from past shadows

by Nyt Ving

Dreams

I dreamt. Dreams came and went like the summer breeze. It came back like a lost love returning. A memory of sorts. A quest from my past. Not pleasant, but not terrible either. A victory and a loss.It was just ... kinda there. It's coming back now. More vivid than before.

The smell of fresh rain hung in the midnight air. I was sitting in one of the small side yards of the canterlot castle. I smiled, knowing what was to pass within the hour would be one of the greatest heists in equestria history. I donned the cloak I constructed this morning, for the sole purpose of getting me into the castle. It swirled around my body with a life of its own, molding to my unique body. I spread my purple wings, nodding in approval as the magic cloak moved with me. I gained flight within seconds, and was soon soaring up the side of the castle, hugging the wall of the tallest tower. Moments later I came to the balcony that was left open for my infiltration, landing with a quiet and muffled tap. I peered inside the long hallway just inside the door. My goal was down it and to the right, Luna's crown room. The cloak shrouded me, protecting me from the careful eyes of the guards patrolling down the hall. "Too easy" I whispered. I got in step behind the 2 guards walking down the hall, breaking off just before the turn to the door. Th hall was darker down here. Easier to hide, especially with the nightmare cloak. I ducked into a alcove as another guard came from the direction of my goal. Reaching into my solitary saddle bag, I grabbed two bottles. One I drank. The cold liquid oozed down my throat causing a tingly sensation to wash over me. I counted down the seconds that it took to take effect.
"... four, three, two, one.." I was now completely concealed from the vampony guards here. But only for seven minutes. Long enough to take down the two door guards, grab the loot and get out. I eyed the other potion in my hoof. I held it with my mouth, ready to throw if the guards got too rowdy. Peeking around the corner, I counted two... no three guards. They were talking in hushed tones, probably about some royalty thing.
-slap!-
I hit the wall with my hoof.
"What was that?" One of the guards turned as the other spoke.
"I'll check it out."
Moments later the poor stallion was unconscious, being dragged into the alcove.
"One down..." I said. I didn't have to wait long for the other two to call out for their friend who was on the ground behind me. They rounded the corner, spotting him immediately, and to their doom, not me. I chucked the potion to their hooves, and a deep crimson fog surrounded them.
"-cough- what is t-cough cough- " the both dropped. Hard. I was home free. I took off the nightmare cloak, draping it around my neck. I still needed it.
"So close..." I spoke softly, incase any more guards were near. I opened the door to the crown room, peering around the shadow filled room.
"Where's...? "The crown wasn't on its stand! My insider said it would be there by now!
"Right in front of you." the voice was all around me. Coming from everywhere, but nowhere.
I turned in a complete circle, scanning every shadow strewn surface, looking for the speaker.
"Come out an face me like a real stallion!" I said angrily.
There! The wall to my right! The shadows shifted there. A dark unicorn stepped out and spoke, his voice filling the room again.
"well here we are. And what was your plan? To steal the crown?You never stood a chance. I'll admit, walking behind our patrol to hide your hoof steps was smart. The cloak an invisibility potion was a nice touch too. The knockout gas? Ingenious. But it's over! You lose. I caught you."
"I guess you did", I said softly. "But where is the crown?"
"Where? Right in front of you! It's invisible when not worn!" He realized his mistake immediately. I looked at him then at the pedestal, judging the distance. He eyed me, "don't even think-"
I ran for the crown. I was fast, but he was faster. Half a hoof length away from grabbing the crown he tackled me. We both went sliding across the floor, knocking the pedestal over. The crown flew. We both heard it hit the ground. The guard stood up,Un tangling our bodies in a mad dash to find the missing crown.
I had failed, but I could at least escape unscathed. I started to creep out the room while draping the nightmare cloak back over my shivering body.
"Must be getting sick", I thought, not considering any alternatives. Halfway to the door I tripped over something. The crown! The guard turned and looked where I was standing. The crown was at my hooves. In my reach. I reached down quickly and flicked the crown up into my dangling cloak hood. "Stop!" He yelled, giving Chase to me, as I sprinted back down the hall from which I came. Too fast to notice the guards were coming to. Too quick to study the flapping tapestries on the wall. I was free! Out the door an over the balcony! I had made it! But all of a sudden there was a tug on my tail. The guard was trying to grab me with his unicorn magic.
"Oh no you don't!" I yelled, pumping my wings hard gaining altitude in the cool night air. I did it. I stole the crown. But not without penalty. There was now a royal guard chasing me. And he had friends.

Days later, I had yet to find any significant power on the crown. The only thing I could find was a small inscription on the front inside band, reading,"quinis momenta asurgo finet". It translated from some old equestrian language to, roughly, "heart shadows". "I guess I can assume that it's the crowns name", I said, examining the golden crown under candlelight for the hundredth time. Apparently blue candle flame would break the invisibility spell, as I had learned earlier that week.
-knock-
-knock-
-knock-
The door. Someone was knocking slowly on my apartment door, not ten feet away from me. Quickly snuffing out the special candles and tucking the crown into my desk, I trotted over to the door and opened it, revealing two royal guards. My heart dropped. They had found me already! "We are looking for this pony", one of the guards said. A unicorn whose coat was a darker blue, the gentle color broken up by the sleek black mane an his dark guard armor. The other guard was holding a bad portrait of what I assume was me. It looked like a hooded ghost. Apparently the potions worked."They are wanted in association of a royal theft.
"Do you know anything that could help us in the capture of this pony?"
I smiled innocently at the two guards who were so oblivious.
"No sir, but if I hear anything you will be the first to know." I close the door, shocked by my "guests". The guard who I fought three nights ago was outside my door. More than that, he was undermaster of the night guard! The pattern on his armor said as much. I sat down and took a deep breath. I knew I needed to get out of there. I retrieved the crown and nightmare cloak and made my way up the street, towards the castle. I knew I needed to get rid of the crown. Where better than the place from once it came?
Less than an hour later, I was flying, heading west towards the sea town in which I had purchased a small club months earlier. My plans for a new life were almost complete.

"Nyt..." What was that voice in my head..? "Nyt, wake up. Please!" It was getting louder, and louder with each passing second. Flying still, it appeared as if the ground was fading away, the sky getting brighter, as the voice got louder.
"Nyt wake up! Now! "

Author's Note:

By this point, i was starting to write another story, one about what happened before. I figured it would be a good intro, being so short. Instead I decided to use it to shed some light, or shadows in this case, into why Nyt and Elusive are leaving.