Author's Notes:

Hey everyone! I am like extremely new to just about everything here and still adjusting to the rules. I was about to post my story when I realized it needed to be doubled spaced, so I spent about an hour going back and correcting it to where I think it might be acceptable? Anyways I am seventeen still in high-school and have a lot of cool ideas swimming around in my mind, and I found this lovely little website dedicated to just the My Little Pony fandom! I was just so ecstatic! I might be rushing a bit by posting a story when I am so new, but I love constructive feedback because I have dreams of being a writer when I get out of college. Now I understand that people may not like my style, or are picky about my grammar which is fine! Totally have no issue with someone politely correcting my mistakes! I do have an issue with someone having the need to completely tear me down, so I ask that you please do not do that! No one likes sobbing on the floor feeling like a failure in life right? Please leave your thoughts on my first My Little Pony story ever, and feel free to ask questions! I do not know how to make faces with comments yet, or tag someone.. so I apologize! I will figure it out! Thanks @Wonderbolt Writer for the warm welcome! I do appreciate it!

Something eerie was amidst Ponyville, yet the funny thing was no pony could sense it. A dark, unsettling hue of negativity was foaming over the town in a nasty haze of pure distress; creeping over the houses and shops in an invisible shadow. The skies were blue, the clouds tamed and contained along with the brilliant rays of sunlight pouring down from above, yet the lingering hoof of uncertainty still seemed to claim everything around it.

Ponies wandered the streets enjoying the clear weather that had been created by a certain weather pony. No pony seemed to mind a familiar Pegasus slacking off among a few groups of corralled bright white clouds above since she apparently did what was needed. Her soft snores were ignored by the bystanders, while they continued to shop and chat unaware of that silent mood in the air. Even though most ponies couldn’t feel anything other than the cool breeze blowing through their manes, the icy grip of fear still clung onto a certain pony’s spine.

Hidden in the corner of a small bakery shop called Sugarcube Corner, a small mare with a messy pink mane scribbled down furiously on a piece of paper. Her coat sleek with sweat, and strands of hair poking out from all sorts of places seemingly gave away that her lack of sleep was obvious. Pinkie Pie was very, very, very stressed because her notes and her plan was lacking the main objective.

Laughter… She needed laughter.

Balloons, streamers, sweets, not enough. The plates of her late-night binge eating were scattered all over the floor, crumbs, and icing scattered on the ground. Not only were there plates, but there were also deflated balloons, and scribbled out party plans all over her bedroom floor.

Pinkie Pie felt the foreboding feeling, she sensed it the second it poked its muzzle into Ponyville! Sure, her Pinkie Sense noticed it as well but she got the weird shaky-shakes in a way she couldn’t read. The stress, the anxiety, the confusion all hit her at once when she realized her Pinkie Sense couldn’t predict what it was that was coming.

She looked up, she looked down, she looked side to side.. but still couldn’t quite understand what it was her body was warning her about. Not just that, she got an extreme craving for sweets late last night for no apparent reason! Now, she knew that she craved sweets often but usually when she ate a few or a dozen, it satisfied that feeling. This time, it was as if she was dumping the sweets into an abyss that was so deep it could never be filled, her stomach felt full, but the feeling of wanting more and more never was.

On top of that, she had this… urge. Something was silently pulling her brain towards a goal, but even the great Pinkie Pie couldn’t complete the puzzle. Sweets didn’t do the trick, so she decided to do what she does best and throw a massive party to get her mind off of it. Unfortunately for the first time ever, her mind drew a blank! Her mind hit a brick wall with her objective sealed on the other side; she knew it was there but couldn’t reach it for some reason.

So Pinkie Pie settled with trying to formulate a plan to get the town to laugh. Usually, laughter banished whatever dark feelings clouded the air. She knew first-hoof that making ponies laugh was the most natural thing possible for her, and the strange phenomenon of her disabled gifts would soon melt away along with whatever she was sensing.

What was it she was sensing? If she were to explain it, the feeling was equivalent to when Pinkie splattered icing all over Sugarcube Corner when the Cakes left her in charge of an order. The frosting was extremely expensive since the cake they were making was one of high standards, they only had one tube, and Pinkie ruined their plans by mucking it up. The feeling was awful, knowing she would have to confess and allow them to be upset about it knowing there was nothing she could really do to replace it.

The feeling of being helpless in a situation was indeed what the atmosphere of the air was. Just slightly lingering long enough for Pinkie Pie to catch on, but she realized she was the only one who noticed. So it begs the question, is this feeling meant for her and her alone? Is she only sensing it because it’s just bearing a warning for her mind to grasp?

“Oof, my head feels all goopy like poorly mixed wet flour. Come on Pinkie, get the knots out of your tail you can figure this out!”

Pinkie Pie slowly dragged her hoof along the ground, tracing the cracks in the wood as she pondered. This creepy spine-tingling feeling has been tickling her rump all week, yet when she went to Twilight her warning was merely brushed off!

Twilight had casually explained that Pinkie Pie must be paranoid, even though she started believing in her Pinkie Sense; her friend didn’t seem to be too convinced of the oncoming doom. Twilight had given her some herbal tea, to soothe her shivering body and sent her on her merry way with Pinkie shaking from head to tail.

Suddenly Pinkie Pie’s body started to violently shake, her stomach vibrating along the floor like Twilight’s book to keep in contact with Sunset Shimmer. Pinkie made strange sounds and liked the way her voice shook and reflected the acts of her body, but still concerned as to why she couldn’t read her own behavior. The unkempt mane of the mare softly bounced on her forehead, while her teeth chattered from an icy breeze that was deep within her own body.

