Star Shade walked down the Canterlot street, trying her best not to look shady. She was a young Unicorn mare, top of her class at the School for Gifted Unicorns, and possessed quite a love for magic in return for a not-so-stellar social life.
But she didn’t mind not having many friends. Especially on that day. It meant less ponies to tell where she was going.
She stopped at a sidestreet and, after making sure nopony was paying attention, ducked into it. It was hidden from the sun and nopony was walking through it but her, which was just how she preferred it.
Near the middle of the dark street was a curios shop, with a logo resembling the one on the letter. She pushed the door open and slunk inside. Boxes of knick knacks littered the floor, the shelves lined with things like books, pottery, and some skulls that part of her hoped were fake.
The stallion behind the counter looked up with reawakened attention as she neared. “Welcome to my shop, young lady,” he said with a smile. “If I may say so, I never expected such a young pony to be interested in a place like this.”
“I’m looking for something,” Star Shade explained. “An amulet with a black fire inside it.”
The shopkeeper furrowed his brows and lowered behind the counter, coming back up with the very amulet in his magical grip. Inside the jewel, a black flame flickered with life.
“A very specific thing to look for,” he said. “Any particular reason you’re after it? Even I’m not so sure what it is, it’s been around since before my time and nopony has ever shown any interest in it.”
“Oh, it’s just some really rare jewellery,” Star Shade explained. “I’ve been looking all over town for one.”
“Well even so, I’m not sure if I should sell it. Something about it doesn’t seem right to me.”
The mare hovered a fat sack in the air, jingling the many bits inside.
“You make a very compelling argument, young lady. We have a deal.”
She exchanged the bits for the amulet, thanked the shopkeeper and left.
Star Shade looked up and down the street. Still nopony around. She looked at the amulet, staring at the black fire inside. This was what she was instructed to do, and it scared her a bit. She wasn’t sure what would happen once she went through with the final, easiest part, but she had come too far.
She slipped the amulet’s chain around her neck. A sudden, dull ache in her horn, and she fought the urge to scream as it grew into a sharp, burning pain. Her eyes clenched shut and teared up as she silently begged for it to stop.
And by some mercy, the agony vanished as quickly as it came. She breathed a sigh and sat on the ground, trying to pull her thoughts together.
“There you go. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Star Shade’s eyes shot open at the new voice. A mare’s, older and mature. But she had made sure nopony else was with her, so where…?
She looked ahead, and gasped at the figure before her. A black, ghostly Unicorn around Princess Luna’s height.
“So it’s really you?” she asked.
The new Unicorn nodded. “It is. I’m your great, great, great, great aunt… wait, how many ‘greats’ would a thousand years be? Ugh, you know what? Just call me your distant aunt.”
The smaller mare got to her hooves and took a breath. “I’m Star Shade.”
“I know you are, I’ve been keeping an eye on my family for centuries, but it’s nice to properly meet you. You certainly got my sister’s looks.”
“So that means… it worked?”
“It did. I managed to transfer my soul into that amulet’s gem before my body was destroyed. Though I don’t mind telling you it was still rather unpleasant. Who knew light magic could still really hurt? Maybe it’s all that dark magic I’ve got. I’ll need to do some experiments when I get my body back.”
“How will you get your body back?”
“Oh, that’s a long and rather complicated process. Nothing for you to worry about right now. But let’s just say that until we’re both ready for what that entails--which isn’t dangerous, so don’t give me that look--we’ll be sharing a body and mind. Yours, to be exact. We can’t read each other’s minds thanks to the barrier I put up in here. That was why your horn was hurting earlier, apologies for not warning you first.”
Star Shade glowered. “A warning would have been appreciated, yes.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” the Unicorn chuckled. “Well, my half of it. Anyway, whenever the situation calls for it and you need me to, I can take over your body for a bit and use my own magic.”
“Take over?!”
“With your permission,” the figure insisted. “Part of the soul transfer spell says that I can’t do it without consent. Besides, I wouldn’t do anything to put my own flesh and blood in danger. I may be what you would class as a witch, but I’m not heartless. Well, I don’t have a physical heart right now but you know what I mean.”
“Right,” Star Shade muttered, her own heart starting to slow down. “Can anypony else see you?”
“Only you can see and hear me while you have the amulet, so I’d advise you be careful where and when we talk. Mainly so you don’t look like you’ve lost your mind.”
The younger Unicorn started a slow walk to the main street, planning to blend in with the crowd. “What now then?”
“How about we take a stroll?” the Unicorn said, her form fading into Star Shade’s body. “I haven’t been out on the town in a while, and spending the past thousand years on a shelf has left me rather bored.”
“Fair enough,” she said, and stopped at the exit to the bustling street. A pitch black raven had perched on top of a box and regarded her with a soft caw. She ran her hoof down its breast.
“Hello, Dunwich.”