Alright, it looks like I have some explaining before we begin the chapter. After I got done with chapter 24, I fully intended on getting done the next chapter, which will be very significant to the story. However, as soon as I got started, I had four massive school projects shoved right in my face, each in a different subject, and they were all due really soon. To make things worse, if I didn't complete them, I would fail the classes, so I had to pick between my story and my grades.
This chapter is something that I managed to get out while working, and is something to keep you guys busy as I continue working on both my projects and the next chapter.
This chapter takes place in an alternate reality where Twilight Sparkle doesn't exist, and Shadow Storm has replaced her in the very first episode of MLP. So Shadow has been living a version of Twilight's life, and even raised Spike, so you can imagine how that would turn out. So to sum it up, you get to see Shadow going around and being a complete douchebag to all of the main characters while at the same time completely replacing Twilight!
I may or may not do another one of these as a filler chapter of sorts.
Chapter 25: Alternate Reality Chapter No. 1
/
"Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.
But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night.
One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon.
She vowed she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerfullmagic known to ponydom: The Elements of Harmony.
Using the magic of The Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon…
"…and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since." A young pegasus pony with a pitch black coat, shaggy black mane, short black tail, gold eyes, and a strange white symbol on his flank containing a five-spoked gear and orbiting electrons surrounding a circle clutched by a hand containing two three-digit numbers, lay on a grassy hill next to a large pond reading a book.
"…Bullshit." He said, closing the book and looking around. "Well, I should get back to the lab. Spike should've run the tests by now…"
Normally he would've flown, but due to the intense wind going on today, he decided that walking would suffice.
/
My Little Psycho, My Little Psycho, ah, ah, ah, ah...
My Little Psycho
Shadow Storm: I used to cause pain and misery…
My Little Psycho
Shadow Storm: Until you brought me to my Hell with glee…
Rainbow Dash: Big ego,
Pinkie Pie: Tons of blood,
Rarity: A Sadistic mind,
Applejack: Snarky and smart,
Fluttershy: Giving criticism,
Shadow Storm: It's an easy feat,
And logic makes it all complete, yeah
My Little Psycho
Shadow Storm: Do you know, I fucking hate you all!
/
The pegasus pony trotted down a rather peaceful path, carrying a gray saddlebag. His neutral expression changed to an annoyed frown as three ponies suddenly stopped him in his tracks.
"There you are, Shadow!" The white unicorn exclaimed. "Moondancer is having a little get-together in the west castle courtyard. Ya wanna come?" All three ponies looked at Shadow, also known as Shadow Storm, expectantly.
"NOW'S YOUR CHANCE, SHADOW! RELOCATE THEIR THROATS TO A LOCATION OUTSIDE OF THEIR BODIES! And don't forget to save the kidneys…NOT LIKE LAST TIME! HAHAHAHAHA!" The demonic and clearly homicidal voices in Shadow's head shouted.
"As much as I would love to say that I'd like to come, I would lying if I did." Shadow replied dryly. "Besides my personal hatred of all of you, I have lots of shit that needs to be done and I'd appreciate if idiots like you didn't come and buck it up." He then continued on his merry way, a smirk on his face.
"…Wow." One of the ponies said blankly. "What a dick."
/
Shadow trotted onwards, going up the spiraling staircase of a tall, exquisite white and gold tower.
At the top of the tower, a small, purple and green dragon was walking towards a door, holding a red present with a yellow ribbon. Just as the dragon was right in front of the door, it flew open and smacked him in the face.
"SHIT!" The dragon yelped as he was sent flying.
"Spike?" Shadow asked as he walked though the door. "Spike?"
"SPIKE!" He snapped, before noticing the dragon. "Ah, there you are. Get off the floor, we have work to do."
Walking inside the building with Spike following, Shadow looked around.
"I'm gonna have to find some kind of a way to put a plasma cannon on an anteater…" He muttered. "Spike! Get me some some tape!"
"Sweet Celestia Shadow, whaddya going on about this time?" Spike asked as he detached the impaled present from his tail.
"Now's not the time." Shadow muttered as he looked though several blueprints. "How'd the experiments go?"
Spike pulled out a piece of paper that he proceeded to read off from. "Well, we did manage to get the hamsters to spontaneously combust." He said. "However, most of them went off within the first five seconds."
"Dammit!" Shadow cursed. "We need those hamsters to last for at least five minutes…"
"I dunno, Shadow." Spike said unsurely. "Maybe you should focus your research more on helping other ponies instead of just developing weapons."
"Spike, Spike, Spike…" Shadow chuckled, shaking his head."Shut up."
"Ugh…" Spike grumbled.
"You say something?" Shadow asked.
"No…"
"That's what I thought." He smirked.
