The End of the Shadow Ponies

by StarGuardian

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure
Length: 1991

Celestia's guards, calm, unmmoving, showing no signs of emotion, it's almost like they've had their hearts closed. Actually that last part's true. As part of their training they have a spell cast upon them that closes their hearts and makes them loyal only to Celestia, what ponies don't know is that it also grants powers similar to Nightmare Moon. Only in history have 2 ponies ever resisted the spell, one has his heart partially closed making him a loose cannon for the dark powers, the other is blissfully unaware and remains loyal to Celestia. Now the single guard must survive the odds and attempt to find a way to cure his condition without getting those around him killed.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-10-03 06:14:31 UTC

Expulsion

"Star? What have you done now?" Celestia asked with a sigh as several other guards escorted the black unicorn in front of the solar princess.

"He got into a fight." One of the guards spoke up.

"Again?" Celestia asked with a sigh.

"He had it comming!" Star argued with a fire in his eyes.

Celestia cocked an eyebrow as she awaited his explaination. "He knocked an elderly pony to the ground then tried to walk off! It was probably an accident on his part, but he should've offered to help her up or something!"

"And you see this as a good reason to get into a fight?" Celestia sighed. "How many fights have you gotten into this week?"

"Three, your majesty. Four if you include the arguement between him and Silver Shield." The guard replied.

"And the behavior spell I placed on you isn't working?" She asked Star.

"It works, but then I'll snap and get into a fight." He sighed.

"Princess! Please forgive him!" A white unicorn shouted as he burst into the chamber.

"Shining Armor? What is it this time?" Celestia rolled her eyes having done this same song and dance before.

"I was there and the other unicorn was at fault. Please let Star go." Shining begged as he bowed before her.

"You two are the best of friends, correct?" The two ponies nodded in agreement, "So by that logic any time Star gets into a fight you would be on his side."

"Except for that arguement with Silver Shield, He was way out of line on that one." Shining Armor admitted.

"I know you're friends, but Star misbehaves too often, I'm afraid expulsion is in order." Celestia levitated a form over and began to fill it out.

"I'll take the blame! Please don't expel him!" Shining begged.

"My parents will disown me for getting expelled." Star spoke up. "Seeing as how I will have no way to provide for myself and no shelter, I request assistance for getting out of Canterlot so I don't get into trouble with the authorities."

Celestia sighed as she considered her options, her spell to increase his power and make him obey had failed so he was no threat to canterlot and if she could get the troublemaker out of her mane all the better. She smiled as an Idea came to mind, "Star, how would you like to live in a quiet secluded area away from other ponies?" Star's heart skipped a beat, "I have a plot of land outside of Ponyville, there's a small shack, probably in need of repair, but nopony visits it so it should be perfect for keeping you calm and out of trouble."

"What about food and money?" Shining Armor asked looking worriedly at his friend.

"I'll give him 300 bits and transportation there. Does that sound fair?" She asked the black unicorn who began nodding vigouously.

"Star you are now expelled. Please gather up your things and go." Celestia said pointing at the door. Shining was in shock but the group left peacefully. Now if that would only work on Prince Blueblood. Celestia thought to herself as she started to fill out the appropriate forms.

"Star, they can't do this to you!" Shining protested as his friend began to pack his belongings.

"It's already been agreed upon. Besides I'm not like one of those mindless clones out there." Star said tossing an old jacket into his suitcase.

"That's just it! You're different! The royal guard needs more ponies like you!"

"Shining. You're not a clone, you seem to have been immune just like I was. The only difference is that you're in Celestia's good graces. Forget about me, you have your own family to think about." Star  grinned as the last article of clothing was locked away.

"Why? I'm not about to abandon you." Shining protested.

"Look buddy, I'm already gone and I made a crappy guard anyway, you are an excellent guard. Just promise me that you'll visit me someday when you make it big here." Star said holding out his hoof.

"Fine, but someday I'll find a way to reinstate you." Shining laughed giving Star a brohoof.

"Are you ready to go?" The pegasus outside the room asked.

"I'm comming. Don't get your feathers ruffeled." Star sighed as levitated his stuff and they headed towards the train station.

The rickety old shack was in bad condition to say the least the only perks that the place still had were that the shower, toilets, and stove still worked.

"I will inform Princess Celestia that you arrived without incident." The guard said placing the bag of bits at Star's feet.

"Home sweet home." Star looked around at everything that needed fixing. "But first I'm going to get a drink." He turned around and saw the guard had already headded off to Canterlot. Shrugging it off he grabbed a bucket and walked over to the river where he saw the most guresome sight. right across the river a family of ponies was being attacked by a flock of griffons. A black aura radiated from his body at the sight, "Back off!" He shouted as the aura fomed itself into a blast that hit all of the griffons. He rushed over to help but it was too late. the ponies were all dead and the gryphons were gasping for air.

"What did you do to us?" The leader asked barely able to stand.

