//------------------------------//
// Preparations 
// Story: Welcome Back, Night Spark 
// by Unicorncob 
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Star Shade took a deep breath as she approached the Castle of the Two Sisters. She was grateful that the bridge was much sturdier after being repaired; she was scared enough about coming to this place and the last thing she needed was to fall into a misty gorge in the middle of the night.
“You really used to live here?” she asked, her voice hushed as if she was afraid somepony would be around to listen.
“Indeed,” replied an older mare’s voice in her head. The voice took the form of a tall Unicorn, almost Princess Luna’s height. She was dark and translucent, like a shadow come to life. “And it was in much better shape when I did, I assure you.”

The shadowy mare was Night Spark, Star Shade’s ancestor from over a thousand years ago. She was an aspiring wizard studying under Princess Celestia herself, but their philosophies created a wedge in their relationship; Night Spark wanted to learn and study dark magic, so she could develop counter-spells and cures for curses. Princess Celestia had refused her every time, saying dark magic was too dangerous for anypony but an Alicorn to control. 
Night Spark’s frustration and anger broiled into desperation, and she decided to prove her mastery of dark magic by successfully conjuring a soul-transfer spell on herself. Her body was destroyed in battle against the Princesses, but her spirit had been moved into a pendant, which laid dormant in Canterlot for centuries until her descendent came to collect it. She was a model student at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and she had done a good job keeping her secret.

Star Shade pressed a hoof against the pendant. The black fire inside was much stronger than the flicker it had been when she’d acquired it from the backstreet curios shop.
She looked back at her saddlebags, bulging with the items Night Spark had told her to get. Some were bought, some were stolen. A necessary evil, the witch had assured her.
“You’re nervous,” the voice said.
Star Shade nodded. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“My body will be restored and I will leave your mind. What’s there to be nervous about that?”
“What if somepony finds us? Like the Princesses?”
“You let me worry about them,” Night Spark said, the shadow’s muzzle moulding into a smile. “All we need to do is travel to my chambers and begin the process. At least that is still standing. Honestly, did Celestia just fire the cleaning staff?”

Star Shade rolled her eyes and looked back at the castle. A thousand years ago, the Royal Sisters ruled here with a magnificent castle she had only seen in illustrations. But after it was mostly destroyed when Princess Luna was banished to the moon, Celestia abandoned it and had a new castle built in Canterlot.
“Such a self-congratulating eyesore,” Night Spark had said when she first saw it.
Now, the Castle of the Two Sisters was reduced to almost nothing. What was left of the outer walls was overrun with moss, trees sticking out of the side. Only a pair of tall towers remained somewhat intact, the top of the leftmost one being where Night Spark’s chambers once were.
The full moon had risen behind the ruins, and Star Shade felt her chest ache. It was almost like Princess Luna was watching her, daring her to do the deed.

A caw got the student’s attention, and she looked up to see a raven flying toward her. It swooped around and landed on her back.
“It seems Dunwich didn’t find anypony inside,” said Night Spark. The raven proudly raised his head. “Come now, while the night is still with us.” The tall silhouette evaporated.
Star Shade took a deep breath and climbed the steps to the doors, weeds sprouted between the ancient stones. She carefully pushed one of the doors open with a loud creak.





The entrance hall was dank and unwelcoming. The doorways to each side led to darkness, and the floor was littered with fallen pillars, weeds and moss. The banners above the balcony over the divided staircase were tattered and torn, the embroidered Royal Sisters and their colours almost faded into nothing. Night Spark got a good chortle out of it.
Star Shade walked through old wooden doors and dark doorways. The hallways were silent apart from the occasional howl of a breeze, the echoed clops of the Unicorn’s hooves on the stone floor, and Night Spark’s directing her descendent through to the tower.
Star Shade, despite her reluctance, was impressed. Despite spending a thousand years under a shop counter and the castle being misshapen from destruction and centuries of neglect, she still knew her away around like the back of her hoof. She even knew secret doors hidden behind the walls!
Though, with sconces either missing or unable to light, she only had the glow of her horn to light a short distance ahead of her. 
She flinched when she came across a row of armour suits, standing stalwart by the wall. They were covered in dust, rust and cobwebs, but she could still make out their colours. One side had yellow-ish armour, the other blue.
“Ahh, the old armours,” Night Spark sighed. “Reminds me of that very night. Much more regal than the current designs, don’t you think?”
Star Shine was less fond of the suits. She couldn’t help but feel like they were going to come to life any moment and chase her.
“I wonder if the old organ in the basement still works,” Night Spark mused as the two mares rounded a corner. “If we can somehow get it to play during my resurrection, it would make for some good dramatic-- trap door.” She smirked as the smaller Unicorn halted mid-step before a square tile and crept around it.

A door led back outside, into what Star Shade assumed used to be a courtyard. Overgrown grass and weeds made her think she was in a field for a moment. The tower stood tall before them, pieces of the walls and roof missing.
Star Shade bit her lip, and looked to her side. She saw a big chunk of the wall separating the courtyard from the outside. She furrowed her brow.
“Wait, we could have just gone through the hole in that wall there.”
Night Spark tilted her head. “Yes?”
“Instead of the dark halls and almost going down trapdoors.”
“True.”
“So why didn’t we?”
“My old home may be in some disrepair, but I’m still quite proud of it.” Night Spark shrugged. “I may have it restored when I have my body back too.”
“It was all dark in there. And there were creepy suits of armour and trap doors. Were you trying to scare me as well?”
“Did I scare you?”
“A little bit.”
Night Spark nodded. “It will suffice.”

Star Shade rolled her eyes and walked into the tower. It wasn’t nearly as dark as the castle corridors, thanks to the patches of moonlight getting through the walls. She climbed up the spiral staircase, Night Spark floating behind her.
At the top, she pushed through the single door. Inside was a round room, the walls lined with shelves. Books and tomes were scattered all over the floor, their pages yellowed and ruined by centuries of rain damage. A workdesk laid on its side by the wall, next to it a thin black pole with a perch on top. Dunwich hopped off Star Shade’s back and landed on it, happily ruffling his feathers. A bed was overturned beneath a huge wall in the ceiling.
“Of course the bird’s seat is fine,” Night Spark mumbled. “And all my books, ruined or missing. Some filthy thieves have been here, but I’ll worry about that another time.”
“What about your new skylight?” Star Shade remarked, nodding up to the hole.
“It’s nice, I suppose,” Star Shade said with a wave of her hoof, “but it’s still too dark. Lift the table and light the candles, would you? We need to see what we’re doing in here.”

Star Shade used her magic to right the table and lift the candles and holders from her bag, setting them on the desktop and lighting them. She set a few on the shelves around the room, giving a warm glow.
“Much better,” Night Spark said. “Now, you brought the book, yes?”
“You know I did,” Star Shade said, and used her magic to levitate a book from her bag. Its pages were yellow and coarse, and its binding was black and rough, the cover almost like a pony’s face distorted in pain. Just looking at it made her feel uneasy.
“Just felt I should ask,” said Night Spark. “You remember which page the--ah, a bookmark. Clever girl. Well, the night is still on our side. Let’s begin.”

Star Shade bit her lip and took a stick of chalk from her bag.