It was a quiet evening on he Manehatten city streets. Few things happened at this hour. Every now again you'd see some pony walking walking down the sidewalk or carriage was run past. Or if you listened, you could hear the sounds of ponies who didn't have a home or a purpose. Some sat against a wall begging for bits, others simply slept in their piles of trash. However there was one who was different. One who, at this very moment, was rummaging through a nearby trash can looking for food or other useful things.
Shadow had lived on the streets like this for the past twelve years. After his parents deaths, he had no where else to go and he was to scared to look for help. It was rough at first but he got used to it. He learned that this life was rather simple. Scavenge what you can, and if it's not enough, you get more. Shadow didn't like stealing but sometimes it had to be done.
Today he was souring a trash can for anything he considered edible. finding a half eaten apple Shadow took a bite from the uneaten end and instantly cringed.
"Tastes like garbage." Shadow laughed at his unintentional pun. And despite the taste he took anothe bite of the apple and kept searching. As Shadow rumaged through tye garbage can earning sideways glares from the other ponies he made sure to losten closely. It would be the first time some stallion would try to rough him up for being homeless.
Shadow concluded his search as he put a few more edible food stuffs into his rugged saddle bags and walked further into the alleyway he was in. Dusk was approching and as the sun creeped toward the horizon the light of day continued to fade. Shadow marched through the dim walkway until he heard something coming from another turn off.
It was faint and Shadow couldn't quite make it out. It was hardly noticable. But being a bat pony Shadow could hear better then most others. Curious, Shadow turned and walked toward the noise. Soon Specter arrived in an opening to see a mare a bit older then himself. She was pinned to the wall by a burly earth pony stallion. There were three other stallions there to. A pegasus, and unicorn and a second earth pony. All three had knives with them. The other earth pony and the pegasus watched down the alley while the unicorn spoke to the mare.
"A pretty girl like you shouldn't walk around this part town alone. It's pretty dangerous." The four stallions chuckled a bit as the mare struggled.
"Now you've got two options here. One, you give us all your money and valubles and we let you run off. Or two, we kill you and take what we want anyway."
Shadow ground his teeth together. Stallions like that really pissed him off. Selfish low lifes that prey of the weak for their own personal gain. He couldn't let them get away with this. Sticking to the darkness Shadow crept toward the nearest thug. The second earth pony who was holding a knife in his mouth. Once he was close enough Shadow quickly grabbed the stallion and pulled him into the darkness and out of site as his blade fell to the ground.
As the blade his the ground the other three thugs turned to see their friend missing. On guard the unicorn cast his gaze around the alleyway.
"Stone? Where did you go?" There was no answer. Instead the Pegasus was silently pulled into the shadows as well. Turning to see another friend gone, the unicorn stallion began to worry.
"Come of this isn't funny assholes." Clutching his knife in his magic the unicorn watched as another blade flew from the darkness and struck the other earth pony through the skull. Releaising the mare that he held.
"What the hell is going on here?!" The unicorn yelled as he felt two hooved on either side of his head.
"Option three." Was all the stallion heard before his head was twisted to the left with a audible snap. With the thugs delt with Shadow moved to check on the mare.
"Are you alright?" Shadow asked as he helped the mare up.
She was a pegasus. She had a bright green coat and a bright blue mane and tail that seemed all to familier to Shadow. Her cutie mark depicted a dark green flame in the shape of a pegasus wing.
"Ya I'm good." She said as she rubbed temple with a hoof. "Assholes jumped me and pinned me to tye wall before I could fight back. I'm lucky you showed up when you did."
"I couldn't just sit by and let them do that." Shadow said as he helped her to her hooves.
The mare looked up at Shadow and her smiled turned to a look of shock.
"Sweet Celestia. Are you who I think you are? Shadow Wing, is that you?"
"How do you know my name?"
"You don't remember me? I'm Emerald Blaze." Shadow's eyes shot open at the realization
"Emerald?"
"I heard about what happened to your parents twelve years ago. I was so worried about you. When the police didn't find you everyone thought you had been kidnapped or killed. Where have you been all these years? Why didn't you come back home?"
Shadow turned away. "I don't want to talk about it. That's a night I'd really rather forget."
Emerald could tell it was touchy subject so she decided to change it.
"So, what have been to lately?"
"Nothing. Just trying to get by."
"Do you have a job?"
"No."
"Well I think I can help you with that. The way you took out those thugs; you have some real skill in combat. I work for a military branch that's completely devoted to covert operations. I think you would make a good addition."
"Really? You in the military. I'll admit that's not what I expected. But what make you think I would fit in your devision? I'm a homeless, jobless bat pony without a bit to his name."
"Because E.C.O.S could use your skills."
"E.C.O.S?"
"It stand for the Equestrian Covert Operations Squadron. I can tell your stralthy and you can take out mulitiple armed assailants at once."
"I don't think it's the place for me. Sorry Emerald, your gonna have to look for someone else."
"Really? Your cutie mark begs to differ."
Shadow looked to his flank to see his cutie mark. It was a full moon with a broadsword through the middle of it. Shadow hadn't had his cutie mark before. He didn't know what to make of it either. Shadow was lost in thought until a hoof rested on his shoulder.
"Come on Shadow. This is your chnace at a new start. A clean slate. Don't you want that?"
Shadow smiled and gave his old friend a hug.
"Thanks Emerald. Now when do I start?"
****************
That was the day I joined the military. I spent the next few years honing my skills under Emeralds tutelage. Pretty soon I one of the top soldiers in E.C.O.S and I was promoted to Captain. I was given a squad of my own. We called ourselves Hells Rejects. We all had a callsign. There was Banshee, Ghost, Phantom, Wraith, and then there was me, Spectre.
We were top of the class. True brothers in arms. Finally things had gotten better for me. I had a job, friends that I could call family, and Emerald and I grew pretty close as well. Most considered us a couple but we didn't really know if we were or not.
Unfortunately life just through another curveball in my face. And I was betrayed by those you I cared about most.