The Flight of the Shadow

by ShadowStrike11

Chapter 1: The Perfect Target for Bullies

Author's Note:

First of all, I'd like to thank the people who liked, faved, or commented on the story. However, I noticed that I've also been getting many dislikes lately. I don't know the reason behind that, maybe it's the idea or the writing style, or maybe just the fact that it's an OC story, but if you're going to dislike a story, you could at least tell WHY you dislike it.

Before you read, I'm just gonna clarify that this takes place in our universe. Equestria Girls doesn't exist in this story (I liked the movies but I couldn't fit it into this story).

Also, you might be wondering why I had to put so many details in a chapter that doesn't take place in Equestria. I actually did this to give an introduction of Shelwyn's personality and her abilities, and an example on what her life in this world was like. The next chapter will be a bit more Equestria related.

So...on to the story, I guess?

The Perfect Target for Bullies

Shelwyn Furlan was different. And everybody knew it.

She could feel the stares on her back as she walked down the hill to the track, where the school was holding tryouts for the track and field team. Although she was used to it, she still found all the unwanted attention somewhat unnerving. If they had given her kinder looks, she might have felt just the slightest bit better. But no, if there was one word to describe what everyone thought she was - other than weird - it would be different.

Shelwyn drew her cloak around her shoulders a bit tighter. It was the end of Autumn, and the cool breeze ruffled her black hair. Normally, this would have been the perfect time for her to spread her arms out like wings and enjoy the wind as it blew back her cape, but she wouldn't dare attract too much attention. Especially in the presence of bullies.

"Hey, Shelwyn! What made you want to join us?" a loud voice rang from her right side. Shelwyn resisted the urge to facepalm. After all, she was the main target for the school bullies. She continued to walk on as though nothing had happened. If only she were allowed to wear her hood, then nobody would have to notice the piercing glare that ignited in her eyes.

Speaking of the hood, it was another reason why Shelwyn on top of the list of weirdoes. She had asked her parents several times about the origins of her cloak. And each time, they told her that it was a family artifact that had been passed down to her through many generations. But for some reason, that explanation sounded like a complete lie to her. First of all, judging by the collection of family photos her parents kept in the cabinet, nobody in her family, other than her, had ever been seen wearing the cloak. And they were nothing like her, in both looks and personality.

Shelwyn snapped out of her thoughts just in time to see notice a leg that stuck out right in front of her feet, blocking her path. Great. They were trying to trip her again so she that would be humiliated and bullied in front of the school. Time for the first rule in Shelwyn's book: show no mercy to those who dare cross your path.

She raised her right foot, maintaining perfect balance, and stomped down as hard as she could. Smirking, she lifted her left foot up too and pushed off with both feet. She soared gracefully through the air before landing one foot behind the other, knees slightly bent, her arms ready in case she got into another fight. A pained grunt, followed by a load of swearing, told her that her job had been done.

The mysterious student relaxed from her "fighting stance" and continued walking as though nothing had happened. A few students glanced at her nervously, before backing away to make room for her. They would only fear her for a few moments, then relax when she showed no further sign of aggression.

A group of students had already gathered on a side of the track. Shelwyn could hear the low but excited buzz spreading through the crowd. It seemed like all the students, except for her, were excited to try out for the sport. She didn't have anything against sports, especially track and field, but she didn't like being tested and watched, either. To be honest, she loved running, but only for the adventure and thrill of speed. If it weren't for her parents encouraging her to participate more often, she would be running through the shadows in a nearby forest, agilely weaving her way through the thick trees.

Not wanting to attract any attention, she darted into the shadows of a row of trees behind where the gathering was taking place. Then, silently but swiftly, she made her way behind the group of students, just as the roll call started.

"Celine Blue?"

"Here," a girl with a long brown ponytail spoke up.

"Jace Darson?"

"Wazzup?" a tall boy with spikey blonde hair called, earing a few snickers from his friends, and a disapproving look from the coach. The coach glanced down at the roll call sheet. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Shelwyn Furlan?"

"H-Here," Shelwyn muttered in her usual low, raspy voice. The students nearest to her jumped in surprise. Obviously, nobody had expected her to be here. Most shot her suspicious or dirty looks, though a few gave her an encouraging smile. Yes, this was how unpopular she was.

