The party goes smoothly. Dispite the house being loud, Shade enjoys the food (even though the burgers are hay and not meat), she likes the drinks (especially the drink "root beer", which as it turns out, is not actual beer but still has the bitterness she likes), and she rather enjoys the party games (winning mostly every one).

Shade meets new ponies "her age", most of whom she will be attending school with. Applejack describes Rarity perfectly and Shade intentionally tries to keep out of earshot of her, lest she silences Rarity permanently. The flower trio behave themselves; for a present, they give Shade a paint set. Applejack gives Shade a pair of welding goggles which Shade wears immediately. A few spells later, courtesy of Death, and the goggles are instantly Shade's favorite gift. Shade even went as far as hugging Applejack. Pinkie Pie presents the book Predictions and Prophecies and hugs Shade.

The party ends after everypony indulges themselves to cake. Death has a separate personal cake for Shade which is not as sweet as the larger two tier cake. When everypony is gone and Death cleans up with a spell, Shade does not feel that the party completely wastes her time.

Shade is laying on her bed reading Pinke Pie's present when raps on her door catch her attention. She huffs a sigh.

"What now?"

"I have a present for you," Death speaks through the door.

"More dusty old tomes?" Shade retorts having to find new sheets because of Death's previous gifts littering her bed.

"Nope! So let me in."

Shade places a bookmark to save her spot before closing the book. "Enter."

Death opens the door slowly and has a toothy grin. Shade sees what is on Death's back and sits up on bed. Death levitates the gift from off her back and presents it to her daughter.

Shade cocks a quizzical eyebrow at the mare befor her.

Once again, Death levitates the instrument to Shade with a beaming grin.

"What are you plotting?" Shade dead pans.

"I love it when you sing, Shade. Except that whole screaming, shouting, stuff you do." Death rolls her hoof to elaborate.

"I am not singing for you."

Death frowns and shoves the guitar into Shade's chest. "Just take the fucking thing and be happy!"

Shade reflexively clutches the acoustic guitar. She watches as Death leaves the room, closing the door softly behind her. A sigh escapes Shade.

She has not touched a guitar in centuries. Memories flash of playing in her last concert before bombs falling. Turns out war is even more profitable than a music career and less stressful. Good times.

What the Hell. . .

Shade sits on her bed and rests the guitar on her legs. Granted, the position felt weird as a quadruped, but feels natural. Strumming the first string brought a frown to her muzzle. Out of tune. With a shrug, Shade begins to masterfully tune the instrument by ear.

Minutes pass and Shade absently plucks the strings with her hoof magic gripping fields. Magic. Shade rolls her eyes. She gets a feeling that term is the answer for many questions to come.

Something bubbles, no, resonates within Shade as she plays a particular chord over and over. A sensation she has felt many times during her music career a song.

The words scratch at her skull, tickle her throat, and moves her hoof.

Here. I am. Trapped again.
Feeling so powerless.
A feeling I can't explain.
One that makes my heart a mess.
Trapped as a child
And I have no clue
If I should be wild
Or be told what to do.

Here.
I am.
Traaaaapped.
Again.

A puppet to the dark mistress,
Whom none can escape.
She shows her happiness.
Her smile I wish I can tape.
Why is she acting nice?
Why do I fall for her kindness?
I thought she was made of ice,
Like my heart in its fullness.

Here.
I am.
Trapped.
Agaaaaiiin.

Why do I feel so conflicted?

"Why do I feel so conflicted?" Shade whispers.

Shade stops playing the guitar and drops it onto the wooden floor. She pants heavily. Dampness around her eyes makes her draw her fetlock across her face and sniffle.

Death smiles sadly behind the door and whisks off to her room silently.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=VTNjuBjtlpA

Shade finds herself standing in a crowd of people. Humans. Wait. She is back to her previous form! In front of her stood a towering concert stage. Random murmurings die down as the lights fade and a cheer crescendos from the masses around her. A band she has never heard of begins to play a song she has never heard before.

The world falls silent around her and time stops. She stands, clutching her chest, with a painful expression.

A monster.

That is what Shade is.

Extinguishing all the candles.

A wetness opens her eyes and can feel her hands wet with blood. A trail of blood leads to her. With her eyes she follows the blood and sees herself, from head to toe in white clothes, on the floor with her chest open , blood staining her immaculate clothing, and void of a heart.

"'A monster. A monster,'" she hears her mother whisper behind her, which sends chills down her spine, "And. It. Keeps. Getting. Stronger." Each word drawing closer to her.

Shade spins around on her heels and gasps in horror at the visage of her mother and a sharp pain in her gut. Looking down, she can see a glowing heart in her mother's right hand growing dimmer and the handle of a dagger protruding from her abdomen.

"But I love you," Shade's voice cracks.

"So does your father," Valkyrie grins devilishly. Her eyes flash and she twists the dagger deeper into Shade. She relishes in the sounds and face Shade makes, "You will be mine; just like him."

"I AM NOT MY FATHER!" Shade cries out, sitting up in her bed. She stares at the opposite wall and pants, her coat feeling as if she has stepped out of a cold shower.

"Of course you're not, silly, you're Shade!" Pinkie Pie chimes.

Shade snaps her head to the voice to her left where she finds Pinkie Pie standing, her eyes shimmering and with her trademark wide grin. With her breathing coming under control, Shade glances at the clock. Pinkie Pie holds out Shade's new goggles.

Shade swipes the goggles from the hoof and places them on her head. "Why are you here at six o'clock in the morning?"

"I was in the neighborhood and I wanted to check up on my bestest friend!" Pinkie Pie quickly lunges at Shade and wraps her hooves around the ivory filly's neck.

Shade feels the pain in her heart subside. She wraps her hooves around Pinkie Pie and presses her chest against the warm filly, feeling the pain dulling away.

Pinkie Pie strokes Shade's long, black and red mane, "There. There."

Shade ends their embrace quickly. Her pale yellow eyes stare at Pinkie Pie in wonder.

"DB made waffles!" Pinkie Pie smiles. "Come down whenever you're ready. Just don't take too long or else they'll all be gone!" Pinkie Pie springs toward the door. A voice behind her stops her.

"Wait. Aren't you going to ask what I was dreaming about?"

"Are you going to tell me?" Pinkie Pie smiles.

". . . No."

"Whenever you're ready," she reiterates with a grin before leaving.

"When will that be?" Shade wonders to herself.