Midnight Shadow (Outdated)

by Orzo Pasta

Homecoming

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It was a beautiful day, as almost every day was. I was standing out in the garden I had planted in an attempt to become more self-sufficient. The plants had barely sprouted, as it had only been a week or two since I planted them. Plant care was fairly easy compared to my normal work. All I needed was a few tools, some seeds to plant, and the space to plant it. It wasn't very big, seeing as I only needed enough food for myself.

It was only a few days before the Gala. I wasn't exactly sure why I decided to go. Perhaps it was curiosity. Maybe it was something else. Whatever the reason, my decision was made.

It was then that Rarity approached me.

"Good morning, Shadow," she said, her purple mane wavering slightly in the breeze.

I looked up for a moment and nodded in response. Then, I turned my attention back to the plants at my hooves.

"So sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to ask you a favor."

I stopped for a moment. "More thread?"

Rarity shook her head. "Not... exactly. You see, the dresses I've made with your thread have become quite popular here in Ponyville, and-"

I looked back at the plants, resuming my work.

"-many of the townsponies are curious who exactly is behind it. I didn't want to take the credit, because as an artist I know-"

I moved to the next row of plants.

"-how awful it is to have your work stolen by somepony else, so I told them I'd try to get you to make an appearance."

I stopped.

"...Is that a yes?"

I looked back at Rarity. "No."

She was surprised by my answer. "Well, why not?"

I took a deep breath. "You want me to appear in front of the entirety of Ponyville?"

"Well, not all of Ponyville. Probably around seventy percent of the town, actually," she replied, followed by a nervous laugh.

I shook my head, unable to understand what she was asking. "Listen, Rarity. I live in a house on the very edge of the Everfree Forest." I gestured to my house as I spoke. "I almost never come out, and when I do it's because I need something. Do you really think a pony who lives like that would want to give a speech to the entire town?"

"Well, when you put it that way-"

"The answer is no. Now, I have some work to do." I started walking towards the door.

"So you're just going to go back inside just like that?"

I nodded. Why is she so insistent?

"Darling, you can't just-"

I was starting to get annoyed. "I can't just what? 'Waste my life inside?' Doing the same thing I've been doing for almost a year?"

"I- Well, I just..."

"Please, just go away. I have work to do."

I was already inside, and Rarity was standing just outside the door. She turned to go, then stopped.

"What is wrong with you?"

She caught me somewhat off guard with that. "What do you mean?"

She turned around, clearly enraged. "You heard me. I ask for a simple favor, and you respond so... so rudely! You could've at least tried to be polite about it."

"I don't have time for this," I said, closing the door. Just before it clicked shut, I heard one last thing.

"Maybe Twilight is right about you."
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Journal Entry: March 20^th

Tomorrow is the Gala. I can't be certain of anything when it comes to this day. I might not make it back. While I might not be afraid, I do understand the risk involved in this. If I do return, I will continue this journal. If I don't, at least somepony might be able to figure out what happened to me.
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The night of the Gala nearly ended in disaster.

It started out alright. I made it to Canterlot without incident. Just as I expected, the streets were crowded with tourists, come to get as close to the Gala as they could. I made my way through the crowds, blending in as best I could, relying on my hooded cloak to conceal my identity.

When I arrived at the gates, I was stopped by the guards.

"Do you have a ticket?"

I nodded, taking my silver ticket out of my saddlebag and handing it over. The guard took a moment to look over it.

"Follow me," he said, turning and walking through the gates. I recognized his voice. Taking one last look around, I followed Silver into the castle.

We walked through the castle corridors, which were considerably less crowded than the streets of the city outside. I had only been inside the castle a few times, but Silver seemed to be able to navigate it as if he lived there. After a while, he stopped.

"So, you're here."

I nodded. "It would seem like it, yes."

He took the Royal Guard armor off, teleporting it to somewhere unknown to me. I assumed that the armor didn't belong to him. I wondered if he had put it back where he got it from.

"So, why did you invite me here?" I asked.

He smiled slightly, pausing for a moment before answering. "I've been trying to keep track of what the Lunar Uprising has been up to for a while now," he explained. "Recently, there's been a lot of activity around Canterlot. As I investigated further, I discovered that they've been planning something for tonight."

"So, what is it?" My eyes quickly darted to the shadows in the corridor, just to be sure.

"I couldn't find out any more without risking discovery. What I do know is that whatever it is involves Princess Celestia in some way."

I nodded halfheartedly, not fully convinced that being there was a good idea. "So you want me to help stop them."

"Yep," Silver responded. "First, we need to figure out just what it is they plan to do." After a moment, he added, "You lived here in Canterlot before, right? Do you know where the Canterlot Star is?"

