The Mage's Brotherby NightShadow-zChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 1Celestia’s sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting light across the city of Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria. It was a special day for a certain household, as it was the day for new ponies to take the entrance exam into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. The sun slowly made its way through one of the windows of the house, gently casting light upon the occupant of the bed, who was currently covering themselves under their midnight blue blanket, spell books of all different kinds strewn about the floor and desk of the room. A gentle knock came to the door of the bedroom before a gentle voice called out to the occupant currently asleep in the bed. “Night Shadow. It’s time to get up honey.” Twilight Velvet told her son. “Today’s the day you get to take the entrance exam to be enrolled in the same school that your big sister is in.” The blankets on the bed started to move as Night Shadow, a seven-year-old unicorn colt, poked his head out from under the covers before yawning, hearing his mother’s hoofsteps start to recede down the stairs. After rubbing his eyes a little bit, Night gently slid out of his bed and walked onto the bathroom so he could brush his coat a bit and splash some cold water on his face to help him wake up. Staring into the mirror for a bit, he let the water drip off his chin as he wanted to make sure he looked at least awake before heading down to eat breakfast. His smokey blue coat was still a bit fluffier at his chest, a trait that his older sister, Twilight Sparkle, seemed to adore whenever she came back for a visit, and his jet black mane and tail were just as messy as ever since he could never get them to look anything but, no matter how much he brushed it, but, his older brother, Shining Armor, told him that most ponies just had naturally messy manes. Looking into the reflection of his own eyes, he was met with the deep purple orbs that always greeted him whenever he looked into a mirror, yet both of his siblings seemed to find them beautiful in their own way. Technically they weren’t really his siblings, at least not by blood. He had been adopted by Night Light and Twilight Velvet when he was just a foal. Though he did still have some memories of his old life. He used to live on a planet called earth, but he had somehow died there. He could never remember how he died, or any other memories of his old life, but, he honestly didn’t care. He loved his parents and his siblings and wouldn’t trade his current life for anything. Once he was happy with how he looked, he dried off his face before trotting down the stairs where he saw his father sitting in the living room reading a magazine. “Morning, dad.” Night Shadow greeted, smiling as he sat on the couch across from his father. Looking up from his newspaper, Night Light smiled at his son in greeting. “Goodmorning, Night Shadow. Did you sleep well?” He asked. Night Light was a light blue unicorn stallion with a darker shade of blue mane and tail and golden yellow eyes. His mane curled back toward his forehead at the end while his tail was more like a wavy stream. His cutie mark was two crescent moons, one inside of the other and facing each other. Night Shadow smiled sheepishly before shaking his head. “No, I was too nervous last night to really get any sleep, so I may have stayed up a bit longer than I should have going over every spellbook that I could.” He answered, gently rubbing the back of his head with a hoof. Night Light chuckled warmly, nodding to his son. "Twilight was just like that when she took her entrance exam four years ago." He replied, rubbing the colt's head. "You probably don't remember that since you were only three at the time." Night Shadow tilted his head in confusion, letting his father know that he was correct. “Really?” The colt asked. “I always thought she was pretty level headed.” Night Light laughed a little at that. “That’s because she never showed that side to you whenever she came home to visit.” He explained. “She wanted to be a big sister you could look up to.” “I’m always going to look up to her. She’s the best big sister in the whole world!” Night Shadow replied happily, smiling up at his father. Twilight Velvet giggled as she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, smiling at Night Shadow. “That’s good to hear. We know how much she adores you.” She told her son before motioning toward the kitchen. “Now, come on, it’s time for breakfast.” Twilight Velvet was a light grey, almost white unicorn mare with a purple and white striped main and tail with glacier blue eyes. Her mane was flat at the bangs with a slight triangle cut near the left end and curled back on itself at her neck, while her tail was flat with a similar triangle cut near the front end of her tail. Her cutie mark was three differently sized purple stars arranged in a triangle formation. Night Shadow smiled and got up from the couch before following his mother into the kitchen, ready to start his day. ***** Night groaned as he picked himself up from the pile of books that were scattered around him. He took another long study night, burying himself in spellbooks after a few of the other students had decided to prank him by locking him in one of the cleaning closets throughout the school. Though, he should thank them, as that little prank helped him learn teleportation magic. However, it did take him three hours to pull it off successfully. Shaking his head, he lit his horn and started to put all of his books back into their shelves, stretching out lightly as he did. It had been ten years since he took his entrance exam, and he was now one of the top students in the school, coming in at number ten in the top ten students. He didn’t really care about getting number one, he just wanted to follow in his elder sister’s hoofsteps, though, that seemed like an impossibility now. Looking over at the newspaper article he picked up a few days ago, he reread the front page like he had done every morning since he got it. "National Heroes Save Equestria! Written by Scoop Headlines. The Summer sun celebration in Ponyville took a turn for the worst when Princess Celestia suddenly disappeared just before she was called to raise the sun, and in her place came The Fabled Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon. Everything became a chaotic mess as Nightmare Moon declared that the night would last forever. However, six unlikely mares rose up to the challenge and ventured deep into the Everfree Forest to find the Elements of Harmony, the only magical artifacts rumored to be powerful enough to defeat Nightmare Moon. However, when Princess Celestia came back with the very same mares, the citizens of Ponyville, and Equestria, were shocked to learn that Nightmare Moon was really Princess Celestia’s younger sister, Princess Luna, and that the six mares who had saved her had become the Elements of Harmony themselves. Continued on page four with a full interview on page five." Night sighed as he looked away from the newspaper, Now he had two important siblings that he had to look up to. Shining Armor was the captain of Princess Celestia’s Royal guard and now Twilight was a national hero, saving a Princess from her darker self. And what was he famous for? Being the oldest blank flank in all of Equestrian History. He was seventeen years old and he still hadn’t gotten his cutie mark yet, much to his own chagrin. A knock at his bedroom chambers caused his ears to perk up as he was pulled out of his slowly darkening thoughts. Walking over to the door, he lit his horn up as the doorknob was encased in a deep purple glow, slowly opening the door to reveal the knocker, a pure white unicorn stallion with sky blue eyes, and a two-toned blue mane and tail wearing golden armor with a plume the same color as his mane and tail, one of Princess Celestia’s Royal Guards. “Princess Celestia would like to see you immediately in the throne room.” Night’s ears lowered as he gulped in fear. ***** Night slowly walked through the two large double doors of the Canterlot Castle Throne Room as two Royal Guards used their magic to open them. The room itself was rather huge with multiple different stained glass windows on either side as a red carpet let up to the throne pedestal where Princess Celestia sat, watching as he nervously made his way towards her, bowing just before the stairs to the throne. Princess Celestia was a pure white alicorn easily around five feet tall at the base of her horn. She had a green, blue, and pink main and tail that seemed to flow on an invisible current, and her eyes were just a darker shade of pink than her mane, resembling the first rays of a morning sunrise. Her cutie mark was of the very sun she rose and lowered each day, and she wore gold regal hoof slippers, a gold necklace with a purple gem in the shape of a diamond in the center, and a gold tri-tipped tiara with another purple diamond-shaped gem set in the middle point. “Princess Celestia.” Night Shadow greeted, staying bowed. “You wished to see me?” He couldn’t keep the nervousness from showing in his voice as he heard his voice shake a bit. A giggle sounded off in front of him in a slightly higher-pitched voice. “Thou truly lovest teasing thy subjects, sister.” The same voice commented as a hoofsteps could be heard behind Princess Celestia’s throne. Night lifted his head in time to see a smaller blue alicorn walk out from behind her elder sister’s throne. Princess Luna was quite a bit shorter than her sister, being only a bit taller than the average stallion. She had a regal glacier blue mane and tail, and her cutie mark was a patch of the night sky with a crescent moon. She wore light blue sparkled regal hoof slippers, a dark purple necklace with a crescent moon on the front, and a dark midnight blue tiara set just behind her horn. “Greetings, Princess Luna.” Night spoke up, returning his head down to bow properly again. “It is an honor to finally meet you.” “You may rise, Night Shadow,” Princess Celestia giggled. “You’re not in trouble, as you can possibly see." He slowly stood up with a sheepish blush adorning his darker fur as he looked up at the two alicorns. “Hehe… Sorry, Princess Celestia,” Night replied with a sheepish grin. “But, when one of your royal guards said that you wanted to see me immediately, my mind kind of jumped to the worst conclusion.” The sun princess shook her head with a soft smile as her sister took a seat beside the throne. “Actually, I called you here because I decided it was time for you to help your sister in her studies with the Magic of Friendship.” She corrected. Night tilted his head in confusion. “The Magic of Friendship?” He asked, not quite sure he understood what that was. “Yes, it is the magic that powers the Elements of Harmony,” Celestia explained, nodding to her sister. “It is also the very same magic that saved my dear sister.” In response to her sister’s comments, Princess Luna playfully shoved Princess Celestia while sticking her tongue out at her, causing the taller alicorn to chuckle. “In any case,” Celestia continued before things could get even more de-railed. “You will be moving to Ponyville and staying in the Golden Oaks Library with your sister. I also hope that you may benefit from learning the Magic of Friendship yourself.” Night’s eyes widened in excitement. The chance to not only spend time with his big sister, but also assist her in her studies? It was as if Princess Celestia had just given him the answer to his unspoken woes. Just as he was about to comment, a loud explosion could be heard just outside the castle walls, causing him to jump as he suddenly fell into his own shadow, literally sinking through it as if it were nothing more than a deep puddle. Flailing in the darkness, he didn’t know how he did it, nor why he could. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed his mind down enough to focus on imagining himself rising from his shadow. A few moments later, he opened his eyes to see the concerned expression of Princess Celestia and the bright-eyed, excited look of Princess Luna. “He is a shadow mage!” The blue alicorn shouted excitedly. “This is… truly rare.” Celestia agreed, looking at Night before suddenly smirking. “And it looks like the surprises just keep coming.” Night tilted his head, obviously confused before Princess Luna trotted up to him and pointed at his flank. Taking the hint, he looked back to see a black magic circle on his flank, extending as if in an oval shape before bending ninety degrees as stopping a little way up, as if it were the shadow of a physical magic circle. “I….” Night stared at his flank for a few moments, clearly speechless. Princess Luna grinned down at him, clearly excited for him, both that he was a shadow mage, and also because he finally received what he was missing for so long. “I got my cutie mark!” Night finally shouted, jumping up in excitement as Princess Luna laughed joyously at his enthusiasm. Princess Celestia giggled before catching Night’s attention. “Go and pack your belongings,” She told him. “I’ll have a chariot ready in thirty minutes to take you to Ponyville.” Night nodded in excitement before turning around and galloping back to his dorm. Once he was out of sight, Princess Celestia sighed and slumped in her throne. “A shadow mage has been born into this era.” She told her sister. “I pray he will be better than the last.” Chapter 2“Nighty!” A pair of lavender forelegs wrapped themselves around Night’s neck, nearly bowling him over as soon as he got off the chariot, the pegasus guards - who looked almost exactly like the unicorn guards of the castle - watching passively as they unhooked themselves to get started on moving his belongings into the tree turned library. Night looked down at his big sister, who had practically embedded herself to him, chuckling as he gently hugged her around her neck. She was a lavender unicorn mare, a little shorter than him, despite being two years older. Her deep purple eyes, which were currently behind her closed eyelids, were a couple shades lighter than his own, which he was kind of glad for, as it made ponies think they were blood relations. Her mane and tail were a dark purple with pink and violet strips running through them, in almost the same exact style as her mother, minus the curl at the end of her mane. Her cutie mark was a pink and white six-sided star with mini sparkles around it. “I can’t believe we get to live together again!” Twilight gushed, taking a few steps back to look at him. “It’ll be just like the good old days!” Night couldn’t help but grin at his sister’s enthusiasm, nearly bubbling with excitement himself. An airy chuckle came from somewhere behind Twilight, causing Night’s ears to perk up as he looked in the direction that the sound came from. His eyes widened when he saw five mares and a baby dragon standing off to one side of the library, all wearing different expressions of happiness or mirth. “Ah think ya should give him a chance ta speak, Twi,” One of the mares spoke in a southern style drawl, causing Night to imagine her with a haystalk in her mouth and a holstered weapon at her side. “‘Sides, ya haven’t even introduced him to tha rest of us.” The mare who had spoken was a slightly orange earth pony, her coat nearly being more of a tanned color than actually orange. Her mane and tail were the color of golden wheat, both tied at the end in loose ponytails, which Night found a bit comedic, considering they were all ponies. Her green eyes danced with mirth as she watched Twilight fidget sheepishly, a light brown stetson resting atop her head, reinforcing the wild west thought that built its way into Night’s mind. Her cutie mark was a trio of red apples in a triangle format. “Oh, right,” Twilight replied Sheepishly, smiling back at her friend. She turned back to Night before leading toward the others, stopping in front of the baby dragon. His scales were light purple with a light green underbelly, ear fins, and verticle spines, and emerald eyes, which, for some reason, made him think of the name Spyro for some reason. He thought it might’ve had something to do with his past life, but, the memories were hazy, as if they were the lingering afterthoughts of a dream. “This is Spike,” Twilight introduced. “I kind of ended up hatching him in my entrance exam, and he became my number one assistant.” She explained, smiling happily at her younger brother. Night nodded in greeting to the young drake who simply just waved back before heading back into the library. “I’m gonna go double-check and make sure his room is ready for him, Twi,” Spike called back before he was out of sight. Twilight smiled in the direction her assistant walked off in before motioning to the mare who had spoken earlier. “This is Applejack. One of the most honest ponies you will ever meet with an impressively large family.” Applejack chuckled before offering her hoof to him, smiling as she did so. “Howdy, partner. It’s a pleasure to make yer acquaintance.” She greeted, grinning when Night gave her hoof a firm shake with his own. “Likewise,” He replied before one of the two pegasus mares walked up to him. She was sky blue in color with her main and tail being a starling rainbow color that somehow complimented her looks nicely, though, her messy mane made Night think she just didn’t like to brush it, whereas his just couldn’t be brushed that well to begin with. Her rose-colored eyes watched him for a few moments before she stuck her hoof out towards him. “Name’s Rainbow Dash. Fastest flier in Equestria and future Wonderbolt.” She introduced, smirking as Night shook her hoof as well. “Nice to meet you.” Night replied, not wanting to call her on her bluff lest she punched his jaw. Her personality reminded him of some of the bullies he had to deal with on a daily basis back at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, which already made him a little wary of her. A quick glance showed that her cutie mark was a tri-colored lightning bolt and cloud. “Come now, Rainbow,” The other unicorn mare suddenly spoke up, her voice sounding similar to some of the Canterlot Elite that he saw wherever he would visit his older brother when he as off duty. “Can you not be boastful for five minutes?” The unicorn mare had a pearly white coat that seamed to be brushed meticulously, giving off the impression that she was trying to impress somepony. Her royal purple mane and tail were curled elegantly, making Night think more of the Canterlot Elite. Her cutie mark was a trio of diamonds in a staggered formation. She slowly walked up to him and offered her hoof. “Greetings, darling.” She greeted, smiling regally. “My name is Rarity. It’s an honor to meet you.” Night smiled and gently took her hoof before leaning down and kissing it gently. “It’s an honor to meet you as well, miss Rarity.” He replied after letting go of her hoof. Rarity’s cheeks gently lit up with a soft pink blush as she self-consciously moved her bangs out of her face. Twilight quickly moved him away from the pearly mare and in front of the other pegasus mare, who seemed to be hiding behind her mane. She had a butter yellow coat, with a bright pink main and tail that nearly touched the ground. Once in a while, she would glance up at him to show her teal orbs that seemed to radiate purity and innocence. Quickly glancing past to her flank showed a trio of butterflies for her cutie mark. “This is Fluttershy.” Twilight introduced, motioning to the shy mare. “She’s actually really shy when it comes to meeting new ponies, so, please keep that in mind. And this is-” Whatever Twilight had said or was about to say was suddenly interrupted by a pink blur suddenly smashing into Night and pinning him to the ground. He found himself staring up at a very pink earth pony mare with a darker pink mane and tail and her sky blue eyes that seemed to trap him in their gaze. He was afraid to even look away for fear of what this pink monstrosity would do to him. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! I don’t even know your name yet, and I can already tell we’re going to be best friends!” The pink mare stated rapidly. “What is your name by the way? And how do you know Twilight? Ooh, are you actually her coltfriend?! Is that why you’re moving in with her? Hey, wait, you’re moving in with her, I need to make a welcome to Ponyville and a moving in party!” She suddenly took off in a blur of pink, leaving his mind reeling while also slightly shaking for fear of his sanity. “Are you okay?” Twilight asked, her concerned face coming into his view as she looked down at him before gently pulling him up to a sitting position, the other mares watching him curiously as he looked around at them. The pegasus guards soon came out of the library and started to reattach themselves to the chariot harness. “We got everything put into the room.” One of them informed. “We didn’t actually unpack anything though.” Well, Night would’ve been surprised if they had. Regardless, he nodded to them before they took off, flying back toward Canterlot. “Why are you all staring at him?” He heard Twilight ask next to him. Turning back to face the four remaining mares that had come with Twilight, he saw that they were indeed staring at him, causing him to tilt his head curiously, though, he secretly wanted to just run into the library and hide. “Well, don’t take this the wrong way, Twi, but…” Applejack started, looking over at the lavender unicorn. “We’re just trying to figure out how you know this stallion and why he’s moving in with you.” Rarity continued, smirking in a knowing way toward him that made him really not want to ask. “Yeah, I mean, for all we know, he could be your coltfriend or something.” Rainbow Dash finished for the other two, walking up to him and throwing a hoof around his neck. “I mean, not that I can blame you, he does seem easy on the eyes.” Night found himself conflicted, a blush forming on his face. He wanted to pull away from the pegasus mare that he was certain would be like the bullies back in Canterlot, but she had just given him, what he thought, was a pseudo compliment. There was also the fact that they seemed to think that Twilight and he were lovers, which made him all kinds of uncomfortable. Twilight’s face flushed when she heard Rainbow’s statement, shivering before shaking her head and stomping her hooves. “No! No, no, no, no, no! Night Shadow is my little brother!” Twilight told them, looking disturbed. “I’ve never even thought about him like- Sweet Celestia, no!” He sighed before looking at his older sister, lifting a hoof and placing it on her shoulder, causing her to snap her focus onto him. Shrugging himself out of Rainbow’s hold, he gently sat down next to Twilight, giving her a soft smile. She seemed to visibly relax at that, nodding to him before her eyes widened in surprise in the direction of his flank. “Wait, when did you get your cutie mark?” She exclaimed, rapidly looking up at him. He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment. “Uh, today actually.” He answered sheepishly. “While Princess Celestia was informing me that I would be moving down here with you.” He explained. “How? Tell me how it happened!” Twilight excitedly told him, a grin now on her face. So he explained about Princess Celestia’s summons to the throne room, meeting Princess Luna, and being informed about moving down to Ponyville. He told her about the loud explosion outside the castle walls that had surprised him so much that his magic activated, causing him to literally fall into his own shadow, the complete darkness within, and coming back out. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna said I was a Shadow Mage.” He informed her. “Princess Luna seemed excited, though Princess Celestia seemed worried for some reason. That’s when they pointed out my cutie mark to me.” Twilight was practically giddy by that point. Once he had finally finished speaking, she immediately latched onto him in another hug. “I can’t believe you and I got out cutie marks in similar ways!” She practically cheered, causing the other four mares to burst into giggles. “Wait, what do you mean similar ways?” Night asked, confused and intrigued. Twilight’s smile made him realize that he was in for a long story. “Let’s go into the library.” She told him, leading him inside, followed by the other mares. “It’s a story that we all share.” ***** Night stared at the five mares seated around him, not fully able to process what they had just told him. "So, let me get this straight." He stated before pointing at Rainbow Dash. "You performed a sonic rainboom, which gave you your cutie mark. But, the rainboom was seen by the rest of you, which surprised you all so much that you each got your cutie mark in various ways." "Pretty awesome, right?" Rainbow asked. They were all seated in Twilight's living room, which was actually just an assortment of couches and tables inside the main room of the library, with a fireplace sitting within one of the walls. "But... how could such a thing be possible?" He asked, looking to his sister for answers. Twilight giggled at his expression before explaining with. "All six of us are actually the Elements of Harmony." She explained. "I think that day we all got our cutie marks was the first time we were actually linked together by something special." Night was reeling at the new information he had just been given. Before he could even comment on anything, the door to the library suddenly slammed open. Quickly turning his head in that direction, he saw Pinkie Pie pulling a huge box of party supplies and even a canon into the library. "It's time to start decorating for this party!" She exclaimed, firing the cannon. Night, of course, dove under the table for fear of his own life. Chapter 3Night looked up at the banner that now hung in the library with all the other party decorations. How they had all fit into that cannon was beyond him, but Twilight had warned him not to think about it too much, or else he may end up going crazy. Realizing he was getting distracted, he shook his head a bit before reading what was on the banner. "Welcome to Ponyville, and Congratulations on getting your Cutie Mark, Night Shadow!" But…. Pinkie wasn't even there! Night thought to himself, feeling his eye twitch a bit. How did she know I recently got my cutie mark?! Feeling someone bump their flank into him, he looked to the right and saw Twilight grinning impishly at him. "I told you not to think about it too much." She reminded him. "I once tried to figure out how Pinkie does everything she does, and I nearly went crazy myself. At the end of the day, I had to give in and just accept it." Night sighed before nodding and looking around the rest of the room. Tables were set up with food, cakes, and drinks, and, oddly enough, a bottle of hot sauce, much to his confusion. Games, like pin the tail on the dragon, some kind of spin the bottle game, and even twister were set up in different areas so that ponies could play different games at the same time. "What do you think?" He heard asked directly in his ear, which caused him to yelp and activate his magic, sinking into his shadow again. After the first time, he was a lot calmer, but he still needed to learn how to activate it at will. "Pinkie!" He suddenly heard Twilight exclaim. "Stop scaring my brother!" He could hear ponies while he's in his own shadow? That might be useful, but he still needed to learn how to activate it. "Whoops, sorry, Twilight." Pinkie giggled, not sounding sorry at all. Shaking his head, Night refocused before he came out of his shadow again, taking a deep calming breath when he did. "You okay, Nighty?" Twilight asked, gently placing a hoof on his shoulder. He smiled at her before nodding a bit. "I'll be fine. Just need to learn to control my magic better, is all." He assured. "Wait, you can become a shadow?" Rainbow Dash suddenly asked, zipping towards him and hovering in the air as she looked down at him. "That is so awesome!" She exclaimed, doing a quick back flip in the air before landing before him. "Well, I'm not entirely sure what I'm able to do yet." Night corrected. "That was only the second time I've used that magic, and both times were because I was startled by something." "We know the Princesses called you a Shadow Mage." Twilight said, switching to her "thinking voice" as Night had affectionately called it when he was young. "But, we still have no clue what that means, nor who the previous Shadow Mage before you was." Night thought back to what the Princesses had discussed when he first found out that he was a Shadow Mage. “Princess Celestia looked pretty scared when she found out.” He told Twilight. “I get the feeling that whoever was the Shadow Mage before me ended up going evil.” Twilight looked deep in thought for a few moments before he felt somepony literally shove a cupcake down his throat. “Enough of that thinking talk, it’s party time!” Pinkie exclaimed before opening the library door and letting several ponies in. Night had just recovered from nearly choking on the pink mare’s hoof. Now he had to deal with even more ponies that could potentially judge him. Before he even knew it, he was hiding behind the couch, trying to stay out of sight of the other ponies. Of course, he was more worried about the older ponies, so he didn’t notice the three young fillies that managed to make their way next to him. “Why are you hiding?” He heard a soft tomcolt-ish voice ask, which caused him to jump in surprise. Swinging his head to the left, he spotted three young fillies looking right at him. The middle filly was an earth pony with a soft orange coat that almost looked yellow, with a frizzy red mane and tail with a large pink bow in her mane. Her reddish-orange eyes looked up at him with a confused expression on her face. The filly to the left of her was a unicorn with a snow white coat and a styled pink and purple mane and tail. Her green eyes seemed to be focused on his deep purple ones making him feel a little uncomfortable and not entirely sure how to handle the attention. The third filly was a pegasus with an orange coat and a magenta-ish almost purple messy mane and tail. Her soft purple eyes looked at him with a questioning expression on her face, making him believe that he was the one who had asked him the question. “Oh, um….” He tried to come up with some kind of excuse, but nothing seemed to be convincing enough. After a few moments of contemplating, he decided to just tell them the truth. “I just got my cutie mark today, and I’ve been bullied my whole life because of being a blank flank, so, I’m a little afraid of how these ponies will react when they learn that I only just recently got one.” He told them after a sigh. “Wait, fer real?” The middle filly asked him, eyes widening in surprise as the two other fillies beside her also looked surprised. He sighed and nodded before pointing up to the party banner that was still on the walls. After explaining how he got his cutie mark, the three young fillies’ expressions suddenly changed, as if they got an idea. “Come on! Let’s go see if getting startled will give us our cutie marks!” The pegasus filly asked as they ran out of the library in a hurry. He watched the three young fillies leave before he heard a hearty chuckle from behind him. Turning around, saw Applejack making his way toward him. “Ah see y’all just met my little sister and her friends.” She said once she was close enough for him to hear her without shouting. “Ah, I didn’t even know she was your sister, as none of them introduced themselves.” Night replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. She nodded in understanding. “My sister’s name is Apple Bloom, and her two friends are named Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.” She explained. “Sweetie Belle is actually Rarity’s younger sister.” Night just stared at her in surprise for a few moments before finally shaking his head. “So, you and Rarity have little sisters. Good to know, now I have to watch what I say even more than usual.” He muttered. It was supposed to come out like a joke, but, he actually sounded a bit nervous about it. “Nah, y’all got nothin’ ta worry ‘bout.” She told him with a soft chuckle. “You just need to make sure they don’t get any bad ideas about gettin’ their cutie marks from what you tell ‘em.” “Well, that explains why they were suddenly so excited.” Night sighed. “I think they might try and get their cutie marks by being startled by something, the same way Twi and I were.” They suddenly heard three screams and then a chorus of disappointed “Aw.” Author's Note Sorry for the shorter chapter. I was just stuck on this one for way too long and needed to get it out soon. I'll try and go back to writing longer chapters soon, so, please bear with me. I hope you still enjoy my writing. Chapter 4Author's Note Special thanks to thatboi for helping me finish this chapter. Honestly would've taken much longer to write if he hadn't helped me with ideas/feedback, so, thanks again, man, hope you enjoy! And I'm trying to get back into a steady writing groove, but, no promises because of life. Chapter 4 "Tell me again, why are we playing this game?" Night asked? He sat on the floor with his sister and her friends as the party went on behind them. They were formed in a circle around a glass bottle that had an enchantment cast upon it and etched into it. He had gotten used to the ponies around him once he knew they weren't as judgemental as the ponies in Canterlot. "Because Spin the Bottle Truth or Dare is a great way to get to know my friends and get a better sense of their personalities," Twilight told him, a book on different types of magic in front of her as Rainbow Dash spun the bottle, looking more than a bit upset. He couldn't exactly blame her. So far she's had to drink spoiled milk, let Rarity give her pigtails, and lick the bottom of her hooves when the bottle landed on her, as she would stubbornly choose dare each time. Night warily watched the bottle start to slow its rotations as the recently revealed Cutie Mark Crusaders - as they liked to call themselves - sat off to the side watching everything with wide-eyed excitement. "I can understand that, but why did this game have to be the first one we play?" He asked. His eyes suddenly widened as the bottle stopped, pointing right at him. "Hah! Looks like it's your turn, Night!" Rainbow shouted before groaning and laying back down on her stomach. "Truth or Dare." She finished sounding as upset as her stomach no doubt felt. "Ah, uh, um…" He nervously stuttered for a few minutes, looking around before finally facing the cyan pegasus. "Truth." “Have you ever seen the Wonderbolts put on a live show?” She asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement, suddenly leaning forwards toward him, which caused him to back up a bit in fear and uncertainty. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed himself down before relaxing and answering the pegasus in front of him. “Yes, I have, but, only a couple of times when my older brother was off duty.” He told her, the bottle in front of him turning green, signaling to everyone that he was telling the truth. Rainbow grinned, holding her cheeks as she squealed, “So cool.” Sighing a bit in relief now that his turn was over, Night reached out and spun the bottle, watching it spin, hoping he didn’t show just how scared he was when he was spun. “See?” He heard Twilight ask as she bumped into his left shoulder. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He scowled a bit at her before playfully sticking his tongue out at her as the bottle slowly stopped to point at Rarity. The pearly white unicorn smiled kindly at him before speaking. “Truth.” He nodded before placing a hoof to his chin as he thought about it. After a few moments of thinking, he finally asked his question. “What do you think of the Canterlot Elite?” Rarity’s eyes lit up before answering. “Why, they are the elite of the elite in Canterlot. Only those with either some form of connection to Princess Celestia or a famous business within Canterlot may join them! Oh, how I would love to attend one of their garden parties!” He sighed a bit at her answer as the bottle glowed green. “Was my answer not up to your satisfaction?” Rarity asked, sounding a bit worried. Twilight shook her head before placing a hoof on Night’s shoulder, silently asking permission. He gave her a slight nod before she looked back at Rarity. “Night has had some… less than pleasant encounters with the Canterlot Elite.” She told her as he levitated a soda over to himself before taking a sip from it. “Every time they were at the Castle and Night would accompany me to speak to Princess Celesia, they would verbally call out him not having a cutie mark and demand that he leave the courtyard.” Rarity’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing the news, and she looked at Night who rotated the bottle to face him. “It’s true. It got to the point that whenever the Canterlot Elite were having a party in the castle courtyard, Princess Celestia would have my school notes and homework delivered to my dorm room.” He explained, the bottle once again glowing green. “Uhm… Maybe we should continue playing the game so Night isn’t uncomfortable?” Fluttershy asked quietly before she lowered her head down. “I mean, if you want to, that is.” He smiled at the butter-yellow pegasus before shaking his head. “It’s fine. I needed to get it off my chest sooner or later.” He told her before motioning to Rarity to spin the bottle. The party lasted a few more hours before everyone started to head back to their homes. Rarity had tried to apologize profusely about the dare she had given him, and he assured her it was fine. He had learned quite a bit about Twilight’s friends, so it was worth it in the end. Night was about to head up the stairs to start unpacking his things when a voice stopped him. “Do ya have a minute, Night?” Applejack asked. Wondering what Applejack wanted to talk about, he stepped away from the staircase so that Twilight could walk up with Spike on her back so she could put him to bed. “Sure,” Night replied, facing the orange farm mare. “What do you want to talk about?” She motioned for him to follow her to the couch before sitting on it herself. “Ah wanted ta ask ya about yer time in Canterlot.” She revealed once he was sitting on the couch as well. “Ah know ya said the Canterlot Elite treated ya unfairly, but, somethin’ tells me more than that went on up there.” He sighed, lowering his head a bit in resignation. He would have to tell someone eventually. Might a well rip the bandaid off now. “You’re right,” He soon replied, looking back up at her. “When I was seven years old I was able to enroll in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and pass the entrance exam. Though, mine was quite a bit different than Twilight’s, since she actually managed to hatch the only dragon egg the school had at the time.” The two shared a small laugh as Twilight came back downstairs to listen to the conversation and help input pieces that Night wasn’t aware of. “Anyway, the whole school, even my parents and Twilight, expected me to get my Cutie Mark in magic.” He continued. “Imagine their surprise when I passed the entrance exam easily and still no Cutie Mark appeared.” “Surprise? That’s quite the understatement there.” Twilight told her little brother, ruffling his mane as she used to when they were younger. “I was completely shocked at the turn of events. My own little brother, who studied just as much as me for the upcoming exam, not gaining a Cutie Mark.” He nodded and shook his head. “Honestly I thought I was going to fail right then and there because my special talent wasn’t magic. It took Princess Celestia herself to convince me that my special talent might still be in magic, just in a special type of magic.” He told Applejack before looking at his Cutie Mark. “I’m glad she was right.” Applejack smiled and nodded at his words. “Ah’m glad that worked out fer ya. But, Ah think y’all are getting a bit sidetracked.” She replied with a playful smirk at the end. “Oh, right, sorry.” He responded sheepishly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He honestly hated what he went through the first few weeks after the entrance exam and didn’t exactly want to relive them, but, he knew he had to talk about them at some point. “After I was officially accepted into the school, I arrived the next day with my saddlebags and a bit of my own personal belongings to settle into my dorm room. The first couple of days seemed fine. Then, the bullying started.” He closed his eyes, trying not to think about it too much and only tell her what he was comfortable with. Which wasn’t much, to be honest, but, he had to tell her at least a little of what went on. “For the first few weeks I was there, I was constantly called different names, like Blank Flank, Freak, and other names I don’t want to remember.” He continued after a small pause. “I’d find my saddlebags hung in one of the taller trees of the campus, my bedding pulled apart with either juice or soda poured onto the mattress and sheets, and I was physically pushed around and toyed with by several of the older students as well as my own classmates.” “It didn’t help that he was having trouble with his levitation magic at the time,” Twilight revealed. “He learned new spells so fast, but, he would have trouble casting them at varying distances or degrees of potency. And I only know of these acts second hoof. I was told by Princess Celestia after a month of Night being enrolled in the school.” He nodded before looking up to the ceiling to clear his thought before resuming the story. “Once Twilight was informed about what had been going on, she tried to stick up for me. But, that just made the bullying even worse. It got to a point where I just couldn’t stay there anymore. I sent a letter to my parents telling them about what had been going on and that I planned on coming home.” Applejack scratched the side of her head in confusion. “But, Ah thought y’all came from the school when ya moved down here.” She asked. Twilight nodded. “You see, once our parents had gotten his letter, they sent it to me with their own letter expressing their concern.” She explained. “I brought both letters to Princess Celestia and once she was made aware of how unwelcome Night was feeling, she gave him private classes with all his teachers, and they were more than willing to do so, having felt like they failed to notice what was going on with one of their students.” “So, yer telling me that Night got private classes because he was constantly bullied by the other students?” Applejack asked, sounding a tad bit suspicious over it all. “Not exactly.” Night corrected, giving Twilight a look that clearly said he wasn’t amused. “I did get my own private dorm. Princess Celestia just gave Twilight a new class assignment. Help me learn magic in place of the teachers.” “So the teachers just gave up on ya?” Twilight nodded, looking a bit angry over it all. “They said that if Night was being bullied by the other students, then he would have to get over it. They would stop eventually.” “Those no-good inconsiderate varments. What were they thinkin’, leaving a seven-year-old colt to fend fer himself from bullies.” “It was Canterlot. The mentality there is mostly all about status and old fashioned notions.” Night replied, shaking his head at the memories. “Anyway, I should go upstairs and unpack my stuff before I turn in for the night.” He excused himself, sliding off the couch and walking towards the stairs. “Alright. Well, if ya ever need somepony ta rant to, you got Twilight and me. I’m more than happy ta help out a friend.” Applejack told him, causing him to freeze in his tracks. “We’re friends?” He asked, confused, looking back at the farm mare. “But, we just met earlier today.” Twilight and giggled before patting his shoulders. “And I became friends with her in about the same time, once I actually got to know her.” She revealed. Night blinked a few times, looking between the two of them. Forty-five minutes later, he was lying on his new bed, looking up at the ceiling of his new room. In less than a day, he had gotten his cutie mark, found out he was a shadow mage - which was so rare that they were only born every one thousand years - moved in with his older sister again, met her number one assistant - who happened to be a baby dragon - and her five closest friends, and then had a party thrown for him. “What have I gotten myself into?” He asked himself before slowly closing his eyes and letting himself drift off