//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: My Little Pony: Lights and Shadows - Part I // by OmegaTale //------------------------------// “Ready…” Rainbow said, crouching down onto a cloud, Starfall doing the same. “Set…” Starfall continued, the both of them unfurling their wings and swapping determined glares. “Go!” they both shouted, rocketing off from the cloud. Rainbow began immediately in the lead, accelerating in front of the competition. The pegusi blazed an after-trail of rainbow and fiery blue as they soared over Ponyville below. Looping into a nosedive, Rainbow pulled ahead even further, pulling off the aerial trick quicker and with more finesse. Pulling up just before crashing into the ground, they moved like lightning bolts over Sweet Apple Acres. Pinkie Pie hopped up and down on her hind legs, shouting out, “Go Rainbow Dash!!!” In the final stretch, Starfall started giving it his all, but Rainbow arched her wings as she went, pulling away even further. Crossing the cloud finish line, Rainbow won over Starfall by just over two seconds. They both looped to stop their momentum and glided down to the ground where Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie were waiting for them. On their way down, Starfall said, “Guess I still can’t beat you in that one.” “Well I am Rainbow Dash, remember?” Rainbow boasted. “But hey, that was closer than some Wonderbolts I’ve raced before. I may even have to go all out next time.” Shaking his head and smiling, Starfall recovered from being winded before they touched down. “Yeah right,” he said. “They don’t call you the fastest pony in Equestria for nothing.” Pinkie Pie was still hopping up and down when they landed. “THAT WAS AMAZING!!!” she yelled, an absolutely enormous smile covering her face. “Well shoot Starfall,” Applejack said, tipping her hat. “You were able to keep up with RD, that’s mighty impressive.” “I know right?” Rainbow added, excited to finally have a good competitor in Ponyville. “Spitfire pegged him for Wonderbolt material while we were at the academy.” Starfall was a little embarrassed, but he was good at hiding it. “It was humbling to hear it come from the captain herself and while I do love to race, being a royal guard is the most important thing to me.” “Well ain’t that nice?” Applejack complimented him. After being nudged by Fluttershy, Applejack perked up a bit. “Oh! That’s right. Sorry y’all, Fluttershy and I have an appointment with Rarity at the Spa.” As they turned and walked away, Rainbow said, “Don’t forget to ask for their weekly special! Lotus and Aloe made cookies for everypony today!” Immediately, Pinkie Pie’s face lit up and she gasped in a huge breath. “DIBS!” she shouted, galloping off after them and vanishing in a puff of smoke. Rainbow and Starfall shared a laugh at Pinkie’s excitement. “Hey,” Rainbow said, looking over at him. “Want to come see my house? I’ve been dying to show you my trophy collection.” Starfall nodded and they took to the sky. Rainbow had a very big trophy room, and she was extremely proud of it. Cloudsdale Lightning Course, Young Flyer’s Competition, Silver Medal for the Equestrian Games Aerial Relay, the list went on and on. While Rainbow marveled in the knowledge that somepony was looking at them, Starfall said, “Rainbow, can I ask you something?” “Sure, what’s up?” She answered, walking over to him. Starfall looked a little shaken. “Have you ever been given a huge responsibility and been afraid of letting somepony down?” Rainbow scoffed. “Of course I have.” She said without hesitation. Starfall looked surprised. “Really? You?” “I know, I know.” Rainbow said, looking away in pride. “I am pretty awesome, but yeah, I’ve been through enough responsibility to feel edgy about it. Got the better of me on a few occasions I’ll tell ya that.” Rainbow then caught onto why Starfall asked and chuckled. “You don’t have to be worried about being Twilight’s guard Starfall.” “Why?” Starfall asked, his gaze falling. “Over the last few years the six of you have been through so much together, what if I’m not able to keep up?” “Starfall,” Rainbow said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “You are going to be a great royal guard, and do you want to know why?” Starfall looked up at her. “Because you’re awesome. And believe me; I know awesome.” She rose up and did a flip in the air. “You’re Starfall Blitz! You were the youngest stallion to ever join the Canterlot Royal Guard! You were hoof chosen to be Twilight’s captain by Princess Celestia herself, twice! And, since we’re alone and no one is around, you’ve beaten me in the Mustang Marathon! Now I may not be the best long-distance flier in Wonderbolt history, but that takes some serious talent!” All of the compliments finally got to Starfall and he cracked a small smile. “You’ve got me, AJ, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, and Starlight to back you up! You’re gonna be the greatest royal guard in Equestrian history!” Starfall was seldom left speechless. He was beyond thankful that he had already met Rainbow before, she was the best pony