~Invisible to a tee~
Celestia lay in bed, puzzled as to what she should to do. Her cousin was always hiding from the public eye. No one had heard of the alicorn ShadowSprite. This troubled the princess.ShadowSprite was without freinds, and her depression was deepining by the day.
"No matter how I plead the poor thing, she refuses to get out and make some freinds. Then she tells me she is depressed without them..... How can I help this poor creature if she refuses the gifts thrown right in front of her?" Celestia thought "She hides from the guards for pony's sake! She barely even speaks to me."
She sighed, wondering if Luna's plan was a good idea. It could turn out well for her...but..what are the dangers to her cousin's mental health if she goes through with this?
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The next day, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna agreed. It was time to do something they should have done a long time ago. They mournfully walked into a darkened room. Princess Celestia opened the curtains which had been roped around and forced shut with a flick of magic. The princesses gasped! Never had they seen a room in such disrepair! ShadowSprite had always bade them not to enter her room, now they were wishing they had before! The paint on the walls were peeling and chipped. The curtains around her bed had been torn down and left unsightly strands hanging from the posts. There was litter overflowing from the garbage and many dead flowers left on the bed.
Luna's eye twitched. She was repulsed.Luna ran to get someone to clean the mess. She now understood why Shadow had refused to put an assistance bell in her room.Even the maids would be horrified!
"Wai-!" Before Celestia could finish, her sibling had ran off. She sighed sorrowfully. Now she had to do this alone.
Celestia looked about the room and her eyes were met by two glowing orbs from under the bed. There was no mistaking those Emerald eyes.
"Shadow" Called the princess "I see you, get out from under there."
Shadow reluctantly did as she was told. She looked so small from the doorway. Celestia invited herself in and walked up to the reclusive pony.
She was much taller now that Celestia had gotten closer. Her fluffy fur was a bit of a rarity in ponyville, and made her apear small from a distance. She was five feet and seven inches tall. Which was quite large compared to most mares. The average height of a mare was about four feet, making her a tall pony, but a short alicorn. Her fur was a dark black covered in purple patches. And her wavy hair was a golden blonde and purple disaster after she'd played under the bed. She was a young pony and was without a cuteymark. Celestia thought about it, She was about Twilight's age. Now covered in dust Shadow shook her fur a bit and looked up with shy jewel eyes.
"Why have you come into my room?"She was sad and a tinge angry that the siblings had not respected her wishes"I did not summon for you"
"W-well.."Celestia choked for a second This was hard for her, but she could see is had to be done. She put on a stern face. "You are banished to ponyville untill further notice, you need to make some freinds ShadowSprite."
Shadows eye twitched"W-Wha!?!"
The princess sighed." You spend all your time in your room, no pony even knows you exist. Not even the ponys who work here." She was nuzzled by the small alicorn
"Please don't make me go!" She sobbed ".......How could you do this to me?" She looked up with big watering eyes "Please just let me stay!I'll clean my room! I'll repaint the walls!! Just don't make me leave my room!" Shadow was terrified.
"It has to be done young one"Celestia reasoned"I've prepared everything for your departure. You must leave"
There was a deafining scream.Both Alicorns looked back only to see two maids on the floor.
Shadow sighed"They didn't have to faint..."
Celestia raised an eye with an"are you crazy" look on her face.
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Shadow sprite was bathing, thinking. She loved her room whether it was clean or not! So she didn't understand why every pony made such a big deal out of this. She was doing just fine with out friends or a clean room. She did not need any pony's help at all! She could make friends if she really wanted to.....She just didn't want to is all. But at least they weren't asking her to be a princess again, they always asked for her to join them on the throne. She thought they were crazy for taking that job in the first place. Why would a mare willingly put herself in front of a large crowd of ponies?! She couldn't stand the thought of this, it was downright terrifying! So what was in store for her living in some random pony's house?! What if this Twilight pony didn't like her.....or worse.....introduced her to a bunch of people!!! She sunk completely into the tub at the thought! what a horrible punishment this is. And for what? Playing in my room with out any friends!? She sighed."It's going to be a long day."
She stilled in the bath for about an hour and proceeded to dry off and brush up. She was clean, brushed, and poofy, Just the way she liked to be.She had realized there was no point in arguing with the princess. And figured she might as well be properly groomed before she left.
It was time to leave.She mustered up all her willpower and strength. She struggled and panted.She forced all her mucsles! "It's not worth it!!!" She cried."I-I have to!" She pushed and forced herself! She strived to acomplish this! She was almost there!Then! She whinnied triumpantly! She had done it! She got one hoof outside the door.