into sleep. Chapter 5Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter 1Celestia’s sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting light across the city of Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria. It was a special day for a certain household, as it was the day for new ponies to take the entrance exam into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. The sun slowly made its way through one of the windows of the house, gently casting light upon the occupant of the bed, who was currently covering themselves under their midnight blue blanket, spell books of all different kinds strewn about the floor and desk of the room. A gentle knock came to the door of the bedroom before a gentle voice called out to the occupant currently asleep in the bed. “Night Shadow. It’s time to get up honey.” Twilight Velvet told her son. “Today’s the day you get to take the entrance exam to be enrolled in the same school that your big sister is in.” The blankets on the bed started to move as Night Shadow, a seven-year-old unicorn colt, poked his head out from under the covers before yawning, hearing his mother’s hoofsteps start to recede down the stairs. After rubbing his eyes a little bit, Night gently slid out of his bed and walked onto the bathroom so he could brush his coat a bit and splash some cold water on his face to help him wake up. Staring into the mirror for a bit, he let the water drip off his chin as he wanted to make sure he looked at least awake before heading down to eat breakfast. His smokey blue coat was still a bit fluffier at his chest, a trait that his older sister, Twilight Sparkle, seemed to adore whenever she came back for a visit, and his jet black mane and tail were just as messy as ever since he could never get them to look anything but, no matter how much he brushed it, but, his older brother, Shining Armor, told him that most ponies just had naturally messy manes. Looking into the reflection of his own eyes, he was met with the deep purple orbs that always greeted him whenever he looked into a mirror, yet both of his siblings seemed to find them beautiful in their own way. Technically they weren’t really his siblings, at least not by blood. He had been adopted by Night Light and Twilight Velvet when he was just a foal. Though he did still have some memories of his old life. He used to live on a planet called earth, but he had somehow died there. He could never remember how he died, or any other memories of his old life, but, he honestly didn’t care. He loved his parents and his siblings and wouldn’t trade his current life for anything. Once he was happy with how he looked, he dried off his face before trotting down the stairs where he saw his father sitting in the living room reading a magazine. “Morning, dad.” Night Shadow greeted, smiling as he sat on the couch across from his father. Looking up from his newspaper, Night Light smiled at his son in greeting. “Goodmorning, Night Shadow. Did you sleep well?” He asked. Night Light was a light blue unicorn stallion with a darker shade of blue mane and tail and golden yellow eyes. His mane curled back toward his forehead at the end while his tail was more like a wavy stream. His cutie mark was two crescent moons, one inside of the other and facing each other. Night Shadow smiled sheepishly before shaking his head. “No, I was too nervous last night to really get any sleep, so I may have stayed up a bit longer than I should have going over every spellbook that I could.” He answered, gently rubbing the back of his head with a hoof. Night Light chuckled warmly, nodding to his son. "Twilight was just like that when she took her entrance exam four years ago." He replied, rubbing the colt's head. "You probably don't remember that since you were only three at the time." Night Shadow tilted his head in confusion, letting his father know that he was correct. “Really?” The colt asked. “I always thought she was pretty level headed.” Night Light laughed a little at that. “That’s because she never showed that side to you whenever she came home to visit.” He explained. “She wanted to be a big sister you could look up to.” “I’m always going to look up to her. She’s the best big sister in the whole world!” Night Shadow replied happily, smiling up at his father. Twilight Velvet giggled as she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, smiling at Night Shadow. “That’s good to hear. We know how much she adores you.” She told her son before motioning toward the kitchen. “Now, come on, it’s time for breakfast.” Twilight Velvet was a light grey, almost white unicorn mare with a purple and white striped main and tail with glacier blue eyes. Her mane was flat at the bangs with a slight triangle cut near the left end and curled back on itself at her neck, while her tail was flat with a similar triangle cut near the front end of her tail. Her cutie mark was three differently sized purple stars arranged in a triangle formation. Night Shadow smiled and got up from the couch before following his mother into the kitchen, ready to start his day. ***** Night groaned as he picked himself up from the pile of books that were scattered around him. He took another long study night, burying himself in spellbooks after a few of the other students had decided to prank him by locking him in one of the cleaning closets throughout the school. Though, he should thank them, as that little prank helped him learn teleportation magic. However, it did take him three hours to pull it off successfully. Shaking his head, he lit his horn and started to put all of his books back into their shelves, stretching out lightly as he did. It had been ten years since he took his entrance exam, and he was now one of the top students in the school, coming in at number ten in the top ten students. He didn’t really care about getting number one, he just wanted to follow in his elder sister’s hoofsteps, though, that seemed like an impossibility now. Looking over at the newspaper article he picked up a few days ago, he reread the front page like he had done every morning since he got it. "National Heroes Save Equestria! Written by Scoop Headlines. The Summer sun celebration in Ponyville took a turn for the worst when Princess Celestia suddenly disappeared just before she was called to raise the sun, and in her place came The Fabled Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon. Everything became a chaotic mess as Nightmare Moon declared that the night would last forever. However, six unlikely mares rose up to the challenge and ventured deep into the Everfree Forest to find the Elements of Harmony, the only magical artifacts rumored to be powerful enough to defeat Nightmare Moon. However, when Princess Celestia came back with the very same mares, the citizens of Ponyville, and Equestria, were shocked to learn that Nightmare Moon was really Princess Celestia’s younger sister, Princess Luna, and that the six mares who had saved her had become the Elements of Harmony themselves. Continued on page four with a full interview on page five." Night sighed as he looked away from the newspaper, Now he had two important siblings that he had to look up to. Shining Armor was the captain of Princess Celestia’s Royal guard and now Twilight was a national hero, saving a Princess from her darker self. And what was he famous for? Being the oldest blank flank in all of Equestrian History. He was seventeen years old and he still hadn’t gotten his cutie mark yet, much to his own chagrin. A knock at his bedroom chambers caused his ears to perk up as he was pulled out of his slowly darkening thoughts. Walking over to the door, he lit his horn up as the doorknob was encased in a deep purple glow, slowly opening the door to reveal the knocker, a pure white unicorn stallion with sky blue eyes, and a two-toned blue mane and tail wearing golden armor with a plume the same color as his mane and tail, one of Princess Celestia’s Royal Guards. “Princess Celestia would like to see you immediately in the throne room.” Night’s ears lowered as he gulped in fear. ***** Night slowly walked through the two large double doors of the Canterlot Castle Throne Room as two Royal Guards used their magic to open them. The room itself was rather huge with multiple different stained glass windows on either side as a red carpet let up to the throne pedestal where Princess Celestia sat, watching as he nervously made his way towards her, bowing just before the stairs to the throne. Princess Celestia was a pure white alicorn easily around five feet tall at the base of her horn. She had a green, blue, and pink main and tail that seemed to flow on an invisible current, and her eyes were just a darker shade of pink than her mane, resembling the first rays of a morning sunrise. Her cutie mark was of the very sun she rose and lowered each day, and she wore gold regal hoof slippers, a gold necklace with a purple gem in the shape of a diamond in the center, and a gold tri-tipped tiara with another purple diamond-shaped gem set in the middle point. “Princess Celestia.” Night Shadow greeted, staying bowed. “You wished to see me?” He couldn’t keep the nervousness from showing in his voice as he heard his voice shake a bit. A giggle sounded off in front of him in a slightly higher-pitched voice. “Thou truly lovest teasing thy subjects, sister.” The same voice commented as a hoofsteps could be heard behind Princess Celestia’s throne. Night lifted his head in time to see a smaller blue alicorn walk out from behind her elder sister’s throne. Princess Luna was quite a bit shorter than her sister, being only a bit taller than the average stallion. She had a regal glacier blue mane and tail, and her cutie mark was a patch of the night sky with a crescent moon. She wore light blue sparkled regal hoof slippers, a dark purple necklace with a crescent moon on the front, and a dark midnight blue tiara set just behind her horn. “Greetings, Princess Luna.” Night spoke up, returning his head down to bow properly again. “It is an honor to finally meet you.” “You may rise, Night Shadow,” Princess Celestia giggled. “You’re not in trouble, as you can possibly see." He slowly stood up with a sheepish blush adorning his darker fur as he looked up at the two alicorns. “Hehe… Sorry, Princess Celestia,” Night replied with a sheepish grin. “But, when one of your royal guards said that you wanted to see me immediately, my mind kind of jumped to the worst conclusion.” The sun princess shook her head with a soft smile as her sister took a seat beside the throne. “Actually, I called you here because I decided it was time for you to help your sister in her studies with the Magic of Friendship.” She corrected. Night tilted his head in confusion. “The Magic of Friendship?” He asked, not quite sure he understood what that was. “Yes, it is the magic that powers the Elements of Harmony,” Celestia explained, nodding to her sister. “It is also the very same magic that saved my dear sister.” In response to her sister’s comments, Princess Luna playfully shoved Princess Celestia while sticking her tongue out at her, causing the taller alicorn to chuckle. “In any case,” Celestia continued before things could get even more de-railed. “You will be moving to Ponyville and staying in the Golden Oaks Library with your sister. I also hope that you may benefit from learning the Magic of Friendship yourself.” Night’s eyes widened in excitement. The chance to not only spend time with his big sister, but also assist her in her studies? It was as if Princess Celestia had just given him the answer to his unspoken woes. Just as he was about to comment, a loud explosion could be heard just outside the castle walls, causing him to jump as he suddenly fell into his own shadow, literally sinking through it as if it were nothing more than a deep puddle. Flailing in the darkness, he didn’t know how he did it, nor why he could. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed his mind down enough to focus on imagining himself rising from his shadow. A few moments later, he opened his eyes to see the concerned expression of Princess Celestia and the bright-eyed, excited look of Princess Luna. “He is a shadow mage!” The blue alicorn shouted excitedly. “This is… truly rare.” Celestia agreed, looking at Night before suddenly smirking. “And it looks like the surprises just keep coming.” Night tilted his head, obviously confused before Princess Luna trotted up to him and pointed at his flank. Taking the hint, he looked back to see a black magic circle on his flank, extending as if in an oval shape before bending ninety degrees as stopping a little way up, as if it were the shadow of a physical magic circle. “I….” Night stared at his flank for a few moments, clearly speechless. Princess Luna grinned down at him, clearly excited for him, both that he was a shadow mage, and also because he finally received what he was missing for so long. “I got my cutie mark!” Night finally shouted, jumping up in excitement as Princess Luna laughed joyously at his enthusiasm. Princess Celestia giggled before catching Night’s attention. “Go and pack your belongings,” She told him. “I’ll have a chariot ready in thirty minutes to take you to Ponyville.” Night nodded in excitement before turning around and galloping back to his dorm. Once he was out of sight, Princess Celestia sighed and slumped in her throne. “A shadow mage has been born into this era.” She told her sister. “I pray he will be better than the last.”
Chapter 2“Nighty!” A pair of lavender forelegs wrapped themselves around Night’s neck, nearly bowling him over as soon as he got off the chariot, the pegasus guards - who looked almost exactly like the unicorn guards of the castle - watching passively as they unhooked themselves to get started on moving his belongings into the tree turned library. Night looked down at his big sister, who had practically embedded herself to him, chuckling as he gently hugged her around her neck. She was a lavender unicorn mare, a little shorter than him, despite being two years older. Her deep purple eyes, which were currently behind her closed eyelids, were a couple shades lighter than his own, which he was kind of glad for, as it made ponies think they were blood relations. Her mane and tail were a dark purple with pink and violet strips running through them, in almost the same exact style as her mother, minus the curl at the end of her mane. Her cutie mark was a pink and white six-sided star with mini sparkles around it. “I can’t believe we get to live together again!” Twilight gushed, taking a few steps back to look at him. “It’ll be just like the good old days!” Night couldn’t help but grin at his sister’s enthusiasm, nearly bubbling with excitement himself. An airy chuckle came from somewhere behind Twilight, causing Night’s ears to perk up as he looked in the direction that the sound came from. His eyes widened when he saw five mares and a baby dragon standing off to one side of the library, all wearing different expressions of happiness or mirth. “Ah think ya should give him a chance ta speak, Twi,” One of the mares spoke in a southern style drawl, causing Night to imagine her with a haystalk in her mouth and a holstered weapon at her side. “‘Sides, ya haven’t even introduced him to tha rest of us.” The mare who had spoken was a slightly orange earth pony, her coat nearly being more of a tanned color than actually orange. Her mane and tail were the color of golden wheat, both tied at the end in loose ponytails, which Night found a bit comedic, considering they were all ponies. Her green eyes danced with mirth as she watched Twilight fidget sheepishly, a light brown stetson resting atop her head, reinforcing the wild west thought that built its way into Night’s mind. Her cutie mark was a trio of red apples in a triangle format. “Oh, right,” Twilight replied Sheepishly, smiling back at her friend. She turned back to Night before leading toward the others, stopping in front of the baby dragon. His scales were light purple with a light green underbelly, ear fins, and verticle spines, and emerald eyes, which, for some reason, made him think of the name Spyro for some reason. He thought it might’ve had something to do with his past life, but, the memories were hazy, as if they were the lingering afterthoughts of a dream. “This is Spike,” Twilight introduced. “I kind of ended up hatching him in my entrance exam, and he became my number one assistant.” She explained, smiling happily at her younger brother. Night nodded in greeting to the young drake who simply just waved back before heading back into the library. “I’m gonna go double-check and make sure his room is ready for him, Twi,” Spike called back before he was out of sight. Twilight smiled in the direction her assistant walked off in before motioning to the mare who had spoken earlier. “This is Applejack. One of the most honest ponies you will ever meet with an impressively large family.” Applejack chuckled before offering her hoof to him, smiling as she did so. “Howdy, partner. It’s a pleasure to make yer acquaintance.” She greeted, grinning when Night gave her hoof a firm shake with his own. “Likewise,” He replied before one of the two pegasus mares walked up to him. She was sky blue in color with her main and tail being a starling rainbow color that somehow complimented her looks nicely, though, her messy mane made Night think she just didn’t like to brush it, whereas his just couldn’t be brushed that well to begin with. Her rose-colored eyes watched him for a few moments before she stuck her hoof out towards him. “Name’s Rainbow Dash. Fastest flier in Equestria and future Wonderbolt.” She introduced, smirking as Night shook her hoof as well. “Nice to meet you.” Night replied, not wanting to call her on her bluff lest she punched his jaw. Her personality reminded him of some of the bullies he had to deal with on a daily basis back at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, which already made him a little wary of her. A quick glance showed that her cutie mark was a tri-colored lightning bolt and cloud. “Come now, Rainbow,” The other unicorn mare suddenly spoke up, her voice sounding similar to some of the Canterlot Elite that he saw wherever he would visit his older brother when he as off duty. “Can you not be boastful for five minutes?” The unicorn mare had a pearly white coat that seamed to be brushed meticulously, giving off the impression that she was trying to impress somepony. Her royal purple mane and tail were curled elegantly, making Night think more of the Canterlot Elite. Her cutie mark was a trio of diamonds in a staggered formation. She slowly walked up to him and offered her hoof. “Greetings, darling.” She greeted, smiling regally. “My name is Rarity. It’s an honor to meet you.” Night smiled and gently took her hoof before leaning down and kissing it gently. “It’s an honor to meet you as well, miss Rarity.” He replied after letting go of her hoof. Rarity’s cheeks gently lit up with a soft pink blush as she self-consciously moved her bangs out of her face. Twilight quickly moved him away from the pearly mare and in front of the other pegasus mare, who seemed to be hiding behind her mane. She had a butter yellow coat, with a bright pink main and tail that nearly touched the ground. Once in a while, she would glance up at him to show her teal orbs that seemed to radiate purity and innocence. Quickly glancing past to her flank showed a trio of butterflies for her cutie mark. “This is Fluttershy.” Twilight introduced, motioning to the shy mare. “She’s actually really shy when it comes to meeting new ponies, so, please keep that in mind. And this is-” Whatever Twilight had said or was about to say was suddenly interrupted by a pink blur suddenly smashing into Night and pinning him to the ground. He found himself staring up at a very pink earth pony mare with a darker pink mane and tail and her sky blue eyes that seemed to trap him in their gaze. He was afraid to even look away for fear of what this pink monstrosity would do to him. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! I don’t even know your name yet, and I can already tell we’re going to be best friends!” The pink mare stated rapidly. “What is your name by the way? And how do you know Twilight? Ooh, are you actually her coltfriend?! Is that why you’re moving in with her? Hey, wait, you’re moving in with her, I need to make a welcome to Ponyville and a moving in party!” She suddenly took off in a blur of pink, leaving his mind reeling while also slightly shaking for fear of his sanity. “Are you okay?” Twilight asked, her concerned face coming into his view as she looked down at him before gently pulling him up to a sitting position, the other mares watching him curiously as he looked around at them. The pegasus guards soon came out of the library and started to reattach themselves to the chariot harness. “We got everything put into the room.” One of them informed. “We didn’t actually unpack anything though.” Well, Night would’ve been surprised if they had. Regardless, he nodded to them before they took off, flying back toward Canterlot. “Why are you all staring at him?” He heard Twilight ask next to him. Turning back to face the four remaining mares that had come with Twilight, he saw that they were indeed staring at him, causing him to tilt his head curiously, though, he secretly wanted to just run into the library and hide. “Well, don’t take this the wrong way, Twi, but…” Applejack started, looking over at the lavender unicorn. “We’re just trying to figure out how you know this stallion and why he’s moving in with you.” Rarity continued, smirking in a knowing way toward him that made him really not want to ask. “Yeah, I mean, for all we know, he could be your coltfriend or something.” Rainbow Dash finished for the other two, walking up to him and throwing a hoof around his neck. “I mean, not that I can blame you, he does seem easy on the eyes.” Night found himself conflicted, a blush forming on his face. He wanted to pull away from the pegasus mare that he was certain would be like the bullies back in Canterlot, but she had just given him, what he thought, was a pseudo compliment. There was also the fact that they seemed to think that Twilight and he were lovers, which made him all kinds of uncomfortable. Twilight’s face flushed when she heard Rainbow’s statement, shivering before shaking her head and stomping her hooves. “No! No, no, no, no, no! Night Shadow is my little brother!” Twilight told them, looking disturbed. “I’ve never even thought about him like- Sweet Celestia, no!” He sighed before looking at his older sister, lifting a hoof and placing it on her shoulder, causing her to snap her focus onto him. Shrugging himself out of Rainbow’s hold, he gently sat down next to Twilight, giving her a soft smile. She seemed to visibly relax at that, nodding to him before her eyes widened in surprise in the direction of his flank. “Wait, when did you get your cutie mark?” She exclaimed, rapidly looking up at him. He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment. “Uh, today actually.” He answered sheepishly. “While Princess Celestia was informing me that I would be moving down here with you.” He explained. “How? Tell me how it happened!” Twilight excitedly told him, a grin now on her face. So he explained about Princess Celestia’s summons to the throne room, meeting Princess Luna, and being informed about moving down to Ponyville. He told her about the loud explosion outside the castle walls that had surprised him so much that his magic activated, causing him to literally fall into his own shadow, the complete darkness within, and coming back out. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna said I was a Shadow Mage.” He informed her. “Princess Luna seemed excited, though Princess Celestia seemed worried for some reason. That’s when they pointed out my cutie mark to me.” Twilight was practically giddy by that point. Once he had finally finished speaking, she immediately latched onto him in another hug. “I can’t believe you and I got out cutie marks in similar ways!” She practically cheered, causing the other four mares to burst into giggles. “Wait, what do you mean similar ways?” Night asked, confused and intrigued. Twilight’s smile made him realize that he was in for a long story. “Let’s go into the library.” She told him, leading him inside, followed by the other mares. “It’s a story that we all share.” ***** Night stared at the five mares seated around him, not fully able to process what they had just told him. "So, let me get this straight." He stated before pointing at Rainbow Dash. "You performed a sonic rainboom, which gave you your cutie mark. But, the rainboom was seen by the rest of you, which surprised you all so much that you each got your cutie mark in various ways." "Pretty awesome, right?" Rainbow asked. They were all seated in Twilight's living room, which was actually just an assortment of couches and tables inside the main room of the library, with a fireplace sitting within one of the walls. "But... how could such a thing be possible?" He asked, looking to his sister for answers. Twilight giggled at his expression before explaining with. "All six of us are actually the Elements of Harmony." She explained. "I think that day we all got our cutie marks was the first time we were actually linked together by something special." Night was reeling at the new information he had just been given. Before he could even comment on anything, the door to the library suddenly slammed open. Quickly turning his head in that direction, he saw Pinkie Pie pulling a huge box of party supplies and even a canon into the library. "It's time to start decorating for this party!" She exclaimed, firing the cannon. Night, of course, dove under the table for fear of his own life.
Chapter 3Night looked up at the banner that now hung in the library with all the other party decorations. How they had all fit into that cannon was beyond him, but Twilight had warned him not to think about it too much, or else he may end up going crazy. Realizing he was getting distracted, he shook his head a bit before reading what was on the banner. "Welcome to Ponyville, and Congratulations on getting your Cutie Mark, Night Shadow!" But…. Pinkie wasn't even there! Night thought to himself, feeling his eye twitch a bit. How did she know I recently got my cutie mark?! Feeling someone bump their flank into him, he looked to the right and saw Twilight grinning impishly at him. "I told you not to think about it too much." She reminded him. "I once tried to figure out how Pinkie does everything she does, and I nearly went crazy myself. At the end of the day, I had to give in and just accept it." Night sighed before nodding and looking around the rest of the room. Tables were set up with food, cakes, and drinks, and, oddly enough, a bottle of hot sauce, much to his confusion. Games, like pin the tail on the dragon, some kind of spin the bottle game, and even twister were set up in different areas so that ponies could play different games at the same time. "What do you think?" He heard asked directly in his ear, which caused him to yelp and activate his magic, sinking into his shadow again. After the first time, he was a lot calmer, but he still needed to learn how to activate it at will. "Pinkie!" He suddenly heard Twilight exclaim. "Stop scaring my brother!" He could hear ponies while he's in his own shadow? That might be useful, but he still needed to learn how to activate it. "Whoops, sorry, Twilight." Pinkie giggled, not sounding sorry at all. Shaking his head, Night refocused before he came out of his shadow again, taking a deep calming breath when he did. "You okay, Nighty?" Twilight asked, gently placing a hoof on his shoulder. He smiled at her before nodding a bit. "I'll be fine. Just need to learn to control my magic better, is all." He assured. "Wait, you can become a shadow?" Rainbow Dash suddenly asked, zipping towards him and hovering in the air as she looked down at him. "That is so awesome!" She exclaimed, doing a quick back flip in the air before landing before him. "Well, I'm not entirely sure what I'm able to do yet." Night corrected. "That was only the second time I've used that magic, and both times were because I was startled by something." "We know the Princesses called you a Shadow Mage." Twilight said, switching to her "thinking voice" as Night had affectionately called it when he was young. "But, we still have no clue what that means, nor who the previous Shadow Mage before you was." Night thought back to what the Princesses had discussed when he first found out that he was a Shadow Mage. “Princess Celestia looked pretty scared when she found out.” He told Twilight. “I get the feeling that whoever was the Shadow Mage before me ended up going evil.” Twilight looked deep in thought for a few moments before he felt somepony literally shove a cupcake down his throat. “Enough of that thinking talk, it’s party time!” Pinkie exclaimed before opening the library door and letting several ponies in. Night had just recovered from nearly choking on the pink mare’s hoof. Now he had to deal with even more ponies that could potentially judge him. Before he even knew it, he was hiding behind the couch, trying to stay out of sight of the other ponies. Of course, he was more worried about the older ponies, so he didn’t notice the three young fillies that managed to make their way next to him. “Why are you hiding?” He heard a soft tomcolt-ish voice ask, which caused him to jump in surprise. Swinging his head to the left, he spotted three young fillies looking right at him. The middle filly was an earth pony with a soft orange coat that almost looked yellow, with a frizzy red mane and tail with a large pink bow in her mane. Her reddish-orange eyes looked up at him with a confused expression on her face. The filly to the left of her was a unicorn with a snow white coat and a styled pink and purple mane and tail. Her green eyes seemed to be focused on his deep purple ones making him feel a little uncomfortable and not entirely sure how to handle the attention. The third filly was a pegasus with an orange coat and a magenta-ish almost purple messy mane and tail. Her soft purple eyes looked at him with a questioning expression on her face, making him believe that he was the one who had asked him the question. “Oh, um….” He tried to come up with some kind of excuse, but nothing seemed to be convincing enough. After a few moments of contemplating, he decided to just tell them the truth. “I just got my cutie mark today, and I’ve been bullied my whole life because of being a blank flank, so, I’m a little afraid of how these ponies will react when they learn that I only just recently got one.” He told them after a sigh. “Wait, fer real?” The middle filly asked him, eyes widening in surprise as the two other fillies beside her also looked surprised. He sighed and nodded before pointing up to the party banner that was still on the walls. After explaining how he got his cutie mark, the three young fillies’ expressions suddenly changed, as if they got an idea. “Come on! Let’s go see if getting startled will give us our cutie marks!” The pegasus filly asked as they ran out of the library in a hurry. He watched the three young fillies leave before he heard a hearty chuckle from behind him. Turning around, saw Applejack making his way toward him. “Ah see y’all just met my little sister and her friends.” She said once she was close enough for him to hear her without shouting. “Ah, I didn’t even know she was your sister, as none of them introduced themselves.” Night replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. She nodded in understanding. “My sister’s name is Apple Bloom, and her two friends are named Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.” She explained. “Sweetie Belle is actually Rarity’s younger sister.” Night just stared at her in surprise for a few moments before finally shaking his head. “So, you and Rarity have little sisters. Good to know, now I have to watch what I say even more than usual.” He muttered. It was supposed to come out like a joke, but, he actually sounded a bit nervous about it. “Nah, y’all got nothin’ ta worry ‘bout.” She told him with a soft chuckle. “You just need to make sure they don’t get any bad ideas about gettin’ their cutie marks from what you tell ‘em.” “Well, that explains why they were suddenly so excited.” Night sighed. “I think they might try and get their cutie marks by being startled by something, the same way Twi and I were.” They suddenly heard three screams and then a chorus of disappointed “Aw.” Author's Note Sorry for the shorter chapter. I was just stuck on this one for way too long and needed to get it out soon. I'll try and go back to writing longer chapters soon, so, please bear with me. I hope you still enjoy my writing.
