There was a streak of warmth along his left hoof, and a softness that enveloped him. A scent of something strong and bitter lingered in the air. From the right a series of soft gusts, almost rhythmic, gave him something to focus on as he gathered the resolve to open his eyes. He wasn’t ready for how difficult it was. Moving anything, let alone his eyelids, was a chore in and of itself, but in time he managed to gaze upon the small bedroom he rested in, and the soft daylight streaming in through the open balcony.
Silver winced. Everything hurt. From the throbbing pain in his bandaged chest, to the numbness at the ends of his legs, every movement he made came with another reason to stay absolutely still. He managed to look to his right. Rarity was curled up in a large chair, wrapped in blankets and sleeping peacefully. Beside her was the pristine cloak and the tattered remains of his costume. It was a pitiful sight, one that filled Silver’s mind with images of the battle. A soft click came from the door before him.
“Hey, Rarity, you need another cup of mud? This pony junk is kinda weak, but… Silver? You’re awake!”
Gilda’s cheer was silenced by Rarity’s stirring, rolling over in the chair and returning to her motionless state. The gryphon walked softly towards the bed and leaned down. She handed the mug to Silver.
“You want some? Bet you need it more than she does.”
“I-If… if I could even… grab it, yeah.”
“Well, I ain’t feeding it to you, pal. Sorry.” Gilda’s words managed to put a smile on her friend's face as she sipped from her own mug. “You look terrible, dude.”
“I feel worse,” Silver returned.
“You wanna know how much glass we pulled out of you? We’ve got a whole damn bowl of it in the other room. Probably rebuild that window with all of it.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Silver slowly, carefully, pushed himself up from his cocoon of bedding. He released a hiss at every ache but managed to sit against the headboard. “What happened?”
“Not much, besides saving you from your fate as a pin cushion. Rarity was in here all night with the nurse they called, stitching you up and talking with Twilight, who’s been super fidgety since last night, dunno if she’s slept. She’s supposed to come talk to us once you’re ready. The guard cleaned up the mess and caught a few Night Guard, but they look like Tightwad’s goon squad, probably don’t know much. I called Gorn after pulling the girls out, but… uh…”
“What?” Silver watched as Gilda stared at her mug to take a sip, a long sip, before answering.
“He found out Shield Wall’s alive, and he’s mad. Like, really mad.”
Silver’s groan was loud enough to cause Rarity to stir again. Carefully raising his hoof, he pulled it down his face, using the other one to gesture to the steaming coffee mug Gilda left beside him. She passed it over and watched him greedily drink from it.
“So, what happened? Someone was screaming toward the end, there, I guess that was you. Did something bad happen?”
“I…” He sighed, pausing before giving Gilda a somber look. “I had him, right there, the distance between you and me, and I… sweet Celestia, Gilda, I wasn’t ready for it. The Ragged Mare is Darrox’s sister, Alate, looking to kill Shield Wall for his death. She blamed me, I think, and all I tried to do was keep Shield Wall from killing her, and he just… I just couldn’t take it.”
“Silver… shit, dude.” Gilda’s eyes were locked onto Silver, who now stared into his mug.
They sat in silence for a few moments, and not even the warmth of sunlight and coffee could lighten their spirits. Silver fumbled with his mug. Before he noticed, Gilda pulled closer and wrapped her powerful claws around him, carefully, and held him in a firm hug. The scent of ozone from her feathers and heat of her body took him by surprise, but before he could react she tightened her hold.
“If you ever tell anyone I did this, I’ll make sure your outsides match your insides.”
Silver’s mouth gradually became a smile, and a series of soft, airy chuckles applauded Gilda’s gesture of kindness, his own forelegs wrapping around her in return. He nuzzled into the down around her neck.
“We’re gonna get that freak show. Screw their mind games and screw them, dude, if they pull a stunt like that I’ll pull his teeth through his ass.”
“Thanks, featherface,” Silver chuckled.
