Shadowbloom

by Matthais Unidostres

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure, Spoiled Rich, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Mystery, Dark, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 12020

Princess Luna should've taken Applebloom's shadow more seriously.

Applebloom's life couldn't be better. The Cutie Mark Crusaders all have their Cutie Marks, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon have stopped being bullies, the Apple siblings know the truth about their parents, Grand Pear and Granny Smith have finally let go of their mutual hatred and put the Apple-Pear feud in the past, the Crusaders are allowed to be tutors in the School of Friendship, Cozy Glow is in Tartarus, Scootaloo is no longer in danger of being forced to move away, and all the worries that had been giving Applebloom nightmares have ceased to exist.

Unfortunately, there's something who doesn't appreciate Applebloom's newfound contentment. Something that has long since been overlooked by Princess Luna of all ponies. Even worse, it plans to find a sense of contentment of its own; and with a little help from Spoiled Rich, it just might succeed in doing so, with catastrophic consequences for everycreature in Ponyville.

Published 2020-07-12 18:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-01-01 19:26:29 UTC

Chapter 2: Remember to Forget

"Fillies and gentle-colts of all ages! The time has come for The Super-Ultra-Extreme-Awesomazing Derby to begin!"

The massive crowd of ponies cheered as they stood in the stands made of clouds, which floated high in the sky on either side of the starting line for the amazing race that was about to begin.

"That's right, race fans! Today we shall see who the greatest flier in all of Equestria truly is? Will it be Rainbow Dash? Will it be Flash Magnus? Or will it be the one. . .the only. . . SCOOTALOO!"

Scootaloo tore through a cloud, flapping her wings strongly as soared over the crowd, which chanted her name with the utmost adoration. The orange filly pulled a couple of loop-de-loops before flying over to the starting line, touching down right in between Rainbow Dash and Flash Magnus.

Rainbow smirked at the filly and said, "We ain't gonna go easy on you, Scoots."

Flash Magnus nodded and said with a smile, "Of course. It would be an insult if we did."

Scootaloo grinned eagerly as she nodded her head enthusiastically, "Thanks, guys. I'm gonna give it my all, so you better watch out!"

"On your mark. . .get set. . . . . . ."

Scootaloo lowered her head and held her wings open and at the ready, putting all her focus in pushing herself to her limit.

". . . GO!"

Scootaloo shot off like a firecracker, and she found herself already neck and neck with Rainbow Dash and Flash Magnus from the get go. However, Rainbow Dash quickly gained the lead, and soon was sever yards ahead and headed towards a series of thin cirrus cloud pillars.

Flash Magnus tried to slip by Scootaloo, but the filly just laughed and flew in front of him, calling out, "Oh no, you don't!"

Scootaloo then pulled ahead and quickly weaved in and out of the cirrus cloud obstacles, and she could head Flash Magnus call out from behind her, "Rainbow Dash had taught you well!"

Filled with pride and confidence, Scootaloo quickly cleared the pillars and moved on to a series of cloud rings. She extended her forelegs and put her wings into overtime, allowing her to zip right through every single ring, making sharp turns and direction changes in an instant. Before long, she had caught up to Rainbow Dash, and the two were in the home stretch.

"No way! You are one awesome filly, sis!" Rainbow called out as the pair soared towards the finish line.

Smiling bigger than she ever had, Scootaloo kept her eye on the price, her forehooves held out towards the ribbon strung across the finish line. Her wings were tingling in a very pleasant way, and the goal kept getting closer and closer, until finally, Scootaloo's hooves broke through the ribbon, and the crowd cheered and chanted her name.

It was at that very moment, as the euphoric feeling of wining the race move through her, that a portal suddenly opened up right in front of Scootaloo, and she had no way of stopping herself from zipping straight through it.

The next thing Scootaloo knew, she was tangled up in a thick, heavy, red velvet curtain. Scootaloo eventually managed to wriggle her way out, and she stopped to take a confused look at her new surroundings. She appeared to be backstage in some sort of theater, and she could also make out the sound of a piano being played.

Curious, and more than a little confused, Scootaloo crawled out underneath the curtain to see that the music was coming from a piano that was being played by Coloratura. Next to Coloratura was Sweetie Belle standing before a microphone. What's more, a huge crowd of ponies were sitting in an audience that seemed to go on for an infinity in every direction.

As Coloratura accompanied her, Sweetie Belle stood before the audience and sang her own heart out.

"I am just a pony
I make mistakes from time to time
But now I know the real me
And put my heart out on the line

And let the magic in my heart stay true
Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa
And let the magic in my heart stay true
Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa
Just like the magic inside of you

Just like the magic inside of you..."

The audience let out an enormous cheer as the curtain came down on Sweetie Belle's performance. The filly then happened to turn around and spot Scootaloo nearby.

"Why are you standing backstage, Scootaloo? You should be in the front row," Sweetie Belle asked, looking perplexed.

Scootaloo was nearly as confused as Sweetie Belle, and she replied, "Well, first of all, I'm pretty sure this is a dream."

Sweetie Belle was surprised by this and said, "A dream? Seriously?"

Suddenly, Coloratura seemed to explode in a burst of light as she got up from the piano. When the light faded, the image of Twilight Sparkle floated over towards the two fillies.

"Twilight?" Sweetie Belle said, looking even more confused at this point, "What's going on?"

The sparkling form of Twilight Sparkle smiled warmly at the fillies, only to then give them a more serious expression as she said, "Listen closely, my little ponies. There is a dark shadow within Applebloom's mind. It has poisoned her dreams and seeks to devour one of her very memories. Go forth, and protect your friend, lest dark machinations become fully realized."

The sparkling alicorn then vanished in a flash of light, leaving behind a wooden door with Applebloom's Cutie Mark on it.

The two fillies stared at the door in stunned silence, then Scootaloo snapped out of it and said, "Come on! Applebloom's in trouble! We gotta help her!"

Scootaloo quickly pushed the door open, and Sweetie Belle wordlessly followed her through the doorway.

Applebloom tearfully stood at the locked gates of Sweet Apple Acres. The large foreclosure notice seemed to mock her with its very presence.

"Ya just couldn't keep a secret, could ya?" came the disgusted voice of Applejack.

Applebloom turned around to see the rest of her family glaring hatefully at her. She shrunk back in shame, withering under the combined glares of Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith.

"Ah. . .Ah didn't mean to-," Applebloom muttered.

"That secret recipe for Zap Apple Jam was the most precious thing we owned," Applejack continued, her glare icy cold and her tone bitter and harsh.

"But now it ain't secret, or special, no more," Big Mac said with both heartbreak and loathing tainted his deep voice.

Granny Smith sneered at Applebloom and said, "Ah suppose you just weren't fit to learn that Apple Family secret. Ah shoulda never trusted you with it!"

Applebloom collapsed to the ground and started sobbing, "Ah'm sorry. . .Ah don't know how this even happened! Ah would never have told-."

"APPLEBLOOM!!"

The farm filly turned her head to see Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo galloping towards her. The pegasus reached her first and helped her up onto her hooves. Sweetie Belle quickly caught up and asked, "Are you okay?"

Applebloom shook her head and said, "No! Ah'm not okay! Ah somehow let everypony know about mah family's secret Zap Apple Jam recipe, we lost the farm, and now everypony hates me because Ah couldn't-."

Scootaloo suddenly grabbed Applebloom's face and shouted, "Applebloom! Snap out of it! It's not real! None of it's real!"

Sweetie Belle nodded her head rapidly and said, "Yeah! It's all just a dream!"

