//------------------------------// // Chapter III - Promises // Story: Aetiology // by causefly //------------------------------// Aetiology Chapter III Promises “The will of the shadow is neither to defend nor to attack, but to obey. It follows endlessly, mimicking every command from its master with utmost precision. But it behooves the master to use caution, for the shadow will only follow while in the light. Should the master wander into the darkness, the shadow will join the collective brotherhood to rid itself of its host, for a shadow is an entity of darkness that calls nopony its master.” – Secrets of the Shadows, Introduction *** “Yeah, I could definitely get used to this.” The metal armor covering Spark’s coat melted and disappeared beneath his skin. With a second pulse of his magic, the metal oozed out of his pores to spread itself out over his coat. The armor covered him head to hoof, protecting every inch of his body. “Impressive,” Ruby remarked, circling him as he made the metal rise and sink over again. “Professor Starswirl has truly outdone himself this time.” “No kidding. No more struggling to get in and out of this—what’s it made from again?” “The royal blacksmith told me that it is forged of steel and dragonscales. Much better than that tacky iron weave armor you insisted on wearing for four years, is it not?” Spark shot her a look. “We’ve had this conversation at least a dozen times since you had this made for me last year, Ruby. But yeah, it is pretty awesome. I look a lot cooler in black.” But I bet I’d look a lot cooler without the golden unicorns of Great Breton on my flanks… Spark added mentally, rolling his eyes beneath his armor. “Yes, Spark, this is simply marvelous. You know, there is something just so desirable about a stallion of such mystery.” She stopped and batted her eyelashes at him. He allowed the armor to sink into his coat before blinking at her in response. Ruby pouted as her eyes fell on the knife at his side. “I do wish you would rid yourself of that horrid artifact. It clashes horribly with my family’s emblem.” Spark lifted the knife from its holster with his magic and turned it over before his eyes. His reflection on the blade frowned back at him. “Like I keep saying, Ruby: you’ll have to rip it from my cold, dead hooves.” Before she could retaliate, Starswirl trotted past and interrupted their argument. “Don’t you two have a test to be taking this morning?” “Yes, Professor Starswirl,” they replied in unison. Spark sheathed his knife and turned to follow him, but he was already gone. “Come along,” muttered Ruby, and the pair hurried down the halls together. After a minute, she slowed her pace to a trot and gave him a worried look. “I am not so sure that I am ready for this.” “We’ve been studying transmutation for six months already, Ruby. And I’ve been helping you study for weeks. You’re going to pass.” “But what if I fail? What if I cannot turn the item into a tree, or what if the tree does not bear fruit? If I fail this exam, then I will never be truly considered as royalty! I will be the laughing stock of Great Breton,” she wailed, stopping in her tracks. “Oh, Spark, hold me.” Spark sighed and wrapped a foreleg around her as he stroked her mane. “Stop worrying so much, Ruby. You’re going to pass.” “Oh, but you don’t know what it is like, Spark. You’ve practically mastered just about everything, and here I am worrying about turning something into a tree.” I guess that’s sorta true, Spark mused, thinking back on his education. In only five years I’ve just about mastered teleportation, levitation, transmogrification, and basic transmutation. But I’m still worried about this... “There, there,” he said lamely. “Now come on; they’re not going to wait for us long.” Ruby sighed and pulled away, looking only slightly mollified. “Oh, alright. Thank you, Spark.” They continued in silence through the hallway. When they were nearly at the Grand Hall, Spark heard a familiar shrill voice that made him stop in his tracks and grit his teeth. Ruby swiveled to look at him and sighed. “They are in our class, Spark. You cannot tell me that you did not expect them to be here.” “I was hoping they’d die before the exam, actually,” he replied with a wink. “Now, now, don’t let the lord and lady of the western kingdom hear you speak ill of their children,” Ruby said with a mock-stern expression, “or we may never be allowed the privilege of seeing the Bluebloods again!” “What a tragedy that would be.” She giggled and they continued into the Grand Hall. Spark noted with relief that the sunlight had not yet stretched itself across the room. In the center of the hall stood two ponies with gleaming white coats, perfectly-styled blond manes, and twinkling blue eyes. Spark scowled at the pair as grins broke out across their faces. “Why, Crissy,” said Regal Blueblood, “it appears they’ve decided to join us after all.” “And here I thought little Ruby would have delayed them by demanding kisses from her little coltfriend. Or that little Spark would have dragged her into a broom closet to have his way with her,” his twin sister, Crystal, replied. “I hear that is a very romantic gesture for a pony of his class,” she added in a mock whisper. “First off, she’s Princess Ruby to you idiots. Second, I couldn’t have dragged her into the broom closet even if I had wanted to. With all the inbreeding in your family, there are more Blueblood foals being stuffed in those closets than brooms. And who knows what goes on in your shared room once you’ve locked the door.” Spark smirked, quite pleased with himself. But Regal and Crystal merely laughed in response. “Look, Reggie! Look how it speaks to us as though it thinks it’s worth listening to!” “Oh, Crissy, don’t you wish that that inferior pony would learn its place and go back to the street where it belongs?” I wonder how hard it would be to levitate their teeth through the back of their skulls… Spark’s thought was interrupted by the sound of the throne room door opening. Professor Elixir, a plump, mint green unicorn, trotted into the Grand Hall with a clipboard hovering at her side. “Princess Ruby, please follow me,” she said primly before returning to the throne room. Ruby cast a nervous glance at Spark. He smiled warmly and touched her shoulder. “Good luck, Ruby. I know you can do it.” “Thank you, Spark,” she replied, returning his smile before following the professor into the throne room. The golden door swung shut behind her. “Crissy, dearest, do you think they’ll let her retake the test after she fails?” Regal asked loudly after the door had shut. “It would be such a shame if the Princess herself were to be cast out of the Royal Palace for possessing no talent whatsoever.” “I certainly hope so, Reggie; after all, she’s no good at anything else. Why, if they don’t, she would be forced to sell her body on the street for bits!” Crystal smirked at Spark. “I do hope you’ve been helping her practice for her inevitable career.” Spark simply glared, knowing full well that any retort he came up with would only lead to them mocking him even more. Did the royal family know how annoying these two were when they took them on as their honorary niece and nephew? “Oh, what am I saying? Of course you haven’t,” she said suddenly. Spark raised an eyebrow, waiting for the punchline. “You don’t have any bits!” Maybe it’d be easier to start with one tooth… His thought was once again interrupted by the door swinging open to reveal a beaming Ruby. A bright red apple floated next to her; she took a bite out of it and giggled. “You did it!” Spark called happily, rushing to meet her. She finished chewing the piece of apple and gave him a hug. “You must be so happy, Spark,” said Regal from behind them. “This means you’ll have more time to save up your bits.” Spark ignored them and smiled at Ruby, brushing her red mane out of her eyes. He could see the heat rushing to her cheeks as she leaned in closer to him and closed her eyes. “Spark Shadow, please follow me,” called Professor Elixir from the doorway, prompting Ruby to open her eyes and scowl. “My turn,” Spark said, turning towards the throne room. “Don’t listen to those two, okay? Just wait here while I ace this thing.” They both cast a scornful glance at the Blueblood twins before Spark followed the professor through the door. *** “Oh, Ruby, congratulations!” Ruby started and turned her head sharply to see a smirking blonde filly at her side. “We’re just so happy for you! Aren’t we, Reggie?” “Of course we are.” Ruby swiveled her head to see Regal at her other side. Why is it that these two cannot leave me alone? she thought as he gave her a sideways glance. “After all, a princess who fails her exams can never be considered a true princess.” “Likewise, a princess who cannot find a suitable husband will never amount to very much at all,” added Crystal in a knowing voice. “I suppose Spark could be considered suitable if little Ruby is incapable of finding anypony