//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Master of Shadows // by Peace Bolt //------------------------------// Back years and years ago before ponyville was even founded it was just a forest of what some called 'The Forest of Truth'. This was the time of old and horner. A time of clans of ponies of light and shadow. But with now wars of years past. The ponies of this time where coming together and helping one another out. But there was some that stayed in the old ways and trained in them to. This is where our story begins. The night was pitch black as a metal hit together and sparks flashed in the forest. Ponies stopped going to this place long ago. This was sacred place for those whom trained in the dark and was never know. The was the final test for one of the newest member to the clan and he might be the last to ever under take this test. "Master Tie Ch, I think with those cuts this would be time to stop." The young colt said looking at his old master with cuts all over the old colt. He only had a cut from a low lim under his eye. "What you think this is enough to stop me they're just little cuts, besides your test isn't over yet. You still have an hour to go before your pass." The old gray colt said as he raised his sword. "Now come make your Father and me proud to leave the clan in your care or do I need to keep it." "No, Master I'm ready to lead the clan." He inturned copied his grandfather sword. "I will..PASS THIS TEST." As the swords clashed in the dark night ponies passing by could hear them and stayed as far away as they could. ~~ Ponyville present day "Spike where is the book of Warriors of Olden times?" Twilight asked as a young dragon came form the back of the room. "Why do you want--" As he opened he's eyes and seen somepony there with them. "I'm sorry who is that with you?" "Spike this is the pony form Manehatten remember he was coming to get the book for me because it's is a very rare book." She said and turned to her guest. "I'm sorry we wasn't expecting you until noon. Please have a sit and we'll get it for you." The colt nodded and had a sit to wait as Spike and Twilight left the room to look for the book. "Now where is it?" Spike said moving books around. "Hey Twilight would you like me to go get some tea or some think for our guest to drink wail he waits?" "No thats okay. Sweetie will get him some thing and don't forget that its not just her and me here today but the rest of the Crusaders too." Twilight said as she moved books with her magic in front of her to read the titles. "Thats right there helping out for the week after that potion blow up. Man I hate to be them right now." He said with a little laugh recalling the look on her face as it turned colores. "I founded it. Ok can you put these books back for me please." She levitated the books to a few pales and trotted off to her guessed. As she left the room a piece of paper fall from the book and landed near her deck. "Here you are sir. I hope that this will help you and your students." She said with a smile. "Thank you Princess Twilight. I was so happy to here that somepony had this book here in Ponyville. I think my students will come to understand the old world ponies better now that they can hear some of the old stories from this book." He took it in he's magic grip and smiled. "May I ask one thing do you not have this book?" "No not any more. My book was lost with a box of old things last year. I was moving and it was lost. I will have this book back to you as soon as the time permits me." "Please take your time." He nodded and trotted off with a wide smile. Twilight returned to the room with Spike and seen that he and the three young filles was putting books up. She started to leave and the scrap of paper caught her eye. "Spike what's this doing on the ground?" She asked. "I don't know, did you drop it?" He said confused that here was a piece of paper on the ground. "Well it might have followin out of one of these books. I know I sometimes leave my bookmark in them form time to time Twilight." Said Sweetie as she walked over to pick it up. "Ok girls I think you did enough work for to day. You can go now if you want to." Twilight said with a pleasant smile. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo ran out the door as Sweetie Bell was looking at the paper in her magic. "Hey Twilight what is this saying, I don't understand it. It kinda looks like chicken scratch." As she held the paper to Twilight with a confused look. "Its the old way of writing Sweetie and if I'm not to rusty at the reading this I think its a old spell." Twilight then took it in her magic. "Sweetie I think your friends are waiting on you." As she looked over the spell. "Hang on girls I'm coming! Oo.. Thank you Twilight again for not telling sis about the potion." She bowed and the turned to run after her friends but leaving some of her magic on the paper. "So Twi are you going to see what that spell does?" The young dragon ask a little too overjoyed at the possible outcome of the spell. "I want to but I don't know about it. This could be one of these spell that is forbidden. But how it sounds it seems to be a teleportation spell. I guess I'll try it out and see what happens." She had a bit of worry as she looked over the spell. "Alright." Spike jumped down after putting the last book up on the shelf. Twilight then lit her horn and read the spell to herself and cast it. A Flash of light came forth making Twilight fly back then smoke filled the room. Spike ran to see Twilight on the ground with a colt standing over her with a sword.