Mist and Shadows 01

>The sun shines through the bedroom window, splaying upon your tired face.
>Man it was too early to get. But you know that the sooner that you leave the better.
>Getting out of bed, you walk on the blue, crystalline floor to the washroom and prepare for the day.
>A warm shower here, a quick piss and groom there. Now all that stares back is a very sexy human.
>Frowning at your stubborn bedhead, you focus your smoky aura to arrange your hair as you wish.
> The short, yet stubborn hair now holds that sexy Dave Tennant feel.
>Getting dressed, you place your leather Robe armor on and make sure you have your pendant of the sun and moon attached to your left pap.
>because you are Anonymous. Or as your official title from the Canterlot School of Magic states.
>Anon the Shadow, the only practitioner specially trained to use Gothic, aka dark, magic.
>And yes, this business it too edgy for you.
>But according to both Princess Celestia and Luna. You were the only creature who could wield Gothic magic without negative side effects and could potentially help further magical studies in otherwise harmful areas.
>Of course the fact that you would be paid helped a little.
>Magic and money make the world go round, baby. At least your world.
>But all that money requires the same amount of work.
>Which brings you back to why you are here, in the Crystal Empire.
>You hear a knock on your guest bedroom door and decide to start today.
>Walking out the washroom, you open the door to reveal Prince Shining Armor.
>”Good morning, Anon the Shadow, are you ready to start your expedition?”
>Right, you forgot that he was going to be accompanying you to the ruins.
“Just finished up a few seconds ago, and you can just call me Anon.”
>He seems to smile at that. “Only if you do the same. All my friends call me Armor.”

“Alright,  Armor, what is first on the schedule?”
>”First is some breakfast with my wife, Cadence, then we give you that staff that Luna wanted us to customize for you at the Blacksmiths.” He pauses to mentally check the list. “After that it's just gathering some rations and then off to the ruins.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
>You both walk down the sapphire hallway. It takes you both about three minutes until you arrive in the large dinning room.
>Princess Cadence spots you both and trots over for a greeting.
>She gives a quick peck to her husband and a brief bow towards you, which you respectfully return.
>After you all sit down the maids come to serve you all your individual meals.
>While Armor and Cadence both get a fruit platter assorted with grains. You are graced with some scrambled eggs and broiled fish.
>Well, meat is meat. Even if it isn't bacon.
>Cadence decides to be the first to break the silence. “So, Anon the Shadow”
“Just Anon is fine, your highness.”
>She gives a brief smile. “Well, Anon, how have you enjoyed your stay here in the Empire?”
>Taking a bite out of your eggs, you swallow before answering.
“Well, the few breaks I have had were wonderful I must say. I just wish I were here on better terms”
>Both she and Armor nod their heads in agreement.
“Speaking of which, I do not wish to sully your breakfast with business talk. But I still do not know the history of the affected area. What would cause such a spike in gothic energy?
>The couple share a look before Cadence answers. “How much do you know about the Tyrant King Sombra?”
“He was the reason that the empire went in that stasis dimension until reappearing recently, right?”
> “Correct, and thanks to the combined effort of Twilight and Spike, was defeated.”

>This all you know fairly well, seeing as how it was in the newspapers during you third year at the academy. But you wait for her to continue on.
> “But what we didn't release to the public is that Sombra wasn't completely destroyed.”
>Now this catches your interest
>Straightening your back, you lean your chin into your claps hands.
> “While on top of the spire, Twilight could make out his horn blasting away. Yet due to the stray light of the crystal heart, couldn't trace its trajectory.”
“And you believe that this horn could be the source of the anomaly.”
>Well it certainly makes sense.
>The remainder of breakfast was silent as you try to figure out what classification this horn could fall in.
>Since it is organic, this case could be a poltergeist manifestation of Sombra's malice
>But that doesn't explain why the anomaly has such high levels of gothic energy. Poltergeist would feed on the natural magic of a given area.
>That means that instead you are probably working on a sentient spectre, with its own magic pool.
>Your shoulder is nudged by Armor as he tries to get your attention.
>”Anon, are you ready?”
>Looking down at your plate, you realize that you had finished eating a while ago.
“Oh, right. Sorry about that. Just focusing on the mission.”
> “I understand how you feel. Just don't over think anything. No need to stress yourself.”
>Giving him a nod you get out your chair and follow him out the dining area, heading outside.
>But as the Castle gate is passed a nearby guard calls out to Shining Armor.
>"Sir, I have received news that some guards have already visited the Blacksmith's and Storeroom for you. They say that everything is waiting at the front gate."
>Well this certainly speeds things up.
>"Thank you Cadet Blitz, you may go back to your post." Armor responds to the guard. After witnessing his departure Shining then turns to you.

>"Well, I guess we can just head to the outer gate then." Nodding to him in agreement, you both continue toward the gate.
>Entering the Main plaza of the city, you look at the various citizens going about their day to day ritual.
>You wave to a couple that greet you two as you both walk toward your destination.
>After about ten minutes of walking down the main road you and Shining approach the three guards, two female pegasi and one unicorn stallion, waiting at the closed entrance.
>The two pegasi were holding some saddlebags and a weapon case of some kind.
>The grayish gem coated unicorn guard, approached Shining Armor. Most likely to report.
>"Sir Shining, we have the provisions for the trip." After levitating the saddlebags to Shining Armor he turns to you and levitates the case into your hands.
>"And this is the cane Princess Luna commissioned for you, Sir. Custom made from Stelamond, a mixture of steel and diamond, for extra durability."

>Opening the case, you grab the cane and examine it in detail. The texture is smooth with warmth radiating from the core. The length reaches from the ground to your midsection at about 4'11''.
>But more importantly without even activating your aura you feel the staff somehow recognize and connect with the arcane energy in your veins.
>Handing the guard the case, you slide the staff into the leather holster on the middle of your back.
"Well don't I feel like a Badass"
>Seems like the only ones with humor were Armor and that red-maned pegasus guard with an emerald coat. You give her a flirty wink, making her turn around and blush.
>Either that or she just straight up ignored your ass.
>...
> Bitch better not be.
>"If you have time to flirt with the guards then I guess we can leave can't we." interrupts Shining Cockblock. You repond with a dramatized sigh and nod to him.
>He then hollers at the scouts at the top of the bridge, that then activate the mechanism to raise the gate.
>Guess it's time to catch you a Tyrant.

>You are Sombra
>And it seems that your fail safe worked to keep you alive. Or something.
>The only problem is that now you are a spectre that is anchored to his own horn.
>Well at least until some fool treasure hunter comes in with a metal like vessel.
>"At least I landed in Sirens Keep. Maybe some nut archaeologist will come to discover some hidden knowledge."
>You look at the room you are in. Stone walls covered in snow surround you in a pentagon-like formation.
>The only entrance is the open ceiling above, where you fell right into a grove in one of the three thrones.
>Oh who are you kidding. The only ponies who could get here would be pegasi. And too many ponies are afraid of the mysterious sirens of the past.
>The realization that you are stuck here finally sinks in as you let out another spike of gothic energy.
>The beam of dark sub-matter ascends directly upward, scaring away some birds.
>"Discord, if you could get me some miracle, I promise to make even more chaos after my mission."
>You know that nothing would happen, but you are already at a low.
>But you have to believe if you are to complete your mission.
>At any cost you must go back to your home.
>To apologize to the one you hurt the most.
>The only one who ever showed compassion to your cold heart.
>Your beloved sister, Umbra.