This storm was raging like hell itself had come to the mortal world. Thunder screeched across black clouds, lightning dancing from the cascade of rumbling grey. Rain fell from the darkened heavens, wetting the ground with ferocity. More spears of burning light broke from the crying canopy, the bellow following close behind it causing tremors in those who’re caught in such a storm.

In the middle of a forest was a cabin that held two little fillies that were cowering beneath their mommy and daddy’s bed. Because this storm had raged on for so long they didn’t know how long it’d been. They remembered hearing their mommy and daddy fighting, then daddy sent them under his bed and then they were a loud noise, and then quiet. Daddy said he’d come back for them, but he hadn’t. They hadn’t heard or seen him or mommy for a long time, they were gone and hadn’t come for them. Daddy normally read to them during storms, but he was gone. What they had instead was an ever-growing smell of rot that made the littler one feel ill.

The eldest was alabaster white with a mane of pale heliotrope. Her eyes were a pale, light greyish magenta that shimmered in the one candle she’d managed to light. Beside her was her little sister. She was dark blue with a mane of very light azure, her eyes a lustrous moderate cyan.

Young Celestia crawled out from the den they’d made, trotting to their kitchen to try and find something to eat. She and little Lulu were hungry, and mommy hadn’t made them food yet, so they had to get snacks. Normally it was naughty, but as nopony was here they needed to eat something. The filly frowned at the open cupboards, not sure what to do. There was some bread, but it was so mouldy it was green. Celestia hated mould, and Luna didn’t like to eat bread. She frowned and walked back to her little sister, seeing that Lulu had gone to sleep again.

The eldest of the two jumped up as lightning struck too close to the cabin for comfort. She shook her head, trying to comfort her unwell baby sister. Her ears dropped as she heard the door to their home open, the sounds of hooves against the wood scaring her. This wasn’t mommy or daddy, for they always, ALWAYS, announced that they were home. The Alicorn filly prepared to fight for her little sister; her wings up to try and make herself look bigger. Inside she was terrified, but she did what she could to be brave for Lulu.

“Cosmo?” Said a baritone voice. She heard him walk throughout the house, calling for her daddy’s name. from what she could hear there was only one, but whoever it was, was big “I got your message, what’s happened?” Luna woke up, her tired eyes looking up at her big sister with confusion and fear. The hoofsteps were too heavy to be their father. They heard a door open, the smell suddenly becoming so bad that Luna threw up on herself "Shit Cosmo!" an anguished cry of rage and pain causing cracks in the mahogany that covered the wood of their parents’ room. They then heard the large being walking towards their room, the girls shuffling further under the bed “Where are the girls? they better be alright, or I swear to the thirteen zodiac i will deliver that bitch to Cadaver myself!” his voice will filled with anger and sorrow, like when Celestia's pet hamster

The anger scared them. He walked into the bedroom they resided in, his presence scaring them. To protect her little sister Celestia jumped out from under the bed, her horn blaring gold wing sparks darting off from over load. From what she could see, he was alone.

His name was Medianoche Brilliante, the King of the Umbrum. He had a dark grey coat. He was muscular; the two very large wings on his back a testament to that fact. They looked like they were just on solid mass instead of limbs with feathers; the said feathers being so perfectly align with each other they looked like they were difficult to see. He had a long white tail that oddly didn’t flow ethereal like, like most Alicorn’s. But tips disappeared into mist, as was a common trait with Umbrum. His mane was white as well, though it was a bit dishevelled and in a plat tied at the end with a silver ribbon. He had two different colours for his eyes, the left as red while the other was blue, the red obscured by his mane. Coming from his forehead down to the end of his nose was a black stripe in a perfect triangular point that dipped a little towards his upper lip. He also had a long horn that was now encased in a warm silver aura.

“Get away from my sister, you big meanie! Where’s daddy and mommy?” She ordered, her wings stretching as far as they could. He opened one wing, the force knocking her to the ground causing the magic to sputter and die around her horn. She got back up, not willing to give up when Luna was scared and ill “go away!” He ordered again, the stallion only looking down at her with pity.

“Your mommy isn’t coming back… neither is your father.” Medianoche had to shed a tear as one of his closest friends had perished, he’d been dead for at least two weeks. For some reason the spell had reached him too late, likely thanks to his wife, who was the only one to be able to kill Cosmo with one hit. Only a god can kill another god after all. He would house a funeral for the stallion, one of the greatest he’d ever met. Why did all the good ones die? The fact nearly broke him, as it was clear that excuse of a mother abandoned her own fillies. Celestia Morningstar and Luna Nightshade “I vow to your father, the great Cosmo Skies, to care for your two daughters. To protect them, and to raise them as you would… I cannot say I won’t make mistakes, but I will do my very best for yours and their sake.” Both of his wings were wide open, and he cast a mighty spell over the two, locking them in a dreamless sleep for their own safety. This storm was not going to make it easy to get to Shadowlogia…

Celestia woke up within a room she didn’t recognise, in a bed that wasn’t hers and the smell of the place was wrong. Everything was just wrong! She looked around, seeing that the room was a little similar to her own, but it was definitely different. Across from her large bed was a large cot with Luna inside of it, still sleeping soundly. She hopped out, looking around. She jumped back as she saw two eyes open on the flooring. The sclera was greyish sap green with darker irises, the pupils being slit. She tried to access her magic, but something was stopping her.

