My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Chasing Shadows, part 2
A door of fine oak slowly croaked as it unhinged and began to upon slowly to the dark of night. The street slowly filling with soft candle light that gently flowed from the house. In the doorway stood an exhausted looking pony. Her mane almost as equally pink as her flank. Her eyes a deep of blue, and she looked exhausted from a night of endless party.
“Where is everypony!” Pinky Pie shouted into the deadened night sky clearly blind to the situation that had befallen the ponies who had fallen alseep.
* * * * *
Groans erupted from an all but exhausted Twilight Sparkle who spent the entire day and evening practicing her magic. The work she had done left her exhausted, sleepy and even left Equestria in peril, but she feared sleep would only trap her as well in its grips as well.
“... But how can I face him after what happened?” Princess Celestia sighed almost seemingly defeated by her own conscience.
“If you don't face him, my sister, then this guilt will simply follow you forever.” Princess Luna, tried to encourage. Though often seemed to come off a bit brash instead. It was still hard for the young princess to shake old the ethics from before the days of Nightmare Moon.
“I.. I can't. He's right, it was all my fault that he ended up the way he is” Celestia hinged a bit. Clearly showing her own exhaustion around her eyes. In fact it seemed only Luna was the only pony wide awake. Luna commonly ruled at night while her sister slept and she herself would sleep as the sun rose as a trade-off.
“Celestia... it's not just you at risk anymore. All Equestria needs you. You must find a way to bring an end to this...” Luna pleaded to Celestia's protective nature. Luna was slowly getting to her sister who was battling within herself on what she should really do. She knew she had to face her past and meet with the great mistake she caused.
“...Princess... I think if we sleep we might have a chance to stop him.” Twilight said swaying a bit in place. “I know we chance getting stuck ourselves, but our friends need us...” Twilight continued urging the princess on as well not sure if she really wanted to just give up and sleep or if she actually wanted to face Shadow again.
Celestia took a deep breath and closed her eyes, but when she did all she saw was a small sad pony lying broken before her. His horn shattered and eyes watering. He looked more sad than angry in her eyes. It was a look that Celestia would never forget. “Okay... We can use the guest room nearby to rest then” she said, but couldn't avoid a bit of a wavering tone in her voice. She swallowed hard and then lead the two with her into next room.
As they entered the room it spanned before Twilight's eyes in there exhausted splendor. No sight like would have more grand to her at that moment. It seemed to ooze a comfy and soft feeling. Soft couches, pillows and blankets ran the course of the rooms length. She almost mistook it for a room specifically to pillow fight in. It seemed like it couldn't have had any other purpose with so many pillows and blankets around.
"I used to use this room for slumber parties when I was a younger pony" Celestia admittedly a bit sheepishly.
Luna was the first to enter fully sitting one of many massive pillows that made a big circle in the center of the room. Celestia followed after and sat across from her sister. Twilight was the last to sit and flopped onto the pillow drifting to sleep almost immediately with a groan of exhaustion.
“I'll stay here and watch over you two just in case something goes wrong.” Luna comforted to her sister.
“Thank you sister... If you notice anything odd please try your best to wake us. If that fails then Canterlot is in your care.” Celestia said rather grimly to her sister.
“Don't worry sister I have faith you will fix this.” Luna smiled believing even her own words beyond a doubt. Celestia wished she could find the same confidence as her sister as she laid herself into the pillow and closed her eyes.
Twilight winced as she came to, and she almost felt surrounded as she sat up, but only a familiar darkness surrounded her. This was nothing like sleeping she thought to herself. “Strange... I'm supposed to be asleep... but I feel completely awake now.” She spoke out to no one but herself.
“That's because you are awake Twilight Sparkle.” A voice brooded deeply from the darkness. Twilight jolted spinning on her hooves to see a pair of light glowing blue irises staring back at her, and with a slow methodical pace the large purple flanked Unicorn stepped forth towards Twilight. He looked powerful and yet lonely. Like he had spent all his time simply brooding on what had happened in the past. However Twilight still noticed his horn was still there. Massive sleek and perfect example of magical endowment. It was untouched unlike what Celestia had told her in the story. If Twilight recalled his horn had shattered in the backfire of his own spell.