Credit to Helljumper117 for helping me! Check out his stories, they surpass mine by far!
ShadowSprite opted to fly herself to ponyville. After all, the last thing she needed was a bunch of curious ponies staring at her as soon as her carriage had landed, not to mention the fact that the ponies that pull the carriages scare her.
She sighed. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?! Why did I have to leave my room?!" This wasn't fair. What had she done? She sobbed "This isn't right... If my mother was here...
She stopped atop a tree to set her things down. They had become heavy after a while and she was wishing she would have at least rode in a carriage most of the way there.
She sat and sobbed for a while. Tears fell down her small face as she thought about her next move.
"Perhaps I could run away?.....I could live in a secluded home somewhere...hmmm..no..no Celestia would find and scold me..." She sighed once more, almost expecting Celestia and Luna to come to her aid.
She was so far into her crying and confusing thoughts that she hadn’t noticed the sound of hooves on the cobblestone below. Suddenly she heard a gasp.
"You've gotten me dirty you brute!" a familiar voice called out.
Shadow's puff balls of ears twitched. She looked down from the tree. She saw an angry leaf and tear covered pony.Shadow smiled "P-Prince BlueBlood?.....Oh this is great now you can give me a hoof"
"What is wrong with you!?" The angry prince shouted. "You are even more of a pile of filth than the last time I saw you! I mean look at yourself! And now you have gotten ME dirty! Why are you in a tree in the first place?!"
Shadow was shocked! This wasn't the stallion she grew up with."W-well I-"
"No! you don't need to explain, you waited here for me so you could dirty me up before I visit Celestia didn't you? It makes sense. After all, you always did hate when Aunty and I spent time together!" he sighed and folded his arms" You are letting jealousy get the best of you" he paused "Have you gained weight!?"
Shadow’s eye twitched furiously.
"But of course! You must have. Even I know you never leave that 'room' of yours. How is one supposed to exercise when they stay in such a filthy place? Not only have you made yourself look bad, but the whole family! Oh wait, you don’t make the family look bad, because you never come out of that damned room!” The prince sighed once more "And you didn't even apologize or bow!"
Anger twisted in the young mare's stomach. The abrupt and harsh attitude Blueblood had given Shadow Sprite now fueled a fire inside her as she looked back at her former friend. Her hair was knotted and her coat matted. Her face was covered in tears of anger.She was ready to show this so called prince exactly what she thought of him!
Not realizing the danger he was in, the Prince's guards had to run against the Stallion's orders. They knew the look of an imminent death and they were not messing with it!
Shadow Spirit thought about chasing the frightened ponies, but decided it would be best not to make Celestia even more upset with her. Besides, those guard ponies were positively frightening!
She sighed in relief and looked around. Suddenly she stopped. In the commotion Shadow had not noticed just how dark it was. A dense fog also surrounded her, taking what little visibility she had.
She decided it would be best if she slept atop the tree. She wasn't a very strong flyer and could only go a certain distance when carrying heavy items. She moved some leaves around and laid out her bedding. A pillow and a blanket now lay there, inviting her to sleep. And she accepted the invitation happily! She didn't care about the twigs and acorns poking her, she slept under her bed anyway.
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Celestia paced around worriedly as the final light of day disappeared over the horizon. Twilight had not yet reported meeting Shadow Sprite and it was not like Twilight to be late. She stopped, realizing that pacing around solved nothing. Celestia sat down and prepared to send a letter immediately to Twilight.
My dearest, most faithful student Twilight,
My young cousin Shadow Sprite was supposed to be at your home by now and I am quite worried. She has a habit of hiding from everypony and may have stopped along the way either to hide, or fell asleep in a moment of slothfulness. Please send me a notice if you see her.
Princess Celestia.
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Twilight decided it was time to help the Princess' cousin. She gathered her friends and headed down the long road to Canterlot. She must have stopped down there.
Rarity walked up next to Twilight and leaned in close.
“So who is this um... Royal we are meeting.” she asked slyly. “Is he handsome?”
“She.” responded Twilight.
Rarity looked taken aback. “What?” she paused and frowned as reality set in. “Oh... well I suppose meeting a new friend is just as well.” she finished, putting on an unconvincing grin.
"Yeah who is this Shadow Sprite pony we are looking for?" Pinkie Pie giggled, just having gotten back from a party.
