The Dragon's Abyss

by DarklordAxel20

Darkened Revelations

Ponyville, Twilight's Castle, Three Days Later

Three whole days had passed since Twilight began her training with the magi blade. In that time she had made phenomenal progress, for beginning at least, albeit in her eyes the progress was minimal as her blade was nothing compared to the one Shade could form atop his horn. Letting out a loud sigh, Twilight slumped down, she had spent the whole day practicing to control the magical weapon as best as she could, wearing herself out in the process. Twilight huffed and puffed as she forced herself to her hooves, cringing as she did so, " ...H-how...how does Shade make this look so easy....I mean sure...he has been doing this waaaay longer than I have...but still... "

Just as she was about to resume her training, Spike came rushing out of the castle and towards her as fast as his little legs could carry him. " Twilight!!! Twilight!!!! Twilight!!!! It's important!!!! " unfortunately Spike was going so fast that he missed Twilight entirely and crashed into a bush nearby.

Twilight's eyes widened, " Spike?! " she hurried over to him, however before she could pull him out of the bush, a scroll that was grasped within Spike's claws caught her attention. " Huh, what's this? " using her magic, she pulled both Spike and the scroll out of the bush.

Spike crossed his arms, a small scowl had formed on his face as he floated in the air, leaves stuck to his body, " Gee, thanks Twilight, I'm alright. "

A small bead of sweat dripped from Twilight's forehead as she helped wipe him off, " Eheheh, my bad Spike, guess I got distracted by the scroll you were holding. "

Spike's eyes quickly widened as she mentioned the scrool, " Oh that's right!! Twilight, that scroll is from... " Spike hastily looked around, making sure his father was no where near. The small drake cleared his throat before continuing, this time in a whisper, " ... the scroll is from Princess Celestia... "

This time it was Twilight's eyes who widened, "....Princess Celes- " however she was promptly cut off by Spike covering her mouth, followed by a loud " shhh " . " Oops....Princess Celestia... " she spoke with a soft whisper, " but, why would she send a scroll out of the blue, there aren't any upcoming events that I know of. "

Spike quickly snatched the scroll from Twilight with an unamused expression on his face, " maybe instead of asking twenty questions we should actually read it. "

More sweat dripped down her forehead as she grinned sheepishly, " Eheh, I guess you're right spike, let's uh, get to reading it then, " using her magic, Twilight unraveled the scroll, revealing it's contents to the both of them.

" Dearest Twilight Sparkle,

Forgive me for the suddenness of this message, but this is urgent. As of yesterday the Crystal Empire has come under assault by an unknown assailant, one of which we know nothing of, as the destruction Luna and I witnessed was far too orderly to be anything Shade could do, but that is exactly why I am writing this to you. Twilight Sparkle, my dearest former student, I, Princess Celestia, need your assistance in recruiting Shade to aid in finding out just what kind of assailant is plaguing the once peaceful empire. I know you may have many questions, I myself have just as many, but you must refrain from replying to this message, as I am writing it with the utmost discretion, I also ask that you refrain from informing your brother and princess Cadence of your sudden visit, as they still foresee shade as a threat due to the abruptness of his behavior. I am looking forward to seeing you again my former pupil, and whether he believes it or not, I am looking forward to seeing Shade again, I only hope he does not see this as some form of deceit, he may be the only one who can aid in this situation.

Your's truly, Princess Celestia.

Upon finishing the message, Twilight's eyes were as wide as saucers, " Sh-she wants....Shade to come with us.....but...but... "

" That's a terrible idea though! " Spike exclaimed, throwing up his arms in a dramatic manner as he shouted.

In order to calm the young dragon down, Twilight gave him a light smack to the back of his head, " Calm down spike, this won't be any easier if we panic. " Despite saying this to Spike, deep down Twilight too was panicking. " Maybe we can ease Shade into the idea, or uh... we could maybe... " She found herself at a loss for ideas, Shade already detested the thought of being anywhere near princess Celestia, what in Equestria could compel him to put aside his hatred to help her.

