Chasing Shadows

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Chasing Shadows, part 1

Twilight Sparkle grits her teeth as she focuses her thoughts up through her horn. It felt like a chill running up her legs and over her flank. It reminded her of a winters' breeze running over her mane. As the powerful rush hit her horn a small whirlwind kicked up about her body and her horn began to glow brightly. Her mane kicking up from the strength of the twisting winds. The power of the spell was more than her purple flank was used to withstanding, and with a loud crack and a powerful bang the spell erupted in her face knocking her to the floor and sliding her body five feet back across the cold castle stone.

“Twilight! Are you alright my dear?” Princess Celestia cringed at the young ponies tumble. Princess Celestia looked ever elegant with her persistent rainbow main that flowed like the galaxy itself ran off the back of her neck. Her flank, white as snow had stood a bit at her student's rather sudden backfire. The Princess was larger than the average pony, but that was likely due to her near godlike status to those he looked up to her. Though she never agreed to be under such praise her followers seemed to think she needed to be glorified. For a leader placed on a pedestal she seemed more humble then one could ever believe possible.

“Yes Princess... I just don't understand how that spell was so unstable. It wasn't anything like I have casted before?” Twilight groaned as she stood slowly from the rather strong backfire. She looked defeated as she trotted back to Celestia slowly and a bit shaky on each step. The Princess sighed as she saw that Twilight was hanging her head in shame.

“It's fine Twilight... These spells are very powerful. Much different from what your used to using and learning...” she insisted to the young pony with an elegant nod.

“Remind me again why I need to learn these spell? They seem almost to unstable and dangerous for anypony to attempt...” Twilight sighed shaking her head still a bit depressed from her own lack of concentration on the spell.

“Twilight I thought I explained quite clearly before. Both Canterlot and Ponyville have been targeted regularly in recent times, and I need your help in protecting them both. I myself can only be in one place at a time. My sister guards the night and I the day here in Equestria. We are spread thin as it is and need your aid when its available.” The princess began to explain to her student once again doing her best to keep herself from seeming rude in anyway.

Twilight sighed knowing deep down that her friends, and all of Canterlot needed her. She couldn't give up just cause she couldn't focus for that moment. She sighed and focused again with Celestia looking on. Twilight needed to stable her own mind and body to withstand spells of greater power like the ones at hand. Once again the chill flowed up her body into her horn. This time however her stance was unshakable. Celestia looked on in wonder to see the magic form in full. However as she held the spell the world around Twilight began to darken fading into nothingness, and her focus reaching into it's deepest depths. Twilight could feel Celestia's gaze widen in fear as the spell morphed into something more until it was far to late to be stopped. For Twilight nothingness wrapped the world like a endless black fog and time to cease for her.

Moving through the nothingness a pony appeared walking out into view as though stepping from walls of black smoke. Twilight opened her eyes to see the sad looking pony prod along towards her silently. The unnamed pony stood like a massive stallion just in sheer size. almost as big Celestia but much bulkier and rigid. Odd for any pony save for one built like Big Mac and even this was bigger than that. The pony had a darkened purple flank and a jet black mane that was long and twisted at its ends. The hairs of his mane covered much of his face falling where ever it wished as though never having been touched and growing out of control. His tail looked similar in length untouched demeanor. However the features that stood out most on the great pony was his eyes and horn. His eyes were jet black except for his iris which shimmered a brilliant light blue contrasting the mane that covered it. His horn was a clear sign he was a unicorn, but it was unlike anything she'd ever seen the horn was massive. The great swirled needle was as long as Celestia's but its mass was more then double the Princess's and irradiated a light glowing power at all times. The pony had a magical might even beyond the princess it seemed to Twilight.

The strange nameless pony took slow staggering steps at first but was growing into a steady trot as he grew closer. Each step seemed tired and hopeless as he clopped down hard in the black nothingness making it ring out. His dark glare never breaking from Twilight Sparkle as he grew step by step closer to her. Twilight swallowed hard and couldn't draw her eyes from his own as she stood still in shock and still in midcast of her spell. It was like she was supposed to know him, but had never met him before. She felt terrified and yet at the same time sad for the pony who appeared both dreary and intent.

“Who... who are you?” she asked finally finding her voice as he closed in more and more.

“I knew you'd would come some day Twilight...” The Pony's voice seemed emotionless as he kept walking passing right by her as if she wasn't there. “Beware little pony... Your Princess is more dangerous then you think you know...” he stated quite boldly as he kept going on by and back back into the darkness beyond where Twilight stood. His words leaving her frozen in shock. Did Celestia have something to do with this pony? Was this perhaps something she hid from everypony?

