The Shadow creature was fast, that was for sure. It dove over the landscape, just above the ground, occasionally dipping to the earth beneath it, only to spring up again in the next heartbeat.
Absently, Rainbow Dash wondered why it didn't just fly away… It had wings, so why didn't it?

The racer looked behind her. The two Princesses were following in the air, and Twilight Sparkle was sprinting along behind them as fast as she could manage.

Turning her violet eyes back to the Shadow creature fleeing below her, she put on a burst of speed. It had just crossed over into the long grass of the Sea, and it was getting harder to see…. There was no light out here, and the clouds were blocking the moon.

"You're not getting away!" She shouted, as she streaked down from the sky, tackling the creature, sending them both rolling to the ground.

She picked herself up at once, looking around for the creature, ready to give chase again… But, she didn't need to chase it any more. It was still lying where it had fallen on the grass. It sounded like it was panting… desperately gasping for breath, and lying still.

Rainbow Dash kept one eye of the black form on the grass, and turned towards where the Two Sisters and her friend were approaching from, and began bouncing up and down. "Over here!" She shouted. "I caught it!"

The two Princesses gently touched down on the ground beside Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus' decent from the sky had flattened the long grass, giving them a small clearing in which to land, and inspect the frightening black spectre. Which was just as well. Twilight Sparkle was pushing her way through the long grass, which was easily taller than her. Luna was able to stretch her muzzle over the top of it, and on Celestia, the tallest of all, it reached her shoulders.

The purple unicorn finally pushed her way through the grass to the small clearing, panting with the effort.
"You okay, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, setting down beside her.
"Y…Y…Yes…" Was the answer, and the two small Ponies turned their eyes towards the creature they had captured, as the Princesses slowly stalked towards it.

Timidly, Luna sniffed it.

She immediately jerked backwards. Among other things that the Moon Princess didn't want to contemplate, the great creature smelt heavily of blood…

Celestia frowned slightly. She didn't have to put her nose near it; she could smell the blood from where she was. With a moment of concentration, a ball of soft light appeared at the end of her horn, washing over the area.
Luna and Twilight copied her, and they looked down at the shape on the ground in the light.

It was thin. Very thin. It even in this little light, you could see it's ribs through it's rough skin.
"….Looks like it's made out of a potato sack." Rainbow Dash commented.

Luna trotted around to the creature's head. It seemed like it had flaps of brown skin trailing off its muzzle… but, at the same time, Rainbow Dash had a point. It kinda did look like a dirty old sack.

Cautiously, she reached out, and gripped one of the ragged strips in her teeth, and pulled.

It didn't come off easily. It was stuck with blood and sweat to the creature's face, and had been for a while, it seemed. The timid Princess dropped the foul thing with a look of disgust on her face, before looking back at what she had uncovered, wondering why such expressions of surprise were on the others' faces.

Suddenly, the creature before them had changed from a decaying monster…. To a pitch black stallion, laying on the grass, fighting for breath.

"It's a Pony?" Twilight wondered.
"Bit big for a Pony." Rainbow Dash said flatly. "Look at it…. It's taller than Princess Celestia!"

Luna looked up at her sister. "….He's hurt." She whispered.

Celestia nodded. "Yes… I think you are right." The Sun Princess turned to her little Ponies, standing nearby. "Rainbow Dash, would you take your fast wings back to town, and bring my guards and chariot here?" She asked. "I think we should take this poor creature back to Canterlot." She looked back at the stallion on the ground, and the dried blood across his black fur. "….To the hospital."

….

The Ponies of Meadowvale were more than okay with cleaning up the mess from the ruined celebration. Particularly as the Princesses were removing the dark spectre from their town. It was the best centennial gift any of them could think of!

The Ponyville guests had offered to stay and help, and so, it was alone that Celestia and Luna travelled home, taking with them the Shadow Pegasus.

He didn't move much on the flight back to Canterlot. He just lay where he was placed, breathing harshly the whole way there.

He was swiftly delivered into the capable hooves of the Palace doctors. They were startled, at first by the disgusting condition he was in and then again at his black fur. But, something of a stern look from their Princess got their hooves moving to tend the poor creature.

"….Sister?" Luna asked, as the two Princesses walked together back to their own rooms.
Celestia looked down at the smaller Princess. "Yes?"
"….He has black fur." Luna said timidly. "I've never…seen a Pony with a black coat before." She blinked, and suddenly lowered her head in shame. "E…Except for…. For….."

Celestia extended a wing, and placed it gently on her sister's shoulder. "Everyone has their own colours." She said softly. "Things have a way of explaining themselves, if you take the time to listen." She reached her head down and nuzzled her sister's muzzle. "Listen… and this might explain itself, as well."

….

The night was far too short for the young Princess. Although she usually liked to sleep from around midnight to about noon, Luna found that today, it was the dawn that pulled her out of her rest. Perhaps it was the knowledge that the tall black stallion they had found in Meadowvale was only a few floors away, in the hospital. Perhaps it was the memory of his ragged, struggled breaths, and his ribs protruding from his sides like ripples in the sand.

Or perhaps…. It was his pitch black coat…. Reminding her of the Nightmare….

Whatever the cause, Luna found herself up, watching her sister pull the Sun from the horizon to bring about the dawn.

After the sun had been raised, Luna was about to try and return to sleep, but a knock at her bedroom door kept her from it. The small Princess timidly opened the door a crack, and peered out.
"Y…yes….?"

A doctor Pony was standing at her door. "Forgive me for calling on you so early, Princesss…" She said in a soft whisper. "Did I wake you?"
Luna suddenly became very aware of the bedraggled state of her mane and tail, and that she was not wearing her shoes or crown or necklace. The Princess blushed. "Um….sort of…" She whispered in response.

The doctor bowed low. "Forgive me." She said again, before straightening. "But, it regards the Black Stallion your Highnesses brought to our care last night."

Luna blinked. "The…Stallion…?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes. We have done… all that we can for the time being. I have been sent to ask if your Highnesses wanted to see him."
"N… Not without my sister…." Luna said quickly.

The Pony before her bowed. "Of course." She said, before excusing herself.

Luna waited until the doctor was out of sight, before retreating into her room to brush her mane and to dress. She did want to see him. She was curious.

So, she would need to find her sister.

…