Rainbow Dash huffed in anger as she and Shadow ambled their way together down one of the many streets in Ponyville. Jay, being the smart mouthed monkey boy that he was, had decided to blurt the secret that she had a crush on the Black furred Unicorn. Both Twilight and Jay had agreed that they should try to get better acquainted. Shadow, blushing so deep that his black fur had turned an ugly dark purple had denied the suggestion almost immediately, saying he wanted to sit and listen to Twilight's questioning of Jay. Jay smirking like an idiot, had suggested that Shadow was a coward. Shadow after a large amount of book throwing at Jay and shouting at Twilight for laughing at his and Rainbow's embarrassment, had grabbed Rainbow's hoof and dragged her out of the library. Though right after that, they had both been too embarrassed to speak to each other, much less look at each other. They had then both attempted to walk in opposite directions but had, annoyingly walked down the same street. Shadow had attempted to make small talk but every time she looked round at him, his nerve seemed to fail and he looked away again. They made their way down the street, pretending to be interested in the flower pots and the intricate patterns around the doors of the houses. By this time, the sky had turned a pale orange in the evening light.
"So..." Shadow mumbled. Rainbow turned to look round. The Unicorn was looking directly at her, with barely any trace of his old shyness. Shadow was actually grinning. He pointed his hoof. The two ponies had come round into the main square of the town. Shadow was pointing at a small, fancy looking cafe near to the town hall. "Fancy something?" He asked gruffly. Rainbow grinned and nodded. Making their way over to the cafe, Shadow managed to get them a table for two. They sat their, two cups of cocoa sitting in front of them, gently steaming away. They were staring at each other, though neither of them realized it. Rainbow was shaking slightly as she picked up her small cup and attempting to sip the chocolaty liquid. She smiled at Shadow, who smirked at her. "You've got a...." he said motioning towards his mouth. Rainbow frowned. With a small poof of black smoke, a small round mirror appeared in front of her. She stopped. A large amount of brownish foam was smeared across her mouth. She blushed, hurriedly looking away and wiping her mouth with a napkin. Vanishing the mirror with another small poof of magic, Shadow leaned across the table. Rainbow froze as Shadow's hoof landed on top of hers. She looked up at the unicorn. "Rainbow..." Shadow said quietly, a small blush covering his face. "Were you telling the truth when...?" Rainbow blushed and nodded silently. Shadow's grin widened slightly. "Listen Rainbow....I," Shadow mumbled something that Rainbow couldn't hear and look away. She smiled as the nervous Unicorn made a noise, rather like a mouse being trodden on.
Rainbow grinned. "I...." She mumbled something, "You too." Shadow's head whirled round. They both stared deep into each others eyes, then they looked away with small laugh. "Listen..." Rainbow mumbled, leaning her head in slightly, a small blush blossoming on her cheeks. "I'm well...." Shadow leaned in and smiled. "I'm..." Rainbow chuckled, looking away from the Unicorn. "I feel like an idiot." She said chuckling. Shadow, pulled his hoof off of hers. The Pegasus looked back up at him. Shadow had pushed himself off the hay bale he had been sitting on and stood up. "What's up?" she asked, confusedly. Shadow shook his head softly, looking angry and, was it possible, a little sad. Shadow turned away. "Shadow?" She asked confusedly. Shadow shook his head without looking at her. She moved herself round the table and placed her hoof on the Unicorns shoulder. Shadow shook her off, still without looking at her. "Shadow, what's the problem? You Know...we're friends. We can talk if you want." After a few minutes, Shadow looked round at her.
"I'm making you uncomfortable." He said sadly, turning and beginning to walk away. Rainbow jumped in front of him, forcing the unicorn to stop. He sighed. "Listen Rainbow," He mumbled, now sounding incredibly tired. "I don't think this was a good idea. I better go." He attempted to push past Rainbow but the Pegasus refused to move. Shadow, not looking at her, the Unicorn turned round. Rainbow, faster than most normal Pegasi, jumped in front of him. "Rainbow, let me pass." He said tiredly. But Rainbow shook her head, then realized that Shadow was still not looking at her. She gripped the Unicorns head with a growl, between both hooves, seized with a sudden desire, that she couldn't quite explain and pushed the Unicorns head up so that she was staring deep into his dark eyes. "R-Rainbow?" Shadow stammered. The Pegasus shook her head. She felt fed up that the Unicorn was ignoring her, fed up that the Unicorn was trying to ditch her after asking her here. Fed up that she was feeling fed up at all. She pressed forward. Their lips met, just for a brief second, then she pulled back, a thin stream of saliva connecting them. She smiled warmly. "F-Fancy getting a b-b-b-bite to eat?" Shadow stammered. Rainbow let go of the Unicorn and nodded. Taking her hoof, Shadow and Rainbow made their way back to the table, where their cups of cold cocoa still sat, untouched by the two.
