//------------------------------// // 1 Early Years // Story: Possessed By A Shadow // by Invanger //------------------------------// Princess Luna's POV I looked at all the ponies sleep in my beautiful night. Do they not love my night? They seem to enjoy Celestia'a hot day, but hide in the cool of my night. Never had anypony ever stayed up all night and slept durring the day as I have. I do wish for Tia to at least ask the ponies to realize there is more than one princess in the kingdom. With a strong flap of my wings, I was in the air above our kingdom to look out for it in my domain. I go by Tia's room and see her sleeping peacfully. "Cant you just try and stay up with at least part of the night?" I say quietly and continue flying around in my beautiful night. Nopony is awake at this hour for it is well into the night. I glance at the castle that is a good distance behind me, longing to have somepony flying with me. Returning my focus to what is infront of me, I spot something on the ground that looks odd. I fly lower for a closer look, my dark blue coat blending in with the dark blue night sky. I see an animal that has a horn, an antler, one bat wing and one pegasus wing, a lion paw, an eagle claw, a dragon leg, a goat hoof, and it looks like some sort of dragon tail. The creature has a long body and is nothing like anything I've seen before. It seems familiar, but I can't place how. Before the creature wakes, I get higher in the sky and out of sight behind some clouds. I need to tell Tia about the creature! Mabye all of us could be friends! Maybe I could actualy have a friend who like my night! In all of my excitment, I start flying back to the castle we live in. I land on my balcony and start racig through the castle. I stop in front of Tia's door, unsure if I should actualy tell her about the creature. "Maybe I should go try and ind out what that creature is." I say and start walking the the library to find out what the creature I had seen is. Discord's POV I finnally realize that is is nightime. I look at my surroundings, trying find a place to sleep. Tomorrow I plan on going into Canterlot and trying to get some friends. Hopefully somepony will want to be friends with a dragoneques. I fly over to a nearby by tree and lie down with my back pressed on the trunk. I glance towards the moon and hope for some new friends with the coming day before falling asleep. I awake to the sound of wings. I look around the night sky and spot something go behind a cloud. I stay were I am, hoping for whatever hid behind the cloud to come out. When nothing come out, I snap my claw and teleport to the cloud. By the time I'm there, nothing is here. I scan the sky for anyhing, but all I see is a something dark in the sky. Without a second thought, I go back to the ground and fall back to sleep. Queen Chrysalis' POV My kingdom needs food. This place is getting weaker and weaker with each passing day. I cannot let the whole changling race die from starvation. I must seek help from one of the nearby kingdoms. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's kingdom will be the one I shall seek help from. I have heard about them helping every other nation, maybe they can help mine. "I do hope you two can help." I say quietly before retreating my bed chambers. Sombra's POV "Sombra, por favor ir a ver lo que la hermana está llorando sobre ." (Sombra, pleas go see what your sister is crying about.) My step-mother says to me as my younger sister starts crying. Both of us can hear her from the living room. "Sí Madre." (Yes, mother.) I reply and trot down the hall. Both of my younger siblings share a room, but my brother only a few years younger than me. My sister is just over one year old. She is actually my stepsister. My mother died giving birth to my brother and my father got married a few months ago. Our new mother doesn't care about us, but demands that we call her 'mother'. I tried to refuse, but she got angry and accused me of threatening her. Father told me to be nice to my new mother. I try to ignore her and she does the same. She like my brother a lot more than I, but I cannot do anything about it. And I would rather take the accusations than my brother. He doesn't need that torture. "Haz que se detenga . Por favor, haga su silencio!" (Make it stop! Please silence her!) My brother, Hidden Flame, asked me. He has his hooves to his ears as the annoying filly makes a lot of noise. "Voy a tratar de." I say, my tone laced with annoyance. I try the same shadow trick that I've learned, but sadly it doesn't work. If anything, the filly gets louder. Trying to keep from yelling at her, I lift the cover of darkness and give her a slight glare. I swear this filly hates me as much I hate her. I look around for her favorite doll thing that she always has in her bed. I just noticed it is missing. I spot it up on a high shelf than can only be reached with the aid of a stool or magic, unless your a pegasus. "¿Ha puesto su