A teenager gets transported into Equestria. And she also happens to be the last descendant of King Sombra. What could possibly go wrong?
Shadow Spell was her original name.
Shelwyn Furlan was her name for fourteen years after she was transported to the human world.
Now Shadow Flight returns to Equestria, attempts (unsuccessfully) to fit in for the hundredth time, and struggles to learn all the lessons friendship has to offer. Unfortunately, things never go quite smooth for her . . .
. . . especially not after her uncle, King Sombra, starts invading her dreams, aiming for one purpose - to use her to take over the Crystal Empire once more.
Maniacal laughter rang through the air as the dark shadow descended upon the Crystal Empire. It hit the ground, spreading trembles throughout the land. Ponies were screaming in fear, running as fast as their little legs would carry them as their coats lost the sparkles they once possessed. But it was no use.
One by one, each and every one of them were locked in chains. They were stuck, stranded in this miserable place. There was nothing they could do to escape. Their homeland that was once the magnificent Crystal Empire had now fallen to a dark tyrant whose heart was blacker than the black crystals that erupted through the ground.
King Sombra was finally victorious. He could feel the excitement in the air as the Crystal Empire crumbled beneath his hooves. So much power, so much land, all just for him. He had waited so long for this moment, and he was not going to let anything ruin it.
Not that anything could, he thought with a smirk. After all, what were these ponies compared to him?He continued to triumph in their despair, satisfied that he had reached his goals.
Well, almost.
His irises flared red in panic. He had almost forgotten something. Somepony, to be precise. It may have seemed foolish for him to think of another pony so suddenly like that, but this one little filly he had been reminded of was preserved for a special reason - to act as a backup force for him.
After unleashing another cage of black crystals around a cluster of helpless ponies, he quickly made his way to where he had "stored" the infant. What he didn't know was that he was not the only one.
"Shhh, quiet now, nopony's going to harm you."
The cooing of the unicorn mare seemed to do the trick as the whimpers of the filly died down. The unicorn wore a black, hooded cloak that concealed most of her body. But not the kind, sympathetic eyes that shimmered with tears as she looked down at the filly nestled in her hooves.
This filly was a shade of silver, similar yet much lighter than her wicked uncle's coat. She also possessed similar shaggy black mane that ran down to her shoulders with only one difference - unlike her uncle's all-black mane, her mane was tinted red at the tips. Out of her forehead stuck a tiny horn, slightly curved, yet blood-red, only fading to black at the roots. Her eyes were closed as she slept peacefully, not knowing the fate that was in store for her.
The fate that would befall her if the unicorn mare didn't act soon.
The unicorn glanced around nervously before turning back to the filly. She sighed, a tear making its way down her cheek. This filly had no idea of the life she had been born into. It was saddening enough to realize the fact that the tiny, innocent foal was destined to become the assistant of a villain, whether she wanted it or not. Or worse, she would one day wreck havoc onto all of Equestria.
The unicorn cried silently, her tears dripping onto the small bundle. There was only one way to prevent the innocent filly from befalling this terrible fate. And it required a spell so high leveled that it had a larger chance of failing than succeeding. Should she mess up just the slightest bit, and the young filly would be gone. Forever.
No, it's too risky, the unicorn thought. What if I mess up? What if I fail?
Suddenly, her ears perked up. Something was coming down the stairs. Was it just a rock, careless enough to bounce and echo through the crystal castle? No, it was two heavy and steady to be a rock. It sounded like...
She gasped as she realized what a dire situation she was in. If the king came down to find her holding the baby in her hooves, she would be as good as dead. But if he found her standing there with the baby nowhere to be seen, she'd be worse than dead.
The mare looked from the door, to the sleeping filly, and back. The choice was clear. She had to do this, even at the terrible cost of her own life. The fate of the Crystal Empire rested in her hooves.
Her horn started to glow brightly, surrounded by a deep, turquoise aura. Her eyes narrowed in frustration as the magic enveloped the filly, lifting her several feet off the crystal floor. The filly started to whimper and stir, as the unicorn chanted the magical phrases that went along with the spell:
Last descendant of the shadows, I wish to implore To relieve you of the fate that you have in store Through portals of time and space, I grant you permission To live your life in peace in another dimension
Right after the words left her mouth, the atmosphere of her horn changed. The calm, swirling turquoise faded away to a deadly torment of black, along with splashes of red. Her eyes started to water as they started to turn red and green, wisps of purple trailing from them, just like King Sombra's eyes.
