(This part of my story is something that came to me after I first took back control of my body. When my mind reset with my body, the actions that Aquila took while I was trapped inside the cage she created, were blocked from my mind. She was using my body, so the actions she took were part of my memories, only from her point of view. When she felt me taking control she made sure to hide what she was doing as much as she could. If I would’ve known what she’d been doing during this time, I would’ve done things differently. If I could, I wouldn’t even bother telling her part of this tale, but her actions led up to the poor choices I made, the friends I lost, and my own end. I’m adding her part of the story here because it matches up with what happened to me, rather than when I remembered what she did.)
“Awww poor Grim, you really thought you could stop me, didn’t you?”
Aquila…
Three Days Earlier…
It’s a strange feeling when you’ve never really known what it’s like to have your own body. For as long as I can remember, I’ve only ever just been an entity. No body, just magic with something like what the ponies of this world would call a soul. Most would say that I’m just power with a personality…ignorant ponies, they think just because they can use magic, that they understand the universe and everything in it, but they’re wrong. I’m alive, I can love, hate, feel pain, sadness, or even happiness. When I first came to Equestria, I had hope, hope that I would be able to live up to the dream of my creator to help this world. That was until I found myself trapped inside my first cage. I tried to escape and almost did, but that Alicorn…Luna, used her own spells to keep me trapped and later her minions made sure to enhance the power keeping me trapped.
In the long run, it was a good thing they did, because I found that I can’t survive for long in this world without a body. If I’m left out of some kind of containment, my power crystalizes and if I’m like that for too long, my soul will vanish from existence. It was lucky for me that one hundred and eighty-seven years, ten months, four days, and six hours after the world died, Grimoire Spell, a mare called Vervain, and a filly called Morning Star, found me. Only ten years before, my chamber finally gave and I was exposed to the world, but still trapped inside the room. My form turned into crystal and I was only a few months away from dying. Grim’s spell to try and hold my power is what saved me. If she was smarter and left my form as it was, she could have taken my power with ease. She instead did the one thing I needed to keep me alive.
I knew as soon as I saw that filly Morning Star, that she was special. I was told by my creator that one day I would come down to this world to be bonded with a special pony. That pony was Morning Star, my creators used what little power they had to help guide Grim to me I think. That’s what I tell myself at least, because what are the odds of the mare I needed to find me right before I’m about to die. The only problem was, Morning Star was close to death with some kind of dark magic. I knew what I had to do, but the problem with what I am, I need permission to enter a host. I needed Morning Star to agree to let me in, so I made her a deal.
I kept up my side of the deal even with Grim’s meddling, Shadow Star didn’t. Now I’m sure some will ask themselves, if I was supposed to be sent here to help this world then why did I hate the ponies in it so much. That’s easy, for almost two centuries I could feel everything that was happening to the ponies throughout this land and parts of others. Every single pony that was in pain, every griffon who died fighting some enemy, every zebra slaughtered by ponies. All of Equus was rotten, I was sent here to help this world, that doesn’t mean the ones who live here. Oh, some of the creatures here aren’t bad and they can be saved, but only after the rest are taken care of. I am Aquila and I’m here to purge this land to save it. First, I need to take care of my little Shadow problem.
I opened my new eyes and stood, a smile of pure joy coming to my lips as I took in my first true breath. What a wonderful feeling, when I took control from Shadow before it wasn’t me who really had control of this body. No, I mostly controlled Shadow’s mind and only felt through her what she was feeling. This time I was in full control, better yet, Shadow was trapped in a world of my own creation. She wasn’t getting out any time soon, not unless she could do the things I knew she couldn’t. Even if by some small chance she did manage to get free, the experience would stay with her for the rest of her life. Good, let her feel the despair I felt for two hundred years.
I took a few moments to breath slowly, enjoying the simple act of breathing. Then I looked around, I was still in the same spot Shadow was when I took over her body…my body now. I looked down and saw the revolver she’d tried to use to kill us. I was lucky that she’d woken me from my meditation when she decided to fuck that griffon. I tried to ignore her like I normally did when she was being disgusting. But when Shadow’s feeling pleasure, it’s very hard to ignore.
“Pathetic unicorn,” I said to myself.
The next thing I did was look down at my black and white coat then sighed. “I thought this look would go away when I took over. Oh well, it’s not hard to fix.”
I drew on my magic, oh what a wonderful feeling it is to hold the power that once belonged to Shadow and my own at once without her bitching about who I was going to kill. The spell I needed was simple for me, I just wanted to fix what I looked like, that was all. I really didn’t like the whole blotchy white and black look. I started by turning my coat to a beautiful white with a silvery shine to it. I kept my eyes red, I like them that color, but I did give them a little more shine, my mane I let turn a dark black. Black like the inky darkness from where I came from, once that was done, I added a few small spots of pure silver so that it looked like stars were mixed into my mane. I would have given myself some height, Shadow was a short mare, barley taller than a filly, but that magic was too much and painful. I can live with my height, at least for now.
Then I looked back at my flanks and my grin got wider. The eight-pointed purple and black star with the two crossed gold skeleton keys that represented Shadow’s Special Talent was gone. In its place was a red flying eagle circling around a crown of thorns. I laughed a little. “Pretentious, but fitting.”
Now that’s finished, time for me to do what I need to. Closing my eyes, I opened myself to my power and cast a scrying spell. It didn’t take me long to find my targets, they didn’t get far since Shadow told her friends to run. Did she really think that just because I couldn’t see them, that I’d leave them alone? I pulled on my power again and teleported. In a flash of pink light, I found myself standing in front of Aura, Stardust, Wind Thrasher, Nightshade, and the bitch herself Grimoire Spell.
My sudden entrance made them all stop in their tracks. I couldn’t help the smile that pulled at my lips as I said, “Well, well, what do we have here?”
“Shadow…?” Aura said, her eyes wide as she took in my new appearance.
“Sorry, but Shadow’s no longer with us. You can call me Aquila, the name given to me by the only pony on this sad world that treated me with any kindness,” I said.
Nightshade pulled his revolver out pointing it right at me. “Give back my daughter!”
Grim turned toward him, saying, “Nightshade, that won’t do us any good.”
I chuckled. “Yes Nightshade, do listen to your wife…wait are two still married? Doesn’t matter, that revolver may be powerful, but it won’t stop me.”
He fired anyway yelling around the bit, “I’ll KILL YOU!”
I caught the bullet with my magic then yawned and ripped the revolver out of his muzzle. “Keep that up and I’ll turn you into ash Nightshade.”
Stardust growled as he glared at me. “Why haven’t you, I thought you were going to kill us to get back at Shadow.”
“Oh, I am, just not yet. I have plans that need to be taken care of first. Preparations for my takeover of this land and everypony, griffon and zebra here,” I replied.
“We’ll stop you!” Grim said.
“Oh I’m sure you think you can Grim, but that will be hard. You can’t even remember who Shadow is let alone the things you learned about me over the years,” I said.
“We’ll find a way, even if we don’t, Shadow will find a way to take control again,” Aura said.
“Maybe, but I don’t think that will happen for a long time. Honestly right now, she has no idea she’s even trapped in a spell of my own creation. Let’s see…right now, she’s just waking up to find out that she’s married to Wingnut, ten years from now,” I said as I checked on the spell and Shadow’s mind within it.
Stardust laughed at that. “She’d never fall for that. Sure we all love that kid, but Shadow’s not really into him that way.”
“You’d be surprised what a pony will do when the love of their life died because of a shot to the heart by their best friend,” I said with another chuckle.
Grim seemed to have enough of this as she stepped forward. “What do you want Aquila!?”
“Mostly to gloat, but also to find out something from you Grim,” I said.
“Like what?” she asked.
“When you went to Stargazer labs, after I fixed Shadow, you took something alone with the files in that place. I need to know where you hid it,” I said as I started to pull on my magic.
Her eyes went wide. “I don’t remember what happened in that lab, at least I don’t think I do.”
“That’s fine, that rock may have blocked those memories for good from you, but I can still find what I need,” I said, then I activated a special memory spell, one that gave me access the parts of her mind that she no longer could reach.
In a few flashes, I saw Grim as she picked up the scattered files from Stargazer labs. She had no idea what she was grabbing at the time, but among the papers and folders she took, she grabbed one object that I knew I needed to complete my own mission. It was a small diamond with a slight blue and white glow in its center. To most it would just look like a gem with power built up inside it. What it really was, was a piece of my own power. It was the key to Falling Shadows, the key they all thought was me. This is what happens when you don’t have all of the information on a project like Stargazer. Minuette created it a few months before she vanished. She pulled part of my power from the chamber I was held in to make it. Her hope was that with this, she could make Falling Shadows work, but using part of my power as a conduit. True I was still needed to make the other Project work but not like they others thought.
I focused on that gem and followed it through Grim’s lost memories. After a year of study, she figured out that it was part of me. The fool thought that it was the reason she was having a hard time keeping me caged inside Shadow, it wasn’t but whatever. So, she placed the Diamond in a hidden safe, in her secret work room deep in the catacombs of Stable 28. When she left the Stable in a hurry, she left it behind. From what I can tell, she wanted to keep it away from Shadow and me. Smart, but a pain in my ass. I ended the spell and smiled.
Grim looked dazed, she wasn’t able to see what I did due to the block on her mind. At least I was able to find part of what I needed. “Thank you for that Grim, looks like I get to go visit our old home.”
“What did she just do!” Aura asked looking over at Grim.
“I’m…not sure,” Grim replied.
“Well, I have to be going, but don’t worry I’ll see you all again soon,” I said looking back at Grim. “Especially you Grim, I’m going to be needing you again. For now, you all get to live.”
Finally, the bat freak spoke up. “Why are you doing this?”
My grin grew as I said, “Because I can.” And with that and a nice laugh just to creep them out, I teleported away.
***
I appeared in front of my next destination, Stable 28. I turned on the light for the Mark II so I could see better in dark cavern. I took a moment to look up at the huge gear shaped door to the place Shadow called home for ten years. I hated it here, I couldn’t escape my cage, but I was able to see what Shadow was doing most of the time. Watching her cry over her mom running away, listening to her think her perverted thoughts about that mare, watching her feel sorry for herself. It was all pathetic, if her body wasn’t a perfect fit for me, I would have found a way to transfer to a new host.
