//------------------------------//
// Shady 
// Story: The Elements of Love 
// by UnweptSchlipps 
//------------------------------//

The next day, as the clock struck noon, the Elements of Love found themselves in the midst of the poor district with Cheerilee and Lucky leading the way. The low-lives glared ominously at the passing ponies with ireful scowls. The six didn’t belong in this greasy garbage-hole. This was the thieves’ turf, and both the pickpockets and the Elements knew it.

“Are you sure this is where he said to go?” Soarin inquired, tucking Scoots under his wing. “Or did you guys take one too many hits on the noggin?”

Lucky replied calmly, “I’m sure, mate. I’ve got a photographic memory.”

“Really?”

“Well…no. But Cheerilee does,” the unicorn replied sheepishly, diverting the attention to the teacher.

Rolling her eyes, Cheerilee began, “23 Baluchi Place. That’s the place he wrote…erm, glowed in the dirt.”

“Exactly!” Lucky exclaimed. “And if I remember correctly, that should be right…here!”

The unicorn pointed to left, as though expecting some grand palace. Instead, all he found was a run-down little building with boarded-up windows and cracked paint. There was a small, bent billboard located on the roof, teetering on the verge of collapse. Lucky’s smile deflated, much like the spirits of the rest of the squad.

“This can’t be it,” Redheart uttered, examining the shoddy paint-job. “It doesn’t look too…safe.” As if to prove her point, the billboard slowly tilted off the building, unable support its weight any longer. The metal rigging crashed down the side, almost crushing Redheart in its path.

Seeing this, Braeburn began, “Ah think you’ve got the wrong place Lucky. There ain’t no way Ah’m going in there!”

But the unicorn pointed at the address painted in black on the side of the door, saying, “But it says right there, mate! 23 Baluchi Place. This is definitely where Shade told us to meet him.”

“Maybe he was pulling our leg,” the cowpony suggested.

But Soarin, who couldn’t wait any longer, made his way towards the door, telling the others, “There’s only one way to find out.” Leaving Scoots in the care of Redheart, the pegasus stood in front of the run-down shack. He rapped his hooves on the door, which made a hollow clanking sound. For a few moments, there was no answer. Soarin tried his knock once again, but still he received no answer.

But just as he turned to shrug at the others, a panel inside the door slid open, revealing a pair of eyes staring back at him. The pegasus was caught a bit off guard, and began, “Oh hey…um…’sup?”

The six piled around the door, their curiously rightfully piqued. Suddenly, a gruff raspy voice said back to them, “What is life’s greatest illusion?”

Perplexed, Soarin replied, “Umm…the one where you saw the lady in half?”

“Darkness?” Redheart chimed.

“Being happily married…” Cheerilee muttered under her breath.

Trying to jump over the rest, Scootaloo exclaimed, “Some kind of choir! With chanting!” 

“Scootaloo, Ah don’t think that makes much sense,” Braeburn told her confusedly.

“Oh for crying out loud!” Lucky complained, pushing the others aside. He couldn’t help but feel just a bit agitated with his comrades’ snappy (and perhaps dimwitted) answers. Facing the doorway, the unicorn straightened his tie and answered, “The shadows, my brother.”

Upon hearing this, the door-stallion slid the panel shut. Lucky could hear the sound of multiple locks being twisted and turned, going all the way down to the floor. Finally, the metal door slowly swung open, with a muscly earth pony standing in the way. “You folks come on in,” he said. “But I’m warning you, this place ain’t the place for kids.”

He said this while looking down at Scoots, who returned with a defiant glare. Showing a brash attitude rivaling Rainbow Dash’s, the filly pranced into the building with her head held high, while the others followed suit.

As it would turn out, the bouncer (as that stallion would come to be known) was correct. The place was more like an underground tavern where all the lowlifes and hobos came to drink and chat in piece. The walls were so old that they had begun to turn yellow, and tiny white patches showed where holes had been. The table themselves seemed sturdy, but every chair seemed to have been missing a leg. However, unlike the outside where all ponies stared at the outsiders with disgust, the ponies here were ironically much more hearty and welcoming. Whether they were because they were happy or drunk, well, that was for the Elements to decide.

