Chapters The Shadow Chronicles: Nightmare Reborn
The wind whipped the air as it blew by in the garden of statues. The dead of night made it very unsettling for both Celestia and the elements. Twilight and the others stood behind Celestia, who stood just about as still as the statues that surrounded them. Twilight trotted to the princess' side and looked up to her. Celestia didn't acknowledge Twilights presence next to her.
"Princess are you alright?" Twilight asked with unease in the bottom of her voice. Celestia stood there a second more then took a deep breath and looked down at her faithful student.
"No Twilight I am not. Shadow has been making the last five months horrendous."
"How princess?" Twilight asked with a bit of fear in her voice.
"He has reached into my dreams and in real life as well. In a sense he's haunting me. He demands that I set him free. But I'm not going to do that. EVER!" Celestia shouted at Shadow's statue. Shadow's head turned to look at Celestia in a quick and swift motion. This caused Celestia to jump back and narrow her eyes and gritted her teeth.
Twilight stood motionless as she looked at the statue that was still just moved.
"Princess? Princess? Are you alright?" Celestia looked back at her and then to the rest of the Elemental bearers.
"The reason I called you all here is to warn you. Do not pay any attention to anything that seems out of the ordinary. I fear Shadow may start to use that for his own sick enjoyment." The mane six all looked at one anther with faces of fear and uncertainty.
"You can count on us Princess." Twilight piped in to break the silence that fell upon them. "Right girls?" They nodded their heads.
"Princess Celestia, princess Luna requires your input on a subject she can't explain, and we have been ordered to guard this statue tonight." Celestia eyed the two lunar stallions. "Very well." She took off towards the castle where her sister awaited her.
The two guards took their post's in front of the statue, where Shadow's head lingered above them. Three minutes flew by and not a single thing happened. "Hey Dark Wing." The lunar guard on the right asked in a whispered tone.
"What do you want Looper?" Dark Wing said in a annoyed tone but kept to a whisper.
"Oh nothing, its just so dead silent out here, I thought we'd make small chat." Dark Wing turned his head and looked Looper dead in the eye. "Well that's how its supposed to be, we're guards. Infact we should be just about as still and quiet as these statues." Dark Wing said with venom dripping form his mouth.
"Okay geese." Looper said and then took his original position of attention. Yet they didn't know of the three black wisps of smoke coming out of Shadow's back. Two of the three shot off in random directions, while the third only shot off into a near by bush.
The third entity lingered over the bush before making it rustle. The leaves shook and scratched one another making a lot of noise.
"Hey what is that?" Looper asked.
"I don't know go check it out." Dark Wing stated flatly. Looper adjusted his spear and briskly trotted over to the area where the noise came from. Dark Wing scanned the area and found nothing. The entity above him landed directly behind him. It changed into a wolf and swiftly grabbed Dark Wing behind the neck with it's jaws and snapped it. The wolf dragged Dark Wing across the ground and placed him behind a large statue. The wolf changed its form and appeared to look like Dark Wing. The imposter made his way back to the position that was meant to be guarded. Looper came back and took his place next to Dark Wing. "I didn't find anything over there." Looper said in way that read relief.
"That's great." Dark Wing said in a sarcastic voice.
Another pair of guards, but this time solar guards, trotted up to the station guards guarding Shadow.
"You are to report to princess Luna, you are relieved from your duties tonight." The guard said with strain set in his voice. Looper saluted, but Dark Wing hesitated but managed to salute the solar guard. The two new guards took their positions after Looper and Dark Wing marched off. They didn't talk to one another the whole way to Luna's quarters. Dark Wing let Looper walk in front of him a ways by slowing his pace. Looper continued walking while Dark wing departed into anther section of the castle, towards a dark and eerie place.
Looper knocked on the door and awaited confirmation to enter. "Come in." Luna's voice beckoned. Looper strode in and took of his helmet. It has become a custom of taking ones helmet off for the princess of the night.
"Ma'am" Looper said puffing his chest out a bit.
"Shouldn't there be two of you?"