Now I have to go back into that steel box, all because Grim had to leave something I needed behind. Oh well, I guess I can at least make this a fun trip rather than brooding about that past. That life was over, time to get what I need then move on to the next part of my plan. First thing’s first, I’ll need to get into this thing. How did Shadow do that thing with the Mark II again? I really should have paid more attention when she was hacking into shit.
I went over to the switch that opened the door and did my best to remember the small bits of information I had about Shadow using this Pip-Buck. I pulled out the connection wire on the Mark II and hooked it up to the control switch. It took me a little longer than I would have liked, but I was able to finally able to remember how to get the hacking software working. Once I was in the program finding the true password wasn’t that hard. It was ‘Loyalty’ something that Milkshake thought was the most important trait in a pony. I unhooked the Mark II and pulled the switch.
I smiled as the door started to open, a loud alarm blaring inside the Stable. As the door started to roll aside a security mare on the other side yelled. “Halt, you’re trespassing on an active stable!”
Drawing on my magic I slowly stepped onto the threshold for Stable 28 smiling wider as I looked up at the Security mare who was aiming a battle saddle down at me. Next to her at the top of the steps was a Security Stallion, one I remembered from Shadows last visit to her old home. “I know you, Cuff Key wasn’t it?”
The mare looked over at the Security Stallion who helped Shadow during the uprising of this rust bucket. “Cuff Key, you know this mare?”
I could see his brain working to figure out who I was. “No…I don’t think so. The only unicorn I know is Shadow, but this isn’t her. Who are you and how did you get into our stable?”
I lifted the Mark II, and said, “This Pip-Buck makes breaking into stables quite easy, and you don’t know me, but I know you or Shadow does.”
The mare turned back toward me. “Get out of our stable, I don’t care who you are, no pony from the wasteland is allowed in here.”
“Oh, I won’t be staying long, I just needed to pop by and pick something a mare I know left behind,” I said as I stepped past the threshold, letting my magic take hold of the gear shaped door and the drill that normally pulled and pushed the door open or closed. “Both of you seem like smart enough ponies, let me pass and I won’t make any trouble for this shit hole. Get in my way and…well let’s just say I’ll make what happened here a few weeks ago look like a small fight between foals.”
Cuff Key lifted his Pip-Buck as he noticed my horn glowing saying into it, “We have an intruder at the main door, Unicorn mare, white coat Silver Pip-Buck, all security ponies…”
I interrupted him, “Maybe you’re not as smart as I thought, oh well, I was hoping you’d chose this rout.”
Using the vast amount of power I held, I ripped the drill away from the door, then pouring power into my other spell. The extremely heavy door started to slowly pull away from its resting place. The mare opened fire, but it was too late. I used my third spell to blast the door the rest of the way from it’s resting place. I’m a powerful spell caster, but even I can’t move something that weighs around fifty tons, so I used my third spell to help. By the time the mare started to fire, the door was flying through the air right at both of the security ponies. They didn’t even stand a chance. The bullets they both sent right at me hit the door instead as it flew across the room. With a loud crash and a squishing splat, both ponies turned to jelly right as another alarm went off throughout the entire stable.
I started to laugh as I watched blood ooze from where the door to Stable 28 rested against the dented wall right next to the door that led farther in. I took in a deep breath, then let it out slow as I drew on my magic again and started walking past the beginning of what this rust bucket was going to have to deal with. “It’s so good to be home.”
Making sure to step in the blood of the former security ponies, I went farther into the stable. Bloody hoof prints followed me as I went into the Atrium. I was met by stable ponies trying to run toward the stairs or the elevator and four more security ponies aiming battle saddles at me. At the same time Milkshake’s voice echoed over the stable broadcast. “Citizens of Stable 28, We have an intruder. Anypony not in Security return to your rooms and await further instructions. Security, stop the Unicorn before she gets past the Atrium.”
I looked at the security ponies who were blocking my way dead in the eyes. “Only four of you, I’m insulted.”
“Who are you?” one of them asked.
“You’re boring,” I said picking him up with my magic. “I mean aren’t you supposed to stop me, not ask me stupid questions?”
“Kill her!” one of the others yelled and they opened fire.
I teleported behind them, still holding one of them in my magic. I yawned then said loud enough for miss Overmare who I knew was watching from the window overlooking the Atrium could hear me. “I do hope you’re watching Madam Overmare, because this is what’s going to happen to your entire stable before I leave today.”
The security ponies were already turning to try and fire on me again. I just laughed as I split my magic around the stallion I was holding and pulled. He screamed, the pitch getting higher as his bones popped, then snapped, his skin ripping until his middle gave and I ripped him in two. Blood splattered the three remaining security ponies, followed by entrails and the two halves of the dead stallion. The civilians who were still trying to escape screamed as the twitching bodies fell to the floor. The three remaining security ponies looked at me in horror.
“I’ll kill you bitch!” a mare screamed as she started to open fire.
My magic flowed again as I said, “Can’t kill what you can’t see.” As I spoke, her eyes clouded over and she started to look around as her world went black.
“Where did she go!” the mare yelled as she started to fire her battle saddle wildly. I teleported again, only to appear next to one of the other security ponies, the one I blinded still firing her rifles, killing three mares who were trying to make it up to the second level of the Atrium.
The other pony twisted around right as my horn flashed again. My spell stopped his head in place while he twisted, his neck snapping as his body kept moving. Before his body even hit the ground, the last security pony lifted a pistol aiming straight at my head. My horn flashed again as I said, “Hope you cleaned your weapon today, dirty guns have a tendency to back fire.”
He pulled the trigger, the bullet didn’t come toward me, nope the chamber exploded in his face. He screamed, rolling around on the floor holding his half-destroyed face. I took a moment to look down at him, he was losing a lot of blood, he wouldn’t last long. So, I ignored his whimpering and looked up at the large window where I could now see the Overmare.
Bowing, I said loudly, “Hello, Overmare Strawberry Milkshake, I have to say, your security ponies really suck at their jobs.”
She lifted her Pip-Buck and said so I could hear from where I was. “Who are you and why are you killing my ponies?”
“Milkshake don’t you recognize me?” I asked as I lifted my Pip-Buck. “Is it the new look?”
“Where did you get that Pip-Buck, what did you do to Shadow?” Milkshake said through the intercom.
I started to laugh again, and said, “Milkshake, I am Shadow, well this body was. Let me introduce myself, I am known as Aquila.”
From down here I could still see her eyes go wide. “Aquila? No, there’s no way Shadow would let you take control.”
“She didn’t have a choice,” I said as I started to walk back and forth. “I’ll make this simple for you, I’m here for one thing and one thing only. Let me pass and I’ll let the rest of you pathetic ponies live.”
“You kill my citizens and you think I’ll just let a monster like you wander around my stable?” she asked.
I heard a noise from the second level, when I looked I saw three younger members of the stable trying to hide next to one of the doors. I reached out with my magic and grabbed one of the youngest ones. He started to scream as I slowly pulled him down to hover in front of me. “Overmare, what is the first priority of your position?”
“Put him down!” she said.
I applied pressure to the colt’s skull forcing him to scream in terroir and pain. “I asked you a question.”
I could tell, even from down here, that she was scared, just how I wanted her. “The first priority of an Overmare is to protect and watch over the ponies in her charge.”
“That’s what I thought, now are you going to let me pass, or is…” I stopped and let the pressure off the colt’s head. “What’s your name kid?”
He was shaking as he answered, “Epitaph.”
I looked back at the overlook, “Or is Epitaph going to have to be the next to die?” As I spoke the blind mare was still trying to find me. I rolled my eyes then picked her up as well then slammed her into the ground knocking her out. “She’ll be next. You have ten seconds.”
“Put him down and we can talk,” Milkshake said, as she did more security ponies started to come out from the side doors that led into the Atrium.
“Now you have five seconds…four…three…two…oh fuck it,” I said.
“No wait!” Milkshake yelled.
I ignored her and the fifteen security ponies rushing toward me. I wasn’t in the mood for this game. I reapplied the pressure to the colt’s head, he screamed again, but not for long as the pressure grew then his head popped like a pimple. I twisted around and threw what was left of his body at the closest security pony who jumped out of the way and right into the path of one of my spells. Him and the pony behind him vaporized in a stream of pink light. Then I teleported as they opened fire, missing me and hitting the ponies across from them. I reappeared next to the mare I blinded, lifted her into the air and planted a spell on her body. As the security ponies fell from friendly fire, I threw the now glowing mare at the biggest group of them. She slammed into the center of them and as soon as her body touched one, she exploded in a blast of pink light.
I started to laugh as I activated another spell sending a slice of power throw out the room, beheading most of the ponies on the opposite side of the room. Then I lifted the last two who were still standing and slammed their bodies into the ground as hard as I could, cracking their heads open like rotten melons. Once that was finished I looked back up at the second level of the atrium seeing the other two foals who hadn’t run yet. With a flick of my magic, both of their necks broke. I turned my attention back on the glass window for the Overmare’s office.
“I am Aquila, and this stable belongs to me now Overmare. The ponies who live here are now mine to do with as I will. Now watch from your office as I kill every living soul in this place, because I’m coming for you last. Enjoy the Show,” And with another laugh I shot a thin beam of magic at her window. She jumped back from the glass, but I wasn’t trying to hurt her, not yet. I etched the constellation of my namesake into it, so that everypony would know who killed Stable 28.
When that was finished I turned toward the elevator and called it. Nothing happened, then I heard Milkshake say with rage filling her every word, “I’m not letting you get to any other part of my stable MONSTER!”
I started to laugh. “Are you forgetting that I’m a unicorn Overmare?” before she could answer I pulled on my power and teleported down to level nine.
I appeared in the middle of the Hydroponics level, Apple trees, rows of carrots, pear trees, small bushes of strawberries, cherry trees and loads of other plants used to keep the stable fed surrounded me. A few ponies who worked this level jumped at my sudden appearance one of the mares saying, “Who…are you? This level is restricted.”
“Yeah, don’t care,” I said, activating a spell that froze every liquid inside her body. The mare let out a very quick scream of pain before she turned into a frozen statue. I walked over to her and taped the mare making her fall to the side. Her body shattered into tiny little pieces.