Chapter 4Author's Note Special thanks to thatboi for helping me finish this chapter. Honestly would've taken much longer to write if he hadn't helped me with ideas/feedback, so, thanks again, man, hope you enjoy! And I'm trying to get back into a steady writing groove, but, no promises because of life. Chapter 4 "Tell me again, why are we playing this game?" Night asked? He sat on the floor with his sister and her friends as the party went on behind them. They were formed in a circle around a glass bottle that had an enchantment cast upon it and etched into it. He had gotten used to the ponies around him once he knew they weren't as judgemental as the ponies in Canterlot. "Because Spin the Bottle Truth or Dare is a great way to get to know my friends and get a better sense of their personalities," Twilight told him, a book on different types of magic in front of her as Rainbow Dash spun the bottle, looking more than a bit upset. He couldn't exactly blame her. So far she's had to drink spoiled milk, let Rarity give her pigtails, and lick the bottom of her hooves when the bottle landed on her, as she would stubbornly choose dare each time. Night warily watched the bottle start to slow its rotations as the recently revealed Cutie Mark Crusaders - as they liked to call themselves - sat off to the side watching everything with wide-eyed excitement. "I can understand that, but why did this game have to be the first one we play?" He asked. His eyes suddenly widened as the bottle stopped, pointing right at him. "Hah! Looks like it's your turn, Night!" Rainbow shouted before groaning and laying back down on her stomach. "Truth or Dare." She finished sounding as upset as her stomach no doubt felt. "Ah, uh, um…" He nervously stuttered for a few minutes, looking around before finally facing the cyan pegasus. "Truth." “Have you ever seen the Wonderbolts put on a live show?” She asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement, suddenly leaning forwards toward him, which caused him to back up a bit in fear and uncertainty. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed himself down before relaxing and answering the pegasus in front of him. “Yes, I have, but, only a couple of times when my older brother was off duty.” He told her, the bottle in front of him turning green, signaling to everyone that he was telling the truth. Rainbow grinned, holding her cheeks as she squealed, “So cool.” Sighing a bit in relief now that his turn was over, Night reached out and spun the bottle, watching it spin, hoping he didn’t show just how scared he was when he was spun. “See?” He heard Twilight ask as she bumped into his left shoulder. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He scowled a bit at her before playfully sticking his tongue out at her as the bottle slowly stopped to point at Rarity. The pearly white unicorn smiled kindly at him before speaking. “Truth.” He nodded before placing a hoof to his chin as he thought about it. After a few moments of thinking, he finally asked his question. “What do you think of the Canterlot Elite?” Rarity’s eyes lit up before answering. “Why, they are the elite of the elite in Canterlot. Only those with either some form of connection to Princess Celestia or a famous business within Canterlot may join them! Oh, how I would love to attend one of their garden parties!” He sighed a bit at her answer as the bottle glowed green. “Was my answer not up to your satisfaction?” Rarity asked, sounding a bit worried. Twilight shook her head before placing a hoof on Night’s shoulder, silently asking permission. He gave her a slight nod before she looked back at Rarity. “Night has had some… less than pleasant encounters with the Canterlot Elite.” She told her as he levitated a soda over to himself before taking a sip from it. “Every time they were at the Castle and Night would accompany me to speak to Princess Celesia, they would verbally call out him not having a cutie mark and demand that he leave the courtyard.” Rarity’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing the news, and she looked at Night who rotated the bottle to face him. “It’s true. It got to the point that whenever the Canterlot Elite were having a party in the castle courtyard, Princess Celestia would have my school notes and homework delivered to my dorm room.” He explained, the bottle once again glowing green. “Uhm… Maybe we should continue playing the game so Night isn’t uncomfortable?” Fluttershy asked quietly before she lowered her head down. “I mean, if you want to, that is.” He smiled at the butter-yellow pegasus before shaking his head. “It’s fine. I needed to get it off my chest sooner or later.” He told her before motioning to Rarity to spin the bottle. The party lasted a few more hours before everyone started to head back to their homes. Rarity had tried to apologize profusely about the dare she had given him, and he assured her it was fine. He had learned quite a bit about Twilight’s friends, so it was worth it in the end. Night was about to head up the stairs to start unpacking his things when a voice stopped him. “Do ya have a minute, Night?” Applejack asked. Wondering what Applejack wanted to talk about, he stepped away from the staircase so that Twilight could walk up with Spike on her back so she could put him to bed. “Sure,” Night replied, facing the orange farm mare. “What do you want to talk about?” She motioned for him to follow her to the couch before sitting on it herself. “Ah wanted ta ask ya about yer time in Canterlot.” She revealed once he was sitting on the couch as well. “Ah know ya said the Canterlot Elite treated ya unfairly, but, somethin’ tells me more than that went on up there.” He sighed, lowering his head a bit in resignation. He would have to tell someone eventually. Might a well rip the bandaid off now. “You’re right,” He soon replied, looking back up at her. “When I was seven years old I was able to enroll in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and pass the entrance exam. Though, mine was quite a bit different than Twilight’s, since she actually managed to hatch the only dragon egg the school had at the time.” The two shared a small laugh as Twilight came back downstairs to listen to the conversation and help input pieces that Night wasn’t aware of. “Anyway, the whole school, even my parents and Twilight, expected me to get my Cutie Mark in magic.” He continued. “Imagine their surprise when I passed the entrance exam easily and still no Cutie Mark appeared.” “Surprise? That’s quite the understatement there.” Twilight told her little brother, ruffling his mane as she used to when they were younger. “I was completely shocked at the turn of events. My own little brother, who studied just as much as me for the upcoming exam, not gaining a Cutie Mark.” He nodded and shook his head. “Honestly I thought I was going to fail right then and there because my special talent wasn’t magic. It took Princess Celestia herself to convince me that my special talent might still be in magic, just in a special type of magic.” He told Applejack before looking at his Cutie Mark. “I’m glad she was right.” Applejack smiled and nodded at his words. “Ah’m glad that worked out fer ya. But, Ah think y’all are getting a bit sidetracked.” She replied with a playful smirk at the end. “Oh, right, sorry.” He responded sheepishly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He honestly hated what he went through the first few weeks after the entrance exam and didn’t exactly want to relive them, but, he knew he had to talk about them at some point. “After I was officially accepted into the school, I arrived the next day with my saddlebags and a bit of my own personal belongings to settle into my dorm room. The first couple of days seemed fine. Then, the bullying started.” He closed his eyes, trying not to think about it too much and only tell her what he was comfortable with. Which wasn’t much, to be honest, but, he had to tell her at least a little of what went on. “For the first few weeks I was there, I was constantly called different names, like Blank Flank, Freak, and other names I don’t want to remember.” He continued after a small pause. “I’d find my saddlebags hung in one of the taller trees of the campus, my bedding pulled apart with either juice or soda poured onto the mattress and sheets, and I was physically pushed around and toyed with by several of the older students as well as my own classmates.” “It didn’t help that he was having trouble with his levitation magic at the time,” Twilight revealed. “He learned new spells so fast, but, he would have trouble casting them at varying distances or degrees of potency. And I only know of these acts second hoof. I was told by Princess Celestia after a month of Night being enrolled in the school.” He nodded before looking up to the ceiling to clear his thought before resuming the story. “Once Twilight was informed about what had been going on, she tried to stick up for me. But, that just made the bullying even worse. It got to a point where I just couldn’t stay there anymore. I sent a letter to my parents telling them about what had been going on and that I planned on coming home.” Applejack scratched the side of her head in confusion. “But, Ah thought y’all came from the school when ya moved down here.” She asked. Twilight nodded. “You see, once our parents had gotten his letter, they sent it to me with their own letter expressing their concern.” She explained. “I brought both letters to Princess Celestia and once she was made aware of how unwelcome Night was feeling, she gave him private classes with all his teachers, and they were more than willing to do so, having felt like they failed to notice what was going on with one of their students.” “So, yer telling me that Night got private classes because he was constantly bullied by the other students?” Applejack asked, sounding a tad bit suspicious over it all. “Not exactly.” Night corrected, giving Twilight a look that clearly said he wasn’t amused. “I did get my own private dorm. Princess Celestia just gave Twilight a new class assignment. Help me learn magic in place of the teachers.” “So the teachers just gave up on ya?” Twilight nodded, looking a bit angry over it all. “They said that if Night was being bullied by the other students, then he would have to get over it. They would stop eventually.” “Those no-good inconsiderate varments. What were they thinkin’, leaving a seven-year-old colt to fend fer himself from bullies.” “It was Canterlot. The mentality there is mostly all about status and old fashioned notions.” Night replied, shaking his head at the memories. “Anyway, I should go upstairs and unpack my stuff before I turn in for the night.” He excused himself, sliding off the couch and walking towards the stairs. “Alright. Well, if ya ever need somepony ta rant to, you got Twilight and me. I’m more than happy ta help out a friend.” Applejack told him, causing him to freeze in his tracks. “We’re friends?” He asked, confused, looking back at the farm mare. “But, we just met earlier today.” Twilight and giggled before patting his shoulders. “And I became friends with her in about the same time, once I actually got to know her.” She revealed. Night blinked a few times, looking between the two of them. Forty-five minutes later, he was lying on his new bed, looking up at the ceiling of his new room. In less than a day, he had gotten his cutie mark, found out he was a shadow mage - which was so rare that they were only born every one thousand years - moved in with his older sister again, met her number one assistant - who happened to be a baby dragon - and her five closest friends, and then had a party thrown for him. “What have I gotten myself into?” He asked himself before slowly closing his eyes and letting himself drift off into sleep.