"She is the Princess' cousin, and reason stands that she will be down this path." Twilight stated. "She is more than likely safe. The Princess said she is a bit lazy and is probably just napping somewhere. The Princess said that we would know her when we saw her, but she didn't tell me what her cutie mark looks like so she may be hard to find." Twilight thought back " I've only heard of Shadow Sprite one other time when I was visiting Celestia at the castle. Though to be honest I thought she was joking the first time she mentioned Shadow."
"Why is that?" Rarity asked.
"Well" Twilight stated looking back on her memories "Shadow's coat is black with purple blotches and it is rather long. She hides from everypony, even the Princesses a lot of the time. She refuses to make friends and hides in her room under her bed all day."
"She just needs a party!" Pinkie happily shouted.
"Somehow, I don't think that will help Pinkie." Twilight sighed.
AppleJack trotted up to Twilight "Are ya'll sure she's alright?"
"Positive" Twilight smiled confidently.
"B-But....um..." Everyone silenced themselves for Fluttershy who looked very worried "W-What if she went to far....um...you know...into the forests with the blank flanks and bloody hooves..."
"Haha! Thats a riot Fluttershy!" laughed Rainbowdash "Those are just some old fillies tails to keep young ponies out of the forests!"
Fluttershy wasn't so sure about that. She stayed close to the other ponies for protection.
"....Did ya'll hear that?" AppleJack asked in a whisper.
They quieted down. Suddenly they heard vicious growling. They all panicked and backed into a tree. The growling grew louder, when suddenly something pounced onto Fluttershy. Fluttershy screamed and cried louder than any of the ponies had heard before! There was a scream in response. Everypony freaked out until they realized the second thing screaming was a pony herself. There sat a shaking puffball of a pony that had landed on top of the shy pony. The alicorn started crying loudly and put a shield around herself after she and gotten off of Fluttershy to hide herself. Her magic was black and easily hid her against the darkness outside, but it did not hide her cries.
"I-I'm sorry......um are you ShadowSprite...?" Fluttershy asked "Y-y..you don't have to hide....We are friends"
The bubble's magic faded for a second. "G-go Away! I don't have friends!!" They heard from the bubble.
Twilight waited until her next opportunity.
"You don't have to be scared of us silly!" Pinkie stated happily....and loudly.
"We just want to be yer friends" AppleJack said as gently as possible.
The bubble faded again and Twilight saw her chance, she used her magic and dispelled the bubble. The young alicorn looked up with shear terror in her eyes. Twilight walked up to the PuffBall. ShadowSprite looked at Twilight with adoration and held her in a hug.
Twilight stared at the alicorn in confusion and tried to shake out of the hug "H-hey! Let go!" ShadowSprite quickly let go of the pony, realizing this was not whom she thought it was.
Tears of embarrassment came to ShadowSprites eyes. "S-sorry...I thought you were somepony else"
"Who would that be?" Asked AppleJack.
ShadowSprite turned to Twilight in fear.
Twilight saw this and tried to think of the best way to reassure her. She only trusted her so...
"Wait" She thought "'Somepony else'. She is looking to me for protection because I resemble somepony she knows!"
"It's ok, they are my friends" Twilight said gently, trying to coax the pony into calming down.
Shadow hesitated for a moment but eventually gave in and turned to AppleJack. "S-she resembles my late older *sniffle* s-sister" She began to sob again.
"O-oh, I'm sorry" Twilight hugged the sobbing pony.
"What happened to h-" Pinkie was cut off by Rainbow Dash and Applejack who made very bad poker faces as they tried to shut pinkie up.
Shadow did her best to calm herself down.
Twilight smiled and spoke gently "Please come home with us Shadow Sprite. I'll make you some dinner and you can head to bed"
Shadow Sprite sniffled a little. This had been a very tough day for her and all she wanted was some rest. "B-but I don't even know all of you. I'm supposed to find a pony by the name of Twilight Sparkle, can you help me find her?"
"It is very nice to meet you Shadow Sprite. I am Twilight Sparkle" The pony offer a hoof.
Shadow took it and shook. "It is nice to meet you as well"
Pinkie ran up to the shy pony and shook her hoof furiously "Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie! and I am going to throw you a Big Party!"
Shadow started tearing up in fear.
Twilight pushed Pinkie aside "Um, maybe we should wait until tomorrow for introductions." Twilight handed each pony some of the luggage that had fallen down with Shadow out of the tree.
The seven of them walked home, each carrying some of Shadow's luggage on their backs. Shadow stood on the very far side of the group and insisted that Twilight walk along side her.
