In a flash of light, you appeared before everyone as Sunset and the girls took notice of you and immediately came up to you.

Sunny Flare: So...where is he? What did he have to say?

(Y/N): He said that he wanted to give it a little more thought before coming by, but I think I was able to convince him to give you girls another chance.

All of the Shadowbolts collectively smiled at such great news as Sunny Flare gave you a hug.

Sunny Flare: Thank you! Thank you so much, Y/N! You're a true miracle worker!

You smirked.

(Y/N): I thought I was just an idiot?

Sunny Flare: Oh, shut up. I take it back, alright? You're not an idiot.

(Y/N): Heh. Water under the bridge, Sunny.

Sugarcoat: So, what makes you're so confident that you convinced him? He was clearly very reluctant to give you another chance and you're his childhood friend.

(Y/N): That was different. He thought that I was the one who had his father killed because V/N was vague with him. I also told him that if he doesn't forgive you girls, he'd be making the same mistake he did with me.

Lemon Zest: Well dude, let's just hope he'll take your words into consideration.

(Y/N): Trust me Lemon, I think he will.

Lemon Zest: I'll take your word for it.

(Y/N): Although, I don't really know how long it'll take for him to think it over exactly. So, we might as well wrap things up here.

Principal Cinch: Probably a wise decision, Mr. L/N.

Sugarcoat: So, we're just going to leave and come back tomorrow then?

Principal Cinch: Yes. The awards ceremony will be held tomorrow morning and assuming that he hasn't done anything rash yet, he will be there as well.

Principal Celestia: We can only hope at this point. Alright everyone, let's head back home and meet up here tomorrow.

Everyone nods in agreement and gives their friends their goodbyes before everyone parted ways. Meanwhile, V/N was in the void he created with that rift he had disappeared into earlier and is seen being frustrated about something.

(V/N): He was holding back. That little mongrel played me. I don't know where, when, or why he has that power but if he has something that poses a serious threat to me, I will not be able to succeed with him in the way. Perhaps, I should fight fire with fire.

Then, he raises his arms and as a dark (F/C) pillar of magic appeared before him until it eventually disappeared and in it stood a look-alike of Shadow. However, his hair had lighter purple streaks, green glowing eyes, a light grey collar with yellow spikes, a ragged shirt and jacket along with some casual jeans.

(V/N): You'll do nicely.

The Shadow clone bows down to V/N in respect of his presence.

Shadow?: Lord V/N?

(V/N): No need for formality. You may call me V/N.

Shadow?: Of course, V/N. How may I be of assistance?

(V/N): It would seem that your predecessor possesses some kind of magic power that I am unable to reach. He cannot be allowed to stand if he poses a threat towards me.

Shadow?: I see. Shall I dispose of him now?

(V/N): That won't be necessary. I will give you your orders in a second. First let me summon the others.

He raises his arms once again as two other dark (F/C) pillars of magic form for a few seconds before they dissipate and in their place stood a clone of Sunset Shimmer and a clone of. Or well...half of her at least. The other half was seen using some of Demon Shimmer's form as her left eye had a black sclera and a teal iris.

The one that stood in the other pillar's place was a clone of Sci-Twi. Except that she had possessed similar attributes to Midnight Sparkle such as her wings, the glasses, horn, dress, and a lot more.

Sunset Shimmer?: You've got some nerve reviving me after what you've done, Y/N.

Sci-Twi?: Ngh! I was so close! So close to finally being able to get everything that I wanted and then you two stepped in and ruined it for me!

Sunset Shimmer?: Me? You think I did this? I wanted magic just as much as you have and I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for this nuisance!

Shadow?: Enough! You dare speak that way to V/N?! I should kill you both right here and-

(V/N): That's enough, Hollow Moonshine. I don't blame them for snapping. Him and I do look alike after all.

Sunset Shimmer?: So you're not Y/N?

(V/N): If I was, I wouldn't have revived you, now would i?

Sci-Twi?: Then who are you and why did you bring us back?!

(V/N): I have a goal that I need to fulfill. You see I wish to bring this world and Equestria under my own control and I believe that we have common enemies that will stand in my way. So, I will need some assistance when the time comes to face them.

Sunset Shimmer?: What's in it for us?

(V/N): For you, Demon Shimmer, I will give you some authority in ruling over certain parts of Equestria and as for you, Midnight Sparkle, I will grant you whatever it is you desire.

Midnight Sparkle: You're bluffing! There is no way that some weak mortal like you can grant me whatever I want!

Hollow Moonshine: Do not underestimate him. He's nothing like that weaksauce, Y/N! He has far greater intelligence and is much more powerful in terms of magic and other abilities.

(V/N): You give me way too much credit, Hollow.

Hollow Moonshine: My apologies sir but you have very remarkable power. It is truly an honor to be your right hand man.

(V/N): I appreciate your enthusiasm and cooperation but I'd suggest that you keep your anger in check while making a first impression on newcomers.

Hollow Moonshine: As you wish, sir.

V/N nods before turning to the demon and the fallen angel.

(V/N): Now, you both have two options. Either you join my ranks and help me gain control of this world and I'll give you what you want in return, or I can have Neo do as he pleases. What will it be?