"Huh?" Looper looked to his left, then behind him seeing that the door wasn't closed. "That's..um, odd." Looper said with confusion plastered all over his face. Luna cleared her throught to regain her guard's attention.
"Oh, sorry." Looper mumbled and retook his position in front of the princess.
"Don't worry he's the one that's going to miss out on something, but he'll be dealt with later." Looper cleared his throught.
"Sorry princess but it is very unlikely for him to not follow orders." Luna cocked her eyebrow.
"How so?" Looper blushed a bit before giving his response.
"Dark Wing, he.. um, would do anything in order to be next to your side and he... Uh, I mean he follows his orders to the letter." He said rubbing the back of his neck.
"I see. So your saying that he would do anything to the point or to the point to be in the presence of me?"
"Yes princess. If that makes any sense?" Luna looked down at the letter she was writing.
"So then it would be very awkward for him to go missing. Then I will set out a......" Luna was cut off by a solar guard running into the room.
"Your highness some pony has broken into the vault, and princess Celestia requires you immediately." The guard said before running back out of the room.
"Stay here please." Luna said.
It wasn't long before Luna made it to the vault. She stood next to her sister's side.
"What happened here?" Luna asked looking at her sister and then to the break in.
"Some pony or more specifically Dark Wing broke into the vault." With that she levitated Dark Wing's armor and put in front of Luna. Celestia placed it back down where the rest of the armor lay to waste. Celestia walked forward to the heavy wooden doors that were cracked open and many wood fragments lay across the floor. There stood the two Shadow guards stiff as a board. Luna glared at them for failing their sole duty to protect the vaults contents.
"Has anything been taken?" Luna asked still looking around the room.
"No, but Dark Wing did take the dark crystal." Luna looked at a pedestal where the crystal would have been.
Two solar guards came into the vault carrying Dark Wing's body.
"We found him your highness." Celestia and Luna looked at the pony Luna called her guard. Celestia touched Dark Wing's face, which in turn made his right cheek quiver.
"Oh good he's still alive." Celestia said with a hint of venom.
"Wake him!" Luna said sternly. The two guards nodded and proceeded out of the vault, the two sisters followed. The two guards brought Dark Wing into a white room. Celestia and Luna watched the guards grab a bucket filled with water and pour it onto Dark Wing's head. Dark Wing gasped for air as water rushed over him. He blew out the water that ran over his lips. His charcoal coat and midnight blue mane was drenched in cold water. He was shaking and chattering his teeth. A solar guard took his jaw with his hoof and directed Dark Wing's attention to Celestia. She did not look happy at all and Luna looked disappointed.
"Dark Wing would you care to elaborate on why you broke into the vault?" Celestia asked with anger rising in her voice.
"Vault, what vault?" questioned Dark Wing. Celestia looked at her guard. The guard nodded and puled out a knife. The guard proceeded to take the knife and glide it across Dark Wing's left eye lid. Dark Wing grimaced in pain, thrashing about trying to get free.
"Now will you please tell us why you broke into the vault?" Celestia asked once more.
"I honestly have no idea what your talking about princess." The guard looked back to Celestia, who nodded then he took the knife and cut a crimson line into Dark Wing's cheek. Then the guard put away the knife and pulled out what seemed to be a beating stick. He struck Dark Wing's left leg, making him drop onto the wet floor.
"Please stop, I seriously don't have any idea what you are talking about." He lifted his head to look at Celestia but was but back down by the blunt object the guard was using.
"Beat him until he tells us what happened." Luna said looking down at the lower life form that was once called her guard. The stallion nodded and continued beating Dark Wing.
Over and over again the black beating stick came down on Dark Wing with no remorse. A raven appeared in the room and glided onto Dark Wing's beaten back. The raven raised its leg and taped its throught.
"Shadow I've should of known."
"If I were you, I'd stop at nothing to get out of these wrongful chains and get what you deserve." Dark Wing stood up while the raven walked along his rising body. The raven looked at the guard holding the beating stick.