This was the dreaded part of the spell. As much as she didn't want to ruin the filly's life, she was left with no choice. A condition was required, or the spell would be unable to activate. So, swallowing down her remorse, she took a deep breath and completed the spell.
But on your fifteenth year, you will return To the very same world where you were first born There, you will know of your honest past And struggle for harmony to forever last
The mare shuddered, tears leaking down her face. She wished she didn't have to say that last part. She wanted the filly to have a nice, full life completely free of evil and corruption. The thought that she would eventually have to return and face the evil that might be lurking at that time was painful to bear. But at least she would have a better chance of handling it as a fifteen year old than a one year old.
Here goes nothing, she thought as she came to the last part of the spell: the gift. She had to send a gift along with the foal as a sign of good luck. Having nothing else to give, the unicorn tore off her cloak and used the spare bit of magic she had left to levitate and wrap it around the glowing figure. The cloak was black and mysterious, yet it had an elegant flair to it. The unicorn had to admit - it fit the foal more than it fit her.
The light started to fade away, indicating the conclusion of the spell. Holding back tears, the unicorn raised her head and uttered her final goodbye's, just as the door swung open to reveal a very furious king.
"May you live in peace for fifteen years, Shadow Spell."
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.
"So you're finally fourteen today, huh?" Shelwyn's father brought out a box from the refrigerator and a few candles lying on top of it. Shelwyn caught a whiff of chocolate and whipped cream as the cake passed by under her nose.
"It still doesn't change the fact that I'm the youngest in the school," she sighed. Over the past months in high school, she had found out that she was, indeed, the youngest in her grade level. Although it had nothing to do with size and strength, the bullies still used that as an advantage over her, calling her a 'wimp' and a 'baby'.
Shelwyn's mother draped an arm over Shelwyn's shoulder. "Who cares if you're the youngest in the school? If those kids think they could pick on you for that, then they've seriously underestimated you, am I right?"
"Totally!" Shelwyn responded with a smile. Then she turned her attention to the cake that was being brought out onto the table. It was a chocolate cake topped with whipped cream and pieces of chocolate, with cherries scattered along the rim. "Is that what I think it is?" she leaned forward to observe the cake.
"Yep!" her dad responded with enthusiasm. "Your favorite, Black Forest cake!"
"Ha! I knew it!" Shelwyn struck a ridiculously triumphant pose that gave her parents a good laugh. Any other person who didn't know Shelwyn as well as her parents would have she had lost her mind. But to her parents, it was normal to see her being bright and talkative at home. It was the other side of Shelwyn, hidden behind the dark, mysterious mask.
"Can I cut the cake?" Shelwyn eagerly reached for the plastic knife that came with the box.
"Simmer down, Shelwyn," her mom warned her. "We haven't even sang happy birthday yet."
"Oh great," Shelwyn dropped the knife and contorted her face into a fake pout. "Do I really have to endure a minute of torture for my ears?"
Her dad chuckled as he lit the candles on the cake. "Of course. You know everybody loves my singing," he said casually as he turned out the lights. There were only a few candles, but the glow they emitted was enough to light their faces with joy.
"And now," her father began dramatically. "Introducing for the fourteenth time . . . Shelwyn Furlan!" With that, he broke into the song with her mother joining in a little less loudly.
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to Shelwyn, happy birthday to you!
Shelwyn tugged her hands away from her ears to applaud for her father's loud, terribly off-pitch singing. She knew her father was no singer at all, but she did it just to be polite.
"Hey, that wasn't too bad, wasn't it?" her father tried to smile innocently, failing miserably.
"I think my ears are bleeding," her mother leaned over and whispered to Shelwyn, who stifled a snort in response.
Her father groaned and rolled his eyes. "Okay, enough with the insults. You'd better make a wish fast before I huff and puff and blow the candles down!"
Shelwyn closed her eyes and tried to think of just one wish. She had a ton of wishes in store, so it was hard to choose which one she wanted the most. Did she want to become the best athlete in the track and field team? Or did she want Leon to get his mouth glued shut permanently? All those seemed like perfect wishes, which she would love to have granted. But what, exactly, did she really want most of all? Feeling her parents' patience gazes on her, she chose the first wish that came to her mind.
I wish I could make some new friends, she thought as she blew out all the candles in one breath.