muñeca espeluznante en el estante alto?" I ask him with an annoyed tone. "Sí , yo estaba limpiando la habitación y foud en el suelo. Así que lo puse ahí arriba." Flame answers. I groan and levitate the thing to the screaming beast. She instantly quiets as soon as the doll is in her clutches. Before the filly starts making noise again, I leave them and go to my own room. Our home isn't very big, but it worked great for my family before the evil witches came. Once they came it became a place that even the Princesses in Equestria would think is bad. "Me encantaría vivir allí ahora." I say as I enter my room. it is the smallest in the house, but I never cared for a ton of space. And no pony, not even my brother wants to share with me. I like my dark room. Flame likes his orange colored one. He is a lot like both my parents, while I only take after my father a tiny bit. I take after my great grandfather the most. He was a bit dark in color, and a little short tempered. I'm just like that, plus my need to protect those I care about and who is in higher authority. "Poco puedo salir a la calle y disfrutar de la cubierta oscura de la noche." I say and lie down on my bed, bored. I hear hoofsteps down the hall and cover my room with heavy shadows. It makes my seem pitch black. The hoofsteps stop at my brother's room. I can only assume it is my father because they sound did not go into the room. I've grown so used to hiding in the dark whenever I hear somepony coming, that it has become an instinct. "Llama, usted y Sombra se han ivited para ir a vivir en Equestria durante unos meses con las princesas de allí . Quiero que comenzar a empacar mañana." I hear my father say. I let the darkness dissapear and wait for him to come tell me, even though I already heard. I can't wait to finally leave this place! I'll be able to be free of the witches. I hear Father start coming to my room and I try to remain calm. I try to act as if I didn't hear anything. "Sombra, el va a Equestria con su hermano en un par de días . Iniciar embalaje mañana." Father says and leaves. I close the door and let the dark return before actualy showing that I'm excited about this. Freedom in Equestria! No more witches! And get to learn how to speak a different language other than spanish! Calming down, I make the comforting dark leave. I need the get better at controling that. Flame can control fire and I can control shadows. Both of us have been like this all our lives. When Flame needs to, his mane and coat actualy turn into fire. It looks really cool, but it to bright for me. I can turn into a shadow and I blend in with the shadows eaily. "Sombra." I mutter my name. I'll keep it at that, no matter what the translation is. Without my witch step mother knowing, I open my window and jump outside. I turn into a shadow to stay out of site from that witch. Father knows I like to to be outside when it dark. It means I can easily hide and I feel free. The sun always seems a little the bright for me. After about an hour of wandering, I return to my home and go in through the window. I land in the center of my room and materialize into a pony. With a sigh, I climb into my bed and fall asleep excited for what the near future holds. ************The Next Day************* Luna's POV I had stayed up half of the morning waiting for Tia to have a spare moment. All she does is raise her sun and go to her breakfast, my dinner. Sometimes I don't know why I can stand her. I sit down at the table, opposite end of the table is Celestia. I inwardly debate on telling her about the dragoneques. I finally decide she has a right to know. "Tia, should we go meet a dragoneques that isn't terribly far from the Everfree forest?" I ask her as if she already knew about it. "Luna! What were you doing last night?" Tia asks is mild shock. "Simply enjoying my night. I just so happened to find a dragoneques sleeping under a tree." I reply with annoyance. I swear she worse than a mother at times. "Fine, take me to him after breakfast. Then we will see what we are to do with a chaotic creature." Tia says, the last part very quietly. I nod and finish my meal. It doesn't put any strain on me to be awake for some of the day. Although I do try sleeping through most of it. I stand and go to my room. I like to be alone it my room when Celestia gets to deal with lots of the kingdoms problems. Opening my door and stepping in, I take my tiara off by levitating it. I set down on the dresser that has a mirro on and look at myself. My mane, unlike Celestia's, is like any normal pony's. It a good deal lighter than my coat, but I don't really care. Tia's just pink mane than seems to have a constant wind, although there isn't the slightest breeze. I decide to brush my mane so that I will look very much presentable to the newcomer. I don't need Tia getting all the attention like she normally does. Several minutes later, I hear a knock on my door. "Come in." I say loud enough for the pony on the other