in the world at raising the spirit. “Thanks Rainbow,” he said, reclaiming his ability to talk. “You’re right; I won’t let you or Twilight down.” Rainbow gave him her patented Rainbow Dash Determination Smirk. “That’s the spirit!” Twilight had gotten up early after only a few hours of sleep to return to Ponyville General. She walked into Zecora’s room and couldn’t help but smile at the site. Starlight and Trixie were sound asleep on the lounge couch. Trixie had leaned over at one point and was now resting up against Starlight’s shoulder. Starlight, in kind, rested her head against Trixie’s from above. As much as Twilight still didn’t get along with Trixie, she was glad Starlight was her friend. Not wanting to wake them, she walked quietly over to Zecora’s bed, where the zebra lie fast asleep. Her minor wounds had not been the primary concern to the doctors; she had undergone some kind of traumatic experience and her entire body was exhausted. There was no clear sign of any psychological damage to prove this, but Zecora had just seemed rattled….maybe even paranoid. Whatever creature it was she encountered, it must have been dangerous to have inflicted this kind of fear in Zecora: the zebra who lived in one of the most dangerous places in all of Equestria. “Twilight?” came a little voice from the door. Twilight turned and saw Applebloom looking up at her. “Is Zecora gonna be alright?” Twilight comforted the young earth pony with a confident smile. “Yes, she will be Applebloom, she’s just really tired and has had to sleep.” Applebloom came up beside her friend zebra as well. “How long is she gonna have to be in the hospital?” Unable to answer the question, Twilight sadly shook her head, replying, “I’m not sure, but perhaps it would be best for us both to leave her be, we wouldn’t want to wake her from her rest.” Applebloom nodded up to her, turning back to Zecora for a few seconds, and then walking out from the room. Twilight, not wanting to wake Starlight or Trixie, used her magic to lift them up. A few moments after they left the room, Zecora slowly opened her eyes. She tried to sit up but failed, leaning back down onto her pillow. Looking around the room, her eyes searched for the amulet, but Starlight had kept it in her saddle, which was gone. When Twilight returned to her castle, she arrived to see Starfall speaking with Princess Celestia in the Main Hall. “Princess Celestia!” she said happily. Celestia turned a troubled gaze to her but it changed into a calm one. “Hello Twilight, how has Zecora been doing?” “She has been better, but the doctors say she should recover in a few days.” Twilight replied. “Have you come to check on Starfall’s performance as my guard?” Celestia shook her head, the calm look reverting back to its troubled state. “I’m afraid not. I need the help of you and your friends.” “Absolutely.” Twilight said immediately. “Just tell me what you need.” Starfall raised his hoof to the throne room, where Spike opened the door. “I called for your friends to meet with us here, but I couldn’t seem to find your pupil, Starlight.” Still floating in the air, Starlight had begun to stir about during their conversation. Upon hearing her name, her head perked up and Twilight’s magic dropped her and Trixie. Starlight landed on her hooves, but Trixie crashed down on her face with a loud thud. She looked up at Celestia, stars dancing around her head. “Y-your majesty….” Her head then crashed back down to the floor. Celestia stood by Starfall and raised her own hoof. “Please, have a seat inside.” Everypony entered the throne room and had a seat as Princess Celestia approached the map, looking around at them all. “Last night, a great evil was released from the Tree of Harmony.” “Oh my, how dreadful!” Rarity gasped. Applejack tilted her head, asking, “From the Tree of Harmony?” Twilight followed that up with another question. “Celestia, why was there an evil trapped in the tree, was it a result of Discord’s Plunder Seeds during the Summer Sun Celebration?” Celestia shook her head. “No.” Her horn lit up with magic and the Table Map darkened, altering into what looked like a completely different world. Everypony looked at it with a level of discomfort, for it portrayed a much darker, twisted looking world. Finally, Starlight asked, “What land is that?” Taking a deep breath, Celestia said, “This was Equestria over 9,000 years ago.” Eyes widened and mouths opened agate, but no pony said a word. Strange formations dotted the map, six tall spires that each glowed with different colors at their peaks. There was a light clearing at the maps center where Canterlot would be, but it was just the mountain on which the city was made. All of the cities were gone, and only a few towns lie on the land, most of them in the lighter area, although some existed closer to the spires. The Crystal Empire was gone, life was nonexistent anywhere outside the spires, and most of the world lingered under a great shadow. “Long ago,” Celestia began. “Before me or my sister Luna were even born, Equestria went by a different name…..Alarei.” Using her magic, Celestia