Applebloom's eyes widened. "This. . .is a dream?"

Scootaloo let go of Applebloom's face and proceeded to flap her wings and hover a fair distance above the ground.

Applebloom blinked and said, "Oh. Okay."

Sweetie Belle gently put a hoof on Applebloom's shoulder and said, "You know your family loves you and would never hate you, right?"

Realization struck Applebloom hard, and her tears vanished instantly as she said with a smile, "That's right! They wouldn't!" She then turned around to face the imaginary ponies and said, "So, how about you git on out of here, ya fakers!"

Applebloom expected the fake family members to simply vanish and the nightmare to end. However, she certainly did not expect Big Mac to point a threatening hoof at the Cutie Mark Crusaders and shout, "DESTROY THEM!"

Applejack lunged forward and tackled both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle to the ground. She slammed her strong forehooves down onto the two fillies, pressing down hard on Applebloom's back and forcing the right side of Sweetie Belle's face into the ground.

Meanwhile, Granny Smith impossibly flipped into the air and landed right on top of Scootaloo. The orange pegasus found herself with a mouthful of dirt as Granny Smith forced her face into the ground with supernatural strength for a mare of her age. Scootaloo fought hard to wriggle free or kick the elderly mare off, but Granny Smith had Scootaloo pinned down dead to rights. Growling through the dirt in her mouth, Scootaloo focused hard and threw her wings open, which were now nearly 10 times their original size. This sudden wing growth sent Granny Smith flying into the distance, and Scootaloo quickly took the air and shouted, "Guys! Remember! This a dream! We can do anything!"

At the sound of Scootaloo's urging, Sweetie found the will to concentrate some magic within her horn and release it in an arc that flew right into Applejack's hat. The stetson suddenly grew a pair of angry eyes and came alive, chomping down over Applejack's head. The mare got off of the fillies and blindly staggered off as the hat chewed on her head.

Sweetie Belle got up and smiled as she quipped, "I'd hate to see how Rarity would react to that fashion faux pas!"

Applebloom got up as well, stretching a bit due to the attack on her back. She turned and looked nervously at Big Mac, who had a very grim expression on his face as he stared the two fillies down. Sweetie Belle's smile disappeared, as she was quickly intimidated by the huge stallion. Big Mac cracked his neck twice, and then scrapped at the ground with his right forehoof, a dangerous look in his eye all the while.

Scootaloo immediately landed in front of her friends and extended her over-sized wings defensively, doing her best to power through her nerves and look brave. Big Mac only let out a deep laugh reminiscent of King Sombra, and immediately charged forward, roaring a war cry all the way.

Scootaloo gave her huge wings a flap, and Sweeite Belle's horn sparked slightly as the two quickly ran through ideas of how to repel the maddened stallion. However, the tide instantly changed when Applebloom suddenly reared up on her hind legs and then stomped the ground hard with her forehooves.

There was a brilliant flash, and Big Mac skidded to halt in awe of the figure that suddenly appeared between him and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was a tall, deer-like creature that had green legs and an orange head. Instead of antlers, it had branches which sprouted autumn leaves, along with a few red apples.

"What is that?" Sweetie Belle gasped in shock as Scootaloo simply stared in confusion.

Applebloom smiled smugly and said, "Sweetie Belle. Scoots. Meet the Great Seedlin'!"

The Great Seedling raised a hoof and lightly stomped the ground, and green vines began to sprout up all around Big Mac. The vines wrapped around the stallion's legs, holding him still as even more, thicker vines sprouted up as well. Soon her was completely captured by the plant life, and could only struggle in vain as he was slowly pulled down into the ground.

"Dark. . .yet darker. . ."* Big Mac croaked out as he was pulled down into his own shadow.

Applebloom nodded and said, "Good riddance, ya faker!"

Scootaloo turned to face her friends, only for her wings to accidentally slap them both in their faces. "Whoops! Sorry!" Scootaloo said with sheepish grin, and her wings shrunk down back to their normal size, "Nice one, Applebloom!"

Applebloom hugged both her friends and said, "Ah would never had stood a chance if you girls hadn't come to help me! Did Princess Luna send you here?"

Sweetie Belle shook her head and said, "Actually, it was Twilight who told us you were in trouble."

Applebloom appeared confused by this. "Twilight? But ain't Princess Luna the one who walks through dreams?"

Scootaloo shrugged and said, "Maybe Luna's teaching Twilight how to do it? She is gonna replace Celestia and Luna when they retire after all."

Applebloom finished hugging her friends and said, "Well, Ah'm just glad you girls came. That was the worst nightmare Ah've had since my shadow came alive and tortured me with terrible Cutie Marks!"

Sweetie Belle suddenly became very alert. "Wait, did you say 'your shadow'?"

Applebloom nodded slowly and said, "Yeah. It was really creepy. But then Luna-."

"Twilight said that there was a dark shadow in your head!" Sweetie Belle said urgently, "And she said that it wanted to 'devour one of your memories,' whatever that means."

Applebloom got nervous from hearing this and asked, "Well, what does it mean?"

Scootaloo shook her head and said, "Well, we gotta stop it from happening, that's for sure."

"But how!?" Applebloom asked, growing more and more panicky by the second.

Scootaloo gestured to their surroundings and said, "We're in your head, Applebloom. See if you can take us to your memories or something."

Applebloom just stared blankly at Scootaloo.

"Just concentrate!" Scootaloo said impatiently, "Maybe something will happen."

Applebloom blinked, and lowered her head in determination. "Okay. . .Ah'll give it a try." She then closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, her face scrunched up in concentration. Slowly but surely, the Cutie Mark Crusaders' surroundings began to shift and warp, as if they were standing within the flowing surface of a river. Sweetie Apple Acres faded from existence, and in its place was a endless expanse of space speckled with distant stars. There were also glowing balls of light with moving images within them, and these spheres were no different than what appeared to be distance stars, as distance was one of the only differences between them along with size and the content of the images.

Applebloom opened her eyes and joined her friends in staring at their surrounding in wonder.

"These must be your memories, Applebloom!" Sweetie Belle said in awe as she looked within a nearby sphere and saw herself and Scootaloo stand up for Applebloom at Diamond Tiara's Cutescenera.

Applebloom frowned as she saw herself stealing Zecora's Heart's Desire flowers in another sphere, and she said, "Yeah. Ah guess so. . .But what do we do now? We don't even know what we're looking fer."

Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin and said, "Maybe there's a clue in that nightmare you were having?"

Applebloom thought about this and said, "Well, mah family was mad at me for letting the secret recipe for Zap Apple Jam git out. . ."

Sweetie Belle looked at Applebloom in confusion and said, "But you showed us how Zap Apples grow and all the signs you need to wait for before you can pick them. What's so secret about that?"

Applebloom shook her head and said, "No, not that. Ah'm talking about actually makin' the Zap Apples into jam. You gotta add stuff to it and cook it a certain way, otherwise it don't turn out good. Granny Smith only just shared the secret with me not too long ago."

Scootaloo smiled victoriously and said, "Then that's gotta be the memory! It has to be!"

". . .Ah guess that makes sense," Applebloom said slowly, then she looked around at the endless expanse of glowing orbs and said, "But how are we gonna find it?"

In answer to Applebloom's question, all of the nearby orbs, or faraway stars, suddenly shifted around. One orb flew right before Applebloom, and all it took was one look for her to see that it was the one they were looking for.