" I've got it! " Spike snapped his claws, an idea had suddenly emerged within his mind. " All we have to do is not tell my dad that we're bringing him to the Crystal Empire. "

Twilight's already wide eyes felt as if they would tear her eyelids if they got any wider, Spikes suggestion was a complete shock to the lavender princess. " S-Spike...do you know what you're suggesting..? "

Spike replied with a nod, no hesitation was visible either, " I'm certain, sure my dad has a pretty bad temper, but I'm sure her won't stay mad. "

All Twilight could do was let out a sigh of defeat, she knew that there was no point in arguing with Spike. " Ever since Shade showed up Spike has become as hard headed as ever, I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. " " Alright Spike you win, " however before Spike had time to celebrate his " victory " Twilight had one last thing in mind for him. " But, while I get myself and Shade ready, I want you to gather up the girls and meet us at the train depot, understood? "

Spike gave en exaggerated salute in response, " Yes ma'am Twilight ma'am, " following the salute, Spike jolted off as fast as he could go, this time avoiding any oncoming shrubbery.

Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes as the baby dragon made haste to gather their friends, " It's almost hard to tell them apart sometimes. " Twilight wasted no time in making her way inside her castle, even with Spike's plan she couldn't help but worry, Shade was rather sporadic when it came to his mood. "...Well, I guess there's no use in worrying...the sooner I get him ready the sooner this'll be all over... " she muttered under her breath as she searched for her coltfriend.

It didn't take long for Twilight to stumble across him. Shade had been in the library all day, going over any and all books that he had missed when he first arrived. Much to Twilight's surprise, when she found Shade he had what seemed like hundreds of books circulating around him. While it was obvious that he was using his magic to move the books about at such a fast pace, she had no feasible idea on how he was supposed to be reading them. " Ah Twilight, I was wondering when you'd come inside, " Shade made no attempt to even look at Twilight, his focus was solely on the books around him.

" Uh, Shade, What exactly are you doing? " for a few seconds Twilight had forgotten her whole reasoning for even being in the library.

" It's simple, " he began, still keeping his focus on the floating books as he spoke. " I'm testing a new spell that allows me to focus on multiple objects even if they are moving, effectively giving me multiplied sight. "

Twilight was flabbergasted, she had never thought a spell such as that to even be possible, " H-how long did it take you to...to come up with it...it must've taken a while I mean... "

Shade shook his head in response, " Not really, if anything it only took an afternoon of thinking and half an hour to prepare for, afterwords it was merely foalsplay. "

If Twilight's jaw could fall off it would have, not only had Shade created an entirely new spell, but he had done so in a single afternoon, while it took Twilight at least a day to finish an incomplete spell. But suddenly Twilight's original intentions on being in the room came rushing back into her mind, " Oh that's right! " she exclaimed.

" Hmm? " Shade's ears perked up from Twilight's minor outburst of realization, " What's right Twilight? " he asked with a tone of mild curiosity.

Twilight cleared her throat and took a deep breath to regain her composure, " Shade I would like you to accompany Spike, the girls, and myself on a trip out of town, " she spoke with the utmost confidence. That was of course until she watched Shade's expression shift, " Th-that is...unless you're too busy too..if that's so then I understand...I really do... "

Instead of Shade giving a stern "no" like Twilight originally braced for, he began chuckling, " Sure, why not, I'm not that busy especially since I just finished perfecting this spell. " Twilight watched as he placed the books back in their original places on the many shelves perfectly, surprising her again. She might've known where each and every book in the library went, but even she'd lose track with that many books.

" A-are you sure...I...I mean you don't have too... " Twilight was having second thoughts, she knew that having Shade so close to Celestia was the same as having a lit match near a stack of fireworks.

" I'm sure, my schedule is pretty clear, what with nothing threatening your well-being and all, why not, " he rose, turning towards his beloved, a slight grin on his face. Shade made his way out of the library, despite his otherwise calm demeanor, Twilight could tell something was on his mind.

Twilight made haste to keep up with him as he made his way towards the front of the castle. " Sh-Shade, don't you need a bag or anything...we might be gone a few days.. " she was trying her best to buy more time in order to think of a way to keep things in order when they arrived in the Crystal Empire.

" Nope, " was all Shade had to say as he reached his claws out to open the front gate.

Twilight did her best in order to quell her inner panicking, lest she seem suspicious towards Shade, which at the moment, is the last thing she wanted to do. " Well then... " she took a deep breath before continuing, " I guess we should head to the train station, Spike already has my bag and his readied up. " Before Twilight could step out of her castle however, Shade lowered his head and kept his claws pressed against the castle doors, " Shade.....is something wrong... " She asked rather nervously.

