Chapter 1
Shadow Fall walked through the castle, bored as usual. She never went outside the castle, never had a friend and never felt joy. And to top it off, her father is evil. She really wanted to have a normal life, a normal family and normal friends.
Shadow Fall was a small filly with abnormally large, bat wings. Her mane was black, white and grey, was short at the back and her fringe covered her eye. With a navy coat and red eyes she kinda did look like a villain. She didn't like that at all.
She was walking to the library. Even though she said libraries were for eggheads, she did like reading stories about old villains. "Where's my Nightmare Moon book?" Shadow asked no one but she did she her father behind her.
"She is nothing compared to me," Sombra boasted, annoying Shadow.
"Yeah, I know father. Your the best," Shadow mumbled with a bit of sarcasm. Then she lit up and beamed at Sombra.
"Hey father, you know, It's my birthday tomorrow and I'm turning 8. So I was wondering if we could hang out?" Shadow Fall suggested, trying to look cute so he would agree. But, he just laughed. Like always.
"Birthdays are silly things that get in our way and distract us from important tasks," Sombra stated, crushing Shadow's spirit without knowing. "Now, I need to get back to work," he finished as he walked out of the library.
"What work, all you do is play with spells that make stuff black," Shadow Fall whispered to herself.
"What was that?" Sombra questioned, glaring at Shadow.
"Oh nothing," she hissed. Sombra slammed the door before Shadow sighed letting out her anger.
"I'm sick of this," Shadow yelled, then she dashed to her room. But before she got there she found her book. "My book about Nightmare Moon, what's it doing here?" Shadow wondered. Just as she picked it up she saw a room she'd never went into. The door cracked open slightly. There was a sign that said 'DO NOT ENTER'. Shadow Fall stared up at it. It was begging to be opened. She closed her eyes, shook her head and turned around so she had her back to the door. She opened one eye. Then ran into the room.
But it wasn't a room. She fell down a hole and was tumbling down the rocks. She tried flying but rocks kept on hitting her, forcing her to stop. When she finally stopped Shadow was battered and bruised. She lifted her head causing her to groan. It was a cave with no opening. Shadow Fall was confused when she saw a wall that was a mirror. She was going to fly back but curiosity got the better of her. Shadow trotted to the mirror and didn't expected to she another filly. She struck a defensive pose as did the other filly. She stood up, so the the filly. Shadow realized she was a reflection. The only thing was it looked nothing like her.
This filly had cyan fur with a very long, rainbow mane and a fringe that bounced up in the air and fell back down like a unicorn. She had a few freckles and magenta eyes. Her wings were the same size as Shadow's but they were normal feathery wings. Shadow put her hoof on the mirror and it disappeared. She recoiled and pulled her hoof back. She tried again, putting her hoof on the mirror and her hoof was gone. She inhaled and exhaled. She stepped though the mirror and emerged as graceful as anypony would. Shadow Fall tripped and did an epic face plant. She got up then realized something. She was now the pony in the mirror. "Wow, that's so cool," Shadow exclaimed examined herself.
Shadow Fall looked around her everything was so colorful and bright, so different from the black, dull castle. She started beating her large wings and took off into the sky. Shadow was surprised by her own speed. She going faster then sound with ease. She looked back to see a rainbow trail behind her. She started doing hard and complicated tricks and flips while laughing and having great fun. "Wait, this is what joy feels like?" Shadow puzzled. She never felt anythings besides anger fear and boredom.
Shadow saw a gigantic cloud with a loud of kids on it."This must be a school," she guessed, flying towards it. "I wonder what it's like," Shadow thought out loud.
Just then she heard colts laughing. She turned around to see two colts and a filly. "Nice going Cluztershy! That'll ground you permanently," the chestnut colt snickered.
"Ha, my baby brother can fly better than you!" the light brown colt mocked and they both started laughing at her again. The filly sank down, close to tears.
Shadow Fall was so annoyed. What right had they to bully a helpless, scared filly. Shadow flew to one cloud to distract the bullies. Then she flew over them so they saw her shadow. She had their attention so she landed in front of the filly and face to face with the bullies. "Leave her alone!" Shadow demanded surprising and intimidating the bullies.
"Oh and who are you? The big brave hero? What are you going to do?" the light brown colt teased, making Shadow's blood boil.
"Keep making fun of her and find out!" Shadow snarled, her voice dangerously low.
"You think your such a big shot prove it!" the chestnut colt shouted masking his fear. Even though she had a rainbow mane and cute freckles, she seemed a bit dangerous. Shadow looked back behind her and the filly was giving her a shy and grateful smile.
She faced the bullies with a cocky smirk."What do you have in mind?" Shadow replied accepting the challenge. She was ready for a fight, she'd even fight both of these airheads at once. If it was a fight they wanted, bring it on.