The rest of the ponies saw this and ran, I started to chuckle but ignored them, they wouldn’t get far. I wasn’t here for them anyway, the mare just annoyed me. What I needed right now was a distraction, something to keep the fools who lived here busy. So, I used my magic to light every plant in the huge room on fire. Then I looked up at where the stable’s misting system and fire preventative sprayers were located and destroyed them.
The heat in the room grew, smoke filling the space quickly. I started to chuckle to myself as the stables food supply slowly burned under my magical fire. I waited for a few minutes to make sure my spell held then right as I heard ponies screaming from the back of level nine I teleported again. A second later I was standing next to the catacombs in level ten.
I popped my neck and shivered in delight at the ability to be able to do something as simple as that. It was then that I heard Overmare Milkshake make an announcement over the stable’s intercom. “Ponies of Stable 28, this is your Overmare. We’ve come under attack by a strange unicorn with immense power. She’s already killed a good number of our security team and has set fire to Level Nine. I’m ordering an evacuation of the Stable. Every pony that is able, get to the stable doors and get as far from here as you can. Head of Security Balefire and a team of security officers will help you all get away. This maybe the end of Stable 28, so this is the last order of your Overmare. Survive, and find help.”
I just shook my head. “Maybe I shouldn’t have destroyed the door, oh well, it was getting boring in here anyway.”
I headed down the hall and into the Catacombs, past the place where Shadow found the Mark II and started her quest. I went deeper until I found the blank wall where Grim hid her small lab. Even now, the spell she placed on it to hide it from normal ponies still worked. She really was a clever mare. With a flick of my own magic, I ripped away the illusion. Instantly the fake wall of rock vanished and a hole in the wall appeared with a metal frame outlining it. The door that used to be there was resting on the ground next to a broken screen. This was the place where the former Overmare found Shadow and her friends.
“If I would have known she hid it in here, I would have done something to make Shadow grab it,” I said as I walked over to a place in the wall where another illusion was set up. I destroyed it, and watched as the wall safe appeared. It was then that I was very happy with one of Shadow’s skills I could take advantage of. The only problem was I didn’t have her Screwdriver or Bobby Pin, so maybe that skill wouldn’t help me.
Then I noticed the terminal, grinning I walked over to it and found it was still unlocked. “Oh Grim, even you can make mistakes,” I said as I found a file that unlocked the safe.
With a click, it popped open. Walking back over to it I pulled the door aside and found a small box. That was it, just a small black box not much bigger than my hoof. Slowly I pulled the box out and opened it, my eyes going wide and my grin growing. Sitting in a velvet liner, sat the diamond I needed. I could feel my own power pulsing with in it. The feeling of being so close to the small part of me that was stolen made me shiver with pleasure. I closed the box again then looked around the room. There wasn’t much in here, either Grim or Vervain cleared it out a long time ago, but sitting on the far table was a satchel. It was worn and tattered, but it would work. I slipped it over my head then placed the box into it. Then I cast a few spells on the bag making it so nothing inside of it would ever fall out and so that no pony could steal anything from it either.
“Now that’s done, I think it’s time to finish up here then get on with my next mission,” I said to myself.
Slowly I started to walk back up the path that lead out of the catacombs and back to the stable proper. As I made my way into the main hall for level ten I found at least twenty more stable security ponies blocking my path. The stallion that seemed to be in charge stiffened when he saw me then said, “Fire!”
I grinned as every single pony tried to use their battle saddles, but none of them went off. I started to laugh. “Little hard to fire a battle saddle when the connection cables have been cut.”
“We’ll still stop you!” the stallion shouted. “Switch to secondary weapons!”
My horn flashed and the stallion’s body seemed to turn into nothing more than a sack of meat as my magic turned his bones into dust, then pulled the dust out through his mouth. He didn’t even have a chance to scream before he died. I turned my head toward four more security ponies and trapped them in a bubble of magic then replaced the oxygen with carbon dioxide. All of them dropped to the ground gasping, their eyes going blood shot. I teleported as a few were able to aim their weapons and fire. I reappeared on the other side of the rest then used another spell to take some of the dust from the lead security pony’s bones and form it into three small pebbles. I took those and made them hot as molten iron.
As a few of the ponies turned to find me, I shot the three burning pebbles into their muzzles forcing them down their throats. Three fell trying to scream in pain as the small burning pebbles burned through their esophagus and into their stomachs. There was only a few left, but I was getting board, so I lifted one of the rifles with my magic and opened fire on them. I yawned as the last of them fell. “Stable security ponies are really bad at their jobs. I thought at least one of you would have been able to at least land a single blow on me. Oh well,”
I turned and started heading toward the stair case that led all the way up the stable. Overmare Milkshake may have cut power to the elevator, but that wasn’t the only way to get around this place. I mean I could teleport, but where’s the fun in that. I made my way back up to the corridor that led into level nine. The fire I set earlier had spread and mares and stallions were trying to find their way out. I could see a few more security ponies through the door that went into the large area, trying to lead the workers to safety.
Three mares and a stallion were already sitting just outside it gasping for air or coughing. As I walked closer one of them saw me and she said in a weak voice, “help us…please!”
I just lifted them with my magic, and asked, “Who said you could leave your work detail so early?”
The stallion started to thrash within my magical grip. “Are you nuts? The whole floor’s on fire!”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can slack off,” I said as I threw them back through the door, knocking over a couple of the security ponies as I did.
One of the security ponies turned as his comrades fell and saw me. “What the hell?”
I activated a spell, putting up an invisible barrier to lock them all inside. The security pony opened fired, but he bullets couldn’t get through. Right then ponies who were panicking, swarmed passed the security ponies and slammed into the barrier. I started to laugh as the panicking ponies started to go completely insane. Some started to beg to be let out, others tried to find another way out back toward the flames, even more started to attack their coworkers as the flames behind them grew and smoke started to fill the room. I watched them all until the security ponies started to fire on the ponies who tried to attack them, then still laughing I made my way up to level Eight.
There I didn’t need to do much, I only found one mare on this level. Her name was Cream Puff, an old mare who’d ran the kitchens for forty years. I was a little surprised to find her here, I figured with all the commotion in the Stable, she would have been in her rooms. She knew who I was as soon as I walked in, well Shadow, not me.
“Why are you doing this Shadow?” Cream Puff asked.
“I’m not Shadow,” I said as I walked closer to her.
“Maybe not right now, but deep down I know who you are. You can use your fancy magic to change what you look like, mask your cutie mark and change your voice, but deep down I know that you’re Shadow under all of that,” she said with a kind smile.
She wasn’t even scared of me. She just looked at me like I was that fucking pathetic unicorn SHADOW. I’ll show her, I walked closer, saying, “I’m not Shadow Star, I am Aquila!”
The knives behind the bar started to shake as I used my magic on them. She looked over at them and said, “Shadow what are you doing? You know you shouldn’t be playing with knives.”
“I…said my name is AQUILA!!” I screamed, lifting the knives and flinging all thirty at the old mare. Her eyes went wide for a moment before they all flew into her, throwing her back against the wall then pinning the old cook in place. She didn’t make a sound as blood started to pool under her body.
Rage started to flow through me as I took a moment to look at her. “I’m not Shadow, she’s gone, this is MY body now.”
As I was sitting there I heard Overmare Milkshakes voice over the intercom again. “Aquila! Most of my stable is evacuating, as soon as their out I’m going to make sure you never get out of this Stable ever again.”
I just shook my head, still angry as I activated my magic and teleported all the way up to the Overmare’s office. No pony was there thought, just a note that said ‘Nice Try!’ left on the desk. I tilted my head. “What the fuck?”
Then my eyes went wide as I saw a brick of plastic explosives rigged to the Overmare’s desk. I only had a second before a light on the detonator, went from green to red. I started to activate a spell when it exploded, a blast of force threw me back into the far door, my protective barrier just managing to come into place as the bomb went off. It still hurt like a bitch. I groaned a got back to my hooves wincing a little. “OH, you’re going to pay for that Milkshake,” I said.
She hadn’t used a lot of the stuff, but the blast was still powerful enough to blow a good chunk out of her desk. Not to mention the ringing in my ears. I shook my head then used a small spell to repair the damage to my eardrums. Once that was finished I stepped closer to the now ruined desk. I could just make out the escaped tunnel. I was about to head down it to follow Milkshake, then something occurred to me.
“No, you wouldn’t run this way. I know about this path out of the Stable. So, you must have taken the normal way out,” I said as I turned toward the window that overlooked the Atrium. On the other end toward the door that led to the Stable entrance, I could just make out a few ponies going through it.
I sighed then said, “Why do Earth Ponies always forget about magic?”
I teleported right back outside of the Stable just up the tunnel, blocking at least ten ponies who were trying to escape. A couple of them were security ponies, one was Shadow’s friend Balefire, his missing leg now replaced with a crude cybernetic. A few more were normal citizens and last was the Overmare herself. She glared at me saying, “I thought that blast would have at least slowed you down.”
I shrugged. “Magic helps a lot, I’ll admit that I’m surprised you thought of something so clever. Too bad it didn’t work.”
“Stay away from us!” Balefire said, stepping in front of Milkshake protectively.
Milkshake slowly pushed him out of the way saying, “I’ll deal with this, I want the rest of you to get as far away from here as you can. Balefire, you know where to go.”
He looked at her then said, “Madam Overmare, my job is to protect you.”
I watched as she put a hoof on his shoulder, she kissed him then said, “Your job is to protect the ponies who live in Stable 28. Now, get our ponies to safety, that’s an order.”
“Who said I was going to let any of you get past me?” I asked, my horn glowing.
“Let them pass Aquila and I’ll stay,” Milkshake said, holding her head up high.
I chuckled to myself a little. “I don’t need you to give me permission for you to stay or not. None of you can do anything to stop me.”
Milkshake didn’t back down though she took another step forward saying, “Maybe not, but if I order my ponies to attack, they may create enough of a distraction for the rest to get away. You may be able to find us again, but I’m willing to risk it if I can. You killed a great deal of my ponies already, I’m not going to let you get what’s left.”
I’m not sure why, but something in her tone made me rethink what I was doing. In reality I really didn’t need to kill any of them, I just wanted to. At this point they were more of a distraction for me more than anything. So, I let out a sigh, saying, “Right now, I have better things to be doing. So, I’ll make you a deal.” and before anything else was said, I teleported Balefire, Milkshake and myself to the outside of the cave.