Something terrible was coming, something evil… Pinkie could swear it! No twitchy twitch in her tail, so the sky is not going to start falling anytime soon, or ear flops; just massive shakes… a doozy. She felt this once before when Twilight finally admitted that she believed in something science couldn’t explain. The comparison between the two, being one was unexpected, and the other left a deep feeling of anxiety in Pinkie.

Very few things made Pinkie Pie seriously nervous, those being her friends acting weird around her or the feeling of them in danger. This vibe suffocating the room she was in had left a bad taste in her mouth, like those cupcakes Applejack made with her when she refused to let any pony help her harvest her orchard.

Pinkie Pie wrinkled her nose, sliding her notepad away from her and dropping the pencil in her mouth. It was nothing, it had to be if it were terrible danger she would have felt this feeling before-hoof with all the dangers her friends faced and defeated with the Elements of Harmony.

No.

This… was bigger than all of those combined. Her craving for fun and laughter was surprising almost as if her body needed it to keep herself alive. She loved hearing the happy giggles of mares and stallions around her, but this was the first time she craved it like her body had been starved of it. The river that used to be lively with the flow of happiness was now barren like something had sucked the river straight out of her soul.

Her element was the Element of Laughter, known for banishing negativity with the sound of fun and excitement. This is why she spent all night making party plans, she was going to get the whole town to laugh so hard the feeling would be chased back to whatever dark icky place it came from! Unfortunately, her ability to plan parties was currently locked up tight by something she called a party-block, a name she came up with when she experienced it for the first time.

The fluffy little party pony leapt up as if something had bitten her, and suddenly a goofy smile lit her face. If it weren’t for her puffy red eyes from consistently staring at a notepad all night, and the strands of hair poking out everywhere she would have looked bubbly instead of crazy. Her cuddly personality was overshadowed by her crazed twitching eyes, as she bounced over to her closet and ripped open the doors.

“I will spread so much happiness and cheer that they will hear the laughs of my fellow neighbors all the way to Canterlot! There will be balloons, and…. and I will shoot paint and glitter out of my party cannon!”

Several free balloons floated past Pinkie Pie, causing her mane to stick up from the static as she rummaged through boxes. Her soft blue eyes caught her reflection, and she screamed once her eyes locked onto her own in the mirror. She leapt back, her heart hammering in her chest before she noticed it was just her crazy looking self blinking back at her.

Pinkie Pie snorted, she sure did look like a mess! So much so, her own reflection scared the living daylights out of her!

“Wow Pinkie Pie, you sure scared me!” she giggled to herself, as she watched her reflection copy her actions effortlessly. Pinkie Pie nuzzled her muzzle into the mirror, chuckling softly as she pulled herself back and forth mocking her appearance happily.

The dozens of mirrors snuggled in her closet were dusty and smudged, which Pinkie Pie realized when she glanced at them. They haven’t been used in ages, but still, her hoof prints marked the glass from that last time she encountered them. Streaks were present on one of them, a golden mirror with oak wood surrounding the glass. Beautiful and flawless paint sealed the features of the wood, making it gleam in the sunlight pouring through Pinkie Pie’s open window.

Pinkie Pie’s ears flopped, tucking themselves against the matted trademarked mane of hers. Bad memories were what that mirror represented; an endless nightmare of taunts just by staring at it. She carefully closed the closet door, taking a deep breath before rubbing her hooves over her mane and smoothing down the strands that were wild. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times, before gleaming at the wall with a signature smile.

“Okie-Dokie-Lokie, got my balloons and my party cannon time to get this town cra-ZAY! Ooo, I am so excited it’s getting my hooves all tingly wingly, and my ears all flippy floppy!”

Her voice was unnaturally giddy and energetic for a pony that has been up all night with zero sleep, but it’s not like she has not done this before. Her swift trot towards the door seemed to mimic a beat from a tune she hummed in her mind, as she bounced and squealed out of her room.

“I may be a little tiny weenie off with my party ideas, but really all you need for a party is some music and a few friends! I am Pinkie Pie, I can turn anything into a party with the right bells and whistles! Well not really bells and whistles that sounds more peaceful and we all know Pinkie Pie is loud to get down!”

She wiggled her rump, allowing her tail to sway to her movements as she mimicked a dance move.

“Time to do what Pinkie Pie does best!”

Twilight sat at her desk humming happily as she straightened her papers, while Spike her assistant dragon grumbled unhappily as he took out every book from her bookshelves and dropped them. Twilight’s horn spewed a bright hue of purple light among the room, as her magic levitated the papers in front of her nose her gaze intensely focused on them.

Spike her dragon broke the silence snapping her focus and silencing her hum, “Twilight do we have to organize your books every two days?”

Twilight smiled warmly at her friend before replying, “Spike, the books I have in here are very precious to me if we do not handle them regularly dust will gather on the covers and might damage them!”

Spike rolled his eyes, taking out another book and dropping it on the floor. Twilight flinched before catching the book by illuminating her horn and wrapping it within her purple light but forgot that her horn was already occupied with other things. Twilight gasped as her massive pile of papers scattered all over her desk, littering her school office with files.

“Spike! You have to be careful with these books! You cannot just throw them around! They were given to me by the princess herself, and it would be a crime against Equestria if I let anything happen to them!”