side to hear. "Come Luna. We must be off to see our guest." Tia says, much to formal. I don't say anything and walk to my balcony with Tia right behind me. I take to the air and straight to where I saw the dragoneques. Discord's POV I awake late in the moring to the sound of something landing in front of me. Without bothering to say anything, I look up to see to alicorns. One being white with pink mane and the other being very dark blue with a lighter blue mane. The pink haired one has a cutie mark of the sun and the other has a moon surrounded by black coloration. "Who are you?" I ask the both of them. "I am Princess Celestia and this is my sister, Princess Luna." The pink haired one answers. "Who art thou?" Luna asks me. "I am Discord the dragoneques whom has recently come to Equestria." I say, making a show of paw and claw motions as I speak. Celestia just silently watches while Luna looks at like she already everything I had said except for my name. "Can you use you chaotic magic to be a pony?" Celestia asks me. I give a slight huff and snap my claw. My magic turns me into a brown unicorn. "Good, let us return to the castle and we shall get you a room to stay in. You are to remain a pony when anypony besides Luna or I can see you." Celestia said. They had no carriges or anything with them. While they took to the air, I teleported to the throne room of the two sisters. t didn't take long for them to get here. "Follow us." Luna said. Celestia stayed in the throne room while Luna started walking down a hall. I don't know why she said 'us' when it's just her. "What do you mean by 'us'? There is only one pony here." "Tis tradition to use the 'royal we' when addressing our subjects. And when we adress anypony besides sister." Luna explained. I gave a slght nod, still not grasping the idea. Both of us walked in silence down the corrider until Luna stopped at a door. "This shall be thy room. If thou needs anything, see sister, for we will be sleeping." Luna said and turned to leave. "Why do you sleep durig the day?" "We are of the night. We raise and lower the moon while protecting Our subjects from harm in our night." Luna replied and left. I enter the room and ditch the pony look. I like being able to fly and use magic along with defying gravity. Nothing special. Just my magic that Celestia calls 'chaotic'. I don't see how it is chaotic. For me it's simply just normal. Sombra's POV I awoke to a loud bang right beside my bed. Opening my eyes, I see that I had accidently covered the room in darkness again. By the soud that awoke me, Flame is trying to navigate my room in the dark. Unfortanate for him, his fire trick doesn't work in this type of darkness. Nothing can shed light inside it except for the user. And I don't like shedding like in the cover of dark. I get out of bed, still in the dark and move to where one of the shadow's will be after I lift the darkness. I let it become light inside my room and see Flame on the floor. He seems to have tripped over nothing. "¿No puedes dormir sin la cubierta de la oscuridad de la suya?" Flame asks me. "No." I reply shortly. He glares at me and stands. "Bueno , es hora de comenzar a empacar ! Una vez hayamos terminado , el padre va a llevarnos a la frontera!" I nod as he runs out of the room. I sigh and glab my only saddle bag and start packing whatever I'll need.It doesn't take very long to fill the saddle bags and I place the now full bags on my bed. I walk back to the middle of my room and let the familiar darkness come into the room. I sit down and just simply enjoy the one thing that makes e feel safe. I mainly feel safe because no pony can hurt me in this. I'm one the shadows, making it easy to see in the dark. "Sombra ! Es hora de ir ! Darse prisa !" Flame yelled from my doorframe, not wanting to trip again. I make it like any other bedroom once again and go to my closet to grab my cloak. Father doesn't want anypony besides my family know I'm a blank flank. I'm not really affected by it. Main thing I don't like about not having a cutie mark is having to wear a cloak around other ponies. "Justo detrás de ti ." I reply to Flame's excited actions. Clipping the clasp, I grab my saddle bags and go to the door of the house. Father says nothing as I walk outside after Flame. "Ustedes dos va a viajar en una diligencia a la frontera, a continuación, las princesas le llevará hasta el castillo. Usted debe escuchar y respetarlos. Lo tengo ?" Father tells us. "Sí Padre." Both of us reply. I walk a little behind Flame who is right beside Father. Flame keeps asking Father so many question and Father just replies with a calm tone. I more or less ignore them and just keep walking. Soon we reach our destination. Father says something to the ponies pulling it and come over to us. we exchange good-bye's and board. I sit n the far side with Flame right beside me. Two other ponies get on. They look about my age and seem like they are gong to the same place. "You going back to