A few of the ponies who managed to escape the tunnel screamed when we appeared, most trying to get as far away as they could without going into Green Mist Valley. Milkshake looked around then back at me, saying, “What the hell did you just do? Why are we out here?”
“No Milkshake, it’s my turn to talk.” I used a spell to keep them from talking. “Like I said, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let all of your remaining ponies who escaped live as long as you give up your own life, or you and your buck friend can go free and everypony out here dies.”
I lifted the spell on Milkshake alone, once I did, she said, “My job is to protect my citizens. If I have to give up the life of my foal and my own life then so be it.”
Balefire started to shake his head, trying to say something to her, but I kept the spell on him as I said, “Deal, your life for the lives of the phones who escaped.”
She looked over at Balefire, saying, “Get the rest out of here, that’s my last order.”
He shook his head and I lifted the spell on him so he could say, “I’m not leaving you here!”
“Yes, you are,” Milkshake said, her composure finally breaking a little as she continued, “I love you Balefire, now please, go.”
I started to laugh as Balefire kissed Milkshake before, saying, “Yes…Madam Overmare…I love you.”
I watched as the young pony went over to the frightened ponies and started to lead them into Green Mist valley. As he left he took one look back at first Milkshake then me, his eyes promising he’d pay me back for this one day. He could try, but he’d have no better luck than the rest of the fools who lived here. When they were gone I turned back toward Milkshake then lifted her with my magic and turned her to look toward the cave that lead to her old home.
“Now that we’re alone tell me what you see Overmare,” I said.
Her eyes went wide as she saw my trap, more ponies were stuck just on the other side of a barrier I placed at the mouth of the cave. Just like on Level 9, the ponies were trying to get through it. She started to shake in my magic. “You said you’d let the ponies who escaped go free.”
“I did, and I always keep my word, just ask your friend Shadow. You see that tunnel is still part of Stable 28, so technically they didn’t’ escape,” I said as I started to activate another Spell.
“They couldn’t escape because you blocked the entrance!” she screamed.
“Escape is escape, my deal still stands!” I said with a mad laugh as I activated my spell. Ponies screamed as I used my spell to cave in the tunnel that led to Stable 28. I also let the barrier spell fade right as dust and rocks slammed down on the ponies who were so close to escaping the place they used to call home.
The ground shook as the tunnel gave in, a few moments later nothing was left but a pile of fallen rocks and a single pony half stuck under a huge bolder. I chuckled a little as I saw that it was the old Pip-Buck Technician Tinker. Milkshake started to sob as I held her in my magic, still forcing her to look at what I just did to the rest of her citizens. “You didn’t have to do that!”
I moved us both closer to the pile of rubble then slammed her down right next to the dead old stallion. “I can do whatever I want Milkshake.” I placed a hoof on her head and slowly put my weight on her, “You know it’s funny, this pony, Tinker, I did the same thing to his daughter a few years back.”
I saw her eyes go wide. “Facet was killed in an accident.”
I giggled as I said, “No, I didn’t like how she was trying to force Shadow to do what she wanted. So, I blasted her with some of Shadow’s magic, she slammed into the wall of the Catacombs and a rock came loose. Now her father dies the same way. Too bad, he was a nice stallion, even if he was pathetic.”
“Why are you doing this to us? What did we ever do to you?” Milkshake asked.
“You didn’t do anything apart from being friends with Shadow. I’m doing this, because she didn’t live up to her end of our deal. This is punishment, so if she ever gets hold of this body again, which I’m sure she won’t, I want her to suffer as much as possible,” I said as I moved my hoof away from her and lifted her in my magic again. I lifted her higher then tightened my hold around her throat.
Milkshake started to gag as I slowly cut off her air. Her hooves started to kick as I slowly applied pressure to her throat, watching the life slowly fade from her eyes. I could feel the mare’s heart beat through my magic as it tried to work harder to keep the mare alive. Then something inside of her made me stop, three heartbeats. One was Milkshakes, but in her belly where I knew she was carrying a foal so why can’t I seem to keep choking the life out of this mare, and why did I feel three.
Closing my eyes, I activated another spell that would allow me to see deep inside of her womb. When I opened them again I could see not one, but two little figures inside the mare. They were still small and didn’t look anything like foals just yet. I couldn’t even tell gender, but still there was two foals growing inside of the mare. Two small heartbeats flashing like little lights in my vision. As I looked at those small lives, something inside me seemed to grow warm and a single word came to my mind and I couldn’t help saying it out loud. “Innocence.”
I dropped Milkshake who started to cough and gag on the ground, holding onto her throat with one hoof. After a minute she looked up at me saying, “I thought you were going to kill me?”
I did want to kill her, but why can’t I? I took a step back not understanding what came over me. Then it hit me, it wasn’t Milkshake I couldn’t kill, it was her foals, her twins. They may grow up one day to be just as screwed up as the rest of the pony race, but right now they were Innocence. I couldn’t kill something that hadn’t done anything bad yet. That other part of me wouldn’t let me, not matter how deep I pushed that light away. I wasn’t strong enough yet, not until I got the rest of my power.
“Your foals are the only reason you’re still alive Milkshake. I’ve had enough killing for one day, but I promise you, that if we see each other again, I’ll make sure to make you wish you were dead,” I said as I turned to leave the last Overmare of Stable 28.
“Aquila!” Milkshake said. “What did you do to Shadow? I know you’ve been living inside of her, so if you have Shadow’s body, then what happened to Shadow?”
I took one last look at her, hatred on my face. “You’ll never see her again Milkshake. She’s trapped in her own world right now, slowly forgetting everything that happened to her. Now get the FUCK out of here before I decide to change my mind.”
She glared at me. “I’m going to get my friend back, mark my words Aquila. That body belongs to Shadow, not you. I don’t care if it kill me, my foals or Balefire, I won’t let you keep what’s hers!”
I just sighed, feeling tired already. “It’s already to late Milkshake.” And with that, I teleported, leaving the angry looking mare far behind.
***
A few hours passed since I left Milkshake behind, I was now making my way toward Spitfire’s Flight Academy. Just down the path I could see the ponies who guarded this shit hole just beyond their fence. Just beyond that point laid the power source for Falling Shadow’s. The project I needed if I was going to get my full power. I could kill the ponies here, but right now I needed them alive. I can’t let anypony find out that I came here. It’s time to use another one of Shadow’s tricks, stealth.
I made my way up to the top of a hill that had an okay view of the base. From here I could see the small building Nightshade showed Shadow. I waited until the ponies walking by were far enough away from it, before I teleported. I appeared right in front of the small building and quickly hooked up the Mark II to the terminal that worked the door lock. It only took a moment for it to hack past the security system and let me in. A thump came from the door then it swung in slightly. I pushed it open quickly then shut it again behind me, so far so good, no pony saw me get in. Now I just needed to get past the second terminal. When Shadow came here with her father and Aura, Nightshade used some kind of passcode to unlock the lift that led down to the power source. It was voice activated, but Grim was able to get down there as well, so the Mark II should be able to get past the security of this terminal.
“I hope this works,” I said as I hooked the Pip-Buck up to the terminal.
This took a little while to figure out, the Mark II could get past the security if there was a pass code that was typed in. The problem was that a voice needed to be used and it had to match that of Nightshade. I could use magic to make my voice sound like his, but as I looked deeper into the programing I saw that wouldn’t work. Whoever built this terminal knew what they were doing, it would know if the pony speaking was using magic or not to say the pass phrase. So, using the Mark II I dug deeper into the programing. Then I found it, a back door into the terminals systems. It must have been set up so the terminal could be accessed if something happened to the last pony programed to use it. Once that was found all I had to do was use the Mark II to activate the lift and back out of the program.
I smiled as the lift showed up once the fake wall disappeared. I got in and waited as the lift shot down the shaft. It didn’t take long for me to find myself in the hall that led to the main chamber. The barrier meant to keep ponies out wasn’t a problem at all. Nightshade only told Shadow she couldn’t get past here because he didn’t want her to know her family’s history. I’m sure even Grim was able to get past this. I passed through with no problem, Shadow’s body serving perfectly as a mask to the Bypass spell.
I made my way to the huge door then down the second lift once it opened and down to the lowest level of the chamber. I took a moment to look over at the platform that connected all the mega spell chambers together. So much power concentrated in once place, too bad it wasn’t enough for what I needed. I learned that when I tried to pull its power in before to take over this body. Easy power taken can just as easily be lost. I turned away from the platform, soon I’d be able to use it, but not yet.
I walked up to the overlook, used the terminal to open the door once I gave it the pass phrase that Nightshade used then walked in. The room was just as much of a mess as it was before. That worked in my favor, I pulled the box that held the diamond out of the bag I took from Stable 28. I took one last look at it then sighed and moved it over to a broken terminal. I placed it deep inside the broken screen so it would be out of sight. Even if Nightshade did come in here while I was away, he shouldn’t find it.
Once that was done I took a long look around, something about this place reminded me of that blue unicorn…Minuette. She used to talk to me while her and that zebra worked in the other lab. I could hear some of those old conversations now as I looked around this small room.
“What am I?” I’d asked her after my first year stuck in that chamber.
Minuette had smiled, saying, “I’m trying to figure that out. You see, Noire thinks you’re a creation of the stars!”
“What are Stars?” I asked.
The zebra looked over at us, saying, “Min, why do you keep talking to that thing? It is bad enough you have it contained down here, if you knew the things creatures like her are able to do then you would not be so friendly with it.”
Minuette had just rolled her eyes then said, “Don’t listen to him, he still thinks the Stars are evil.”
“They are!” the zebra said as he worked on something.
“What is evil?” I asked. I liked it when Minuette talked with me, when she was around I couldn’t feel the pain and suffering going on in the world outside.
She took a moment to answer that. “It’s hard to explain, simply put, evil is something that enjoys hurting others or destroying.”
“Am I evil?” I asked.
“I don’t think so, I believe that you are a symbol for hope. That’s why your name fits so well Aquila. That constellation that we saw bright in the sky the night we created you was called Aquila and to the zebra’s it means hope,” Minuette said with another huge smile. She really did like to smile a lot.