was able to make the map focus on the bright mountain at the center and the patch of land around it. “Almost nothing is known about this land besides the fact that ponies, griffons, dragons, changelings, and nymphs all lived together around this mountain.” “Whoa…” Rainbow said, her eyes drawn to the map like everypony else. “Seriously?” “Did everyone get along?” Fluttershy asked, hoping to herself. “I believe so.” Celestia replied. “From what I can remember being told, all five races lived in relative harmony within the light surrounding the mountain.” Starfall looked to Celestia. “May I ask who told you?” “Luna and I were told this by our mother over a thousand years ago, before we became alicorns.” Celestia explained. “My memory of her story is faint, and it has been Luna’s and my secret since the day she told us.” “Hold up there just a moment princess,” Applejack spoke up. “I thought ponies migrated to Equestria from a faraway land during the Storm of the Windigos.” Celestia looked at the earth pony and nodded. “It is true; earth ponies, unicorns, and pegusi came here and established Equestria after their defeat of the Windigos, but what they do not remember is that their kind have been here before.” “That’s true,” Twilight said, grabbing everypony’s attention. “The migration to and establishment of Equestria can be traced to around two and-a-half thousand years ago. Long after the time Celestia is speaking of.” Rarity tilted her head, confused. “But princess, what does this have to do with a creature escaping the Tree of Harmony?” Celestia closed her eyes and the map zoomed out. “The reason our mother told us this story was to warn us.” Celestia’s magic turned to dark magic and the map began to alter; the high spires beginning to tremor, the land shaking along with them. “In this time, there were two beings of power who ruled Alarei. Luna and I were never told their names, but our mother believed them to be deities, a brother and sister.” The map pulsed a wave of magic in all directions, making everypony gasp. The spires crumbled and fell, the darkness beginning to shroud the brighter land in shadows. But then, from where the six spires stood, the six lights at their peaks whirled about and met over a certain point just south-east of the bright mountain. There was a bright flash, causing everypony to cover their eyes. When the light went away, they recovered to see the entire land dark and lifeless, aside from a single bright light where the six had met. “Celestia?” Twilight asked. Eyes opening, Celestia looked sad. “She never told us what had happened. All of Alarei became lifeless. Somehow, the event scattered all of the races to different lands, where they grew distant and bitter towards each other. Ponies eventually split into their three tribes because of their differences, and the world went on, Alarei being lost to an unrecorded history.” As Starlight examined the map after the event occurred, she realized something. “Where the six lights met….isn’t that where the Tree of Harmony is? In the Everfree Forest?” Celestia offered a small smile and Twilight believed she understood. “The lights….they were the Elements of Harmony, they had to have been.” Celestia nodded in agreement. “But if you look carefully….” The map zoomed in on where the bright light was, and it revealed another shadow hidden within it. Everypony squinted and got closer, seeing it for themselves. “Our mother also said that whatever caused that event had become trapped inside the tree, the power of the Elements containing and keeping it sealed forever.” Starfall looked back up at everypony else, and then Celestia, asking, “But what was it? What was sealed within the tree?” Celestia earned the gaze of everypony present, and waited a moment or so. “A shadow.” Immediately, Fluttershy felt her heart freeze in her chest. Applejack’s eyes widened. “You mean…..the-” Celestia nodded. “What the citizens of Ponyville have come to call the Pony of Shadows.” Looking back down at the map, she continued. “Luna and I were not aware that it haunted the grounds around the Tree of Harmony, and we foolishly built that castle there to keep the Elements safe instead of returning them to the tree where they belonged.” “Wait…” Rarity said, trying to clarify. “You’re saying that ghastly legend is true?” Celestia looked down. “Luna said she saw it sometimes, said she spoke to it at night….but I never believed her.” Taking in a deep breath, Celestia straightened up. “That shadow has escaped into Equestria. We must find it, and re-imprison it within the Tree of Harmony before whatever darkness rises to cause that fateful event again.” As everypony talked, Fluttershy began to cower, slowly hiding away from their eyes. Starlight noticed and said, “Fluttershy? Are you alright?” Everypony turned to her and she started to sweat, her eyes growing large. “Oh my…” Rarity began, making the pegasus even more nervous. “This story must be scaring you Fluttershy.” Unable to even try to speak up and cover her anxiety better, she only nodded. “Pinkie,” Twilight said, turning to her pink friend. “Can