"Now there good fellow why don't you hit dark Wing here?" The guard narrowed his eyes and raised the stick bringing it down on the pegasus before him. Dark Wing dodged it and caught it with his mouth, yanking it out of the guard's grasp. Dark Wing fiddled with it and brought it to where he could smack the guard across his face. The guard fell to the floor out cold. The other guard stepped up and met the same unfortunate end. Dark Wing dropped the stick and struggled to get out of the iron hoof cuffs that were bolted to the floor. The cuffs knawed at the fur on his hoofs. Eventually Dark Wing stopped and layed back down on the floor. The raven smiled, or at least what seemed to be a raven smiling.
"Here let me do the honors." The raven's eyes glowed crimson as well did the cuffs. They unlatched setting Dark Wing free. He looked down at his hooves and then snapped at Celestia and Luna. He stood up walking very slowly towards the two princess', his eyes filled with hatred.
"Dark Wing I'm very sorry, please don't do what your about to do." Luna pleaded.
Dark Wing continued his advance. The door crashed open when two guard's barged in and tackled Dark Wing to the ground. Dark Wing flailed around wiggling his body about trying to free himself from the death grip the two guards held on him.
"LET ME GO!" He shouted. His jugulars bulged when he screamed. Shining Armor strode in next looking down at the wailing Dark Wing.
"Sergeant Dark Wing you are here by relieved of your duties, and will be spending the rest of your days in jail." Dark Wing stopped trying to break free, realizing his job, no his career was over. He narrowed his eyes once more. He was turned over and placed in hoof cuffs once more. He didn't struggle, he didn't do anything, just let it happen.
"Its not fair." he mumbled into the floor. "ITS NOT FAIR!" he said, this time screaming. The two guards picked him up and dragged him out of the room.
"Princess' are you alright?" Shining asked. Luna walked out not saying a word. Celestia looked down at Shining.
"You need to let him go after I have a word with Dark Wing. Am I understood?"
"Yes princess." Shining saluted and walked out of the white room. Celestia looked at the mess that was made and couldn't help but feel guilty.
The Shadow Chronicles: Nightmare Reborn
Dark Wing pounded his hooves against the cold-damp stone walls of the prison cell he was in. His chains clattered against the stone floors giving anypony nearby a headache.
"Shut up in there!" yelled the prison guard from inside the warm guard house. Dark Wing stopped realizing his efforts are useless. At the other end of the hallway, and up the stairs a door creaked open. The muffled sounds of hoof steps carried down the stair case.
"Open the cell door on block forty nine." said a guard from inside the guard house. Another guard came out levitating keys in an orange glow. The keys locked in and creaked, signaling the door was opening. The air stood still and not a single word was uttered.
Dark Wing could hear the pony's breathing, as if it were down his back. Dark Wing felt a hoof on his shoulder blade.
"What do you want princess?" Dark Wing asked while gritting his teeth.
"Dark Wing I'm honestly sorry for what me and my sister inflicted upon you. Will you accept my apology?"
"You really think that I'm going to accept that just because you asked. Well then you have another thing coming, and if you two were really sorry I'd be out of these cuffs and you're sister would be here to, now wouldn't she?!"
"And what is it that you're sorry for, Huh?"
"Exactly, you don't have a single clue, you're not sorry. You just know that you did something wrong and don't want to deal with the guilt trip now do you?"
Celestia's horn glowed the magnificent yellow she adorned. The cuffs unhooked and Dark Wing landed on the ground.
"You're right I cant, so I'm preparing to make it up to you. Will you please come with me and my sister to the cobra kingdom?" She asked with a glum looking face.
"What makes you think that I should help you two out?"
"Just an offer, you don't have to accept it. But if you decide to, meet us at the gardens." she asked with a hopeful smile this time.
"Other than that you are free to go." Dark Wing looked out the cell door after brushing past the solar princess. He walked out and never looked back.
