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// The Shadow Empire 
// Story: The Fall of Nightmare Shadow 
// by Silver Inkwell 
//------------------------------//

“Star Swirl?” he said with shock and surprise, “Is that really you?”

“It is,” he said, “And I wish that I could say that I came to talk my apprentice, but to be quite honest and frank with you, well, we need your help.”

“Of course, anything for you, but it still is nice to see you once more again,” Quentin said curious as to what ever could be the trouble and matter (but Chris on the other hoof, it looked like he could care less about this).

“Yes, and the same also goes for you,” Star Swirl said, “You see, there is this new enemy that we must face, and I think that we will need your help if we are to defeat him, and I only ask this as a favor and request and also a friend too.

For you see, the enemy that we face, he is very dangerous and smart and wise, and he also has great strength and power, maybe as much as me if not more.

But now at least you know some of the danger and peril that we face, so now I must ask this of you, will you come with us and join our noble crusade?”

“Of course,” he said, “Anything for the old master of mine who taught me.”

“Wait,” Twilight said, “He was your apprentice and you taught him?”

“Yes,” Star Swirl said very simply to her, “My third to be exact, and he did quite well if I might and must add, but the only reason that I didn’t tell you about him when we met last is because I hoped that I would have no need to ever tell his story if the timeline went according to plan as it should have, but now instead it has been altered and it seems like I can now finally show you him, but telling you his story will be something else for a very different day instead.

For now all that you need to know is that he will help us out with this war, and he will fight with us in the last and final battle against Nightmare Shadow.”

“I feel like we should know more about him before we begin battle, I mean what will happen if he or any pony else… well you know… dies…” Twilight said.

“That won’t happen,” Star Swirl said, “I won’t ever let that happen.”

“But you can’t stop it,” Luna said, “And he knows that, in fact he even said to me that if I left the castle it would mean war, but he also said that if I decided to leave him there behind all alone, he said that he would kill my friends.”

“He might try, and he certainly will,” Star Swirl said, “But he will fail in the end because we will be there to stop him, now then, who’s ready for war?”

And with that said every pony let out a great war cry except for Chris, “All that I want is some sleep, or perhaps maybe some food now since I just woke up, but yeah, whatever, war and battle and fighting sound very cool and awesome so I guess that I will join you, but only if I can get some sleep and rest there.”

And with that said every pony laughed and smiled at that.

“I don’t see what’s so funny about this situation at all,” Chris complained as he walked behind the group following them, “I should get my food and sleep and rest just like any pony or stallion or mare should, but I never do.”

And with that said they walked on until the train station and then got on.

“I trust that you all have your invitations?” he said once they were inside.

Desperately in vain every pony tried to find their letter but it was no use for it was in vain, they had all forgotten it back in the castle instead.

“Don’t worry,” he said pulling them out of his cloak (seriously, Twilight thought to herself, what was up with that cloak and how could it carry so much in it?), “I have them right here for you, but this time keep them very close, they could be our only way and ticket in, for you see I detected traces of magical use on it, and perhaps maybe the only way that we can gain access to the empire is to have them, and so I would highly suggest and recommend that you always keep them close at hoof, it would be very bad for you if you lost them somehow, so keep them close, keep them safe, and don’t ever lose them again.”

And with that said every pony took their letters and took his advice and kept them close at hoof and also kept them safe and also a very close eye on them too, and when they finally arrived in the Crystal Empire they still had them.

However when they did finally arrive in the Crystal Empire they found it to be completely empty and not a single pony could be seen anywhere. In fact it reminded Twilight of how it used to be when she came here to face the test and challenge by princess Celestia, one which she happened to pass by the way.

But she knew that this was no test, this was real, and it would have real consequences and disaster if she failed this, and so she could not for the safety and well-being of every pony that lived within these very large vast lands.

“Where is every pony?” Chris said (and he was the first one to state the obvious that every pony else could see right in front of them but would not say).

“Hiding,” Star Swirl said, “That is if there are any ponies left, who knows what Nightmare Shadow might have done with them, but it couldn’t have been anything good, and I would hate to imagine anything that he could or would do them, but come, let us not dwell on those that have little or no hope, and instead let us focus on those that do have hope still left, and let us also focus on our enemy, we cannot be distracted by any pony else on our journey or quest, but come, the castle is not too far away, and it should be very easy to get there since no pony is around, but I just hope that they’re not in the castle, because if they are, than their fate is worse than what you might think it is.”