“What do you mean? I know I went to sleep. It was only a moment ago.” Twilight replied with sure nod. She knew for sure she fell asleep just across from Luna.
“You did, and I took you and the Princess from when you began to slumber. Luna now sits alone flustered about where you have gone. Vanishing before her eyes indeed frightened her...” Shadow explained flicking his massive mane. He trotted about Twilight in a wide circle.
“How?... you shouldn't even be able to cast magic. Your horn shattered.” Twilight asked baffled by his power.
“Did it now? Yet here it is on my head.” Shadow exclaimed as he slowly trotted in is long arc. He was cocky and arrogant or at least appeared to be not at all like he was in the story she was told. It was clear what he was doing was planned with tedious detail or at least that's how Twilight saw it. He knew exactly what he wanted, and Twilight believed she knew too.
Twilight looked around a moment as Shadow notice Twilight not reply to him anymore. “Where... Where is Princess Celestia?!” She suddenly realized her absence as Shadow sighed.
“The Princess is living her worst nightmare on replay.” Shadow Shimmer said with a coy tone. “Perhaps you wish to save her?” He said bowing into the darkness. Soon he had faded back into the shadows and a light appeared like a portal where he vanished. And almost instantly Twilight found the darkness fading and herself in Ponyville in the middle of what she thought was a storm.
It took a moment before she realized she was in Celestia's “nightmare”. She saw a young Shadow Shimmer in the middle of town in front of a large parade. He was casting his spell, and power gathering about his horn. Celestia stood up high on her float she herself looking a bit younger too. She spoke like she had in her story and just as quick as it began Celestia ended causing his horn to shatter, and the crying pony to be dragged into a dark dimension by what appeared to be his own shadow. As soon as it ended the nightmare repeated again like a bizzare torturous loop. Was this really Shadow Shimmer's doing or was this all in Celestia's head? It was hard for the young pony to define the situation.
“I've gotta stop this somehow.” Twilight thought. It didn't take long for Twilight to come up with a plan. She believed that if she broke into the cycle it would end the looping. She darted forward head strong and determined as the storm began to pick up above her again. She couldn't stop wondering why he didn't stop her? Why let her save the princess? In a moment the questions faded from her mind, and Twilight stood between the enraged little pony and Celestia.
“Princess stop! Your being tricked. Your in a dream snap out of it.” she said cutting off the Princess in her mid cast.
“Twilight?” Celestia suddenly stopped the world around them, the dream, fading away like Twilight hoped. The world seemingly eaten by the darkness once again. It ate and ate until only the two stood together again. “I'm so sorry Twilight. I'm far to weak for this... I... I can't face him...” Celestia said the endless torture that pounded her conscience over the years still persisted.
“Then allow me...” A voice came that sent a cold shiver down the spine of the princess. Again from the darkness came the large pony. His relentless glare was poised at the princess who nearly crippled herself just from looking his way. “It's been a long time your highness. we had hoped we wouldn't have seen you for many more years, but we knew you would come in time.” He said cocking his head to the side. Even for him it was appearing to be difficult to hold back emotions from the loneliness and anger of what he had built up over time. His face twinged and his eyes looked moist and strained as though he was trying to keep from crying as himself.
“Shadow... I'm so sorry...” Princess Celestia blurted, but the apology did not seem to have the desired effect as Shadow's face twisted in disgust.
“Your sorry?!” He said almost in a spit, “We spent our entire lifetime in darkness alone watching people dream of a life we would never know, and your sorry!?” He growled.
“That's not fair!” Twilight interrupted.
“Oh? Destroying the only life we knew wasn't bad enough. We have nothing left?” He returned.
“She had to... you were going to destroy everypony and everything. You were out of control!” Twilight said defending Celestia.
“No Twilight that too is my fault. I forgot about him. He spent so much time alone that I caused him to spiral into madness.” Celestia admitted in guilt.