The Canterlot Star was one of the most well-known and trusted newspapers in the entire city. Their headquarters weren't all that far away from my old house, where I had spent the first several years of my life. "Yes, but I don't see what that has to-"

"Behind the Canterlot Star building is a tunnel entrance. It is one of many that the Uprising use to get around. It also happens to be one of the least guarded of the entrances. If we're going to go anywhere to find out what they're planning, that's be the place."

"But how will we get in without being seen? Even if there aren't as many guards around it, surely somepony would see us."

Silver levitated something out of his saddlebag; the yellow amulet I saw him find in the vision I had. "Leave that to me," he said with a grin.
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"I just don't know if it'll work on me," I explained to Silver, walking alongside me as we made our way towards the Canterlot Star. A few ponies saw us, but we got little more than a few strange looks, and most of the crowds were closer to the castle. After he explained to me what the amulet did, and after I explained the part of my vision in which I saw him use it, he had put it back in his saddlebag. I decided not to explain the rest of the vision quite yet, only giving him enough details to understand why I acted so strangely on that day. The truth was, I didn't fully understand it myself.

"And why wouldn't it? It's never failed me before." Based solely off of what he knew at the time, it was sound logic. However, there was something he didn't know.

I shifted my wings around, just enough to let him know they were there. "I made these not too long ago," I said as I did so. "They're made of a material that is completely magic-resistant. For that matter, my cloak is too. The amulet may be able to make the rest of me invisible, but my wings and cloak would still be clear as day."

Silver chuckled to himself. "The amulet doesn't necessarily make us invisible, per se. Instead, it changes the perception of other ponies around so that they don't see us. The magic isn't acting on us, but rather those who we wish to hide from."

I nodded in understanding.

The two of us continued onwards, encountering no trouble on the way to the tunnel entrance. Most of that time was spent walking in silence, and I began to let my mind wander. I wondered how my father was doing, and wished I could visit him without putting both our lives at risk. I thought about Twilight, and how I still didn't understand why she was so furious with me. I also thought about the bread thief pony, the one I had tried to catch so many years ago. I wondered where she was now, and how her insect-like friend was doing. I briefly reflected on the progress I had made on my new project. Despite the fact that I only had a few weeks to work on it, I had made significant progress. Assuming I kept the same pace, I figured I could begin building it in a few months' time, perhaps even less. Finally, my thoughts turned to the ominous warning I had been given when I had first arrived in Ponyville. The words of the strange tree still echoed in my mind. If you stand alone, you will fail. Stand with others, and your victory is guaranteed.

I still had no clue as to what it could mean. Suddenly, a vague memory surfaced from the corners of my mind. I remembered a red book, with a symbol resembling a winged unicorn on the front. I recalled the words that I had read from the book. Four amulets will be the keys. The sudden realization that said book was currently in the hands of the Lunar Uprising hit me. All I could do was hope it didn't have anything that could help their cause contained within its pages.

"We're here," Silver said, bringing me back to reality.
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The Canterlot Star headquarters stood a story taller than the buildings that surround it. The sign on the front of the building indicated that the writers inside delivered 'more details than any other paper.' Directly above it was the company logo, a yellow five-pointed shooting star passing over Canterlot. The lights were still on inside the buildings, the silhouettes of writers and editors visible just inside the windows. Some of them sat at desks, seemingly operating typewriters. Others walked in and out of rooms, likely transporting papers and instructions. For all of the ponies inside, it was business as usual.

Silver and I made our way to the back of the building. As we passed under a streetlight casting its glowing halo onto the street below, I noticed how Silver's coat shimmered slightly in the direct light. Without the yellow amulet, he definitely wasn't sneaking around anywhere. Said amulet was already around his neck by the time we reached the alleyway, glowing yellow as it came to life with magical energy.

"Remember, while they can't see or hear us, they will still be able to feel us if we happen to bump into one of them by accident. Be careful, and don't get too far away from me."

There were two doors in the back of the Canterlot Star. One of them was marked 'authorized ponies only.' The other had a familiar symbol on it. It was the universal symbol for electrical systems; a lightning bolt contained within a black triangle. Silver walked towards the door, his horn starting to glow as the lock on the door started emitting a bright glow.

"You'd be surprised how many ponies don't realize that any unicorn can unlock a non-arcane lock with little more than basic levitation," Silver remarked, before turning the handle on the door.

A plain wooden staircase led down into the dimly-lit tunnel beyond. It was little more than a square of concrete lining the edges, gray being the only color visible down the entire length of the tunnel. Simple electrical lights hung from the ceiling, providing illumination that was just barely enough to see by. As we entered, it became clear that navigating the tunnels wasn't going to be easy. Just ahead, the tunnels branched off in three directions, one of which had another staircase descending further.