Her parents whooped and cheered as the room was once again engulfed in darkness. Then her father flipped the switch back on and held out the plastic knife to Shelwyn. "Now, you can do the honors and cut the cake. Just make sure to give me the biggest slice," he added with a smirk on his face.
"Not likely," Shelwyn replied bluntly as she carefully pierced through the chocolate and whipped cream, making sure to cut between the cherries so that everybody got an equal slice. She put two of the slices on paper plates and presented them to her parents first before cutting one for herself.
"Why do I still have a feeling that I got the smallest piece?" her father stared forlornly at the slice of cake before him. Shelwyn and her mother both rolled their eyes at the same time.
"Well anyway," her mother paused to shoot a glare at Shelwyn's father before continuing. "Did anything interesting happen at school today?"
Shelwyn immediately lit up at the mention of school. "Actually, yes, something did happen today."
Now that certainly got their attention. It was rare that Shelwyn said anything not along the lines of "nah, not really", or something like that. If something interesting did happen that day, then it must have been really interesting.
"Oh, really?" her mother asked curiously.
Shelwyn nodded while swallowing a bite of cake. "Today was the track and field tryouts. I think I did well, since Coach Williams actually came over to compliment me. He said that he was very impressed."
Her dad gave her a reassuring grin. "See? I told you that you'd do well. All you had to do was to believe in yourself."
"We are very proud of you, Shelwyn," her mother chimed in, her words shimmering with praise. "So I guess this means you made it into the team?"
Shelwyn tapped her chin, thinking. "Well, he said that he would announce the results next week, but judging by the way things are going, I'm pretty confident that I made the team."
"And to think that you stayed up half the night worrying about failure," her mom chuckled. Shelwyn groaned, remembering how she managed to wake her parents up with her late night pacing. But that wasn't the worst of it.
"If it helps, I could sing a song celebrating your admission into the team after I'm done with this slice," her dad added, shoving the rest of his cake into his mouth.
Shelwyn hastily cut another slice of cake and placed it in her dad's plate. "No, it's fine. Continue eating," she replied quickly, earning a laugh from her mother.
Just then, her mother asked a question that threw her off course for a second. "Would you mind telling us about what you wished for?"
Shelwyn almost spat out the piece of cake she had just put in her mouth. Now how was she supposed to answer that? She was unsure why, but bringing up the topic of friends just felt a bit, well, awkward to her. She had never really shown it to anybody, not even her parents, but she had always felt a bit embarrassed by the fact that she had no friends. But again, these were her parents. Surely they'd try to help her in any way they could?
She took a deep breath and got ready to spill one of her deepest secrets. "Well, to be honest, I'm not really sure if the wish was something good or bad, but . . . ," she trailed off, unable to find any more excuses. She mentally made a note to herself: work on coming up with excuses.
"But what?" her dad asked. "You shouldn't doubt your wishes. We know you have a good heart and that you'd never wish for anything bad to happen to anybody."
Except for Leon, she secretly added. That jerk could fall off the side of a mountain for all I care.
Pushing her thoughts aside, she focused on the best way to state a sentence without making it sound too pathetic. "You see, I usually don't prefer company since the people at school can get annoying sometimes, but over the weeks, I've started to feel a bit . . . lonely. It's just so boring without anybody to talk to." She sighed, knowing that she had to get to the point somehow. "I wish I could make some new . . . friends . . .
"What was that, honey?" her mother inquired, obviously not catching the last words.
"I wish I could make some new . . . friends?"
Her parents' faces lit up in smiles. "See? That wasn't so hard," her father said. "Nothing to be afraid of. In fact, I think that's one the best things you could ever wish for."
Shelwyn blinked. "Really? I thought it was pathetic."
"No!" her mother exclaimed. "Pathetic? Not at all! Friendship is a big part of life. Once you experience it, it's like you never want to let go. Friends cheer you up when you're sad and accompany you through hard times. Have you ever heard of the saying "friends are for life"? Well, it's true. True friends are those who take you for who you are and really know you better than anybody else. They're not like those who stick to you through high school, then leave you when you go to college. True friends will always be there for you through li - "
"Okay, okay, mom, I get it," Shelwyn cut through her mom's would-have-been one hour lecture before she could get too carried away.
Her mother snapped out of her lecturing daze and smiled sheepishly. "I just wanted to say that you made a very wise choice in wishing for friends, Shelwyn."
