//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The Flight of the Shadow // by ShadowStrike11 //------------------------------// Maniacal laughter rang through the air as the dark shadow descended upon the Crystal Empire. It hit the ground, spreading trembles throughout the land. Ponies were screaming in fear, running as fast as their little legs would carry them as their coats lost the sparkles they once possessed. But it was no use. One by one, each and every one of them were locked in chains. They were stuck, stranded in this miserable place. There was nothing they could do to escape. Their homeland that was once the magnificent Crystal Empire had now fallen to a dark tyrant whose heart was blacker than the black crystals that erupted through the ground. King Sombra was finally victorious. He could feel the excitement in the air as the Crystal Empire crumbled beneath his hooves. So much power, so much land, all just for him. He had waited so long for this moment, and he was not going to let anything ruin it. Not that anything could, he thought with a smirk. After all, what were these ponies compared to him?He continued to triumph in their despair, satisfied that he had reached his goals. Well, almost. His irises flared red in panic. He had almost forgotten something. Somepony, to be precise. It may have seemed foolish for him to think of another pony so suddenly like that, but this one little filly he had been reminded of was preserved for a special reason - to act as a backup force for him. After unleashing another cage of black crystals around a cluster of helpless ponies, he quickly made his way to where he had "stored" the infant. What he didn't know was that he was not the only one. "Shhh, quiet now, nopony's going to harm you." The cooing of the unicorn mare seemed to do the trick as the whimpers of the filly died down. The unicorn wore a black, hooded cloak that concealed most of her body. But not the kind, sympathetic eyes that shimmered with tears as she looked down at the filly nestled in her hooves. This filly was a shade of silver, similar yet much lighter than her wicked uncle's coat. She also possessed similar shaggy black mane that ran down to her shoulders with only one difference - unlike her uncle's all-black mane, her mane was tinted red at the tips. Out of her forehead stuck a tiny horn, slightly curved, yet blood-red, only fading to black at the roots. Her eyes were closed as she slept peacefully, not knowing the fate that was in store for her. The fate that would befall her if the unicorn mare didn't act soon. The unicorn glanced around nervously before turning back to the filly. She sighed, a tear making its way down her cheek. This filly had no idea of the life she had been born into. It was saddening enough to realize the fact that the tiny, innocent foal was destined to become the assistant of a villain, whether she wanted it or not. Or worse, she would one day wreck havoc onto all of Equestria. The unicorn cried silently, her tears dripping onto the small bundle. There was only one way to prevent the innocent filly from befalling this terrible fate. And it required a spell so high leveled that it had a larger chance of failing than succeeding. Should she mess up just the slightest bit, and the young filly would be gone. Forever. No, it's too risky, the unicorn thought. What if I mess up? What if I fail? Suddenly, her ears perked up. Something was coming down the stairs. Was it just a rock, careless enough to bounce and echo through the crystal castle? No, it was two heavy and steady to be a rock. It sounded like... She gasped as she realized what a dire situation she was in. If the king came down to find her holding the baby in her hooves, she would be as good as dead. But if he found her standing there with the baby nowhere to be seen, she'd be worse than dead. The mare looked from the door, to the sleeping filly, and back. The choice was clear. She had to do this, even at the terrible cost of her own life. The fate of the Crystal Empire rested in her hooves. Her horn started to glow brightly, surrounded by a deep, turquoise aura. Her eyes narrowed in frustration as the magic enveloped the filly, lifting her several feet off the crystal floor. The filly started to whimper and stir, as the unicorn chanted the magical phrases that went along with the spell: Last descendant of the shadows, I wish to implore To relieve you of the fate that you have in store Through portals of time and space, I grant you permission To live your life in peace in another dimension Right after the words left her mouth, the atmosphere of her horn changed. The calm, swirling turquoise faded away to a deadly torment of black, along with splashes of red. Her eyes started to water as they started to turn red and green, wisps of purple trailing from them, just like King Sombra's eyes. This was the dreaded part of the spell. As much as she didn't want to ruin the filly's life, she was left with no choice. A condition was required, or the spell would be unable to activate. So, swallowing down her remorse, she took a deep breath and completed the spell. But on your fifteenth year, you will return To the very same world where you were first born There, you will know of your honest past And struggle for harmony to forever last The mare shuddered, tears leaking down her face. She wished she didn't have to say that last part. She wanted the filly to have a nice, full life completely free of evil and corruption. The thought that she would eventually have to return and face the evil that might be lurking at that time was painful to bear. But at least she would have a better chance of handling it as a fifteen year old than a one year old. Here goes nothing, she thought as she came to the last part of the spell: the gift. She had to send a gift along with the foal as a sign of good luck. Having nothing else to give, the unicorn tore off her cloak and used the spare bit of magic she had left to levitate and wrap it around the glowing figure. The cloak was black and mysterious, yet it had an elegant flair to it. The unicorn had to admit - it fit the foal more than it fit her. The light started to fade away, indicating the conclusion of the spell. Holding back tears, the unicorn raised her head and uttered her final goodbye's, just as the door swung open to reveal a very furious king. "May you live in peace for fifteen years, Shadow Spell." And those were the last words she ever said.