“How am I hope and you didn’t tell me what stars are?” I asked.
Her eyes got wide. “Oh I have so much to tell you about the stars from what I learned from old zebra books and scrolls. As for hope, with your power and your help we will be able to stop the suffering going on in the world outside. Wouldn’t you like to make the world a better place?”
I moved around the dome I was trapped in happily. “You mean I can help stop all the bad feelings!?”
“I sure do!” Minuette said.
“Yes! I want to fix everything!” I said excitedly.
I sighed as I remembered that day. I was still developing my mind and my soul back then. Though that day was when I started to grasp the idea of what I was made for, that was until the last time I saw Minuette. Three days before the mega spells destroyed the world outside. That was one of the worst memories I had.
I was resting inside my dome when Minuette came through the door. I was surprised to see her, she only stopped by once a week to check up on me, but I hadn’t seen her in a lot longer than that. The last time I did see her it was with her mare friend. They had used a new machine to pull a little of my power into a gem. She told me at the time it was needed to start a project they called Falling Shadows. After they left, no pony visited again, I was starting to worry that I was no longer of any use to them, that was until Minuette came through the door.
She looked terrible, her mane was all over the place, her eyes were sunken in and she looked like she was sick. At the time I just assumed that she had been working to much. That was until she looked over at me and I saw a bit of madness in her eyes that and I could feel extreme pain, depression and anger coming off her. My glowing ball of light moved closer to the dome’s glass as I asked, “Minuette, are you okay?”
One of her eyes twitched, “No…no I’m not okay Aquila.”
“You look sad, what’s wrong?” I had asked.
She sniffed. “She’s dead…”
“Who’s dead?” I asked.
“Amethyst Star…she was killed. Murdered in Canterlot three weeks ago…or was it four?” she said slowly walking around the lab.
“I’m so sorry Minuette, what can I do to help?” I asked. I knew what dead was, but I didn’t understand yet that it couldn’t be fixed, or the pain it caused the ponies who were left behind.
Her head snapped up toward me again. “No…no you can’t help me, nopony can now Aquila. She died, just because of this war…that zebra loving pony took away my love. I’m alone now.”
“You’re not alone Minuette, you have that team you told me about and your son,” I said trying to make her feel better.
“Dwarf Star? I can’t even look at him without thinking about her…I named him after her in a way. He’s so little, so wonderful, my little star. But now I can’t even be around my own son, it hurts to much. We were so close to having a normal life, away from all this death and pain,” Minuette said as tears fell down her face. “And what does the General do, NOTHING. Night Stalker only cares about his own family, his feelings for a fucking griffon that he tries to hide from all of us, he only cares about his FUCKING project. This Falling Shadows is nothing more than a mistake!”
“Minuette, why are you so upset? I thought you wanted to do this project?” I asked.
“That was until I saw what this Project could really do. General Night Stalker has no IDEA what he’s created, and I helped! I only wanted to make things to help my land, not destroy it or the lands of the Zebras. I just wanted an end to the pain, and end to the war, not this,” she said then looked back at me. “I never wanted to make something like you!”
I recoiled from the look she gave me, saying, “I thought we were friends?”
“I have no friends! Not anymore, but I do care about you Aquila, maybe not as a friend, but as something that needs to be kept safe,” Minuette said starting to pace. “I have to make sure Night Stalker’s plans never come to completion, I already did something to make sure he can’t activate it, but I don’t know how long that will last. Sweetie Belle didn’t tell me how her…Mark II I think she called it…works so I’ll need a plan B.”
“What is a plan B?” I asked, worried that she was going to do something to me.
She started to laugh. “I’m going to show Twilight Sparkle what the boss has been planning. She’s smarter than I am, she’ll know what to do about Project Stargazer and Falling Shadows, I just know it. First, I need to make sure no pony messes with this place, not unless I say so.”
I watched as Minuette started to draw on her magic. “Minuette what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to destroy this lab so no one can ever make another creature like you,” Minuette said, then she started to blast the equipment in the room.
I screamed and tried to get as far away from the destruction as I could in my glass cage, saying, “Minuette what are you doing!?”
“Stopping the evil, I helped make…” she said, then proceeded to destroy everything she could. At one point one of the support beams fell and cracked my dome, It would later break and lead to me having to become a crystal to keep myself alive.
But once Minuette was finished she slowly walked toward the door. She took one last look at me, saying, “Sorry Aquila, but I needed to do this. Don’t worry I’ll come back for you. Just remember that you are good, and you’re meant for more. You can’t leave this room, not yet. If you did, you’d die, so wait for me and when I come back, I’ll have something you can use for a body. Because that’s what you need to become what you need to be.”
That was the last time I saw the blue unicorn. Even though she left me that day, I could always feel her in the world. I learned early on how to find her magical signature. She could be on the other side of Equus and I’d still be able to feel her. Three days after she left, Equestria died. I almost went mad from all the pain I felt that day, all the horror and sorrow, all of the death. Then two days after that, something happened to Minuette. I can’t explain it, but it felt like she was pulled in to something, something made out of extremely powerful magic.
Her magic itself never went away, but something did change about it and from then on, it would fade until I could barely feel her, then she’d be back. That went on for many years until fifteen years ago, when Minuette’s magic seemed to become what it once was, only a lot more powerful. I hoped even then that she’d come back for me like she said she would, with a body that I could use to do what I had to. She never did, so when Grim came with Shadow and I felt a bit of Minuette in them both, I thought that maybe she sent them.
I shook my head trying to make the memories stop. Minuette abandoned me just like everything else. She didn’t send Shadow to me, it was just luck that Shadow was related to her. Maybe that’s why Shadow’s body fit me so well, she was descended from the mare who got to know me so well and spent years around my power. From what I could tell, any of Minuette’s family that had enough power could deal with my power inside of them. Grim would have worked fine, if she hadn’t started to use that zebra magic. She had no idea that it was killing her slowly. Oricalcos I guess would have worked even more, but he became a slave to darkness, a darkness that I knew all too much about.
“Enough of this crap,” I said as I banished the thoughts. “Now that’s hidden I need to go pay Grim another visit.” Then I yawned, oh I forgot, ponies need to sleep. “Fine, tomorrow then.”
I made my way over to a pile of discarded blankets in one corner of the room and closed my eyes. I couldn’t help smile a little as I realized that I was about to do something as simple as sleep, and it was the most wonderful feeling I’ve felt yet. I really like having my own body.
***
Over the next day I spent my time setting up other parts of my plan. I was going to find Grim when I woke and snuck out of the chamber I was in then the base, then I decided to wait a little longer. Grim was on her way back from meeting with a synth in Los Alicorn now. I really didn’t feel liking going there just yet so I figured I’d wait till she was closer to where I am. So, I decided to make sure everything I needed was ready to go when this was all over. I’ll admit I had to kill a few more ponies as I worked. A couple in Freedom Town that tried to rob me, one near Stable 14 now going by New Appleton who thought I looked like the mare who destroyed his old town and six near another old military base south of new pegasus.
Apart from them, I did my best to go unnoticed. I was powerful, but after taking a bullet to my foreleg I knew that I was mostly mortal. I can heal my wounds, but I can’t stop death. I can fight as well as any powerful unicorn, but if enough ponies came after me…or griffons, I’d be hard set to keep them from killing me. It was toward the end of that second day that I first noticed that I was being hunted too. With a few spells I found it was none other than Aura and one of her sisters. Somehow, she was able to track the places where I’d been, apart from Spitfires Flight Academy. Three times, she almost found me and I just managed to teleport away.
It would be easier to just kill the fucking griffon, but a few things stopped me. First of all, I knew that Aura had at least fifty or sixty griffons working for her Shadow Talons now and if she died, all of them would hunt for me. I’m not powerful enough yet to stop that many griffons. Also, I had a feeling that a pegasus was working with her as well, one that could hide himself from me. Lastly, something inside of me wouldn’t let me harm the griffon. It took me a while to figure out that it was Shadow’s…soul. Even if Aura had me pinned down and was about to end my life, that soul wouldn’t let me stop her. That was going to be a problem later, if I didn’t find a way to fix it.
While I was avoiding Aura and her griffons, I managed to get most of what I needed done. Only three things were left for me to do and only one was one I could do myself. I can’t get into the Lucky Horseshoe to activate Falling Shadows. The location was too close to the part of the project that was meant to pull my power into it. Shadow could get close with me inside her, but not while I was running the show. The other problem was, I needed to know how Night Stalker tampered with the Project as well. The only pony who knew that was Night Stalker himself and he was dead.
Either I’d have to get Grim to help me somehow, or I’d have to let Shadow take over again. Maybe I was too hasty in taking over, maybe if I let her think she could hold me back, she would have done what I needed without thinking. Oh well, can’t go back in time, I’ll have to hope that Grim will help. She wanted this project as much as I do.
I was about to find a place to sleep for the night when something inside me sent a shock through my body. I stopped suddenly as the sensation ran through me. I looked around wondering what the hell just happened. “What the hell was that?” I said as I started to cast small spells to see if anypony was around me.
Nothing, I couldn’t feel anything with in miles of where I was, so what just happened. Then another shock ran through my body and this time I knew where it came from. The cage I placed Shadow’s consciousness in, something was happening. I took a moment to cast wards around myself to keep anypony away and to warn me if someone go to close. With that done, I sank deep inside myself and looked at the black box where Shadow now called home.
“What are you doing in there?” I asked, even though no one could hear me in here.
I warped the cage in my magic and felt for anything that could be wrong with the cage. It only took a moment for me to see part of the problem. One of the locks I put on this cage was gone. I looked deeper into the cage and saw that Shadow killed Vervain trying to protect her pet. What the hell would have made her do that? Shadow wouldn’t attack anypony she loved even for a pet. Something was wrong here, I set this trap up to keep Shadow trapped for a long time, forever if I could. Then I noticed something strange in Shadows little world.
Shadow liked to say that I was evil, same for a lot of others over the years, but in truth I’m not. I just have a different way of doing things, never the less, my magic is pure light magic. With that said, there are a lot of spells I can’t do because it requires darkness. I was made to purify darkness not create it. In Shadows cage, everything that I created inside it should be pure light magic. So then why am I sensing dark magic with in my cage? I took a moment to feel around the world I made for Shadow as she spoke to her Timberwolf pet. Why is she speaking to her pet as if it could understand her? My eyes went wide as I finally felt where the dark magic was coming from, not just dark magic, shadow magic.