The farm filly looked up at her two friends with a nervous look in her eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out, then she said seriously, "Okay. . .Before we do this, Ah need you girls to Pinkie Promise that you won't tell anycreature about any part of the secret recipe." She then seemed to fly in close to the other two's faces and prodded each of them in their chests as she said in emphasis, "Not. A single. Part."

After a tense moment, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo immediately went through the appropriate motions and said, "Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye."

Applebloom smiled, fully satisfied, and then turned back to the floating memory. "Okay then. Are ya'll ready."

"Ready!" the two of them said.

The three fillies raised their right forehooves, and then touched them to the orb.

Applebloom followed Granny Smith into the kitchen, a giddy smile on her face and a spring in her step.

"Thank you so much, Granny! I can't believe Ah'm gonna learn one of the greatest Apple Family secrets!" the filly said excitedly.

Granny Smith was all smiled as well as she replied, "Well, what's not to believe, ya little whipper snapper! It's your right to learn it! Yer an Apple ain't ya?" Granny Smith let out a quick laugh, then but a forehoof on the filly's shoulder and said softly, "Just remember, this recipe ain't ever to be written down. Ya'll never forget it once its up here. . ." the elderly mare moved her forehoof to gently poke Applebloom on forehead, ". . .and nopony can ever take it from ya once it's locked in here."** She then gently placed her forehoof over Applebloom's heart.

Applebloom became just a bit misty eyes at this, her face was utterly adorable as she looked up at her grandmother with pride. "Ah understand, Granny. Ya can count on me!"

Neither of the two ponies were conscious of the glowing red eyes and smile that lurked within Applebloom's shadow. The malignant face remained quiet and silently observed the scene as it played out before it.

Granny nodded and said, "Alright now, and listen up closely, ya hear." She then turned to the kitchen counter, where a load of rainbow colored Zap Apples were sitting. "The Zap Apples are all washed and clean and sparkling for us. Before we even start cutting into 'em, we gotta get our ingredients set up. First off is-."

The scene was instantly shattered by three things happening at once. Sweetie Belle dived in through the window. Scootaloo crashed down through the ceiling, and a second Applebloom burst in through the door. What's more, all three of the intruders were shouting the same thing:

"STOP!"

After a burst of light, the Cutie Mark Crusaders found themselves back into the sparkling, endless expanse of Applebloom's mindscape, with the memory they had just entered and been ejected from floating before them.

Applebloom blinked her eyes and looked over at her two equally confused and disoriented friends.

"Did we do it?" she asked nervously.

"You really shouldn't be wasting your time like this."

All three fillies were greatly unnerved by the voice echoing around them.

"Who said that!?" Sweetie Belle asked anxiously as she frantically looked around.

Scootaloo's eyes suddenly widened, and she shouted, "Applebloom! Behind you!"

Applebloom quickly turned around to see a pitch black form slowly rising upward and forming into a familiar shape. It stood out starkly against the peaceful and beautiful surroundings of the young filly's mindscape. Once the dark figure reached its full size, the glowing red eyes and smile appeared and it spoke in a placating manner, "You can't hide anything from me, Applebloom. Not even with your friends help. It'll be better for you if you stop worrying about things you have no control over."

"OKAY!" Scootaloo shouted loudly, visibly terrified by what she was seeing, "I'd rather face ten headless horses that whatever that thing is!"

Applebloom glared at the shadow and demanded, "Why are ya doing this ta me? How are ya even still here? Aren't you just supposed to be a part of me?"

"I am," the shadow said simply, still smiling, "So you should really just let me take what I need instead of inconveniencing your friends like this."

"Not so fast, Shadowbloom!" Sweetie Belle said, pointing an accusing hoof at the shadow.

"Shadowbloom?" Applebloom echoed with a raised eyebrow.

Sweetie Belle shrugged and said, "We gotta call it something."

"Shadowbloom. . .How interesting," the shadow remarked.

"Anyway," Sweetie Belle said, and she put her hoof down and continued, "Applebloom is our friend, and we're here to help her. We're not inconvenienced, and we're not wasting our time! You're not touching any of Applebloom's memories as long as we're around!"

Scootaloo was emboldened by Sweetie Belle's courage, and she quickly stood closer to the unicorn filly and said, "Y-yeah! You want 'em? Then you gotta go through us first!"

Applebloom smiled and said, "You girls are the best."

"None of that will really make any difference," the shadow said in it's almost pleasant sing-song voice, "You can't stay in Applebloom's mindscape all the time. But I can. You can't protect that memory forever. As long as it remains here, it is only a matter of time before I claim it."

Applebloom scowled at the shadow, memories of the horrid nightmares she had endured because of it assaulting her very soul. "Fine then!" she shouted, "If that's the way it is, then Ah'm just gonna have to fix it so that ya'll never be able to get it!"

A flash of light enveloped Applebloom, and she was suddenly wearing her Twittermite catching gear from her first nightmare, and the chamber was already filled with the electrical insects. Applebloom slammed the end of the funnel-shaped nozzle on top of the memory orb.

Applebloom smirked at the shadow and said, "Ah wouldn't have ever though of this if it weren't fer you, ya know."

"This is a mistake, Applebloom. You know better than this," it replied.

Applebloom closed her eyes as she put her gear into reverse, blowing all of the volatile bugs out of the chamber on her back, through the hose and nozzle, and straight into the memory orb. A loud, high pitched buzzing filled the air, and the memory orb trembled and shook violently from all the bugs being forced into it. Then, with one final buzz, the orb exploded in a burst of lightning, blinding everyone present to witness it.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle rubbed their eyes as their sight slowly returned, and they immediately saw Applebloom on her knees, moaning as she rubbed her forehead. Both fillies immediately ran over to assist their friend.

"Applebloom! Are you okay!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"What did you do!?" Scootaloo shouted.

Applebloom shook of her dizziness, then said with a nod, "It's gone. . .I got rid of the memory. The secret recipe ain't in mah head anymore."

Applebloom's friends both gasped.

"But-but. . ." Sweetie Belle stammered out, ". . .But isn't that a super special Apple Family thing?"

"Yeah! That's not right!" Scootaloo added, "So you'll never, ever be able to make Zap Apple Jam?"

Much to their surprise, Applebloom just smiled and chuckled, "Aw, it's not like that at all! Ah'll still be able to make it, cause Ah still know the recipe!"

Sweetie Belle tilted her head in confusion and asked, "But. . .didn't you just say it's not in your head anymore?"

Applebloom nodded, "Yeah, it's not up there anymore. . .", she then placed her right forehoof over her heart and said, ". . .but it's still locked up right in here, where nopony can take it from me. Sure, Ah might not be able to list off all the ingredients and steps from memory; but as long as it's in mah heart, Ah can still make it without even thinkin' about it."

Applebloom saw the confused looks on her friends faces, and she chuckled a bit and said, "Aw, come on, ya'll know! It's like when you're riding your scooter and doing awesome tricks, Scootaloo. Or when you're singing from your heart, Sweetie Belle. Ya see?"

Realization suddenly came over the other two's faces, and they nodded in agreement.

"Oh yeah! So it's like that! Awesome!"

"I see. . . it's all about following your heart. I get it!"

"You should know that this doesn't change things all that much."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders all turned to see that the shadow was still there, and was still smiling at them.

Sweetie Belle glared at the shadow and said, "What do you know, Shadowbloom?!"

Eternally unfazed, the shadow said, "While acquiring that memory would have benefited me and my own desires, I do not truly need it to reach my ultimate goal. All it would have been was a shortcut to it."

Applebloom stared at the shadow and asked, "What in the hay are ya talkin' about?"

