Skylight's Story: Monster

by NightArrow

Ch1: The Deal

Author's Note:

Hello Shadowbolt Fans!

So, just a quick note for you guys: This story was originally created as a fun fan-fiction about 3 years ago made specifically for Instagram. (There's a huge RP MLP community on there! Check it out when you get the chance!)

The edits get a little better as the story progresses because, well, these were my first attempts at photoshop like ever, and honestly, they weren't really made to be viewed at this crazy size. (I have no idea how to make them smaller).

**As for context: THIS story takes place AFTER the (as of right now) unfinished SHADOWBOLTS: ORIGINS. And as far as regular continuity of the show, it takes place right after season 2, before season 3.

It's a little spoilery in that Skylight DOES eventually meet Fluttershy at the edge of the Everfree Forest in Shadowbolts: Origins, and I WILL get back to that story eventually.

But for now, please enjoy my first attempt at writing from a super long time ago!

Thanks!

-N.Arrow

Chapter One: The Deal

Skylight was flying through the Everfree Forest like usual. The same path she’d taken for years, zooming around trees and rocks; she knew this forest like the back of her hoof. It was great practice for the Shadowbolts. She needed agility, speed, and reaction time if she wanted to keep her status as the very best.

This time, however, something caught her eye. There was a large, elongated figure relaxing on a cloud. She stopped suddenly. Her hooves acting as brakes, kicked up a lot of dust and dirt. “Wow! what are you?” She asked the figure.

The large dragonnequis opened his eyes, and leaned forward. “What am I?” He held back a laugh, “What the... HahahAHhaa!! What are you!? You’re the strangest looking pony I’ve ever seen! And that’s saying something coming from me! HAhaHAH”

Skylight didn’t appreciate the response. It had been a while since she’d met anypony new and forgot about her... less than orthodox appearance.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up... just be careful around here, Everfree Forest can be dangerous at night..” She said, losing her interest in the figure due to his insulting laughter.

Discord was taken aback. Clearly, this little pegasus was not frightened by him. Then again, things just as crazy and sinister looking as he was were pretty commonplace in the Everfree Forest. “You’re-- heh. You’re telling ME to be careful? Oh young filly, you don’t know who I am do you? I’m Discord! Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony! And you are?”

Skylight stopped for a moment. She did love introducing herself. “I’m Skylight! Shadowbolt Extraordinaire!” She stood up proudly. Thinking of this as an opportunity to make a new friend, she opened up a bit more: “Wanna race, Mr. Discord? I’ll warn you though, I know this forest inside and out, and won’t go easy on you!”

“Race...? Haha, I already love this kid.” Discord snapped away his cloud hammock. “No, Skylight Shadowbolt Extraordinaire, I don’t want to race, but... hmm... something tells me you weren’t born looking like a Las Pegasus Hotel sign... In fact, I can see it now...” He framed her with his fingers and thumbs, closing one eye. “You were actually quite... normal at one time, weren’t you?”

Skylight’s ears went back. “Normal? I... um, I think so... I can’t quite--”

“You probably had a loving family, a warm home! Didn’t you?” Discord said dramatically, placing the back of his eagle claw on his forehead.

Skylight stood quietly, as if trying to remember. “Um, well I probably--”

“Of course you did!” Discord appeared behind her, his claws on her shoulders. “Where’s your family, little filly?” 

“I don’t--”

“Actually,” Discord stepped back and squinted at Skylight. “Upon closer inspection... you don’t look like a purebred pegasus pony... you look more unicorn in the facial features.”

This conversation was a bit too intrusive for Skylight... “Mr. Discord, I should really get going, Arrow’s probably wondering where I--”

“What’s the rush? I’m sure this Arrow character won’t mind you being a few more minutes late! Besides, I think I can help...!” He smugly turned his back to her, smiling.

“Help?” Skylight asked. “Help with what?”

“Well find your family of course!” Discord said with a salesman’s smile. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Skylight never enjoyed thinking about her past. She never gave it much thought, and honestly, it kinda hurt a little when she did. She was happy now, and didn’t care how she got where she was. “I... I don’t remember much of anything before the stadium... Well, something about lightning? I think? And rainbow...something...”

“Lightning? Rainbows!?” Discord exclailmed. “Well that sounds deliciously CHAOTIC! Hahaha!!” He laughed, then immediately slithered down to be eye level with Skylight. “I can see it in your eyes little filly, you’re suppressing a lot of memories, dear Skylight...” Discord said, suddenly wearing a monocle. “Tell you what; today is your lucky day! Just because I’m pretty bored today, (and I’m kinda curious myself) I’m gonna reach into that neon green head of yours, and show you what you could have looked like today had that rainbow-lightning debacle or whatever, not happened!”

Skylight had a confused, concerned look on her face. Something about his demeanor gave Skylight the chills. She knew she couldn’t trust him, but she didn’t know why.
“I don’t think so, Mr. Discord...” she turned around and stretched her wings ready for take off. “It was nice meeting you, but I think I’d rather just...”

“Beautiful! Hmm, yes, quite normal, and beautiful indeed!” Discord said.