Finally, after getting a good look at the place, Lucky spied a familiar black hood sitting at a booth. Pointing him out to the others, the unicorn made his way towards the hooded pony and said, “’Ello, mate. I believe we ‘ave an appointment.”

“Do we now?” the stallion said, turning to face him. He paused for a moment, as though he was trying to remember something. Then finally, he began to nod and stated, “Oh yes. You’re the one that I almost choked out yesterday. Yes, welcome.” Braeburn snickered, and luckily for him, Lucky wasn’t in the mood for berating. 

The mysterious stallion took off his hood, revealing an old wrinkled face. The stallion obviously had quite a bit of years under his belt, with his slicked-back mane and frazzled tail showing signs of grey. His deep purple eyes drooped into the folds of his skin, looking perpetually tired. For the first time, the Elements laid their eyes on the elder’s cutie mark, some kind of black rune printed on his dark blue flank.

“So you’re Shade, huh?” Braeburn said, tipping his hat kindly. “Truthfully, I was expecting someone a bit…younger.”

“Well I’m sorry if I don’t meet your expectations. But I always say things get better with age. And that certainly applies to this thing right up here,” the elder replied, pointing to his noggin.

After examining the shoddy discolored walls, Scootaloo blurted, “Do you really live in this place?”

“Scootaloo, that was rude!” Cheerilee said.

But the old stallion just gave hearty chuckle, replying, “Well, technically yes, I suppose. I don’t actually live in 23 Baluchi Place. I live…underneath it.” Slowly making his way towards the bar area, he told the others, “Please. Come with me.”

Shade led the six down a slim hallway, and at the end of it was a tiny room with only a few chairs and a bookcase. The elder unicorn’s horn began to glow, encasing the shelf in a dark, ominous glow. They heard a soft click, and slowly the bookshelf began to slide into the floor, revealing a hidden staircase.

“Come on down. Watch your step,” Shade beckoned, slowly descending down the steps.

“I don’t know…what if he’s leading us into a trap?” Redheart whispered cautiously, just as the old stallion got out of earshot.

“Then we either run away or kick his flank,” Soarin replied matter-of-factly. Throwing caution to the wind, the pegasus trotted down the stairwell with Scootaloo in tow, much to the nurse’s dismay. However, curiosity got the best of them in the end, and the others followed suit.

But if Shade had any intention of doing any harm, he certainly didn’t show it. The quarter he led them to wasn’t some kind of stone cell or horrid torture chamber. If anything, the place was rather homely. Aside from being underground, the place had an aura of coziness and comfort that almost rivaled Fluttershy’s cottage. It was home underneath the streets, complete with a flaming hearth, a humble den, and even a make-shift kitchen. Shade took a seat on a rocking chair next to the fireplace, looking very much like an old grandfather.

Taking the time to make sure the underground cottage was safe, Lucky began, “So what was the point of bringin’ us down here, mate? You ain’t gonna kill us, are you?”

“Kill you? Well that certainly was not the reason, although I’d be happy to oblige if you give me cause to,” the mage replied, his tongue still sharp even in old age. “No, no, I brought you all here to see if you were serious about this and not some scholarly fanatic trying to get some free advice. And since you’ve gone through all this trouble to find me, plus the fact that you haven’t killed me yet, suggests that you six really are trying to help. And besides, I can’t simply tell you this info out there, in the open. I may be old, but I’m not ready to die just yet…One moment please.”

The elder clapped his hooves, calling out, “Nightwish? Could you please fetch me my tea?”

Answering his call, another figure crept out of the kitchen with a few jars on her back. The mare’s most distinguishing feature was her black mane and tail. They were dotted with tiny specks that seemed to shimmer with the fire’s flickering light, almost rivaling Princess Luna’s ethereal mane. The rest of her body, however, was simple and plain. Her mane flowed over her eyes, which stared blankly at the ground. She make no sound other than a few grunts, pouring some herbs into the concoction over the fireplace.

“The poor thing. Found her in the gutters a few years ago. She was so skinny; it was a miracle she was still alive. No sign of her parents anywhere, so I decided to take her in,” Shade began, his purple eyes glistening with sadness. “I decided to call her Nightwish, after me granny. I’ve spent all this time trying to find her parents, but to no avail. She’s quite peculiar, indeed. Never seen a pony’s mane shine like that one.”

