//------------------------------// // Chapter 6-The Shadow Elemental Assassin // Story: Princess Angel Lightning (aka;Queen Vampira) // by Stryker-Shadowpony-Blade //------------------------------// The first thought that runs through my mind when I saw that blade sticking out of my wing, and the crimson blood running through my feathers, was, What just happened? And that's when my electrical senses go into overdrive, and I start searching for the pony who threw the small knife. Then I sense killing intent from behind me and I instantly erect an electrical barrier around the bed, and everypony that was in the room, just in time to deflect a second knife as it flew through the air. All of this happening in a split second. Startled, my sisters jump at the sound of my scream then again at the sound of the second knife hitting the floor. Mom runs over to me after seeing my wing and says, "Where did this knife come from?" I look over my shoulder to see a black-clad unicorn standing on the balcony rail outside the open, windowed, double-doors. "It's an assassin," I say as I pull the knife out of my wing with my magic, and point towards the open doors. "GUARDS!!!" bellows King Rubinus, upon seeing the mysterious figure standing on his balcony railing. Captain Diamond Shield bursts through the door, followed by six Crystal Guards. "SIESE THAT PONY!!!" the king commands, pointing towards the unicorn still standing on the rail. In response, the captain and his guards reared up on their hind legs and slammed their front hooves back down. As they did this, I noticed something change in their bio-electric auras, so I tried to look around my mom, who was busy tending to my injured wing, and I saw, as they slammed their hooves to the ground, their electricity moved from their front legs into the ground in front of them, and made different colored crystals grow out of the ground, taking the shape of different weapons. A rose quarts ax, an onyx sword, a sapphire mace, an emerald hammer, two pearl spears, and a diamond halberd for the captain. I look at King Rubinus. "Can you teach me how to make a weapon like that?" I ask him, pointing at the guards. He looks at me kindly, "We'll see," he says with a smile. We look back at the guards who are about to attack the unicorn on the railing, when I sense something is off. The pony isn't making any move to defend or attack, he's just....standing there, like a statue. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see a shadowy cloud taking the shape of a pony right behind the guards. "Look out!!" I scream, "He's right behind you!!" The guards aren't fast enough. Before they could turn around, shadowy tendrils sprang up from their own shadows, entangling them until they couldn't move. I look at their shadows more closely and see that they are connected to the assassins shadow, and his horn was glowing an shadowy purple. And I saw in his eyes, he wasn't just restraining them, he was going to kill them. I saw blood dripping from the guards, and I knew I was right. "Ooohhh, no you don't," I yell as I dash out of my barrier, and in between him and the guards. I use my lightning blade to sever his connections to the guards shadows, use my magic to set them gently on the ground, and face the assassin. "Be careful, Angel," my aunt Tesla says from my horn, "This unicorn is a shadow elemental. If you're not cautious, even your lightning can be swallowed by the darkness." "I promise I'll be careful Aunt Tes," I respond, my voice trembling. "So, you're the lightning elemental, are you, young filly?"The sound of his echoing, whisper of a voice chilled me to the bone. "I was wondering when I would meet you." "Y-y-you know about m-m-me?" I stutter. "Yeeeessss. I saw you that day when you flew into that lightning storm and came out of it alive," he replied."I knew you would be a strong opponent, once you learned to control the power you attained. I was hoping to see which one of us was stronger after you mastered this power. But, I wasn't expecting to face you so soon. Now, show me how strong you are right this moment." "Before I do that, answer me this: Why did you come here?" I ask, my nervous shaking subsiding. "Who are you after?" His laughter grated my ears. "Straight, and to the point. I like it," he replied. "Very well, then, I will tell you that much. I am here to eliminate the newborn Pegasus filly. She poses a threat to me and others like me." I look at young Princess Cadence, who is looking right at me with those big baby eyes of hers. "You can sense it, cant you." I look back at the assassin. "She has an enormous power lying deep within her. A power that only an extremely powerful unicorn or an alicorn has. Help me destroy her and you and I could rule the world together." I look back at the young filly, looking at her aura, and