Skylight turned around to see what he was talking about, and found Discord sitting on a chair eating popcorn staring into a mirror. In the mirror, everything looked the same, except her.

Her neon-green coat was now a nice mint color. Her messy, bright, streaky hair was nicely brushed and more of a peach color. Even her cutie mark was different.

“I... I’m... that’s me. . .?” She walked slowly towards the mirror, where the beautiful pegasus pony’s lips were mouthing the words perfectly in synch with her.

“Well that’s a version of you...” Discord said, “now you’re going to get a kick outta this: I looked around a bit underneath that crazy pink forest on your head, and I recognize a member of your family!”

“My... family?” Skylight echoed, still mesmerized by the image in the mirror. Suddenly, the pain in her head returned intensely, and she quickly shut her eyes. “No! No no no, Arrow is the only family I need... He took care of me when nobody else did!” She turned aggressively towards Discord.

Discord noticed her wince in pain, and he knew he just had to reel her in completely if he wanted to keep her interest. “Well, what if I told you, you have a twin sister?” He smiled, sinisterly. Discord absolutely loved the amount of material he had accrued from looking around Skylight’s head. This pony had one heck of a messed up past. If he couldn’t wreak havoc and chaos in Ponyville, this was the next best thing!

“...wha-- what??” Skylight said.

“You’re one of two! Not identical, of course, but better! The best kind, and most rare kind of twins to occur in Equestria! You’re a pegasus, and she’s a unicorn!”

Skylight had no response. Her brain was still trying to process all this new information. She couldn’t let her mind move too quickly though, to avoid getting the massive headache that comes with it.

“Speechless I see, which I can already tell doesn’t happen to you too often...” Discord laughed, “Haha! Oh this is too good!”

Skylight shook off the information, “No! Now you’re just making things up! I need to go! Now!” She launched herself into the sky, holding back tears of both pain, and confusion.
How dare he mess with her head like that! He literally just met her a few minutes ago, and now he claims to know more about her than she does! And the lies! Night Arrow is all the family she’s ever needed. And now she needed him more than ever.

“I’m not lying you know.” Discord appeared floating right next to her as she soared through the forest.

“Wha--!?” Skylight was startled and crashed into some tree branches, and rolled across the ground. “Oowww...”

She brought herself up onto her hooves again, wincing in pain from the fall.
“Here.” Discord snapped, and instantly all the pain from the scrapes cuts and bruises disappeared.

“See? I’m obviously trying to help, little filly. I’m not the bad guy...”

Skylight sensed fake sincerity in his voice, but he obviously had some sort of great power.

“Fine.” She said, “Show them to me, and then leave me alone.”

“Now THAT’S the spirit!” Discord smiled. “This is your family,”
Discord snapped and a small image appeared in the space next to him. “Skylight Sparkle....”

The picture was of a family of unicorns. The father figure was a blue with a darker blue mane, while the mother was light gray. The younger colt was white with a blue mane, but the youngest, presumably the daughter was what caught Skylight’s eye.
The daughter looked exactly like her, but purple. She styled her mane a little differently, and had a unicorn horn, but other than that, was identical in every other way.

“And check the cutie marks.” Discord pulled the mirror out from behind his back.

The two siblings in the picture both had a similar emblem; a six sided, vertically elongated star. As Skylight glanced into Discord’s magic mirror, she realized her new cutie mark also had this emblem.

“How do I know you’re not making all this up?” She said.

“Well, I can see your skepticism.” Discord said waving all the objects into smoke. “You’re reacting to all this as if it’s new information! You really don’t remember any of this?”

“I... no, not really...” She said, sitting down. “I remember the lightning, and speeding around the vats of rainbow, and Arrow racing me... then... all the colors! In my eyes! All my right eye could see was bright orange! And my left eye had a blue... it was so painful.. and that lightning...”

“Hmm...” Discord lowered himself and leaned on the ground near Skylight. “It sounds to me like this was all this Arrow’s fault. You poor poor filly.”

Skylight’s first impulse was to defend Night Arrow, but this time she began to have her doubts.

“I’ll tell you what, just because I’m feeling generous, I’ll make you a deal. I can’t just release a bunch of memories in your head, it doesn’t work that way. But what I can do, is open up all those great suppressed memories of your family and the good times you had with them, in exchange though, I’d have to lock away that terrible, terrible memory of your little accident. Details and all. Then maybe we can sort this whole thing out!”

Skylight’s eyes lit up. “But wait! I don’t know if I want to remember all--”

“Oh what’s the harm?” Discord said, smiling. “If I were you, I’d say it sounds like a pretty good deal! You get to remember what looks like some great times with a loving family, and forget all about that awful time that turned you into... well... this.”

He placed his eagle claw on top of Skylight’s head. “Deal?”

Skylight thought for a moment. He was right, there didn’t seem to be a down side to this.

“Tick Tock...” Discord tapped his claw on her forehead.

“Okay, deal.” She said, clenching her eyes tightly.

“Spectacular!! Now, this may sting a bit!!”
Suddenly all her memories began flashing before her eyes.