"Your teamwork and tenacity is impressive, although the fact that you are opposing me reveals your ignorance, as I pose a greater threat to you than you could ever imagine," it replied, still maintaining its smile as it's eyes grew slightly bigger and wider.

The fillies all suddenly felt a cold chill blow past them, and they instinctively huddled together in fear as the entity seemed to grow slightly bigger and taller.

"However," the entity said, "I should really repay you for what you have done for me. Not only did you show that it would be unwise to underestimate you, but you also provided me with a pleasing title to use in place of my True Name."

Sweetie Belle blinked owlishly and responded questioningly, "Shadowbloom?"

"I shall leave you to your own, more pleasant dreams now," Shadowbloom said, "But first, a warning, from me to you."

Shadowbloom suddenly increased in height exponentially, towering over the three fillies as it raised up a pair of forelegs and declared loudly, "When a shadow is devoured by an even darker shadow, the curtain will pull back and reveal. . .a world without light!"***

And then, everything went black.

There was the click of a lamp turning on, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders found themselves in the warm, safe, well lit interior of their own clubhouse.

The three fillies looked around, and Scootaloo managed to speak up and say, "Is it over? Is it gone?"

Applebloom peered around the familiar surroundings and said, "Yeah. . .fer now, Ah guess."

Noticing how uneasy Applebloom was, Sweetie Belle put a smile on and said, "Well, even if Shadowbloom does come back, she won't be no match for us!"

Scootaloo nodded and said confidently, "Yeah, that's right! As long as the Cutie Mark Crusaders stand together, she won't stand a chance against us. These are our dreams, and no freaky shadow pony can take them from us!"

Applebloom saw the confident looks on her friends' faces, and it turned out to be infectious as soon Applebloom was smiling as well. "Yeah. . . that's for sure!"

The three fillies then all jumped up and pulled off another one of their triple high-hooves. Applebloom then trotted over to the podium and declared authoritatively, "I now call the second dream meeting of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to order!"

Deep within Applebloom's mindscape, the dark shadow hovered through the near-endless expanse of memories. The red glowing eyes were fixated on a single memory that it was smoothly gliding towards.

"And now. . .to refresh my memory. . ." Shadowbloom said as she closed in on the floating sphere. It lowered its smiling face to the memory carefully watched the moving image within. The sphere showed an Applejack who looked to be extremely relieved to be back at home with her family, even as regaled Applebloom with the tale of one of her latest adventure.

". . .so there we were, in this creepy village of ponies that all had the same Cutie Mark! An equal sign! And the one in charge of the whole place was a mare by the name of Starlight Glimmer. . ."

Author's Note

* Undertale reference. It sounded creeper and I'll probably be using it again later on in the story.
** I actually got this line from an episode of Disney's The Adventures of the Gummi Bears. They really need to reboot that show like they did DuckTales. They actually referenced it in an episodes of the DuckTales Reboot, so why not reboot the Gummi Bears proper? Make it a spin off or something.
*** This was the summoning chant for Dark Synchro Summoning from the Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds Anime. Not only does it fit, it will also play a key role in the story and is, in fact, and important clue in the overall mystery of this story.

Chapter 3: Fetch Quest

"Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin. . . Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin. . . Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin. . . Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin. . .Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin!"

Roughly ten minutes after midnight, another photo of Applebloom was burned, and Shadowbloom reappeared within the octagram and candles down in the basement of the Rich family mansion. With pencil and paper at hoof, Spoiled Rich looked intensely at the demon and said, "Alright, you. Tell me the formula for Zap Apple Jam."

"That information is now forever out of my reach," the shadow said, still in its singsong voice and wearing its constant glowing red smile.

"WHAT!?" Spoiled Rich said in displeasure.

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders are for more clever than they appear," it replied nonchalantly.

"Don't give me that garbage!" Spoiled Rich shot back in response, "We had a deal, and you've failed to deliver your end of the bargain!"

"Then we shall call off that deal, and create a new one."

Spoiled Rich scoffed and stuck her nose into the air, "You've already failed once. Why should I give you a second chance, you worthless demon?! Especially after I had to give that scrawny pegasus another 200 bits to get another photo!"

". . . Picture this reality, Spoiled Rich:" the demon began slowly, it's smile seeming to get slightly wider, "Imagine, Sweet Apple Acres, the land completely barren. The trees decaying, fruit rotting on the ground, the once prosperous farm completely devastated. . ." the shadow then leaned forward towards Spoiled Rich, her own wide eyes meeting the being's glowing red ones, "and then, the once self-righteous Apple Family coming to you, begging and pleading for you to buy their land at the cheapest price possible. And then, they leave Ponyville, or perhaps even Equestria itself, forcing your daughter to see how pathetic Applebloom and her world view truly is."

Spoiled Rich's heart was pounding, and ambition was clouding her mind. She nodded her head with enthusiasm and said, "Yes. Of course I want that. . .but how could you make that happen?"

"What do you know of Starlight Glimmer?"

Spoiled shrugged and said, "Just that she's Princess Twilight's student and has very powerful magic. Apparently she's an ex-criminal or something."

"There is. . .a staff that she wielded at one point. That staff is key to my plans of destruction."

Spoiled nodded, "I see. . . So you want me to get it for you?"

The shadow nodded in response and said, "Now, let us discuss the terms of our new agreement. I will utterly destroy Sweet Apple Acres and ruin the livelihood of the Apple Family if you do three things. One, you aid me in my master plan to its conclusion, which means getting the objects I require and using them in the way I tell you to use them. Two, you allow me in inhabit your own shadow-."

"Stop," Spoiled Rich said sourly as she held out her right forehoof to the demon, "I will not have you possessing me in any way, shape, or form."

"It is not possession," the shadow said in an almost soothing manner, like a parent telling their child that a shot wouldn't hurt all that much, "I am currently bound to Applebloom and only her. What I am asking is for you to let me use your shadow as a second set of eyes and a means of communicating to you. Inhabiting your shadow will not allow me to take control of your body."

Spoiled was listening intently to the shadow's words. The fact that the demon could not lie within the octagram gave her some comfort, and she found no signs of trickery within the shadow's words. The image of the end of the Apple Family filled her with determination to see this through. So, she nodded and said, "Okay then. I understand, and I am fine with that. Now, what is your third condition?"

The shadow's smile seemed to grow wider yet again, and its eyes narrowed slightly as it said, "You will address me as Shadowbloom."

". . .Fine. I solemnly swear to abide by your terms in exchange for the destruction of Sweet Apple Acres and the Apple Family as you have planned, Shadowbloom," Spoiled said as she once again extended her hoof through octagram's invisible barrier.

"So shall it is said, so shall it be done," Shadowbloom said as a foreleg sprouted out from its body and shook Spoiled Rich's hoof.

The chills and icy breeze from last time returned with a vengeance, and there was a loud shattering as the octagram was obliterated from the floor, the candles thrown back as Shadowbloom dived down into the ground right beneath Spoiled Rich's hooves. She let out a shriek as she felt something latching onto her hooves, causing her to kick and stumbled around wildly as her heart pounded in terror.

However, the moment seemed to end as quickly as it started, leaving Spoiled Rich alone in the dark, quiet basement.

Still greatly unnerved, Spoiled Rich reached out to the lantern she had brought down with her and switched it on, bathing her in light.

"You should get some sleep, Spoiled Rich."

Spoiled turned quickly and looked down at her shadow, which now had two red glowing eyes and a glowing smile in it.

