The Moon Shall Rise From Hell's Ashes

by TundraStanza

Ch. 12: Shadows Aren't So Dark

Chapter 12: Shadows Aren't So Dark

---{Narrator}

"What trickery is this?" interrogated Luna, "Explain yourself!"

'Spirit Sword' scratched his neck. "Well..."

---{flashback}

"Let's get out of this joint," suggested Dilan. But when she opened her wings, she suddenly keeled in pain. Even if they were not the direct fault of Spirit Sword, his wings could still leave painful reminders of his ability.

"Maybe you should take it slow for now," commented Spirit, placing a hoof on mare's back.

"Yeah," she grunted. "Don't worry, though. I'll be ready in a seco-"

Her voice got caught in her throat. In a weird swirl of black light, her body suddenly vanished. Spirit backpedaled a few steps as he stared wide at the empty space. He then felt an eerily familiar feeling from not a moment earlier.

"Again? But how? Yaaaaagh!" he yelled.

The light dissipated and a high-pitched gasp escaped his throat.

"-nd. Wait. What just happened?" asked Dilan, looking around.

"Uh, Spirit?" she called out while raising a hoof next to her mouth. "Where'd you go? Huh?"

By this point, she looked down at 'her' hoof. There was something very wrong. First of all, the color of the hoof was gray. Second of all, her metal bracer was too lavender and it barely covered more than a horseshoe's size. In fact, as she took a quick full-body inventory, she found that her entire suit of armor had turned the wrong tint of purple. It looked an awful lot like... the armor of the vampire pony guards.

"Oh... oh... oh gosh..." She gulped. "I need to get help. I hope the princesses will know what to do about this."

She prepared to take flight, but her aim was a little off. She ended up crashing against one of the canopy bed's remaining horizontal bars.

"Oof!" She turned her neck to look behind her. "Man, flying with bat wings is harder than it looks."

She then proceeded to flap through the sky dizzily while letting out phrases short of screams all the way.

---{present}

"On the bright side, I placed the petrified flowers where you wanted me to," finished Dilan.

Luna rubbed her temples in irritation. "The Pony of Shadows. Wonderful."

"The... Pony of Shadows?" Dilan echoed.

"Wait," interrupted Faith Shield while poking his head inside the room. "That myth about a piece of Nightmare Moon staying behind while you were banished to the moon was for real? Some versions of the tale said that it had the strength to overpower the wills of ponies that wandered too close."

Luna sighed. "It's a forbidden spell: Overshadow. It gives the caster the ability to take on an intangible form and to take control of the actions of a nearby pony. I regret to say that I was practicing some less than pleasant tricks before trying to dethrone my sister."

"Um, that's all very compelling, your highness," Dilan commented, "but how do I stop overshadowing Spirit Sword?"

Luna closed her eyes. "Imagine yourself as a bowl of water and then pour yourself out."

"That's it?" the intangible pony asked while tilting Spirit's head.

"Yes." Luna nodded. "Releasing the grip on another's mind is actually much easier than searching for the correct wavelength to latch onto."

Faith Shield shivered and wrapped his wings around himself. "I'm beginning to see why that spell was forbidden."

---{Dilan Shier}

Well, here goes something, I thought. I closed my eyes and pictured a bowl being raised from a river. Then, I saw it tilt to the side as the water streamed out.

"Oof!" I landed on my side. I took a look at my hoof and saw the familiar black hide with blue metal bracer. Unfortunately, I also gained back my original side cuts.

"Yay, it worked," I said against the pinching pain. "Ow."

To my left, Spirit Sword shook himself fiercely. "That was most unpleasant."

"Wait, you were still aware of everything going on?" Faith inquired.

"I was," confirmed Spirit, "though, not being able to do anything about it felt horrid. It was like my thoughts were muted and couldn't be heard against the possessor's. This is one of those instances where I do not wish to try a third time for a charm."

"Now you've got me curious," Faith tapped his chin. "Hey, Dill Anne! Do me next!"

"What?!" I yelped. But then I inadvertently hit my left cut. "Ow."

"Absolutely not," Princess Luna denied while shaking her head.

"Weren't you scared of the prospect not one minute ago?" asked Spirit.

"Yeah, but I was just worried about the being overridden part," clarified Faith, "Now that I know that awareness isn't dimmed, I'd like to see what that's like."

"No," Princess Luna said with implied finality.

"Come on, you've already taught her how to reverse it," pointed out Faith. "It'll be fine." He trotted over to where I was struggling to sit up without flinching against the cuts. "How did you do it?"

"I really don't remember that well," I said while shaking my head. "I was about to fly out of the castle. My sides started acting up. Spirit Sword patted me on the back while telling me to take it easy... then, poof. Overshadow."

"Interesting," Faith commented idly while following his line of sight with a hoof reached out. "Did he touch this part where your mane looks black?"