Spike gave Shadow an annoyed look, but then suddenly gagged. He belched out a torrent of green fire, and along with it, a rolled up letter.
"Looks like we've got a letter from the princess." Spike remarked, stating the obvious.
"Well, what does it say?" Shadow asked.
Spike proceeded to open the scroll and read it aloud.
"To my faithful student Shadow Storm: By now I've figured that you've probably run out of hamsters, and although I'd love nothing more than to continue to help you with you research, that's going to have to wait." Spike read out loud.
"What?!"
/
High above the clouds, two familiar characters, Shadow Storm and Spike, were riding in a flying golden chariot being pulled by two pegasus soldiers. Spike was holding a letter in his hand that he read out loud.
"Now Shadow, you know I do appreciate your research in weapons development more than any other pony. However, for the time being that's going to have to wait. I need you to check up on the location for this year's Summer Sun Celebration, Ponyville." Spike said, looking as said town came into view. "Then you get your hamsters."
Shadow groaned.
"This is bullcrap! Celestia knows that sending me out of my lab means that I have to socialize!" The pegasus said with a disgust he usually reserved for….everything.
"Hey, c'mon Shadow, It can't be that bad!" Spike said, looking on the bright side for a change. However, he arched an eyebrow at the rock n' roll emitting from the chariot's radio. "By the way, what's with the music?"
"Well Spike, the last time I was in one of these things was in Iraq, during the Second Battle of Fallujah." Shadow paused for a second before continuing. "That's why I don't make friends anymore."
The chariot slowly pulled to a stop as it landed, and the winged ponies whinnied to signal that they had reached their destination.
"Anyway, let's get this shit over with." Shadow said as he and Spike exited the chariot.
"Alright, first thing we need to do is check up on the food…" Spike muttered as he looked at the checklist that had come in Celestia's letter.
Shadow turned to see a pale pink pony with puffy dark pink hair, cyan eyes, and three balloons for a cutie mark trotting towards them.
"Hey, I'm Shadow Storm and I need to-" He was interrupted when the pink pony suddenly jumped three feet in the air and gave a long, sustained gasp. Then she zipped away in a blur, leaving Shadow and Spike with confused looks on their faces.
"Well. Fan-bucking-tastic." Shadow said dryly, his voice laced with sarcasm.
/
Shadow and Spike walked down a path filled with apple trees. Spike had yet another piece of paper and a pencil in his hands.
"Summer Sun Celebration Official Overseer's Checklist," He read as they approached a farm. "#1: Banquet preparations, Sweet Apple Acres."
"YEEEEEHAW!"
The duo jumped in surprise and looked in the direction of the voice. An orange earth pony mare with freckles, wearing a stetson hat with blonde hair tied at the ends, emerald green eyes, and three red apples for a cutie mark was running towards an apple tree. She skidded to a stop and gave a powerful kick to the tree's trunk with her hind legs. The apples in the trees shook and fell into multiple baskets set below the tree. The orange pony crossed her front hooves proudly.
"Yup, I didn't see that coming a mile away." Shadow said sarcastically, approaching the pony.
"Hey, the name's Shadow Storm. So is this where you guys keep the food for the-" The orange pony suddenly grabbed his hoof and shook it violently.
"Well howdy do, Mister Shadow!" She replied jovially with a distinct southern accent. "This is where we keep the food for the Summer Su-"
"Alright, later Applejackass." Shadow said quickly as he broke free from her grip and flew away with Spike in tow.
"Whuh….?" Applejack mumbled in confusion. "…Asshole."
/
Shadow flew about ten feet off the ground with Spike riding on his back, heading towards town.
"So, what's next?" Shadow asked Spike, who continued to read the checklist.
"Well, there's supposed to be some pegasus called Rainbow Dash clearing the sky." Spike replied.
"In that case, she better get on it." Shadow remarked as he looked up in the sky to see numerous clouds. "Preferably sometime this week…" Narrowing his eyes, he noticed a speeding shape in the sky that seemed to be getting nearer and nearer-
Out of nowhere, said object slammed into Shadow at subsonic velocities, barely missing a mud puddle, knocking Spike off his back, and causing him to crash spine-first into a large rock.
The flying object was actually a sky blue pegasus with spiky rainbow-streaked hair, magenta eyes, and a cloud with a multi colored lightning bolt for a cutie mark. Due to the fact that she had landed on Shadow, she hadn't felt the impact at all, while he had taken the brunt of it.
The pegasus got off of Shadow and chuckled sheepishly. "Uh, 'scuse me?"
Shadow only continued to give a deadpan stare that was oozing with extremely copious amounts of both excruciating pain and uncontrollable anger.