In an instant Twilight's focus broke, and the spell she held simmered out instead of exploding like before. She once again stood before the princess who still had a rather stunned look on her face. The look growing even more grim as she saw Twilight's eyes stare back in disbelief. Twilight looked stunned saying nothing and standing stiffly in silence clearly unsure herself what she just saw. She had no idea what had just happened but the look of shame that crossed the Princess seemed to say she might know.

“Twilight... That... That was not the spell you were meant to cast.” Celestia's eyes then began to well up as if sudden memories were coming upon her like shadows having a light thrust against them from a thunder bolt.

“Princess... what... who was that?” Twilight said trying to hold composure as she saw that Celestia clearly knew something about what was going on.

“What did you see Twilight Sparkl?... Twilight what did see just now?” Celestia voice raised with a tense worry. Her voice almost shaking from what had transpired.

“A strange pony... He looked so sad and alone...” Twilight sighed as she tried to confer all that she saw in a single phrase.

It was enough to cripple Celestia in the worst of ways. When Twilight looked into the eyes of the princess only pain looked back at her. It was like her worst fears had come back to haunt her. Fears never meant to cross anypony's mind. Celestia took a quick breath and tried to regain her posture once again with only little success.

"Then we need to hurry Twilight for time is of the essence and it may already might be to late." She stated somberly putting off her explanation before hurrying deeper into the Castle with a still confused Twilight tailing close behind.

It wasn't long before they crossed two guards who fell asleep in a doorway, and that's Twilight realized the gravity of what they faced. With several shakes and yells they found the guards would not wake from there slumber. They were not just asleep but trapped by the force that Twilight unknowingly released upon Canterlot and Ponyville alike. All who would fall asleep would not reawaken.

"Celestia why won't they wake up? What exactly kind of spell did I cast?" The confused young pony asked looking to the princess for some kind of answers.

"I'm so sorry Twilight this is all my fault" She said looking just as grim as before when Twilight had told her of what transpired in the darkness. "It was the greatest mistake I had ever made..." she began looking away from Twilight and into the star night glow the loomed through the nearest window.

* * * * * *

Long ago there was a unicorn pony born amongst the the earth ponies of ponyville. This young pony was of was born of dark mane and purple flank, and was born with an abnormaly large horn on his head. He was blessed by the Princess herself and was given the name Shadow Shimmer by his parents. As the pony grew so did his horn, and he became the talk of all Equestria. A unicorn of unlimited potential they all whispered as his talent with magic began to blossom. The gossip was blazing like never before when he graduated from school top of his class. Brilliant and powerful they all said, and on the day of his graduation a cutie mark of infinite possibility appeared on his flank. A sideways figure eight white as snow shimmered across his thigh. This only fueled the fire that surrounded his legacy, and even began a rumor that he could become the most powerful pony in all Equestria, and even more powerful than Princess Celestia herself.

When word again returned to Celestia of the pony born of unlimited potential she came to him in person to take him under personal study. At first his every action and study had been personally monitored by the Princess and others of Ponyville, but as time passed he became more and more enthralled by magic and its studies. No feat seemed to great, and no spell seemed to have a drain on his stamina or psyche. No spell escaped his expansive knowledge and repertoire. His gorging of powerful magic and his growing solitude took its toll on his body. His eyes blackening as his Iris grew brighter with power. His mane growing longer and more unkept as time passed everyone seemed to forget he was in his house alone toiling away.

As time passed Shadow grew alone and paranoid of everything around him. Loneliness seemed to stricken his mind as he watched life pass from his window. Those that passed in the distance only seemed to mock him in his minds eye. Madness loomed ever more about the young pony as he twiddled away in the shadows of his home growing forgotten. His own shadow becoming his only companion as continued to study until not a single spell escaped his mind.

One day the Shadow noticed a strange parade forming outside in the streets of Ponyville. It was odd to see something that splendid from his window from afar, but when he realized who it was for his mind seemed to snap from all the weight on it. Atop a great float sat Princess Celestia praised and loved by all her subjects. Shadow knew he was stronger than her, and he was shunned? Why? Shadow impulsively believed they all feared his infinite power. They shunned him and hid him away lonesome and alone to keep him from using his greatness against their idol. It was Celestia who hid him made them forget him. It was her he hated, and her that drove him to work alone in madness.

Shadow charged out of his home and into the parade at the center of Ponyville, and like a wall halted its progress with the simple raise of his great horn. This was the moment he needed, and in shock the crowd saw for the first time what isolation had done to the poor young pony. He looked hurt and angry. His eye lids darkened from the lack of sleep and taint of magic. His mane flat, long, untouched and ungroomed. All gasped and whispered at his sudden entrance to their parade, but none felt the sudden welling of shock quit like Celestia had. She had not realized what had become of Shadow Shimmer during her time as a Princess to the people and land. She to had been guilty of forgetting the pony left to his own isolation, and now she faced what she wrought.