* * *
OK it wasn't exactly a fight, mainly because it was a race, but she wouldn't back down from anything. "You're going down!" the light brown colt declared.
"In history maybe," Shadow argued, getting ready. She snorted as the shy filly raise the checkered flag .Then the bullies unfolded their wings and she did the same. No one noticed her gigantic wings until now. The bullies saw and looked a bit worried. Just then the shy filly waved the flag and they bolted. Shadow didn't notice the colts push the filly off the cloud as she was in the lead.
Their was a sharp turn she flew though with ease as did the light brown colt but the other crashed. Shadow was having a great time. She loved flying. The speed. The adrenaline. The wind in her mane, she loved it all. Shadow was dashing though the course then, suddenly the colt shoved her and sneered." See you later, Crash," he taunted, then flew ahead in front of her.
"Hey, watch it!" she protested darting forward, three times as fast. Shadow pulled the colt out of the way but she didn't notice. She was flying so fast tears were streaming out of her eyes. There was a cone forming around her, flecks of rainbow here and there. Shadow pushed harder and the cone became more visible. She was down at a 45 degree angle. Everypony though she was going to hit the ground.
Then, at the last second, Shadow pulled up and created a ring of rainbow colored fire. A sonic rainboom.Shadow could sworn see saw a white alicorn and a pink unicorn but only for a second.
She shot up at an astounding speed. Shadow looked back and saw mane was flowing back and sparkling like a rainbow. She flew past the racing line and everypony cheered. She saw the shy filly wasn't there. "Hey, did you see the filly with the flag?" she inquired a random pony.
"I think she fell of the cloud," the pony answered.
"What!" Shadow yelled, then she dashed down to the forest."Eh, hello? Anypony here?" she echoed, waiting for a response.
"Eh I-I'm h-here," a voice squeaked behind her. She fluttered over and saw the filly surrounded by animals.
She was butter yellow with a pink mane. Her fringe was divided into both covering part of her eyes. Even though she could barely see, Shadow saw her eyes were teal. "Are you OK? Did you really fall? Are you hurt?" Shadow queried very worried, not even noticing the mare was uncomfortable.
"Oh, I-I'm f-fine thanks" she replied. She appeared scared, awkward and shy. She didn't say anything and Shadow Fall then took the hint
"Oh no," Shadow muttered as she watched the sunset. It was so beautiful but she wouldn't be able to see it"Sorry, I would love to stay and talk to you but I gotta go," Shadow apologized, but if she didn't go soon she'd be in big trouble. But before I go,"Shadow remembered."What's your name?" Shadow questioned wanting to know a bit more about this mare. She really love to have a friend and this was the closest she'd would ever be to getting a friend.
"Oh I'm F-flutters-shy," she whispered.
"Sorry, what's that?" Shadow asked and felt a bit awkward.
"S-sorry I'm F-fluttershy" she replied. "Nice to meet you Fluttershy. I'm ..." Shadow paused. Sombra was very well known and so was Shadow Fall. She had to think of a different name.
"Rainbow dash," She finished then started flying away into Celestia's gorgeous sunset."Call me Rainbow dash."
* * *
Shadow Fall or Rainbow Dash flew back to the mirror and stopped. Similar to before, she saw a reflection. The reflection looked like Shadow Fall. "So when I step through the mirror I become the reflection?" she pondered still baffled by what had happened today.
She did a sonic rainboom.
The sonic rainboom was just an old mares tail and Shadow Fall made it happen. Or Rainbow Dash did. That was confusing too. Were they the same pony or was Rainbow Dash the only one capable of pulling off the sonic rainboom? It didn't really matter now.
But then she saw the reflection of Shadow Fall had a new accessory. A cutie mark. A grey lightning bolt emerging from a black cloud. She looked back at her own flank. It was the same but the lightning bolt was a rainbow color, the cloud was white and they were five little lightning bolts surrounding it.
"I got my cutie mark, I can't believe it," Shadow squealed bursting with joy. Then she realized her talent was flying. Sombra always hated that she was a pegasus and not a unicorn. What would happen if he found out her talent was flying? Shadow shivered.
She was a bit afraid of her father. OK maybe she was very afraid. FINE, she was terrified of Sombra, her own father. You happy now, you forced it out of me. Now back to the story and Shadow was starting to panic.
"OK, don't panic he'll understand. I like flying and he can't change that," Shadow remarked then she took a deep breath and reluctantly tiptoed in through the mirror as quiet as possible. She looked down and saw she was Shadow Fall again. She sighed. She looked back and saw Rainbow Dash giving her a sad and depressed look. She sighed again
She didn't want Sombra to find out. She'd be in big trouble. But seriously, if he didn't want her to go down there shouldn't put a 'DO NOT ENTER' sign. That's asking for trouble. She quietly fluttered up the tunnel to the door and shut the door. Suddenly she heard a booming voice.