As the two ponies sat down, their eyes were still glued to each other. They did not see the hooded black figure standing on the roof of one of the thatched roofs, opposite the cafe. The figure continued to watch the pair. A black armored gauntlet slid out from beneath the black cloak. The metal fingers clicked together. A small flame sparked into existence, circling as though alive in the palm of the cloaked figures hand. The figure raised its' metal hand and spoke quietly to the flame.
"Follow them." The flame danced in the figures hand for a few seconds, before rising into the sky. Slowly, the fire dissolved into small bursts of flame, dancing away on as though on a summers wind. The small sparks of fire floated high into the sky, before coming to hover over the two love-struck ponies. The creature watched them for a second before stepping back, with a small flare of fire, the figure was gone.
The chamber was large, though it was dark, it was hard to tell how big it actually was. The only light came from a pool of water, casting a gloomy bluish light into the chamber though the small amount of light that it created was barely adequate enough to reveal anything distinguishing about the chamber. There was just enough light to show four stone pillars, stretching high into the darkness. Four banners were fixed around the pillars. Made of a dark black material, these banners, like the water in the pool did not move despite the howl of a cold wind, echoing through the shadowy chamber. The surface of the water was so still, it was almost as if it had been frozen in time. Suddenly, there came the sound of hooves. Echoing inside the dark chamber, the clopping grew louder and louder. A figure entered the small cone of light that the pool cast. Clad in a dark robe that blended the pony almost perfectly with the darkness, a pair of dark red eyes shone from under the hood of the cloak. A shadowy hoof reached out from under the cloak and dipped briefly into the pool. Despite the disturbance, the pool did not ripple at all.
"Obsidian." Said a cold, female voice and another figure appeared, on the opposite side of the pool. Like the first arrival, the figure was clad in a dark robe, though this one was etched with white stars, that barely glinted in the darkness. A pair of deep violet eyes stared at the first arrival. "The dark and powerful..." but another female voice, slightly haughty and extremely arrogant interrupted the second voice.
"Be silent foal. Let our glorious leader rest in silence! Do not speak unless you wish to make a bigger fool of yourself!" A third arrival had stepped up to the pool, this time next to the star cloaked figure. Like the first two arrivals, this figure was cloaked, however, the cloak seemed far too small for the third arrival. Long ropes of dark, greenish strips swung around from under the hood of the cloak. A pair of deep green eyes were staring in adoration at Obsidian as the cloaked pony, who still had his hoof in the pool. "Obsidian..." The newest arrival whispered seating herself by the pool, "When do we strike my lord? The girl was a failure....let me go!" But the pony with the star etched cloak snorted in indignation, seating herself by the edge of the pool. "Why do you laugh foal?" Demanded the tallest of the three, blinking angrily at snickering pony.
"You? Go next?" Laughed the Pony, the cloak practically vibrating with the pony's laughter. "You will fare no better than the girl did!" The two squared off, baring their teeth at each other, until Obsidian finally extracted his hoof from the pool and raised it up. Immediately, though no words had been spoken, both of the females in front of him stopped glaring at each other and stood to attention. Obsidian turned his piercing red eyes upon them and nodded silently. Before getting to his feet. The cloaked pony wandered around the side of the pool until he was standing parallel to the two mares. A soft chuckle filled the dark chamber.
"Listen to me the pair of you." A stern voice said from under cloak. Both mares shivered slightly as Obsidian spoke. "You're both talented enough to have an equal chance on taking him down. Until our other two allies join us, we can do naught but test him again and again. I shall continue to deal with Shadow. You..." he pointed with a hoof toward the mare with the star etched cloak, "shall go next. I believe you needed an excuse anyway." The mare with the star etched cloak bowed. Both of the two cloaked mare's backed into the darkness. Obsidian turned back to the pool and dipped his hoof back into it. He smiled, showing pearly white teeth. "Soon my dear Shadow, you'll be mine. But for now I shall send you a test. What to do....what to do..." He thought. Then a smiled. Reaching under his cloak, Obsidian pulled out a small clay figurine of a dragon. He placed the figurine into the pool. It floated out into the center of the pool and sank. Obsidian waited, counting to ten. He matched it with his own heartbeat. That was the proper way to do things. The pool suddenly began to bubble and froth. Something big moved under the water. The cloaked pony smiled as a large yellow eye opened under the water. "Soon now." he mumbled quietly settling back down by the pools edge.