After returning home to Ponyville, Black Cross meets up with his brother where they are expected a visit from Starswirl however the dark cloud from earlier was growing much worse than before, blocking out the sun and everything around the area was turning gray.
"Hey brother, what's going on, I thought you were bringing more friends to help?" asked Hearts Dalliance.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about..." Black Cross replied.
Black Cross had explained everything to his brother about the gray ponies and the Dark Kingdom, they then were approached by Starswirl holding onto his spell book when he realized the two were standing in front of him.
"Black Cross... Hearts Dalliance, what's going on?" asked Starswirl.
"We believe Princess Twilight wasn't responsible for summoning the Dark Kingdom, we suspect someone who was previously involved with threatening Equestria before, and now they are back" said Black Cross.
Starswirl was feeling a bit concerned, perhaps his research had a miscalculation.
"Then... who could it be?" asked Starswirl.
Suddenly, a laugh can be heard from the distance, every pony had looked up to see where the voice was coming from, it came from the dark cloud in the sky as black fluid began to rain upon them, the liquid had merged together making up a strange figure with a horn and a pair of wings, only to form into what looks like the Pony of Shadows. He had returned.
Starswirl was shocked to see the Pony of Shadows after a long time when he was sent back to limbo, "By the Gods..." he was petrified.
Black Cross had looked at him as he wondered if Starswirl knew what it was, "Starswirl, what is it?" he asked.
But Starswirl could not move or talk, he was completely out of his league.
Ada turns to Black Cross, "What should we do?" she asked.
Black Cross confronts the mysterious shadow figure, he wasn't scared but a bit confused, "Who are you?" he asked.
The Pony of Shadows had laughed uncontrollably, "I am called Pony of Shadows," - he leans in closer, - "...but you may call me, Clint" he said.
The ponies were shocked, neither of them know how to respond to that. However, Black Cross is familiar with that name, perhaps it was the same character that MachoPoni was talking about.
"Wait a minute, MachoPoni mentioned about a pony named Clint, he was responible for luring Dust into the Dark Kingdom" he said, as he quickly looks to Ada knowing that this must be some trick, but she has no response to that question, it must really be Clint somewhere inside the Pony of Shadows.
Black Cross was angry, he wanted to slain the creature with his sword but he still needed answers, "Why are you doing this?!" he shouted.
"Nyahahah!" the Pony of Shadows continues to laugh, "I am going to turn Equestria inside-out, it will be the new Dark Kingdom where everything you've ever cared will die and turn gray, this is revenge for being defeated by ugly colorful ponies - now it is my turn to flip the cards" he said.
"I don't care about any pony except for my brother, I must protect him, but you are being irrational and you must die!" said Black Cross.
The Pony of Shadows was interested with his anger, he wanted to use Black Cross as his ultimate power, "You sound very upset, I like it - your powers might even be enough for me to destroy your world," - he stands up straight where a black and slender whip grapples onto Black Cross, - "You soul will serve me well" he said.
Black Cross was being dragged by the Pony of Shadows but his friends were beside him trying to pull him back until it was too late, he was already inside of him. It was dark inside, he could not see anything as if everything was just another nightmare of his.
He casts a flash light on his horn, Black Cross had realized he was inside the Pony of Shadows, as he walks around he notice another pony that he wasn't familiar with, perhaps it was Clint that the Pony of Shadows had swallowed up.
"You must be Clint?" asked Black Cross.
The mysterious pony looks at him, he wanted to say something but was too embarrassed to admit what he has done, "Yes, I am Clint," - with a soft and saddened voice, - "I never wanted any of this to happen" he said.
"What do you mean?" asked Black Cross, he kneeled down trying to comfort him.
"The truth is... I wanted to get back at the ponies who were mean to me" said Clint, but Black Cross did not believe him, perhaps he was trying to trick him.
"You must be joking, right?" - he trots around back and forth thinking, - "MachoPoni said that you were mean to him, you lured Dust into the Dark Kingdom" said Black Cross.
"Yeah, well that was to get rid of MachoPoni..." Clint added.
Black Cross wondered why these two characters had a tough relationship, "Why do you hate MachoPoni so much?" he asked.
Clint shook his head, he could not remember why he despise on MachoPoni as a whole, "I don't really know, it was a long time ago," - he looks down where he could see his own hooves, - "...then when I was sent to the Dark Kingdom for my sins, I met the Pony of Shadows, he wanted to help me, but inside he is only draining my magic" he said.
Black Cross recalls he was feeling a bit weak before entering inside the Pony of Shadows, perhaps it was draining his magic too. He wanted to escape but there was no way out however he had an idea.
"Maybe it's time to let go and start over," - he reaches out to Clint giving him a hand, - "You can trust me, we can get out of this mess together" said Black Cross.
Clint had looked up to Black Cross once again, he gets up on his four limbs but still wobbly and twitching.
"Posey and Prickly!" - Black Cross had casted a spell to surround himself and Clint by flowers and light, it was bright as holy shimmering and erasing all the darkness, the Pony of Shadows was beginning to inflate with all the happiness filling him up where he would explode like a balloon. The Pony of Shadows was defeated.
Black Cross and Clint were free, but they were feeling exhausted after using all of their magic that was left in order to defeat the Pony of Shadows, his brother was at the scene along with their friends, Maud Pie and Ada. Suddenly the dark clouds in the sky had disappeared, then ponies began to reappear returning to their original form being colorful and happy, before they knew it, it was finally over.
In the distance, MachoPoni and Dust were watching them sacrificing themselves to slain the Pony of Shadows, after realizing that Clint was no longer angry with them, they were starting to fade away as they had returned back to the afterlife where they can finally rest in peace.
Hearts Dalliance had took his brother to a nearby hospital where they could cure him after being inside the Pony of Shadows for awhile, as they left the scene, Starswirl had not said another word at that time but he decided to leave Ponyville to continue with his studies.
Black Cross was still unconscious, but his brother did not ever leave his room, and after his first checkup, the doctors had said that he was going to be fine.