"Shadow Fall, what are you doing? You're not supposed to be here". Busted. She had to thing of something. Wait, her book. It was right in front of her. She picked it up and shoved it in his face.
"I was eh, looking for, for my book!" Shadow lied. Yeah, she wasn't really good at lying.
"You weren't going to go in there, were you?" Sombra spat, pointing at the door and giving Shadow an uneasy look.
Shadow tried to look hurt."Excuse me, I would never disobey your orders and I'm hurt you would suggest such a thing," Shadow faked, glaring at Sombra.
Sombra looked at Shadow and narrowed his eyes. "And what is that!" he yelled, pointing at her flank and newly acquired cutie mark.
"My cutie mark. I just got it," Shadow mumbled, not making eye contact. What was he going to do to her? "I got it while flying around the castle," she admitted, ready to face the consequences.
"What?! Flying is for little fools! I should of known a weak foal like you would have such a stupid talent! If that's your destiny then your WORTHLESS to me!" Sombra roared, making Shadow scared and she cried.
"I-I'm s-so-rry, I-I did-"
"You're just a stupid, worthless foal and that's all you'll EVER be!" Sombra boomed and then stormed down the hall, leaving a crying Shadow Fall on the ground. She hated this castle. Shadow darted to her room. She felt so overwhelmed with joy when she was Rainbow Dash and flying. Now she was trapped in her own home. If you could even call it a home.
* * *
Nine years later and Shadow Fall was as lonely as ever. Her appearance didn't change much. She still had bat eyes, wings and fangs. She usually wore a face mask scarf and black and red armor. One time, she was in a fight with Sombra and now she has a large scar over her the eye that was visible.
She became angrier and started hating herself. But not even close compared to how much she hated her father. She'd only see him once a month and every time she did they fought. They loathed each other. But this was a special daddy daughter day. They were both in throne room. Sombra and Shadow were both sitting on a thrones with a table in between them.
"Finally I will escape this rotting prison and rule all of Equestria," Sombra declared, not that his daughter cared. In fact, she was heading and kicking a ball she found beyond the mirror (that was not a good day) and rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that father, maybe one day you will," Shadow deadpanned, the last part was drenched with sarcasm.
"I will and I need you to escape," Sombra finished, and smiled at his daughter.
"Whoa whoa whoa, I'm not doing anything to help you. Why would I anyway?" Shadow hissed, glaring at Sombra.
"Because you will have freedom and your my daughter," Sombra pointed out. He didn't notice Shadow pretend to throw up when he said 'daughter'.
"I need three pints of blood from a siren and then we will rule Equestria," Sombra answered dramatically and laughed evilly. Shadow got angry. She hated the fact that her father was evil and she was a siren.
She sighed angrily and rolled her eyes again. "First, laughing evilly is not very original. Second, I am not giving you my blood," Shadow yelled, turning her back on her father.
"After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me?" Sombra boomed, starting a fight. The same fight as usual.
"What have YOU ever done for ME?! Put me through HELL?!," Shadow snapped, turning around to see her stupid father.
"Why did I even ask you? You're worthless! And when you get a chance to be something, to rule the world you don't care!" Sombra replied.
"Maybe I don't want to rule the world! Maybe I just want a normal life and not to have a crazy, evil father!" Shadow snarled as she stormed over to her father and looked him right in the eye. She had grown more confident and rebellious over the years and she has had it. Something had to change.
"So you would prefer to be here instead of free because you don't want to lose a little blood!" Sombra shouted trying to force her to do it by saying she a coward. But something unexpected happened instead.
"You're right. I don't want to be here and I do want to be free. But you will not rule, not on my watch. And if you do escape, I will stop you," Shadow swore. She flew off to her room grabbed her saddle bags and a few things: hair brush, toothbrush, a few books and her two special necklaces.
The necklaces were given to her mother before she died. One was a gold collar with a red ruby shaped like the sun. The other was a silver locket with a picture of Shadow Fall and her mother. It was dirty, old and in black and white. Her mother was very tall and had her large wing holding Shadow like a blanket. Shadow was just a foal at the time the picture was taken.
Shadow got a few more things she needed then she flew down the hall in front of the forbidden door covered in locks and chains. She plucked one of two swords off the wall and slashed on locks until the chains fell. Then she flew through the narrow tunnel and landed perfectly.
"Nice to see you, Rainbow Dash," Shadow exclaimed, looking at the mirror which showed Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash wasn't any different besides being as tall as Shadow.
Shadow Fall sighed. Looking at the mirror she felt a mix of emotions and feels all bunched up together. She took a deep breath.
"OK, today my life begins," Shadow Fall encouraged stepping through the mirror and finally felt free.