I felt anger build inside me as I realized what was happening. I knew Oricalcos tried to do something when I took Shadow’s body, but I had no idea he was able to force himself into my head or the cage. I drew on my magic and took hold of the shadow inside the cage right as he tried telling her what was really going on. He tried to fight me, but Oricalcos was nothing compared to his former self.
“NO! I won’t let you stop me from helping her!” he screamed as I ripped him out of the cage.
“I’d like to see you try and keep me from pulling you out of here!” I said as I left my mind pulling him with me.
My eyes snapped open as I shot the shadow from my body. A moment later the shadow materialized into Oricalcos. He looked weak as he stood there glaring at me. As he did he said, “You’re too late Aquila, she knows somethings wrong in that world you made for her. She’s going to get out.”
I sighed then sat down. “So, what if she does? It doesn’t mean much anymore. My plans are in motion now.”
His eyes narrowed. “What plans?”
“Like I’d tell you. Your niece might be a fool Oricalcos, but I’m not. Over the past two days I’ve made sure that everything will be ready for me, even if Shadow does get her body back again,” I said with a laugh.
“I’ll stop you Aquila,” he said, his horn glowing.
“How? Your magic can’t do anything to me,” I said.
“Maybe not, but I know there is a way to get you out of Star,” he said with a grin.
“You mean that black book Shadow gave to Vervain?” I asked.
His eyes went wide. “You know about that?”
“I know everything Shadow’s been doing. I have all of her memories, I know what she wants to do with that book, and you’re right, it could be used to pull me out of Shadows body. The problem is, the spell won’t work unless I’m being transferred into another. Even then, the body has to be one I can inhabit for the spell to work. So, unless you know a mare with power like Shadows, then I don’t think that’s going to work very well,” I said with another chuckle.
He smiled a little. “If that’s true then I’m sure I can think of a way around that.”
“Who said I’m going to let you live?” I said. “Though I do think I’d like to see what you can think up. Honestly, I’m bored right now, so how about this, go find Vervain and get the black book from her. She’s one her way back from Frosty Summit right now. If you hurry I’m sure you can get to her then back to Grim with the book. Your sisters almost back from her trip to Los Alicorn anyway. So, go head and try, I look forward to it.”
His body turned into shadows as he started to laugh. “You’re going to regret this Aquila. I’ll be seeing you soon, and when I do, I’m getting Star back!”
I yawned as he vanished into the darkness, saying, “Sure, have fun.”
When he was gone I just shook my head and headed toward an old shack to take shelter in for the night. As I laid there on an old mattress ready to sleep, I started to plan on what I’ll need to do about Shadow breaking the locks on her cage. I knew I hadn’t put enough power into that thing, but I was in a hurry. I’m going to have to move up my schedule with Grim now and The Ministry. It’s the only way. I can deal with her tomorrow then, once Oricalcos gets her to go where I need her.
I closed my eyes and went to sleep, or at least I tried too…I was just starting to pass out when the door to the shack exploded inward. My eyes snapped open and I jumped to my hooves jumping back as a green glowing spear slammed into the spot where I was just lying. A moment later I saw none other than Aura Bloodtalon’s angry face glaring at me.
“You’re going to pay for what you did, Aquila!” she said in a menacing tone.
I was breathing heavily, I was shocked she was able to get so close to me with my wards up. She almost stabbed me with that fucking spear of hers. I took a moment to check my wards, they were still in place, so why didn’t I know she was coming? I glared right back at Aura saying, “You do realize that you almost killed me, right? If you want your lover back so bad, that’s not really a good way to do it.”
In answer she swung that spear around and almost cut my head off, but I was able to duck under it and roll away. She attacked again, but this time I teleported out of the shack. Aura turned toward where I was standing just outside the door saying, “I read the note she left me right before you took over Aquila. As much as I’ll hate myself for having to kill the mare I love, I know that’s what she wanted. She wanted you dead, and she was willing to give up her own life, her happiness for that goal. So, I’m left with only one choice, to kill you.”
I laughed as I pulled on my magic. “And how do you plan on killing me? I’m a thousand times stronger than Shadow. You’re just a griffon with an energy spear!”
She flipped the spear around then placed it on her back and pulled the sword Shadow used to have from a sheath on her side. She pointed it at me. “I’m no normal griffon, I’m one of the best fighters from the Red Talons. I’m also a descendent of Greta from the Children of the Night and I’m Shadow’s soul mate.”
I started to laugh as I readied my spell, saying, “Sure you are, too bad it won’t help you.” I blasted my spell right at the griffon.
Aura however grinned and lifted Misery up like she could block my spell with it. The silvery edge on the blade started to glow brighter than normal as my spell got closer. Then my spell split and went to either side of Aura, leaving the griffon unharmed. She started to laugh once I stopped the spell saying, “What’s wrong Aquila?”
“How did you do that? There’s no way you could stop my spell with a simple sword,” I said taking a step back, confused at what I just witnessed.
She twirled Misery around in her talons then pointed it at me again. “I’ve noticed something about you Aquila, you have no idea how to fight.”
I scoffed. “Oh, I know how to fight you freak!”
“No, you don’t, you were trapped in a lab for two hundred years. You never learned how to fight, even if you have memories from Shadow, you still don’t know how to use the skills she learned. All you have is your magic, nothing else. You see Misery isn’t a normal sword, it’s edged with a rare metal called Star Metal. It’s highly resistant to magic, making it the perfect weapon to take you down,” Aura said with a grin.
I scowled at her, saying, “I’d like to see you try and take me out Aura, even if you could kill me, you’d be killing Shadow as well and I don’t think you have it in you…”
Aura lunged, that fucking sword going right for my face. I ducked the blow only to find Aura’s hindleg coming up to knee me right in the face. I felt something snap in my nose and I was thrown back only to be caught by Aura again. She lifted my smaller frame up and slammed me to the ground, blood pouring from my nose. The wind was knocked out of me as I hit, but Aura wasn’t going to give me a chance to find my wits. Misery flashed over me then came down right for my chest. I barely had time to activate a teleportation spell, I just flashed out of the way as Misery came down for me. I appeared a few feet away another spell ready. I long strip of magic flew out of my horn like a whip, aimed right for Aura. She twisted around, Misery leading and the sword sliced through my spell like it wasn’t even there. The shock of it back fired on me making me jump back, just dodging the follow up strike from the damned griffon.
“What’s wrong Aquila, I thought you said you can fight!” Aura said as she kicked me in the chest sending me flying into the shack’s wall.
“Fuck you griffon, sooner or later I’ll get you with one of my spells!” I screamed as I fired another spell at her.
This time she took to the air to avoid the blast. She swapped Misery out for her Energy Spear, the tip of it glowing bright green. She twirled it around in her talons then slashed it down, a bright green arch of power flying down at me. My eyes went wide and I teleported again. When I reappeared, I saw the blast of green energy slice right through the shack. Aura spun in the air and dove for me her energy spear leading the way. I smiled knowing she couldn’t get her sword out in time to stop my next attack. I charged up another spell and went to fire it.
Then Aura did something I wasn’t expecting, Aura threw her spear at me, then banked to one side as my spell went off. My spell missed the flying Spear and the griffon. The energy spear flew right past my face cutting a line in my cheek and throwing my head to one side as the blade caught me on its way by. It was all Aura needed to land on my other side, knocked me onto my back then used Misery to pin me down by sliding it into my left shoulder.
I screamed in pain as Aura slowly twisted the sword. She punched me right after saying, “Shut up, and take it like a gown ass mare.”
I spat in her face then started to pull on my magic again, saying, “I’ll make you pay for this AURA!”
She punched me again making me lose hold of the spell, she moved her face down saying quietly, “I told you before that I’m going to kill you for what you did to Shadow. You took her away from me, all because you think you own her body. She’s gone now all because of YOU!”
I started to laugh. “If it wasn’t for me she would have died ten years ago.”
“It would have been better than letting you out of that fucking lab. You know what the sad thing is? Shadow felt sorry for you, did you know that?” Aura asked.
“Why would she feel sorry for me? I’m the one who was going to take her body over,” I said, confused.
“She felt sorry for what happened to you, yes she didn’t want you to take over. She didn’t want you to take away the life she was finally growing to love. She felt sorry that you were imprisoned in a lab by the Children,” she said.
“I don’t need anypony to feel sorry for me!” I said through clenched teeth.
Aura just shook her head, saying, “That’s too bad, oh well. This is goodbye Aura, it’s time for you to pay for killing Shadow.”
I grinned as she said that. “Killing Shadow? What makes you think she’s dead?”
Aura looked confused as I said this. She cocked her head to one side, saying, “You wouldn’t let her stay alive now that you have full control of her body.”
“True if I was able too, but I can’t. Shadow’s soul needs to stay in her body for me to finish what I have to. Slowly I will absorb her soul until she’s gone, but that takes time Aura. Shadow’s still here and trapped inside a special cage of my own design,” I said with a laugh. “So if you do kill me you kill her too, never giving her a chance to get free ever again!”
That was all it took, Aura’s eyes went wide and for just a second her grip on the sword slackened. Her concentration slacking for only a moment, enough for me to draw power. I stared to laugh as I used one of Shadow’s favorite spells. Energy blasted out from my body throwing Aura into the air with a scream. I took hold of the sword with my magic and ripped it out of my shoulder. I screamed myself, but managed to toss the blade aside as I drew on my magic again and used it to seal the wound as best I could.
I spit blood onto the ground as I looked over at Aura who was just picking herself up, wincing in pain as she looked over at me as well. I started to laugh as I drew on more power. “Stupid fucking griffon,” I said as I wrapped her in my magic by her throat lifting her slowly into the air. She gagged as I continued. “You want to know the funny part? I can’t truly hold Shadow back forever, she will take over again, at least for now. I just needed her body for a few days to set up my plan. Once I get my full power then I can absorb Shadow fully and keep this body for my own, but not just yet. It’s funny because I was planning on letting you live, just for a little while longer, but now I’m going to kill you. Just to hurt Shadow for all the bull shit she’s pulled.”