Spike’s mouth formed into a worried expression, before he bit his claw and gently set the next book down on the ground. He was sure Princess Celestia wouldn’t be too concerned about old books from Twilight’s studying days, but the worried expression Twilight wore was enough to make him not question her methods.

Suddenly Spike felt something rise within his throat, his cheeks filled with fire before he released a massive burp. Green flames lit up the room before they melted into what looked like a letter with a golden seal and velvety red ribbon neatly tied around it. Twilight’s ears perked up as the message floated down into Spike’s curious claws, but before he could read it, Twilight slammed into him with an excited look on her face. Spike made a sound of surprise before he barreled into the wall with his eyes lolling for a minute and then rubbing his head.

“Oh my! Sorry Spike, I was just so excited that the princess had sent me a letter! I wonder what it is about, WAIT what if it is bad, what if I disappointed her? Spike what if she is coming for a visit? The school is a mess! Rainbow Dash nearly burnt down half of the hallway after showing the students that fire trick of hers! What if-”

Spike seemed to have recovered, as he stroked Twilight’s wings gingerly. He giggled happily, while his mentor took crazed deep breaths of a growing freak out.

“Twilight I am sure it is nothing, you do this every time Celestia sends you a letter! Heh Heh, even as the Princess of Friendship you still get all nervous like you did as a filly!”

Spike burst out laughing, as Twilight curled her lip in embarrassment flattening her ears sheepishly. The letter was soon in Spike’s claws once again, as he opened the scroll and cleared his throat while scanning the words on the paper slowly.

“My dearest Twilight, I am afraid I have some rather unnerving news-”

Twilight’s wings burst out from her body, as sweat started to form around her forehead. She seemed to be cringing, as she huddled her limbs together in an attempt to keep herself from falling apart.

Before Twilight could let out a scream of panic, Spike put his claw up before continuing “-I know how you are so I will tell you right away that even though it is of importance, this is just speculation and in no need of great alarm.”

Twilight let out a breath of relaxation, as her wings fell limp and her dying nervousness allowed her horn to quit producing distress magic.

Spike continued once again, “I am writing to you in regards to the Elements of Harmony, there has been a figure cloaked in shadows poking around the castle. Even though he has not engaged in confrontation, my sister Luna has seen him stalking the halls in an attempt to search for something. We both sense strange magic from him, and his presence seems to be centuries old and very unaware of the world around him. We both believe he may be searching for the Elements of Harmony, considering that he has been studying the stain glass windows of your past battles.”

Twilight squealed while starting to hyperventilate, but Spike put a claw over her mouth as he continued reading.

“Although this pony has not caused any harm, or has been posing any real threat I encourage you and your friends to keep an eye on yourselves and the tree of harmony. I figure he has realized by now his answers cannot be found here, and I speculate he may be headed to where you mares are currently. If you happen to find him, I ask you contain him and question his actions in a humane way. Like I said previously, his magic is strange, and his aura is rather odd, so I implore you to tread lightly.”

Spike released Twilight from his claw, and when she took a deep breath, he braced for the oncoming wave of distress.

“A shadow? Strange magic? Century-old presences? This-This..is..a…DISASTER! Oh my, oh my, oh my, no, no, no! Celestia is wrong, this causes for extreme alarm! That shadow stallion is coming for our elements to destroy Equestria!”

Spike shook Twilight’s shoulders, shaking her out of her state of panic. She blinked before focusing back on Spike who seemed to be hiding what appeared to be a little giggle.

“Calm down Twilight, if Celestia is not too worried you shouldn’t be either! Jeeze Twilight, you sound almost as drama induced as Rarity! Like the princess said, it sounds like the shadow pony is in a state of confusion, since he is speculated to be centuries old he might just be confused about how the world has changed like Rockhoof.”

Twilight released a sigh, before smiling at her companion gently. “You are right, but just to be safe I am going to research for a while.”

Spike scrunched his nose, “don’t you think you should tell your friends to keep an eye out first?”

Twilight was in the middle of pulling out a book before she shrank in embarrassment, “oh right.”

Her nervousness was contained, but her eyes still darted to her books as she smiled pitifully at Spike. He knew for her sanity she would need to feel safe in her veil of research so she would feel mentally prepared for whatever she was about to face. Her baby dragon grinned at her softly, before rolling his eyes and handing her an old book called “Equestrian Ancient Magic.”

Twilight’s eyes sparkled like a child when given a toy, before she accepted his offering and snuggled on the floor happily.

“You research and I will bring your friends down here, they should be teaching their classes and shouldn’t be too hard to find.”

Spike looked back at his best friend, but she was lost in her own world as she studied every word even though she had already memorized everything in the book. Spike rolled his eyes playfully, before gently closing the door and making his way to where Twilight’s friends were for the day. He scratched his scaly head before pondering, Applejack and Rarity never missed a day of teaching, but unfortunately, he has not seen Pinkie Pie all day.

Rainbow Dash usually took her afternoon nap during lunchtime, and Fluttershy was off spending the day with her class at the lake. He knew where to find all of them, except for that sugar-high pony Ponyville knew and loved.

Spike shrugged, “shouldn’t be too hard to get them all in one place.”

When Twilight’s door opened the recognizable gang that made up her friendship circle trotted in eagerly. Fluttershy wore a friendly smile, while Rainbow Dash flew in effortlessly in a blur of flashing colors. Rarity was whining about something completely unrelated, while a few grunts of struggle echoed behind her.