A deep grunt could be heard coming from the half-breeds mouth, "...When were you going to stop lying to me and tell me that we're going to see Celestia. " He turned back to face Twilight, giving her a partial glare as he awaited an answer.

Twilight was speechless, sure she didn't do much to not be suspicious, but she hadn't once mentioned anything about Celestia to Shade. " ...I...how...we were... " Twilight fumbled on her words, she had no possible idea how Shade had known.

It felt almost like Shade's gaze was cutting right into Twilight's very soul, " do you really think a window and a few hundred feet are enough to keep me from hearing everything that goes on in this castle? "

Twilight was dumbfounded by his question. The way he said it made it seem as if it were something even remotely normal. However Twilight's surprise quickly left her as she felt the guilt running back to her, " ...I'm sorry Shade..it's just...princss Celestia needs us..and- "

" And she says she needs my help more than anypony else, I've heard that one from her before. " Shade's tone was stone cold, colder than it usually was when Celestia was the subject.

Twilight physically cowered away as Shade's blood red eyes laid on her, " ...I-If you don't want to....I'm sure princess Celestia would understand... "

" No, " Shade stamped his foot, briefly shaking the castle floor, his tone of voice went from cold to stern in an instant. " If SHE wants me to come, then I will, but I won't cooperate in any way, shape, or form. "

The sternness in his voice made Twilight fearful of his actions once they would reach the Crystal Empire, but at the same time it showed that he was serious about the situation. Twilight was caught off guard as Shade pulled her into a close hug, "...Sh-Shade... "

" ...Let's hurry...we don't want to keep everypony else waiting... " was all Shade said before the couple vanished in a flash of red.

Ponyville Train Station, right at that Moment

Both Shade and Twilight appeared in the center of their friends, causing almost all of them, excluding Pinkie Pie, to jump out of surprise. " Sweet Celestia, don't do that sugarcube, ya bout gave me a heart attack thirty years too early! " Applejack exclaimed fearfully as she held her hoof to where her heart rested in her body.

" Yes darling, while we appreciate the two of you being punctual, please give a notice before you just pop up in the middle of us all, " Rarity stated.

" forgive us for the scared, " Shade looked around, eyeing each one of their friends until his gaze eventually met Spike's. " Son? why are you and Fluttershy stuck together like that? " Shade asked curiously.

Spike quickly took notice and quickly leapt away from his shy friend, " Well sorry dad, but we didn't expect you to appear so suddenly, I mean, Twilight normally just walks to the train depot. "

Shade eyed his offspring carefully before breaking the gaze, " Very well then, Id rather not dawdle, in fact to be one hundred percent honest, I want this fiasco-to-be, to be over with as soon as physically possible. " Shade's statement was as blunt as could be, leaving everypony but Twilight speechless in response.

" Shade and I already talked this over, " Twilight started talking, " He's not exactly comfortable with being around princess Celestia, so he's going to see what it is that she needs, and then he's heading home. "

A loud and long " Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww " came from Pinkie's mouth in response to what Twilight had said, " But it's no fun if we aren't all there. " Pinkie crossed her front legs and made a childish pouting face before suddenly springing up, " OH!!!!! ohohohohoh!!! I know I know!! " she suddenly started hopping in place rapidly. " We can throw a part just for Shade when we get there, we can even invite princess Celestia!! "

Normally Pinkie's smile was enough to make almost anypony smile, but not this time, if anything it made Shade's scowl grow, " Pinkie. No, " was all he said.

" Oh cmon silly billy, don't be so sour, it might be the perfect chance for you and princess Celestia to make up finally, so why won't you agree to a party?!? " Pinkie's eyes were that of a pleading filly who desperately desired a toy in a store.

However Shade wasn't in the mood for Pinkie's antics, his temper had been on the breaking point all day, and this was the finally straw. " Pinkie Pie..... I don't want a damn party!!! and I especially don't want to make up with Celestia!! BECAUSE I HATE HER MORE THAN ANYTHING!!!!!! " His sudden outburst shook the ground beneath their hooves and made almost everypony cower before the mighty half-breed. Shade quickly looked at everypony, the sight of their fearful gazes brought him back to his senses as quickly as he had lost them, causing him to collapse, " ....I...I'm sorry everypony...I'm sorry Pinkie Pie..I don't know what overcame me...I just...wanted to explode all of a sudden... "

Everypony watched as Shade grasped his head tightly, it was as clear as day that he was in distress. " Um Shade, " Pinkie crept towards Shade, not wanting to spark another outburst, " it's alright...We don't have to have the part if you don't want to, just please be happy again, alright? "

" ....Pinkie Pie... " Shade lifted himself off the ground and took a deep breath.