"Tomorrow is going to be a big day for us."

Spoiled Rich stepped off of the train and let out a sigh of relief that she'd arrived at her destination without incident. She took a moment to check that her hair was still tied in a bun, and that the long light pink dress she wore covered her Cutie Mark.

"I still can't believe how gullible my husband can be at times," she said to herself.

"The lie I provided for you was quite logical," Shadowbloom said in a voice only Spoiled could hear, "You are already the head of the school board, so the idea that you wished to create a group devoted to the safety of young colts and fillies is not all that hard to believe."

Spoiled Rich made a face as she briskly trotted onward, "But it would have fallen apart completely had he discovered that I was not boarding a train to Canterlot, but to this backwater town."

"It is called Our Town, the place where Starlight Glimmer once ruled using the staff we seek," Shadowbloom said as it peered up at Spoiled from her shadow, "Applejack told her little sister all about the events surrounding Starlight's first defeat here, and those details added to my own knowledge of magic clearly show an opportunity for us to achieve our ultimate goal."

Spoiled grinned wickedly and said, "As long as I get to hold the staff when we use it on Sweet Apple Acres!"

"Don't worry, you will be the one holding the staff soon enough," Shadowbloom said cryptically.

The short journey to Our Town was rather uneventful, and Spoiled Rich found herself largely unimpressed with it when she arrived. There were some new plants and greenery around, and the houses had all been recently painted.

"Hey! A new visitor!" a voice cried out.

Spoiled turned to see a white Earth Pony stallion approaching her.

"Welcome to Our Town, ma'am. My name's Double Diamond," he said with a smile.

"Remember the plan, Spoiled," Shadowbloom reminded her before the red eyes closed and the smile disappeared into her shadow.

Spoiled nodded and said to Double Diamond, "Thank you, gentlestallion. My name is Pink Milk.* I am an author, and I'm writing a book about unique objects, special places, and strange occurrences all around Equestria. A unicorn by the name of Starlight Glimmer told me that this town would be the perfect subject for my book. Apparently she was responsible for something that had happened here. She seemed rather ashamed of it, but gave me permission to come here and ask around for details for my book."

Double Diamond's smile faded halfway through Spoiled's carefully rehearsed speech. He let out a said sigh at first, but then got a determined look on his face and said, "Well, if Starlight wants you to know. . ." Then he turned and said, "Follow me, Ms. Milk."

Double Diamond and Spoiled Rich stood within the long abandoned chamber. Once it had been a simple cave, then it had been a massive vault, and now it stood as a memorial to a horrible time that nopony wished would ever happen. Bits of smashed crystalline glass still remained on the cavern floor in front of the huge rectangular impression in the far wall. It was clear that no pony saw any need, nor felt any desire, to clean or maintain this haunting locale.

"I. . .almost can't believe that what you told me was true," Spoiled Rich said, sounding legitimately amazed and impressed for once in her life, "The very idea, that a unicorn could be powerful enough to remove Cutie Marks. . ."

Double Diamond nodded, seemingly lost in thought as he stared at the destroyed Cutie Mark Vault, "I know. . .but she did. And she really thought she was doing the right thing. She was alone and friendless for so long, and she was in so much pain. She must have thought that the only way to fix it would be for her to just . . .ya know. . .control everything I guess. Force ponies to stay with her. Of course, you can't make real friends that way. Princess Twilight and her friends showed that to her. . .and to all of us too, I suppose. We were all slaves to liar, but we either didn't see it or didn't want to see it."

"You confused, backwards idiots," Spoiled muttered to herself.

Double Diamond had still been deep in thought, so he turned to Spoiled and asked, "Hmm? Sorry, Ms. Milk, I didn't catch that."

Spoiled cleared her throat and said, "Ahem, yes, well, Starlight mentioned a staff of some kind. . ."

Double Diamond chuckled at this and said, "Oh, that. The Staff of Sameness. Huh! Yeah right. It as just a piece of wood. Starlight had to pretend that she had given up her Cutie Mark, and her magic, so she just carved a stick and acted like it was some kind of magical relic. It's kinda funny, when you think about it."

Spoiled stared at Double Diamond in wide eyed shock and said, "It was just a piece of wood?"

"Yup! Starlight created a spell to remove Cutie Marks all by herself. It's kinda creepy, sure, but still pretty impressive," Double Diamond replied with an awkward smile.

"Don't pay any attention to what he's saying. We need that staff," Shadowbloom said in Spoiled's ear.

Spoiled Rich shook off her surprise and said, "Well, then, incidentally, whatever became of that stick?"

Double Diamond didn't answer right away. Rather, he put a hoof to his chin and said thoughtfully, "I. . .don't know. . . Hmmm. Funnily enough, we actually ended up using it to destroy the vault." He looked around the cavern and said, "I'm pretty sure we just- aha, there it is!"

Double Diamond pointed with his right forehoof, and sure enough the Staff of Sameness lay forgotten, next to the far right side of the chamber.

"Can I have it?" Spoiled blurted out.

Double Diamond's head snapped over to her, surprised by the question. "Huh?" was all he could say.

Spoiled silently cursed herself, then put on a smile and said, "Oh, well, I'm sure that having it with me would help me with my book. That is, it's a unique object and I want to do it justice when I write about it."

Double Diamond blinked, then he said, "Well, I understand. But I really don't think you should take it with you-."

"You said it was just a piece of wood," Spoiled said flatly.

"Ms. Milk, please," Double Diamond said slowly, "I really think this cave should just be left the way it is. As kind of a. . .reminder of what happened her, so that it never happens again. Nopony, no creature, should have their originality taken away from them. Living creatures aren't dolls or gears or chess pieces-."

"I know all that!" Spoiled snapped, "I just want to borrow the stick!"

Double Diamond put his hoof down and said firmly, "I can't do that, Pink Milk. It all needs to stay here. And I don't think Starlight would be comfortable with you carrying it around either. I know it's just a piece of wood, but it's still a symbol of something serious, so it's gotta stay here!"

"He's standing in our way. Get ready for when I say 'now'," Shadowbloom said in Spoiled Rich's ear.

Double Diamond sighed and said apologetically, "Look, what happened here is still kinda painful for a lot of us. You don't know how it feels to have your Cutie Mark ripped off of you and held out of reach. You have every right to write about this, and you really should. But can't you just take a bunch of photos of the staff? Or just sit here a take some notes? You could even stay here in Our Town for a while until that part of your book is fin-."

The stallion froze mid-sentence as his eyes were drawn to something on the cavern wall to the left of the mare he was talking to. His eyes widened as he lifted his head up to stare at something quite tall. Double Diamond's widened eyes then began filled with terror as he stammered out, "Wha-wha-what is. . .?"

Spoiled Rich turned to look as well, and to her surprise, she saw that her shadow had fallen up against the wall, and had grown almost as tall as the cavern itself. What's more, the shadow had two glowing red eyes that looked down upon Double Diamond.

The stallion backed up, trembling in fear as he said, "What is that thing!?"

Shadowbloom's red smile appeared, and it said one word, "Now."

Spoiled Rich galloped towards the distracted Double Diamond, and as she skidded to a halt, she spun on her fore hooves and swung her rear hooves right at the stallion's head. The kick sent Double Diamond sprawling, and he fell on his side, knocked out cold by the blow.

The mare wasted no time in picking up the Staff of Sameness with her mouth and running out of the cave as fast as she could, already planning to give Our Town a wide berth on her way back to the train station.

