//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Shadow Pony 
// by Pearly_Glider 
//------------------------------//

Applejack waited at the train station for what seemed to be an eternity. In her wait, she managed to buy a ticket to Canterlot, eaten the large apple she packed for the trip, and started a detailed conversation with the ticket sales pony about her days on the farm. She looked at the clock. Their train would leave in four minutes. She began to get on the train when she heard a voice call her from behind. 
“Wait!” A voice called.
Applejack sighed. “I’m over here Rarity!”
“Oh thank Celestia,” Rarity walked right up to her country friend. “I’m sorry I’m so late.” She apologized. "I just came to see you off."
"Well, thanks, Rarity. I hope you and the others stay safe while I'm gone."
"I hope so too, darling. Too much ruckus is never good for one's complexion." Applejack rolled her eyes and gave Rarity a quick hug goodbye.
“Train 12 to Canterlot leaves in two minutes!” The train keeper called.
“That’s me. See ya'll.” She waved to the sales pony who nodded back. She boarded the train and sat one seat from the door so that she could climb off as soon as they pulled in.
“Later AJ.” The Rarity called. 





Business at the Ponyville hospital was relatively slow that day. Except for a few scheduled stops once in awhile, nothing really strange was reported. For once the nurse ponies weren’t stressed out and regular announcements were made. 
There was a slight buzz from the intercom. “A doctor is needed in exam room one, please. Thank you” The secretary, who waited just in front of the medical doors put the phone down with a thud. She sighed and put her head in her hooves. There was a zapping sound and blue puff of smoke in the middle of the waiting room. The pony perked up slightly from curiosity. She hadn’t seen such a weird occurrence in her week of working at the hospital. She prepared her phone for security but froze.There in the middle of the magic dust were two ponies. 
“I need help!” Civil Duty shouted. The secretary pony pressed the emergency button on her desk.
“I need medical staff in the waiting room stat.” She called into the intercom and ran to the pony’s assistance. “What happened?” She asked helping hold the pink pony up. “Wait is that-”
“Yes, Pinkie Pie.” He stated then looked at her with a confused expression as he looked at her attire. Her blue mane was pulled back in a bun and a pink jacket on over her yellow fur. Nurses were only to have a white suit on and the typical hat. “Are you a nurse?”
“No, but they should be here any-” A gurney burst through the doors along with three nurses and a doctor.
“This pony is unconscious. She needs medical attention.” Civil Duty told the doctor as the nurses were loading Pinkie on the bed.
“Do you remember what happened?” The doctor asked.
“The mare she was with said she ran into some rock.” 
“A rock? That can’t be.” 
“That is what I was told.”
“But a rock cannot do… Well, that!” He pointed to Pinkie.
“I wasn’t there to see for myself, sir.”
“Right, Sweet Heart get that pony to the OR stat.”
“Yes, Doctor.” She and the other nurses ran through the doors. Civil Duty watched as the pony disappeared and reappeared as the doors swung open and shut. The Doctor now was not far behind. Civil Duty sighed in relief then looked at the secretary who was back at her post. 
“Are you new?” He asked. 
“Kind of,” she replied. “This is my first week.”
“Thought so.” He nodded slightly. The mare perked up a bit.
“Your welcome to stay here,” she said rubbing the back of her neck. “To keep an eye on your friend.” 
"Thank you, but I barely know Pinkie. I only see her when she drops off goodies for the trainees or when she comes to report something."
“Really?” She asked. He nodded and sat in a chair right beside the receptionist desk. “Where do you work?”
“I'm the sheriff of the police station,” he stated. "I've been so for the past” It took him a moment to remember how long. "The past four years?" 
"Wow. I bet that makes my job seem like nothing, doesn't it" 
"Nah, to think of it you probably do just about as much work as I do. If not more." Her face reddened at this and sighed a little.
“My name's Pearly Glider. What’s yours?”
“Civil Duty.” They both stood there in silence for about five minutes.
“If you don’t mind me asking?” She began twiddling her hooves. “How did you stumble onto Pinkie.” He laughed slightly.	
“It’s a funny story. You see I was just about to leave when-” He then explained all that happened. She sat behind her desk in amazement and shock. 