When a blond tail poked through the three girls huddled by the door, the grunts were recognized to be Applejacks as she struggled to drag something behind her. Spike came in last, before plopping on the ground in exhaustion while the apple-loving earth pony jerked in a fluffy pink tail.

“We… heh finally made it.”

Applejack kicked the door closed, as Pinkie Pie clawed at the ground. A rope was tied around her, which Applejack pulled along with her teeth trailing along a very unhappy and desperate pink mare. No pony seemed to be alarmed so to speak since a lot of them were very accustomed to her strange and unpredictable behavior.

Rainbow Dash looked over at Pinkie Pie who was mumbling things that her ears couldn’t pick up before speaking, “Hey AJ want to explain why Pinkie is tied up?”

Applejack sat on the ground, resting her rump on the rope before Pinkie lunged at the door unable to go very far because of the tension. Her body snapped back to the ground, and she was knocked flat on her back with a tremendous roar of frustration.

“Well now ‘ah was mindin’ my own business, before Spike came along. He told me that Pinkie was startin’ to ‘come to be a real rotten apple. Sayin’, she was running away from him ‘spoutin nonsense ‘bout parties and whatnot. So ‘ah went with him to chase her down, but she kept going off ‘till we both caught her with ‘mah lasso.”

Applejack looked over at Pinkie Pie who was vainly trying to drag herself away from the country pony. Her weight was overruled by her powerful best friend, and she eventually gave up plopping herself on the ground in defeat.

“Yeah Pinkie Pie is a fast one, without Applejack catching her off guard with her famous lassoing she would be halfway across Equestria by now.” Spike wheezed, giving a thankful smile towards the blond earth pony who returned the gesture with a tip of her hat.

“AJ might be fast and all, but I am still the fastest Pegasus in Equestria! Next time Spike, if you need to catch some pony you should come to me, and you won’t be so wiped out next time kay?”

Applejack snorted at Rainbow Dash’s prideful pose but decided to leave her spunk alone. Twilight closed her book and addressed her friends with a happy smile, beaming at them with eyes full of love for her group of besties.

Twilight cleared her throat, “So as you all can guess we have a little situation. Do not worry though, Celestia has informed me that there is no reason to panic.”

Spike giggled at the irony, “No reason to panic huh?”

Twilight glared at Spike before continuing, “there has been a shadow pony lurking around Equestria, and the princesses guess he is looking for the Elements of Harmony. While sitting here researching, I have concluded that he may just be curious about us; for he is not causing trouble. I just wanted to give you girls a heads up, if you see him or hear of him, we are to contain him and question him without causing harm to him or any pony else.”

Fluttershy fiddled with the ground, “oh my… he sounds… scary. Perhaps he hides in shadows because he is nervous around other ponies.”

Rainbow Dash landed beside Fluttershy before nudging her gently with her hoof, “Nah nothing about him sounds scary enough to make me nervous! If he shows his face anywhere around Ponyville I’ll-”

Rainbow Dash stood mid-hoof in the air under the glare of every pony in the room, as she giggled nervously before dropping on all fours “-gently ask him why he is looking for us without causing any harm what-so-ever.”

Fluttershy shook her head and smiled playfully at Rainbow Dash, before giggling at her nervous reaction.

Pinkie Pie suddenly broke the silence with a scream of frustration, as she barreled through Rarity and Applejack. Her nose pressed against Twilight’s suddenly, as she eyed her Alicorn best-friend with a serious gaze. Fortunately for Twilight, it was not very useful since her wild eyes always made her look goofy.

“Twilight, we need to throw a party.”

Her dead serious tone made Rainbow Dash snicker from the back, as Twilight smiled nervously. Her pink friend squinted one eye, as she pressed her nose harder against Twilight in an attempt to make a more precise statement. Twilight’s horn lit up, and Pinkie Pie was gently scooted away from the Princess of Friendship and placed back at Applejack’s side much to her disappointment.

Twilight moved past Pinkie Pie’s intervention. “Like I said this is not an emergency so do not deliberately seek him out. If any of you happen to see him, come and get me, or ask him questions yourself but make sure to encourage him to check up with me at my castle.”

Rarity made a dramatic sigh, as the ponies in the room turned to her with un-amused glances. She put a hoof to her forehead before explaining her loudly exaggerated huff of disapproval, “It’s a pony of shadows girls! Shadows! You all do know that it is nearly impossible to catch a shadow, remember when Pinkie Pie tried to catch hers for nearly three days last year? How are we supposed to catch such a slippery pony, I don’t know about you darlings but it’s too much stress, and it’s not good for my mane.”

Rarity made a squeal of pain, as she dropped her hoof and looked at her mane which did not appear to be in any sense of danger.

“Just look at these split ends! All this talk about a shadow pony after my precious element is just making my mane look so messy!”

Rarity pouted, apparently involved in trying to smooth the invisible hairs that were out of place.

“Rarity, you do know the pony is not an actual shadow. That would be scientifically impossible, I am sure he just uses magic that hides his body from the eyes of other ponies. Besides your mane looks great so don’t worry about it.”

Rarity looked up at Twilight, before tossing her mane back with a smile of satisfaction, “my mane always looks great darling, perfectly styled; unlike a certain earth pony who didn’t bother to brush this morning.”

Applejack perked up, “Ah hope you ain't ‘talkin ‘bout me Sugarcube.”

Rarity made a teasing giggle, “I would never.”

