her cross eyed, and you could never quite get the control and accuracy that was required for the most detailed works of art, but it was something that she was working on. Hooves were too cumbersome for most things. Maybe if her dad was still around he’d be able to make something for her hooves that would help her...
There she was again- living in the past. She had thought that was all behind her- the sleepless nights, the nightmares, the tears. Sometimes a pony just couldn’t stay cheerful- no amount of secret fantasies could change the fact that inside, she was an empty shell- worthless and alone.
The number of friends that she would create in her mind were proportionate to her tears, and the group hadn’t diminished for weeks now. They were all there, in her head, gazing up at her in admiration, waiting with baited breath for the next story that she was working on, and with her best story telling voice, she began...
“Once upon a time in a land far, far away, was a beautiful mare named Chelsea Fabriquer. She was a shy pony- she minded her own business, she cared for her neighbours, and she loved her parents dearly. Not a day went by without her doing one good deed or another, whether it be helping her friends move house, or arranging flower displays in the park. Everypony that had heard of her loved her, but one day, something was stolen from her. It was her heart. And I am going to tell you exactly what happened...
“It was a beautiful day, not unlike today. The birds were singing, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Visiting the park seemed like a wonderful idea, and as Chelsea slipped on the sunhat that she had made last week, she daydreamed vaguely about what it would be like to have her very own boutique. Sure, making clothes for friends and family was rewarding almost beyond comparison, but it would be a dream come true to have her very own fashion line- one that was recognised throughout Canterlot. Or even the whole of Equestria.
“Chelsea was a dreamer. Many have said this was her weakness. Her only fault, but she would dismiss this with a shake of her mane
“”What do we have if we cannot dream? Without our dreams we are nought but an empty shell” she would say to anyone that would listen.
“There was no doubt at all that Chelsea was a summer pony, and as the beautiful summer sun reflected off her stunning pink fur, it was clear that she was turning a few heads. She didn’t notice, of course, and if she had done she would have dismissed it instantly, for she was a humble pony, and didn’t care much for flirting or dating- they were just things that happened to everypony else. However something changed in her that day.
“Humming a little tune as she strolled along the path, taking in the scent of the flowers that she had helped to plant the previous week, she thought about ideas for her fantasy fashion line and almost crashed into a tall, grey stallion. His elegant wings fanned out as he apologised over and over for not watching where he was going.
“”The flowers are so beautiful this time of year, but I’m sorry- I should have been watching the path instead of being lost in a dream world” he said, blushing as he caught Chelsea’s eye, and looking down so that she wouldn’t notice.
“Mumbling something under her breath, she trotted away- not over keen to converse with this stranger, no matter how handsome he may be. However the young stallion had his heart set on rectifying his mistake, and trotted after her.
“”I’m new in town” he said. “I’d really appreciate it if you could help me find my way around? Or maybe I could take you out for a bite to eat?”
“Taken aback by the stranger’s confidence, Chelsea mumbled something about having to visit her family that afternoon and the stranger was immediately humbled. “Of course” he said, quietly. “How could a stunning mare like yourself not have a very special somepony, and possibly even a mini army of beautiful fillies or colts at home”. He looked crestfallen, but the sing song voice in which he spoke hinted that he was trying not to show it. He turned away and began walking in the direction from which he came, head bowed, hooves dragging along the floor.
“Um... excuse me, Sir” Chelsea called after him. She couldn’t bear seeing anypony upset. “There’s a lovely place not too far from here that does excellent hay fries...” She mumbled, not wanting to tell him that there wasn’t a very special somepony in her life, and definitely no fillies or colts, no matter how much she longed for a family of her own.
“His eyes lit up, and together they completed their walk through the park, happy in each other’s company at last, sharing the sights and the scents of the summer”
Shadow had spent so much time writing in the past few days that she had neglected almost everything else. When she settled down to share the next part of her story she was looking incredibly dishevelled but feeling happier than she had in a very long time- it was like nothing she had ever felt before. Everything felt so clear- like she was seeing what she was talking about from a completely new angle. It was as though the story that she had become so familiar with since her birth was being played out for her like a theatre production; the story hadn’t changed, but the angle was fresh and unexplored. It was invigorating, as though all she needed to do was write and then the planets would re align to suit her. So write she did. She was unstoppable.
As her story progressed, the audience dwindled. A most confusing state of affairs it would have been, had her audience been made up of normal ponies interested in the work of the budding author instead of figments of her lonely imagination. As she was writing she felt the need to compensate for her lack of social interaction was dwindling, and she allowed herself to briefly consider whether or not she needed her elaborate but beautiful fantasy. But somepony needed to hear her speak, and it wasn’t as though there was an excessive amount of ponies in these parts. Celestia has made sure of that.
With a small cough to clear her throat (but mainly to look like she meant business), Shadow addressed her fantasy audience of three eager ponies...
“Weeks turned to months, and the bond between the two ponies strengthened. They were spending as much time as possible together, so people were starting to talk, but they didn’t care. Other people seemed insignificant and daily chores like washing and sleeping were just pointless tasks whose only purpose was to decrease the precious time that the two would spend together- or that was how it seemed.