I raised my eyebrow. "What are you talking ab-?"

There it was again. That feeling of ceasing to be just before blinking back in again.

"-out?" I finished asking before seeing a lavender shoe on an extended gray hoof. "Oh come on!"

"Enough!"

I was slammed into the floor by the sheer volume of Luna's royal voice. To his credit, Spirit only had to bend one knee against the force.

"No pony is to toy with the Overshadow spell again until further notice," she stated, "Is that clear?"

"Y-Yes, your highness," Spirit Sword stated.

"Crystal clear," I added.

"Good," Luna said before taking a deep breath. "Dill Anne, would you kindly release Faith Shield?"

"Gladly," I answered. I immediately thought of an upside-down bowl with water falling straight out. Apparently, the imagined pace affected my position upon release. This time, I was sprawled out on my back.

"Brrr!" Faith shook himself. "Pins and needles."

"Well, this is just fan-tipping-flastic," I muttered with my wings splayed out along the floor, "I stumble across a new power and I can't even control it."

"How is that any different from when you stumbled across your other powers?" Spirit asked while giving me an odd look.

I gave him a deadpan stare in return. "Touché."

---

A couple of days later, I was led to the garden by Princess Celestia. She didn't specify the reason. But then, I didn't think to ask her. Whose fault was that? In any case, the scenery was still as nice as I remembered.

"I suppose you're wondering why I brought you here," commented Princess Celestia as she continued to trot.

"I am," I confirmed.

"You're also wondering why it couldn't wait until after your injuries were fully healed."

I caught myself scratching the bandages. "That was somewhere on my list of questions, but not at the top."

She halted as we stood right in front of what looked like a bushy labyrinth. As usual, I couldn't read her emotions at all. I could only see her face the way she wanted me to see it. Right now, she wanted me to see gentle, serious attentiveness.

"Dilan, when you hear the word 'light', what's the first thing that comes to your mind?"

I blinked. "Uh... a personality test?" How does one just expect that kind of question?

The princess chuckled. "That's the first time some pony answered with that."

I shrugged my wings. "Well, is that what we're doing now?"

"Sure, let's call it that," she answered vaguely, "Now, with that in mind, what is the next thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'light'?"

"Purity," I stated off the top of my head.

"What about... 'shadow'?"

"Darkness," I blurted.

"Hmm." She kept her smile neutral and closed her eyes. "Yes, these are typical answers."

"Is that bad?" I wondered.

"No, of course not." She shook her head before looking at me. "It means that you share a lot in common with the perspectives of others."

"Okay, but that seemed kind of short." I half-frowned. "Where are the pictures with ink blots?"

Sadly, my joke fell on deaf ears. "I would like a little more than a first thought this time," Princess Celestia continued, "Do you know what a shadow is?"

"Uh, yeah," I replied, "It's what's formed whenever light tries to shine through an object. The shadow is whatever the light doesn't touch."

"Mm-hm," she hummed, "That is the conclusion that many have come to as well. However, that's only partially correct."

"Huh?" I tilted my head.

"What a lot of creatures don't realize is that a shadow isn't the complete absence of light," she explained, "After all, you can shine a light at a chair and create a chair-shaped shadow. But increasing the intensity of that light only makes the shadow more prominent."

Where is she going with this? I idly flicked my tail against empty air.

"The reason is actually quite simple," she went on, "A shadow is the overlap of multiple light waves. What most see as an area untouched by the light is actually being covered by light with such a high frequency that it can't be identified with normal vision."

"I suppose," I said with a shrug.

"Unless you're dealing with dark magic specifically, all of the magic you actively and passively use is based on light."

"So, where's the punchline?" I lifted a hoof for emphasis.

"I had a quick chat with Luna yesterday, and she's agreed to allow me to show you something."

That got my attention. Something that requires the older sister to get permission from the younger? This, I've got to see.

"You now carry an ability that belonged to the Pony of Shadows," she reminded, "I'd like to present to you an alternative use of its power so that the Overshadow spell doesn't react whenever some pony gives you a congratulatory slap on the back."

"Yeah, it would be nice to not take over bodies just because I wasn't looking," I agreed. "So, what do I have to do?"

"The power I wish to demonstrate is called Shadowride. Although to add to what I was saying before, it's actually a hyper version of riding light."

"Riding light?" I echoed. "What does that mean?"

"You and I walk in the physical, three-dimensional plane of existence all the time without even thinking about it," she said, "In fact, everyone that traverses this is already a master of riding light."

"Okay," I said with a chuckle, "But how does that build up into this Shadowride power?"

"To ride the light with finer precision requires a slight alteration to one's perception of frequency," she answered, "In your case, I believe the Pony of Shadow's mane can help create the catalyst to that altered perception."

I willed my mane around to stare at that black patch. "All right, what do I do?"

"First, come over here." Princess Celestia motioned to the area to her left.

I trotted on over. "Yeah?"