"Stop this!!" Shadow demanded twisting his head like a confused dog might. A single look told the crowd of his disapproval as he glared them all down like a mighty tyrant. His horn raised high like a mighty lance.

"Shadow? My poor pony what has happened to you?" Celestia said taken aback by the the commands of the stricken unicorn.

"Everything you wanted! All of this is what you wanted isn't it!? You hid me away because you were afraid of me. You wanted no one to come near me. You feared my limitless potential!" Shadow shouted in anger causing mass confusion to grow amongst the populace.

"No... that's not..." Celestia tried to explain, but was quickly cut short by the attention demanding pony.

"Liar! Now that I have become the most powerful pony in all Equestria you can't ignore me! I'll show you... I'll show you all!" He said as tears swelled in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Shadow... this is all my fault.." Celestia said hanging her head in shame.

Clearly Shadow conflicted within at her display of sorrow but it was unclear what side of him was winning, but as tears welled up in his eyes it was clear he had made a choice. His massive horn starting to glow like a mighty arrow pointed to the sky. A bolt of lightning striking it with a thunderous crash of sparks as power whirled around him like a hurricane.

Celestia watched as the gathering storm picked up with Shadow at its middle. The spell was unlike anything she had seen before. It was to much power for any single pony to attempt using all at once. Shadow's horn glowed and burned as tears welled up in his eyes only to drift away caught by the storm. Winds growing so strong that many were thrown out of the away.

"Please, Shadow Shimmer! You must stop this madness. Your horn cannot take that kind of strain!" Celestia tried to pleade through the growing storm, but to no avail. The pony was far beyond reason at this point and could no longer control the casting as the sky grew red with fury and rained fire instead of water.

"Shadow you must stop you're putting even yourself in danger" Celestia pleaded again and noticed then he was to far gone as he began to levitate and his eyes began to glow. He could not stop even if he wanted to and Celestia knew it. If the spell engulfed him with that much power everything could be destroyed. Celestia had one shot, and stood her ground against the raging storm. She was a leader and had to protect her kingdom at all costs. She didn't have time to debate the situation and acted to defuse it quickly. Her own horn kicked up a reverse storm to clash against his and in a single swift motion used her powerful magic to shatter Shadow Shimmer's horn in half. The cut was smooth and quick but it still caused the spell to explode against him.

The backfire was so intense that it slammed Shadow against the ground in a crater and envoloped them both in a realm of darkness. Dark clouds and strange tension of magic surrounded them both. Celestia did the best she could to shield herself from the dark realm but Shadow seemed none to afraid as it wrapped him like a mother cradling its child. His eyes burning with tears as he held his eyes closed away from Celestia.

"You... you hurt me! Stay away! Stay away!" He cried and yelled in pain as the darkness began to fade away, and with it Shadow Shimmer. Celestia could do nothing but watch him fade away like he was just a shadow in the dark.

In the end Celestia stood amongst a tattered ponyville alone and in tears shocked by the sudden transgression that transpired. The world settling from the mighty storm that ravaged them. The lonely pony nowhere to be found. Taken away by a realm of darkness that spawned from his own magic backfiring. Celestia could never stop blaming herself for what happened to Shadow. She continued to blame herself for not better looking after the well being of the young pony she herself blessed.

* * * * * *

Celestia returned her gaze to Twilight with a somber tear and half grin. "Then I found you my little pony. A talent of great potential, and I could only see Shadow Shimmer in you. I wanted to do it right this time. Not make the same mistakes again. I gave you a partner Spike, and cast you into the arms of friendship." Celestia explained her guilt and laid it bare. "I had you report to me your friendship progress regularly because I wanted to be sure you would not fall into the same loneliness that took over Shadow's entire being." Celestia stated.

"... So then he has returned... Think he still holds that grudge?" Twilight asked though half knowing the answer already.

Celestia gave a nod, "no doubt his solitude has only made him all them more vengeful..." Celestia feared to even think of it and what the pony might do to her sleeping subjects believing the shadow realm linked somehow.

It was then that Princess Luna trotted into the hall that Twilight and Celestia were currently in and she right away noticed that things were amiss from the sleeping guards. "Sister you are still up at this hour?" She asked at bit curious about the situation. Princess Luna was sister to Celestia and a much younger smaller pony. Her Flank was as deep a purple as the night sky's splender and her mane a flowing galaxy of shimmering stars.

"Luna... it seems we have a problem..." Celestia sighed deeply and tired

"Well then sister allow me to be of assistance" She smiled and nodded to the small group. It was time for Celestia to face her past and to save Equestria once more.