better,” Regal mused with a small frown. “Such a shame that he can’t seem to take the hint, though, isn’t it?” Ruby stared at her hooves, shuffling uncomfortably. If it is so obvious to these brainless buffoons, why can’t Spark see it as well? “Spark just has a lot of things on his mind, that’s all,” she murmured. “He does care for me.” Like vultures preparing to go in for the kill, the twins circled her slowly as she kept her eyes to the ground. “A colt like Spark only has two things on his mind,” Crystal said slowly, as though explaining it to a foal. “Those two things are violence and fillies. But it’s no wonder he isn’t interested in you; look at that mess you call a mane! And the circles around your eyes—tell me, Ruby, do you use any makeup at all?” At that moment, Ruby wished that she could teleport away like Spark could, but all she could do was stare silently at her hooves and pray that they would leave her alone. “You know, I always carry my makeup with me. I’m sure that by the time Spark finishes his exam, we can have you looking like the beautiful princess of his dreams.” Ruby’s ears swiveled to attention. She looked up to see Crystal’s smiling face. Perhaps I could trust her just this once? “Alright,” she said, and then narrowed her eyes as she added sternly, “but no tricks!” Crystal’s smile shifted into a smirk. “I would never dream of it, Your Highness.” *** Spark was staring at the tree so hard that he thought his eyes would fall out of their sockets. His horn ached as he stretched his magic around every cell of the tree, trying desperately to make it bear fruit. His labored breathing and sweating forehead stood testament to the effort he was making, but… “Spark Shadow, I’m afraid your time is up.” Professor Elixir let out an exasperated sigh from the edge of the throne room. Spark’s gaze remained on the tree as he struggled to cast the spell. “You will not be receiving a passing grade for this test.” “Please, Professor Elixir, I can do it! Just one more minute and—” “Spark, your time is up,” called Starswirl, who was standing beside his colleague. Spark sighed and released the tree from his magic grip before swiping the sweat from his forehead. “Now, why do you think the tree didn’t bear fruit?” Spark squeezed his eyes shut. I can turn an object into an apple. I can turn an object into a tree. So why can’t I turn something into a tree that can make apples? Why can I master everything but harmonious magic? “I couldn’t combine the spells,” he said slowly, searching for the words to explain. “The processes just didn’t… function together. It’s like harmonious magic is the only thing I can’t do.” “Very well, Spark Shadow,” Professor Elixir said sharply as she scribbled something onto her clipboard. “Please return to the Grand Hall.” Wishing he could disappear into the floor, Spark hung his head and trotted towards the golden door. “Doesn’t matter anyway,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m not royalty; Ruby is. And she passed her test. That’s all that matters.” He pushed open the door and stepped into the Grand Hall. “Hey Ruby, let’s get out of—” “Let me go! Get off of me!” Spark’s head snapped upwards and his eyes went wide. Regal was holding Ruby down by her shoulders as Crystal smeared something bright red all over the Princess’s face. Ruby whimpered and struggled against Regal’s grip, but the twins simply laughed at her attempt to escape. “Let her go, Regal!” Spark yelled from across the room. The white lightning bolt on his flanks began to pulse. One bolt of lightning and they will be dealt with, Spark, his own voice whispered in his mind. It would be so quick and easy. “Oh, there you are, Spark,” Regal laughed, looking up from the whimpering Ruby. “Would you like to see Crissy’s latest masterpiece?” “Why, this? You’re too kind, Reggie, but I’m afraid that it was all too easy to make little Ruby seem pretty. Anything is an improvement over nothing, after all,” Crystal added with a malicious giggle. “Regal, let her go, or…” The pulsing in Spark’s flanks grew in intensity, as though something were pounding at his cutie marks with a hammer. They’re hurting Ruby, Spark, the voice hissed in his mind. They’re monsters. “…Or I’ll kill you.” Regal blinked and released Ruby from his grip. “Crissy, did this lowly colt really just have the audacity to threaten his superior?” He narrowed his eyes at Spark and trotted slowly towards him. “What do you think your little threat will accomplish, street rat? Do you think it will magically turn you into royalty?” he spat as he advanced. “No, little Spark, you are nothing but a prole who happened to impress an old, confused wizard.” They deserve to die, Spark, whispered the voice in his head. “She’s a princess, Spark. She belongs with us,” Regal hissed as he stopped before Spark, their muzzles nearly touching. He lifted his hoof and pressed it to Spark’s chest. “You belong outside.” Kill him, Spark. Spark’s eyes twitched painfully, and Regal’s eyes shot open in sudden terror as Spark’s pupils stretched into dragon-like slits. Black magic gripped Regal’s throat in a sheath of pure, shimmering darkness, and he stumbled as Spark started to shove him backwards across the Grand Hall. The white lightning bolt on Spark’s flanks pulsed again and black clouds shimmered into existence beside him, crackling with electricity that licked at Regal’s coat and scorched the white marble floor beneath them. When Spark opened his mouth to speak, the voice that escaped his throat was not entirely his own. “You will never touch her again. You will never speak to her, or of her, again,” he boomed, his eyes burning in their sockets. “I will flay the skin from your bones. I will burn the mane from your head. I will bask in your screams as your world becomes pain.” Regal stopped stumbling backwards as his rump collided with the wall. His mouth was open as if to scream, but no sound came from his strangled throat as the lightning crept ever closer. “Your misery shall be my joy.” “SPARK SHADOW!” screamed a mare from across the room. Spark’s magic imploded, releasing Regal’s throat and causing the black clouds to dissolve into thin air. He clenched his eyes shut as they pulsed once more and his pupils returned to normal. When he opened his eyes again, he was met with Regal’s terrified face. He glanced over his shoulder to see Professor Elixir galloping towards him. Her mouth moved and her face was contorted in fury, but whatever she was shouting he did not hear. He was staring at Ruby. Her eyes were full of unbridled fear; her mouth, smeared with red, hung open in utter disbelief. Crystal lay beside her on the floor, her forelegs wrapped protectively over her head as she trembled. Spark looked back up to see Starswirl the Bearded staring at him from the golden doorway. In a flash of white magic, Spark teleported away. *** “Five feet, then ten feet, then back to five feet,” Jasper instructed, gesturing to the air with a hoof. “And lastly, up to the ceiling.” Dream nodded and flapped his wings, lifting off of the cavern floor. He hovered at five feet, pushed himself to ten feet, and then lowered himself back to five. With a deep breath he pumped his wings once and rose to the ceiling. His triumphant smile had barely finished stretching itself across his face when it contorted in pain and he plummeted to the ground. “I take it that it works?” Jasper asked with a wry smile as he carefully removed the metal prosthetic from his brother’s wing. Dream chuckled in response. It isn’t quite perfect yet, but at least he can finally fly again... “What happened when you rose to the ceiling?” “Part of the wing froze when I tried to pump it harder,” Dream explained with a small frown that quickly turned into a wide grin. “But this one is so much better than the last ones, Jasper.” Jasper hovered the prosthetic before his eyes, bending it gently to see what the problem was. “Not to worry; I can fix this easily. Could you ask Surty to help me again?” “No problem, brother,” Dream said, rising to his hooves. “Come here, Surty!” he called, looking around the cavern for his baby dragon. “Daddy needs you to do your special trick again.” Jasper moved to the flat rock that served as his workbench and laid the metal wing on top of it. After removing a small pin from the faulty joint, he glanced up at the wall beside him and picked up the clamp that hung there. I truly despise working for Black Moon, but I must admit that having enough ore to craft my tools has been absolutely wonderful, he mused as he clamped the pin. He floated the clamp to the hole in the wall that had once held their hidden chest. Surty was already there, awaiting Dream’s instructions. “Okay, Surty,” Dream said, trotting over to stand beside Jasper, “do your trick for daddy.” Surty reared back and coughed before thrusting his head forward and spitting fire at the clamped pin. After a few moments, Jasper removed the clamp as Surty’s firebreathing ended in a smoky