Crimson:
Crimson loved early mornings. Not only did she get to see a beautiful sunrise but it was also the time Iron got to come home. Today her feelings were torn, she was so proud of Shadow getting accepted as the princess' protege. Yet it broke her heart that it meant she couldn't bring him home. She still felt the threat from Shadow's uncle was overstated few could stop a angry unicorn. 'Still Iron might be right.' She thought sadly. 'This might be the safest option, but that doesn't make it the best.' She stewed, Crimson knew she was stubborn, she often used to clash with her sister Velvet.
"Where's Shadow he's going to miss the sun rise he never misses the sunrise." Crimson said turning from her view in Velvet's kitchen. 'What is that boy up to.' She thought moving through the living room where Iron was sleeping hanging from the roof. 'Heh couldn't make it to bed again.' She giggled as she reached the stairs. 'Did he get caught up in his inventions again.'she thought stopping in front of Shadow's room. Crimson stopped and listened waiting to hear anything from the room. 'Please be asleep.' She silently prayed as her breath caught in her bosom. She broke out in a cold sweat as she extended her fingers to grab the handle. Fear ran rampant through her mind. She opened the door slowly dreading finding an empty room. Much to her relief Shadow was right in his bed. 'Strange, he never sleeps this late.' Crimson sighed obviously circumstances had been getting to her. She took a step in wondering if she should wake him. 'Nah, he had a full night and probably went to bed early.' She thought turning to leave.
"Hnng, no." Shadow said shifting in his sleep. Crimson turned and looked back at Shadow.
"Another nightmare dear." She said moving closer. 'He does have a lot of them.' She thought passingly.
"They want him because he's to be the Nightmare's king and the key to her victory."
The words from the prophecy rang back with sudden weight in Crimson's mind. 'No that's... I'm waking him.' She thought storing over to Shadow's bed. She leaned down and gave him a rough shake of the shoulder. Shadow still didn't stir. 'No, no ,no, noo!' She nearly screened as fear took her again.
Shadow:
Shadow looked around confused as to where he was. All around him was dark granite. Luckily enough the darkness wasn't to much of an issue. His ears could pick up ultrasonic frequencies for his brain to translate into a 3d image of his surroundings. According to his mother several other animals could do the same. Shadow did notice however that something was off. He was picking up data not sound. Every time he used one of his 5 senses Shadow received feed back in the form of digital or magic input. Primarily it was the magic that was throwing him off. Several times before he accidentally found his consciousness floating in and out of programs almost like a ghost. In fact he enjoyed surfing the air ways that way.
‘Hmm, this magic interference I wonder who's doing it.' He thought calmly. 'It seems to make things solid.' He mused placing his hand on the cold stone wall. He laughed a little wondering if this meant he wasn't a digital ghost any more. Shadow decided he wouldn't learn anything just standing around.
It didn't take Shadow long to figure out that his echo navigation needed practice. He kept missing little cracks and hoof falls in the stone work. He felt his foot slip dragging him down deeper into the program. He slid down a steep embankment for several seconds and tumbled to stop, with a resounding "oof".
"Ow, well gravity works the same." Shadow said aloud. 'This pain though, why...' He stopped mid thought as his hand passed in view of his face. "No, this can't its not..." Shadow tried to analyze what he was seeing. His palm showed a clear cut with crimson blood leaking out. The blood glowed with its own purplish light. A slight panic welled up. 'I'm bleeding I can't be bleeding this its fake, I know it's fake!' He mentally screamed.
Celestia:
Celestia sat in her throne silently cursing her endless streams of noble each with some petty squabble or insane plan. Her hand moved up to her new earring as she reminded herself of the coming joy she was going to recieve. 'Now that I think of it nobody's mentioned my new jewelry.' She thought angrily. She always tried to look her best for her court. Infact today she was wearing a flowing silk dress with a gold torque and bracers. Celestia scuffed her gold plated horseshoe against he polished marble floor and fiddled with her crown for a second.
The noble that was talking was her nephew. The white coated unicorn was complaining about how she was taking an unknown unicorn as her personal student as opposed to his son her great nephew.
"This Peasant has no pedigree that would entitle her to such treatment." Vladimir Blueblood said flicking is black tale in annoyance.