Lucky for Spoiled Rich, the long walk to the cavern, combined with her taking the long way back to the train station, had killed quite a bit of time. It still left her with a fair chunk of time she was forced to wait out on the train station platform. The mare fidgeted and paced nervously, constantly looking behind her, worried that she'd see an angry mob charging towards her from the town. When the train finally pulled back into the station, Spoiled nearly cried tears of joy as she jumped on and retreated to compartment.

After locking the doors and pulling all the shades down, Spoiled rich let out a sigh of relief and let her tense body relax. However, she didn't have much time to relax as her shadow rose up against the doors and those now familiar red eyes and mouth appeared.

"The first step of the plan is complete," Shadowbloom said.

Spoiled raised an eyebrow at Shadowbloom and said, "But this staff doesn't have any power. What use is it to us?"

"You are forgetting. I have roamed throughout Equestria, going back and forth on it. For centuries. I have learned much magical knowledge. Enough knowledge to know that when a unicorn uses an object as conduit for the same spell many times, those magical energies can become ingrained in that object. So much so that, under the right circumstances, the object can be used to cast the spell without the original unicorn."

A big, malicious smile that rivaled that of Shadowbloom's in terms of creepiness spread across Spoiled Rich's face. She let out a quick cackled and said, "Of course! I'll rip the Cutie Marks off of the the entire Apple Family. Those idiotic country bumpkins don't deserve special talents! And without their Cutie Marks, their worthless farm will-."

"The staff only has enough energy to fire the spell once" Shadowbloom interrupted.

Spoiled Rich's smile fell flat at this, "What? Only once?" Spoiled scowled and said, "Well, fine, I'll just take Applebloom's-."

"None of the Apples are our target," Shadowbloom said, the ghost of a chuckle in her voice.

"Well then who is?!" Spoiled Rich shouted in annoyance.

"All in due time," Shadowbloom said calmly, "Now, do you remember the lie a provided for you to tell your husband?"

Spoiled nodded, "Yes. About creating an organization dedicated to protecting children."

"We are going to make it real."

"How will that destroy Sweet Apple Acres?" Spoiled Rich demanded impatiently.

"All in due time," Shadowbloom repeated, but then it said, "But it involves the worst nightmare Ponyville has ever experienced. . .well. . .two of them, to be precise."

Author's Note

*

Nom Yen (นมเย็น) or Thai pink milk is a refreshing drink commonly sold, along with Thai iced tea, on the streets of Thailand. In Thai, "nom" means milk, while "yen," in this case, means iced. Literally, nom yen means iced milk but when we're talking about the name of a drink, it more specifically means this Thai pink milk. Though, recently many have adopted the cuter name that is nom chompoo, which translates to pink milk. So you might hear Thai people use those names interchangeably when they're talking about this pink drink.

-Quoted from cookingwithnart.com

Chapter 1: I Am The Shadow. . .

In stark contrast to the joyous, innocent laughter filling the area around Sweet Apple Acres, Spoiled Rich stood with the harshest of scowls. He look of utter disgust was directed at her own daughter, Diamond Tiara, as she hopped over watering cans clad in a yellow full on bunny suit, along with Silver Spoon and the three Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Spoiled Rich turned to her husband and said bitterly, "You should be ashamed of yourself. Allowing your daughter to go through this. . .this. . .degradation!"

Filthy Rich just shrugged and said, "She wanted to do it, and look at how happy she is!"

Spoiled Rich stuck he nose up into the air and said, "There are more important things in this life than happiness, such as self-respect!" She then looked around the farm in disgust and said, "Why must we deal so much with these common ponies? And we pay them far too much! Surely we could cut out the kooky old middle mare by simply buying raw Zap Apples and having our own workers make them into jam ourselves!"

Much to Spoiled Rich's surprise, her husband burst out into laughter. He quickly composed himself, however, and shook his head as he replied, "Oh please! The very idea! The recipe for Zap Apple Jam has been an Apple Family secret for decades! You can't just mash them up and cook them. This is a seasonal, rare, magic infused, luxury product that needs to be prepared in a specific way with specific ingredients in specific amounts. Trying to make Zap Apple Jam without the recipe is a recipe for disaster. And no, they aren't ever going to sell the recipe. It'd be easier to get blood from a stone. So give it a rest, dear. I'd hate to see you aggravate yourself in vain."

As Filthy Rich continued to shake his head and chuckle at his wife's idea, Spoiled Rich turned back to glare at the happy fillies before her. Her scowl deepened as she saw Diamond Tiara laughing after she tripped over one of the watering cans, causing a domino effect with caused all five of the fillies to fall down in a heap. Then, when Applebloom came over and gave Diamond Tiara a friendly hug, an idea suddenly struck Spoiled Rich. An idea that put a terribly gleeful and malicious smile on her face.

"You want me to WHAT!?" Diamond Tiara shouted.

"Get the recipe for Zap Apple Jam out of Applebloom," Spoiled Rich repeated.

It was later that day, and the young filly and older mare were in the living room of the Rich Family mansion. Spoiled rich had a cold hard stare as she sat in her chair, while Diamond Tiara had a look of disbelief.

"You can't be serious!?" Diamond exclaimed.

"Of course I'm serious," Spoiled Rich said, holding her ice cold stare on her daughter, "It's quite clear that the little hick holds no ill will towards you due to her not being too bright. What's more, your special talent is for getting others to do what you want them to. Therefore, you should have no trouble getting that recipe out of her. Of course this will take some time, but you have until next Zap Apple Season, and I'm certain a whole year is more than enough time for you to do this."

Diamond Tiara frowned and shook her head. "No way. I'm not doing this," she said with her eyes shut and her nose in the air.

Spoiled Rich's eyes narrowed. "Diamond. . ." she said dangerously.

Diamond opened her eyes and looked right at her mother and said, "I can't betray Applebloom's trust like that."

"Of course you can. That's what ponies in our position do," Spoiled Rich explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "It's how we get ahead of our competitors. It's a simple principle of business. It's a principle of nature. Survival of the fittest."

Diamond Tiara shook her head and said vehemently, "That's not true! Ponies can be rich and successful without stabbing others in the back! Grand Stinkin' Rich never did that, and there's no way daddy ever did that either!"

Spoiled Rich huffed and said, "I suppose they didn't, which is why we still haven't reached the level of Canterlot ponies such as Jet Set and Upper Crust. Oooh, those unicorn snobs. . ."

The air temperature in the living room seemed to lower a few degrees for a moment, then Spoiled Rich shook herself out of her dark reverie and continued, "Never mind that. Diamond. . .sweetheart. . .why do you care for those common Apple farmers? What could you possibly gain from associating with them?"

Diamond smiled, not a smug smile but a contented smile, and paced back in forth in front of her mother. "Well, I've gained a lot already. A better understanding of my Cutie Mark, more friends, other ponies are more comfortable around me. I'm more happier now than I ever was."

"They have nothing more to offer you. They're of no more use to you," Spoiled Rich replied without a moment's hesitation.

Diamond stopped pacing and shot back with a frown, "If I betray Applebloom, I lose everything! My new friends, my good reputation, Silver Spoon will probably ditch me all over again-."

"You don't need all that! You have everything here! You're financially secure, you have gourmet meals, expensive toys, jewelry, dresses, all the luxuries," Spoiled said in disbelief, "If you lose friends due to jealousy, you could easily make newer, better friends that are of the same social class as you."

Diamond just shook her head and said, "You don't understand, mother. You just don't get it."

"Enough!" Spoiled shouted furiously as she pounded the arm of her chair, "You will get me that recipe, Diamond Tiara!"

