Fading Echo

By Fading Echo

• July 15, 2017




Age: 1000+ (she kinda lost count)

Gender: Female

Species: Alicorn

Appearance: <p> <a href="http://pridark.deviantart.com/art/Comm-Sail-to-the-moon-518071823" rel="external nofollow">A flicker of shadow in a darkened room, a whispered warning and a distance light to guide your way. You will not be lost for long.</a> </p>

Cutie Mark: <p> A twirling black cloak with a swirl of magic spiraling around it. </p>

Personality: <p> Echo is an alicorn but refuses outright to accept any pretenses of royalty. She hates the limelight and actually finds it detrimental to her field of expertise. </p> <p> Echo doesn't have the greatest set of social skills, more likely to bolt and teleport away if discovered by other ponies. If you are a pony in need however, despite her fear, Echo will not leave you. She will aid you in anyway she can and as soon as she knows you are safe she will politely take her leave, doing as much as she can to leave as little an impression as possible.  </p> <p> However, if you end up spending a little time with her, Echo will warm up to a patient, calm pony who doesn't push her too hard. She doesn't cope well with the overly boisterous or loud types though. </p> <p> If you do manage to coax Echo out of her hood, you will find her to be a quietly happy pony, eager to learn, book smart but empathetic and kind. If she calls you friend then, no matter the danger, problem or trouble, Echo will stand by you. If the situation turns to violence, she's reluctant to use her magic but can perform powerful spells, some of which have been forgotten for centuries. </p> <p>   </p>

Backstory: <p> Echo was born in a time and place before Equestria was founded but when alicorns were already a rarity. She lived with her parents Sacred Melody and Cosmic Gaze, along with her twin sister Shimmering Blade. Shimmer is the opposite of Echo in every way, bold, confident and capricious. She grew into her magic early, whereas Echo struggled a little. She tended to pick on Echo for this and is pretty much responsible for how reclusive Echo became as an adult. Her father was a bright, jovial soul, and took it upon himself to teach Echo to channel the energy used for magic a new way that would fill her heart with the confidence she needed to let her magic flow.  </p> <p> It was through music that Echo quite literally found her voice, much to Cosmic's pride. By singing spells to learn them, she gave them her own twist and became quite adept. Shimmer however grew to resent Echo's tender nature, melodic spell casting . She would challenge her to magical duels, Echo refusing point blank to take part. Failing that, she would openly attack her under the guise of 'teaching' her.  </p> <p> However, if anything, Echo learned to become an expert in illusion, escape and evasion. On one night, while they were still fillies, their parents have to leave on official business and Shimmer revealed her true purpose. She wanted power, to rule and she would remove anyone who stood in her way to do that. Echo pleaded that she had no wish to rule anyone but when it became clear that Shimmer intended to murder her parents as well, Echo finally fought back the best way she knew how. She hid, evading her sister constantly for three days. She was able to evacuate the staff who would otherwise have been victims of Shimmering Blade's wrath by shrouding them in her magic or even using herself as bait to lure her sister away. </p> <p> When Sacred Melody and Cosmic gaze returned, they found the castle decimated with Shimmering Blade raging through the ruins. She had been driven mad by the fleeting glimpses of her sister and had to be forcibly restrained in a prison bubble. Only then did Echo appear, exhausted and starving, with her cutie mark shining proudly from her flank. </p> <p> For a time, Echo's parents took shifts maintaining Shimmering Blade's prison. While this reduced the time Echo could spend with her father, it meant that she could spend time with her mother who previously had focused on her sister's studies. Sacred Melody taught her about the importance of harmony and the preservation of ancient knowledge. She recognised that alicorn's were fading from the world and that their knowledge and history had to be preserved. Her mother was a stoic, demure pony but when she saw Echo had a genuine interest on the subject of history, she softened to her daughter. She even apologised for her lack of attention, admitting she had thought that Echo was the proverbial black sheep of the family and hadn't been able to see what her father had. </p> <p> It was under her mother's guidance that Echo found that her talent was not just centred on hiding but on finding secrets, hidden knowledge and lost artifacts. It was then her mother bestowed on her the duty to seek out and find those things that were lost and to find a place she could keep them safe. This would be her life's work, her duty above all other things. She explained to Echo that somethings were never meant to be found by other ponies and if left unprotected could cause great harm. </p> <p> While this was a pivotal time in her growth from a filly to a young mare, it was clear to her parents that Echo was not safe anywhere near her sister. Shimmering Blade's insane rage was so intense, it took both her parents strength to keep her contained. So with much sadness, Echo had to leave.  </p> <p> She was sent far away to the only other alicorns close her own age to a palace in the Everfree Forest. While her welcome was warm, Echo knew no one and found the exuberant friendliness of the ponies intimidating. She became virtually nocturnal, finding the nights quieter, softer and easier for her to move around. She watched Luna raise the moon and marveled in her star filled nights but was too shy to tell her so. She was initially intimidated by the powerful princess and avoided her but quickly saw how this upset her.  </p> <p> One night as the moon rose, Echo went out onto a balcony and sang in praise of the moon, the stars and the peaceful night. She didn't know the right words but sang a melody from her heart and soul. When she could give no more, she opened her eyes and found the sky full of shooting stars. Her eyes sparkled in wonder before looking to Luna. The princess had tears rolling down her cheeks with joy. No words were exchanged but neither pony felt quite so alone anymore. </p> <p> This did not stop events from unfolding, one pony's adoration is not enough to heal a lifetime of isolation. She begged, she pleaded for Luna to stop but she was powerless in the face of Nightmare Moon. Celestia barely cast a glance towards her before battle raged between the two. Echo had flashbacks towards her fight with her own sister and as Celestia crashed to the ground, she ran to her side and whispered to her the spell her parents had used to imprison Shimmering Blade. Celestia nodded softly and issued a warning to the cackling Nightmare Moon. Before Echo could think of the impact of what she had done, she bore witness to her one friend disappear.  </p> <p> So full of shame in what she saw as a betrayal of her friend, Echo took a cloak and vanished into the night. Where she went is known only to her but rumor had it she went looking for a way to free her friend. </p> <p> In recent years, Echo has been seen around Canterlot, Ponyville and even the Crystal Empire, though few ponies have been able to get close enough to speak to her. </p>