> Night Lights > by LWOverFlow > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Night Life > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The moon shone in through the window of the dark room, and in it's bright light, it revealed a thestral putting on a fedora. The thestral was a dark gray with yellow eyes that shined in the moonlight, a change from the basic stereotype. The thestral smiled as he tapped a pegasus asleep on the opposite side of the room, on the head in his passing. "Wha-what?" the pegasus asked as he threw the blankets off his head. "What are you doing bro?!" Shadow Storm laughed as he waved his fore-hoof towards the door, "What do you think Flaming, I'm going to the club, up for a little nighttime fun?" The pegasus groaned as he rolled back over and threw the blankets back over his head. "Shadow if you ever successfully talk me into going out at night, knock me out because it isn't me..." Shadow just laughed and trotted past the duel beds out the door, "I'll be out if you need me". The pegasus groaned as he rolled farther over and bundled up in his blankets. Shadow Storm trotted out of the barracks, and waved at the guards as he flexed his wings and took off over the walls surrounding the castle. He wavered for a moment as he bent back his head and basked in the moonlight before focusing on flying. He aimed his flight towards a dark building on the outer ring of Canterlot, a short and quiet flight through a bright and silent night. As Shadow Storm flew he glanced around and took in the view many equestrians would never see, A silent city of a light white color glowing in the bright moonlight. Shadow sighed sadly as he glided down and settled down onto a spot worn down by tracks of wagons coming into Canterlot for trade. To anyone out on a walk, Shadow was just was his name hinted at, a shadow. Shadow trotted down the silent streets as his frown settled into a neutral look as he approached the only building around with any lights on, a nightclub for those in Canterlot who weren't a fan of the quiet lifestyle the Patrons of the community lived. A quick glance provided a view more towards a Manehattaner's taste, Lights flowing in sinc with the music from within. Shadow approached and smiled as the bouncer at the door looked over at him. "Hey Silent Blade, it's been what, three days?" The thestral at the door smiled back and nodded her head, "It seems every time I hope you're finally gone you just show up to annoy me yet again..." Shadow laughed quietly as he stepped up to Silent and flashed his Lunar Guard ID. Silent looked at it and nodded, "Head on in Shadow, One of our Patrons are waiting for you when you get in". Shadow smiled and nodded as he stepped by Silent and walked into the nightclub, and as the music and lights overwhelmed him he sighed a sigh of relief and walked fully into the nightclub. He paused in the moment to let a different feeling overwhelm him, a feeling of acceptance and a Lack of peace and calm. > Night Love > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A unicorn walked up to Shadow and patted him on the foreleg as he took in the lights. Without a pause Shadow turned and waved the unicorns hoof off his shoulder with a wing. "Hello Dusk, how goes my favorite late-night Patron?" Shadow smiled as he looked at Dusk and then stopped smiling as he saw her face. "Dusk, what's up?" The unicorn sighed as she rubbed her eyes and smiled sadly at him, "I guess it's just stressful with the rumors going around about villains seemingly streaming from nowhere to my old hometown so often". Shadow frowned as he looked up then back down surprised, "Wait... Ponyville?" He looked at Dusk and nodded his head no, "No way that little town got attacked, it's the smallest city in Equestria!" Dusk just frowned and nodded her head no as well, "I agree, it makes no sense as well, but that's life". Shadow smiled back at Dusk slightly as he ran a wing over her back, and pulled her to his side. "Don't worry about the past, a big patron like you doesn't need to worry about it, just have fun like me". At that Shadow spun Dusk and caught her before putting her back on her four hooves. "And if all else fails, some alcohol fixes any issue". Almost as if on que, a waitress came over and put a dark blue drink on the table beside Shadow. "As I say, alchohol makes the worst possible, and the best improbable". He took a gulp of the drink and coughed as a dark mist steamed out of his snout. "Wow that stuff kicks you right between the eyes!". He hoofed the glass towards Dusk, "Want a sip of the night incarnate?" At that Dusk nodded a quick no and patted Shadows side, "Have fun, and if you need me I'll be in the back". Dusk walked away and Shadow momentarily watched her leave before finishing his drink and ordering another to replace it. As he waited he scanned the bar, and upon seeing nopony else he sighed and went back to waiting for his drink. AS soon as he got his drink, he took it and trotted over to the Dj. "Hey NightTread, how goes the new track?", Shadow asked with a smile as the Dj spun and looked him over through her blue shades and laughed. "It goes like any track, fast, slow, and with a nice beat in between". Shadow laughed and put a hoof on the turntable to give