"NEVER!"

"Then you can say goodbye to your allowance!" Spoiled threatened.

Diamond shrugged and said, "Don't need it."

"WHAT!?"

Diamond smirked and said, "Daddy taught me all about stocks and investments. I save up my bits and asked him to invest it for me. I spent a month or two reading newspapers and looking at old records, then I picked out what I wanted to by and how much. Just as I hopped, it went right up and now I've got all the money I'd ever need. You can cut off my allowance if you want, but there's no way daddy is gonna let you take away that money that I earned just because I wouldn't take part in corporate espionage."

Spoiled Rich just sat staring at Diamond Tiara with her jaw hanging open. The filly took that as a sign that she had won the argument, and she turned and exited the living room, leaving her mother to stew in a whirlwind of shock, anger, and burning frustration.

The next day, Spoiled Rich sat outside a cafe, staring down into a cup of coffee. She had a very unpleasant night, as the confrontation with her daughter had resulted in a very restless night's sleep. The feelings of betrayal and anger had still not yet faded, and she had gotten up very late. She didn't have the stomach to eat at her own dining room table, so she had swiftly left the mansion and come to this cafe, which she felt was sufficient enough for a mare of her importance and social class.

The sound of familiar laughter pulled her out of her own thoughts, and Spoiled Rich looked up to the Cutie Mark Crusaders talking with a brown, Blank Flanked colt with a propeller beanie hat on his head.

Spoiled Rich's focus zeroed in on Applebloom, her eyes firing hatred at the little filly. Spoiled was positive now. It was Applebloom that had corrupted her daughter and poisoned her mind. She despised Applebloom. She loathed Applebloom. Spoiled Rich mentally cursed the entire Apple Family as her gaze bored into the yellow filly's body.

And then, at that very moment, where her malice and hatred had reached its apex, Spoiled Rich spotted something.

Celestia's Sun was at just the right angle to cast Applebloom's shadow up onto a nearby building. The shadow stood long and tall against the side of the structure, the head resting atop a dark pillar, with tips of Applebloom's bow sticking up like a pair of horns.

And then, two red glowing eyes appeared.

Spoiled Rich's jaw dropped as she stared in horrified fascination at the shadow, which appeared to be staring back in her in turn. Then it got worse, a red glowing mouth appeared, curved into a smile. Then, it got even worse, as while Applebloom continued to stand still as she spoke to the brown colt, the shadow raised a forehoof and smoothly waved at Spoiled Rich.

Then, the eyes and mouth disappeared, and the four young ponies ran off, taking all of their shadows with them.

"Um. . .madam?"

Spoiled Rich very nearly shrieked as she turned to see the waiter standing right next to her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked again, concern evident in his voice and face.

Spoiled blinked once, her mind slowly beginning to function as it got over the shock of what it had witnessed. As Spoiled's brain once again became sharp, calculating, and devoted to profiting, a smile spread across her face as a new idea came to her.

"Yes. . ." she said softly, "Everything's just fine. . ."

"Twilight and Starlight aren't here right now, but if you need any help finding anything, just ask me," Spike said with a smile as he stood dutifully with his wings flapping at the ready.

Spoiled Rich looked around at the Castle of Friendship's massive library and said dismissively, "I won't. Please go away."

Spike blinked, caught of guard by Spoiled Rich's rudeness. "Oh. . . but I-?"

Spoiled whirled around on the little dragon and shouted, "Go! Leave me in peace, whelp!"

Spike cried out in fear and swiftly flew out of the library, closing the doors behind him.

Spoiled Rich sighed in relief, and trotted over to the "D" section of the room. She scanned to selves closely, and smiled when she found a book entitled Demonology, written by a pony named Dark Stranger. *

Spoiled Rich smiled gleefully as she brought the book to nearby table and said, "Once I find the proof I need, the Princess will have no choice but to toss that wretched demon child into Tartarus, and I will have my revenge."

As it turned out, Spoiled Rich's plan did not go as smoothly as she had hoped. After three hours, there was a whole stack of books on demons and evil spirits that Spoiled had flipped through in search of anything similar to what she had seen earlier that day. She was now hastily flipping though one last book, now fully irate with her patience worn very thin.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing!" she shouted angrily, her face twisted into a snarl, "What kind of library is this? It has nothing of any use to me! I should have this place condemned! I should have all these books burned! Princess Twilight owes me restitution for wasting my time here with-!"

Spoiled Rich froze suddenly, and she swiftly turned back a few pages until she found what had caught her eye. On the right page was a strange diagram, and on the left was a title that caught her interest.

Summoning Demons Linked to Individuals

While many demons and evil spirits posses creatures, certain varieties chose to enter symbiotic relationships with living hosts. They exist in their host's mind or heart, and often remain undetected for long periods of time. The demon or spirit is often able to feed of the host in ways that may not even do considerable harm to the host, other than the occasional nightmare or temporary mental breakdown or panic attack. That is not to say that these types of beings are weak, benign, or harmless, as they may have stronger forms or highly ambitious agendas that could be catastrophic if allowed to get too far.

However, the most intriguing aspect of these situations is that it allows an opportunity to safely summon these demons or spirits and converse with them in a controlled environment. By placing an image of an individual who has been linked with a demon (preferably one which includes the individual's Cutie Mark) at the center of the octagram (which must be drawn with blackened charcoal) and candle setup shown on the opposite page, and repeatedly reciting the incantation included below the diagram at a time between midnight and the first hour, the demon linked to the individual can be summoned within the octagram for a time. As said earlier, this ritual is very safe, as not only can the demon or spirit not escape the octagram, but also cannot lie or make use of any of its powers on anycreature outside of the octagram. However, an important fact the summoner must be aware of is that the demon or spirit can make use of some of its powers if the summoner allows it to.

The demon or spirit will return to its host either when it is told to leave or when the first hour begins, whichever comes first. Even more intriguing is that this summoning ritual does not require unicorn magic, as it utilized both the subtle ambient magic in the air as well as the magic of the planet itself. Therefore, non-unicorns, non-ponies, and even non-magical creatures are able to perform this ritual as well.

Is scáth tú.
An fíor féin.

Spoiled Rich stared wide eyes at the two pages, then he wicked, gleeful smile returned once again. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil, Spoiled Rich frantically began copying the diagram and writing down everything she needed to know, a dark scheme swiftly forming in her mind. Once she was done, she quickly put all the books back into their place, having made sure to remember exactly where she had gotten each one so that no one would be able to tell what she had been researching. Then, with her notes in her possession, Spoiled Rich made her way out of the castle, saying to herself, "Well. . .now all I need to do is find that Featherweight pegasus Diamond told me about once. . ."

The entirety of the Rich household was asleep. . .with the exception of Spoiled Rich.

She was down in the mansion's basement, the darkness illuminated only by the furnace in the far corner, and the eight candles sitting at each of the eight points of the octagram Spoiled had drawn on the floor with charcoal. In the center of the octagram was a photograph of Applebloom. It was a perfect image, capturing her entire body, including her Cutie Mark, as per Spoiled Rich's instructions. The photo had cost her 200 bits, as there was a list of instructions Featherweight needed to follow.

"Don't get caught, get her entire body, don't let anypony see you, make sure her Cutie Mark is in the shot, make sure nopony knows you took the picture, and most importantly: DON'T YOU DARE TELL ANYPONY ABOUT THIS JOB OR I WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE MISERABLE!"