" Are ya alright sugar? " Applejack made her way towards Shade and put her hoof on his shoulder.

Next was Rarity, " Yes darling don't scare us like that. "

"...yes...scare us to death.. " Fluttershy added.

Twilight stepped forward and lowered Shade's head to meet her own, " Just calm down Shade, everything will be alright. "

Everypony watched as the couple touched their horns together, creating a spark of magic upon making contact. " Now ain't that there sweet, " Applejack commentated over the show of affection.

However before another word could be said on the subject the train to the Crystal Empire pulled up to the platform. " All aboard for the Crystal Empire! " shouted the conductor.

On cue, the six ponies and two drakes made their way onto the train, ignoring the stares Shade received along the way. " ...Their stares...they're nothing new to me... " Shade's cold tone of voice had returned.

" J-just ignore them Shade " Twilight laid her head against Shade as the two walked towards their seat on the train.

" Yeah dad, they're just jealous that they aren't a super strong, super cool dragon pony, " Spike added in an attempt to cheer his father up.

However it was unclear if Spike's attempt did anything at all, because the first thing Shade did upon sitting was fall asleep. " Just let him sleep Spike, " Twilight said as she gently rubbed the hybrid's head. " If anything that's the one thing he needs most to ease his already ailing mind. " Twilight's concern only grew as she watched her coltfriend scowl in his sleep, " ...Just what are you dreaming of Shade..? " mumbled Twilight.

The ride seemed to last forever as Twilight and her friends watched the scenery fly past them. " Is something wrong Twilight? " Spike questioned the look of concern on her face.

" Yeah Twi, you look like you're expecting the worst disaster ever to happen or something, " Rainbow Dash added.

" Go on Twilight, you can tell us anythin, " Applejack smiled in an attempt to cheer her dear friend up.

" ...Yes Twilight...You can tell us anything...We are your friends after all, " Fluttershy added on to the attempt.

Twilight gave her own small smile in reply to her friends attempts at lifting her spirits, " Thank you everypony, " she started speaking, " I'm just worried about Shade is all, I mean for the past few days he's been....out of it, almost like there's something he's not telling me. " The princess of friendship turned her gaze from her friends towards Shade, only causing her worry to grow.

Before another word could be uttered, a bright flash of light came from Shade's body, engulfing any and everything. The six ponies around Shade shielded their eyes as the light expanded, and expand it did. The light expanded almost indefinitely before finally stopping, and when it finally did stop, so had time itself, leaving all except the six frozen.

" Wh-What the hay is going on?! " shouted both Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

" Twilight...what in Equestria is going on? " Rarity asked in a panic.

" I-I don't know Rarity, it's like everything just stopped, everypony as well...Shade..Spike...everypony... " She hastily scanned around her, looking for any signs of movement, any at all. There were none. "We...we really are frozen...but why? " however before any of them could question further, several orbs of light appeared before them, floating in a circular motion.

" Do not fear children of the planet, for we mean thou no harm, " The voice spoke in an olden accent, similar to that of princess Luna when she was returned back to normal, but yet, the accent seemed older.

" Wh-who are you..? " Twilight asked fearfully, despite being told not to fear them.

Another orb flew forwards, this time speaking in a tone similar to that of a changeling, " We are oraclesss of a world long forgotten, one much older than thy Equesssstria. "

" Oracles? " all six questioned at once.

This time an orb with a more masculine voice spoke, " Yes, twas our job ages ago to speak with and the deity's that formed our ancient world, each one of us represents a single race birthed by the four. "

" The four? " Twilight was now intrigued by what the orbs were speaking of. " Who are the four...what deities did you speak for? " she asked with the intent on gaining more knowledge of what was going on.

A very stern feminine voice flew towards Twilight, " Now is not the time for questions such as those child, we have revealed our presence to thee for a very specific reason. "

" And just what reason is that huh?! " Rainbow Dash was becoming impatient already.