At that moment, the mare fumbled her stirring spoon, dropping it into the steaming pot. She gave a small grunt and hobbled out of the room while Shade continued, “Tsk-tsk. She’s a decent assistant, but she’s bit…too slow to be able to do anything else. She’s only capable of grunting and nodding, and sometimes it takes a few tries for her to get what I’m saying. But oh, she never does any harm.” Finally, Nightwish brought the hot cup of tea to her master, who levitated it to his lips and said, “Thank you Night.” The mare bowed her head slightly, and she began to stumble out of the room, still keeping her eyes on the floor.

Redheart piped, “With all due respect, sir, we didn’t come down here just for tea.”

“Straight to the point, aren’t you? That's good…good,” the elder muttered. “You folks said you were from the Crystal Kingdom, so I’m guessing you want to know about…the shadow eating that place up.”

“How do you know about that?” Cheerilee questioned.

Shrugging his eyebrows, Shade answered, “Well haven’t you seen the newspapers? It’s front page news, oh yes it is. Tell me, what have you seen so far?”

Redheart, who had taken the responsibility of being spokespony, replied, “All we know about that thing is that it’s swallowing the Crystal Kingdom and everypony living in it. Two days ago were attacked by these shadowy creatures that…well…looked like ponies. Can you explain that to us?”

Placing his cup on a side table, the old stallion said sadly, “Yes…unfortunately. But you might want to take a seat. This is quite an interesting tale.

Nightwish brought out a few more cushions, and the six sat around the old mage just like foals would gather for story time. The only difference: this fairytale was not going to have a happy ending. Shade began, “To put it simply, that shadow is the work of an ancient spell created about a millennium ago.”

He began to conjure shapes in the air, illustrating his story. The first was of a familiar dark being, surrounded by robed unicorns. “Just after Nightmare Moon was banished, a group of mages formed what could only be described as a dangerous cult. They called themselves the ‘Nightmarists’, worshiping their ‘Goddess of the Dark’, trying to manipulate the night just as Nightmare Moon had. Although they did not have the power to control the moon itself, they were able to control something else. Shadows.” 

The shapes morphed into two ancient books with matching purple binding. Shade continued, “They compiled all their findings on this Shadow Manipulation into two volumes called the Umbra Magicae. And with these spells, the Nightmarists tried to accomplish what Nightmare Moon could not. Swallow the world in eternal darkness using the power of the shadows.”

He manipulated the shapes once more until it became a picture-perfect image of the Crystal Kingdom. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black blob began to sweep through the projection, until it the projection was just a big dark nothingness. The elder uttered grimly, “They created the entity that is swallowing the Crystal Kingdom now, its purpose only to keep washing over the land until every last speck of light has been wiped out. This force is known only as The Shadow.”

The dark blob split into smaller figures, taking on the form of the creatures from the Everfree. “This Shadow doesn’t just take its prey into the fathoms of the unknown. They suck away their very souls, transforming their spirits into dark entities called ‘Shadowmares’. Those are probably the pony-like creatures you fought in the Everfree, yes?” The Elements of Love nodded their heads, trying to take in every word he was saying. “They were the corrupted souls of the ponies already spirited away by the Shadow. They thrive only in the darkness, which is why you were safe once you escaped the forest and into the sun.”

“In the end, despite having an army of Shadowmares at their disposal, the Nightmarists met as much success as their goddess. Princess Celestia, with the help of the Elements of Harmony, dispersed this shadow, shedding the sun’s rays back onto the land. And as for the insurrectionists, they were quickly locked away, and the Umbra Magicae was confiscated.”

“The Canterlonians tried to destroy that blasted book, but for some strange reason, whatever magical spell they threw at it simply dispersed. The book had become more than just some dusty old tome. It became a vessel for the dark magic, the embodiment of the Shadow itself. It contained a power so immense, that not even Celestia and the Elements of Harmony could destroy it.”