“Hmm and here I thought you would be on my side Twilight. Your so blind... you don't know what really happened...” Shadow shook his head in misguidance. “Truly you were like us. How can you stand to live under such a tyrant.” he snapped in hate. Clearly the thought of it sickened him to no end. In his eyes Celestia was nothing but a monster that tried to destroy him.
“Princess... Nothing gives him the right to do what he did. He was putting everypony in grave danger” Twilight stated clearly not siding in anyway to Shadow's argument.
Shadow grew tireless and with a wave of his horn opened a portal . It gleamed like a beacon stretching open in the darkness. Beyond the glass like portal was the streets of Ponyville where the trapped sleeping ponies layed there heads. “Then perhaps I should just finish what I started” he said as his horn began to crackle and glow. Beyond the window Twilight could see the clouds begin to darken and spiral like they had in Celestia's nightmare. Celestia's eyes shifted in tone suddenly watching intent on the spell he began to cast like noticing something she had not before.
“Y.. you would really destroy everything?” A voice came suddenly... It was soft quiet and calm, but amongst the silence it was the only voice that was heard. Out of the darkness prodded a pale yellow pony. Hair a gentle pink and eyes as silent as the wind. The sight of her caught Shadow by surprise. Her eyes... the loneliness that pressed from them was a look he once wore on his face. She looked disappointed in Shadow Shimmer. Not at all angry at him like he was expecting of her.
“We have no reason not to do it. They hated Us! They laughed at Us! We were nothing! We had no one!” He shouted at her.
“I don't hate you... Either of you” Fluttershy said without even being effected by his shouting. Twilight was surprised by Fluttershy's resolve. It was unlike her to be so open to someone and not react to shouting. Perhaps she saw something no one else was seeing. Shadow look effected by her words however... His eyes widened glossy and moist as a single tear ran down a cheek. He looked about to cry outright.
“Then I'm sorry, but this must be done.” He spoke turning from her, but Twilight would not allow it.
Her horn filled quickly with magic like Celestia had taught her, and she quickly charged the large purple unicorn. Cold determination ran through her and it pushed her to the limits she needed. Her horn flashed, and a great spark of lit all the darkness and vanished Shadow in an instant, but as she charged they still seemed to collide and tumbled smashing through the windowed portal destroying it and tumbling into Ponyville itself. Twilight shook and jumped up looking down only to find a much smaller and frailer pony then she expected to see.
Below her laid a shaking unicorn with a missing horn, cut clean through it's middle, who was only just as big as she was. A young pony who's hair laid flat and messy over his face untangled and uncurled. “No! Please don't hurt me!” He cried crawling away across the nights dirt road in the middle of town to get to his feet. The little pony was clearly much more frail and fearful than Shadow Shimmer was moments ago, but looked just like him. In fact this was the look she had expected to see him in when they first met. “Shade!... please come back!... help me!...” he said looking down hoofing desperately at his shadow cast from a street lamp.
Twilight then realized what had happened. The large pony had never been Shadow Shimmer. It must have somehow been the manifestation of his own shadow in the other dimension. Twilight Sparkle suddenly felt terrible about what had happened, and felt what Celestia had felt when she broke his horn. Behind her the open portal was just beginning to close as Celestia re-entered the real world looking much stronger than before, and saw the defeated Shadow Shimmer pawing at the dirt with a hoof as tears were falling down his cheeks. She clopped slowly to him in almost complete silence.
“Princess what about everyone else?” Twilight asked as Celestia stopped and turned back for a moment.
“They'll be fine Twilight... They should wake when the time comes in the morning.” Celestia nodded. It seemed Twilight's hunch rang true, and whatever she learned took her fear of Shadow away.
Celestia then continued towards the distraught pony. The real Shadow Shimmer who hid while his shadow masterfully spoke for him and protected him.
“No... please don't hurt me?” Shadow Shimmer cowered at the mere sight of the Princess. Twilight looked confused as Celestia and Shadow almost seemed reversed now in attitudes.
“Princess?” Twilight asked unsure.