"Ah, Shelwyn. Nice to see you finally participating," the coach gave a friendly nod, which she returned with a small grin.

As the roll call continued, Shelwyn could see the bully who had tripped her earlier glaring at her. She shrank back into the shadows in an unsuccessful attempt to hide. The boy rolled his eyes and mouthed "coward" in her direction. He turned away to chat with his friends just before Shelwyn's usually green eyes seemed to flash red with fury.

"Okay, everyone! Listen up!" yelled the coach, immediately gaining everyone's attention. "Today you will all be tested on running, jumping, and throwing skills. This also includes being able to follow instructions quickly and immediately after they are given," he added, shooting a stern glare at a group of kids who didn't seem to be paying attention.

The coach led the students over to a green cone on the track. "This is where you will start. You have to sprint over to the red cone all the way down the track," he pointed to a red cone that stood 50 yards away from the green cone. "Then, you will turn onto the field, where you will jump the hurdles. When you're done, you will turn, again, and throw the discus as far as you could. I will not accept any forms of cheating. If you are caught cheating, you will be disqualified. Not do we only accept the best into the team, we also look for those with integrity and sportsmanship. Everybody, got that?"

"Okay, who wants to go first?" he asked. Nobody raised their hand. "Really, nobody? Okay, I guess I will have to go by last name order." He was about to call up the unfortunate student who happened to be first on the list, when the boy who had bullied Shelwyn slowly raised his hand.

"Leon? You want to go first?"

"Actually, sir, I was wondering if Shelwyn might want to go first, since it's her first time participating in any event," he said, smirking at Shelwyn, who recoiled in horror.

Thank you so much, Leon. I feel so honored. Shelwyn had to bite her tongue to keep those sarcastic remarks from escaping. She wanted nothing more than to walk up and punch him right across the face in front of the whole class. Why did he have to keep picking on her? It was just so frustrating! She looked at the coach, hoping he would chastise him, but instead, his face split into a wide grin.

"Excellent idea, Leon!" he agreed, to Shelwyn's disappointment. Then, he turned to her. "Well, since you haven't had a chance to prove yourself yet, would you like to go first?"

"Um..I...," Shelwyn wanted to say no. She hated having to perform in front of others. Not to mention being the FIRST to perform. She was not the boastful, show-off type. No, she was mysterious "shadow" who hated the spotlight. She was about to reject the offer in the politest way possible, when another word flashed through her head.

Coward.

The boy, Leon, had called her a coward many times. But never had she gotten as mad as right now. She no longer cared if anyone was watching her. All she heard was the word "coward", associated with the face of her enemy, ringing through her head.

That's right - time to prove that a mysterious introvert is NOT the same as a coward.

"Shelwyn?" the coach's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Do you want to go first or not?"

"Wha - ? No - wait, I mean...yes," Shelwyn answered, mentally smacking herself for stumbling over her words. As soon as she said the words, an excited murmur spread throughout the group. She could feel all eyes on her as she took her place at the green cone.

"Good luck, Shelwyn!" a voice she knew belonged to Leon called out. Despite the complimenting words, she could hear a whole load of mockery behind his words.

Okay, Shelwyn. Nothing to be nervous about. Just show the world who you really are, and they'll instantly be on their knees begging for forgiveness. A little hesitantly, she nodded to the coach to indicate that she was ready. She could only hope that she would do well. Otherwise, she would have to endure their tormenting laughter and mocking insults for the rest of her life.

"On your mark..."

I can do this.

"...get set..."

I'm not a coward.

"...GO!"

Shelwyn shot off at a surprisingly fast speed, leaving a trail of dust behind. Her cape trailed behind her, making her look like a black blur from afar. Her feet pushed off the sanded ground silently, footstep right after footstep. The quick movement of her legs, combined with her eyes full of determination, already made her a true athlete. The speed at which she was going at only seemed to increase as the wind threatened to lift her off the ground. If she could hold her cape out to her sides like wings, she doubted she would be on the ground any longer.

It felt like flying, and it felt awesome.

But thanks to her speed, it also meant that the sprinting session had reached an end.