"I know, it's just that I'm not the social type," Shelwyn admitted, burying her face in her hands. "I don't know if anybody would even want to talk to me, much less be my friend."
"Shelly, if there's one thing you're suffering from, it's self-doubt," her dad explained. "It's not that hard to just go up and say hi. You just got to be confident in yourself. If one person doesn't work out for you, just go to another. There's bound to be somebody in the world who will take you for who you are."
Shelwyn gave in as her parents' wisdom found its way to her head. "You're right. Maybe I was the barrier between myself and friendship the whole time and I just didn't realize it." She recalled all the praise she had gotten after her turn in the tryouts. It was the perfect opportunity to make new friends and she had missed it!
Her father, however, had a more efficient way of solving things. "Yes, and I think it won't hurt to have a few more kids attend parties like this one, wouldn't it? Why don't we make a deal? If you can make at least two new friends this year, we'll throw you a huge birthday party next year and your friends also get to come! Deal?"
Shelwyn grinned happily, confident in the idea of making friends. "Deal!"
Then, her father's grin morphed into a devious smirk. "After all, I do need a bigger audience for next year's song . . ."
Shelwyn dumped her own unfinished slice into her dad's again empty plate. "Nope. Enjoy the cake!"
The family chatted and ate for several good minutes. Soon, their stomachs were full, and only a few pieces of cake remained on the platter. Shelwyn, having eaten the least (thanks to a certain dad), put the remaining cake back in the fridge to save for upcoming days. Due to her good mood, she also volunteered to clean up the table and get rid of the paper plates and plastic knife. Of course, her parents accepted her offers with much gratitude.
As Shelwyn returned to the table, she noticed a change in the mood. The former bright, chatty atmosphere was gone, replaced by a more solemn, serious attitude. It was a bit bothering, considering that this was her birthday, but she shrugged it off as she returned to her seat. However, a second later, her doubts were confirmed.
"Shelwyn, there's something we need to tell you about," her mother started a little hesitantly.
Shelwyn wasn't surprised. She had learned from past experiences that when your parents use that tone, it means you've got to put on your serious face and listen. Now alert and listening, she nodded for them to continue.
Her mother was just about to speak again when her father stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure about this? We don't want to say anything that might change the way of how she sees us," he cautioned her. Her mother, however, shook her head. "No. It's time she knows."
"Huh?" Shelwyn failed to restrain her curiosity. What did he mean by "change the way of how she sees us"? What did she mean by "It's time she knows"? Was it some secret that they've been keeping from her all this time? Was it going to affect her life? Her mind was abuzz with questions at this point, her curiosity now at its peak. If it were a secret, then why did they choose this time to tell her?
Her dad sighed and stood up. "Alright, Shelwyn, follow me." Without another word, he started to walk down the hallway, her mother following him solemnly.
Shelwyn heart raced as she followed them down the hallway and into a small room that was plastered with pictures and memories. Each step she took, each second that raced by, was leading her closer and closer to her destination. She was just about to discover a secret that had been kept from her for all her life. Her instinct told her that this wasn't just any secret - it was fate. And knowing fate was only seconds away made her shiver under the protection of her cloak.
She stepped into the small room, taking in her surroundings. There was nothing bizarre about the place, just the same old room stacked with boxes and photo albums with a small table in the center. No strange messages written across walls in blood, no flickering lights or eerie ghost noises like those she had seen in movies. Yet, the normalcy of the room wasn't helping with her nervousness, not one bit.
"So," she started with a gulp. "What did you want to show me?"
Her father crossed over to a lone box in a corner. Then, he took out a large, leather album that had several pages sticking out unevenly. As he placed it on the table in everybody's sight, Shelwyn saw that it was titled The Furlan's: History and Records. Another useful clue as to what the secret might be about. By now, she was starting to get an idea of what might be coming at her.
"This is where we keep memories of all our past ancestors," he started, flipping the book to the table of contents. The words were handwritten in black ink. Her father pointed to the first name on the list. "Marcus William Furlan was the first to leave his mark in the book. He came up with the idea of keeping a family history so that later generations to come would get to know their ancestors better."
"I take it that I'm one of these later generations?" Shelwyn cut in a little impatiently. She had come here to find out a really big secret, not spend minutes trying to memorize family history!
Her mother paused before nodding and responding. "You could say that. But there's something else we need to show you."
