//------------------------------// // Reflecting Changes // Story: Chessmaster through Life and Shadows // by Prismfire Productions //------------------------------// Rainbow flew as fast as her wings could carry her towards her base, however she wasn't fully focused on her hatred for her aunt; no, instead she was thinking about Celestia's words and it brought up a few painful memories... -997 years ago- A 13 year old Rainbow Dash was laying on her bed with nothing else to do. Since her school work and chores were both finished and she was too young for service, she had developed a bad habit of wanting to sleep more than a normal pegasus should. She looked to the fruit bowl on the night stand and started drooling when her eyes rested on a nice ripe and juicy mango. Even though she could have simply bit into it, she felt like having it sliced so she put it on her back where it would not fall and started to trot towards the kitchen. As she slowly trotted down the vacant hallways, her ears picked up on what sounded like her mother and aunt arguing. Now sidetracked from her initial quest and curiosity blocking the sound of her growling stomach, she made her way to where the argument was originating from. She turned the corner and froze at the sight, both her mom's and aunt's horns were ablaze with magic and it looked like a standstill. "I am sorry it came to this Lulu but you have left me no choice..." Celestia said as tears started flowing down her cheeks and she summoned six stones that started to rapidly swirl around her. Dash paled. "It can't be...THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY?!?! I thought those were just a myth!" To her absolute horror, the Elements shone brightly before a rainbow beam fired at her mother and when the glow died down only her aunt was there. "For the next 1,000 years I will mourn our parting dear sister...until we meet again..." Celestia hung her head and turned around, freezing when she realized her niece had witnessed what she just did and another wave of guilt rippled from her soul and through her whole form before being visibly seen as a shudder as she slowly approached the pegasus. "Dash, my dear niece, this isn't what it looks like..." A violent torrent of emotions then coursed through Dash's mind, body, and soul before settling on anger and killing any love and respect she had for Celestia. "NO!" In a fit of rage, Dash spread her wings and hit her aunt at top speed, sending the now-sole Equestrian leader through a wall and into the courtyard below. "HOW COULD YOU!?!? HOW DARE YOU?!? I thought you loved me and mom but it is apparent that you are a greedy pony who only loves power and praise! I hate you!" As if fate wasn't a cruel enough mistress, one of the Elements, Loyalty if Dash remembered correctly from what she had read, appeared around her neck; this new development further enraged the cyan mare, forever to bear one of the weapons that stole her mother away. "Dashielle please let me ex-" Celestia tried to plead but was silenced by Dash using her forehooves to land blow after blow against her jaw, taking every single one without a fight considering she was already regretting what she did. 10 minutes later Dash jumped off her and took off into the night, when she left Celestia teleported to her bedchamber and started to weep in sorrow. Meanwhile, Dash just arrived at the headquarters of her mother's elite guards. "Major Blackwing please let me enter, this is a Code Eclipse situation!" No sooner than she had said the last word she found herself inside surrounded by Luna's closest guards, each looking eager to find out what could be so important to issue such a high level alert. "My dear aunt has banished my mother to the moon using the Elements of Harmony...Loyalty has apparently decided me to be its master..." All the guards hung their heads in a moment of silence before Blackwing spoke. "In that case Princess Nova you are the new commander of the Lunar guard, we are your command your highness," Every guard then bowed to Dash before Blackwing continued. "However I do not think you are ready to rule as you currently are, your body needs training." Dash mentally leapt for joy hearing that, her dream of serving finally becoming a reality. Even with her practically squealing she kept an emotionless outward complexion. "How much training is going to be required?" Blackwing slightly smirked. "A lot Commander Nova, it will be intense mental and physical training and years before it will be done. Now I must ask, do you want a mango to celebrate your recent promotion?" "Sure, why not?" Dash said with a shrug as she followed Blackwing to the kitchen area of the shack, where he hoofed her a mango and a vial of yellow liquid marked "Flavor enhancer #9". Having had tried that solution before, and in her opinion worked the best, she poured the solution onto the mango and bit into it. As always, the flavor was magnified tenfold, but the moment it hit her stomach she knew something was wrong as a burning sensation started to build and make her double over in pain and her ears developed tuffs at the ends. "What...what's happening to me?!?!" She demanded as she felt fangs start to grow from her upper and lower jaws. "Something I had been secretly planning since our Highness and leader informed us of her plan to face Celestia." Blackwing explained with a soft chuckle. "You see, unlike her, I saw clearly enough to know that Commander Luna would lose the fight. You are...excuse me, were a pegasus and in all honestly only Threstrals, Commander Luna being the only exception, are meant to lead us. To make a long story short you are turning into one of us Dashielle." Dash heard every word but was too focused on the pain in her wings to act, they twitched and wildly flapped as the feathers fell out and the skin underneath toughened and reshaped becoming bat-like and there was pressure in her eyes as they changed as well. However that happened next was something nopony expected, Dash started to shiver. "I feel...co-cold..." After a few minutes panic set in as she literally felt her heart stop, but it was replaced by confusion since she didn't seem affected, that is until she started to have a new craving. "I wonder what you taste like Bkackwing..." She said with a hungry look in her eyes, which turned scarlet, and slowly approached him and making him gulp in realization. "Sweet Celestia....VAMPONY!" He had no time to react as Dash bared down in him and sunk her fangs into his neck, the others to paralyzed in fear and shock to move to help the poor Major as she started sucking. Unfortunately, the bite seemed to have a numbing sensation since he collapsed to the floor unable to feel his legs and a few moments later his vision went dark and he took his last breath. "Well this was unexpected..." Dash said licking the blood from her muzzle, savoring every last drop as her new instincts took over and then proceeded to look to the others. "So who's next...." Everyone of them headed for the door at the same time, which made them end up in a ball of tangled body parts and say a silent prayer as the new Madame of the Night descended upon them.