"Lemme help you-"
"TOUCH ME AND I'LL CUT YO-" Shadow shouted as he sprang up, only to be interrupted by the colossal pain that assaulted his spine.
"MY SPINE! YOU BROKE MY BUCKING SPINE YOU CRAZY MOTHERBUCKER! THAT BUCKING SPOT JUST HEALED DAMMIT! I CAN'T BELIEVE ANY SANE PONY WOULD BE BUCKING STUPID ENOUGH TO SUICIDE BOMB AN INNOCENT PASSER-BY! ARGH! PISS SHIT DAMN BUCKING ASS SLEAZY DOUCHE BAG BUCK BUT WIPING ASS MUNCH LIP LICKING BUCK DUCK BLOWJOBBING COCKSUCKER DICK SNIFFER BUTT BRUNCH-" Shadow stopped his long profane rave of profanities when he noticed the pegasus stifling a laugh, but suddenly fell to the ground uncontrollably at Shadow's angry ranting, which for some reason Shadow subconsciously found cute. Spike simply facepalmed, but gave a small chuckle.
The pain having subsided, Shadow calmed down and stood up to face the rainbow pegasus.
"Rainbow Dash, I presume?" He asked dryly with a raised eyebrow.
"The one and only!" She boasted, beginning to fly once again. "Why? You heard o' me?"
"That's exactly it, Dash. I'm here with Equestrian royalty. It turns out you're next in line for the throne. We're gonna hold a parade in your honor. I get to drive the float, And Spike here IS IN CHARGE OF CONFETTI!" Shadow replied with his trademark sarcasm.
"You're pretty angry." Dash remarked.
"Really? Have you known that all along or did you just figure that out?" Shadow replied half-mockingly. "Because if it is the second, then congratulations Dash, you have the perception of Hellen Keller with her hooves chopped off. Now if you don't mind, can you just clear the clouds so I can get out of here?"
"Well why the hay should I?" Dash asked, now slightly angry herself.
"I'll buy you as much cider as you want."
"DONE!" Rainbow replied gleefully, her mood taking a complete 180 at the mention of her favorite drink. She zoomed off in a blue blur and began kicking clouds faster than a bullet. They quickly began to disappear, and Rainbow proceeded to do another loop-de-loop as she finished.
"Well, time for some-"
"Yeah, I lied. Later!" Shadow smirked as he flew off with Spike in tow.
/
"Next on the list are decorations." Spike said as he and Shadow entered a building filled to the brim with elaborate decorations.
"I take it this the place then?" Shadow asked, looking around. Turning his head, he noticed a white unicorn with a curled, purple mane and tail, sapphire blue eyes with powder blue eye shadow, and three diamonds for a cutie mark was trying to decide on a ribbon color.
"…too shiny…too blue…maybe…" The unicorn muttered, before noticing the duo.
"Are you in charge of the-" Shadow began before he was interrupted by the unicorn as she turned around and gasped in terror.
"Oh my stars, darling! Whatever happened to your coiffure?!" She wailed over dramatically.
Shadow looked up at his shaggy, rather unkempt mane. "It's always like this." He replied unsurely. "Look, I'm just here to oversee the-"
"I will not allow a crime against fashion go unnoti-" She interrupted, before being interupted herself.
"Touch me and I'll cut you!" Shadow hissed, quickly turing around and sprinting away with Spike before the fashionista could get ahold of him.
/
The duo were walking down another path, Spike sitting on Shadow's back with a slightly mesmerized expression.
"Well, that last pony sure was a piece of work, wasn't she?" Spike asked referring to Rarity.
"Sure, why not." Shadow muttered in reply. "We done yet?"
"All we need to do now is check up on the music." Spike replied. The harmonious sound of birds singing made them stop in their tracks. They saw a pale yellow pegasus with pink hair, teal eyes, and three pink butterflies as a cutie mark hovering in front of a group of singing birds perched on the branches of a tree. One of the birds had a singing voice so horrible that Shadow would describe it as a rusty nail being slowly driven through his scrotum.
What's with the birds preforming the music? Shadow thought to himself. How hard would it be to hire some conventional musicians to preform?
"Well, it's most like due to-" The voices in Shadow's head began, but were cut off by Shadow.
It was a rhetorical question.
"Oh my…" The pegasus utteredquietly ."Um, stop please, everyone." She flew up to the ear-raping bird, who jumped slightly.
"Um, excuse me, sir?" She asked politely. "I mean, no offense, but your rhythm was just a teeeeny-tiiiiny bit off." She then flew back to her original spot. "Now, follow me, please. A-one, a-two, a-one-two-three-"
"You in charge of the music?" Shadow asked in his usual, rather loud voice, scaring away the birds and causing the pegasus to yelp in surprise.