Pinkie Pie slammed her hooves on the floor, “You girls are missing the POINT! We need to drown this town in music, and games and dancing, and occasionally confetti rain! We need to start singing and laughing, pronto!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “Pinks although your parties are great we do have other things we need to get done. We can all enjoy your party after we get some of our important activities done.”

Twilight grinned before replying, “You mean like your afternoon nap?”

Rainbow Dash stuck her nose in the air, “My afternoon naps are very important who are you to judge me when you spend half your day organizing books from A to Z?”

Fluttershy quietly spoke, “She has a point.”

Pinkie Pie growled angrily before Applejack caught on that the energetic earth pony had somehow wiggled out of her rope. She shook out her mane, before kicking the rest of what had bound her to the rodeo pony off of her body.

“No, no, no! You aren’t listening to me!” Pinkie Pie shouted, bouncing over to Rainbow Dash and tugging her head towards her nose. Rainbow Dash struggled but her pink friend’s death grip locked around her cheeks, and she was forced to look into the mare’s bright blue eyes.

“We need to throw the biggest… the most crazytastic event that Ponyville has ever seen! My body is shaking, and it means to start baking! We need cake… and lots of IT. We need enough to feed a whole town, enough to feed all of Equestria if we have to! It’s the only way to-”

Rainbow Dash freed herself from Pinkie, before balancing herself in the air. The cloud-kicking mare could see Pinkie Pie’s eyes darting around from side to side, her ears twitching as if she could hear something the others could not.

Rarity pitched in noticing Pinkie Pie’s behavior as well, “Sweetheart are you feeling alright? I know you love parties, but you are acting a little off.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed her muzzle, “Throwing a party and attracting a crowd might not be the best way to welcome the shadow pony. If anything it might scare him off! According to Twilight, it seems he likes hiding in the darkness and if anything he will make more appearances in a dark, quiet town at night then a partying Ponyville.”

Applejack nodded before adding her input, “Rainbow does have a point ‘ah ‘reckon he’ll be slicker than ‘an apple during ‘bobbin time. My guess is that he’ll show up ‘mighty quick ‘an be gone in ‘ah snap if we don’t catch ‘em fast enough.”

Pinkie Pie seemed to be quivering from head to hoof, as her cheeks filled with hot air and her mane seemed to sizzle in frustration. Her friends wouldn’t listen, and they didn’t understand, they were stubborn as Cranky Doodle! Pinkie Pie knew what she felt, and she knew her shaky shakes never pointed her in the wrong direction!

“You… what… I…. UGH!”

Pinkie Pie’s final words were enough to leave the group confused as she stormed out of the room with an unexpected shout of “I will do it myself!”

The mares sat bewildered at her outburst but shook it off as they gazed at each other with confused expressions. Suddenly a small orange head poked through the doorway with an amused smirk on her face, her sharp horns made it evident that it was Smolder that had caught a whiff of Pinkie Pie’s temper tantrum.

“Haha, what got into professor Pinkie Pie? If her head keeps sizzling like that she will produce a flame that could almost rival a dragon!”

Smolder smiled, revealing her sharp fangs as she approached the group hesitantly. Twilight smiled gently at her dragon student, as Smolder walked passed Applejack and didn’t question the worn rope or why it was there.

“Hey Smolder, Princess Celestia is lowering the sun which means it’s getting close to nighttime; shouldn’t you be at your night study group with your friends?”

A trail of smoke slowly leaked out from Smolder’s nostrils, as she shrugged nonchalantly. Her head turned to Spike, before replying with a dry and bored tone, “Spike told me in choppy breaths to look out for a strange shadow pony, so that is what I’ve been doing, happened to see somewhat of a pony covered in what looked like black flames down by the market.”

Suddenly the group lit up in alarm, making Spike perk up nervously at Smolder’s words.

Rainbow Dash flexed her wings eagerly, “He’s already here? Awesome!”

Twilight had an unspoken bond with her friends, and a simple nod was all it took for the group to be off towards an unknown adventure. They whizzed past Smolder, and the dragon put her claw up to ask a question but before she could they were halfway down the hallway headed towards the market.

“I am never in on anything,” Smolder pouted while crossing her arms and spitting fire from her mouth in annoyance almost cooking Spike who was left in the dust as well.

The group made record time, their hooves pounding on the dirt as they approached the empty market under the lowering sun. Ponies had surrendered to the night and had gone home with tired limbs and worn out hooves leaving a bare Ponyville to the mercy of the rising moon.

The group halted to see a figure sniffing the ground hungrily as if tracking something… or some pony. His tail cloaked in swaying shadows, almost as if the shadows were black flames like Smolder had stated. His tail twitched, clearly not bothered by the group’s presence or just unaware.

His mane was hidden by shadows as well, a liquorish color covered his body while his mane seemed active and alive. His grayish hair appeared to have a mind of its own, as the strands of fire licked the sky and blew and bent to the will of the breeze. A cutie mark was not present, neither was a horn or wings… was he perhaps an earth pony?

Rainbow Dash landed behind him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she gently approached him even though it was against her nature.

“Hey Mr. Shadow Dude, my name is Rainbow Dash and if you don’t mind my friends and I have a few questions for ya.”

The pony’s head snapped up, and Rainbow Dash caught a glance at his expressionless glazed over eyes. Her wings faltered before they started to fall in nervousness while her gaze got lost in his milky white stare. No pupil, no iris, just a bright white blank stare that seemed terrifying.

His hoof pawed at the ground, making a rough and dragging sound before giant dragon-like wings spread out from his hazy body.

