//------------------------------// // Enemies Revealed // Story: The Moon and the Star // by Ashura //------------------------------// Chapter 7 : Enemies Revealed The following weeks were the happiest Luna had experienced in a hundred years. She would usually go meet Star in her dreams but occasionally, Star would sneak out of the orphanage so that they could meet in pony. On those nights, they would just stroll through grounds, not talking, just enjoying each others company. But this time was not to last, for an evil lurked in the shadows that Luna had dismissed all those weeks ago, on the night she first saw Double Star. "I may have fallen into myth and legend and bedtime story to teach young ponies a few life lessons. But I am still here, waiting in the shadows. And now, the time for me to come out of the stories and enter the real world, where ponies shall fear me until the end of Equestria. Which, if I have my way, should be soon." The pony in the shadows laughed, the moon illuminating Luna's unknown foe, the moonlight reflecting off of his eyes. Double Star had just had another wonderful day at school, spending some more time with Golden, he had taught her how to do a hoofstand and she, in turn, had taught him how to cook. After all, they wouldn't be fillies forever. Knowing how to cook was vital to their survival. When she got back to the orphanage, she found a letter lying on her bed, there was only one person who sent her letters. Luna. The letter said: My dearest filly, I am writing to you know to tell you that our dream meetings shall have to be postponed, a threat has arisen in the north. The leader of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra, had invaded Equestrian land. My sister and I are, as you read, on our way to the Crystal Empire to defeat King Sombra and free the enslaved crystal ponies. I shall return in a couple of weeks if all goes well, which it shall. I am confident that two alicorns can defeat one pony, no matter how powerful he may be. I shall see you soon. Yours Truly, Luna Double Star re-read the letter, to see if she had missed anything. Star felt a twinge of unease, but Luna was right, very few things could fight two alicorns and come out victorious. As it happened, one of the few things that was tied in power with the two princesses was at that very moment plotting his return. Somewhere deep in the Everfree Forest "Now that the two most bothersome beings in Equestria are on their way to the Crystal Empire, there is nothing that can stop me from entering the castle and claiming the last element I require for my plan to succeed." The Shadow Pony laughed maniacally and then started heading for the castle the two sisters shared. Double Star was lying on her bed, reaching the end of the book she was reading, the one that Luna had given her at Hearts Warming Eve. She was about to stop reading to go to bed when a very loud sound came from the front gates, waking up all the fillies around her. "What's going on?" asked the filly closest to the window. Star trotted up to the window and looked outside, and she could hardly believe what she was seeing. An Ursa Major, exactly like the one in her nightmare, was attacking the castle. And even if all the castle's forces, including the two princesses, had been present, victory may not have been a sure thing. "So, what is it?" asked the filly closest to the window impatiently. "It's an Ursa Minor." The filly laughed. "You're joking right?" she asked "Yes, I was trying to prepare you for the truth. It's an Ursa Major." replied Star Nopony laughed this time, mostly due to the look on Stars face. Sheer terror. "Well what are you waiting for? Get the hay out of here!" shouted Star. Everypony in the room immediately scrambled for the door, the pegasus ponies decided that flying out the window would be faster. Thunder Wing smirked at Star, she smiled back patiently. She had forgotten to remove her nightgown. Looks like you won't be able to unfold your wings darling. thought Star with an evil grin. They were only on the first floor so Thunder should be fine, she should. Meanwhile, the Ursa had broken through the front gate, not even bothering to fight with the guards. They were like flies to the enormous beast, barely even distracting it. The Ursa Major was destroying things left and right. Ponies running for their lives, hoping to not to be stepped on. And then a group of smaller ponies entered the Ursa's vision. And then a sudden urge overcame the Ursa to grab the little filly that it had seen while it was sleeping. It reached out it's clawed hand and grabbed the filly before it could escape. Double Star was looking around her at all the confusion and chaos. Ponies screaming, pegasus ponies trying to lead the Ursa away and Unicorns trying various spells that all failed one after the other. Star was so distracted, she didn't see a clawed hand reaching towards her, but she did hear somepony shout out. "Star! Look out!" It was Golden. Star felt the clawed hand trap her and lift her of the ground. The Ursa stared at the