I see that he was right. Deep inside her is an immeasurable power that lies dormant inside her. Seeing this, my mind is made up, I turn towards the bed, spread my wings, my right wing still hurting from my injury, charge them up, and flap them towards the bed, sending a bolt of lightning towards my family. The resulting burst of light blinded everypony, including the assassin. I was the only one not blinded, and it allowed me to strengthen the barrier around my family, and King Rubinus and his family, as well as place a barrier around the Crystal Royal Guard. Then, I encased myself in armor comprised of nothing but condensed lightning. Finally, I made a scythe out of lightning. I was ready to fight. "Sorry, Mister Shadow," I say, as he slowly regains his ability to see, "but I live for the light. I wont let you extinguish the bright one inside little Cadence. And it seems I'm the only one with the slightest chance of getting rid of you. Permanently." "Are you saying what I think you're saying, Angel?" mom asks me with total shock. "Yes, mother," I reply coldly, "I'm going to kill him." I look at my sisters. "I knew that someday, somepony will want to kill me because of my power. And I knew they would keep coming after me until one of us is dead. Please don't hold it against me, my dear sisters." I see tears streaming down my sisters faces as I say this last part, and I feel tears running down my own face, as well. "I thought alicorns matured, mentally, a lot slower than the rest of us ponies," the assassin hisses. "But you are definitely mentally mature for a filly your age." I look at him and say, "I may be more mature, mentally, than my older sisters, but I'm still, just a filly." And I ready myself to attack. "Yeeeessss," he says, laughing,"yes, you are, just a filly." And he charges, making a shadow sword at the same time. Galloping towards me, he swings his sword at my neck. I block it with the hilt of my scythe, and counterattack, swinging my blade at his front legs. He jumps, my blade barely skinning his hooves, and he thrusts the tip of his blade at the base of my neck, but back neck-plate deflects it with a resounding clang. He lands behind me, but I'm already swinging my scythe at him again. Just before the tip of my blade impales him, he turns to shadow, and my blade passes harmlessly through him. He floats a few meters away and reforms. I turn to lightning and dash to him, my blade close behind. He jumps, but I manage to cut off his left hind leg. He doesn't flinch when he lands and charges at me again, blood pouring from his wound. As the battle rages on, I start to forget to keep my armor solidified, and it starts to fall apart. He notices this and attaches his shadow to my own. Before I know it, I'm find myself trapped by my own shadow, the tendrils not only limiting my movements, but also my magic. By the time I realize I've been caught, the pain from my limbs being twisted had already taken over. I felt every bone in my body start to crack and give under the pressure. I manage to look over at my sisters, and I saw that they were crying and holding each other, my mom throwing herself at the inside of my barrier, with tears streaming down her face, desperately trying to get out to help me, my dad, too was trying to get out. Seeing my family's anguish gave me my resolve to win. I concentrated on my magic, letting it engulf me. As I did I could also feel the slight electrical impulses in the shadow tendrils that I didn't notice before. I focused on them, struggling to control them. Then, I felt my lightning take hold of the shadow, race down the tendrils and towards the assassin, where I felt his energy. Then a thought occurred to me, and I started to draw on his energy, feeling myself grow stronger as he got weaker. Eventually, I felt my bones start to mend and my injuries heal. I soon realized that I was taking his life energy to heal myself. I kept draining him until he lay, lifeless, on the floor. When my breathing had slowed, and I could think more clearly, walked over to the bed and took down the barrier. As I did, I found myself being tackled to the ground by my two, tear-faced sisters. "I'm okay," I tell them. I look at my parents, "I'm sorry I worried you." I tell them. I wiggle myself out from under my sisters and walk over to my parents, only to be sandwiched between them. "Don't you........EV.....VER do that.......again, young........filly," mom choked out between sobs. "We thou....ought we wer.....re going to........ loose you." "You scared your mother half to death, there, little missy." dad scolded me. "Your sisters too." "Sorry," I say apologetically, "I promise it wont happen again. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a mini cake in my eye." I make my signature gesture that brought a smile to their faces.