The two of them thought over their options as they became indecisive for a moment. Hollow was starting to get impatient.

Hollow Moonshine: Let's go. V/N's time is not to be wasted.

(V/N): Hollow, what did I tell you about keeping your anger in check? They can take as long as they need to. There's no concept of time in this place.

Hollow Moonshine: If you say so, boss.

V/N then turned away from them as he continued to speak.

(V/N): And why stop at just these two? I think I've come across a few more potential recruits for our grand takeover scheme.

He raises his arms once more as three dark (F/C) pillars appear before him and Hollow before they disappeared and in their place stood three very familiar faces.

Aria Blaze: W-What the- Where are we?!

Sonata Dusk: I dunno. It doesn't look like a taco stand to me.

Adagio Dazzle: Is that really what worries you the most right now, Sonata?

Aria Blaze: Sonata is a taco fanatic, Adagio. This is hardly news.

(V/N): It's been quite a while hasn't it, Dazzlings?

Hollow Moonshine: Who are these three, V/N?

(V/N): Only three of the most deadliest creatures to ever have existed in Equestria... or at least that's how they used to be.

Adagio Dazzle: Um, who are you and why are we here?

(V/N): You might be thinking to yourselves that I look like a certain savior that you recruited before, but I can assure you that I'm not that same person. Remember when he turned evil and willingly helped you three? Well, that was me.

Adagio Dazzle: That explains why he was so cooperative. But it doesn't explain why we're here.

(V/N): Oh, that's easy. I wanted to offer you three a deal.

Adagio raises an eyebrow at him.

Adagio Dazzle: A deal?

Hollow Moonshine: Are you deaf?! That's exactly what he said!

(V/N): Hollow, shut up or I will suspend your position and send you back to the darkness you came from! Do I make myself clear?!

Hollow Moonshine: Yes, my lord. I apologize.

Adagio Dazzle: ** Is that...Shadow?

(V/N): Anyways, as I was saying, I wanted to offer you three a deal. But first, let me ask you three a question. What is it that you desire most more than anything in the world?

Sonata Dusk: Tacos?

The other two Dazzlings facepalm at that.

(V/N): It's revenge, isn't it? Revenge against those that put you in this boring, mundane life that you now live. No more magic, no more subjects, just three harmless girls living in a world of anarchy. Well, I came to offer you an escape.

He then held out his hand and opened it to reveal the shattered remains of their pendants. They all raised an eyebrow before looking back at him.

Aria Blaze: Our pendants? What good are they if they're shattered to pieces?

V/N chuckled before clenching his fist and closing his eyes. A dark (F/C) aura surrounded it as a faint light could be seen in his hand. Finally, after several moments, the light faded as he opened his eyes and unclenched his hand revealing that the pendants had been fully repaired. Not only that, but they were now a dark (F/C) color. This brought much surprise to the Dazzlings.

Adagio Dazzle: W-Who are you, really?

(V/N): Who I am is not really your main concern right now. Let's just say that much like with you, I too had something precious taken from me long ago. As you can see, I not only fixed your pendants, but they are now much more powerful than they were before.

Just then, something came to Aria's mind as she tapped Adagio on the shoulder in panic.

Aria Blaze: Adagio, a word?

Adagio turns to V/N.

Adagio Dazzle: May I?

(V/N): Knock yourselves out.

The two of them walk further away from V/N and the others to where they know they couldn't be heard.

Aria Blaze: So, I might just have a bad memory, but I think I may know who this guy is.

Adagio Dazzle: You do? Who is he?

Aria Blaze: He's one of Grogar's creations. Remember when we first got here I said that I feel like I've heard about a human before? Well, it's because of him. Grogar created this human and blessed him with extreme magical power that was extracted from the Pony of Shadows.

Adagio Dazzle: But...I could've sworn I heard that the Pony of Shadows was in limbo.

Aria Blaze: Grogar didn't take all of his power but he used a large portion of it to create those terrifying creatures. But the most dangerous one out of all of them was V/N. We better not get on his bad side.

Adagio Dazzle: ** So, he must be what I sensed in Y/N all that time ago. No wonder his power was unlike anything I've seen. ** In that case, I think it would be best if we accepted his deal. After all, we not only get our singing voices back, but we can also exact our revenge on CHS and the Rainbooms.

Aria Blaze: Yeah and I'm afraid of declining. I mean look at what he's done to Shadow. He's his right hand man and I know Shadow would never become that way out of his own free will.

Adagio Dazzle: So, we're at a final decision?

Aria Blaze: I guess so. Besides, it'll keep Sonata occupied with a huge supply of tacos.

With their decision made up, they went back over to V/N.

Adagio Dazzle: After talking it over, we decided to accept your offer.

V/N smiled sinisterly at that.

(V/N): In that case, I do believe these belong to you.

He hovered the three glowing gems back to their respective owners as they wrapped themselves around their necks once more.

Sonata Dusk: Oooh! He wasn't kidding! I DO feel stronger!

Aria Blaze: Yeah. That's...that's great Sonata. I'll admit, I feel stronger too.