coughing fit. Dream trotted over and hugged the baby dragon, murmuring quiet thanks as he petted his scales. Jasper placed the red-hot pin onto his bench and immediately began to pound out the notches with a hammer. When he was finished, he dunked the finished product into a small bucket of water, and then slid the pin back into place in the prosthetic wing. “Try flying for a few minutes,” he said as he reattached the prosthetic to Dream’s broken wing, “and then let me know how it feels.” Jasper quickly lowered his gaze and returned to his workbench. A moment later, he felt a hoof on his shoulder and he glanced upwards to see Dream’s concerned face. “Jasper, you have no idea how thankful I am for this,” he murmured seriously. “We’re all so thankful for what you’ve done.” Jasper looked past Dream at the rest of his family. Flex wore hoof covers that allowed him to plow through rocks at triple his natural pace. Storm was flying through the air, the armor around her wings reducing her drag and increasing her speed. Ghost was in his training area, a set of rocks that he could kick and punch without hurting himself, thanks to the greaves on his legs. “We can’t let you carry your burden alone, brother.” Jasper returned his gaze to Dream, who was giving him a small smile. “You’re going to have to let us in someday. We want to help you as much as you’ve helped us.” Jasper forced himself to return the smile as he shrugged his brother’s hoof off of his shoulder. As Dream trotted away and took to the air, Jasper squeezed his eyes shut and tried to force the burden that he carried from his mind. It was no use. The memory played mockingly on his eyelids, as fresh in his mind as though it had happened yesterday. *** “How long will it take for you to craft armor for all of my subjects?” Jasper was bowing low before Black Moon, but now he glanced up at the piles of ore that were scattered neatly around the room. He mentally calculated how long it would take him to craft the nuggets into armor. “I will be able to create one hundred and fifty pieces in under a year, my King.” “One hundred and fifty?” Black Moon sighed and Jasper shifted his gaze to look up at him. “My faithful subject, I will need much more than that.” “I don’t understand, my King. There are so few of us in the cave.” Black Moon chuckled. There was a faint clinking of chains and Jasper looked past the alicorn to see Equinivere trembling against the wall. “Jasper, we have been trapped here for over a thousand years,” Black Moon began in a patronizing voice. “Surely a stallion as intelligent as yourself cannot believe that a king would be content with only a few dozen subjects.” He paused and allowed that to sink in before continuing. “Tell me, Jasper,” he said, cocking his head, “are you a better stallion than Spark? You wouldn’t break an oath for your own benefit, would you? Especially if the safety of your family hung in the balance.” “I am,” Jasper replied tersely, bitter at the mention of his brother. “And no, I wouldn’t.” “Good. Come with me.” Black Moon trotted past Jasper and out the door. Jasper followed, pausing in the doorway to glance back over his shoulder at Equinivere. He snorted at the sight of her tearful, pleading eyes and shut the door firmly behind him. “You know what happens at every full moon, yes?” “Yes, I’ve heard the screams,” said Jasper with a small frown as he followed the Shadow King down the hall. “I have always kept Equinivere safe with me on those nights, and I’m sure you’ve heard the other mares running through the halls, trying to escape. But there are those who cannot be granted the privilege of only a single night...” Black Moon trailed off as they came to another door. He pushed it open with his magic, and Jasper suddenly found himself struggling to stay on his hooves as he stared into the dimly-lit cavern before him. At least a hundred mares were chained to the walls and floors, screaming their throats raw as they were mounted again and again by giggling colts and stallions. Those that weren’t being mounted had bulging bellies and were sobbing in resignation. In the center of the room, young foals were being beaten relentlessly by slightly older colts. “Viciousness is something of a necessity when you live in constant darkness, wouldn’t you agree?” Black Moon whispered in Jasper’s ear. “But they are only foals,” Jasper protested weakly. “And the foals will grow into colts, and the colts will grow into stallions. Good soldiers need to be trained, and the best time for that is in their youth.” Jasper’s gaze travelled slowly around the room and fell on a familiar pegasus. Nails was mounting a screaming mare nearby, ripping her mane with his teeth. As if sensing Jasper’s eyes upon him, he glanced up and flashed him a bloody grin. Jasper’s stomach churned and he bolted down the hallway, away from the screams. He turned a corner and doubled over, emptying his stomach’s contents onto the stone floor of the hall. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned against the wall as he panted, sweat dripping from his brow. The screams faded and after a moment, Black Moon approached him from behind. “Why would you allow that?” In his mind, he couldn’t help but see Storm in the place of the screaming mare. His stomach threatened to empty again. “Your sister had her own room, you know,” Black Moon said as though reading his thoughts. “Nails was very disappointed when I forced him to stop, but I could not allow her to be harmed; not while you were still of value to me.” He paused and added, “Harmed much, anyway.” Jasper coughed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Is that supposed to make me feel better? he thought, trying to hide his contempt. “I have two thousand ponies that require armor and you’re the only pony in the cave who can make anything of value,” Black Moon continued after a moment. “Tell me what you need from me in order to make it happen.” I need you to help my family escape the cave, and then I need you to impale yourself on your own horn, Jasper replied in his head. “I need your slaves to bring all of the ore to my cavern, along with any wood you can find,” he said with a sigh as conflict and acid bubbled in his stomach. “Very well. You will have the ore and all the wood we can spare. And you will finish your work within the year,” Black Moon added firmly. “If I find out that you are of no use to me, Jasper Shadow, then your family will be of no use to me either. Do you understand?” Jasper nodded tersely, feeling numb. “How soon will the first batch of armor be ready?” “Three weeks, my King.” Jasper looked up to see Black Moon smiling, his red eyes twinkling in the dim light of the enchanted crystals that lined the wall. “Good Shadow.” *** Jasper opened his eyes and found himself staring at the tools that hung on the wall by his workbench, tools made by the ore that Black Moon had provided. Five years, he thought miserably. I have been his slave for five years. How peculiar it is that my only solace is in knowing that my family will never have to carry my burdens. His gaze fell on the opposite end of his workbench. A single white flower rested there, preserved by magic that would never allow it to fade. “Why do I continue to protect it?” he whispered to himself. To remember why you’re here, his voice replied in his head. To remind you of what you have to lose if you fail again. He shook his head to rid himself of the memory, if only temporarily. No... It is to remind me that there is still hope for us. Forcing a smile onto his face once more, he pulled his gaze away from the flower and turned to watch his brother fly. *** “You can’t stay up here forever, Spark.” Spark didn’t reply; the lump in his throat silenced any rebuttal that he might have come up with. He kept his gaze on the horizon as the tapping of Starswirl’s staff approached him from behind. His legs dangled off the edge of the roof. The capital city of Gemstone lay before him, buildings of marble and stone that rose from the ground to meet with the setting sun. “Spark, I must say,” Starswirl began as he lowered himself to sit beside Spark, “this is all my fault.” No it’s not, Spark thought angrily as he watched the sun dip lower beneath the horizon. You’re not the one who lost control. You’re not the one who almost killed Regal. “Unicorns have been trained in the same way for nearly a thousand years. I’ve been so set in my ways that I neglected to treat you like the unicorn you are,” Starswirl continued. “You are not a normal unicorn, colt. You have more magical potential than anypony I’ve ever trained before. You are special, and so you require special training. I’ll have to discuss it with Queen Emerald, but I believe I have a plan.” Spark glanced up at Starswirl, glad for the armor that covered his face; he didn’t want the elder pony to see the regret in his wet eyes or the pain that made his lower lip tremble. Starswirl smiled down at him sadly, and he realized that, armor