“Ah! I remember!! Dad!! Mom-- Aaah! Shining ArmoaaAAAAAAAHHHHH!!”

Skylight knelt there, in the middle of the Everfree Forest, eyes wide open, pupils shrunk down, and sweat pouring from her mane. She remembered everything. She remembered her mom, her dad. She remembered playing with her twin sister Twilight. She remembered her big brother Shining Armor reading her stories at night.
She just couldn’t remember why she looked like this, and why she was living in a forest with Night Arrow.

“Oh what fun!” Discord said, chuckling. “Now then. Since you have all those wonderful memories back, I have a once in a lifetime offer for you...”

“No.” Skylight said sternly. “No more offers. No more crazy magic. I need to talk to Night Arrow. Now where is he?” She was already having trouble remembering her way around the forest she had known so well.

“Oh calm down Skylight, I’m sure he’s busy ruining some other little filly’s life. Besides, you’re gonna want to hear this. . .”

Skylight sat down, half curious about Discord’s offer, and half because she really had to remember where in this forest she lived, and thus, how to get to Night Arrow.

“My offer is as follows:
The scars you wear are loud and bright,
the heart is there, but the color's not right,
If the family life is what you seek,
shake my claw; and take a peek!
A family's embrace will make this stay,
but fail and neon you'll remain,
If you choose to live under the Sparkle's roof,
Say bye to the Shadowbolts, and Night Arrow for good...”

Skylight paused for a moment, letting it all sink in.

“That last part didn’t rhy--”

“I know that last part didn’t rhyme! What do I look like, a zebra!?” Discord snapped. “Now shake on it!” he put his eagle claw out.

Skylight tried to think... what was the harm of the spell? She’d never had a family... She had Night Arrow of course, and CC and Darkstreak. She’d met Princess Luna, and she knew the Wonderbolts. She’d spoken with Zecora, who helped them with medicine, and Fluttershy who lived just outside the forest... but a real family? She’d never had that! At least not that she could remember till a few minutes ago... Besides, the rhyme said she could choose to live that life. She had the option. Which meant she could choose to just make everything go back to normal if it didn’t work out. There didn’t seem to be a down side.

“Well? My arm’s getting tired, Skylight...” Discord whined sarcastically.

“Fine.” She said, and stuck her hoof out.

“YES!! HAhAHAHaHAha!!” Discord laughed maniacally, and lightning appeared out of nowhere, which made Skylight jump. This no longer felt like a magical being helping her find her lost past; she now genuinely felt tricked. “Here we go!” He said as his grip tightened.

“Ow! What are you--? *gasp*!” Skylight felt a tingle move it’s way up her hoof toward her torso. When she glanced to see what it was, she noticed something. Her dark neon coat was turning a soft mint color. The slightly nappy fur from years of racing around the forest was becoming soft and silky. When it reached her mane, the bright staggering pink spikes became a muted salmon color, and gently curled at the tips. And finally, when it reached her eyes, the orange and blue tints she saw the world through disappeared completely.

She was normal.

“I... I’m...” She stammered, looking herself over.

“Beautiful?” Discord said, nonchalantly leaning against a tree. “Yes, yes you are. And check that flank of yours.”

“My cutie mark!” She yelled. “It’s... it’s different!” Her typical blue lightning bolt and orange swirl was now the light orange, six-sided elongated star, with the blue wing on the side, just like in the reflection from earlier. “What’s my special talent?” she asked Discord.

“Beats me, kid. Go ask mommy and daddy.” He walked over to her. “But you might want to hurry up.”

“Why?” Skylight asked.

“Oh, how silly of me! Haha, you’re gonna love this, I forgot to mention: You have 24 hours.”

“What!? That wasn’t part of your dumb rhyme, Discord!”

“Yeah, I knew that’d make you shout. Haha, if you don’t decide you like the family life, and get a ‘family’s embrace’ to make this all permanent by this time tomorrow, you go back to looking like a failed 3rd grade art project, AND any and all memories of your family will be erased COMPLETELY and FOR GOOD.”

“Wha-- What?? Permanently!?” Skylight said, panicked. “But-- that isn’t fair!”

“Isn’t fair? Perhaps we haven’t properly met, I’m Discord! Spirit of Chaos!! Just be glad I’m bored enough to even GIVE you this opportunity...” He began to walk away, then stopped. “Oh, and before you get any ideas, don’t bother talking to Night Arrow or CC or whatever, I had to do a little altering of their personal histories; they won’t recognize or remember you.”

Skylight’s panic became a wide-eyed look of utter defeat.

“Choose wisely, Skylight Sparkle!” Discord yelled as he began to disappear. “Time is running out!”

And just like that, Discord had vanished.

Skylight was alone in the Everfree Forest.
She’d been alone in here before, but this was the first time in her life she had really felt alone.

Comments

[Texus]

interessting, but i prefer her the way she looked befor, i hope there happen something like she realized that it isn´t bad how she looks, or even that important. i would like some slice of life or romance story for her, i think adoption would ruin it probably, but i just making a suggetion here. That are all things i like normally the most. And because she isn´t normal i like her much more from the start without really knowing her.