"You monsters! Feel what you did to them!" The aura pouring out of Star's body had changed from black to a very dark red as he turned to face them. The gryphons tried to run but Star wouldn't let them. Almost instinctively he knew where the weak points were as he charged at them. With a couple of well aimed strikes, the entire flock of gryphons were dead but the aura still remained. Star winced in pain as the consequences of his new power too thier toll on him, several cuts opened and he was sure that he'd pulled a muscle in his leg. The sound of crying snapped Star back to realiity and caused the aura to disappear, He walked over to the family and saw a tiny yellow foal clamped onto her mother out of fear.

"It's okay. The bad guys won't hurt you." Star cooed getting the baby to calm down. "It seems like you've got nopony either." The pony looked up at him with scared eyes. "Don't worry. I'm not cut out for protecting a princess, but protecting you should be a lot easier."  She seemed unsure of him but didn't resist when he put her on his back and took her back to the shack.

"It's not much, barely anything really, but it's our new home." Star said showing off the rickety shack to the foal. She needs a name. Star pondered as he got ready to go shopping for supplies. He was about to leave when he realized the he never got his drink. Walking over to where he'd left the bucket, down the river floated a single maple leaf that was the exact same collor as the filly. "Maple Leaf." Star thought aloud getting a giggle from the baby on his back. "Then it's settled. From now on you're name is Maple."

"Tia, I heard the most interesting news today." Princess Luna said as she entered her sister's chamber.

"Can it wait until after I fininsh balancing this budget?" Celestia said as she remained hunched over her desk.

"You forgot to subtract the 3234 bits from the Manehattan Relief fund." Luna said peering over her sister's shoulder, "Would you prefer I do this?"

Celestia sighed as her sister took the parchment, "You were always better at this kind of thing."

"I almost forgot!" Luna gasped, "I heard the most interesting thing today. I heard two guards got into a fight!"

"Yes Luna. And I took care of it." Celestia said looking at the moon which was high in the sky.

"That's not it. I heard that one of them used one of my spells!" She squealed happily, "That means I'm finally getting popular!"

At this news Celestia's eyes doubled in size. "Which spell?!" She demanded to know.

"I'm not sure, I just heard that one of the guards used a spell that slightly resembled my mane. Why do you ask?" Luna asked knowing that there was something that Celestia was keeping form her.

"I was just wondering." Celestia replied turning her attention back to the object in the sky. How could this be? Star was immune to my obedience spell so he couldn't have performed it. And the other guards only use their shadow techniques on my command.

"Tia? Is there something you're hiding from me?" Luna asked trying to look as adorable as possible.

"What makes you say that?" She replied with a slight chuckle.

Luna, determined to get an answer, cast an illusion spell to make her look like a filly again. "Pwease Tia? You can twust me." Luna's imitation of her younger self was dead on forcing Celestia to admit what she'd done.

"Luna, how much do you remember about your time as Nightmare Moon?"

"I remember bits and pieces, but not much else." The lunar princess replied as she removed the spell.

"Do you remember how you became Nightmare Moon in the first place?" Celestia sighed, silently wishing that she could've put this off for a few more centuries. Princess Luna shhok her head vigorously as she sat down and prepared to find ut the truth. "It was my fault, I was woking on a loyalty spell and there was a little accident. You walked in on one of my failed attempts and got caught in the crossfire." Luna gasped at this shocking relevation but let her sister continue. "The spell closed your heart and turned you evil through no fault of your own. But it gave you a special power, it allowed you to use a different kind of 'magic' than most ponies. This magic, was that a black aura radiated from your body and was then used in a sieries of different attacks."

"That was magic? But I didn't use any unicorn magic to control it!" Luna inquired.

"I used the elements in an attempt to cure you, but I was only able to send you to the moon. Though you are right, it is not unicorn magic, but a different type of magic on its own. I have since combined that spell with a loyalty spell to ensure that the strongest and most capable unicorns are loyal and will protect us." Celestia finished.

"Sister how could you? Remove this spell right away!" Luna demanded horrified that her sister would give Nightmare Moon's power to an everyday unicorn.

"There is no way that our magic can cure them, there have been several ponies that tried to reverse the spell and none of them succeded. But I have a theory why this is. The spell focuses on a pony's spirit which allows even pegasai and earth ponies to use these techniques, however this magic appears similar to the elements of harmony in the fact that it allows non-unicorns to use magic, basically it uses a similar magical pattern to the elements." Celestia fininshed.

"And you're positive these ponies are loyal to us?" Luna asked raising an eyebrow.

"I've yet to meet one that hasn't." Celestia smiled happy that this had gone so well.

"I'm not happy that you're making a bunch of weaker Nightmare Moon's but if you stop using  the spell then I'll keep quiet about it." Luna sighed having only a vaguge grasp of what she'd just been told.

Celestia gave a silent nod as Luna walked out and began to correct the budget mistakes, "Why would I? I'm the only one who knows of the cure." Celestia smirked as she got ready to retire for the evening.