it a spin and switch tracks to a more upbeat song. "If it's one of yours I'm sure It'll be just fine!" As He spoke he finished his drink and put it on a nearby table, "So, Night, anything worth talking about in the club?" As he spoke Night's eyes got dark and she frowned, "New management for me, Dusk hired some new manager who hates my style, so no fun there" Shadow frowned and looked towards the manager's offices in the back before he patted Night's foreleg and turned, "It's about time I met the new manager, Whoever-their-name-is". Night looked at him in surprise and nodded towards the door, "Someone you won't believe, go take a look" Shadow nodded and walked to the doors, not even knocking as he stepped into the rooms. "Oh you've got to be kidding me......." Shadow Storm flinched as he walked through the door, and rightly so as a blade entered the space where his face was before he jerked back. Almost as soon as the blade passed by, Shadow's eyes flashed, and the room froze in a blue glow as his wings faded to shadows and a horn appeared in his hair. "Well..... this just got interesting.....", As the voice spoke another blade pierced his neck, and his vision faded to black, a sound like screeching metal echoing away into the darkness around him..... > Darkness Reborn > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The darkness surrounding him faded to light and Shadow found himself floating in what looked like a ball of blue energy, His only companion being a figure he saw walking towards him from the distance. He could not speak a word as the figure slowly formed in the shape of Somepony he knew well, Somepony who was never to come back..... Shadow sat up and looked around him, his eyes glowing a light blue as he took in his surroundings. A dark room seemingly made of stone, and shackles on each hoof, made up his first impression. "Oh sweet Luna, not again...", His voice trailed off as he saw a dead raven in front of him, and his eyes flashed gold as his wings reappeared, and the raven turned into a fine dust. As his transformation occured, Shadow quickly caught the ring that fell from his now non-existent horn, and he held it to his chains until they cracked and he bucked them off. The sound echoed through the room, and he glanced nervously at the bars that blocked his way. "Hello?..." A guards voice came from down the hall, clearly scared of what might be in the deepest dungeons in Canterlot. Shadow didn't answer as he trotted silently to the bars, and focused on the only objects blocking his escape from the world he was just a part of. A large crackling noise sounded before the bars disintegrated, and some of the stone with it. "Oh great...." Shadow whispered as he stepped through the now-open cell and slipped towards the torch-light. "Hello down there, are you ok-" The guard was cut off as Shadow simply disabled him with a quick buck to the temple. Shadow Storm slipped on the armor, and looked around as he slipped the guard into the shadows. "Sorry, but business is business", Shadow slipped out the nearest window, and was out into the courtyard in under a minute. As Shadow paused, he scanned the grounds, before running and leaping the wall. A stallion and a colt were leaning against barrels outside of Ponyville as a dark shadow flew overhead, almost hitting them from above as they spoke. "Hey, do you hear something?", The stallion leaning against the barrel tilted his head, then nodded no. "I haven't heard anything other than your yapping mouth going on and on about ghosts in the night". As the stallion spoke he looked around before huffing and sitting down on his haunches. "I would bet it was nothing more than a bat just flying around". The colt nodded as he looked around one more time nervously, and leaned back on the barrel beside him, "Yeah, just worried about the threats from that snottie family threatening our Cider....." The older stallion just laughed as he patted the young Colts head, "It's fine son, they wouldn't dare mess with anypony from the Apple family. The colt smiled and leaned into his father, "Okay Dad, I believe you". The colt yawned, and fell asleep as the Stallion kept his eyes peeled, just in case..... > A Pause To Reflect > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shadow slipped into the shadows, and walked through what looked like a town covered in darkness, nopony was around to keep him company. As he slowly walked the streets he saw the same figure as before, but the figure formed into a stallion about his height, then shifted to a mare much taller than him, and finally settled on a mirror likeness of him. "Who are you?", His call fell on deaf ears as the equestrian seemed not to notice his words. As he stood with the stallion in his image looking him down, his likeness turned and walked away, leaving him alone yet again. "Wait!", he called out, and yet the being that was before him didn't even pause as he faded to nothing...... So I'm pausing at the moment to reflect on my thoughts and try to put my thoughts into words. Also I want this story to be interactive to the group, so I'm wondering if Anypony listening in wants a chapter for Shadow's past, or a chapter to further his current predicament, and hear more of his current situation?!