"Yeah, sorry about the birds." Shadow said, semi-sorry. "Anyway, are you in charge of the music for the celebration? I'm just here to make sure everything's running smoothly for the Summer Sun Celebration, and from what I can see, everything's coming along fine." The pegasus landed in front of him, and Shadow waited for a response. "Well, since your birds are back, I guess everything's in order." Shadow said.
With everything done, he flew off towards the library he would be staying at.
/
"Oh my God, I'm sick of this town!" Shadow grumbled as he and Spike walked into the dark library.
"Hey, c'mon Shadow, it's not too bad." Spike muttered.
"Yeah yeah yeah, now shut up and help me install some of these security turrets I got from Aperture…"
"Huh…I though of you more as a Black Mesa type." Spike remarked.
"Are you kidding?" Shadow asked. "I'm surprised that company is still going after the Black Mesa incident that happened around ten years ago, and they almost got screwed over during that whole Umbrella fiasco. That's why I keep my stock in ACME and Aperture! Now where are those goddamn lights…"
The light suddenly turned on by itself to reveal hundreds of ponies surrounding them in a room with book filled shelves carved into the walls. Dozens of balloons and streamers floated in the air and party music played in the background.
"SURPRISE!"
"Ah, son of a bitch." Shadow muttered.
"Sur-prise!" The pink pony from earlier suddenly popped out of nowhere in front of Shadow. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were ya? Were ya? Huh huh huh?"
Fucking great, an asylum escapee. Just what he needed.
Shadow ignored her and walked away, but was followed by the pink menace. Pinkie Pie bounced up and down as she continued talking rapidly.
"You see, I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all 'Hey!' and I was all *gasp*, remember? You see, I've never saw you before, and if I've never saw you before that means you're new, 'cause I know everypony, and I mean everypony in Ponyville!" Shadow groaned in irritation, picking up a bottle of cider from a refreshment table and taking a sip as Pinkie continued to ramble. "And if you're new, that meant you haven't met anyone yet, you must not have any friends, and if you don't have any friends then you must be lonely, and that made me so sad, then I had an idea, and that's why I went *gasp*! I must throw a great big ginormous super-duper spectacular welcome party and invite everyone in Ponyville!" Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy gathered behind Pinkie Pie, uncertain expressions on their faces. "So, Shadow, whaddya think?"
"I'm going to bed…" Shadow muttered, heading upstairs.
/
Shadow sat on his bed, listening to the sound of the party downstairs.
"I'm starting to get the feeling that I might be forgetting something…" Shadow said to himself as he looked up at the moon through a window. "Hmmmm…Nope."
/
Later, everypony in Ponyville gathered together at the building that Rarity had decorated, anticipating the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration. As the ponies chattered amongst themselves, Pinkie Pie once again popped out of nowhere next to Shadow and Spike, who were waiting for the Celebration to be over with.
"Isn't this exiting!? Are you exited, 'cause I'm exited I've never been so exited! Well, except for-"
"Pinkie?" Shadow asked calmly.
"Yes?" Pinkie replied happily.
"Shut up."
The sudden orchestral sound of birds singing made everypony present turn their attention to a stage at the front of the room. A spotlight shone on a tan pony wearing a white shirt collar fastened with a green ribbon tie, wavy gray hair, dark blue eyes with half-moon glasses, and a scroll for a cutie mark.
"Fillies and gentle colts," She began. "As the mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!"
Everypony cheered.
"In just a few moments, out town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year. And now, it is my great honor to introduce the ruler of our land, the very pony that gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria…:
"Ready?" Fluttershy, who was the musical conductor, whispered to the birds as the crowd waited anxiously.
"…Princess Celestia!"
The birds began singing as Rarity, who stood on a balcony above the crowd, pulled a rope that caused the curtains part. Princess Celestia, who was supposed to be behind the curtains was nowhere to be seen.
"Huh!?" Rarity gasped as the rest of the crowd chattered nervously.
"What's going on?" Shadow asked.
"Remain calm, everypony," The mayor said. "There must be a reasonable explanation…"
"Ooh, ooh, I love guessing games!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Is she hiding?"
"She's gone!" Rarity declared in shock, eliciting a collective gasp from the crowd.
"Ooh, she's good…" Pinkie muttered obliviously, suddenly screaming. A sparkly midnight blue cloud emerged from the balcony, and the crowd gasped again.
Shadow's eyes narrowed, analyzing the situation.
The cloud formed itself into a tall, black Alicorn with cyan armor, a sparkly midnight blue mane, and teal reptilian eyes.
Shadow's eyes widened.
"Oh shit. It's Nightmare Moon."
/
Please leave constructive criticism, rate, comment, review, and forgive me for my incompetence! …Also review.
This is ZeroKnight115, over and out.