Equestria to?" The boy asks me. I tilt my head slightly in confusion. I have no idea what he said. "Qué dijiste ?" I ask him. "Oh, lo siento . ¿Ha olvidado que la mayoría de cada pony aquí habla español ." The boy aplogizes. The girl beside him remains silent and just watches us. "No es ningún problema . ¿Puede enseñarme cómo hablar su idioma , así que no voy a ser confundido cuando las princesas hablan ?" I ask him. "Sì, yes." The colt replies. "Cuál es tu nombre ? What is your name?" He asks in both spanish and his language. "Sombra. Yours?" I ask, attempting to say the same thing. It came out really weird sounding, but he seemed to know what I said. "Nightshade. She is Midnight" Nightshade says and points to the filly when he said her name. Their both slightly dark in color, but nothing compared to me. Nightshade is a slightly dark blue with very dark grey-blue scruffy mane. He is a pegasus while Midnight is an earth pony. Midnight is very mush like Nightshade, but her coat is dark blue and her mane is the same color as he moon. "Encantado de conocerte ambos." I say. "Lo mismo . ¿Por qué llevas una capa?" "Padre me dijo al oído y no preguntó nada acerca de por qué ." I answer. I don't know him well enough to tell him about being a blank flank yet. We continued talking for quite a while. Flame fell asleep not long ago and Midnight fell asleep about ten minutes before Flame. Nightshade said he was getting tired and stopped talking. I just watched us pass by each farm and mountain. It didn't take long for me to get tired and doze off. Chrysalis POV I signed off that treatie. Now I have enough time to write a letter to the Princesses of Canterlot. Grabbing a parchment and quill, I began to write. Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I am Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling kingdom and am in need of some help. We are running low on food and I cannot find any within my kingdom. I would like to know if you can help us in anyway possible. I have heard of how well the both of you rule your kingdom and decided to look to you for help. Please take as long as you need to decide and iform me when you have. Sincearly, Queen Chrysalis I finished off the letter and sent it with my magic. It wasn't long before some other pony needed me. *********Time skip to a few days later******* Luna's POV "Luna, it is time to go get our newest students from Mexicolt." Tia says as she enter's my room. "Ok. You just do all the speaking. No matter what I do, I cannot learn spanish." I say with a slight huff. Celestia gigles lightly at my reaction and just walks to the carriage. We are taking a carriage go meet them so we can take them back here with us. Tia didn't tell me about this till two weeks ago. I didn't even know that we bring colts and fillie from Mexicolt! According to Celestia, one of them is a pony who likes the dark. She didn't tell me their names though. Most she said was two unicorns. With a sigh, I put my tiara on and fly down to the carriage. I like doing everyhting a little different from everypony. I see Tia isn't even down here yet.Without waiting for her, I get in and sit down. "Luna, you beat me down again." Tia says as she come out of the castle. She sits down beside me and we are off. Discord's POV They left to get unicorns. Who cares, although I would like to go with them for no reason at all. Before they are to far away, I teleport to right behind their carriage and use magic to change my for to one of a lady bug. It will hide me well, but I really don't like being a bug. It's so boring. Sombra's POV "Like... er... this?" I ask Nightshade. I have learned very, very little english. Pretty much just enough to introduce myself. "Yeah. Shadow-" "Sombra." I cut him off again. I don't want to use the english translation for my name. Flame does, but I don't. He thinks his name sounds cooler. "Right. You will learn how to speak like everypony else soon enough." Nightshade says although I can barely understand him. The past few days have been simply boring. Most entertaining thing that has been happening is learning a new language. Other than that, boring as can be. The stagecaoch slowls to a halt as we near the stop. Standing there are two alicorns. One of them being white with pink mane constantly flowing a false wind and the other is a very dark blue with a lighter dark blue mane. The taller of the two has a sun as her cutie mark and the other has a moon in black markings. "Hello Princesses." Nightshade says as he get out of the stagecoach. Midnight follows right behind him. I get out carrying a sleeping Flame and his saddlebags. I tried waking him, but it didn't work. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, these are Sombra and Hidden Flame." "Encantado de conocerte ambos." Princess Celestia says. "H-hello... er... Princess." I say, trying hard to speak english. "You can speak english? I thought none of your family has ever been outside Mexicolt?" Celestia asks me. "He doesn't speak english very well. I've taught him very little over the past few days." Nightshade answers for me. I nod although I hardly know what he said. I set Flame down beside me and set the saddlebags down on my other side. I look around at this place. I feel something change shape through my connection with shadows. I look at the carriage that I can only assume the princesses rode in to get here intently. "What magical creature is behind your carriage?" I ask without thinking about it. The words replay in my mind and I startle slightly that I had spoken english so easily. "What doth thou mean? Nothing is behind our carriage." Princess Luna answers. Looking back towards the carriage, I feel the creature change shape through magic again. "There is. I can feel it's shadow changing shape with magic." I say, shocked that I can speak english so easily without thinking about it like that. "What are you talking about? No pony can feel a shadow changing shape through magic." Celestia says. "I can. Like it or not, I am one with the shadows. Giving me a sixth sense about them." I explain, nonger surprised that I can speak their laguage so easily. "Sombra, ¿dónde estamos?" I hear Flame ask groggily. I look down at him and answer, "Con las princesas en la frontera." He nods sits there trying to wake up the rest of the way. "Can you show us the creature?" Princess Celestia asks me. I nod and turn into a shadow. It helps me find living things easier this way. Reappearing behind the carriage a bunny sits. I can sense the magic inside the creature and pick it up with magic. I show it to the princesses and Luna glares at it while Celestia looks amused. "Couldn't stay at the castle while we picked up some new students, Discord?" She says and the bunny glares at her. I set him down in front of the princesses. The bunny changes form into a unicorn. "As a matter of fact, I couldn't stand staying there with your oh so boring guards. I came with and planned on hiding until somepony revealed me." Discord says, giving me a slight glare. "Not my fault you kept changing you form. I felt your shadow changing forms and wanted to know why there was a magical creature who changes his form behind the carriage." I reply and walk back to my brother. "How does he do that?" I hear Discord ask Princess Celestia. She says something, but I don't really care what she said to Discord. "Well, I think all of us should return to the castle and get settled in." Princess Celestia says. I grab my saddlebags and Flame's. "Qué está pasando ?" He asks me. Vamos al castillo de las dos hermanas . Usted puede sentarse en mi espalda , si quieres." I reply and Flame jumps onto my back. I'm a tall colt and Flame is still small enough for me to carry around. "Come on. Let's get to the castle before lunch." Celestia says. I get in the carriage and set Flame down. Nightshade just starts flying above us while Midnight gets in the carriage as well. Discord hovers above the ground, having changed form to one of a pegasus. I set my saddlebags down where I would have been sitting and get ready to jump out once we are high into the air. The carriage lifts off into the sky as we start to head to the castle. Flame knows what I plan on doing, but everypony else doesn't. I look down at the ground way below us and jump out. "Sombra!" A surprised Celestia shouts. Nightshade and Discord begin to chase after me as I fall. I turn to were my back would hit the ground first and wave to all of them. The princesses look very much surprised while Discord and Nightshade are jump trying to catch up with me. Creating a dark bubble of magic around me, I use it to teleport to a cloud not far from everypony. During the teleportation, I added another spell to make it possible for me to walk on clouds. The don't seem to notice me up hear and start looking around. I creat a shadow bridge that only I can walk on to the next cloud and watch them pass. Getting bored of them looking for me, I use a spell that make a a small shadow path that starts about ten feet in front of me and end at the same distane behind me. I start running beside the carriage with a smirk. "Sombra! Why did you do that?" Luna asks, not speaking in old for the first time since I've known her. Which happens to be only half an hour. "All in good fun. Simply riding and sitting still has gotten rather boring. Besides, this is what I'm good at." I answer her. Celestia looks at me like she is deep thought. I pay no mind and speed up a little. Discord apears beside me and Nightshade is catching up. "I must say, I didn't think you had it in you." Discord says. "Sorry to dissapoint you." I state with annoyance. The rest of the trip continues in silence as no pony has anything to say. We land in the castle courtyard that has a fountain in the middle. I dissable the spell above the ground and land. Celestia says something to Luna and Luna motions for me to follow. I grab my saddlebags and follow. "Doth thou like