The Shadow of a Stranger

by Sugar_and_Sins

3: Night Time Tussle

The moon hung high in the night sky, it's eerie glow shining down on the grassy plains below, where Twilight and Shade sat around a small campfire telling stories about times that had passed.

“That’s when my friends and I swooped in and used the elements to lock Discord in his stone prison once again!” Twilight exclaimed as she held out her hooves for warmth from the blazing campfire.

“Sounds like you and your friends have been through a lot together,” Shade said, poking the fire with a stick to keep it burning. "Got anymore stories to tell?"

"I have yes," She nodded. "But, I want to hear more about you. What kind of adventures have you been on?"

"Sorry, haven't got any to share with ya," He said, lying on his back and pulling his hood up to cover his eyes.

Twilight frowned and trotted over to Shade's side to take a seat. "You must have some I mean, you traveled all the way to Canterlot from some far off land and you haven't a single story to share?"

Putting his fore hooves behind his head to use as a pillow, he replied. "Nope."

"You must have met some interesting ponies?"

"Nope."

"Encountered some dangerous creatures?"

"Nope."

"You're telling me NOTHING interesting happened to you on your way to Canterlot?"

Shade pulled his hood from over his eyes and looked at her. "Yup."

Twilight huffed in frustration and trotted over to a space she had cleared near the fire. She laid down, resting her head on her saddle bags, she stared at the flames in thought, the reflection of the dancing embers visible in her pupils. Snapping out of her trance, she glanced over to Shade. "What's your homeland like?"

Shade sat up and pulled his hood down slowly, his hair messy and a somber look on his face. "The skies are always grey, the grass is brown and the trees have little to no leaves on them. The ponies are poor and weak, the houses have deteriorated and the roads have become worn and disheveled. Ever since the Vaash showed up it's been nothing but miserable and dangerous and I won't stand for it anymore. I'm tired of just defending, I want to do something about it for once," he stated boldly. "I won't stand idly by while the Vaash escape the shield Celestia placed over the land and destroy the lives of the ponies here!"

Twilight blinked in disbelief at his reply, not expecting such a speech. She knew Shade was passionate about saving his people from his story back in the princesses' study but, this was a whole new level. "And i'm willing to help you in anyway I can!" She exclaimed, motivated by Shade's speech.

"It's nice to see you have my back," he smiled. "Now get some sleep, we have a long way to go."

Twilight nodded before laying her head on her fore legs and closing her eyes. "Goodnight Shade."

"Goodnight," he replied, lying down again.

"Shade?"

"Yeah?"

"What's your homeland called?"

"Tanarfal"

---

Seven hours later...

Twilight lay asleep next to the now extinguished fire, while Shade sat staring at the seemingly endless darkness that surrounded the dim glow of the embers. Shifting his gaze over to the sleeping unicorn, he wondered what she'd think if he told her what lies inside of him.

"Thinking of telling her about me are you?" A sinister voice said, interrupting Shade's thoughts.

Shade stood up and walked away from the camp quietly. "I have to tell her, she already suspects something and it won't take long for her to figure it out," he looked back at the camp. "She's a smart girl."

"Intelligence won't get her far back home," the voice cackled.

"It'll help us fight the Vaash, we could use her brains," Shade retorted, continuing his walk along the edge of the plains where a dense forest began.

"She is weak Shade, you know she will not last long."

"Please shut up," Shade snapped.

"Ooh, getting attached are we?" the voice queried.

"No but, we are going to need her if we're to win the fight back home," Shade answered.

The voice let out a laugh. "You ponies are so interesting."

"You say that all the time," Shade sighed. Just then a rustle could be heard from the forest and a foul smell lingered in the air. "Did you hear that?"

"My attention is more towards the smell," the voice said. "Interesting, there appear to be wolves made of wood skulking in the shadows."

"Wooden wolves? Seriously?" Shade looked to the treeline, where four sets of yellow eyes pierced the pitch black darkness that surrounded the trees. "A pack of em too," the wolves crept out from the shadows, each letting out a low growl as they circled him, preventing any escape. Shade sighed, standing on his hind legs and holding out his right fore leg to his side. "Shall we get this over with?"

"I thought you'd never ask," the voice cackled.

A dark aura swirled around Shade's extended fore leg, entirely enveloping it in shadow, claws like that of a Dragon's forming at his hoof. Pointing his claws at one of the wolves, Shade made a taunting gesture, ushering the wolf to attack, the wolf growled deeply and immediately leapt at him. Shade swiftly dodged to the left grabbing the wolf's head with his claw and slamming it to the ground, shattering it into tiny splinters. Undeterred by Shade's display of strength, two of the three remaining wolves ran at him, one going for his legs and the other leaping for his neck. Shade smirked at the futility of the wolves attack before shifting to the side to avoid the leaping wolf, grabbing its leg and swinging it into its partner, smashing both of their bodies to pieces. The remaining wolf whimpered as Shade turned towards it, cowering in fear. "Get out of here," Shade growled, the shadowy aura slowly faded as the wolf retreated into the trees.

"That was fun," the voice said.

"Yeah whatever, lets just get back to camp, the suns coming up and I don't want to leave Twilight alone to long with these things around."

"Definitely getting attached."

"Will you please just keep quiet."

The silence lasted the whole walk back to the camp, the sun just over the horizon as Shade woke Twilight. "Come on, get up," he ordered, as he poked Twilight's side.

Twilight's eyelids struggled to open against the light of the sun, she lifted her fore hoof up above her head to block it. "What time is it?" She groaned.

"I don't know, all I know is it's morning and we need to move," Shade said.

"What's the big rush?" Twilight asked, standing up and rubbing her eyes. Shade merely looked at her, a disappointed look plastered on his face, Twilight blinked a couple of times before realising what she had said. "Oh yes, the whole... End of the world thing..." She mumbled, levitating her saddlebags onto her back, wincing in pain slightly and holding hoof to her head.

Shade looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Is it still hurting you to use magic?"

Twilight nodded. "I don't understand, usually after a nice long sleep things like this heal."

"I know somepony who can help, we'll go see him as soon as we reach Tanarfal," Shade said, putting his saddle bags over his back.

"That'd be great," Twilight approved, rubbing her head in pain. Looking over to Shade she noticed something in his mane. "Is that wood in your mane?"

Shade lifted his hoof up to grab it, ruffling his mane in the process. "Yeah, that's wood."

It was Twilight's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Where did that come from?"

Shade smiled. "I 'wood' tell you if I knew."