Fluttershy felt as though she had been flying for hours. She knew that it never took her this long to get to Ponyville. Still, she flapped her wings as fast as she could in hopes to get there before morning. 
The little colt, that had fallen asleep in her hooves, wiped his eyes and snuggled into the warm fur of his savior. This caused her to smile. For years she had wanted to have a foal of her own but never met the right colt. There was one she had had her eyes on for a few moons now, but she was too shy to talk to him. 
"Oh, Big Mac." She sighed. "If only you knew how I felt." She looked down at the young foal. His eyes were closed tight and his stomach was rising and falling in a perfect rhythm.
Something flew right in front of her, nearly causing her to drop the colt. Bundt woke up immediately and grabbed Fluttershy tighter. She looked all around her and saw nothing, then looked to Bundt.
"It's okay little one," she soothed. "Something just startled me that's all." She continued on her way, watching all around her. A few minutes later, They heard an animal cry not far from them. 
"Wha... What kind of an-n-animal was that?" Bundt asked, shaking in fright.
"I have no idea," Fluttershy answered. "But it sounds hurt." Fluttershy thought and hovered above the trees just outside Ponyville. She did her best to survey the area with a frightened colt in her hooves. Not two minutes later they heard the bone chilling sound again. Bundt, who had his ears fixed the whole time, pointed to the left.
"It came from over there." He said tugging on Fluttershy. She looked to where he was pointing and noticed it was from the Everfree. Bundt tugged on her fur again, trying to get her attention. "We have to see what it is," he said. "It could be hurt." She looked at the colt with deep concern. 
"I need to get you home," she said and started to fly.
"No!" He said tugging her fur toward the place he heard the noise. "We have to help whatever it is." She stared at the colt, trying to see if he was hiding something. All she could tell was Bundt was almost as concerned as she was for that animal. She tried to continue to the town, but there was another cry. She noticed it getting was getting farther away.
"Please! We need to hurry!" He cried continuing to pull on her. "It sounds hurt." Fighting the urge to listen to the pony, she continues on the course her heart told her to go on. Bundt began kicking his rescuer.
"Stop!" She commanded. "Look I know you want to help that creature, I do too. But I have no idea who you are and I need to get you home before you mommy start to worry." Staring at the pony she tried to start flying again.
“Fluttershy?” A country stallion called from under the trees. “What’re you out at this time of night?” Fluttershy stopped where she was and looked to where she heard the voice.
“Big Mac?” Flew down to his level and hid behind her main. “I was returning this little one to his family.” She held out the colt so he could look.
"Is that the young colt from Manehattan?" 
"Yes, I found him running past the Everfree."
"I'm right here you know!" Bundt cried. Fluttershy hushed him. 
"Well, do you need somepony to walk with you?" He asked, "This is no time for a mare such as yourself to be wondering about." 




"Spike!" She yelled in a high whisper, she tried to yell louder but a pain grew in her throat. She plopped her tail end on the ground with a loud thud. She buried her head in her hooves, another memory threatened her. "I don't care." She told her self-conscious. "Just tell me what happened to my baby.."
Twilight entered the house, not seeing anypony she motioned for her dragon to come closer.
"We were lucky this time Spike." She said, closing the door behind them. "Now what have we.." There was a sharp clang as a frying pan hit the pony in the back of her head causing her to fall to the ground.
"SPIKE!" She wanted to yell, but couldn't manage it.
"Mom?" Spike gasped. Twilight's head shot up.
"Spike?" She looked all around but still couldn’t see. Then remembered a trick the Princess showed her a long time ago while playing hide and seek.   Stupid pony how could you not remember something Princess Celestia taught you. 
She quickly closed her eyes and counted to five then reopened them. She noticed nothing much had changed except, she saw what looked to be a pile of something at the other end of the bookcase. Thinking the worst, she got up from her haunches and galloped over to it. Ignoring the blistering pain from her opened wound, she dug through the pile of books? 
Another wave of memories hit her so hard so whined in pain. 
“Twilight!” Spike quickly scribbled down a quick note and began to send it. The pony clicked his tongue as if getting onto a foal.
“No, good baby dragons don’t write to the princess. No no no. They go back to sleep.” With his horn agleam he sent the dragon across the room and pushed him against the wall. Knocking the breath out of him. Spike tried his best to get a good breath and send the ready parchment to Celestia, but couldn’t. The pony was choking the life out of him. 
“NO!” Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs. She looked to the other side of the room. There, on the floor, was the small thing that resembled a body. Once again Twilight ran, but about halfway across the room, she slipped on some kind of liquid. Once again hitting her head she examined her hooves and noticed it was blood but the crimson kind that escaped her head. No, this kind was thinner and noticeably brighter.  This is… She picked herself up and ran as fast as she could to the small body. She picked it up in her hooves.
“Spike? Are you ok?” She asked but there was no reply. “No!” She hugged him tightly. “No, you can’t be!” She cried. “Please, Celestia don’t let it be true.” She stopped hugging the dragon and tried to examine him. There was a large black bruise around his neck. “NO!” She screamed. “CELESTIA NO!” She hugged his still form once again. “This is all my fault. I should have looked more carefully.” She cried into his light purple scales. “I’m so sorry Spike.” She froze she thought she felt his stomach move as though he was alive.  Is he?  She put her ear to his chest.  Dear Celestia, he is but barely. 
“Spike,” tears flow freely down her face. “E-everything is going to be okay.” 
“T-T-Twilight?” He choked. “I-I.” He tried to breathe but it was too hard for him. He did the only thing he thought of to comfort the mare who raised him from an egg. He wrapped his claws around her and hugged her as tight as he could manage. Twilight returned the hug for some time. Then, his whole body relaxed. Spike, her number one assistant, was gone.
“No.” She cried. “NO!”