//------------------------------//
// 2: Helping is Good 
// Story: A Shiny Shadow 
// by DiscordFan 
//------------------------------//

"Yes? You just figured that out," Shadow Shine asked.

Spike blinked. "Um, yeah. It's been a wacky day."

Shadow Shine scrunched up her muzzle. "What is this term's, 'wacky,' meaning? I have never heard of it."

"Um," muttered Spike, feeling embarrassed for the mare. "Crazy, strange, peculiar..." He shrugged his shoulders. "... wacky."

"Oh..." She stared at the stair she stood on in thought. "So..." She looked up and narrowed her eyes. "... are you saying my father is wacky? You shall pay for such an insult, peasant!!!" 

She tackled him, only to have Spike dodge it. 

"Nice try, Princess," he said mockingly. "But I play Hoofball with Big Mac. You're not gonna hurt me." The young dragon smirked at the gray mare who had froze up.

"What is 'Hoofball?'"

Spike narrowed hid eyes. "Have you been living under a rock?"

A soft groan was heard. "No, Spike. Shiny hasn't been living under a rock."

"Twilight!" Spike ran down to her and hugged her. "You're okay!"

Twilight nuzzled him and returned the hug. "Of course I am, Spike."

"Hey, Twilight? Why did you just call this mare Shining Armor's nickname?'

Twilight winced as Shadow Shine began zoning out. "Spike. Shiny was Shadow Shine's nickname first."

"Why do you have a brother," Shadow Shine asked while whispering. "Am... Am I not a good enough sibling..?" Suddenly, rage flickered in her eyes. "You're... You're trying to replace your own sister!? How dare you!!!"

Twilight was taken aback. Her eyes widened. "No, no, no, no! I... I would never! Or at least, now that I have my memories back..."

That's when something sparked in Twilight's eyes. She gasped. "The Princess... Princess Celestia has been lying to me!?" 

Twilight's eyes warped red. Her coat paled to a brilliant white. Flames licked her mane and tail.

She began to hover in the air. She closed her eyes, but when she opened, all one could see was darkness.





Darkness... That was the only thing Twilight could see at the moment: darkness.

"H-hello? Where am I," she inquired. 

A boisterous, female chuckle was heard.

Twilight obtained a fierce expression and charged her horn. "Show yourself," she growled.

Suddenly, a form of a tall mare came into being within the darkness. She was purple eyeliner and silver armor. Black, regal, feathered wings stood erect on her shoulders. Her mane and tail seemed to be made up of the stars themselves. A majestic horn jutted out of her forehead. She opened up her previously closed eyes, revealing aqua, draconic orbs. She smiled at the lavender unicorn, forcing the inevitable appearance of her sharp teeth.

Twilight's ears wilted as she concluded who the alicorn before her was. 

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare Moon said courteously with a nod.

Twilight began to scream.





Spike rubbed his eyes and opened them. Everything was dark, but there was a gray and purple blur in front of him.

The blur slowly warped into Shadow Shine who was staring at Spike with her big, concerned eyes.

"Are you okay," she asked.

Spike nodded and rubbed his eyes again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Spike stopped, opened his eyes, and raised an eyebrow. "You could be stuck here forever if you fall asleep.

All grogginess left Spike as Shadow Shine's horn lit up.

"There. I casted a Wake Spell on you." Her horn magicked a light.

"Where are we," Spike asked. 

"We're in space."

"What!?"

"What? You've never been in space before?" She looked utterly bewildered.

"No! Do you come up here often, or something?!"

"Yeah. Daddy would bring us up here all the time for magic lessons so we didn't accidentally kill somepony."

Spike gawked at the gray mare. "K-kill?!"

"Ugh. Would you stop screaming? Faust Almighty..."

"Hahaha..." Spike wiped a tear. "Oh, that's good! Nopony says 'Faust' anymore, Shadow."

"Really? How do they express unexpressable emotions then?"

"Sweet Celestia, Sweet Luna, Sweet Mother of Celestia... Lot of Celestia related stuff."

"That sounds... 'wacky' to me."

"Shadow Shine... You're wacky."

"Whatever... Let's go back."

She charged her horn, and Shadow Shine and Spike disappeared with a magical 'pop.'





Shadow Shine gazed at the sight before her.

She had taken Spike and a very quiet Twilight Sparkle to the Crystal Heart.

"Okay. Here it is. Ready, Twilight," Shadow Shine asked.

Twilight cocked her head. "For what?"

"To purify Daddy, of course! The only reason he turned 'evil' is because he didn't get his yearly purification! Now help me power up the Heart."

"He needs to be purified?"

Shadow Shine facehoofed. "Stupid Amnesia Spell... Look, I'm going to teach you a spell that you'll need to use on the Heart, okay?'

"Um, okay..."





One rushed lesson later, Twilight Sparkle and Shadow Shine were performing a spell on the Crystal Heart.

The Heart began to twirl and spin and radiate with power. Turquoise sparks flew off of it. It began to hum with energy.

A drop of sweat ran down Twilight's muzzle. She scrunched her eyes concentration.

Then, the Crysatl Heart had a orb of energy surround. The orb began to grow... fast.

Twilight and Shadow owned their eyes simultaneously. Their eyes were white with magic.

Finally, the orb of energy covered the Crystal Empire and exploded.