Dark Wing stepped out side to the warm air wrapping his cold and bruised body. He took in a breath letting the smell of morning flowers enter his nostrils. He walked further and further and before you know it he was in Canterlot's finer part of town. The smells, bread fresh coming out of the oven, flowers being sold, and detergent swarmed the air making it almost unbearable. Dark Wing continued on. He kept getting strange looks from by passers. His left eye was basically sealed tight and started to cake over with a dark scab. The same for his cheek, he looked like a bandit. Dark Wing glared at all the ponies who stared at him, so he didn't notice himself run right into the back end of a pony.
"Hey watch where you're going-" started a cyan mare.
"Oh my what happened to you're face dear?" A white unicorn mare asked with pity draining from her sweet voice.
Dark Wing stood there and didn't say a word. He knew who they were, but they didn't know him.
"Hey buddy you gunna answer?" The cyan mare questioned and folded her hooves while hovering in the air. Dark Wing shook his head. "No, sorry. My name is Dark Wing."
"Dark Wing?" A lavender unicorn asked popping her head up out of a basket. The unicorn turned looking Dark Wing strait in the eye, while her's seemed to be on fire. "How dare you assault the-" The all familiar raven swooped down and landed on Dark Wing's back.
"Easy my dear miss Sparkle, you have this all wrong."
"How so?!" she asked not even realizing the raven just spoke.
"Well my good friend here Dark Wing was tortured by your Princesses, for a crime he didn't even commit. So if you wanna get angry, you should really be angry at your teacher and her dearest sister."
"Hey I don't know who you are but you better watch it when you talk lies about the princesses!" exclaimed Rainbow dash.
"Ah yes Rainbow dash, element of loyalty. I was wondering when you'd pipe into this most creative argument. So if I was truly lying, how come miss Applejack hasn't caught on yet? Mm."
"I uhh- I dun no."
"That's what I thought so please cram it."
"What do you want Shadow?" Twilight said glaring at the smiling raven.
"My name isn't Shadow miss Sparkle. I am merely his servant. Any how's I must be on my way, Dark Wing You rest up and come to the gardens tomorrow and I will see you all tomorrow as well." The raven did a bow and took off into the air.
All the girls huffed off leaving Dark Wing alone. He shrugged and took off himself heading towards his home. The air stood still for his unusual trip home. But soon enough he made it to Cloudsdale and landed out side his home. He lifted a small piece of a cloud and revealed a key. He took it and opened his door. Inside pictures of his family hung across the walls. He came to a stop in front of his mother's picture and placed a hoof on it. "Don't worry I'll find you one day mom, I swear to it." He said thinking aloud. He continued his journey up the stairs and into his room. He threw himself on top of the bed, making a poof sound as he made contact. He fell almost immediately into a deep sleep.
Later that night Luna stood over her balcony and looked over her moon and then to cloudsdale. A scroll pooped up at Luna's face and she jumped back a bit. She levitated it and inspected it closely. Upon discovering it was from her sister she opened it.
Please come down to the gardens, I wish to speak with you.
Love, your sister Celestia.
Luna craned her neck back.
"That is most odd, Celestia- wait no I'm over thinking this way to much." She rolled the letter back up and placed it down on her dark brown mahogany desk and trotted out of her tower.
The raven stood perched on Shadow's stone head and looked over the dark land scape. The raven saw Luna coming out of the castle and heading this way. He swooped down to the grassy feild and morphed into Celestia.
"Luna over here." The raven shouted to Luna. Luna quickly teleported right infront of the imposter.
"You wanted to speak sister?"
"Yes, I do belive its about time we let Shadow free, dont you think?" Luna looked at Celestia with a puzzled look.
"Alright." she said with uncertainty. Luna's horn glowed blue and as well did Shadow's stone encased body.
"Luna NO!" came a shout across the garden and so did a yellow bolt of magic zoomed by and nailed the fake Celestia in the head. Luna stopped her spell and looked at the twitching body that kept changing forms at a very fast pace. She looked back at the pony who had shouted across the garden. Celestia stood there and clearly was angry. She marched right pass Luna. Her horn glowed with a bright yellow and picked up Shadow's statue.
