My Little Pony Friendship is Magic is the property of Hasbro and Lauren Faust. No profit is made or copyright infringement intended
Twilight Sparkle stepped out of the book shop with a satisfied smile; the order that she was waiting for had finally arrived. Now stowed safely in her saddlebags, it was entitled A Study of Elemental Magic. She was eager to return to the Library and start reading. She was about to leave, when something caught her eye. Looking round, she saw a new shop on the corner of the Square. Ponyville was growing, with more shops and houses being built every month.
Curious to meet the newcomers, Twilight wandered over and pushed open the door, her hooves clacking on the tiled floor, staring around. If there was a way to describe the shop, then it would be impossible to avoid using the word 'green'. A large counter ran along the back wall, with stools evenly spaced around it. Near the window were comfortable seats and low tables where groups could gather, providing a good view out into the Square.
'Hi. I didn't realise anybody was here. What can I get you?'
Twilight turned to see a green Unicorn with pink standing behind the counter, a pair of sunglasses resting above her horn. Her Cutie Mark was a fizzing glass of soda, and she was grinning from ear to ear.
'Oh, hello. My name's Twilight Sparkle. I hope I'm not interrupting. I saw your shop and I couldn't resist taking a look.'
Twilight said, moving to take a seat at the counter.
'Aw, really? That's so sweet.'
She cantered briefly in a circle, before nudging a menu towards Twilight.
'My name's Fizzy, and this makes you my first customer. Here, have a drink on the house.'
Twilight ran her eye down the list, unsurprised to find that they were all fizzy drinks.
'Okay, I'll have a Melon Fizz.'
'Coming right up.' Fizzy said, turning away for a moment, busying herself with the drinks dispenser.
'So, Twilight Sparkle, what's life like here in Ponyville? Pretty slow, I'll bet. Looks like the kind of place where not a lot happens.'
'Uh...'
Twilight started, not sure how to answer.
'Well, it has its moments.'
She managed, as Fizzy placed her drink in front of her.
'Is that so? Well, here you go.'
Twilight took a sip, feeling herself grinning.
'Hey, this is really good.'
Fizzy grinned, too.
'Thanks, Twilight Sparkle. Well, what do you do here?'
'Oh, you can call me Twilight, everyone does. Actually, I'm here as part of my studies. You see, I'm a student of Princess Celestia, and she sent me here to...'
'You're a student of Princess Celestia? I thought there was something special about you.'
Fizzy exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
'Are you here with your family?' Twilight asked, and Fizzy nodded:
'Yeah, we just moved here from Fillidelphia. This is my parents' restaurant, but they let me run the drinks stand here. I'm a whizz with any fizz.' She finished with a giggle, and Twilight joined in.
'I think you're going to fit right in here.'
It was late evening and the sun was dropping below the horizon, as Twilight once again made her way through Ponyville, heading for Fizzy's shop. She'd enjoyed chatting with her; her bubbly personality was infectious and her drinks were delicious. As she walked, she found herself shivering, even though it was a warm evening. She stopped and looked around, feeling that something was amiss, although she couldn't put her finger on it. Her gaze was drawn towards a shadowy alley, but it was too dark for her to see anything beyond vague shapes. She looked up and down the street, but saw nobody around. She wished now that she hadn't left Spike behind at the Library. Swallowing nervously, she crept towards the alley, slipping between the buildings and gasped. It was like stepping into a freezer, and she saw her breath freeze in front of her. Something whispered above her and her head whipped up to see a black shape floating in the air. It's body wavered and shifted, although she thought that she could make out the vague shape of arms and a head. Terror gripped her and she turned to run, when she felt something cold snag around her ankle, tripping her up. Lying on the ground, she turned to see a faint shadow wrapped around her leg and the shade hovering over her, arms reaching for her. She focused, her horn glowing pink and a pink light struck the shadow, snapping it. She sprang to her feet just as the shade shot towards her and she threw herself flat, expecting to feel that cold touch envelop her. When nothing happened, she looked up to see that a green dome had surrounded her, with the shade slamming against it. Turning her head, she saw Fizzy at the end of the alley, her horn glowing green. The bubble suddenly grew and inverted, sealing the shadow within it and it went mad, fighting to break free.
'Hold it there!'
Twilight commanded, her own horn beginning to glow, and she yelled;
'Let it go!'
Fizzy's bubble vanished with a pop and the creature shot forward, arms extending towards them, just as Twilight released her spell. A ray of purple light enveloped it and it released a piercing wail, dissipating like a cloud on the wind. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to Fizzy, giving her a warm smile.
'Thanks for your help. You turned up just in time.'
'No sweat. I felt something creepy, so I thought I'd take a look. What was that, anyway?'
'A Shade.' Twilight answered. 'A spirit of shadow. They manifest in deep shadows, usually as the sun is setting, drawing energy from the darkness. Once they get powerful enough, they can leave the shadows at night, creating more of their kind. Fortunately, a strong light banishes them.'
'You were right, Twilight. This is an exciting place, after all.'
Fizzy said with a grin, and Twilight giggled, rolling her eyes.
'Personally, I've had enough excitement for one night.