or not, the old wizard knew exactly how he was feeling. He shifted his gaze back to the sunset. “By the by, Ruby was very upset when you disappeared,” Starswirl added after a long moment. Guilt bubbled in Spark’s stomach as he remembered the look on her face before he had teleported away. “I think she deserves to know what happened… even if you don’t fully understand it yourself.” “Oh,” Spark replied in a small voice. “I didn’t mean to abandon her. I guess I’ll talk to her after dinner.” “Good.” Starswirl stood and placed a hoof on Spark’s shoulder. “Now, where did we end your training yesterday?” Spark smiled in spite of himself. Training is normal. Normal is good. Normal is what I need right now. “We were about to test the portal on myself, Star—Professor Starswirl. Yesterday you taught me to send a bolt of lightning through it, and you said that the next step was to see if I could pass through it myself.” A white circle shimmered into existence on the ground below him. He stood up and turned around to see that a white circle had also appeared on the roof beside Starswirl. “After you, Spark.” Spark approached the circle. He cautiously dipped a hoof into it, and then pulled it out again. Still intact, he thought as he inspected his hoof. That’s a good sign, right? He gulped, squeezed his eyes shut, counted down from three, and then jumped into the circle. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in front of the palace. He grinned at the guards from behind his armor; the guards stared back indifferently. An hour later, Spark was sitting at the excessively-long dinner table, poking at the cooked tindoras on his plate, and ignoring the conversation that drifted around him. I hate these fancy foods so much, he thought as he stared at the small, cucumber-like greens. Scowling, he forced one into his mouth and tried not to gag as he swallowed it. Give me moss and worms any day… Queen Emerald and Princess Ruby sat opposite him and Starswirl, and he caught snippets of their conversation as he pushed the food around his plate. “The Bluebloods are leaving for the western kingdom in the morning…” Thank the Sky Pony for that! “The meeting with the leader of the pegasi…” Politics. Boring! “Ruby is moving on to the next stage in her celestial magic training…” Good for her! “Spark, are you finished with your dinner?” Spark blinked and looked up to see Starswirl staring at him curiously. He glanced around the table and noted with embarrassment that everypony else had finished their meals. “The Queen and I are going to have some tea, colt. You and Ruby should go and study for a while.” “Right,” Spark replied, rising from his cushion. Ruby stood and followed him as he trotted out of the dining room and into the hallway. The walk to her room was silent save for the echoes of their hoofsteps on the marble floor. When they arrived at her room a few minutes later, Spark took a seat on the cushion by Ruby’s desk while she sprawled out on the bed nearby. “Spark,” she murmured, prompting him to look at her, “what happened this morning?” He didn’t answer right away. How am I supposed to explain it to her? She’ll think I’m a monster. He sighed and shook his head. No, she already thinks I’m a monster. “When I saw what they were doing to you,” he said slowly, struggling to find the words, “I felt… I don’t know how to explain it. It was an anger that was a thousand times more intense than anything I’ve ever felt before. And then something… or someone… told me to just kill them.” Ruby stood up and trotted over to wrap her forelegs around his neck. Her pale blue eyes sparkled with tears. “You did all that just to protect me?” Spark frowned and shook his head. “At first? Yeah. I wanted to save you,” he whispered. “But after that, I just wanted to make them suffer.” His voice hitched and he looked away. “I… I’m scared, Ruby. That wasn’t me. I didn’t mean to hurt Regal like that.” Ruby nodded and pulled away from him. She stood with the posture of a princess, and announced, “Spark Shadow, as the Princess of Great Breton, I command you to promise me that you will never allow yourself to become that pony again.” Despite the faint smile she was wearing, Spark could see the fear that mixed with the tears in her eyes. “I don’t know if I can promise you that, Ruby. I don’t know if I can control that… darkness.” Ruby’s smile faltered. “Then I want you to make me a different promise,” she said in the same practiced voice. “Spark Shadow, promise your Princess that you will only use that darkness to protect the ones you love.” I can do that, right? Spark pushed himself to his hooves and met her pleading eyes with a determined nod. “I promise you, Princess Ruby, that I will only use the darkness to protect the ones I love. And if it ever tries to make me fight the ponies that I want to protect…” He trailed off and squeezed his eyes shut as the memory of what he had done—what he had almost done—played in his mind. “…I’ll fight it instead.” Ruby abruptly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Spark’s eyes went wide as hers fluttered shut, and after a long moment, she pulled away, her grin spread from ear to ear. She walked backwards towards the bed and hooked his leg in her fetlock, pulling him towards her. Together they fell onto the bed, and with her head nestled in the crook of his neck, they soon fell asleep. The sound of cabinets being slammed shut prompted Spark to open his eyes. Daylight filtered in through the window and he reflexively brought his armor out from under his skin. When his eyes focused, he saw Ruby surrounded by half a dozen suitcases, all of them overflowing with trinkets and clothes. He rose from the bed, yawned, and stretched his legs. “Ruby, what are you doing?” “Spark, could you have paid any less attention to last night’s dinner conversation?” she asked sharply as she sat on a suitcase to force it shut. No, I don’t think I could have. “I am going to meet with the leader of the pegasi today. My mother was going to do it, but she insisted on sending me instead. In a few days, I will be negotiating storm schedules with those insufferable brutes.” Spark snorted. “Well, you have fun with that. Meanwhile, I’ll be here—” “Did I not mention that you’re coming along as well?” “What?” Spark groaned and sat down hard on the bed. When was I volunteered for a diplomatic mission? Is this my punishment for not paying attention at dinner? By the Sky Pony, I swear that I’ll never ignore dinner conversation again! “Why me?” “I don’t know, but you really should start packing,” she replied as she leapt onto the lid of another suitcase. “I will see you at breakfast when you are ready.” “Yeah,” Spark grunted, trotting towards her to give her their usual goodbye hug. The memory of last night’s kiss resurfaced in his mind, causing him to stop in his tracks. Ruby approached him and wrapped him in an embrace, and he was instantly thankful for the armor that prevented her from seeing his reddening cheeks. “Do hurry,” she said quickly before turning back to the suitcases on the floor. *** It’s about time that colt spent the night in a room that wasn’t his own, Starswirl mused as he finished packing Spark’s things. He really needs to start caring about other ponies so that he can move on from— “Starswirl? What are you doing in my room?” Starswirl looked up to see Spark standing in the doorway with a confused look on his face. The younger unicorn’s gaze fell on the saddlebags by the bed. “Did you pack my stuff already?” “I came to wake you an hour ago and you weren’t here,” Starswirl explained, flashing Spark a knowing smile. “I, uh, fell asleep at Ruby’s desk,” Spark muttered. “I see. Well, I couldn’t trust you to be ready on time—no offense, of course—so I took the liberty of packing your things for you. I packed you a few books, a jug of water, and some food,” Starswirl said as he levitated the saddlebags and placed them onto Spark’s haunches. “Now hurry and join Princess Ruby for breakfast. It will be a long journey, and the pegasi are not known for their patience.” Spark nodded. “Thanks, Starswirl,” he said before hurrying out the door. I’m going to miss that boy, Starswirl thought sadly as he watched the younger unicorn disappear from the doorway. *** Judging by the sun’s position overhead, Spark deduced that it was mid-afternoon when their royal escort left Great Breton and entered earth pony territory. He moved away from the carriage’s window and closed the curtains. The heat of the desert was roasting him inside his armor, but he didn’t want to risk having it off. I wish I could have asked Starswirl about that scroll he gave to the royal guard captain while we were getting in the carriage, he thought, remembering the scowl on the captain’s face. It’s going to bug me all the way to the neutral meeting place and back. And that could take days! “Spark, if I had known that you were going to be silent the entire trip, I would have brought the Bluebloods along