Shadow Over Equestria

by Cmdr Brohoof

Visions

Applejack and Spirit were standing outside a vault door that was under heavy guard. Spirit was pacing back and forth.

“What are you going to ask it?” Applejack asked

“Where Shadow is, why they are attacking us, their numbers, anything can give us an advantage.”

Princess Luna met the group at the door “Are you sure this is a good idea Sir Spirit” she asked

“Yes like I was telling Applejack any info would be a valuable resource.”

“How is your sister is she alright” Applejack asked

“She took the Cloudsdale news very hard. I’ll let her know of your concern” Luna said “Let’s get this over with. Guards be
ready for anything.”

The royal guard surrounded the vault door as Luna opened it. Inside was the silhouette of pony sitting in the middle of the
room. A magical collar was around its neck and a bubble of magic encased it.

The group entered the vault the guards staying behind as Luna closed the door behind them. The pony did not
acknowledge their presence. Spirit stepped forward to get a better look it. The pony opened its eyes and stood staring
down the human.

“The Knight of Equestria” it hissed

“You know me?” Spirit asked as he paced in front of the bubble

“We know of you. Our master tells us.”

“Your master?”

“You know him as Shadow to us he his Master”

“So he is scared of me he warns you about me.”

The pony let out a sickening laugh “Scared…Master tells how you will join us”

“Why would I want to join those who I’m going to defeat?”

“Master says you will betray the ponies to go home”

“Your Master is wrong”

“Master is never wrong” the creature grinned revealing its teeth

“Why do you follow your Master?”

“Master created me”

“But you have a mind of your own why follow something evil?”

The creature didn’t speak

“Master is Master” it said curtly

“How did you get captured?” Luna asked

“Ah the lesser of the Princesses” the creature turned its yellow eyes toward Luna

“MY SISTER AND I ARE EQUALS” Luna shouted

Spirit leaned and whispered into Luna’s ear “It’s just trying to upset you don’t let it get under your skin.”

Luna relaxed herself “Answer the question”

The creature again smiled “I was only captured because Master wanted it to happen”

“Wanted to….” Spirit was cut off mid sentence. The creature broke the magic holding it down and tackled Spirit.

“FOR MY MASTER” The creature sunk its teeth deep into Spirits un armored shoulder

Spirit cried out in pain as he tried to get the creature off of him. Applejack ran to Spirit side and bucked the creature as hard
as she could. If flew off from the Spirit and crashed hard into the stone wall of the vault. It vanished into to smoke as it fell to
the ground.

“It burns!!” Spirit cried as he clutched his wounded shoulder.

“Hold on” Applejack said as she stood over the wounded human

Spirits vision went fuzzy as Luna opened the vault door. He could barely make out the guards as they rushed him out of the
vault. He was in and out of consciousness when awake his shoulder felt like it was on fire.

Spirit was once again standing in Shadows throne room.

“We meet again Knight” Spirit recognized the voice

“Getting desperate now are we?” Spirit taunted Shadow

“Hardly” Shadow appeared before the knight “have you thought about my offer”

“Yes”

“And?” Shadow asked

“I won’t betray my friends”

“What friends you risk your life for them and what do they want form you MORE”

“They only need my help because of you”

“Let me send you home then none of this will be your problem.”

“I doubt you can even send me home”

“It simple all that I require is the use of your body”

Spirit laughed “Right like I would allow you to do that”

“All I need is to use of that element you wear since only humans can use it. Then while I control your body I can send you
home with my magic.” Shadow summoned an orb with earth inside of it.

Spirit looked into the orb at the familiar planet “All you have to do is surrender to me in person when next we meet.”

Spirit glanced at Shadow then back to earth.

“It’s as simple as that” Shadow said as Spirits vision began to fade again.

This time he was in the tent where Sir Lance spent his final moments in Equestria. Spirit saw the old knight looking over
maps and plans just like he had been doing just days ago. Sir Lance looked up sensing Spirits presence.