“And what is their fate exactly?” Twilight said with nervous fear.

“Trust me when I say this, you don’t want to know,” and with that said they walked the rest of the way to the castle in silence, well every pony did except for Pinkie Pie of course, she just hopped up and down obliviously to herself.

“Why is every pony so quiet?” she said, “Is it because there’s no party? Is that why? Well if it is the reason than I can make up a party in no time at all!”

“No Pinkie Pie,” both Star Swirl and Twilight said at once, “It’s not about the party, it’s about something far more serious than any silly tiny little party.”

“Hey mister grumpy pants,” she said to Star Swirl, “My parties are not that silly, but they are very fun, which kind of makes them silly, but the only reason that they are that way is because I am there to make the party fun and silly.

And that is why I can make any pony smile, even you mister grumpy pants.”

“That is such a terrible nickname,” Star Swirl said as they ever got closer to the castle and therefore their goal and destination, “So can you please stop using it? I don’t like it, and when I don’t like something it only brings me pain. And my pain only ever brings me despair and sorrow, so please Pinkie Pie, stop.”

“Okie dokie lokie,” Pinkie Pie said using her very famous catchphrase now.

And with that said they finally reached the base of the castle and went inside.

As they now walked within the castle Twilight finally decided to speak up about something that had been troubling her ever since they had first arrived there.

“There is still one thing I don’t understand,” she said, “Well actually two I guess, one is what happened to my sister, and two is how he ever could have taken over the Crystal Empire so fast, I mean how in Equestria 
did he do it?”

“Perhaps maybe I can answer all your questions right now,” a very familiar voice said in front of them, and when they looked for the source they found none other than their enemy Nightmare Shadow, “Oh, and welcome to the new castle of mine, I’m thinking about calling this castle and my new empire as the Shadow Empire, don’t you think that it has quite a very nice ring to it at all?”

“WHERE IS CADENCE AND MY BROTHER? AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM?” Twilight said very angrily and loudly at Nightmare Shadow.

He merely just laughed at this, “Do not worry for them, they are safe… for now that is, but if you do not behave yourselves then I will have no other choice other than to… well… eliminate them, but that’s not the real point here, the ones that you should be worried about here is yourselves, after all, you came here into my kingdom with your invitations still with you, that is very good.

But come, tell me why you will not play this game with me at all, ever.”

“Because you will not explain what it is or what the rules are,” Twilight and Celestia said, “And how can we play without those crucial pieces of info?”

Nightmare Shadow (or Ness if you can remember his nickname) laughed again, “Oh my dear princess, have I not made the game quite clear enough for you yet? It is a very simple game really with only one goal, win of course. And now I have finally won, I have taken over the Crystal Empire and soon my power and strength will spread across all the lands of Equestria completely covering it entirely, and you cannot stop me no matter what you do, so resistance, it is very futile. And I won’t stop there, I’ll also go across to other lands too, and then very soon enough I will rule the whole entire world, but I won’t tell you my whole entire plan for you and this world and these lands, that would be so very cliché of me, the one you see as a villain telling you their secret plan when they think or rather even claim to know that victory is very close to them and then they boast about all their plans very stupidly if I might and must add. But what’s even worse is that sometimes they decide to play games with the heroes and taunt them, but what’s up with that? But me, no, I won’t do that, sure I like games, you could even say that I might love or enjoy them, but I don’t torture other ponies with mind games and tricks, that comes much later instead after their physical body has been finally broken down and beaten.

But we will get to games and tricks later, the point right now is to rest, relax, and enjoy your final last days together doing whatever you want with any pony that you want to or like or rather perhaps maybe even love instead, I know that there are plenty of ships of two ponies together and I am perfectly fine and okay with that somehow for some random various reason, but it doesn’t exactly mean that I have to like it or them at first, that will come much later of course.

But anyhow please forgive my rudeness and manners, I forgot to offer the complimentary drinks and snacks on which you can dine and eat while we talk, so please hold on for one very small moment while I go get some for you.”

And with that said he got up from the very large dining table and then sat back down “I forgot that I had magic,” he said summoning piles of food on plates of various random shapes and sizes and then set them before his many guests.

“Please eat if you want to,” he said, “Unless you would like to play a game instead, but if we do, then I only have just one question, do you like playing games or would you rather not play this instead and just fight me instead?”

“I do not like the games that you want to play with all of us,” Celestia said.

“Very well then,” he said, “How about we play a different kind of game instead? One that you would enjoy and one that would be relevant to what we want too?