instead,” Ruby huffed from the bench across from him. “At least they know how to keep a pony entertained.” “Sorry. I’m just distracted,” Spark replied, shaking his head as he turned to look at her. “But there is something I wanted to talk to you about. Last night—” Ruby’s ears perked up and Spark awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. “—when you kissed me…” “Yes?” Ruby breathed as she leaned forward. “Why did you do that?” Ruby blinked and leaned back against the wall of the carriage. “W-whatever do you mean by that?” “I mean, why did you kiss me?” Ruby blinked again and pressed a hoof to her face. What’s she all upset about? She hissed softly and lowered her hoof after a moment. “Spark,” she said gently, “isn’t it obvious? I lo—” The pair jumped as the carriage door burst open and a royal guard appeared in the doorway, his calm expression betrayed only by his frantic eyes. “Princess, get down on the floor! We got Earthers!” Earthers… aren’t they the earth ponies who think the Equine Alliance is unfair? A memory of a conversation he’d had with Starswirl years ago popped into Spark’s head. “Earthers, colt, are ponies who think that the other races are unworthy of the fruits of their labor. And they are more than willing to kill for their beliefs.” “Spark,” the guard barked, shaking Spark from his thoughts, “can you pro—” The spear hit him midsentence. His eyes bulged and froze, still locked on Spark’s, as he fell limp against the side of the carriage, blocking the door. Spark turned to look at Ruby, whose pristine white coat was now tainted by drops of red. Her eyes were trained on the guard’s neck, where the spear protruded from his throat and pinned him to the carriage. As Ruby screamed from beside him and blood pooled beneath the guard on the carriage floor, Spark turned to look outside. Two more guards lay dead on the sand outside, impaled by spears that turned the sand beneath them a muddy red. Looking past the corpses, Spark spotted their attackers. Ten earth ponies galloped towards them in the distance. Their spears and blades glinted in the sunlight as their hooves kicked up a sandstorm behind them. Spark glanced over his shoulder at Ruby. His cutie mark pulsed. He looked into her terrified eyes and felt his own begin to twitch. And then he heard the voice. They want to kill her, Spark. They want to kill you. Make them suffer. He roared as his pupils stretched painfully into slits. With black magic crackling down his horn, he bolted out of the carriage, breaking the wooden spear that held the guard in place. As he galloped across the sand, he glanced upwards to see a barrage of arrows falling towards him. Isn’t that cute? With a wave of shimmering darkness that cast a shadow on the sand, the arrows disintegrated. He grinned and shifted his gaze back to the endless sea of sand before him. A blue earth pony was sprinting towards him, a spear attached to the saddle on his back. Bury him. The pony squealed in horror as a bolt of black lightning struck the ground at his hooves. He screamed as the sand twisted beneath him, pulling him deeper down until he disappeared below the desert’s surface. Spark giggled madly, watching the sand until it ceased to shift. There was a shout to his left and he swiveled to see another Earther racing towards him. A sword swung from a holster on his leg as he leapt into the air above Spark. Boom, said the voice in Spark’s head as lightning shot from his horn. Two down, whispered the voice as chunks of flesh rained down around him. Spark turned his attention to the eight remaining Earthers. They stood in a group, watching as the pieces of the former pony fell from the sky. Spark approached them slowly, noting with glee the unconcealed fear in their eyes as they raised their weapons. Play with them, Spark. He cocked his head and a massive lightning bolt struck the sand beneath them. He smiled at the sound of their nervous stammering as the sand shifted around their hooves, locking them in place. Stopping before them, he watched them struggle and smirked. Make them suffer. Slowly. One by one, each pony gradually sank into the sand. He reveled in their screams as they were forced to watch each other drown, and grinned wickedly as the realization that they would be next grew in their eyes. When the last pony was buried up to her neck, Spark stopped her from sinking further and smiled as she begged for mercy. Spark, look at her eyes! See the way they bulge from her head? They want to escape, Spark. Why don’t you help them escape? Spark levitated the knife from his holster and bent closer to the crying mare. He could still hear the muffled voices of the others as they struggled desperately below the surface. “Please, don’t,” she whimpered, her terrified eyes locked onto the knife. “The eyes want to escape.” Spark moved the knife closer to her eyes, but stopped abruptly as the sun reflected off its blade and into his shielded eyes. Equinivere… What am I doing? What’s wrong with me? The black sheath of magic that held the knife turned to white before it faded completely. The knife fell onto the sand between Spark and the earth pony, and he stumbled backwards as he watched the earth pony’s eyes grow wider in surprise. Sparky, please, this isn’t you, Equinivere called to him. He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on the memory of her face. Don’t let the darkness win. Panting hard, he grunted in pain as his pupils twitched and expanded. He opened his eyes and stared at the writhing sand beside him. A bolt of white lightning struck the sand, blasting it open, and the earth ponies emerged, coughing up sand. He turned back to the one he had planned to torture. She trembled before him, her eyes locked on his even though she could not see them. “You lose. Take your friends and go home,” Spark rasped, trying to steady his voice. “Never hurt another creature again. Don’t make me regret letting you live.” Once the Earthers had left, Spark made his way back to the carriage. He glanced at the sun; it had barely moved. The heat of the desert was making him sweat beneath his armor. The earth pony mare’s terrified face appeared in his vision and he mentally swatted her away. “They’re gone,” he called to the guards as he approached the carriage, “and they won’t be coming back.” The nearest guard nodded and tilted his head towards the carriage. “Please wait inside, Spark Shadow.” Spark stepped inside the carriage, noting that the corpses had been moved away and that the blood had been removed from the carriage floor. The only remaining evidence of what had transpired were the dried blood on the sand outside, the chunks of meat in the distance, the dead pony under the sand, and the erratic pounding in Spark’s chest. He shut the door behind him and collapsed onto the bench opposite Ruby, avoiding her gaze. After drawing the curtains shut and allowing his armor to sink back into his coat, he allowed himself to meet her eyes. She wore the same expression she’d been wearing when the guard had been killed in the doorway, except that now it was directed towards him. “Ruby…” he began, but promptly realized that he didn’t know what he could say to calm her fears. He trailed off and they sat in silence; the only sounds were Spark’s labored breathing and the muffled conversation of the guards outside. “Was that the same darkness as before?” Ruby whispered. Spark nodded and looked away. “You kept your promise to me, Spark. You protected me.” He looked back at her and saw that she was smiling with relief. He tried to match her smile and failed. “Thank you,” she murmured, leaning towards him and wrapping him in a close hug. He felt her jaw open and close inaudibly against his shoulder, until finally she whispered, “I love you.” Spark clenched his eyes shut. Guilt and shame built in his stomach, moving upwards until it became a lump in his throat. I killed them. I killed them and she loves me for it. Why does she have to make things harder? “Spark, did you not hear me?” she said softly, caressing his cheek. “I love you.” She leaned in to kiss him, and this time Spark moved away. He opened his eyes nervously to see her scowling before him. As she pulled away from him, she hissed, “Why will you not kiss me? Is your Princess not good enough for you?” “Ruby,” he said as gently as he could, placing his hoof on hers. She shook it off and leered at him. “I’m… I’m already promised to somepony else.” He shrank back as her eyes went wide. “You have been my coltfriend since we were children!” she sputtered, her face red with fury. “How did you manage to get yourself promised to somepony else? Who is this filly who thinks she can take from a princess?” Spark felt his magic instinctively grip the knife at his side, and he immediately winced as Ruby’s gaze flitted to the blade. “Rid yourself of that knife,” she shrieked. “Throw it outside and forget about her! That is a command from your Princess!” He stared at her as Equinivere