"No sister stop!" Shouted Luna. Celestia dropped the statue back on the pedistal.
"Shadow why wont you get that you're better off inside there than any where else. No pony will accept you! To me your just a freak of nature that has no place in this world!" She fell to the ground and sobbed. Luna ran to her side and consouled Celestia.
The Shadow Chronicles: Nightmare Reborn
Twilight stood in her humble library cleaning and organizing her books. There was an unexpected knock at the front door. Twilight looked at the door. It was late at night and library hours were over, but she still proceeded to the door. Opening it she was surprised no one was there. However what she didn’t notice was a shadow moving underneath her hooves. Twilight closed the door and turned around and hit her muzzle on some pony’s chest. She jumped back on her butt and gasped. She stared into the eyes of Shadow himself. Her mouth hung agape.
“Shadow, How did you-” Twilight started.
“Not now miss Sparkle, You have so much to learn.” Shadow said looking at the vast amounts of books. He picked out a couple of books from the shelves and set them down on the small table in the center of the room.
“What is it that I must learn Shadow? What could you possibly teach me?”
“Miss Sparkle for the little time that I’ve known you I’ve never met someone so accepting. So I ask in kind, please put all and everything behind us so I may teach you.”
“What is it that we’re learning then?”
“History.”
“History? Just what history?”
“Has Celestia talked about the War of Bordeaux?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“Great we’ll get started.”
Twilight felt dazed, and very dizzy. She looked around and saw Shadow, well it wasn’t Shadow but was him. Gaining more of her vision back Twilight saw she was out in an open field, that was on the outskirts of the everfree forest. She looked at Shadow, who stood there adorned in black armor. His crimson cape blew in the wind. But he stared into the dark of the everfree. Soon there was yelling, yelling from fillies. On moments notice three young alicorns tumbled out of the everfree. They looked around but their gaze landed on Shadow.
The three alicorns continued their stare at the black alicorn. Then there was rustling in the bushes and out came a pearly white alicorn. He wore a red cape signifying he was royalty. His blonde mane draped over his eyes covered in sweat. His blue eyes glared, filled with hatred was aimed directly at Shadow. The three fillies retreated back towards the royal.
“Unbreba how did you get here, I thought you were dead.”
“Death works miracles king Ignis, I see you have run quite a ways only to meet your end.”
“Why have you done this Unbreba? To gain money, to gain power, what?” Ignis said pulling out a golden dagger. The blade glowed red.
“It’s a right cause so to speak.” At the instant black tethers grabbed the king and held him in place. The young alicorns ran off next to Twilight. They huddled together and sobbed. Twilight inspected them individually. One white with pink mane, one midnight blue with baby blue mane, and the other green with black mane.
“Celestia and Luna?” Twilight said quizzically. She looked back at king Ignis, only to see a white alicorn adorned in similar armor to what Shadow was wearing walk out of the forest. She looked at the king and snickered. She moved in a seductive way towards Shadow. She grinded up on his still body.
“Seems that I stole your, kill Unbreba.” She said flashing her eyelashes.
“Somnium. I believe you are being inappropriate.”
“So punish me.” She said with a wink.
“Don’t worry about me inflicting that towards you.” Shadow said leaving Somnium, and walking towards the king Ignis. Shadow unsheathed a black sword. The blade glowed cyan.
“Good bye Ignis.” Shadow said sliding the sword in a slow fashion making it extremely painful. Blood ran down the side of Ignis’ chest. Ignis gagged and coughed, soon he was dead. The black magical tethers blew up into dust, letting Ignis fall to the ground in lump.
Celestia stared at the body, Luna cried, and the green alicorn stood and charged. Celestia watched the green alicorn charge the two adults. Somnium saw this and dissipated from view.
The green alicorn rushed towards Shadow. The young alicorn was a mere foot away from reaching Shadow, then Somnium reappeared slicing the alicorn’s head off from the neck in one quick blow with a black battle axe. Blood spread across the field in a long stretch of line. Somnium smiled and looked at Shadow for approval. But Shadow had the opposite of that.