Adagio Dazzle: So, what's our first order of business... boss?

Hollow Moonshine: V/N, if I may ask, what exactly will these three provide us with? You claimed they were strong earlier but what can they even do?

(V/N): After peering through Y/N's eyes for so long, I have seen that they can control the feeble minds of any person they sing to in order to do their bidding. So, having them with us will provide quite the boost in morale.

Hollow Moonshine: I see...

Sonata Dusk: Ooh! Look guys! It's Shadow! Hey! How've you been?!

She asked as she got up in Hollow's face who was sweating uncomfortably as he turned to his superior.

Hollow Moonshine: Uhhh, V/N?

(V/N): ** Just try and get used to her stupidity, Hollow. As much as it pains me, she's part of the Dazzlings and all three of them are the most effective when together.

Hollow Moonshine: I was gonna ask why she called me by my predecessor's name.

(V/N): It's because, much like how I resemble my more pathetic side, you bear a striking resemblance to your predecessor.

Hollow Moonshine: Yeah but how could she know about him?

(V/N): Clearly, they've encountered him before. Though, seeing as he is one of our enemies, I do fear of their betrayal.

Hollow Moonshine: Then let's not waste our time with them.

(V/N): Oh, don't worry. I've got a back up plan for if that possibility arises. If they even think about trying to backstab me, then I can manually self-destruct their pendants seeing as how I was the one who recreated them.

Hollow smirks at this and nods.

Hollow Moonshine: You are truly worthy of your powers, V/N.

(V/N): I appreciate the compliment, Hollow.

They both turned back to the Dazzlings.

(V/N): Now then, onto your earlier question, Adagio. Our first order of business... will be to gain as much power as possible.

Aria Blaze: That's easier said than done.

(V/N): Maybe in your mindset. But, thanks to Midnight Sparkle over here, let's just say that obtaining such power is much... closer than you'd think.

Adagio Dazzle: What do you mean by that?

V/N smirked.

(V/N): You'll see... you'll all see in due time.

Hollow Moonshine: Are you trying to foreshadow something, sir?

(V/N): I don't know. Am I giving off that kind of impression?

Hollow Moonshine: Usually when someone trails off like that, it means something will happen.

(V/N): Well, it wouldn't be as fun if I spoiled the surprise now, would it?

Hollow Moonshine: ** I'd argue that it would be better if you at least informed your right hand man but I won't question your decisions, V/N.

(V/N): That's why you're my right hand man, Hollow. Now, I expect all of you to get along with each other since we'll be working with one another.

Hollow Moonshine: If I may ask, should we gather some information regarding our counterparts and their comrades?

(V/N): That would be a wise decision, Hollow. Which is why I have a very special task for you.

Hollow Moonshine: You want me to kill them?! Yes! I've been waiting for this!

He exclaimed as he held his hand out and a large black SMG formed in his hands. V/N placed a hand on his shoulder which got his attention.

(V/N): As much as I admire your enthusiasm, I'm afraid to inform you that you won't be killing anyone. I only wish for you to keep a constant eye on them and tell me what they're always up to.

Hollow Moonshine: That's lame. Can't I at least do something? Like pretend to be one of them and screw with their heads?

(V/N): You can do what you please, just make sure that you don't kill them or make yourself known to them. They're no good to me dead and they must not know that you exist.

Hollow Moonshine: Sweet! I'm on it!

He salutes V/N before he disappears in a green and black pillar of magic.

Demon Shimmer: I think you made him just a little too creepily enthusiastic.

(V/N): It's fine. It makes him the polar opposite of his predecessor and that's what I was aiming for. Now then, Dazzlings, isn't there a group of people that you want to dote over you since you have your powers back?

Sonata Dusk: Are you kidding?! I've missed that feeling for the longest time!

Aria Blaze: For once, I actually agree with her on that.

Adagio Dazzle: That's surprising. Neither of you really cared when we still had our pendants. Sonata, you were busy fantasizing about tacos and Aria, you just didn't care in the slightest. So why now?

Aria Blaze: You know those "take something for granted" scenarios, Adagio? Well, this is one of them.

Sonata Dusk: Yeah, I've forgotten all of the times I've been able to get free tacos with them.

Adagio Dazzle: Hmm, I can understand that.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day rolled around as both the CHS and CPA student bodies had gathered in the gymnasium for the awards ceremony.

Principal Celestia: Good morning students. Today is a very special day for both Canterlot High School and Crystal Prep Academy. For today, we shall be handing out the awards to our wonderful students for showing such tenacity, teamwork, and dedication during the Friendship Games.

The students all collectively cheered as you and the Rainbooms stood behind the crowd. You held a somewhat worried look as you were expecting to see Shadow any minute now, but it was taking him a while.

(Y/N): Have any of you seen Shadow yet?

Rainbow Dash: I haven't seen him yet, Y/N.

Sunset Shimmer: Neither have I.

The rest voiced their answers stating that they haven't seen him either. You sighed in disappointment.

(Y/N): I'm starting to think that my words didn't get through to him. I might have just lost my childhood friend... again. I was sure he was convinced to forgive them.

Rarity: And we're sure you did all you could, love.