appeared in his mind’s eye. She smiled at him sadly, her blue mane shimmering in the dim light of the cave as she approached him. Sparky, was all that she whispered before her image dissolved and he found himself staring into Ruby’s furious eyes. He glanced back down at the knife and whispered, “No.” Ruby roared angrily and Spark drew his armor from his coat as she threw the door open with her magic. “Get out of my carriage, Spark Shadow,” she growled through gritted teeth. “You can walk with the guards for the rest of the trip. The Princess of Great Breton does not share her carriage with… with street ponies!” She glared at him as he exited the carriage. Shutting the door behind him, Spark heard a single muffled sob escape from within. He sighed and joined the guards, shaking his head when they asked him what was wrong. She’ll be fine, he thought firmly, looking back at the carriage. By the time we get back to Gemstone, she’ll be my friend again. *** Blue feathers whizzed past Jasper’s ear, prompting him to glance up from the scrap on his workbench. An oblivious Dream soared happily through the cavern, flanked by Surty and Storm, who had no trouble keeping up with him. Satisfied that the metal prosthetic on his brother’s wing would not fail anytime soon, Jasper turned back to work on Black Moon’s latest request: armor for Nails. He scowled at the memory of Nails flying around their cavern, wearing Jasper’s armor, and flying so fast that it would snap under the pressure. It won’t happen again, Jasper thought as he levitated an enchanted crystal out of its notch on the wall and onto his bench. With a well-placed swing of his hammer, he broke off a shard from the crystal. Flex had dug out a nearby hole in the ground, which now served as a fire pit. Jasper floated the shard and scraps into the pit, and then covered the hole with an iron lid. Gathering the scrap metal together in his magic—he’d done it enough that he didn’t need to see them to be able to gather them up—he lifted them to the top of the hole, and then slammed them down onto the shard. A muffled explosion echoed in the fire pit. The iron lid was sent flying across the cavern and Ghost ducked just in time to avoid being decapitated. “Sorry,” Jasper yelled sheepishly before peering into the pit. A glowing ball of fused metal sat at the bottom. Titanium! With a proud grin, he levitated it onto his workbench. Working quickly, he hammered it out into a thick sheet before using a bending fork to manipulate it into the shape of a pony’s torso. When he was done, he stepped back to admire his work. His eyes fell onto his own titanium shoes and chest plate, and his grin returned at the sight of the tiny crescent moon on his chest. The armor that Jasper made for Black Moon’s shadow ponies bore a full moon, but Jasper had insisted on using the crescent moon for the Shadow Five’s armor. I suppose I should be grateful for small victories, he thought as he stared at his blurred reflection in the chest plate on the workbench. They’re all I have now, after all. He swiveled as the cavern door opened, and suppressed a groan when Nails trotted inside. “Hello, friends,” the pegasus giggled before kicking a hunk of metal in Jasper’s direction. “Jasper pony fail again. Armor cracked! Nails wonder if Master know how bad Jasper pony’s work is?” Jasper narrowed his eyes as he watched the hunk of metal come to a skidding stop at his hooves. This armor was perfection. You have no appreciation for art, you miserable brute. “Why, Nails,” he said, forcing a smile onto his face, “I have something special for you this time! It is made of a much better sort of metal. As a matter of fact, I’m just finishing your chest armor now. Your wing armor, however, is ready for you to use.” “I certainly hope so, Jasper,” Black Moon said as he trotted in through the door. “I hate being forced to reward Nails, my most loyal subject, with inferior products.” He turned his attention to the rest of the Shadow Five, who were standing in a group before the door with wary expressions. Black Moon cleared his throat and spread his wings. “Family of Jasper Shadow,” he began, and then paused to frown. “You call yourselves ‘family’, but are we not your family as well? You all have such wonderful talents that would be of great use to me—to all of us. As your King, it is so hard for me to sit idly by and watch those talents go to waste in this hole you call a home.” Jasper opened his mouth to reply, but balked as Ghost stepped forward and reared up to stand on his hind legs. Black Moon watched with a patient smile as Ghost cleared his throat, and promptly frowned when the black earth pony merely shrugged. The frown deepened into a grimace as Ghost spun around, dropped onto all fours, lifted his tail, and wiggled tauntingly. “Well,” Black Moon said, his face contorted in disgust as he lowered his wings, “once you’ve all realized that you have no other option, I will gladly accept you into my ranks.” He turned to Jasper, who quickly covered up his muffled laughter with a cough, and said, “My pegasus captain will not tolerate another of your failures, Jasper Shadow.” His eyes fell on the white flower and he added, “Perhaps taking away some of your freedoms will give you the motivation to succeed.” “That will not be necessary, my King,” Jasper said as evenly as he could manage. He levitated the wing armor from behind the bench and placed it gently onto Nails’ wings. Tightening the leather straps, he continued, “This is made of the finest metal in the cave. Even he cannot break this armor.” “Are you sure about that?” Black Moon approached the pair and observed as Jasper finished making his adjustments. “Tell me,” he said to Nails, “does this armor feel stronger?” “Master,” Nails said, bowing low before the Shadow King, “this armor feel weak. Lighter than others.” Black Moon cocked his head, the slightest hint of a smug smile forming on his lips as he asked, “How is this superior to your other designs, Jasper?” Uncultured, unworthy little beast, Jasper thought angrily, glaring at Nails before bowing his head. Being careful not to sound patronizing, he said, “My King, this metal is titanium. It is lighter than iron, but is composed of much stronger bonds. Nails is capable of neither piercing nor cracking it, I assure you.” Black Moon nodded thoughtfully and tapped the armor with a hoof. “And will it increase his speed as well?” “Yes, my King. I have tested the same design on my sister. It decreased her drag considerably.” “Very well then, Jasper Shadow.” Black Moon whistled sharply and a small legion of shadow ponies burst in through the door, each one clad in Jasper’s armor and brandishing spears and blades. They immediately began to charge at the Shadow Five, but stopped in their tracks when Black Moon called for them to halt. “We are here for a show, not a fight,” he called to the disappointed shadow ponies. “Nails, if you would take flight, I would very much like to know how that armor feels.” “Yes, Master.” Nails extended his wings and pumped them hard. Jasper had to suppress a gasp as the pegasus bolted towards the back wall of the cavern. He’s nearly as fast as Storm! Black Moon trotted over to the rest of the Shadow Five. His horn glowed and a spear came floating to his side. Pointing it at Flex, he asked, “Flex Shadow, yes? What do you think of my captain?” “I like Nails, Moon,” Flex said with a grin. “He’d make a real nice rug.” An amused smile spread across Black Moon’s face. “Nails,” he called without looking up, “my loyal subject, what are your thoughts on the armor?” “Master, Nails is impressed,” Nails called back as he soared around the edge of the cavern. “Flying faster and stronger!” The titanium armor grazed an exposed rock on the wall, and the rock promptly fell to the floor, having been severed by the metal wing. I told them it was strong, Jasper thought with a wry smile. “And how is your agility? Can you move as freely as you need to?” “Yes, Master!” “Flex Shadow,” Black Moon said, lowering his voice, “my ponies tell me that you have strength that is second to none. Is this true?” “Lemme put it this way, Moon,” Flex replied, chuckling. “A few years back, some of your ponies thought it’d be a good idea to get in front of my legs. Have they woken up yet?” “I believe those particular soldiers died,” Black Moon answered with another amused smile. He certainly appears to be in a pleasant mood. How strange… “How hard can you throw a spear, Flex?” Flex merely grinned as Black Moon placed the spear in his hooves. With a small grunt of effort, Flex hurled the spear directly at Nails’ forehead. Nails’ eyes widened and he pushed himself into a barrel roll, causing the spear to graze the titanium on his wing instead. Sparks flew as metal collided with metal, and Nails came to a hovering stop in the air while the spear clattered to the floor. “Wonderful,” Black Moon said, laughing as he gestured for Nails to return. “That is enough for now, my