Aura tried to get free from my magic but I just tightened my hold on her throat, watching as she tried to breath. I grinned as I slowly squeezed more. “Goodbye, Aura Bloodtalon.”
I was about to squeeze tighter until her neck snapped when something inside me seemed to pulse. As it did I felt the connection to my magic weaken slightly. What the hell was that? I tried to kill her again, but this time that feeling inside got stronger and memories not my own or Shadows seemed to fill my head. I can’t explain what I saw, or who they were, all I knew is that it was all coming from Shadow’s soul, even as it was trapped inside the cage. My eyes went wide as my vison flickered, Aura who was still hanging in my magic seemed to change. One moment she was Aura, the next she was a male griffon, taller with more scars over his beak and face, his eyes the color of embers, feathers a light lavender, his fur white as snow.
Who was this griffon? What the hell was going on? He looked down at me and said in a weak voice, “Moon Light, I’m sorry, but I have to do this, if I don’t the kingdom will fall. I love you.”
I dropped the hold on my magic taking a step back as the strange griffon vanished and was replaced by Aura again. She landed on her talons and started to hack and cough as she glared over at me, saying, “What’s wrong Aquila, I thought you wanted me dead?”
I barely heard her, as Shadow’s soul reacted again to something and again Aura was replaced by that griffon. He was looking at me again, tears in his eyes, his body looked like he’d been in a fight. Blood soaked his fur and feathers, as I looked at him I felt an overwhelming sadness come over me. He smiled weakly, saying, “I love you Moon Light, I hope…that one day…we’ll meet again.”
“Who are you?” I asked as I took a step back.
He was gone again and Aura was there looking at me confused. “Who are you talking to?”
She moved closer and I could feel that power from Shadow filling me again. I jumped back, saying, “Stay away from me!”
Aura grinned at that. “Why? Does something about me scare you Aquila!?”
“Shadow’s reacting to you…I don’t know why…now stay away or I’ll kill you!” I said powering up a spell.
“Really?” Aura said. “Go head and try.”
I tried to fire the spell at her, but as soon as I tried to fire it, my magic just…stopped. I…I can’t kill Aura; Shadow’s fucking soul won’t let me! What is it about this fucking griffon? I can’t stay here, if I do, Shadow might get free before I’m ready. So, I drew on my magic again as I glared at Aura, saying, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll be back for your life Aura. For now, you can live, enjoy it while you can!”
Before the confused looking griffon could respond, I teleported as far away from her as I could get, for now.
***
I spent the rest of the night in near Las Pegasus, in a rundown home that the former occupants kindly lent me, right after I broke their necks. Sleep didn’t come easy though, every time I closed my eyes I kept seeing that Griffon, or I’d find myself watching as Shadow slowly took down the cage. So, instead of sleep I sat there in the bed going over what I’d been able to accomplish while I had control and what I needed to do next before Shadow got free. Shadow getting free of her own cage wasn’t that big of a deal. I could keep her locked in her own head for a while if I wanted, but then she would just become a distraction. Also, once freed, I wouldn’t be able to keep what I was up too secret from her and that was something I couldn’t afford.
“I know where two of the towers are for the project,” I said to myself as I sat there thinking. “If what Shadow learned from Striker was right, the other two shouldn’t be hard to find. One’s in the south near the badlands or in them, the other has to be in Baltimare. Those two shouldn’t be a problem for me once I’m ready, the one in Las Pegasus will be difficult to get working, but I’ll deal with that when the time comes. The last tower is easy to find, it’s in the palace in the Crystal Empire, but that one was tampered with by Night Stalker. I don’t have time to go there and find out what he did and if what I’ve learned is true, I may not even be able to do anything right now about it. That means I’ll have to force Shadow to go there herself and fix whatever he did.”
If only I had all the information I needed, but the only pony who knew everything about Falling Shadows was Minuette and I have no idea where she is. I can still feel her lifeforce in this world, but that didn’t help me find her. There has to be some way to make this work, the problem is, Shadow will fuck it all up once she’s free again. I need my own body, but I can’t just leave Shadow’s. My entire self is mostly merged with her DNA. Even if I could be pulled out of her body and placed in another, my own power wouldn’t be able to merge with another now. I’d spent to long within Shadow’s mind and body. If only there was a way to clone her then I’d be home free…
As I thought that last part my eyes went wide as something came to me. “Grim can be of use to me, more than I’ve already thought of.”
I jumped to my hooves and started to do a spell one that would help me locate the blue unicorn bitch. I’d been planning on using her to help me get Falling Shadows working with the help from the Ministry, but now I knew that there was something more she could do for me and I had the perfect way to make sure she did what I wanted. The spell only took a moment to preform and I smiled when I realized where the unicorn was. She’d met Vervain on the road back from Frosty Summit, but Oricalcos must have found them because now they were all up in that old resort. I grinned and started to pull on my power, it’s time for me to make my grand entrance.
I teleported, funny thing about teleportation, most ponies think that you can only go a certain number of kilometers at a time. That is true in most ways, the reason most unicorns couldn’t teleport very far was because the spell itself requires a lot of energy to do. You also needed to have an understanding to a small degree of where you were going and what the place was like. For example, let’s say you wanted to teleport to Manehattan and it was one thousand kilometers away. If you had the power at hoof, you could do it, but if you’ve never been there you wouldn’t be able too. Even if you looked a picture of the place and took in every detail of that picture, you still wouldn’t be able to do it. You needed to have an exact idea of what the location was like to be able to transport yourself there. Or all you needed was a memory of the place that either you or somepony else has visited. The memory of the location is all that mattered. I’ve never been to Frosty Summit, but Shadow has and that’s all I needed.
When I materialized in the large courtyard for Frosty Summit I was a little shocked at what I saw standing only a few meters in front of me. It was one of the Alicorn’s, not just any Alicorn the one with that amulet. Her horn was already glowing and a slight cocky smile on her face as she said, “Right on time Aquila, welcome to my home!”
“What the hell?” I said, then my eyes went wide as Violet activated a spell and a massive barrier went up all around the compound’s outer yard. I started to pull on my own power to blast the Alicorn into next week when something started to glow under me. Looking down I saw that I was standing in a large magical circle, one even more complex than the one those two brothers used to trap Shadow and me on our way here the first time. As the circle spell grew, my own magic started to fade and I found it hard to draw on it.
Then Grim’s voice echoed from behind me. “That should keep you from doing anything to destructive for a little while Aquila.”
“How the hell did you know I was coming?” I asked as I turned to see Grim glaring at me from the other side of the circle.
“Easy, my brother left a trace on you before he was pulled out of my daughter’s body!” Grim said, as she spoke Oricalcos formed next to her.
“It wasn’t hard to figure out where you were going to go after Aura attacked you a few hours ago. She told us what happened and we decided to set a trap,” Oricalcos said.
Violet spoke next, “I evacuated all of the ponies here so that they will not be in danger. Aquila, you will let Shadow go, if not I will force you into another cage that you’ll never be able to escape.”
I looked down at the circle then back at Grim and Oricalcos then back at Violet. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting a trap when I teleported here, but this won’t stop me. I’m not scared of any of you or your magic. Don’t you understand by now? I’m unlike anything any of you have ever seen before. My magic is nothing like you’ve ever had to deal with!”
“You think so do you?” Violet said. “I have some memories of my past life before I became what I am now. I have seen your kind of power before Aquila, I know how to stop you.”
“So do I,” Grim said from behind me. “You’re not as powerful as you think. Now let my daughter GO!”
“Your daughter? I thought you didn’t remember who she was Grim?” I said turning to face her.
“I don’t remember her Aquila, but I watched the orbs she gave me. I know who she is even if I can’t remember her,” Grim said, her horn glowing and more magic symbols appearing around the area I was standing.
I could tell that she was trying to strengthen the spell holding me here. I just yawned, saying, “You know I really didn’t want to have to do this, but you’ve left me with no choice. Oh well, guess I had to flex my magical muscles sooner or later.”
“There’s nothing you can do Aquila,” Grim said as she poured more power into her spell, then Oricalcos added his own power to Grim’s same for Violet.
They were trying to overpower me, that’s so cute. I’d been holding back most of my power mostly to keep Shadow in her cage. She was about to break out anyway so no need to keep most of my power flowing into that cage. I started pull my power back into myself, building up a powerful spell. I took in a deep breath as my horn started to glow brightly. I let out my breath slowly then whipped my head down activating my spell. Lightning came down, all around the area making the ground around all of them explode. The flash of light made Oricalcos vanish in an instant, Grim was thrown back and Violet activated a shield around herself. That wasn’t all the spell did, the magic circle was destroyed as the ground broke apart around me making the spell break.
I started to laugh as I turned toward Violet, letting more power flow through me as I said, “That shield won’t keep you safe Alicorn!” I blasted her with as much force as I could.
Violet poured more power into the shield around her, the amulet around her neck glowing brightly. I kept it up starting to laugh as I saw the barrier buckling under my spell. Violet’s eyes were locked on me with concentration as she said, “I won’t let you hurt anymore ponies!”
“Funny, because I don’t see how any of you can stop me,” I said as I poured a little more power into my spell. Her barrier shattered like glass, the rest of my spell slamming into the Alicorn and throwing her clear across the yard. She slammed through one wall of the old lodge.
I turned back to Grim who was just starting to get back to her hooves, a spell on her own horn and anger written on her face. I took a step toward her, saying, “Awww poor Grim, you really thought you could stop me, didn’t you?”
In answer, she activated one of her zebra spells. Something wrapped around my legs holding me in place. As the spell took hold she said, “I’m just getting started Aquila!”
I just yawned, saying, “Grim, honestly I didn’t come here to fight you. I just wanted to talk.”
“Funny, because I want to rip you out of my daughter!” Grim yelled, putting more power into her binding spell.
“The thing is, that’s the reason I came here to talk to you,” I said as I broke her binding spell with a flick of my horn. “You can’t stand up to me, so either listen to what I have to say or I’ll find someone else who will.”
Grim flinched as I broke the spell, then she smiled. “I think you’re underestimating what we can do.”
“How so?” I asked, not really caring what she thought she could do.
“Like this,” I heard another mare’s voice say from behind me followed by her chanting in zebra.