“Gilda…”
Gilda was back in her seat faster than Silver could blink, staring at Rarity as she slowly awoke. The unicorn yawned, rubber her face, begrudgingly pushing the blankets from her body as her eyes slowly opened to meet the Silver’s face across from her. She found the strength to rush from the chair and to his side.
“Silver! Thank Celestia you’re awake, I-I-” She yawned again, earning a giggle from Silver as he placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, dear, we were all working so late last night.”
“And you still got your beauty sleep. Glad someone here is a good influence.”
“I’ve been hoping some of that would rub off on you,” she chided, pulling Silver into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re alright. What happened last night? Did they both escape?”
“Yeah, they did, but we know who the Ragged Mare is. Darrox’s sister from the hive, Alate.”
“His younger sister? Oh, goodness, Silver that explains her vendetta against the conspiracy. Was there anything else, anything she said or did? And how did that vicious cretin, Shield Wall, even survive? Oh, Gorn will be furious.”
“You bet, sister,” Gilda piped up. “He found out this morning. Those guardponies suck at staying discreet. Last I saw him, he’s flipping out on the ship, looking for Silver.”
“If that’s the case, Gilda, would you fetch Twilight, let her know we’re ready?”
Gilda gave a mock salute as she stood. As she exited the small bedroom Rarity returned her gaze to Silver, still fumbling with his half-empty mug. She gently sat beside him on the bed.
“It’s official, dear, you definitely need a new uniform.”
“And a new kidney, judging by how it feels.”
“With all those wounds, your kidney is the least of your worries. I have pin cushions with less wear than you.”
“Gilda said you were in here last night, helping the nurse. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I think I’m entitled to ensure my investments pay off, what with all the thread I put in you.”
“Is it a personal or professional interest in my body, then?” Silver achieved a weary smirk.
“Strictly professional, because with the way things are going there won’t be enough left for it to become personal.”
“Oh, I hate how true that sounds. I’ll frame a piece of it for you before it’s all gone”
“It’d be worthless, darling... I prefer you whole.”
She placed a hoof on his chest, overtop the bandages, stealing glances at him when he wasn’t glancing at her. Slowly, Silver’s hoof rose from his mug and covered hers. The sunlight from outside covered them, now, and in her azure eyes Silver could almost see a sparkle of anticipation. Despite the pain it caused, something urged him deeper into her embrace, his gaze traveling down to her encroaching lips.
“Good morning! Gilda told me you were finally awake, and we have a lot to cover from last night. First, you need to know the guard was successful in… oh, am I, uh, interrupting something?”
Twilight’s entrance, punctuated by the clack of papers in her magical grip, caused Rarity and Silver to pull away with a jerk, the latter clenching his teeth to hide the sharp ache shooting through him. Rarity brushed her hair aside before gesturing to Twilight, ignoring Gilda’s smug expression.
“Right, I’ll knock next time. As I was saying, the guard managed to arrest two of the bat ponies who attacked last night, but they were just fodder. I think Gilda already told you. The real worry is what those other three went looking for. Just for curiosity’s sake, are any of you familiar with divination magic?”
“Let’s assume ‘no’,” Gilda answered.
“Well, that’s a shame, because I’m missing a scroll from my personal vault. It’s an incomplete spell scroll used for locating dark magic, or anything emanating dark magic.”
“Do you know why somepony would steal it?” Rarity asked.
“Well, most of the scrolls in my vault are powerful, but this is still just a tracking ritual. They would need to know what they’re looking for in order to use it.”
“There must be something we can use to track them, some clue they left behind?”
“If we still had the scroll I could tell you what, exactly, it’s used for, but all I have are my notes. I can make a copy, but I’m sorry it’s not more.” Twilight raised the sheaf of paper and watched as the one pile became two with a flash of her horn, drifting to Rarity. “Now, before we continue, and Rarity, I know they’re your friends... but could somepony please tell me who broke into my house!”
Twilight’s mane frizzed at the sudden outburst. All eyes went to Silver, sitting up from the bed and trying to maintain some semblance of posture.