Shade adjusted his spectacles, casting a somber glare over the six ponies. “So in the end, Celestia found it best to put the books under lock and key, and stash them away from all those who might use it. The first volume’s whereabouts has been unknown for quite some time. But the second…”

The old stallion paused for a moment (for dramatic effect, as Lucky would have put it). Then he pointed a hoof down at the floor and remarked, “The second was unearthed right here in Trottingham! And for a scholar such as myself, I couldn’t have been more surprised and excited!”

“Who found it?” Soarin asked.

“Ahh yes…there’s that little detail. It was dug up in the mines by a group that called themselves the Frost Mages.”

“But why would the Frost Mages be interested in that book?” Redheart inquired.

“That is the part that worries me, my dear,” Shade replied nervously. “You see, back when Celestia imprisoned the Nightmarists, a few managed to escape persecution, escaping into the forest. As time passed, these few remainders of the cult spread their views secretly through generation upon generation. Nowadays, their descendants live in seclusion and utter disgrace. You may know them as the Frost Star Mages.” He uttered those last three words as though they were acid in his mouth. 

The scholar stood up hastily, and began to pace around the fireplace while shaking his head feebly. “Those Frost Mages asked too many questions for their own good,” he uttered. “Even with Princess Luna back on the throne, they still believe in their idiotic plight. But in the end, they amount to nothing but radical fanatics and crooks. I should know…I almost joined them.”

Having remained quiet for most of the conversation, Lucky finally bellowed, “You…you what?!” He turned to the yellow cowpony next to him and said, “Braeburn, please tell me this guy ain’t telling the truth. Because I don’t think we should trust someone who worked with the ones we’re fighting!”

Holding up his hoof peacefully, Shade said, “I understand your concern. But let me finish telling my side of the story.”

“He’s been pretty truthful so far,” Braeburn shrugged. Lucky mumbled his dissent, but soon enough he slowly lowered himself onto his cushion, giving the elder the benefit of the doubt.

“Like I said, I almost ended up joining the Frost Mages. I met them a few weeks back when they were investigating the mine for the Umbra Magicae. At first, I was so impressed that somepony was as interested as in ancient magic as I was! But then…their true intentions soon came to light.”

The old pony stared into the flickering fire, reliving the events in his mind once again. “I tried to stop them from unearthing the book, tried to lead them off the wrong path. But they threatened to kill me and Nightwish unless I helped them excavate! What other choice did I have but to comply?”

“That is why I live here underground now, and why I wear this hood when I do have to go out. To hide from those Mages, in case they ever try to come back and kill me. That is why I was so hostile to you two when we first met. I couldn’t take the chance.”

Shade turned to the six heroes, staring into each of their vigilant faces. His eyes almost seemed to plead as he said to them, “You six seem to be the only ones who are capable of stopping those mages. Tartarus knows you’re the only ones trying. Please…you need to stop them. Do what I failed to do. I’ve given you all the information I know. What you need to do now is to find that second Umbra Magicae book. Go back to your princesses, perhaps they could provide some help.”

For some strange reason, Cheerilee found her ear starting to twitch. Something felt off about what Shade had said, although at the moment, she struggled to put her hoof on it. And it certainly didn’t help her thinking process when Braeburn interrupted, “Thank you Mr. Shade. Fer everypony’s sake, Ah hope we don’t let you down. Come on y’all. We gotta head back to the inn.”

“You six be careful now. The Shadowmares could be anywhere,” the old stallion warned as the Elements stood up. “And if you need advice, you know where I’ll be.”

“Of course, mister. And of course, thank you Nightwish,” Braeburn said to the mare, even though he knew he wouldn’t be getting any response.

The group each said their thanks, and with after a kind smile from Shade, they exited back up the stairs.

Once they had disappeared up the dark passage, the elder’s smile turning into a tired grimace. He let out a long sigh while rubbing his cheek with his hoof, his thoughts someplace else. Suddenly exhausted, Shade sat back down on his rocking chair, slowly careening back and forth.

“Nightwish, please get my tea. My migraines are acting up again,” he asked, closing his eyes.

But suddenly, his chest began to tighten, and his appendages became rigid and immobile. Shade’s eyes shot open, and he glanced down to see a dark apparition slowly making its way up his body. As his body was consumed by the apparition, a deep ache flowed through every muscle in his body. Soon, only his head was visible through the shadow, his eyes wide with surprise.

