//------------------------------//
// The Heir Apparent 
// Story: Wielder of the Orb: Third Time's the Charm 
// by TheMajorTechie 
//------------------------------//

"Nightshade!"

"C'mon, get up! You're safe now. Are you hurt?"

Nightshade groaned.

"Shady, answer me!"

She cracked an eye, a hint of a smile forming at the edge of her lips. "...I... I think I'm alright... thanks, Lightning."

"Thanks?" Lightning Rod raised a brow. "Thanks for what? You went missing for the entire night before somepony saw you teleport into the city park and collapse! I'm just visiting you in the hospital!"

Nightshade's eyes shot open. "Wait-- the hospital?! Oh, no no no, no I can't be back already, I--" she spun around to the window, staring at the view outside. "I need to go back! There's... there's something out there. And it's got something to do with the Orb... which I... uh, lost."

"Soooo... we're going on an adventure, then?" the excitement in Lightning's voice was already growing pretty obvious. "Do you know how long it's been since I've had the chance to test out my devices?"

"Yeah, yeah, but first, would you like to eat weird shell creatures instead of normal food?"

"What?"

Now fully awake, the mare sat herself up on the cot. "Lightning, do you have any idea what kind of things I was dealing with last night?"

He shook his head.

"Well, besides whatever the heck it was that teleported me back and stuff, I got sucked into this weird underworld kind of place."

Lightning Rod cocked his head. "You were sucked into Tartarus?"

"No, no!" Nightshade vigorously shook her head. "I mean an actual underworld-- like, everything was different. There was this spider-silk grass stuff that I didn't even dare eating, and a road lined with glowing mushrooms, and-and screaming trees, and--"

"Alright, so it's definitely not Tartarus, then. Neato."

"Definitely not neato, Lightning. Do you know how hard I had to push myself just to stay alive?"

"No--"

"I ate meat, Lightning! Normal ponies don't do that, and up until yesterday, I called myself a normal pony! The Orb, whatever the actual buck it is, has been screwing with my life one way or another, and all I can do to set things straight right now is to take back control of it. I... I have a feeling that that entire world I was in was a creation of the Orb."

"Oh."

Nightshade snorted at the one-word response, turning her attention back to the window. All she could do for now was hope that whoever it was taking charge over the Orb's powers was just as bad at wielding them as she was. Though... that part about eating meat just to stay alive might've been a fib. Who knows?





"The Orb, master."

The shadowy aura surrounding the two colts seized inward, wrapping its tendrils of wispy darkness around the Orb. There was no response to the two, save for a deep, rumbling hum of approval. Two red-pupiled eyes emerged from the darkness, looking between the two colts, then to the Orb in its grasp.

"Thissss... comes from the Heir Apparent," a voice from beyond the eyes rumbled. "You two have served me well."

The colts bowed. "We are honored to serve."

"But... before I reward you, I have another request..."

One of the colts raised his head. "A-another?"

The eyes blinked, focusing on the colt who spoke. "Yes... I desire a vessel. You shall do nicely."

In an instant, the shadows surrounding the two imploded onto the colt. The room remained silent the entire time.