“Sorry dear, just came to check on you.” The shadow then rose from the ground like smoke, and then took the form of a large mare. The mare had fur as black as sin, her wings a combination of a dragon, a bat and a pegasus. She wasn’t on the slim side but had powerful muscles that could probably bench press a dragon. She had a long flowing mane of green and navy blue that faded into mist at the tips. Her ears curved and pointed at the tips, her facial structure a bit similar most Alicorn mares, but she had her own flare. The white of her eyes were green, her irises a darker green and her pupils slit with black. She was a normal pegasus, an Umbrum Pegasus. Well, as normal as she could be being the Queen of Shadowlogia. Funny thing about her. Even though she was a Pegasus Umbrum, she was able to use a version of magic she called Dark Magic. One that her husband helped develop.

“Who are you, where’s daddy and mommy!” Celestia demanded, her ears dropping as she heard Luna shuffle in her sleep, moaning a little at the noise. The large mare smiled warmly, though her sharp teeth that belonged to a carnivore terrified her. Celestia wouldn’t bow down to this stranger, she was a princess, and would be seen as such “I’m your princess, you will listen to me!”

“And I’m a queen,” Armadura said back, outranking the young filly. For her age she was very vocal and knew what a princess was, along with what came with that title. Most likely the brainwashing of her mother who may as well be a living statue she was so lifeless “it’s ok Celestia, you and Luna are safe here. We’re friends of your daddy; sadly he became very ill and has passed away.” It was much better than saying their mom murdered their dad, and since she said daddy first, it was clear who the favourite was.

“No!” Daddy was fine; he wasn’t gone and was going to come back for her! Armadura walked to the window, seeing her husband before a grave where they’d buried the now deceased stallion. Oh Cosmo, why did she do it? Why did she take you from the ones who loved you? The mare would never understand. Celestia looked out the window too, seeing a large statue of her daddy and a black rose lain before it on recently turned earth. Fear filled her.

With her unstable magic, the filly teleported outside, fear coursing throughout her body like flames to gasoline. She ran as fast as her little hooves could carry her, skidding to a halt before the grave. Medianoche looked down at the filly, seeing tears rushing from her eyes like Neighagra falls. He watch her start hitting the ground, not sure how to try to comfort her. For her age, she was a very smart filly. Alicorn’s aged normal to ponies until they reached their full size, and then they’d just live for a million or so years. Celestia was about nine from what he could see, Luna being about three. He doubted Luna would remember her father, but Celestia would. She was digging at the ground, her heart breaking as somewhere in her mind she just knew her daddy was under there.

“Calm yourself Celestia, let your father sleep in peace.” He had a vow to keep, and this statue was so he’d always remember that. He let down a wing that graced the side of the filly, bringing her close to him and against his side. She was crying too hard to fight, even though she tried to. It broke his own heart to see her so distraught. A nine year old shouldn’t be going through this. He wished he could see her mother now and kill her the way she killed her husband. But far worse, and far slower. Extending the pain so she could get an inkling to how her daughters feel.

“This must be Celestia, I feel so terrible for her.” He turned his eyes to a unicorn pony he’d taken in a long time ago. Unicorns were very weak magic users, so much so that levitating minor things like brooms was exhausting. THIS one decided to try and improve his magic by sneaking into Skiadrum Castle, breaking into the archives and tried to improve his magic. The end result was now he couldn’t age anymore, and his magic was far more than he should be able to handle. Thus, Medianoche took him in as a student. A very, very stupid unicorn called Starswirl “is there any way for me to help?”

“No, my faithful student, give her time. We must give all the chance to grieve their losses.” Medianoche stood tall, the Unicorn craning his neck to look upwards “Perhaps you can befriend them; they will be more trusting of those whom are not ten times their size, and you have more experience with foals than I.” Starswirl nodded as he watched the stallion release the crying filly, his eyes shimmering themselves “I must speak with my father, can you watch her?” The unicorn was sure this little girl would be easier to deal with than his majesties morning moods. There was even an alert for the mornings to leave him alone, unless you wished to be turned into a pear. Why a pear? Nobody knew.

Celestia looked up at the unicorn, feeling slightly better than there wasn’t a giant looking down at her. This was just a pony, like the ones daddy looked after. He didn’t look scary like the big ones. Starswirl rose a brow to the little one, seeing how she’d relaxed now that his teacher had gone. She was kind of cute for an Alicorn, they were normally douche bags that did all they could to make pony lives a living hell. Or nothing at all.

“My name is Starswirl Moonrise, it’s a pleasure to meet you Celestia.” He was happy the filly wasn’t terrified of him “want to see a magic trick?” she didn’t give much reaction, so Starswirl decided to go along with it anyways. He used his magic, summoning a bouquet of roses for her. Celestia was surprised. Normally unicorn ponies couldn’t do stuff like that! she could see he wasn’t an Alicorn, he had no wings! “Impressive isn’t it? want to learn some of my tricks?” she nodded, wanting to do the same. When mommy came back she good give her some of those roses, but from herself! Starswirl smiled at her new enthusiasm, pleased he’d managed to distract her from her father’s passing. He dropped the flowers at the base of the statue, unaware his teacher was still watching them but from afar.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoy the story!