“You’re sick.” Shadow said brushing past her and taking off into the air. Somnium’s eye twitched and she lay down on the open field. She stared at the decapitated head.
Soon enough Twilight was back in the white filled void. Shadow stood over her this time without any armor on.
“Shadow, I don’t understand.”
“Perfectly understandable miss Sparkle. I show this to you so you may understand why Celestia and even Luna have such a hatred towards me.”
“So is that the only reason why?”
“No. There’s more...”
The world started to appear. Twilight was looking over an edge high up. She backed away immediately. Twilight stood up properly and went back to the edge. From way up the tower she could tell that there was fighting. Red and green streaks of light crossed each other making a spectacular light show. The grey streets was littered with craters, bodies, and smut. Taking in more of the scene Twilight saw grand architecture. Tall towers touching the skies floated off elevated platforms.
“Wow” Twilight said. A green light caught her eye. A giant green ball of fire screeched across the sky. The fireball hit one of the tall towers in the distance. The tower was knocked off and crumbled on itself creating a giant dust bowl that filled the lower part of the city. The light streaks continued through the dust.
“We need to discuss this Unbreba.” Twilight turned around to see Shadow and a Charcoal grey Alicorn walk into the room. The new alicorn seemed to be a commander or someone with a high rank. His cape slid across the smooth stone.
“Obitus, our forces are held up at Stipendium hall and the third Pugna force has been wiped out.” said Somnium landing on the outside deck. She walked into the room looking at the two alicorns.
“Thank you for the update commander, report to general Vindicta for further orders.”
“As your will Obitus.” Somnium said with a deep bow, she took off into the distance where the tower fell.
“Now Unbreba, we must discuss my entitlement to the throne after this war.”
“Obitus, the war is not looking in our favor. We have all major cities throughout Pacem, but there are only three soldiers stationed at each town, and our main force is back here. Yet clearly we are losing this fight.”
“Right you are Unbreba, but I have a trick in my pockets.”
“What trick may that be sir?”
“Exedo.”
“Exedo? You can’t be serious. It’ll kill everything in sight.”
“Yes. But I have struck a deal with him. If he defeats the empire here at Pacem city, he will have free will in the eastern hemisphere of the continent.”
“What of the two sisters?”
“What about them?”
“Nothing. It would be a shame as new high king that you can’t set an example of them by personal execution.”
“I suppose that we find them.”
“No need.” answered a voice coming from behind them. Celestia stood tall and proud wielding a golden spear. Luna glided down and stood next to her sister and unsheathed a golden sword. The sisters prepared them for a spar. Celestia gave a death glare towards Shadow. Luna stared at Obitus with no emotion. A third alicorn landed with a heavy thud behind the two sisters.
“Celestia, Luna, I told you not to take this…” The alicorn stopped and stared at the two rebel alicorn leaders. Shadow saw the alicorn’s hesitation and grabbed him with magic. Shadow choked the leader until he passed out. Once he did, Shadow threw the officer off the edge of the balcony. Celestia charged powering up the spear’s magic and shoved the spear into the stone floor. The floor started to crack until the whole room was cracking up. Then rumbles, the tower began to fall. Obitus tackled Luna and they fell off the side off the building. Celestia grabbed the spear. She swung it hitting Shadow in the face.
Shadow dissipated as soon as the spear touched him. Now he was no where to be seen. The tower continued to crumble, and Celestia dived out. She watched the tower fall, crushing everything beneath it’s wake. Celestia looked for her sister but instead found a giant beast moving behind the hills. She watched the creature rise up and give a battle cry which shook the whole city. It dived down devouring the empire’s army. Celestia watched it kill her friends, so she rushed off to the great beast.
Twilight’s vision faded back to the white spectrum. Twilight was back in her library, and looked around. Her eyes landed on a rolled scroll with a crimson tie on the floor. She examined it and she opened the message. She read: Dear miss Sparkle, I hope I opened your vision about the world around you now. See you in the following week.