As Spoiled Rich stood before the setup, she felt that it was the best 200 bits she ever spent. She looked down at her notes to make sure everything was just right, and she nodded and said to herself, "Alright, Apple Family. You let everypony else think that you're so pure and wholesome and honest and perfect, so you're all just as a good as the Rich family even though you're poor, plain folk? Ha! Well, soon enough, the truth will come out!"

Spoiled Rich's smile was triumphant, and her eyes were gleaming with justification as she continued, "That stupid little filly is nothing more than a demon possessed hick, and tonight is the first step in exposing that fact to all of Equestria. Your family will be disgraced, and the Rich family will be able to swoop in and buy up everything you own for cheap! It's the beginning of the end for you, Apples!"

Spoiled Rich dropped her notes and glared at the image of Applebloom, focusing all of her hatred upon the little filly. Then, she began to chant the incantation.

"Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin. . . Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin. . . Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin. . . Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin. . .Is scáth tú. . . An fíor féin!"

Suddenly, the eight candles suddenly burned tall and bright, filling the basement with orange light. Then black octagram started to hum, and it began glowing crimson red. Then the towering flames of the five candles arched towards the center of the octagram and converged down onto the photo of Applebloom. The picture promptly burned to ashes, and out of the ashes rose a black mass, forming into a small pillar as tall as Spoiled Rich. Then the top of the pillar formed into something that resembled Applebloom's head. Her ribbon was there as well, but from Spoiled Rich's point of few, the ribbon looked more like a pair of horns on the mass' head.

Then, the two red glowing eyes and smiling mouth appeared.

"Hello, Spoiled Rich," the shadow said in an echoing, feminine voice, it's mouth moving and changing in size in a very unsettling way as it spoke.

Spoiled Rich stumbled back a few steps and said, "H-how do you know my name?"

"I have access to everything in Applebloom's mind," the shadow replied, "Every. Single. Thing."

Spoiled Rich shuddered a bit, but then swallowed the lump in her throat and said, "Alright, demon! I want answers and I want them now! What vile things did those backwards Apples do to attract you to them?"

"I was just roaming throughout Equestria, going back and forth on it," the shadow replied.**

Spoiled blinked in confusion, "What is that supposed to mean? Answer me! Why were you inside Applebloom?!"

"I needed sustenance. She needed help. I helped her, and she sustained me," the shadow replied again, still smiling as it maintained a level, albeit reverberating tone.

Spoiled frowned, "So. . .you were just hungry? That's it? No. . .perverted Apple Family rituals that attracted demons from far and wide which turned Sweet Apple Acres into a festering den of perversion?"

"No."

Spoiled Rich's right eye twitched, and she shouted, "But why did you reveal yourself to me earlier today!?"

"You were giving off so much anger. So much hatred. More anger and hatred that I've sense in a long time," the shadow said with air of nostalgia in its echoing voice, "Applebloom couldn't feel what you were giving her, but I could. And it was tantalizing."

The wealthy mare was both disgusted and fearful as she spat out, "Fr-freak!"

The shadow didn't response. It simply remained there, smiling at Spoiled Rich.

The wealthy mare stomped her hooves angrily and said, "You can't be serious! What a complete waste of time! And money! You're worthless to me! There's nothing you have that I-."

Spoiled Rich suddenly ceased her tirade, as once again an idea came to her. The second thing the shadow had said suddenly snapped back to the forefront of her memory, and a feeling of smug satisfaction rose up within her once again.

"Alright, demon," Spoiled Rich said as she strutted close to the edge of the octagram, "I want to know the exact recipe for Zap Apple Jam. Down to the smallest detail. Now tell me."

"I don't have to do what you say," the shadow replied.

Spoiled Rich looked as thought she'd been struck in the face. "Wh-what!? How dare you! Do you know who I am!"

"Yes. I just told you earlier."

Spoiled just stammered incoherently for a moment, then she said angrily, "W-well, do you know what I went through to get to this point?! I walked right into Princess Twilight's library, I searched through all those books, and I figured how to work this ridiculous summoning ritual all without being discovered by the Princess, her dragon servant, or that little sycophant Starlight Glimmer!"

". . . Starlight Glimmer. . ." the shadow echoed, still smiling as its eyes widened slightly.

Spoiled Rich paid no attention to this as she continued her tirade, "And then I paid 200 bits to that little pegasus for a photograph, and now I'm up at a completely unreasonable hour and missing out on some well needed beauty rest after having a horrible night's sleep last night!"

"You sound so upset. . . I want to help you. I can help you. And I will," the shadow said as it leaned forward towards Spoiled Rich, "If you want that recipe, then I'll gladly give it to you."

Spoiled Rich nodded in entitlement and said, "That's more like it!"

"I can give it to you by tomorrow night at this time."

Spoiled frowned at this and said, "Why can't you tell me now? You said you knew everything that little hick knows."

"I never said that I knew everything she knows. I only said that I have access to everything in Applebloom's mind. That recipe was of never of any use to me, so I saw no reason to learn it. But I can easily go and acquire it at any time."

Spoiled huffed and nodded, "Fine then. Go on and get it then."

"I will, but first I need you to solemnly swear to do something for me in return," the shadow said as it held out a forehoof towards the mare.

Spoiled appeared offended once again, and she said, "Why should I do anything for you? You should be honored to be doing something for me!"

"I'm working on something special. I want you to be a part of it."

Spoiled turned her back on the shadow and said, "Why should I."

"When my plans succeed, the Apple Family will lose everything."

Spoiled's eyes widened, and her eyes turned downwards to the notes she had taken from the book. Her gaze fell upon the words 'the demon cannot lie in octagram', and then she immediately turned back around to face the shadow and said excitedly, "It's a deal!"

Spoiled held her own forehoof out and stuck it through the octagram's invisible barrier. She and the shadow shook hooves as the shadow said, "Do you solemnly swear to-."

Spoiled grinned slyly as she interrupted the shadow and said, "Oh no. I'm making the terms here! Ahem! I solemnly swear to help you in your plans which will end in the Apple Family losing everything they have provided you give me the detailed and complete recipe for Zap Apple Jam, including the harvesting and cooking and preserving processes."

"As easily said as done," the shadow said as it gave Spoiled's hoof one final shake.

Chills ran down Spoiled Rich's spine as she felt a bone chilling breeze whistle through the basement.

The shadow's hoof let go and was pulled back into its dark form, and it said, "Shall I depart now?"

Remembering what the book said, Spoiled nodded and said, "Of course. You may go. I release you. I'll summon you again tomorrow night."

Still smiling its ever constant glowing smile, the shadow slowly suck into the floor, melting down into a perfect circle of inky blackness within the red glowing octagram. Then, the octagram and the candles all went out, suddenly plunging Spoiled Rich's surroundings into darkness.

The mare gasped and panted as her eyes slowly adjusted to the small amount of light being generated by the furnace in the corner of the basement. Eventually her heart-rate and breathing calmed down enough for her to let out a cackle of triumph.

"Yes! Finally! It's about time those Apples learned who the real superior Ponyvile family is!" she boasted as she stood proud.

Spoiled Rich just stood there in the basement for a moment, then she frowned and looked down at the pentagram, ashes, and spent candles.

"I suppose I have to clean this mess up myself. Humph! Disgraceful. . ."

Author's Note

* This was a reference to the "Ology" book series by Dugald Steer. He hasn't published a book called "Demonology" as far as I know, but I though it would be nice to give a subtle nod to his work. His books are really imaginative, interesting, well illustrated, and are expertly put together.

** This was inspired by a line from the Book of Job from the Bible. It fit really well given the context.