Catching herself just in time, she swerved and skidded right onto the grassy field, kicking up a cloud of dust behind her. The flame that had ignited during the thrill of speed, hadn't died down yet, and she was willing to keep it going.

She ran towards the barrier at a still considered fast speed and pushed off the ground only a few feet before the fence. She soared gracefully through the air - with a little help from her cape - and continued running as soon as her sneakers touched the ground. The same process was repeated three more times, without a single flaw, until she came to the last hurdle, where she stumbled a little on landing. It was going to leave a stain on her grade, no matter how small, but she wasn't let that bring her down.

Finally, she came to the discus throw. Skidding to a halt, she picked up the discus and twisted her body all the way to the right. Then, mustering up as much energy as she could, she swung her arm forward, along with the force of her body, and released the discus. It soared high through the air, before gradually descending onto the grassy field, where it rolled to a stop.

The sound of a whistle trilled through the air, signifying the end of her performance. Shelwyn looked up to see the coach jotting down something on his clipboard with an impressed smile on his face. She glanced to the group of students waiting for their own moments to shine. To her surprise, they weren't sneering or laughing her.

In fact, they seemed to be...respecting her with awestruck looks on their faces.

"Impressive. Very impressive, indeed, Miss Furlan," the coach complimented her. "Your skills have certainly passed my expectations by a considerable amount. Keep up the good work!"

"T-Thank you," said Shelwyn, keeping a grin on her face. As she walked back to the crowd, she noticed a slight shift in the atmosphere. Several students were eyeing her with wide eyes, some even with their jaws hanging open. The crowd instantly parted to let her through, and surprisingly, nobody stuck out their leg to trip her this time. She could hear an occasional "Good job!", or "You did awesome!". A few students even patted her on the back to show their appreciation. Although she wasn't used to this friendly type of attention, she faced them with a grateful smile and thanked them in return.

Shelwyn leaned against the tree, once again fading into the shadows. She had to admit - the friendly attention really wasn't that bad. But she still felt more like home when concealed in places of quietness and mystery. The thrill was starting to wear off now, and she found herself starting to get more and more tired than she was during running. It was just strange how her body worked - not tired at all during action but exhausted after.

"That was actually pretty good, Shelwyn," Leon complimented her in a surprisingly friendly tone. But the friendly mask was soon wiped off as he hissed to her in a venomous tone full of hatred and maybe a twinge of jealousy. "But not as good as me. Don't you try to copy me, 'cause you're not gonna succeed.

Shelwyn sighed, knowing that he was never going to change his attitude towards her. "Even if I were to copy, I probably wouldn't copy from you."

Surprised by her cold retort, Leon opened his mouth to argue, but was silenced by the coach. "Leon, you're up next!"

Leon smirked as he confidently strutted over to the starting point. Several of his friends whooped and cheered for him, knowing the famous athlete he was. Shelwyn just stood still with a neutral expression and witnessed everything, secretly hoping for him to trip and get his head stuck in the dirt.

"On your mark...get set...GO!" And with that, Leon sped off as fast as he could, determined to beat Shelwyn at any cost.

Shelwyn observed every of his movements carefully like a hawk watching it's prey. As much as she hated to admit, he was actually a pretty good sprinter. But she refused to believe that he was better than her. She could spot a few mistakes as he veered off to the hurdles. To her, it was obvious that she was more agile, and made more precise movements. She could tell that he was trying to complete the hurdles as fast as he could, but it also resulted in sloppy landings. However, she was quite impressed by his ability to throw the discus, and had to admit that he had a 50 percent chance of beating her on that.

Now Shelwyn wasn't quite sure if he already has this set up before, or maybe he just had control over people's actions, but as he strode back to the group, a nice, loud cheer rose from the gathering students. It was like what Shelwyn had received, only increased by a hundred. Students high-fived him and congratulated him, showering him with compliments and respect. All Shelwyn could think of was "I'm surprised you didn't fail". But like always, she kept her mouth closed.

"Beat that, Shelwyn!" he spat at her as his friends snickered in the background for special effects. Several others glanced in their way, curious to see how this rivalry would turn out.