Her tone didn't amuse the oracles one bit, but before the stern voice could retaliate, a much larger orb of light flew forward. " The destruction of thine world, " The orbs words silenced Rainbow Dash, in fact they silenced everypony who heard them. " That is not the only reason we have shown ourselves to thou, the six of you have become intertwined with the fate of the chosen crystal bearer, " the oracle continued onward, causing all six to look even more confused.

" Crystal bearer? Now I'm not tryin to be rude or anythin, but what in Equestria do ya'll mean by "chosen crystal bearer" , " Applejack was the first to speak up on her thoughts.

" Yes please, tell us what you mean! " Twilight practically begged.

" Very well, " a different male voice spoke up this time. " But listen with care children of this world, for we shall only deliver upon thee this information once, " if the orb speaking had arms of any sort, Twilight imagined he would have them crossed at the moment.

" Are thou familiar with the abyssal magic, " the largest of the orbs questioned the six, to which they promptly replied with a shake of their heads. " I see, allow me to give a shortened explanation, for the actual tale would span days to tell, and that is time thou does not have, " Twilight and her friends did not speak, rather they simply nodded. " Abyssal magic, one of the earliest conceived forms of magic to ever appear on thy world, it's very existence is disastrous at the least, and cataclysmic at the most, for the use of it results in the consumption of any and all who wield it, and all around it. "

Twilight was at a loss for words, she had never heard of the concept of anything but dark magic being so terrible. " That sounds terrible, how could anypony use such a thing and live with themselves afterwords, " Twilight just couldn't imagine it being possible.

" Yes, abyssal magic is a terrible thing indeed, and yet, in the old world, so many were drawn to it by the power it possessed, such magic could take the weakest of beings and turn them into something that could easily shadow over any alicorn in this modern day. " The six ponies faces were that of awe, a magic that could give that much power had never been conceivable to any of them. " However, only certain beings were allowed to wield the destructive magic, only those chosen by the darkest of the four, and those chosen would soon wish they had chosen death, for not long after, the very magic they yearned for consumed them, twisting their very bodies into nightmarish entities who only knew destruction but twas not the only alteration to their being, for their hearts crystallized within their chest as well. "

" Crystallized in their chest?! That's impossible! " Twilight suddenly blurted out.

" The word impossible defined nothing in the olden world, " replied the oracle. " The crystalline hearts within those chosen gave them many great abilities, but none were greater than their vitality. A being chosen by the darkest of the four could fight for days on end and recover from the worst of injuries so long as their heart remained untouched. Twas both a gift, and a curse, for once a being had been chosen, their free will was taken, their minds stripped of their former self. "

The ponies were speechless, the magic the oracles were speaking of sounded like something from a nightmare. " ...That sounds absolutely dreadful...why would anypony want such a thing at that great of a cost..? " questioned Rarity.

This time the more masculine of the oracles spoke, " Twas not always their choice, after betraying his siblings, the darkest of the four was sealed away by is elder brother, yet his influence remained long after his brother went into a slumber that would last eons. Because of this, the darkest of the four made numerous attempts to escape his prison, to combat this, we oracles, devised an ancient spell, one we wish we had not, for it is the very cause of this abyssal magic spreading to others. "

" ...Wh-what do you mean... " Asked Fluttershy in a hushed, frightened tone.

" The spell we created was made to created six keys, keys that hold the dark one in captivity so long as the six remained sealed away, " said the largest of the orbs. " However, despite our intentions being as pure as can be, we had not foreseen that the dark one would turn the keys against us. Using what small influence he had, he altered the spell using his dark, abyssal magic, infecting any sealed within the crystal keys with it, and thus beginning the vile cycle, but by the time we had found out, it was already too late. "

Something dawned on Twilight as she listened to the oracles speak. They had just brought up the fact that the keys for sealing this "dark one" away, were crystals that held live beings inside them. " One second please, you said they were sealed inside a crystal...just like Shade....are you saying that... "

" We are indeed saying that, " replied the stern female oracle. " For you see, even long after our own passing, the cycle continued, for our world had ended, and thy world had just begun, the dark one's desire for freedom grew even greater knowing that we were no longer around, but that didn't mean he would escape with ease, for our knowledge had been passed down generations after our deaths. Oh how we wish it hadn't for that meant the spread of abyssal magic would continue so long as the spell was used, and used it was, for ages upon ages it was used to hold the dark one at bay. "

" Twas like this until seven thousand years ago, when the last king of this land lived, he had devised a plan. He would use five keys instead of six, while he knew this was only a temporary solution, as they would one day die within the crystals, he also knew that it required six of the keys for the dark one to continue the cycle, and for a time, it worked. That was until over five thousand years ago, two young princesses would use the forbidden spell to seal away one they saw as a threat, we are sure that thou must know whom we speak of. "

" ......Shade..... " Was all Twilight could say as her gaze fell upon her frozen love.