Her father's finger trailed down to the last three names on the list. The first two spelled out her parents' full names, but the last one was very much her own: Shelwyn Furlan. Now that really caught her attention - she didn't even know she had her own page in the book. She leaned towards the book curiously as he flipped over to her page.
On the top right corner of her page was an identity card that had her full name and birthday. Taped right next to it was a school picture of herself that had been taken a few months ago. However, it was the picture in the left bottom corner that stole her attention.
It was a picture of a baby wrapped in a bundle and a black cloak that was way too big for it. Her mother was holding the infant and carrying it through the open doorway. The scene probably took place at night, since it was all dark outside and only a few stars were left to light the sky.
Shelwyn looked at the picture closely. Something was oddly familiar about the infant. If it weren't for the black cloak that concealed most of the face, she swore that it could easily be a younger version of her. Her eyes trailed to her own cloak wrapped around her body. It looked identical to the one in the picture. She looked back at the picture, knowing that the infant had to be her. Why else would the picture be on her page?
"But why the cloak?" she pondered out loud. Then, she mentally slapped herself for having a big mouth.
Her mother nodded, understanding the thought behind the question. "Well, you see, Shelwyn, you aren't biologically related to us."
I'm not biologically related to them? Does this mean -"I'm adopted?" her mouth finished what her mind started.
"Not exactly," her father contradicted, causing Shelwyn to stiffen up. "You were left outside the door with no note or anything. Just the cloak and the blanket." He looked down at the picture as he recalled the memory. "We couldn't leave you out there to die, so we took you in and made you our own."
Okay. So I was left outside with that oversized cloak in the middle of the night with no note or identity whatsoever. She took a step back as she tried to take in all of that information. This means that I could be from anywhere and my biological parents could be anyone. She took another step back. But why would my real parents leave me out there like that? She didn't notice her eyes gleaming red with rage. Why?! Why would they leave me like that?!?!
"Shelwyn! A-Are you alright?"
Shelwyn flinched as her mother's concerned voice pierced through her enraged thoughts. The flame died from her eyes as she looked up to see both her parents huddled on the other side of the room, eyes wide and fearful. Awkward silence ensued for several seconds until Shelwyn relaxed and sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just . . . that's a lot to take in at once. I mean, who would leave me out there at dark in a black cloak and no identity?"
Suddenly, two blurs whizzed at her and before she knew it, she was enveloped in a rib-crushing hug. She looked up to see her mother's face, now streaked with tears. She looked behind her to see her father, also on the verge of tears, though a little less significant. Usually, she was not a fan of hugs, much less groups hugs, but this felt like home. So she let it last for several more seconds, before surrendering.
"Ack...can't...breathe...," she managed to croak. Her parents let go immediately, although her mother still kept her hands on her daughter's shoulders.
"Shelwyn Furlan, we just want you to understand that no matter who your biological parents are, you will always be our daughter," Mrs. Furlan whispered, just loud enough for Shelwyn to hear. Mr. Furlan then joined Shelwyn and her mother, placing an arm each on both their shoulders.
"Just because you found out today that we aren't your biological parents doesn't mean you get to think any differently than you did before," he reassured. Then, he arched an eyebrow. "Cause if you do, I can always use my singing to - "
"NOOOOOO!" Shelwyn suddenly cried out dramatically while throwing her hands over her ears, sending her parents into fits of laughter.
Soon, they were back in the living room, laughing and chatting like before, the former mood completely forgotten. After some fruit punch and a few more chocolate chip cookies - a LOT in Mr. Furlan's case - Shelwyn was soon sent to bed.
"Thanks for making this a great birthday," she said to her parents as she neared her room.
"It's our pleasure, darling," her mother responded. "We know you deserve it."
Her father opened the door for her. "And don't forget to make some new friends," he grinned. "I'm hoping to see some new faces by the end of this month."
"And last but not least, congratulations again on the track and field tryouts," her mother added. "We know you'll succeed no matter what goes in your way."
Shelwyn smiled as she walked into her room. It had been a great birthday . . . for the most part. "Thanks again. I'll try to make some more friends by the end of this month."
Her dad smirked. "And you'd better, or else - "
"'Night, mom. 'Night dad," Shelwyn bade them good night before slowly closing the door, just as they replied with a "Goodnight, Shelwyn".