Shelwyn looked at him coldly, and replied. "I already have."

Leon raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Whoa, I never knew you could talk. What a surprise." That sent all his friends and some of the bystanders into peals of laughter.

Shelwyn could only be grateful that a few bystanders at least knew he was bullying her. It was better than nothing. After all, she was at the bottom of the pit of unpopularity. What else could she ask for?

My life sucks. Don't even ask why, it just does. She sat down at the base of the tree and waited for the rest of the tryouts to finish. It was long and dreary to her, having nobody to talk to. But hey, it's better than having Leon as the only person to talk to, she tried thinking to herself in an attempt to brighten her spirits. It barely worked. Now she really wished she could fit in and try to make friends, like everyone else at the school.

Yup, that's right. Friends.

And as terrible as it was to admit, Shelwyn was probably the only one in the school who had no friends.

She waited not so patiently for the tryouts to finish, her boredom threatening to swallow her. If only she had a friend to talk to, then she wouldn't be half-insane during waiting. But again, who would want to be friends with a person like her? They'd all see her as cold, mysterious, and unwelcoming, maybe even weak and vulnerable.

Well, I have lived all my life so far in dark, with no friends whatsoever. It wouldn't hurt to be friendless for a little longer.She shrugged, picked up a stick from the ground, and fiddled with it to erase a corner of her boredom. Minutes slowly dragged by as she waited for the tryouts to end. Just as she thought she couldn't take it anymore . . .

"And that concludes the track and field tryouts! Results will be posted outside the locker rooms next Monday. Even if you don't make the team, we appreciate your efforts just for trying, and we hope you can try again next year. Remember, it's the effort you put in that matters!" With that, the coach concluded the tryouts.

The air was buzzing with chatter as the students headed back up the hill. Shelwyn looked around to make sure Leon and his group of friends were out of sight before trudging up the hill after them. To anyone, it must have looked quite sad, if not pathetic, to see her walking up the hill all alone, shielded by a dark cape. But again, that was her life.

She was so absorbed in her loneliness that she didn't notice another figure come up to her. Looking to the right, she saw the coach walking by her side, ready to speak to her. She found it surprising that anybody would want to accompany her, but she reminded herself that if this was the coach, she'd better listen up well.

"Shelwyn, I would like to say that I am very impressed with your performance today," he complimented her, making her flinch in surprise. "If I were allowed to play favorites, I'd say that you were even better than Leon."

Okay. Now that was unexpected. Shelwyn had never been particularly praised by a teacher, much less become a top student. Nevertheless, she accepted his praise with lots of gratitude. "Uh, thanks, Coach Williams," she rasped, then cleared her throat as quietly as she could.

"Relax, Shelwyn," Coach Williams chuckled. Out of all the students he'd met, she had been the most interesting by far. He could tell by her voice that she obviously didn't talk as much as the other students. "Have you ever tried out for any sports team before?"

Though she knew she shouldn't be too surprised, Shelwyn couldn't help but wonder if he was testing her. What if she gave the "wrong" answer? Would it affect her chances of making the team?

"Er, no, this is my first time," Shewlyn answered very honestly.

The coach nodded thoughtfully and smiled. "Then I must say that you've certainly got talent for a first timer. Besides, I heard that you were constantly being bullied by Leon and his friends, weren't you?"

Shelwyn blinked once. How did he know? If there was one thing both she and Leon had in common, it was their effort to keep it away from the teachers. Apparently, Leon was not doing a very good job. But again, it was getting kind of obvious to everyone, judging by her loneliness and his loudness.

"Well, it's true, but I think I can handle it. I won't let him drag me down," she said the last sentence confidently, which was kind of rare for her in public.

"Now that's the spirit!" Coach Williams echoed her tone. "But remember, if he bothers you too much, don't hesitate to tell me or any of the staff, okay?"

"Got it," Shelwyn saluted him, her hidden inner confidence starting to rise. It was a side of Shelwyn that only a few lucky people would ever witness. And other than her parents, Coach Williams was probably the only other inspiration that let her bright side shine.

