//------------------------------// // Distorted Colours // Story: What is Friendship Now // by Narcissistic Writer //------------------------------// July 17 15:13 "So you think they took Rarity with them...like a trade or something?" Shadow asked. "I'm God damn sure if it, well why else would we not see her we were together then we weren't and then Rainbow needed some "cargo" to be loaded up it must be Rarity she was talking about. " Applejack replied. "Well then I guess we go after them then or at least I bet that's what you want to do" Shadow said in a grumpy tone. "Why do you say that, you have a better plan?" Applejack said tilting her head at Shadow awaiting his response. " Well" Shadow replied taking a few minutes to continue. "No not really." "Then it's settled we go in the morning." The mare said stubbornly "The morning?! She'll be dead by then, so I wouldn't advise sleep if your so keen on finding her." "You don't know that so keep that trap of yours sealed." Grunted Applejack "I'm willing to take a risk if the best outcome is an opportunity to save my friend with the actual energy to do so, so get comfortable and sleep!" Shadow rolled his eyes, reluctantly complying with the country ponies request, sitting down and settling, preparing for some rest which in some ways he was grateful for as he hadn't slept in three days straight, but he believed that the adrenaline of the war kept you awake and the idea of sleep should have been long gone and felt unnecessary once the war went into full swing, plus Shadow usually travelled alone and took contracts from branched off tribes of the three unions Rainbow Dash's Pegasi being one example of the buyers willing to pay for his services. Shadow was a trained assassin hired to Celestia's Royal Undercover Association (CRUA) which was a secret service designed to gain Intel from growing threats to the Canterlot and Crystal empire which gave him an advantage in essential survival traits allowing him to conquer the wasteland as a lone wolf providing for himself at the expense of others lives but some things, just some things really got to him some sights too much, sights that made him think about how things were. How they were supposed to be. How they can't be anymore. These were the things that side tracked him that prevented him from reaching his full potential. His full sanity. Sometimes all he wanted was a little company, and Twilight gave him that, not in any way romantic just seeing someone you slightly know or recognize gives you that small bit of company that keeps you sane in a world of madness. Applejack turned to Shadow only to be met with a cold gaze and emotionless face staring right back at her. Um sugarcube you alright? " Applejack asked. "Yeah, yeah just fine...just fine." Shadow replied softly. "Alright, whatever you say." Applejack replied with suspicion in her tone. " now you get some rest you don't look too good" Applejack advised. "O-okay" Shadow barely murmured before falling unconscious. "Heavy sleeper I guess" Applejack said with concern before drifting into her own deep sleep. July 18 9:47 Applejack calmly awoke lifting her head to see the beautiful sunrise above the wasteland. As much as she hated the war it had allowed her to enjoy the little things a lot more. Especially with all the industry burned to the ground the natural beauty of Equestria was perhaps the only thing left untouched by the nuclear fallout caused by the Canterlot bombing. Just as she had gotten used to the beautiful atmosphere she was warped out of her trance by the barking of orders from a certain alicorn princess who Applejack assumed had woke up on the wrong side of the bed. "Applejack! Applejack! Get up, I could use some help over here!" Twilight screamed. Applejack sighed "What in the hay do you want Twilight at this time" "Take a look for yourself AJ!" Twilight shouted Applejack peeked upwards from her groggy state to see Shadow layed on his back boots removed with a bullet wound in the side of his calf that had a unsettlingly large pool of blood beneath it. Applejack got up and moved closer to investigate only to see Shadow was pale in the face and still unconscious with Twilight putting pressure on the wound presumably to stop further blood loss as she turned to Applejack once again "Applejack! Grab those rags from his bag and pass them over!" Twilight ordered. Applejack ran to Shadows bag of supplies and grabbed the ripped blue rags and threw them to Twilight. Twilight acted immediately and tied the rags round the wound and shouted Applejack once more. "Adrenaline shot! Does he have an adrenaline shot!?" Applejack searched frantically in response to Twilights asking only to find nothing but a couple of stun guns. "Eh, um Twilight will um this work?" Applejack asked holding the stun gun flat in her hoof. Twilight looking less than impressed shot back with "No of course not! What are you trying to do, kill him indefinitely?" "Alright sorry just asking" "Well sorry but we dont have all day, because if you haven't noticed HE'S NOT BREATHING!" Twilight screamed. " Alright, alright" Applejack pondered for a minute. "Wait Twilight don't you have a defibrillator spell or something" Applejack asked. "Wait I think I do Applejack you're a genius!" Twilight exclaimed. "Actually it was just comment sen-" She was interrupted by Twilight before she could finish. "Hush, I need to concentrate" She uttered as her horn began to glow and sparks began to appear until the process was abruptly halted by Twilight collapsing suddenly. Applejack swiftly ran over to her. "What happened Twi?" Applejack said puzzled "Oh no, Rainbow must have disabled my magic abilities whilst we were tied up" "How?" "Never mind now just put pressure on the wound, just being him back somehow" Twilight begged in desperation. Applejack leaped to Shadow and held both hooves on his punctured calf before hovering her left hoof above his chest, estimating where his heart would be before bringing it down slamming into his ribcage. Shadow burst to life with an almighty breath of relief followed by hyperventilating and moans of agony. "Urggh. I feel like shit and my calf, oh god my calf it burns." " That would be the convenient bullet hole