the dark?" Luna asks once we are inside. "Yes. The sun is a bit to bright for my liking. I'd much rather be up all night than have to be awake in the bright light." I answer her. I look around the corrider we are currently in. I little to dark for most ponies a bit to light for myself, I can stand the harsh glare of the sun. "Odd, first pony We've met that loves Our night over sister's day." Luna said, mostly to herself I think. "Incluso entonces me escondo la luz de la luna." I say absent mindedly. "What did thou say about us?" Luna asks, having heard me. "Nothing about you, more like your moon. Luna, moon in spanish." I say, wondering how I know what the english translation is. "How did you learn english so quickly?" "I honestly have no clue. I was able to speak english after I detected Discord's shadow shadow forms." I answer, still a little cnfused about it, but I had stopped trying to find logical reasons. "What does your cutie mark look like? Surely it has something to do with shadows." Luna asks me. "I would like to know what my cutie mark will be as well. I am currently a blank flank and I don't really care about it." I tell her. I hear a small gasp come from her as she truns to look at me. "How is that even possible! There hast never been a blank flank at thy age!" Luna exclaims. "Well, now there has. Tis the reason why I have a cloak. Even though I have mastered all shadow spells, that is still not my special talent. It may have something to do with my magic. Have you ever noticed that it isn't any normal color? It seems green, black, and purple. None of my family has mixed color magic. Whatever it is, I don't really care. I already stand out from a crowd of ponies, a bit more difference doesn't matter." I say, getting annoyed at how she reacted to something that doesn't matter. "Levitate something. Then We shall see if thou speakest the truth." Luna commands me. I give a slight roll of my eyes and take off my cloak and saddlebags. "So you do speak the truth. I must tell sister!" Luna mutters after a few seconds of staring at me. I put my cloak back on, then the saddlebags. Luna says nothing and turns to continue walking, mumbleing stuff that I can't hear. She stops at a sort of dark colored door. "This is thy room. We are at the far end of the hall. If Thou needs anything, contact Us or Tia." Luna said and left me to go into the room. I push open the door and see that the room is far bigger than anyroom I have ever been in. Once I close the door, the comforting dark rushes into the room. Without thinking about being able to see, I start unpacking what little stuff I have. Discord's POV I really don't like that dark magic user. He seems like trouble. The little colt that stayed near him most the time is just fine. I wonder if he has some sort of trick thing like Sombra. Luna seemed to take to him just fine. Nightshade and Midnight are just kinda dull. I don't care what happens to them at all. Sombra of so rudely pointed out that I was with them! I was just changing forms so I could get closer to hear what they were talking about. Grr. Luna's POV Finally! A pony who doesn't like Tia's sun! And without a cutie mark. He seems to be very good at his shadow trick. I need to do some research on his multi colored magic. Maybe I can just ask Tia about all of this. I get off my bed and begin to walk to Tia's room. My room is in the darker colored side of the castle while Tia is in the lightest part of the castle. We had agreed to seperate the brothers so they would be able to focus a bit more on studies. As I pass by Sombra's room, I notice that a little bit of darkness is leaking out of his room. Forgetting that I was going to Tia, I knock on his door, curios as to why darkness would be inside his room. "Come in." Sombra says. I open the door to find a wall of darkness. It seems very much contained in his room. "Sombra, where art thou in here? How can thou see?" I ask. I can see very well in the dark, but not when it's that dark. I have never been inside any sort of darkness like this. "Sorry. I forget that I may be the only one who can see in this type of darkness." Sombra says as the darkness starts to dissapear. As it leaves, I can quickly make out his form in the middle of the room. Soon all of it is gone and the room is back to the same natural lighting that it should be. "Do Not fret. We were only curious as to why there seemed to be darkness leaking out of thy room." I say. Sombra shocked for a second, then mutter's something that I cannot not hear. "Sorry. I guess I need to practice keeping it contained." He apologizes. "Go ahead and continue what thou was doing." I say and leave his room, closing the door behind me. Now that I think about it, his magic looks very similar to forbiden dark magic. And the shadows fit in ith it, but not the lack of a cutie mark. Once outside my side of the castle, I start running to Tia's room, where I can only assume she is. If not there, then the throne room.