" Indeed, the one known as Midnight Shade was inadvertently sealed away, becoming the sixth and final key, but as fate would have it, other events took place. " The ponies listened as the second male oracle explained, " By somehow escaping the binds of the crystalline prison a thousand years early, only half of his heart could crystallize, this was the first sign that the chosen crystal bearer had awoken. "

This time Rainbow Dash spoke up, " Alright we're getting what you're telling us, but the one thing we don't get is whatever this chosen crystal thing is. "

Ignoring Rainbow's attitude towards them, the large orb spoke in place of the male oracle, " The chosen crystal bearer is apart of a premonition we foresaw ages ago. A being who had escaped the binds of the abyss, one with the might of a dark warrior, but the mind and heart of hero, this being is Midnight Shade. However despite this, the crossbreed still suffers detrimental aftereffects from his imprisonment, he sees the face of every pony he has ever seen die in his sleep, whether it be by his claw or not. Another aftereffect was the splitting of his internal personality, where as most beings have one, his has been split into that of a dark, destructive, malicious force who cares not for whom he harms, he only seeks the thrill of battle. The other half that it had been split into was that of a light, righteous side who would valiantly fight to bring peace and prosperity to the world, but between the two halves lies the true Shade, a grey entity that seeks control over the two individual halves, resulting in nonstop internal warfare amongst himself. "

Twilight didn't know what to think, everything she was hearing was hitting her so hard she felt like her legs were going to give out from underneath her. " ...I had no idea Shade was suffering so much... " In the midst of her feeling sorry for Shade another thought dawned on her, " Wait a second, is Shade's crystal heart the reason for those crystals flying into his chest after fighting that golem and metal griffon?! "

" Precisely, " responded the larger orb, " We already know of Shade's ability to absorb the crystal shards of his fallen foes, however there is another reason he should continue seeking the crystals out. "

Twilight couldn't believe it, they wanted Shade to keep fighting, to keep putting his life on the line. " How could you say that! Shade doesn't need to fight anymore, I've already almost lost him twice now, I don't want to see it happen again!! " the princess blurted out.

However the oracle ignored her outburst, " That reason is this, Shade's malformed heart is slowly killing him. "

Hearing this caused everypony's eyes to widen and their pupils to shrink. " ...It's what... " Twilight mumbled, she felt as if her eyes could start leaking tears at any moment.

" The crystalline heart is what supplies unending life to those previously imprisoned, should it not properly form it will do the exact opposite after so long, it will take the life of it's bearer. " The six ponies were trying their hardest to swallow everything being told to them, but there was so much that it made it difficult. " The only way Midnight Shade may sustain his life is by obtaining the shards of his fallen brethren, and in doing so, freeing their trapped souls so they may be reborn in much purer images of what they should have been. In addition to all this, with each shard he attains, his power shall grow. "

" Um excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me Miss floating oracle ball lady! " Pinkie cried out as she waved one of her hooves around wildly, " What's gonna happen to Shade once he get's all the crystal shard thingies? "

" An excellent question young pink one, " replied the deeper male voice, " The moment Midnight Shade has obtained the shards from his last abyssal brethren, he shall gain full and total control of his heart, which will allow him to awaken an ultimate power, one which he will use it to face the vanquish the darkness that plagues this worlds existence. "

Before any of the ponies could speak their minds, the brash female oracles quickly spoke up, " However you mortals have a vital task, Midnight Shade's fate upon defeating this evil lies in your hooves, for two paths lay ahead of him, one where he is the worlds savior, and one where he is it's destroyer. "

This caught everypony off guard, even more so than the fact that Shade was slowly dying. " That can't be possible! " cried out Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all at once.

" I don't believe you one glorified light bulbs for one minute! There's no way Shade could destroy the world if he saved it! " Rainbow Dash shouted loudly.

