“Yes, I hope to see you very soon, my little pony. Please, don’t do anything rash on the other side.” Feilbach whispered into Fluttershy’s ear as the silver orb absorbed her into it. The black gunk holding her back evaporated as it touched the orb, releasing its grip on her.

As quickly as she went through the orb, she was spit out on the other side. She found herself on the floor in the corner of Celestia’s chambers. It was the exact same room as moments ago, but it felt different. There was no evil, no sorrow, just peace and happiness. The room was normal enough. Celestia and Luna sat at table in the far corner of the room, drinking what smelled like freshly boiled herbal tea. Fluttershy noted how toned down the room looked. The colors were faded, as if trying to leave the room itself.

She couldn’t quite understand what the two were talking about. Their voices echoed wildly in the strange room. After a few minutes of wandering around the room, the door swung open and in walked Cadence with Shining Armor holding her hand. They sat down at the table with the other two and proceeded to discuss something that felt…important. Fluttershy couldn’t figure out what was going on or where she was, but she knew it was important. Important enough to warrant her attention. She tried as hard as she could to listen to the ponies’ conversation, but the echo was too disorienting.

Just as suddenly as Cadence had showed up, the door flew open once more. This time, the figure in the doorway was greeted with apprehension- an uninvited guest. It was a stallion, similar in size and shape to the one Fluttershy had seen moments ago. As soon as the stallion crossed the threshold into the room, all the colors returned to normal, and the sound became steady. The ponies didn’t seem to notice her at all, but instead directed their words at the stallion.

Celestia stepped forward, her multicolored mane and white coat shining in the light that fell through the window. She commanded, “Explain yourself, young stallion. Why have you barged into my private chambers?” Her tone was annoyed, and her expression angry.

The stallion spoke, in an all-too-familiar hollow ring, “I am but a loyal subject, Your Highness. I merely seek a counsel with my dear Princesses…” Feilbach bowed, a suspicious grin growing on his face.

“Rise, and speak, stallion.” Cadence spoke up before Celestia, trying to avoid inevitable conflict of interest.

Feilbach stood up on all four hooves, his grin even wider than before. He laughed, “My dear Princess Cadence, thank you for your kindness. However, your hospitality is…foolish…” A burst of smoke flew from Feilbach’s mouth, passing into Cadence. She began choking and collapsed onto the floor.

“Cadence!” Shining Armor dropped onto the ground to examine his wife. After a few moments, she stopped choking, and was able to stand again.

Luna’s eyes lit up bright white, her mane rising upward, as she commanded, “Explain thyself, stallion! What is the meaning behind this treason?”

Fluttershy watched as Cadence’s eyes altered form into that of the other possessed ponies. She tried to warn the others, but she couldn’t make a sound. Smoke flew from Cadence and engulfed Armor and Celestia, both of which were powerless against the evil it contained. The smoke tried to swallow Luna, but her already engaged power drove it back. Feilbach laughed maniacally as Luna shot wave after wave of magic at him, his smoke deflecting it. All he needed to do was wait for her to get tired. His smoke would do the rest.

Fluttershy watched in horror as minutes passed. Luna was steadily growing weaker, unable to continue blocking the black smoke. Her form reverted back into a normal alicorn, and the smoke quickly enveloped her. Feilbach laughed again, as he withdrew the smoke from his victims. He had done enough damage to paralyze them, but he didn’t want them as slaves.

“You ponies are useless to me. I cannot risk possessing you, because you might break free. But if I kill you…then the threat is gone. Oh, I have the perfect idea! Heehee, I can banish your souls to another realm, and dispose of your bodies! Without a body, you won’t be able to return!” Feilbach laughed as he ripped the silver orb from his chest, just as he had done earlier.

Fluttershy watched as something was ripped from Cadence, Armor, and Celestia and pulled into the orb. Cadence and Armor’s bodies disappeared into thin air, while Celestia’s remained unscathed. Luna seemed almost fine. Nothing was stolen from her. Was it on purpose?

Luna managed to raise herself to her hind hooves. She spoke softly, “Who are you? Why are you doing this?” She collapsed again.

“I am Lord Feilbach, King of the Shadows. And you are a worthless alicorn. A descendant of the ones who banished me into that damned idol. Now you and all your subjects shall pay. No, the whole world will pay!” With that, something was ripped from Luna and sucked into the orb, just like the others. Her body also remained where it was.

Fluttershy watched all this in horror. To see how easily the rulers of the country- the alicorns that controlled the sun and moon- were defeated frightened her even more. If Celestia, Luna, and Cadence were so easily beaten, then what made her immune to these Shadows?

Suddenly, the door burst open once again. Feilbach turned around with a grin on his face. “Ah, so you’re the pony my minions have been going on about, eh? Kinda cute, if I do say so myself…” He turned to face Fluttershy, while the room around them melted away into nothingness.

“Wh-what is this place?” Fluttershy asked him, knowing that he was real.

Feilbach transformed back into Luna’s body. He laughed, “The past. How does that feel, Fluttershy? Mere seconds before you arrived, I disposed of your dear sweet princesses… The triad of Sol, Luna, and Love has been busted, shattered, and destroyed. And now, there is nothing standing in my way. Not even you can stop me, surely you see that.”

Fluttershy nodded regretfully. “Of course I can’t. Not after what you did to them…” Her eyes filled with tears.

“Do you hate me, Fluttershy? Do you want me to die now? Do you think I deserve a fate worse than death because of what I’ve done?” Feilbach laughed again, a gleam in his red eyes.

Fluttershy looked him in those red eyes. She smiled as she said, “Of course I don’t hate you…”

Feilbach recoiled at those words. “What do you mean you don’t hate me?! After everything I’ve done, you don’t want me dead?! What the hell?” Feilbach gripped his head, trying to regain his composure.

“I can’t hate you. According to what you said, you have grudge because of something someone did to you. I can’t hate you for wanting revenge. I don’t think what you’ve done is acceptable, but I can’t hate you.” Her eyes cleared of tears, and her smile became genuine. She looked at Feilbach as if he were just some misunderstood kid.

Feilbach returned the look with disgust. “Bah! You can’t hate me… So, that explains why you’re immune. You’re pure, almost one-hundred percent. This is making me sick. The Shadows feed on anger and hatred. But you hold neither of those emotions. You are too pure for your own good, pony. Very well then, if I cannot possess you, I shall leave you here, all alone for an eternity. Perhaps then you may see why I feel this way…” Feilbach took a few steps back and vanished. Fluttershy was left there, in an endless void of nothing, alone.

She felt sad, scared, and nervous, but she was not mad. That’s what made her immune to the Shadows. She didn’t hate. She accepted what was given to her as it was. But now she was alone, unable to help anyone, unable to save anyone. She began to cry.

After minutes passed, a voice called out to her,

“The one immune to darkness, save us from this mess!”

Next Chapter: Chapter 4: A Hopeless Endeavor Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 31 Minutes