through it wouldn't it sugarcube" "Oh shit I must have gotten hit when I saved you two. Remember that when I burst in like a knight in shining armour and saved the damsels in distress." " Alright don't milk it you're hurt you need rest. " "Nope, I need my bag. Bring it to me" "You ain't going nowhere with that wound" "Just get my bag please." Applejack reluctantly stropped over to the previously rustled through bag and dropped it by Shadow. He pulled out a wooden looking rubix cube and with a few twists had it transform into a workbench holding multiple tools and materials. He went to work to the shock of Applejack and the dazed Twilight. "How the?" Applejack asked confused "Just watch and learn" Shadow said as he ripped a screwdriver from the tool box attached to the surprisingly compact work bench and started to screw planks of timber together and placing them inside his removed socks more frequently where the wound would be as well as some soft rags left over from his bandaging minutes earlier to not disturb the wound was the sock was worn. "Now listen I dont care how well you feel you aint moving from this here spot" Applejack said as she crossed her arms and looked sternly upwards but when her eyes returned she saw Shadow had gone and was doing warm up jogs round the two hundred by two hundred metre path trail surrounding the camp leaving the southern pony in awe. "But how?" "Being in Celestia 's secret service you pick up a few things one of those being advanced medical engineering or in simple terms robotical and wooden limb replacement and repair." " Well handy dandy we better get moving then, what do you say Twilight? " Applejack said turning in the weakened Twilights direction. "Yeah I think I can walk" Twilight said very unconvincingly "Okay then so Shadow boy where you think we look first?" "I don't know. Maybe we could follow these tire tracks clearly left by Rainbow's vehicle from the sheer size of them and the tire patterns themselves?" "That WOULD be a good start" Twilight said clearly annoyed at Shadows demonstrated intelligence to make her and her friend seem like fools. July 18 10:52 The three ponies had been walking for almost an half an hour when they finally caught sight of a regal looking house like an untouched piece of Canterlot architecture but that was impossible they were in the middle of Ponyville but this couldn't have been built recently who would have the time to build such a large house, actually mansion would have been a better expression to use due to the sheer size of the building. They approached the place with extreme caution when they came to a stop and each pulled out a rifle and loaded up a magazine each and turned off the safety. They were prepared for any threat that came in their way. They climbed the mossy steps which where the only non-fancy piece of architecture in sight. The three soldiers began checking their surrounding noticing every minor detail that could aid them if worst came to worst. Exits, breakable windows, and places of cover from gunfire all were independently being taken into account in each of the horses' minds. Suddenly Shadow ran ahead preparing to lead the charge of one were necessary and kicked open the door with force causing dust to settle in the ponie's mane as he rushed through the hallway checking all rooms while gradually approaching the stairway. Once Shadow got to the base of the stairs he became extremely cautious, all six senses kicked into overdrive, his awareness at its peak and his fear at a low, for the first time he felt backed up he knew he had someone to count on. Someone to rely on. They saved his life he owed them massively, the least he could do was help them find their friend and what happened next just happened but that time was not nigh. At least not yet. He ascended a step at a time to see another hallway except this one so inviting if there was a trap in plain view it could still get you to stroll in. Brightly painted walls, soft fluffy carpet and crisp light texture reflecting onto the floor through the windows. As Shadow walked through, the two mares trailing behind him he began to think the place was empty. He lowered his gun and turned to tell the mares the coast was clear when a strong grip from behind grabbed his throat and pulled him into a reverse bear hug manoeuvre. Shadow struggled before he lifted his knees putting household body weight in the arms of the mysterious man attacking him the man struggled and dropped Shadow momentarily before gaining grip of hisn neck again this time Shadow instead of struggling reached into his armoured sock and pulled out a small flip knife and jabbed it into the pony's leg. The pony let out a surprisingly feminine scream before running away into the easily twenty metre hallway and leaving no clues to her whereabouts except the open and closing of a single door. "Shadow what happened?!" Twilight asked . "Someone's here with us" Shadow replied "Now be quiet" Shadow whispered as he tip toed down the hallway adrenaline pumping through his veins until he smelt a metallic substance then he recognized the distinctive smell that turned more and more wretched as he progressed down the hallway until he came to a stop at an open door which he slowly creaked open, rifle loaded and aimed towards the room as he fully kicked open the barely pried open door to find two slaughtered guards who looked similar to the ones Rainbow Dash had with her at the warehouse. Shadow exited and continued down the hallway until he stopped at the door, the two mares by his sides he looked down, and saw there was no doubt about it a fresh drop of blood. He peeked between the door's hinges to see slightly inside the room and saw nothing disturbing so with a mighty buck he kicked the door clean of its hinges and fired a round into the room hopefully to startle the assailant if they were in there but all that was heard was silence and Shadow turned away after investigating the room further but then heard the creak of the floorboards behind him, then he remembered a vital mistake. He didn't check under the bed. "Shit" Shadow whispered as he felt the cold barrel of a shotgun touch the back of his head and click of the safety switch off.