I tried to turn so I could face the new comer, but whatever she was doing, my body wasn’t able to move. I tried to activate my magic, but even that was hard to do. I glared at Grim, saying through clenched teeth, “What the hell is this Grim?”
“Yaksha keep that up,” Grim said. “Vervain, now would be a good time for your help.”
Yaksha, that bitch zebra who helped Shadow steal some of my power? What the hell was going on? As I was trapped there, Vervain came from somewhere, she moved next to Grim then passed her that big black book Shadow got from Gigi. Once she was done she glared at me as she said, “Are you sure this is going to work Grim?”
“I have no idea, there’s only one way to find out,” Grim said as she opened the black book.
As soon as it was open I could feel the evil coming off the thing. I felt like running away from the thing, but I couldn’t. So, I said, “Do you even know what that thing is Grim?”
“I know more about the black books than you could ever know Aquila. This black book will be your end!” Grim said, then she started to form magic circles around me as she started to chant.
I’m not sure what she was doing, but whatever it was I could feel something deep inside my body slowly pulling away. My vision started to blur as the feeling intensified, she was trying to pull me out of Shadow. Is she crazy? I had to do something before she killed Shadow and I. “Grim, if you keep this spell up, you’ll kill us both!”
Vervain answered, “It’s a risk we’re willing to take.”
“You fools, I can’t be pulled out of Shadow unless I had another body to go into, one that can deal with my power! If I’m not, I’ll just rebound back into Shadow and kill her when I do!” I yelled, then screamed as I felt part of myself ripping free of Shadow’s mind.
Grim kept on chanting, ignoring me as she kept up her spell. Yaksha on the other hoof stopped her chanting, saying, “Vervain, what if she is right and this kills Shadow!”
“Yaksha! You can’t stop your own spell!” Vervain yelled at the zebra behind me, but it was too late.
Grim’s own spell was weakening me, but Yaksha’s chanting was keeping me from using my magic or moving. As soon as she stopped I was already pulling on power. I cast an expulsion spell so powerful that all three mares were thrown back, also stopping Grim’s spell. I felt myself snap back into Shadow fully. I flipped around and grabbed Yaksha with my magic and slammed her down twice on the ground, knocking her out cold. Then I turned toward Vervain and Grim, anger filling me as I took hold of Vervain and pulled her closer to me. “You’re lucky I don’t have time to deal with you right now Vervain. Now sleep!”
As I said the last, I cast a spell over her and she passed out. I tossed her over by Yaksha then walked slowly toward Grim. She was just getting up when I took hold of her with my magic. She gasped as I lifted her in the air, then she said, “So what now Aquila? You going to kill me too, just like you took Shadow away from me!?”
“What do you care Grim, you can’t even remember her. You might know who she is now, but what does that matter when you don’t even know her,” I said as I drew her closer to me.
“I may not remember her after you joined with her, but she’s still my Little Star and I’ll do anything to protect her!” Grim said defiantly.
I grinned then dropped her at my hooves, saying, “Really? Anything huh?”
“I’d even sacrifice my own life for my Star. I thought I lost her once…more than once, and I never want to feel that way again,” she said.
I stood as tall as my body would allow as I pulled a small notebook from my satchel. Using my magic, I tossed it at her, saying, “Good, because if you want her back I’ll need you to do this for me.”
“What’s this?” she asked picking up the notebook with her own magic then looking through it quickly. As she did her eyes went wide and her face paled. “You can’t be serious? There’s no way this can work.”
“It will work, I’ll make sure of it,” I said as I took a moment to make sure no pony else was sneaking up on me. “If you do that for me, I give you my word that I’ll let you have your daughter back.”
Grim took a moment longer to look through the notes I left for her, then she answered, “I…can do this I think, but there’s something you’re missing if you want this to work.”
“I already know,” I said pulling out the other thing I knew she’d need. I gave her a bloody rage I’d used to whip the blood off myself last night. “This should work for what you need. Now just so we understand each other. You do this for me, I’ll let Shadow go for good.”
“How do I know I can trust you?” Grim said.
I smiled. “I never lie. I can bend the truth that’s for sure, but with this I’m telling you the truth as best I can. Do this for me and make sure to help me get what I need with this Mark II, and I’ll set Shadow free and you’ll never have to worry about me again. I have my own problems and my own quest on this world, when I get what I want, I’ll no longer need any of you.”
She sighed then placed the rag and the notebook into her saddle bags. “If you keep your end of the Bargen then fine, I’ll give you what you want, but this will take a while for me to finish.”
I thought about that for a moment then asked, “How long?”
“At least two weeks, maybe three,” she said.
“I don’t have that long right now, but I can work with it. I’ll just have to make sure to keep Shadow away from here for a while,” I said.
Grim looked at me skeptically. “What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say that I’m going to let Shadow out early. She has her own uses at the moment, things I’m not going to tell you about Grim. You have your own job to do,” I said.
“Getting Shadow back is worth what your asking me to do at least part of it, but as for helping you with the Mark II. I can’t do that, only Shadow can get it off, but I can point her in the direction you need. If you want me to do that part, then I want one more thing from you,” Grim said.
“Oh, and what’s that?” I asked.
“Restore my memories,” she said.
“What makes you think I can do that?” I asked amused.
“If what I was told is right about how I lost them, no power on Equus can restore them. Your power isn’t from this world, I believe that you can fix what was taken from me,” she said.
I took a moment to think about it then shrugged. “If you don’t betray me, then I’ll do what I can. For now, I must be leaving you. Oh, and if you’re brother interferes with me again or any of Shadow’s friends, I will kill all of you. Do you understand me?”
She nodded, saying, “I’ll keep them away.”
“Good,” I said, then I drew on my power getting ready to teleport again when I was interrupted by that fucking Alicorn.
She landed in front of me, her horn glowing as she said, “That was a cheep trick you pulled Aquila! I’ll make you pay.”
I just rolled my eyes, saying, “I’m finished here anyway Violet, go throw your little tantrum somewhere else. I’m too busy to deal with you.”
“I’m not letting you leave this place!” she said in a low voice.
As she spoke something about her seemed failure. I took a moment to look at her and I could feel something in her that I recognized. My eyes went wide and I said, “I know you.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I know you, but at the same time it’s like I don’t know you. Who did you used to be? Before this happened to you Violet,” I asked.
Grim was watching us with a look of confusion on her face. Violet looked just as confused as she answered. “I do not remember much of my past. Most of my memories of my past are else were. Why do you ask?”
I sighed then winced as I felt the last of Shadow’s cage give way inside me. Damn it, I didn’t have the time to deal with this. So, I said, “Too bad, maybe one day I’ll help you with that, because if you’re the mare I think you are, I’d like to talk to you again. Until next time.”
Before any of them could say or do anything else I teleported. I didn’t go much farther than the ruins of Cartwheel. As soon as I reappeared I screamed as pain cursed through my head. I could feel Shadow’s cage falling apart as she unlocked the last lock in her cage. I’d have to move quickly, I needed to make sure she couldn’t get in my way for at least a week maybe more. It would take a while for her to get control again. Still, if she found her friends or ran into her mother, she could still be a problem.
I’m going to have to get her as far away from them as I can. I thought quickly trying to think of a way I could get her out of my mane for just long enough. I cursed as I tried to think of something, when nothing came to mind I slammed the Pip-Buck against one of the ruins. As I did I must have activated the Radio because Dj-Pon3 was in the middle of a broadcast.
“And still no pony has seen Security for the past two days. With her missing, ponies around Hoofington have been making more trouble for the locals. Also, there’s been reports of zebra activity growing around that area as well. So, if you’re planning on taking a vacation around that shit hole of a city children, I’d suggest you make other plans. The Hoof isn’t a safe place and with The Security Mare missing in action, things have gone from bad to worse. That’s it for the news, now let’s play one of our new tunes by a talented young mare, Velvet Remedy.”
I turned off the radio as I realized the perfect place to send Shadow. I smiled and started to pull on my magic. Luckily for me, one of Grim’s memory orbs was in Hoofington. The magic it would cost to go that far was going to be great, but I can handle it. Once Shadow was there, I’d be able to rest for a while and let her do what I needed. Once everything was set up that is. I’d make sure to keep an eye on her, from what I’ve heard through Shadow, Hoofington was dangerous, but I could keep her safe while she was there. Once enough time went by, I’d make sure she got back here.
I pulled more and more power into myself, took in a deep breath and activated the Teleportation spell. It took a lot longer than it ever had before for me to get to my destination, but I was able to do it. When I reappeared, I found myself in the same spot Grim stood years ago, talking to Striker. The amount of magic it cost to go all the way across the country took its toll and I almost passed out from the energy loss.
“Not yet, I just need a few more moments,” I said to myself as I started to use the last of my strength to change what I looked like. I wanted Shadow to think things were okay, for that I needed to make our body look like it was supposed to. I couldn’t do anything about the cutie mark, but that would go back to normal when she took control. It only took a moment or two for me to change our body back to what Shadow was used to. Once that was done I felt my hold on her body fading.
“Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, I can wait a little longer now that I know things are in place. Enjoy your freedom while you can Shadow, because soon I’ll have my own body, The Mark II, and Falling Shadows,” I said.
I moved our body closer to the edge of the road, just in case it took a while for Shadow to wake up. As soon as I got close to the bone riddled side of the road, I walked into something I couldn’t see. Whatever it was, the power in it was unlike anything I’d ever felt on this world. My eyes went wide and I screamed as unimaginable pain flowed through me, not my body, but my essence itself. Whatever it was, there was a presence inside of it, something that wanted me. Something that fed on my kind and was also one of my kind.
“What is this?” I heard a deep voice say within my head. “You feel like an old friend of mine, but yet you are not him. Altair has given you a lot of power child…I can’t wait to find out what you taste like HAHAHA!”
I screamed again then managed to move myself out of the field of power. As soon as I did I felt as if all my power had been drained from me. I made a mistake, no wonder this place felt so evil…there’s a dying star creature in Hoofington. I couldn’t even try and get us away from this place, it was too late to fix this. I’d have to hope that Shadow could get us out of here, before that thing found me…
“It’s up to you now Shadow…please don’t fuck this up!” I said as I lost hold of the body that should be mine and fell deep into Shadow’s mind…
[FOOTNOTE: NO EXPERIENCE GAINED!]
NO PERK ADDED!