Just before the intersection, a single earth pony sat in a folding chair off to the side. She was asleep, snoring rather loudly from time to time. She wore a simple metal armor, with a moon symbol painted in black on the chestplate. Silver began walking ahead slowly, taking care as to move as quietly as possible. I followed suit, creeping along behind him.

Just as we were passing the guard, her eyes opened slightly. "Whozzere?" she said, rather sluggishly. It was clear that she was far too tired to do her job properly. Even so, if it wasn't for the amulet, she would have cried out for help, and that would be the end of our effort. Fortunately, the magical relic did its job perfectly. The guard pony, satisfied that she was alone, drifted back to sleep. I quietly released the breath I had been holding, and after a moment we continued on.

We stopped at the intersection, unsure of which way to go. Silver looked down each path, before seemingly picking one at random. A distant echo of conversation reached my ears, and I motioned for him to stop. Closing my eyes, I listened closely for the direction of the voices. They were definitely coming from the right. I pointed, indicating the direction to Silver. He nodded, changing his course and continuing on.

There were other intersections along the way, and at each one of them I stopped to listen for voices. We also passed several doors, behind some of which could be heard the snores of sleeping ponies. The two of us walked for what seemed like hours, and as we went along the tunnels became more complex. Intersections went from being occasional to being every ten hoofsteps. Winding our way through the system of tunnels, we nearly encountered several patrolling guards, each of which seemed much more awake than the first one had been. Each time, we slowly walked around them, keeping to the opposite side of the tunnel.

Eventually, the voices grew louder. I began to make out what was being said.

"...if only they'd listen. Don't tell them I said this, but those commanders can be really damn stubborn. Don't they realize that she's still our Princess?" It was a male voice, one completely unfamiliar to me. "So what if her loyalties changed? We have always been in service to her, ever since the Uprising was founded. The fact that she agreed to share the power with her sister doesn't change that."

Another voice, this one female, replied. "Yes, but they don't see it that way. They are more loyal to the cause rather than the pony. They believe that, above all else, Celestia is the one true enemy, and is unfit to rule. To them, Luna's reformation was a betrayal."

Luna?

"If only we could do something about it. If they heard even a part of what we say behind their backs, they'd have us dead in an instant." The stallion let out a sigh. "Well, I guess there's no helping it."

The voices were getting louder.

"There is something we could do. I heard that one of the commanders has tried to argue the same point to the rest. If she wants to have any chance at succeeding, she needs support from us soldiers. If we can spread the word, raise a majority in support, then maybe the boss will listen."

The stallion laughed briefly in response. "I know who you mean. She's been the boss's personal pet ever since she was invited to join. But with the stunt she pulled back at the Everfree facility, and now this, she'll likely be dead by the end of the week. Along with anypony who supported her. I'd love to see some change among our ranks, especially the higher ones, but I'd prefer being alive."

There was a pause for a moment. At that point, Silver and I were just around the corner from them. "Well, I'm going to help her," the mare said, finally.

"You're going to get yourself killed."

I heard their hoofsteps walking away. "Not if I can gather enough support. The boss wouldn't kill half of his entire army, not without losing any chance of getting what he wants. As long as I keep it low-profile, I should be able to convince tons of ponies here."

The conversation had already revealed something big to us.

The Lunar Uprising was starting to split apart.

"It's a shame, though. Had I started raising support sooner, I might have even been able to save the other Princess's life. She's probably sitting up there, smiling and having a good time, unaware that she's about to get an arrow to the face."

I glanced over at Silver. His worried expression said it all.

"Well, there's nothing you can do about it." The stallion paused for a moment. "You know what? I think I will help you. If we get enough support, we might even be able to cause a change before they get around to killing Princess Luna too."

I hardly took notice of the second mention of that name. Only one thought was going through my head, and I was certain that Silver was thinking the same thing.

We had to stop them.
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It didn't take very long until I could hear the sleeping guard's snoring again. We moved as fast as we could without giving ourselves away, knowing quite well that we had precious little time. I led the way this time, my strangely superior hearing allowing me to find the way, as well as know when a guard was coming.

I had never been in a situation before then that forced me to rely on hearing so heavily. Afterwards, when I thought about it, I supposed my ability could be explained as the result of trying to listen to conversations through walls for years, although I was unsure whether or not that could actually be the case.

We made it to the door, breaking into a run as soon as the door was closed behind us. Neither of us bothered to lock it; they were going to find out that somepony interfered with their plans one way or another, and we didn't have the time to stop and cover our tracks. Besides, the chances of the Uprising actually figuring out who did it were next to nothing.