you take Fluttershy up to the library?” Pinkie saluted her. “Yes ma’am, Twilight ma’am!” she hopped over to Fluttershy and helped her up, the two of them leaving the throne room. Turning back to Celestia, Twilight said, “But whatever that thing is could be almost anywhere by now, how do we even find it?” “We spread out and look! That’s how!” Rainbow shouted, sounding pumped. “I guess that’s a start.” Spike said under his breath. Twilight stepped up off from her throne. “Alright then, let’s start a search grid.” A storm of conflicting thoughts brewed within Fluttershy. It couldn’t be him….he was so nice, and so gentle. He was confused…..afraid…..and lost. He did want to leave, but why then would he ask for her help if he were not afraid? If he was so bad, why show himself to her? With the powers he had, he could have escaped by himself, why ask her for help? She couldn’t believe it…..she just couldn’t. Pinkie noticed Fluttershy’s fallen gaze and nudged her with her rump. “Awww cheer up Fluttershy, I’m sure we’ll find that shadow thingy.” Eyes creeping up to meet with her friend’s, Fluttershy said, “Its….it’s not that Pinkie.” Hopping up in front of Fluttershy, Pinkie tried a new approach. “Want to play a game? That should get your mind off of it! Ooooh, please say Bingo! Please say Bingo!” “Thank you Pinkie, but I’m fine.” Fluttershy replied sadly. Seeing Fluttershy so sad always had a way of putting a halt to Pinkie Pie’s crazy nature. Dawning a more concerned expression, Pinkie nuzzled her friend. “Come on Fluttershy,” she said encouragingly. “Tell your ole pal Pinkie what’s wrong.” Fluttershy looked at her, and then slowly walked over to the window. “I’m just….” She began, not wanting to say it. But she had to, this was beyond her. She let out a deep breath. “I am afraid for a friend I made yesterday.” Pinkie tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?” Fluttershy saw her own reflection in the window, and she looked like she was going to cry. Shadow was not a bad pony….but she had no choice. Princess Celestia had just returned to Canterlot, leaving Twilight and her friends to begin a secondary search over Equestria. Twilight and Rainbow were talking about organizing separate groups of pegusi to fly quickly to all the corners of the map when Pinkie burst in through the door. “Twilight!” she shouted, zipping over to her before Twilight could respond. “No time to explain!” Pinkie somehow managed to grab her, Spike, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, Starlight, and Starfall, sprinting back out the door and up to the library. Inside, Fluttershy sat facing the window. Pinkie released her friends. Twilight gave the pink mare a confused look, and then approached Fluttershy, along with everypony else. “Fluttershy?” she asked. “What’s wrong?” Fluttershy turned around, her face covered in tears. “Everypony….” She said in a quick breath. “I-I *sniff* I know where he went….” Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “Uh….who?” she asked. Trying to calm herself down, Fluttershy took in a few breaths. Pinkie walked over to her and stroked her mane a bit, trying to help. With a more clear voice, she continued. “The shadow that escaped last night….” Spike was the first to ask. “How could you know that Fluttershy?” Fluttershy looked up at them all, knowing she had to say it. “I met him when I was alone in the castle.” Everypony was taken aback. “Why didn’t you say anything Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, trying to restrain herself, for she knew Fluttershy was easy to hurt with words. “Yes,” Rarity added. “Why didn’t you tell Princess Celestia that you met that horrible thing!?” “Because he’s not horrible!” Fluttershy shouted, surprising everypony. “He was so afraid…..and so confused…..” Fluttershy trailed off, but soon spoke up. “He helped me get out because I was afraid too! He’s not horrible! He’s just not…..” Twilight was unsure how to take this; Celestia said that this thing was the cause of a terrible event thousands of years ago, but now Fluttershy said it was kind. Conflicting thoughts from her mentor and her friends was never easy to deal with. “Fluttershy….” Starlight said to her. “We need to find him.” Words could not describe how horrible Fluttershy felt for this. “I know.” She replied, surprising everypony again. “But even if he is this thing from a long time ago, I won’t let Princess Celestia put him back into the tree without telling me why.” Twilight knew Fluttershy, she had known her long enough to see this level of seriousness. She had been right about Discord, even though everypony thought he was evil. Perhaps….. “We’ll deal with that when the time comes.” Twilight said aloud, ending the silence. “But for now, we have to go after it.” “Him.” Fluttershy said sharply. “His name is Shadow Light.” Twilight blinked, saying, “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” Everypony stepped up, and Fluttershy knew what the next question was. “Where did he go Fluttershy?” Turning back to the window, Fluttershy sighed. “North-east…..he is headed for Manehattan.”