The sound of multiple hooves began to clop behind him. He didn’t need to see to know who it was. “You…”

“Good evening,” a voice uttered, almost mockingly.

“What are you doing?” the stallion uttered, his purple eyes darting around the room. “I did everything you asked. You saw!”

A sinister laugh answered his plea, echoing in his mind. “Of course you did,” the voice said, coming closer to the chair. “And I suppose I should thank you for that. But do you know what happens to dogs that have served their purpose?” 

The voice placed itself close to Shade’s ear, and in a voice barely above whisper, it said, “They get put down.”

After a brief moment of pain, all he saw…was darkness.

xxx

The Elements of Love sat in the Corner Club, munching down on some late dinner before going to bed. They had decided that tomorrow they would head back to Canterlot and tell the princess everything they had uncovered. Perhaps then they would be able to figure out a plan to find the Umbra Magicae (or as Scootaloo put it, the U.M).

But while the others have been biting heartily into their dandelion sandwich, Cheerilee had barely taken a nibble. Seeing this, Lucky asked, “You’re not hungry, Cheerilee?”

“What? Oh, no Lucky, it’s not that,” the teacher replied. “You know, something’s been bugging me since we left Baluchi Place. I think I’ve finally put my hoof on it.”

“Wharr doo ya meen?” the unicorn inquired through a mouthful of his bagel sandwich.

Ignoring the fact that she actually found that kind of cute, Cheerilee began, “Shade told us to go back to the ‘princesses’, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, didn’t you tell him we were from the Crystal Kingdom? Because the only princess from there is Princess Cadance. Unless he knew we were lying, how would he know…”

Here her voice trailed off, interrupted by the sound of the inn’s door slamming open. The mole-mare at the front desk dropped a glass of cider, and the resounding shatter caught all of the tavern’s occupants’ attention.

Standing at the front were six burly stallions, a few of which looked eerily familiar. The leader, whose foreleg was graced with word ‘Mom’, strolled up to the Elements’ table with his cronies in tow. “Hullo there, mates. You remember us?” he gruffly said.  Giving a coy wink to Cheerilee, he uttered, “How ya doin’ sweetcheeks?”

The miner wore a mischielvous grin, and he leaned in on the table with one hoof reaching into a bag at his side. Upon seeing the miners enter the room, Lucky had begun to slowly shrink down behind Braeburn and Cheerilee, the anxiety plain on his frowning face. The lead miner began, “As it would happen, you’ve been travelling around with somepony we know. And that very same pony…cheated us a long, long, long time ago.”

The unicorn slowly began to crawl away from the table, trying to stay unseen behind Braeburn’s big hat.

“It took us a lil’ while to put our hoof on it. But now…well…it’s about time he paid the price.”

Lucky could feel his brow moisten with sweat, and his eye begin to twitch from fear. Nonetheless, he continued slowly, the back door in his sight.

He didn’t much further than that. At that moment, the leader let out a whistle and cried, “Oi Lucky!”

The rest of the Elements parted away, staring at the funny-looking unicorn who was trying to skitter across the floor. Lucky froze, and his heart stopped along with it. The others looked at their companion, then to the miners, then back to Lucky again, obviously confused.

But the miners knew all too well what they were doing. With an evil smile, the leader uttered, “You like games right? Well then, why don’t we play a little game?”

With a nod of his head, the goons revealed items they had concealed in their packs. They had pickaxes, broken pipes, makeshift clubs, and even the leader levitated two broken bottles. The mole-mare screamed and shot out of the room, along with the few remaining costumers. Soon, it was just the six Elements facing the six miners and their deadly make-shift weaponry.

Sheltering Scootaloo behind him, Soarin uttered, “I don’t think I’m gonna like this game…”

Okay guys. Finally got my laptop back after cleaning up a virus. But I just wanted to tell you guys...it's getting to the point where I'm putting out more chapters faster than I can write them. So don't be surprised if the time between each chapter gets longer, okay? I'm doing my best to keep it going, all I ask is a little patience. 
~Schlippy