We ran through the streets of Canterlot, still rendered practically invisible by Silver's amulet. Reaching the gates, I realized that there was no way to get through the crowd in time.

Before I knew it, a silver glow flashed off to my left, and I felt myself being pulled through a hole in space.

Instantly, I knew that we were in the castle. The architecture was too unique, too ornate to be anywhere else. Silver motioned for me to be quiet, as he indicated what was just ahead.

Silver had teleported us into the entryway of a balcony. It overlooked the main entrance hall, where Celestia was still greeting guests coming in to the party. On the long balcony, on opposite ends, stood two cloaked ponies, each with a bow and arrow at their side.

An arrow to the face.

The two assassins were unmoving, their eyes trained on the room below. I looked over at Silver, and in response he simply nodded.

I was closer to the one on the right. She went down with a single blow from my metal hoof. Looking to the other side of the balcony, I saw that Silver had cast a sleeping spell on the assassin.

I briefly wondered where Silver had learned a sleeping spell, before pushing that question out of my mind to focus on more immediate concerns.

While nopony could have seen us, they certainly heard the sound of metal colliding with the back of a pony's skull. The room below had erupted into chaos. Ponies ran in all directions, pushed by nothing but primal fear. It lasted for only a moment, however, as a massive crash came from the direction of the main ballroom, silencing the room for a few moments. Afterwards, the crowd resumed its panicking, during which I noticed Celestia slip out of the room, presumably going to investigate the crash.

I briefly looked down at the assassin I had knocked out, realizing that he had already fired his arrow. I looked down, seeing an arrow imbedded in the wall just inches from where Celestia had been standing.

The sound of hoofsteps could be heard from beyond the entryway. By the sound of it, they were Royal Guards. We had nowhere else to go. I briefly looked over at Silver, who was casting another spell. His horn glowed silver, and in response a portal appeared in front of him, glowing with a similar aura. He motioned for me to follow, then quickly jumped through.

Taking one last look at the chaos in the room below, I followed him.
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I recognized the room. I had spent a few hours in the room before, waiting out the blizzard. It didn't look much different. There was no fire lit in the fireplace. I took a moment to catch my breath, sitting down on the sofa.

"Well, that was... something," Silver said, sitting across from me. "I have to admit, I didn't expect something like this. I knew they were planning something, but..."

I thought for a moment, reflecting on the events of the past few hours. "How did you learn all of those spells you were using?" I finally asked.

"You'd be surprised how dangerous archaeology can be. Sometimes it seems almost like I'd gotten myself into a situation straight out of a Daring Do book." In response to my puzzled look, he replied, "It's a newer series." After that, he paused a good, long while, as if he was considering his next words very carefully.

"The spells also help in dealing with the Uprising. I've been doing everything I can to hinder their efforts, fighting against them, keeping them from taking the throne. The Princess doesn't know about it, and I know you understand why, given your own actions."

I nodded, but stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

He sighed, lowering his head. "I can't keep doing this alone, though. I'm just one pony, and Desert River had an entire army. If I hadn't asked you for help, I would still be lost in those tunnels, and the Princess would be..."

I thought about what he was saying. It was true. Even if he found a way through the tunnels, and learned the same thing from the soldiers' conversation, he still would have to take out both assassins before either one got to shoot. Judging by how dangerously close the one assassin's missed shot was, he wouldn't have been able to do that either.

"I guess, what I'm saying is... If the Uprising plans anything in the future, I need to know that I won't be fighting alone. Will you help me if the need arises?"

I was silent for a moment, considering what it was that he asked of me. At first, I was more than tempted to refuse, as it would put me at great risk. Then, I reconsidered. If the Uprising came so close this time, there was no reason to believe they wouldn't come just as close next time. If something happened to the Princess, I would be forced to live with the knowledge that I could have done something to prevent it. I would have to live knowing I could have saved Equestria, but I was too afraid.

"I understand that I have no right to ask this of you. I wouldn't have if I didn't genuinely believe that I needed your help."

I considered it a moment more, then made up my mind.

"Okay. If you need my help, I'll be there," I finally replied.

Silver's expression changed, a slight grin forming on his face. "Thank you." With that, he stood up, walking over to the lectern. I hadn't noticed the two silver medallions there, hanging from purple ribbons. He levitated one of them off the lectern, floating it over to me.

"We can use these to communicate. Use your magic to make it glow, and mine will glow as well. If you see yours glowing, it means that I need your help."

I took the medallion in my own magic, levitating it into my saddlebag.