young earth pony to be sure it was the right one and then turned around and exited through what was left of the front gate. Leaving a destroyed town behind it. Golden looked hopelessly at the Ursa as it carried away his friend. The last thing he heard from Star before she disappeared along with the Ursa Major was a faint cry for help. The Ursa Major walked through the forest, trampling trees like they were mere flowers. Star didn't know how long the creature had been walking and didn't know how much longer it would do so. Eventually, they reached an area of the Everfree Forest where the trees that grew there were leafless, not a single flower grew, not a single bird singing. Complete silence. The Ursa Major put Star down and then a voice said: "You have fulfilled your purpose, now leave this place until I have need of you again." It was a voice the likes of which Star had never heard before, it seemed unreal, like it belonged to another age. "Welcome Double Star, I've been wanting to meet you for quite a while now, but I needed to get your silly alicorn princesses out of the way before having you brought to me. I wasn't sure the Ursa Major would have succeeded had Celestia and Luna been at the castle." said the voice from the trees "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?" asked Star "Now, now. Patience, you shall know all in good time. But let me first tell you how I got here..." "Dear Celestia, you're going to tell me your life story... Great. Can't wait... for it to be over." said Star with a slight smile. "Silence! Interrupt me again and I shall call back the Ursa!" said the voice The voice waited to see if Star would say anything, when she stayed silent it proceeded. "Before your precious princesses defeated Discord, I was the second most powerful being in all of Equestria after the god of chaos himself. Discord created me from an old legend that you ponies thought up to teach your children important lessons? Can you guess what legend I came from? No? I shall tell you, I am the Shadow Pony as seen by Discord. As you can imagine, I was created purely to amuse the bringer of chaos. And so I was but a fraction of what the legend told about the Shadow Pony. I was furious to be enslaved by that joker of a world power. So I devised a plan, I would make myself more powerful through arcane means and overthrow Discord and finally step out from beneath his shadow and cast a shadow of my own. The likes of which have never been seen before nor would have been again. Alas, Luna and Celestia defeated Discord before I had the chance to separate myself from him. My existence is tied to his, he still lives but his power no longer supports me. I have had to perform certain rituals so as to remain strong and independent of Discord. And so the time has finally come, one final ritual and I shall no longer need to depend upon anything or anypony to remain strong!" "What do you mean?" asked Star "You see, a few months ago. While everyone was enjoying the Hearths Warming. I broke into the library and found an interesting book with an even more interesting spell. With that spell I would finally be free to force my will upon the world! I have spent the last few weeks searching for gathering all the items I would need to perform the ritual." the Shadow Pony explained. "You still haven't told me why you need me!" said Star "You were the last item I required to succeed in this endeavor. And now I have you." "But what would you need me for? I'm just an earth pony!" shouted Star "So...You do not know from whence you came. Interesting..." said the Shadow Pony "What are you talking about?" demanded Star "You really don't know do you?" asked the pony, clearly enjoying himself "Just say it already!" shouted the young Earth Pony Star was worried, she didn't understand why she was acting like this. She was shouting at a being of legend that supposedly had enough power to turn her to ash. Where was all this coming from? Why did she feel so angry? "Very well... Story time. How did your parents die?" asked the Shadow Pony "They were attacked by Timberwolves. Why?" she asked "Sorry, wrong answer. The correct answer is: you never had parents." "What do you mean? Of course I did. How else would you explain that I exist?" "Easy, but first, let me tell you what the final ingredient necessary for this ritual was... The final thing I required was a sample of changeling fur." informed the Shadow Pony "Changeling fur? What does that have to do with me?" Star asked "Everything! You see... You are the long lost daughter of the changeling queen!" exclaimed the creature Double Star looked upon the Shadow Pony, horror displayed on her face. "You're crazy! That's not true!" she shouted. "Am I?" he asked. The Shadow Pony stomped his hoof on the forest ground, Star could feel a strange tingling starting at her hooves and working it's way up. Her brown coat was disappearing, leaving in it's place a changeling's body. Star ran to the pond that was in front of her, she looked at her reflection and saw a changeling staring back at her.