loyal subject.” He turned to Jasper and said, “I apologize for doubting your work. How long will it be before the remaining pieces of his armor are ready?” Jasper breathed a sigh of relief. “Three days, my King.” “Excellent.” Black Moon paused as Nails landed at his side. “You mentioned that your sister has been using this design as well?” “Y-yes, my King,” Jasper stammered as a wave of fear chilled his blood. “She has been using the same type of armor for six months now.” Except that she isn’t wearing it right now because she was helping Dream with his rehabilitation… “Then I am sure you wouldn’t mind if I asked for her opinion on this armor.” Black Moon turned his gaze to Storm and gave her a smile. “Please come here, Storm Shadow.” “Not a chance, Moon,” Flex growled, stepping in front of his sister. The shadow ponies immediately resumed their charge, and this time the alicorn did nothing to stop them. Jasper watched, untouched, as the guards held their blades to the family’s backs and throats, pinning them down against the cavern floor. “My sweet Storm,” Black Moon said softly, beckoning her with his hoof, “all I ask is for your opinion, and in return, your family will not be harmed.” “O-okay,” she whimpered, and the guards removed their blades from her body. “Just d-don’t hurt them. Please.” Nails spread his wings as Storm approached him cautiously. She began circling him to inspect the armor, but quickly jumped away when Nails pressed his snout to her rump and giggled, “Sweet Flanks, you Nails’ favorite.” Black magic appeared around her hooves and she froze in place, terror on her face as both her and Jasper’s eyes looked to Black Moon’s glowing horn. “I asked for an inspection, my dear,” the alicorn said with a frown. “What do you think of the armor?” “It’s good, Moon! It’s great! Now p-please let me go,” she stammered. “Thank you. And now, my sweet little Storm Shadow, there is one last little thing I need you to do.” The black aura moved, forcing Storm to move closer to Black Moon until their snouts were nearly touching. In the silence of the cavern, his whisper was loud enough to pierce Jasper’s heart. “Run.” *** The magic faded from her hooves. Her eyes went wide as Nails began to charge. She had no choice. She turned around and broke into a sprint. A scream echoed in her ears as her hooves pounded the cavern floor; she assumed it was her own. She squeezed her eyes shut as she galloped, but a giggle from behind prompted her to open them again. The back wall of the cavern loomed before her. Leaping onto the wall, she pumped her wings and pushed off, somersaulting into the air while Nails crashed into the wall behind her. Storm rose to the ceiling and narrowed her eyes as she entered the maze of stalactites. The sound of titanium slicing through rock taunted her from behind. Tears from her unblinking eyes dribbled horizontally across her face as she weaved between the stalactites. A hoof brushed hers, causing her to squeal and pump her wings even harder. “Help me!” she sobbed, sparing a glance at her brothers as she dipped below the hanging spikes of rock. Ghost, Dream and Flex were still pinned to the floor, but Jasper was inexplicably frozen in place, his expression blank as he watched her fly. Why aren’t you helping me? she thought, but then noticed that his silver aura was fading from his tools as quickly as it appeared. Please, Jasper, help me… She looked up in time to see the wall before her. Somersaulting once again, she prepared to return the way she came, but was forced to freeze when she realized that Nails had her cornered. She pushed herself against the wall, her wings fluttering weakly as she looked for a way out, but there was no way to escape. I’m trapped. I’m trapped. Please, Sky Pony, somepony, anypony, help me… “Hello, Sweet Flanks,” Nails giggled, pressing his body against hers. *** Dream gritted his teeth. His sister’s screams were assaulting his ears. The spears were digging into his back. He glanced to his sides and saw that Flex and Ghost were in as much pain as he was, but Jasper seemed oddly unaffected. He looked up to see Black Moon smiling smugly as Nails traced his tongue around Storm’s cheek. This is a nightmare. Why isn’t Jasper helping her? he thought as anger boiled inside of him. Why isn’t anypony doing anything? Scales brushed his cheek suddenly and he looked to the side to see Surty gazing at him with confused eyes. A slight smile crept on Dream’s face as an idea appeared in his head. I guess it’ll have to be me, then. “Surty,” he whispered, “do your trick for daddy.” The dragon took to the air. A moment later, fire roared from above Dream’s head, and he leapt to his hooves as two burning guards collapsed to the floor. Another guard leapt at him, and Dream merely spread his wings, allowing the metal prosthetic to slice through the shadow pony’s throat. The guard’s blood dripped from his wing as he took to the air. Dream pulled his right hoof back and pushed himself to fly faster as he closed in on Black Moon. With all the strength he could muster, he extended his leg and punched Black Moon square in the muzzle. “Run!” he screamed as he swiveled in the air and came to a stop. He felt his wings go limp and he fell to the floor, watching in disbelief as nopony moved at all. Black Moon watched him over his shoulder, a smile on his face as he slowly shook his head. Dream’s gaze fell on his muzzle. I hit him with all I had, so why does he look completely untouched? “Nails, I am satisfied with the armor. Return to my side,” Black Moon called. Dream watched as Nails reluctantly backed off of Storm and landed beside the alicorn. Storm fell to the floor and curled up against the wall, sobbing into her wings. “Now then,” Black Moon said, cocking his head at Dream, “what shall I do with you?” *** “My King,” Jasper rasped, shaken from his numbness, “you must honor our agreement. You told me that, as long as I serve you, nopony will touch my family.” “Leave this cavern,” Black Moon said to the guards. Jasper watched as they shuffled out the door, and then galloped over to Dream. He stopped in his tracks as his brother was enveloped in blackness and whisked out the door. “Moon,” Jasper growled, rounding on Black Moon, “you said that nopony would touch him. Bring him back or I assure you that you will never see another piece of armor again.” “Oh, don’t you worry about that, my loyal subject. Your King will keep his word.” Black Moon trotted slowly towards the door, and then paused in the doorway. “Nopony will touch Dream—” He glanced back over his shoulder, “—ever again.” *** Even after a thousand years of living in a cave, trudging through the desert in heavy black armor while his closest friend in the world refused to speak to him had quickly become one of his least favorite things. It’s been two whole days and she still hasn’t spoken to me, Spark thought in disbelief as he started to climb yet another sand dune. How long can a girl hold a grudge, anyway? Some of the guards had joked with him, asking if he had been stupid enough to cheat on the Princess of Great Breton. Others had merely offered words of advice: “this is just something mares do,” and “she’ll get over it eventually.” Equi never got angry with me, Spark remarked as he trotted slowly up the slope. Not like this, at least. As they crested the dune, Spark looked up to see a group of pegasi approaching them from the sky. One carried a flag: a spiked helmet with wings. Guess that’s the symbol of Flockland. It looks kinda like Storm’s cutie mark. The pegasi landed at the bottom of the dune, and the carriage rolled to a stop before them. Spark watched over his shoulder as a guard went to open Ruby’s door. The royal guard captain cleared his throat. “Announcing the arrival of Her Royal Highness Princess Ruby of Great Breton!” he bellowed as Ruby stepped out of the carriage. She glared at Spark as she passed him, and Spark rolled his eyes under his armor in return. “Princess? They sent their Princess?” A large, purple pegasus stepped forward, his fiery red mane surprisingly stiff in the slight breeze. A scimitar was sheathed at his side, and scars were scattered across his muscular frame. He scowled at Ruby, and then turned his head towards the guard captain. “Where is Queen Emerald and why does she think I would want to negotiate with her little filly?” “Commander Tantrum, I can assure you that I am well-versed in my mother’s affairs. I am here in her stead, and I am more than capable of representing Great Breton,” Ruby said evenly, her snout upraised. “That’s ‘Commander Typhoon,’ Princess. And you’re late. We don’t much care for unicorns who think they can insult us.” What a weird accent, Spark thought as he stared at Typhoon. He’s rolling his r’s and his vowels are all wrong… “Our apologies, Commander,” the guard captain said quickly, stepping forward and bowing his head. “We were ambushed by Earthers.” “Well, is that all?” Typhoon snorted. “I just