Rainbow Dash shook her uncertainty away before forcing a smile, “Oh you are a Pegasus! So am I and my friend Fluttershy, like I said we have a few questions to ask you; no biggie.”

His dragon wings flapped slowly, and the mares couldn’t figure out if he was agreeing, or preparing to take off. Rarity pushed Twilight forward, while she expressed an awkward smile trying to stop her friend from pushing her towards the stranger and next to Rainbow Dash.

“Umm, hello! My name is Twilight Sparkle, I am the Princess of Friendship and happen to be the sixth element of the Elements of Harmony, my friends and I welcome you to Ponyville. I got word from Princess Celestia that you might be wandering around looking for us? We have no issue with helping a fellow pony in need, so if you have any questions ask away.”

The shadow pony perked up, his ears flattening against his skull. Even though his eyes were emotionless, and his features were hidden by the thick fog of shadows around him he seemed alarmed. Twilight sensed the sudden change in atmosphere, no longer curious… but hostile.

She saw the shadow pony flex his legs and wings, and within a split second out of reaction Twilight was behind a glowing barrier. Just in the nick of time, a blast of dark electrifying energy slammed into her shield shaking the ground in a powerful earthquake from his unrecognized magic.

Twilight started to sweat, her horn furiously producing a spell to protect her and Rainbow Dash from the unrelenting beam. She began to notice her hooves sliding backward, making deep gashes in the dirt as she forced her legs to stay put in her stance.

Rainbow Dash held onto Twilight’s back, supporting her friend in the best way she could by holding her still. Her friends got the idea and soon joined Twilight by using all their strength by keeping Twilight standing in one spot. The shadow pony’s eyes grew smaller, giving the impression that he was squinting for some odd reason.

The beam dispersed leaving Twilight to collapse on the ground from exhaustion. The power she had to deflect was nothing she had ever experienced before, it’s a magic that was not in her vast memory, and she knew just about every kind of magic there was! It was physically draining even though the vicious attack never touched her as if her magic naturally clashed with it and was weak to it. Her mind felt numb, her friend’s cries of alarm muffled as her head tried to grasp the danger she was in.

“Why is he attacking us?” Fluttershy whimpered, as Applejack stood in front of her glaring at the shadow pony.

Twilight grunted, her horn spewing weak sparks, “I don’t know, but whatever he is, he isn’t a pony.”

Rainbow Dash took no time in waiting around, she burst out from behind Twilight along with Applejack who trailed from behind. The shadow pony was unfazed, watching and eagerly timing his next move with precision easily predicting Rainbow Dash’s careless action of attack. The mare leading Applejack from behind missed the enemy nearly knocking herself out of the air from the recoil of her speed, all while her foe taunted her failure by effortlessly moving as if gravity never existed.

The dragon-winged creature leapt with incredible power gracefully landing on the top of a building. Twilight didn’t understand, he didn’t use his wings and just jumped about thirty hooves into the air! He didn’t just have strange magic, he defied just about every known law with physics! If the gears in her head weren’t fried from her last move, she would be vigorously taking mental notes!

Applejack corralled her lasso, before sending it up to catch the shadow pony. He retaliated by making a beam of pure darkness shoot out viciously from an unknown source. The beam sliced through the chilly night air right before throwing itself at Applejack, but fortunately, Rainbow Dash had quick thinking and was able to tackle her out of the way.

The beam didn’t stop recklessly crashing into the ground where Applejack had been and tearing up just about everything in its path. The wake of destruction it left tore a cavern several meters deep, before barreling into some poor pony’s house.

The house caved in, giving into the energy as the materials supporting it evaporated into ash.

Rarity gasped her eyes watching the house crumble into nothing, “h-he’s going to destroy Ponyville!”

Rarity’s words gave Twilight enough strength to stand, even though her magic felt like it was sucked out of her. Her snuffed out magic was not the only issue, her ears twitched when she heard ever growing music stretching out over the quiet town of Ponyville.

The shadow pony glanced over to strange lights flashing among the night sky, his ears flattening before perking up again at the sounds. Balloons drifted up into the air, as the music blasted through the group making the ground vibrate and their ears split from the noise.

Twilight saw his growing interest, and within seconds his gravity-defying leaps started leading him towards the source of the sound.

“Some pony has to stop him!” Fluttershy shouted, loud enough to shake the ponies out of their state of shock.

The yellow animal whisperer took off after the shadow pony, along with Rainbow Dash gaining speed behind her. Twilight followed her friends from behind, tracing the weightless pony who easily marked a path towards DJ Pon-3’s widely recognizable bass machine.

“Hellooooo Ponyville! Are you ready to party your hooves off?” the loud perky voice was none other than Pinkie Pie.

The group was horrified to see a large crowd gathered around her and her DJ friend who seemed to enjoy the attention. The shadow pony could seriously harm just about every pony within his range, and Twilight was mortified that Pinkie Pie’s voice looked to be making him trot faster among the rooftops.

The oblivious groups of crowds stood below the assailant, his shadows flickering behind them. His hooves dug into the roof of the building he stood on, as he arched his head tall in the shroud of the moonlight.

Rainbow Dash came in for a devastating tackle, but with a reactive movement, his hooves crashed into her jaw. She went spiraling out of control, before slamming into the banner spread over the Town Hall. Rainbow dropped like a rock onto the ground, mumbling in a daze as the shadow pony spread his wings.