“Neither pony could eat when they were apart, as their longing for each other quelled their appetite for food. They couldn’t eat when they were together because the butterflies fluttering in their stomachs made it impossible for their food to digest. They could talk, and they would listen, and they would be silent, and often the silences said more than the words they were too few to describe the emotions in their hearts.
“Such was their love that they were entirely consumed by it. The most powerful infatuation matched by nothing that the two ponies had ever felt in their lives. The friendships that they once had lost their charm- they fizzled out and died like the embers of a fire, insignificant when compared to the roaring inferno that ignited their hearts whenever their eyes met,
“When they were not together, they worried. What exactly was it that was going on between them? Should they let it happen? Was it normal? And of course, did they both feel the same way? But when they were together, all of their worries evaporated. They looked into each other’s eyes and saw into their soul. They reached for each other’s hooves, and touched their hearts.
“Their love was magical, all-powerful, and new. It was where they belonged.
“It was only a matter of time until the wedding bells rang out over Canterlot, and when they did, everypony was happy that the most gentle, caring, and kind mare, who once thought that true love was a myth, would have a fairytale wedding fit for a princess.
“Months turned to years and their love continued to blossom. They bought a small house together, close to the centre of town, and celebrated with friends and family, that were now closer to the couple than ever before. Chelsea’s life-long wish became a reality, with a little help from her friends, and she bought a small shop in the town that she converted into the boutique of her dreams. In fact, the boutique was so successful that she bought the shop next door to it and employed a couple of eager apprentices.
“With their new-found success, and their love stronger than ever, they were blessed with a beautiful filly, pure white in colour, save for the pink and grey streaks in her hair- the colour of her parents. She was a perfect symbol of their union and commitment.
“However all was not well, for although she was an angel- a pure white unicorn- she had the wings of a demon, harsh, spiked and torn, with not a feather attached to their leathery frame.”
A Visit from the Princess
Shadow had not left her home in years, save for a short trip along the clouds that passed her garden. Nobody knew where she was, and she didn’t know where they were, so she knew that if she wanted to leave her home she could, but there would be little point- she feared she would die before she ever reached land, or even another cloud settlement. Although her life was not the best, she did not want it to end in that way.
Spending all of her time alone in her fantasy world and having no experience of life outside of her lonely cloud home had allowed her to imagine ways in which she could come to an end. She imagined the ways that the people on the land, or maybe on other clouds would look up to her and admire her for meeting her fate during a brave conquest to rescue a puppy trapped in a well, or even sacrificing her life for a fellow pony. These were all things that she had read about in her story books- there were several in her home- and they almost always had happy endings, heroes, and princesses. Being a princess had never really interested her, but other than that, the books taught her a lot about what life could be like, and what there was out there to enjoy “once upon a time”.
There were things that she definitely didn’t want to come across- dragons, snakes, and spiders didn’t sound nice, and she was already scared of water (she had read so many stories in which people had met their end in water- either drowned or killed by monsters contained within the mysterious depths- it sounded altogether more dangerous than snakes and spiders put together), so sometimes she didn’t think living alone in her cloud was too bad, she was safe where nopony could hurt her, but that didn’t stop her fantasising that one day somepony would rescue her.
In the meantime she would tell her story. With no idea about how it would end, or even what would happen next, her story was as new to her as it was to the imaginary ponies she shared it with. She longed to share it with a real pony one day.
“All of those years ago when walking through the park, her heart was stolen by a monster. She had been manipulated by him, made happy by him, made whole by him, and now shattered by him, and there was no way to put the pieces together. Her eyes had lost their sparkle, her voice had lost its voice had lost its laugh, and she spent all of her time locked in her bedroom with her daughter clasped to her chest, curtains drawn, closed off from the world.
“It was like that for months, maybe even years- she no longer had any concept of time. She would allow nobody to see her foal, the father included. It may have destroyed him, but he understood, and blamed himself. It wasn’t easy for him to control his feelings, and he was faced with the task of explaining to their family and friends what had happened to the two missing ponies, but soon enough their voluntary exile drew the attention of the highest in the land.
“Princess Celestia cared about her subjects. She wanted them to be happy, and she loved them all as if they were her own children, perhaps none more so than Twilight Sparkle, her faithful student. It was Twilight that had heard the news about Chelsea, as her parents had been close friends with her, and Twilight herself owned a few garments that she had made. In her letter to Celestia, coupled with that week’s friendship letter, she had explained her parents’ concerns about their friend, and was confident that Celestia would take direct action.
“Later that week, in the evening, so not to be seen, Celestia and Luna flew on to the balcony above Chelsea’s boutique. In a kind voice, Celestia announced their presence, and waited to be granted entry. This wish was not granted, however, and although she did not wish to, she was forced to use magic to unlock the door, and was faced with a heart-wrenching sight.
“Chelsea appeared to be in a trance. Tears streamed down her face- it looked as though they had not stopped for months- her eyes were red and swollen, and her fur and that of her child’s was soaked through. She was gently swaying the foal in her arms and humming an off-key song. She didn’t notice the Princesses enter her room- her eyes were fixed on the small bundle in her arms. It was an alarming sight.
“The bundle was tightly wrapped in a strip of ripped bed sheet, with only its head and its tiny horn visible, and it appeared to be changing colour.
“It was difficult to notice instantly, but very gradually the foal, from horn tip to hoof, was going from pure white to grey. Celestia had never seen anything like it.”