assumed that you were stopping at every reflective surface you could find to admire yourselves in, unicorn.” He looked over the captain’s shoulder and guffawed at the sight of Spark. “Or perhaps you were too busy foal-sitting to make it here on time.” Ruby scoffed. “Commander, I would very much like to return to my palace, and I’m sure that you and your ponies would like to resume stealing candy from foals. Now come, we have business to discuss.” Typhoon nodded tersely. The royal guards quickly formed a tight perimeter around Ruby while the pegasi lined up beside their commander. Spark glanced from one group to the other and decided to ready his magic just in case. But what ensued was not a battle of spells and swords; what ensued was a battle of wordy politics that found Spark struggling to stay on his hooves. Let me get this straight, Spark thought to himself as he listened to the pair argue. The earth ponies are angry that the pegasi are making it rain too often, which makes it hard for food to grow. The pegasi are angry that the unicorns are keeping the sun in the sky too long, which makes their clouds heavier with more water. The unicorns are angry that the other races are angry, because it would be impossible to shorten the sun’s time in the sky, and because all the earth ponies need to do is plant more food to absorb the excess water. He groaned and rubbed his armored forehead as he tried to follow their conversation. But the unicorns are telling the pegasi to just schedule their rainstorms better in order to give the ground more time to absorb the water. And the earth ponies are telling the pegasi that they can’t control how fast their plants are growing… Spark watched as Typhoon and Ruby shouted at each other and shook his head. I think the real problem here is that the pegasi are just stubborn, winged mules. “Fine,” Ruby huffed after what felt like hours. “There is a forest in the northern outlands of our kingdom that is of no use to us. Until this matter can be settled with the earth ponies, we will allow you to send your extra storms there.” “So be it, Princess. But if any of your little unicorns give us trouble, the pegasi will cut them down and come for your head,” Typhoon snarled as Ruby turned away, her snout in the air as she trotted back into the carriage. “Come here, Spark,” said the guard captain as the unicorns and pegasi retreated to their own sides. Spark nodded and followed the captain over to Typhoon. “Commander,” the captain said, pulling the scroll from his armor, “I come bearing a message from Starswirl the Bearded.” Typhoon snatched it from the captain’s magic and unrolled it. His scowl deepened as he read through it. After a moment, he stared at the captain, who half-nodded, half-shrugged. Typhoon crushed the note under his hooves and shook his head. “Alright, unicorn. But when you see that old wizard again, you tell him that the pegasi owe him no more after this.” “Understood, Commander,” the captain replied. “Retrieve Spark Shadow’s saddlebags,” he called over his shoulder. Spark frowned as he watched a guard lift his saddlebags from the carriage before dropping them at his hooves. “There is a note and a bottle from Professor Starswirl in your bags.” The captain prodded one of the bags with a hoof and nodded sharply. “Good luck, Spark Shadow.” As the captain made his way back to the carriage, Spark stared at the bags in the sand. There must be some mistake, he thought, and began to follow the captain. He was quickly stopped by the flat side of a blade being smacked against his hind leg. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Typhoon shaking his head and sheathing his scimitar. “I don’t know what they told you, lad, but you’re coming with us.” “What? Why?” Spark blinked at Typhoon in confusion, and then turned back to the carriage. “Ruby!” Ruby poked her head out of the open window. Her eyes went wide, but she quickly narrowed them and shouted, “Good riddance!” Spark watched in disbelief as she ducked back inside the carriage and shut the curtains behind her. A few seconds later, the guards finished hitching themselves to the carriage and began their journey back to Great Breton. “Alright, lads, somepony grab the boy and his bags. We’re going home,” Typhoon barked from behind Spark. A pair of burly forelegs wrapped themselves around him, and a moment later his hooves left the sand. His head spun and his breathing became labored as the dune grew smaller in the distance. Yup, I’m never ignoring dinner conversation again, he thought flatly as he watched Ruby’s carriage disappear into the sudden blackness. *** “I can’t buckin’ believe you’re still makin’ him that armor,” Flex spat in disgust. “It has only been two days,” Jasper replied evenly as he worked the metal on his bench. “Besides, you know what I will do if Dream is not returned.” “Yeah, yeah,” Flex sighed. “You did somethin’ to their armor so that you can make them explode.” He paused and added, “Just wish you coulda convinced Moon to wear some of that armor, too.” Jasper shrugged. Small victories, he reminded himself. The pair turned to look at the door as Ghost jumped to his hooves. It swung open, and Jasper sighed in relief as Dream’s laughter trickled into the cavern. “Guys, they’re all gone!” Dream called, practically skipping into the cavern. “Everypony in the cave disappeared! We’re free!” What did he just say? Jasper thought as he exchanged a worried glance with Flex. A blur of brown shot past them as Storm hurried over to greet her brother. “Dream, whaddya mean they’re gone? The other shadow ponies escaped?” “Guys, where did you go? Black Moon is gone!” Dream stepped into the cavern, and Jasper’s heart sank when he saw his brother’s eyes. “What the buck did he do?” Flex murmured as he and Jasper cautiously approached. Upon closer inspection, they could see the black magic that seeped from Dream’s eyes, forming two shimmering clouds that obscured his vision. “Dream…?” Storm lifted a hoof to touch him, but abruptly yelped and pulled back. “What is this? What did Moon do to you?” “You don’t have to hide!” Dream called, twisting his head to look around the cavern. “We did it! We outlasted them all!” “Dream!” Storm pounded at Dream’s side, but he made no indication of feeling it. Flex wrapped his forelegs around Dream’s neck. Jasper reached out to touch him, and gasped sharply as his hoof came into contact with an invisible barrier just an inch from Dream’s blue coat. “Storm? Flex? Jasper? Ghost? Anypony?” The excitement in Dream’s voice gave way to fear as he swiveled his head wildly. “Surty!” With a quick pump of his wings, he slid easily out of Flex’s grasp and knocked Storm to the ground. He flew across the cavern and landed in front of his dragon. “Surty, where’d everypony go? Where’s Storm?” Surty cocked his head in confusion and flew over to Storm. Sitting beside her, he pointed to her and roared softly. “Don’t fly away, Surty,” Dream murmured, flying over to the dragon. “It’s okay. Daddy’s here,” he whispered, reaching out to pet him. Surty’s head bypassed the barrier and connected with Dream’s hoof, prompting Storm to burst into tears. “I don’t know where they went, but they’ll be back for us. They wouldn’t leave us behind.” Black Moon trotted in through the door behind the family, walking around Storm to tap Dream with a hoof. He smiled as it made contact with the barrier. “You know, I’ve always wanted an excuse to try this spell on another pony, and I am so delighted that I waited.” He shifted his gaze to Storm. “Tell me, my sweet Storm Shadow, was it worth it trading your freedom for his?” Storm sat down hard and sobbed into her hooves. Ghost sat down beside her and held her head to his chest. Don’t you dare blame her for this, Moon, Jasper thought angrily, but he held his tongue. There was no point in getting into any more trouble. “How long…?” Flex asked, his voice uncharacteristically shaken as he trailed off. “He was willing to give his life to protect his sister. I merely gave him what he wanted.” Black Moon shot a pointed look at Jasper and added, “Nopony touched him, and no pony will ever touch him again.” “Moon…” whispered Jasper, but there was nothing that he could say. Instead, he sank to the floor beside his sister and watched as Dream trotted around the cavern with Surty, searching for the family he would never find. “Now finish the armor for my ponies, Jasper,” Black Moon said firmly as he strolled out the door, “before tragedy befalls yet another member of your family.” The door slammed behind them. Storm wailed into Ghost’s chest as Flex lowered himself to the floor to comfort her as well. Four of the Shadow Five sat on the cold stone floor, mourning the loss of one more brother. “Don’t worry, Surty.” Dream fluttered his wings and flew in circles around the cavern while Surty hovered in the middle of the room, gesturing towards the rest of the family in vain. “They’ll come back for us. We won’t be alone for long.” ***