With all the strength Twilight had left a blast of Alicorn magic burst from her horn, but it was still weak compared to what he could muster. He dodged, leaving a scorched mark where he had been standing before slicing his wing through the air. Sharp blades of unknown material flew towards Twilight, and she dove out of the way before they lodged themselves in the side of a building.

He dipped his wings downwards before lifting himself above the ponies below him. The music was drowning out Rarity’s cries for the town to flee, and Fluttershy was nearly trampled by dancing ponies while she tried to escort them away from the battlefield.

The powerful foe wrapped his wings around his sides, freezing his form in the night sky. Twilight’s ears dropped in fear of his charging attack, his wings creating a ball of darkness in between his raised forelimbs.

Pinkie Pie was unaware if the immediate danger, as she bopped her head in tune to the beat. Pinkie leaned into the microphone, smiling eagerly towards the excited crowd as they howled and whistled with the dooming music.

“When I say party, you say cannon!”

The shadow pony’s ears snapped into the direction of Pinkie Pie’s voice, his creeping attack dying down as his eyes locked onto the defenseless pony below him. Rainbow Dash wrestled out of the banner, shaking the confusion from her mind knowing he was now distracted and this might be her only chance to make a solid hit.

With a great leap of force, she charged at the pony-like creature with everything she had. Seconds were everything, and before he had a chance to react, it was too late, and her hoof sank into his throat casting him towards the awaiting rooftops below. He recovered impossibly fast before his shining eyes snapped right back on Rainbow in an attempt to stare her down.

Pinkie Pie still oblivious to the massive battle due to the epic sound waves that DJ Pon-3 produced, brought out a massive party cannon that rolled across the ground. It was gigantic, and the crowd knew she had outdone herself smashingly, it was easily bigger than a small house! DJ Pon-3 seemed very impressed, and the crowd awed at the shiny pink paint that covered it.

Rarity was trying her best to creep along the crowd and make it to the stage where she could cut off the music, but the dancing ponies made it near impossible. Fluttershy seemed in the middle of a panic, but even her assertive and loud voice was not enough to get ponies to move.

Twilight gasped, “No Pinkie don’t, the confetti will-”

Rainbow Dash charged, preparing to engage in an epic battle before Pinkie Pie held her ears and yelled, “Light it up!”

Within seconds a rain of thick confetti created a massive wave of cheers, but the cloud of glitter and confetti blinded Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus clawed at the air, being smothered by the floating party necessities unable to see anything at all! The shadow pony glanced over at the laughing Pinkie Pie, before bouncing on the rooftops and fleeing permanently from the scene.

Suddenly the music was killed, and Rarity stood breathing shakily in panicked breaths. DJ Pon-3 seemed disappointed but rather curious as to why Rarity was heaving like she had just participated in a marathon.

The group that had just engaged in an adrenaline induced battle, slowly approached the crowd dripping with sweat. When the glitter and confetti were now settled silently on the ground, Pinkie Pie shrank under the angry eyes of her friends with a shocked expression.

Rainbow Dash landed harshly on the stage, her eyes hard and wild from fearing Ponyville would have been reduced to rubble.

“Pinkie Pie what in Equestria were you thinking?! We told you to not throw a party, and you went and did so anyway! Ponyville could have been destroyed!”

Pinkie Pie choked, she had never seen Rainbow Dash this angry and fearful among all the years she’s known her. Her heart quickened seeing all her friends climb up on the stage, with the confused expressions of the crowd below them. Pinkie Pie saw their legs shaking, their manes messy and windblown, and their eyes popping and twitching from fear.

“Pinkie Pie are you nuts? Your music and lights attracted a dangerous creature right towards all these innocent ponies! If it were not for Rainbow Dash every pony here would have been in serious danger!”

Twilight did not even think about raising her voice with Pinkie Pie, her anger towards the pink mare was not something she expressed often, but it was necessary. The surprised pony slowly backed up, but her tail hit Rarity who was also quite upset and glaring at her for answers.

Rarity spoke up, “Your music drowned out all our cries to evacuate the Town Square! Pinkie darling, this time it was too much!”

Pinkie Pie cowered, she had a feeling that she needed to make laughter and she went on it. Her friends glaring at her angrily was enough to tell her she made a large and ouchy boo-boo! She didn’t mean to cause any harm she actually was trying to revert it! She peered up at Rainbow Dash, her ears back and pleading for her best friend’s expression to soften but the Wonderbolt did no such thing.

“Y-You all wouldn’t listen to me, you have to believe me! There is a danger here in Ponyville, and that shadow pony you all mentioned was not it! I have been shaking like crazy since last night, and-”

Rainbow Dash approached Pinkie Pie with her wings spread like a disapproving parent, as the baker broke under her gaze sinking her stomach to the ground. She cowered under the heavy and furious silence, swallowing the urge to beg and plead for her friends to stop glaring at her as if she were an enemy!

“Pinkie PIE, do you not even realize what a disaster you caused? Because of your party cannon, that lunatic shadow pony is now roaming around freely! He is a danger to every pony here, with magic that Twilight herself had time dealing with! Even though the threat is gone, for now, there is still a danger, and it’s you and your crazy PARTIES! This was one of the stupidest things you’ve ever done, and because of your idiotic decision, we are forced to clean up a mess YOU created! ”

Even Twilight flinched at Rainbow Dash’s words, as Pinkie’s eyes watered. Her heart seemed to have crashed into a deep abyss, before being severed by sharp shards of guilt and betrayal. They thought she was… a danger?

Her parties… were crazy?