"Now, lean down and listen to the earth."

I blinked. "Come again?"

"This step is crucial, Dilan," she insisted.

"Um, okay." I pressed my head sideways against the ground so that my ear was practically in the grass.

"Good, now get back up."

"Are you yanking my chain?" I inquired. "Well, all right. I'll- wait... What the heck is this?"

I tried to lift my head, but it felt like someone had put superglue in my hair. I grunted pulled against the invisible force, but it wouldn't let me up. In fact, it almost felt like I was... sinking. But how? This wasn't quicksand!

"Princess, what's happening to me?!" I yelled.

It felt like I was being sucked into a pool of molasses. I soon found my mouth covered by the feeling. My wings and neck followed suit. The last thing I saw was a ladybug flying off a blade of grass before my eyes sank too.

---

"Ugh, what happened?" I blinked, or tried to anyway. "Where am I?"

"You are now seeing things from the hyper light."

"Wait, Princess Celestia?" I found that I couldn't move to search the space. "What just happened?"

"Well, you're currently resting on top of my shadow."

"On top of... what?!" I exclaimed without actual breath. "How is that possible? ... and why can't I move?"

"This is the power of Shadowride. Instead of taking control of some pony's body, you passively copy the motions of their shadow. It makes a great parlor trick."

"So wait, I can only move if you decide to go somewhere? How is that effective?"

"It's best suited for stealthy reconnaissance. If you weren't talking so much and had I not seen you sink into the shadow, I would have no indication that you were even there."

"Stealthy reconnaissance?" I echoed. Suddenly, I felt my hooves moving on their own. "Woah, wait! Where are we going?"

"We're going for a little stroll."

---

We strolled through the maze for a few minutes. Correction, Princess Celestia strolled. I was pretty much forced to imitate her motions throughout the trip. Though, the directions we took seemed to be more pronounced. I don't really know how to describe it. I just... knew every left and right turn that she took. While I was still trying to comprehend this amount of input, she wandered out the labyrinth's exit.

"All right then," she said while nodding to herself (thereby causing me to nod), "For the last part of today's 'personality test', I'd like you to get off of my shadow."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," I responded, "Quick question: How do I get off?!"

"You're lying on your side right now," she pointed out, "Just stand up."

"Just... stand... up?" I slowly echoed.

"Here, I'll even give you a starting position." Princess Celestia bent all four knees and sat down.

I felt the crouched posture. When I tried to straighten out my legs, I was surprised to feel control return to me. In less than two seconds, I was standing tall to the right of a sitting princess. I looked down and immediately skittered away from her shadow.

"How are you so calm about all of this?" I asked, short of shouting decibels. "This is not normal."

"To calm my subjects requires a long time of practicing self-relief," Princess Celestia answered. "I just happen to have a few extra centuries backing me up."

"Oh gosh, why?" I muttered while wiping a hoof across my face.

She stood up and resumed her neutral smile. "Thank you for your patience today. With sufficient practice in the Shadowride, you'll be able to maintain the Pony of Shadow's power to when you want it to work and not at stray touches."

"I'm beginning to suspect that this world is crazy," I commented.

"Funny," she replied, "I know a pony who used to think the same way. Anyway, it's getting late. We should head inside for some food and rest." She started walking.

I quickly moved to catch up. "When was the last time you used the Shadowride personally?"

"That, Ms. Shier, is the right question." She then proceeded to hum a few bars.

Is there no end to how vague an individual person or pony can be? I groaned, shook my head, and continued trotting.

For some reason, I was feeling a strong craving for a "drowning" rose petal banana flambé.

---

Author's Note:

Answer some questions and create new ones.
It is the never ending struggle that we writers must tackle.

Comments

[IkioStar]

Nice music in the link. Really enjoying it right now.

[TheMagicalBrony]

The only thing I hate is that its really going to suck when these updates slow down.

[Apocryphal Frost]

...And how does this help keep others from touching that place that makes him overshadow them?

[TheMagicalBrony]

4424315 I think its more of a step towards control.

[Zaralann]

Nice chapter.

[The Zealot]

You know, I'm beginning to suspect all of us authors are crazy. Wonder why?

[Insane]

this Pesdoscience add to this...

Story make me mad.

[websterhamster]

I like how the points of view aren't switching around so much anymore.

[HgSpartan]

"Woah, wait! Where are we going?"
"We're going for a little stroll."

[Axel van Daeren]

The video at the end of this chapter is gone.

[TundraStanza]

6414803 , Thank you for letting me know.

[Darkwhip]

4424944 Crazy is fun!

[redtap]

What most see as an area untouched by the light is actually being covered by light with such a high frequency that it can't be identified with normal vision

Well, I never knew shadows were the leading cuase of cancer.

[Asolem2]

"How is that any different from when you stumbled across your other powers?" Spirit asked while giving me an odd look.

I am Spirit in this scene