"Prince Blueblood! I would have you know I did consider your son but seeing as he's more concerned with his privileges than magic." Celestia said trying her best to remain calm. 'He's gonna freak when he learns about Shadow.' She let a small smile grace her muzzle. "Though I imagine your son would enjoy having a playmate when he's here." She suggested happily.
The talk was cut short when a guard came rushing in through a side door. He was flushed and out of breath.
"Your highness urgent news from the Sparkle residence." The earthpony guard said slipping into a chair against a wall. "The boy he's not waking up." The guard said as Celestia rose from her throne.
"Sharp Word!" She said turning to her notary. "Court is cancelled for today and let the guard captain know where he can find me." She finished disapearing in a bright flash of golden light, leaving those in attendance confused.
Celestia reappeared in the Canterlot hospital waiting room surprising both the Sparkles and and The bloods. She looked around at the forlorn faces of the two families. Twilight was watching the doctors and nurses run around. Celestia walked over to Crimson who was trying her hardest not to breakdown.
"Crimson what happened?" Celestia asked hurrying over.
"I don't know... he just won't wake up I... I think she trapped him somehow." Crimson's tone was somewhere between pure venom and a sorrow. "Can you help him your Highness?" She asked looking at Celestia with hope.
"I'll talk to the doctors and see if I can help." Celestia said comfortingly she turned looking for a nearby doctor and saw iron talking to one. As she walked over she heard what the doctor was saying.
"Your son is in some kind of magic stasis. We tried scanning through it but we couldn't adjust for the etheric field." The doctor said looking down at his electric chart pad. He swiped the screen before continuing. "Near as we can tell, the source of the field is not external." The doctor shook his head. "Thank you doctor
This gave Celestia some pause, 'that means that either he's acting as a conduit or is generating the field himself.' She thought trying to think of what spell might be in play. 'Still I don't think Luna could do this let alone would want to.' She recalled all her sister's interactions with foals. 'No even as the Nightmare she wouldn't dare harm a child.' She thought with certainty.
"Doctor can I see that pad?" She asked interjecting herself into the conversation. The doctor gave her a little bow as he handed over his pad. "Thank you doctor Compress I'll get this back to once I peruse it." She said accepting the pad. The doctor returned to his duties, and Celestia walked over to the waiting area bench where she sat next to Twilight. "Twilight why don't you help ke look over these documents. Ask about anything you don't understand." She said making sure that Twilight could see the medical tablet. 'She might notice something I miss.
"The etheric field is strange." Twilight pointed out.
"Oh how so." Celestia asked not seeing it her self.
"Well normally it would be erratic like a fire." Twilight said trying to light up her horn to show Celestia what she meant.
"You're right Twilight this field it's... there's no variation in its intensity." Celestia said looking closer at the data. 'Let's see where is... there we go.' Celestia thought swiping through to the pages till she came upon Shadow's scans.
"Hey the picture's wrong." Twilight said excitedly. Celestia was surprised by how quick She had caught it.
"Good catch Twilight. His scans are odd..." Celestia stopped mid sentence. The biological Etheric circuits where familiar but she couldn't place them. Celestia watch as Twilight studied the immage.
"Pegasus, Earth..." Twilight muttered drawing Celestia's attention.
"What's that little pony?" She asked Twilight looking down at the scan again.
"Pegasus," Twilight stated pointing to a etheric vien cluster along his spine. "Earth pony," she pointed to another cluster this one in the pit of his gut.
"But that's not possible he didn't show any signs." Celestia said shocked. Shadow had alicornesque mana circuits. "Hold on, he doesn't have a Unicorn circuit." She said confused.
"But he does." Twilight countered placing her finger on a small cluster in Shadow's head.
"That one is to small to channel magic." Celestia sighed she still couldn't see how this all fit.
"Shadow doesn't have a horn." Twilight countered again tracing her hand down to Shadow's palms were two equal sized vein clusters sat. Celestia stared dumbfounded, 'a mutation what in tartarus.' Celestia rose to her hooves. "Princess, I got my cutiemark from a magic flare." Twilight said looking worried.
"What if Shadow did the same!" Celestia finished excitedly. See saw the confused faces on the the others. "The magic field Shadow might be generating it as part of a magic flare once it calms down he should wake up." Celestia explain happily.
"One problem, our son isn't a unicorn." Iron said sadly.
"Nope he's something else entirely." Celestia replied a strange glee in her eyes.