“His name is Shield Wall. He was a vice general with the EUP in Canterlot, and the head of a conspiracy that nearly put Equestria into a war with Griffonstone. He controls the Night Guard, is a master of abjuration magic, and…”
“And he tried to kill your brother’s best friend,” Gilda spat out, earning a shocked stare from Silver.
“What? Shining’s… you mean Silver Spade? That can’t be. He died at sea, I read the letter when Shining did, so how could… wait…”
Twilight squinted her eyes as she stared at the pony before her. A few long, agonizing seconds passed as he battled the urge to hide his face with a pillow, or take his chances and escape, but he took too long. Twilight gasped.
“Silver? You’re alive, but how? A-And Rarity, you know, too? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I told you, he asks me to keep it secret.”
“With good reason,” Silver said, eyes still on Gilda.
“But you’re alive! We have to tell Shining and Cadence. Does Abby know? Wait, of course she does. Shield Wall was behind the Manehatten attack, and the Ghost stopped that which… you’re the Ghost, too?! Silver Spade is the Ghost. Ooh, just wait until Shining hears about this.”
“You can’t!”
Silver lurched forward, but the pain of his wounds halted his advance and doubled him over, nearly falling out of the bed. Rarity and Gilda rushed to help steady him. Red splotches began to slowly spread beneath the bandages, but Silver’s attention was on Twilight, standing before him.
“Why not? He’s your friend, isn’t he? He was torn apart when he heard you had died.”
“Please, Twilight, just don’t. Please.” Silver spoke with a ragged breath, clutching his midsection as he finally managed to stand.
“I-I don’t understand? Wouldn’t you want to let him know? What about Cadence? You were all friends back then, and I know he would still want to see you.”
“It’s not that easy, Twilight, I can’t just-”
“Bilge rat!”
There was a crash from the balcony as dark and tattered wings blocked out the sunlight. Gorn stomped into the room, past Gilda and Rarity, and with powerful claws hoisted the weakened Silver from the floor and slammed him against the wall.
“Ye spineless, scum suckin’ flotsam! Ye let ‘im go! That murderin’ bastard was in yer sights, and ye let him go!”
“Get off him, Gorn!” Gilda wrapped her claws around Gorn and pulled him from Silver, dodging an errant swipe.
“Quit sidin’ with ‘im, girlie!”
“I’m gonna if you don’t let this go,” Gilda squawked back.
“Let it go? I told ye that vile bastard was alive, and ye doubted me,” he yelled, pointing to Rarity with a jagged claw.
“Oh, for pity’s sake, Gorn, what was I supposed to do?” Rarity shot back. “Lead us on another wild chase? This is rash, even for you.”
“Oh, I’ll show ye rash, tramp.”
Silver stomped his hoof before Gorn. His glare held back the gryphon’s fury, who held his stance, as Silver slowly consumed his vision.
“You will not threaten my friends, Gorn.” Silver invoked the name with a chilling voice.
“I’ll be doin’ as I please, you little milksop. The vile bastard murdered Darrox, before ye very eyes, and ye let him go! Darrox gave everything to ye, everything!” His claw thrust towards the cloak, dangling from the wall. “That be his legacy, the very reason I joined him decades ago, and yer tramplin’ all over it. I told him ye never should’a been given it!”
“Chill out or get out, Gorn, now!” Gilda yelled.
“Oh, I plan to, for as far as I can see none of ye’s willin’ to do what needs to be done, ‘specially this coward.”
Gorn spat at Silver before turning back toward the balcony, and with a flap of his wings was off over town, soaring away from the crystal tower. Everyone was silent. Rarity pinched her muzzle and slowly, softly, managed to speak.
“We should look at your wounds, Silver, make sure they haven’t reopened.”
“W-What just happened?” Twilight asked.
“Don’t worry about it,” Gilda hissed. “Imma get back to the ship, make sure he doesn’t steal it.”
Silver watched as Gilda flew off. He avoided the lingering eyes of Twilight, not even focusing on the pain from Rarity prodding his bandages, only gazing into the sunlight beyond the door. He could find no warmth in it anymore, only his mistakes in full view under its brilliance. He stared, terrified any other action would only bring another failure, clenching his teeth until his skull hurt.