“It's fine Twilight. I know now what happened. I noticed it when “Shadow” began casting his spell again. That spell would have never threatened Equestria.” She explained looking at Shadow who had tried to do his best to regain some kind of composure if a bit shaky. “I now know that the spell actually split Shadow's personality in two, and that's all it was meant to do. What he was actually doing long ago was taking all the hatred and madness that filled him and used magic to rip it from himself and push it into his shadow. He conflicted within and publicly tried to free himself of madness and anger. I miss judged the situation and stopped him mid cast causing the split to cause his entire being to split a bit more even across giving both sides equal shares of life. His own shadow became his second half and was what dragged him into the “shadow” dimension. It did so because his shadow thought I was going to destroy him.” Celestia shaking her head explained. “The Biggest mistake I ever made... was far worse then I had ever known.”
Twilight's heart sank as she realized just how wrong she was. “Then what was he doing recasting the spell?” Twilight asked.
“He believed that he was so hated that he had to shatter himself infinitely with the spell. He was going to destroy himself.” Celestia answered. “The sleeping Fluttershy must had been watching him and realized it before any of us.”
“In his world Shade said that we would be safe and he would protect me. He was the only friend I ever had.” Shadow chimed in slightly almost as soft as Fluttershy would, “we feared everything about the real world, watching everypony from the comfort of the darkness.” He said sitting with an uneasy plop, “When Twilight entered our realm Shade realized that you would come in time and prepared to bring an end to the nightmares that haunted us for so long. He said he didn't want me to suffer anymore. He really does care about us.”
“It was actually Twilight's spell that got everyone caught in there own dream.” Celestia added
Twilight took a deep long breath. She was the guilty party on all accounts and never realized it. Everything that happened was her fault. She couldn't help to feel like Celestia had. “I'm so sorry I had no idea that happened.”
“It's alright Twilight It's all fixed now...” Celestia sighed turning back to Shadow Shimmer.
As Shadow Shimmer's gaze met Celestia's he panicked and tumbled. “No please don't!” he rolled in fear tripping over himself.
“Shadow... I'm so sorry.” Celestia backed away as she realized her mere presence sent Shadow into fear and panic.
After all she had shattered his horn and nearly destroyed him when she caused his spell to backfire.
It was then as Shadow Shimmer looked up from his back that a set of big blue eyes caught his and they seemed wrapped by a rather pink face. “Hi, I'm Pinky Pie! I'm your new best friend!” Pinky smiled so big that it would unnerve the most level headed.
“I ummm...” He looked shyly up at her not sure what to say, “I've never had anyone ask me to be there friend before...” he swallowed a bit aqwardly.
“Great its settled your my new bestest friend in the whole world!” She grinned, but then noticed Twilight Sparkle nearby. "Where have you been. The Party was hours ago, and no pony showed up."
“Umm... Pinky do you even know what just happened?” Twilight asked a brow going up.
Pinky simply blinked looking around completely at a loss of words not sure if she did miss something or not. “Umm... Nope!” She giggled.
Shadow Shimmer slowly got back to his feet and looked down at his shadow. “Shade? What do you think?” he asked at the ground. “Okay... Yeah... I.. I wanna try.” Twilight and Celestia looked a bit nervous to see Shadow having a conversation with his shadow. But Pinky next to him seemed okay with it.
“I'd.... I'd like to come back to Ponyville... If that's alright, I mean?” Shadow nervously asked looking to Celestia and Twilight.
For the first time all night Twilight witnessed Princess Celestia smile. She looked almost at peace for the first time that night, “I would love that... in fact... Twilight what would you think about letting Shadow Shimmer stay with you and Spike at least for a short while? I think his magical knowledge might be able to help your studies in the best of ways”
With a smile on her face and the sun rising on her back she gave a big nod, “Yes ma'am”.
Then Twilight could see as the sunlight hit Shadow's eyes they began to shimmer brightly and a smile began rise across his face. His shadow stretching out behind him giving chase to the grounds he had not walked in so long.
THE END
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.