" So the cyan mortal does no believe our premonition, then we'll just have to show them all, " the brash voice spoke to the others in response to Rainbow Dash's outburst.

Without warning the world around them went black, dropping the ponies into a void, but after a certain time, they stopped falling and began floating. " Wh-what's going on ?! " they cried out in a panic.

" We shall show you a vision of just how dangerous Midnight Shade's powers can be, should he go down the path of evil. " A bright flash came from the first male oracle, a light that would expand until the blackness around them became a world of it's own. " Do not speak, simply watch. "

The world around them had shifted to that of a battlefield, without hundreds of thousands of soldiers from all corners of the world. all species from ponies, to griffons, to minotaurs, to even dragons, stood circled around a single plateau in the midst of a barren wasteland. Atop the mountain stood a dark figure, one which dawned a black cloak, but it was unmistakable who the figure was.

" Midnight Shade!!! On behalf of the governments of the world, you are hereby sentenced to death for the crimes you have committed!!! A general among the pony ranks shouted at the cloaked figure. " If you do not surrender yourself and take the execution in Canterlot, then we, the united armies of the world will end you right here and now!!!

However the generals threats had no effect whatsoever on the dark crossbreed. " Such feeble beings, their futile attempts will only ever end one way, " Shade gave a glare so sharp it could cut any metal as he raised his head to better his view of the armies.

" Very well then you murderous maggot!!!! Any last words before you meet your maker!!! " The general shouted.

A wicked grin cracked on Shade's face, followed by a dark, deep chuckle. " As a matter of fact general, I do have something to say, it'll be the last thing you ever hear, " and without warning, Shade let out an earth shaking roar, one that caused every soldier and every leader to cover their ears. However the roar was the least of their worries, as Shade was roaring, he released an orb of fire at the ground, and begun feeding it, causing it to grow rapidly, soon enveloping everything, every soldier, every landscape, until finally a massive dome of fire had spread miles across the world, not even leaving ashes where living beings once stood.

Twilight and her friends watched the events unfold in sheer horror, not even the world around them returning to normal brought them out of the state of terror. " That.....that was terrible...how could....how could Shade do something so terrible...he's so kindhearted... " Twilight thought out loud.

That is the very reason you should heed our words. " The tone of voice the lead oracle was speaking in was more threatening this time, " For should Shade go down the path of darkness, all will be lost, and only the six of you can keep him following the path of the light, dost thou understand? " The six ponies nodded in unison, " Very well, then we shall take our leave, be wary though, Shade's next trial lays in the destination thou art headed to, aid him in any way you can, and lastly, do not inform him of this meeting, should he learn that you know of our presence just yet, fate could make a change for the worst, as for now, farewell young ponies, may we see thee once more. "

Twilight watched as the orbs faded away one by one, until finally they were gone, and when they were gone, the world around them resumed in motion. Once everything had returned to normal, the six were left with bewildered expressions upon their faces. " Uh Twilight? " Spike snapped his fingers in her face, " What the hay is wrong with you girls, you look like you just had the worst daydream ever? "

Twilight shook her head and gently hugged the young dragon, " ...nothings wrong Spike...we'll tell you about it alter, just...get some sleep, it's going to be a long ride. "

Spike watched as Twilight and the others closed their eyes, " Well, alright then, goodnight everypony, " the young drake closed his eyes, and joined his friends, and father in slumber.

Author's Note:

Well hey long time no see ladies and gentlecolts. It's been a while since I've gotten a chance to work on this story, but I finally did and took the opportunity. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope I enjoy writing the next few, but not as much as I hope all of you enjoy reading them . I've got big plans for this story, mainly because I have most of it plotted out, but you'll just have to watch things unwind as they do . I'll see you all again as soon as I can get another chapter out, and if any updates that need to be shared come up I'll be sure to tell you all before anything else, see you all later

Comments

[GrimmWolfDragon]

Man I'm liking your story. Keep it up

[Azrael the alicorn]

The story is fine and I like where is going... yet there is something that rubbers the wrong way. And that something is this whole thing about Darkness = Evil. I'm not a fan of it for being so reused that it's predictable and I don't like how light must always be the most holy of things while the Darkness must be all nasty and that kind of stuff. There is good and evil in all of things and that includes Light and Darkness.