In the light of a new day, broken and wounded, he could only stare.
--
Labored breathing echoed against towering columns of moss-covered wood, the rows stretching on into the pitch blackness of the forest as agile wings navigated the gaps in between, effortlessly. Kindle twitched at every sound or sight that passed his as he flew. Up ahead, his keen senses detected the sounds of chatter, familiar screeching and chirps signalling his rendezvous. Leathery wings spread wide and brought him to a silent halt before the rest of the camp.
There was no firelight in the center of the bivouac. Glossy eyes, instead, reflected the soft light of the moon above, penetrating even the thick treetop above and gave them all the light he needed to see his commander approach. Kindle saluted.
“Commander, the objective is secure,” he said, producing an encased scroll of aged parchment..
“Can you confirm nopony followed you?”
“Yes, sir, any guard presence was lost at the treeline. They won’t cross into the Everfree at night.”
“Good, check in with the sergeant. I’ll deliver this to the vice general.”
“Glint…”
Kindle’s words froze the commander in place. Glint managed to straighten and turn, meeting the knowing stare head on.
“That’s ‘commander’, Kindle.”
“I-I know, sir, but… we just attacked royalty. Royalty.”
“And your point is…” Glint huffed.
“Glint, you know I respect you, but that’s Twilight frickin’ Sparkle in that palace! I thought we were about saving Equestria from its enemies, not its leaders.”
“She may not be our enemy now, but she would’ve stood against us. We did what we had to for the mission.”
“But what kind of mission is breaking into Princess Twilight’s palace and stealing her private possessions?”
“Don’t make a mistake in thinking the princesses have your best interests in mind. The vice general has done more for Equestria than any of them have in a thousand years, Princess Twilight included.”
“What we’ve done, Glint... it’s treason.” Kindle’s candid words drew a sharp breath from Glint as he rose to his full height, leathery wings flaring.
“That is the last time you question orders! I have been far too kind in entertaining your notions of virtue while we have so much at stake. Discord, Chrysalis, Tirek! Our home is on the brink of collapse and you want to undermine the only pony with the guts to do something about it?!”
“Guts? Glint, he murdered Nox right in front of you!”
“Quiet!”
Glint’s narrow irises locked onto Kindle. His muscles tensed, and soon the commander was leaning over his subordinate with a furious expression across his face. A forceful hoof pointed toward one of the tents, wordlessly ordering Kindle out of his sight. He paused, stunned, before disappearing into the sizeable crowd of soldiers populating the bivouac. Glint gave an annoyed huff and speedily walked to the only tent amongst the series of crates and cots. Candlelight flickered between the tent flaps as he slowly entered.
“Commander,” Shield Wall sighed, speaking without facing Glint. “I trust this means the scroll has been secured?”
“Yes, sir.” Glint placed the case upon the center table, beside a hefty leather book he recognized. “The scouts just returned and informed me we are, for the time being, anonymous.”
“Wonderful.”
Shield Wall turned with a limp toward the table. With each step came a soft grunt, concealing the ache he felt throughout his body, before enveloping the case with his magic, removing the scroll. Glint averted his gaze from the prominent red line around the unicorn’s neck.
“Please, commander, if you would give me the rest of your report?” His request snapped Glint into attention.
“Sir, of the guards sent on the operation, only two have not returned. An acceptable loss. Only minutes ago, we received notice of the second company arriving from Appleloosa, and their sergeant informed me two more from Vanhoover and Tall Tale will rendezvous with us on the way. They’ll rendezvous with us along the Crystal Mountains.”
“Four hundred and forty at hoof now, with at least five hundred more at the border. More than enough for my purposes.” Shield Wall’s eyes were fixed on the scroll, gently laying it over the grotesque notes left in the leather tome.
“Yes, sir, but I’m not sure of how safely we can transport that many troops without being detected. We’ve caught their attention, and any movement will be a risk.”