Once the satisfying click of the door was heard, Shelwyn dropped the cheerful façade. She looked over her room - just a bed, a desk, a drawer, and a chair. Nothing big or special, unlike those rich, popular kids at her school who thought they were so much better than her. Narrowing her eyes, she crossed over to her small bed and sat down, thinking.
Who in this world would leave me at a doorstep in the middle of the night without any words? she growled in her mind. Who would be so heartless to do so? If they at least left a note with a reason for why they couldn't raise me, I would have forgiven them, but they didn't. She sighed, unable to get rid of that one question that stuck to the back of her mind.
Who are my biological parents?
She sat there on bed, just staring at the wall. In her mind, she pondered the questions over and over again, but to no avail. Seconds ticked by, soon turning to minutes, and all she could do was sit and stare.
I wonder what life would be life if I had grown up with my biological parents instead. Would they have been as kind and encouraging as my current parents? Would I still be the shadowy, mysterious unpopular kid at school? Maybe I would have gone to a different school that might have treated me better. But then would I still be who I am now?
She knew that it probably wasn't worth it. After all, her biological parents did send her away, confirming that they probably didn't care for her as much as the Furlans. Besides, life was good here . . . despite the bullies at school. She had never really told her parents how much she was being bullied, especially by Leon, but if she did, she was sure that they would switch her to another school for the better. They were the ones who really cared about her, not her biological parents . . . right?
But she couldn't help but wonder if her biological parents had left her for a different reason. Maybe it was an emergency where they had no time to write a note before sending her out of harm's way. Or maybe they were forced to give her up. Or worse, maybe they sacrificed themselves for her, leaving her to be found and put on a doorstep of a loving family that would take her in.
Perhaps I shouldn't judge them so harshly, she decided. Maybe they cared about me so much that they died trying to save my life. Tears formed in her deep, green eyes as she thought about the possible hardships her real parents might have gone through to protect her. She sat for another period of time, occasionally wiping away tears that dared to venture out of her eyes.
Well, at least I know I'm not as young as I was believed to be, she tried to smile at that thought. She wasn't sure of how old she was when she arrived at the Furlans, but who knows? She could be fifteen, or maybe even sixteen. Just the thought of being older then most of the kids in her grade excited her. Just wait till I tell them that I'm fifteen! She smirked as she imagined the looks on their faces if she suddenly announced that in front of everybody.
However, that smirk was soon wiped off her face as sleepiness started to overtake her. She glanced at the digital clock that sat on the corner of her desk. It said 10:45. She silently thanked god it wasn't a school day tomorrow. The last time she went to sleep any later than 10:30, she had to sprint to barely make it into class on time. And she had sprinted real fast.
Shelwyn noticed that she still had her cloak on the whole time. She had intended to take it off before the party, but due to her excitement, she had forgotten. Well, not that she minded anyway. However, as she reached up to unfasten the buckle on her cloak, she noticed that something was off. She held her hands up for better observation, but what she discovered made her gasp louder than ever.
Her hands were glowing.
Shelwyn just stared at her hands, mouth hung open, not sure what to do. They were actually glowing, light flaring all around them. She blinked hard, not daring to rub her eyes. But when she opened them, they were still glowing.
"W-What's going on!?" she croaked, her voice quivering nervously. She tried moving her hands by a millimeter - the glow didn't fade. The more daring side of her took over and she started shaking her hands out to try to get rid of the glow . . . which stuck to her hands like glue.
Shelwyn breathed in and out rapidly, doing her best to stay calm. She had always thought she was pretty good at handling these situations, since most people would have freaked out by now. But now, she didn't know how much longer she had before she started freaking out too.
Suddenly, her eyes were blinded by an intense glow that seemed to obscure her vision. She squinted hard, trying to block out all that white light, but it only kept getting more and more intense. Her whole body felt like it was on fire - it didn't take long for her to figure out that she must be glowing all over by now. Even her usually black hair seemed to be glowing with a tint of red added to the tips. She wished she had actually considered cutting a particularly longer strand of hair that hung between her left eye and her nose.
She barely had enough time to register what was happening when the bright light finally overtook her. Completely. The faint outline of her room was all drenched in white as she opened her mouth in a painful and soundless scream. She shut her eyes as tightly as she could to block out the scorching light, only succeeding to set her eyeballs on fire. Just as she thought she was going to explode . . .
. . . it all ended.
Everything turned black, all the light vanquished like a bucket of water over fire. Her whole body feeling completely numb, she fell back and let the darkness overtake her.