"Oh, and one more thing. You left this the last time you were here." He closed the book on the lectern with his magic, revealing the red triangular symbol on the front.

I didn't understand. I had the book on me when I was kidnapped, which meant-

Another realization hit me. I had all of my blueprints on me at the time. Which meant every single one of them had made their way into the hooves of the Lunar Uprising.

Which raised the question of how the book ended up there.

Nevertheless, I took it as well, nodding as if to say thanks. I quickly decided to study its contents when I had the time. Perhaps the book was more than a mere recording of Alicorn prophecy. That brought another thought to my mind.

"I'm guessing you read some of it?" I asked.

Silver nodded. "The symbol on the cover was so similar to my amulet, I was convinced that they were related. Most of it was something about the author and her family, although it does mention my amulet and that there are others like it."

By that point, it was obvious that the amulet was one of the keys from the prophecy. Silver had probably figured that one out as well. I remembered the mysterious cloaked pony from my vision. She had the green amulet then, although whether or not she gave it to that pegasus, who I quickly remembered was named Sunwalker, I did not know.

I started to lose myself in my thoughts. So Sunwalker would be the warrior mentioned in the prophecy, and Silver is likely the historian. If what the cloaked pony said is to be believed, I am one of the other two. But which one? Architecture and engineering are very close fields, but at the same time my mechanical horn and wings could be said to make me an Alicorn of sorts, so I could fit either of them. And who would the other pony be?

"Shadow?" Silver said, snapping me back to reality.

I briefly shook my head. "Sorry. I got lost in thought."

"So, where did you find that book anyway?" he asked.
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I pushed the stone slab away from the entrance, revealing the ruin beyond. Nothing had changed since the last time I was there, over ten years before. I got a sense of nostalgia from it that I had never experienced before.

In the center of the room, the four pedestals stood just as they were before. I noticed a very faint yellow light emanating from the pedestal of the same color. In the center, the stone lectern sat covered in dust. Clearly, the place had been undisturbed the whole time.

"The book was on that center pedestal," I explained.

Judging by Silver's expression, he had been expecting something completely different. "Incredible. Simply incredible," he said, walking around the room and observing its architecture. "How did you find this place?"

I lowered my head. It had been a long time, and yet the memory was still fresh in my mind. I shook my head. "That isn't important."

He was clearly not convinced, but he didn't ask me further. He returned to admiring the ruin.
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After a time, I decided to go on my way. Silver wanted to stay for a while longer. Slipping my hood over my mane, I flew back down, nothing more than a dark blur against the night sky to anypony watching below. The tourists were all either heading back to their hotels or boarding trains. I located the next train to Ponyville and slipped on board.

I was silent for the whole ride, reflecting on everything that had happened. Not just on that night, but through my entire life. I had always been a mature child, which is likely why I was so prepared to continue my life after being freed from the Uprising. It was an attitude born out of necessity. Having to deal with being in a wheelchair, being bullied, and a parent who died when I was younger, I couldn't afford not to be mature. That certainly reflected onto the pony I had become. I had to grow up quickly, and if it wasn't for the fact that I had already done so I likely wouldn't have made it through everything.

Returning to Ponyville, somewhere close to dawn, I made my way across the town. It was empty, only showing the very beginning of activity from those who woke up that early. I hadn't noticed it until that point, but I was exhausted.

My house was just as I left it. I had made myself some furniture, basic but functional. My workshop had developed a lot. It even had a small crucible for forging metal. I had nothing in the way of decoration, but I didn't mind.

I took a moment to set the Alicorn book on my reading chair, promising myself that I would read it thoroughly the next day. I set the silver medallion next to it, on the table beside the chair. With that, I hung my cloak on the wall, walked up the stairs, and got into bed.

I was asleep in seconds.
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Journal Entry: March 22^nd

The Gala went much better than I expected. I suppose I should be a bit more excited about saving Equestria for the first time in my life, but I'm too distracted by the new ideas I have for my project. I'll have to look through the book I got some other day.

This is more important.
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Author's Note:

Sorry this took so long. I posted a blog about a week ago explaining why. I recommend reading it if you're curious. Also, I fixed the cover image, after realizing that I had described Shadow's cutie mark as being "a gray gear" as opposed to gold/copper. Once again, thank you to anyone who's still here.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

If the main OCs in this story were voiced, what would they sound like?

[Orzo Pasta]

8856571
I honestly don't know exactly what their voices would sound like, so it's really up to whoever's reading it to decide.

[Captain Absolution]

Looking at how Twilight would see it, I don't also trust Midnight Shadow. After the time skip, he seems crazy to me, that he will snap and do something horrible...