“Ah hello there” he said looking back at his work

“Your Sir Lance…but I saw you disappear”

“Disappear” Sir Lance broke away from his work and approached Spirit and placed a hand on his shoulder “Then my plan
worked tell me is that foul creature gone!?”

“No”

Sir Lance looked disappointed “Then my sacrifice was in vein. I thought the full power of the element was enough to defeat
it.”

“What was your plan exactly?”

Sir Lance walked to a chair and sat staring at the ground. “I had hoped that if I used the Element of Hope to its full potential
the magic would be strong enough to stop it.”

“Why didn’t it work?”

“That creature…is not of this world…he is split between our world and some other place.”

“What do you mean?”

Sir Lance looked at Spirit “It cannot be harmed by anything we can do unless it has a physical body here”

“How do you know these things?”

“You learn a lot about something when you fight for your life. You must be the new carrier of the element then.”

“That’s correct.”

“So you’re fighting the fight now.”

“Yes”

“I had a plan for that too. Before I left to fight Shadow I put part of myself inside the element. So I could warn the next
person”

“So that’s why you’re here”

“Right and how I didn’t know if my plan worked. Tell me Celestia and Luna are they ok.”

“Yes Celestia and Luna rule the land together you kept Shadow away for over a thousand years”

Sir Lance gave a weak smile “Then perhaps it was worth it after all.”

“Why did all the humans disappear when you used the element?”

“So Star-swirl was right” Lance said aloud “We didn’t know the cost of using the full power of the element.”

“How do I defeat him?” Spirit finally asked

Sir Lance looked Spirit in the eye “Destroy it when it has a physical from it’s the only way to finish it once and for all.”

“But if its physical form isn’t even here how do I destroy”

“If I could tell you that I would have defeated it long ago. That’s all we have time for good luck young Knight.”

“WAIT!” Spirit yelled as he sat up. He could feel a stiff pain in his right shoulder.

He was alone in his room in the castle. He looked down at his heavily bandaged shoulder and attempted to move it. The
door to his room opened as Applejack and Fluttershy trotted inside.

“Spirit you’re awake” they said

“How long have I been out?”

“Three days” Applejack said

“We got worried when we couldn’t wake you up” Fluttershy said quietly

“Anything happen while I was out?”

“Nothing new everypony is scared after what happened to Cloudsdale”

Spirit began to get dressed in his tan colored clothing.

“What are you doing?” Fluttershy asked

“We still have to get the Diamond dogs on our side” he said as he pulled his shirt over the bandage

“But you just woke up”

“I know we don’t have any time to waste.”

“Well alright!” Applejack cheered “lets get started”

Spirit made his way to the war room where he was greeted by cheers of the ponies and gryphons gathered there. Arite Fact
and the rest of the Element bearers were sitting around the map waiting for Spirit.

“Glad to see you back”

“You’ve been taking it easy while I’ve been away?” Spirit joked to the colt

“Of course not” the colt said jumping up

“Alright catch me up to speed” Spirit sat behind his desk.

Artie cleared his throat and approached the magical map.

“As you can see the Magical Barrier Generators are all up and functioning in Canterlot, Manehatten, and Ponyville.” Blue
orbs surrounded each city on the map. “We have already evacuated other small villages and farms to these cities. With the
loss of Cloudsdale.” Artie gestured to the now vacant spot on the map “All recourses are being divided up among the other
cities. Valam has seen to it that the skies over each are kept clear.”

“How is she doing that” Spirit interrupted

“She brought many dragons with her it’s quite the sight.” Artie answered

“What about our allies how are their cities protected?”

“We don’t believe Shadow will attack the Gryphon home of High Perch, the Dragons have no single city and no pony really
knows where the Diamond Dog home is.”

“I do” Spirit said “and that’s where we are headed next.”

Comments

[Lone Wolf]

Well done