She didn’t mean to upset her friends, she didn’t know what kind of danger they were facing. She was fighting a battle all on her own, and that shadow pony was not what they should be worried about.

“You… don’t understand I-I-”

Pinkie Pie couldn’t speak, without thinking she burst off of the stage leaving her friends to turn their heads away from her. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel a stab of regret for yelling at her friend like that, but she was careless, and it almost cost everypony their lives.

Pinkie Pie ran, her hooves taking her as far away from that scene as possible before she burst into Sugarcube Corner sobbing her way up into her room. She slammed the door behind her, her chest heaving with gasping sobs as her mane sopped against her wet cheeks. They didn’t understand, the threat that they faced, the enemy that was coming.. she had figured it out.

It was a foe indeed, a dangerous and malicious foe that lurked in the darkest pits of her nightmares. Her vision grew hazy, while harsh growls filled her eardrums, shaking her vision each time the growls surfaced. Powerful waves of fear and anxiety overtook her, as something clawed at her chest squeezing her lungs begging to be let out.

Pinkie Pie was choking on her own breath, her heart pounding endlessly and desperately in her chest. She felt sick, she felt like her head was going to split apart from the howls of a monster deep within.

The saying “Laughter is the best medicine,” was false they didn’t know that it was the only medicine that would cure the plague rising to the surface.

Pinkie Pie tore open her closet, throwing the mirrors around her room in an attempt to surround herself with her reflection. Once her vision was filled with nothing but her crazed eyes, and her soaking wet fur she lifted her head glaring at the golden mirror she had placed in front of her.

“I know you’re there Pinkamena!”

When nothing surfaced, and she was still alone. She wildly slammed her hoof on the smooth and cold glass on the mirror staring angrily into her own reflection. With her forehead now pressed against the glass, and her tears dripping down the surface she felt herself sliding down curling up into a ball.

Something stirred within the mirror, casually responding to Pinkie Pie’s loud and messy sobs on the floor. The mirror started to fade, a shade of red taking over the center of the mirror as something crept into view; slowly forming into a figure on the other side.

Pinkie Pie glanced up to meet curious but solemn red eyes, they glanced down at her forming what seemed to be another pony hidden in the mirror. Pinkie Pie watched as the pony kneeled down to where her nose was level to the curled up mare in front of her, before grinning devilishly.

“You look awful,” she smirked.

The pony had a matching Cutie Mark parallel to Pinkie Pie’s, yet her mane was straight and shiny, and her colors were darker than the bright and fun pony she reflected. Her coat was a darker shade of pink, but not too dark in the slightest while her mane reached all the way down to her lower neck.

“YOU, you are the threat that is causing all this.”

The mare that had been named Pinkamena flattened her ears, with a look of pure hurt before it melted away into a grin.

“Umm helloooo!” Pinkamena said as she tapped on the other side of the surface with her hoof, “I am in a mirror!”

Pinkie Pie looked un-amused, as she picked herself up off the floor while Pinkamena matched her movements and they locked eyes.

“Why are you messing with my friends? More so why haven’t you spoken to me lately, you’ve been quiet for a few months.”

Pinkamena bounced to the side, before appearing in another mirror posing playfully and meeting Pinkie Pie’s gaze with one of mischief.

Pinkamena tapped her chin with her hoof, before giggling tauntingly from the inside of Pinkie Pie’s mind.

“I remember specifically you telling me that you ‘banished’ me to the Fungeon which you totally did not steal from something else. You said I belonged in the deepest parts of your mind, where I deserved to be forgotten and forever chained and repelled from giving you… ah, what was it you said? Oh yes, bad ideas! It hurt a little if I am to be honest, we all know I am just an innocent little angel on your shoulder.”

Pinkamena eyed Pinkie Pie with another playful gaze, as Pinkie Pie stuck her nose in her reflection’s face. Pinkamena seemed fine with it, as she playfully poked the surface of the mirror attempting at bopping Pinkie’s sensitive muzzle.

“You didn’t answer all of my question,” Pinkie Pie said as Pinkamena jumped into a second mirror to casually avoid those broken blue eyes before her.

She spoke with such smoothness in her voice, it was almost as if she were spitting the sweetest batch of Applejack’s apple cider.

“I am genuinely hurt that you would accuse me of wanting to mess with your friends, I am simply but a reflection and a shadow you walk on my dear Pinkie Pie.” Pinkamena said while grinning smugly, the back of her hoof planted against her forehead in an attempt to be dramatic, “Besides the breakdown you are having is because of Dash Hole, not me personally.”

Pinkie Pie gave Pinkamena a sharp look of annoyance, before wiping the stray tears on her cheeks, “Her name is Rainbow Dash, and she only did it because I must have acted on false accusations… perhaps the shadow pony was what my body was trying to warn me about.”

Pinkie Pie shook violently, her tail and mane bouncing along with her body with the rhythm of a new Pinkie Sense attack.

Pinkamena cocked her head, “Well look at that, seems your little issue has not been solved as of late. Your friends must be wrong after all, yes?”

Pinkie Pie sealed her blaming gaze with Pinkamena, and the secretive grinning poker face she wore. It was enough to tell her that she was up to something and knew more than what she was letting on.

Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof to the little devil in front of her making the mare’s eyes grow wide for a split second before melting back into that teasing gaze of hers.

“Pinkamena you and I are going to have a chat, and don’t try to escape!”

Pinkamena grew annoyed, visibly getting frustrated before replying sharply, “SERIOUSLY? I am in a mirror! Where am I going to go??”