“We will take control of the local express train. It has the needed capacity, and will be our most discreet option for escaping the region.”
“Of course, sir, I’ll send a squad to reco-”
“No need, commander, I sent them off forty-six minutes ago.”
“That… during the heist, sir?”
“Of course,” Shield Wall said, quickly glancing up from his work. “A situation at the palace would be the perfect distraction, would you not agree?”
“Yes, sir, I just didn’t know that was part of the plan.”
“You will let me worry about the plan, commander, you simply worry about keeping the soldiers safe from the Ghost and whatever threat he brings down on them.”
“Yes, sir… why did you engage the Ghost, sir?”
Shield Wall’s eyes shot up and glared at Glint. The commander froze in place, barely able to choke down his breath as his heart sank into his hooves, the gaze chilling his core. Shield Wall slowly squinted.
“Do you question my methods, commander?”
“No, sir, but I am honor bound to keep you safe, and…”
“I am more than capable of defending myself from the Ghost. Your only worry should be ensuring our objectives are met.”
“Of course, but… your neck, sir.”
Shield Wall instinctively raised a hoof to the bruise in question. He adjusted his collar, straightened his tailcoat, and slowly made his way around the small table and closed the distance between him and Glint, each step causing his subordinate to flinch.
“The one neck you must worry about, commander, is your own. My actions, my capabilities, nor my chosen engagements are within your understanding. As such, I recommend you keep your insubordinate behavior to a bare minimum.” Shield Wall’s growl crescendoed as he leaned into Glint, forcing him to crumble beneath the force of his stare. “Am I clear?”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
Glint followed the trail of his leader, returning to the scrolls upon the table. He searched for something to say, until Shield Wall’s still strained voice spoke aloud.
“You will meet with the commander of the second company and travel with him to the train station. You will find two of your subordinates, identified by the Night Guard’s rally cry, and board the train with the rest of our local forces.”
Glint said nothing, only saluting before walking through the flap of the tent, leaving Shield Wall alone.
Shield Wall sighed. The minor annoyance of the commander only magnified the headache the two pieces of magic parchment before him induced as he firmly placed them over each other in an attempt to find some commonality between the two. Every now and then his horn would fizzle, sending sparks of magic into the paper in hopes he would spark a reaction. Once or twice he was close, but not close enough. He groaned. Finally, he cast them aside and turned his attention to his long-standing ally and constant companion as a bottle of brandy floated from a small chest beside his bed.
The pop of the cork brought a waft of aromas that called to him with a familiar warmth. He slowly drifted the bottle beneath his muzzle to savor the experience. A glass joined him at the table, gently clacking against the surface, filling with the brown liquid he craved so much in recent days. He took a sip, and the sigh he released took all his tension with it. He took another.
“‘She tried to kill Abby’,” he murmured.
He lingered on the statement, mulling it over as he sipped again. It was a distraction. She was a distraction. Try as he might, the welcoming visage of a red mane and sea green eyes filled his mind, the sensation of caressing her face tingling in his hoof, and for a moment the scent of the brandy was overtaken by the sheer memory of her perfume. Shield Wall shut his eyes, meticulously reliving each sensation his mind could uncover. Then, he dared to let his mind wander.
The tent melted away into the office from Canterlot, its walls decorated in military memorabilia, lined with high bookshelves, and one imposing window positioned behind his dark mahogany desk. Another sip of brandy conjured the forms of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. They smiled at him, dressed in royal regalia, and from across the office, through the door of his imagination, walked the object of his current desires. Countess Abundant Glow stared at him rapturously, longingly.
Then came the darkness.
Shield Wall lurched forward, gasping for air as the images of black, billowing cloth faded from his mind, lingering in the painful reminder around his neck. His hoof traveled the red sore gently. He could still feel the tightness, the singe in his chest, and something he could only identify as a twinge of concern. He took the rest of the glass’ contents within him before abandoning it on the table, pulling his precious scrolls and works to him and loading them into his saddlebag as he exited the tent.