"Well, it looks like I'll see you on Monday," the coach announced as they neared the gates. "Remember, Shelwyn, there will be many obstacles in life when you try to achieve your goals. Don't let them drag you down. Instead, take it and turn it to your advantage. There are many lessons you can learn with each obstacle."

Shelwyn picked up her backpack from where she had left it on the curb, surprised that nobody had stolen it and stashed it in a trash can yet. "I promise I will never forget that, coach," she replied with renewed determination.

After a short exchange of goodbyes, Shelwyn continued through the gates and down the sidewalk that lined the parking lot. Her house wasn't very far from school, so she usually walked home. A few students from the track and field tryouts still lingered around the sidewalks, only glancing up as she passed by, then continued their conversations as though she didn't exist.

Shelwyn just shrugged and turned the corner. That was her life - only a shadow in the lives of others. Unimportant, unnecessary, and unnoticed. With the exception of Coach Williams, of course, since he seemed to be interested her athletic abilities. Sometimes, she found herself wondering why it was so hard to just fit in. She wanted to be able to talk to people just like everybody else, rather than waiting for them to cast nasty looks in her direction. Maybe it was because of her cloak, but surely those kids had been taught not to judge others by what they look like, right?

If it's not my cloak, then it must be me. Me and my shadowy personality that's starting to annoy me now. I don't understand why, but it feels like I'm trapped in a crystal with no way to contact others. It's like...I'm not from this world.

Wait...what I really AM from another wor -

"Gah!" Shelwyn was so busy brainstorming her past that she didn't see the white, wooden door she had walked right in to. She rubbed her head, grimacing in pain, and took in her surroundings. She blinked in confusion, wondering how she had managed to arrive at her home without paying attention.

Her home, obviously, was a plain, white one-story house with a red roof. The exterior walls were aligned with hedges and stones, trimmed just enough to reveal a row of windows on the front wall. The garage took up the left half of the building with the door placed right next to it, in the middle. In front of the house was the front yard, which was just plain grass, nothing special.

Shelwyn rang the doorbell, then waited for the door to open. After a minute, she rang the doorbell again. Yet, nobody came to answer. She raised an eyebrow in suspicion - it usually didn't take this long to answer a door.

Another minute passed, and still nobody came to answer.

"Okay, seriously?" muttered Shelwyn. She continuously pressed the doorbell over and over again as her patience wore off. What could possibly have happened for her parents to take this long? If the doorbell was broken, then okay, she could forgive them, but if it was some type of prank, then she wouldn't be in a good mood for quite some time.

Growling in frustration, she proceeded to pound on the door with her fist. She didn't care if she was making a racket, because her patience was wearing really thin.

A minute later, she still stood outside, shaking out her sore fist and glaring daggers at the white, wooden door.

Finding something to put her frustration on, Shelwyn grabbed the doorknob, turned it and pulled it back as hard as she could. To her surprise, the door whipped right open, slamming her into the wall.

"OH, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" she yelled at nothing in particular as she recovered from the impact. She heard laughter from across the street and turned to see the last person she ever wanted to see, holding a camera and laughing his head off like a maniac. Leon.

Great. I'm about to become YouTube's top comedian. Wonder how many dislikes that's gonna get. She couldn't believe he had recorded all of that without her knowing. Seeing that there was nothing she could really do to prevent herself from becoming a social clown, she fled into her house as quickly as she could and slammed the door behind her.

Shelwyn took a deep breath to try and control her rage. Rage at Leon for making a clown out of her. And rage at herself for being so stupid.

She dumped her backpack on the floor and looked around, wondering why it was so dark in here. The whole house was drenched in darkness, for not a single light was on. If it weren't for her outstanding vision, she would have walked directly into a bookshelf and had gotten rained on with books.

"Hello?" Her voice rang through the house, breaking the eerie silence. "Mom? Dad?" She took a few steps forward, glancing around suspiciously. By the looks of things, it felt like a murder had taken place. The silence, the darkness? Everything was mysterious enough to be mistaken for a crime inspection scene in those movies.

Shelwyn slipped on her hood so that she blended in with the scenery. Then, she cautiously made her way to the closest lamp and tried to use her senses to find the switch in the darkness.

Just as she about to turn on the light...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHELWYN!"

I can't believe I forgot my own birthday.