//------------------------------// // Chapter 34: Navy Shadow // Story: The First Steps of the Rest of Your Life // by Rhino //------------------------------// ***Saturday, Day 28, late evening*** I mentally groan at the sound of knocking on the door. I know Saturday’s are long days, but I REALLY want this one to be over… or at least slow down for a bit… I turn from where I had hopefully started heading upstairs, and instead make my way towards the now expectant door. I open it to find a pegasus stallion on the other side. He is… to be honest very blue. Dark blue coat, light blue eyes, regular blue mane with a small bit of red in it and his tail. The mane is relatively short while the tail is long and the tips seem to be spiked with some product or another. He sports the fetlock style of only having the front of his hooves showing, revealing a typical yellowish grey color. His cutie mark appears to be the shadow of two wings. The stallion takes a moment to take in my appearance as well before speaking, “Rhino is it? Nice to meet you. I believe you are in possession of a certain pegasus who goes by the name of Atom?” How the hay do so many ponies know who I am? I’m a vet! I raise an eyebrow at the rather direct greeting before replying, “Umm, nice to meet you... since you obviously know my name, might I ask yours and how you came across mine?” The stallion replies, “My name’s Navy Shadow, the author. My friend told me about you.” Not sure why he tacked on his occupation there but whatever. The fact that he knows my name still bugs me as I answer, “*Sigh* It's amazing how ponies seem to magically know who I am lately... You mentioned Atom, may I ask how you know of him as well?” Navy simply shrugged like it was no big deal, “I used to know the guy back when he was a royal guard, we kept in touch but didn’t get to see each other much, to be honest kind of had a little crush on him.” What? Ok… didn’t see that last part coming… very blunt isn’t he? Ok wait he said he’s… ah ok, an old friend. Should probably have more questions but I am really starting to wind down, let’s just see what he wants. I clear my head from the slight whiplash I got from his little confession that came out of the blue then back up to let him in, noticing his shadow wings cutie mark as I do so, “Alright... umm, come in I guess.” Navy walks in while looking around, commenting, “Nice place you got here...” Still wondering what he wants I close the door while answering absentmindedly, “Thanks...” I call out to Hydro who had moved upstairs, “Hydro, we have a visitor, and I think we might want to hear what he has to say!” In what feels like a strange case of déjà vu for me, Hydro and I find ourselves on the couch once again listening to a strange pegasus sitting in what I might soon start officially calling the “story” chair. Before we go any further I decide to go ahead and ask a question that I know will bug me if I don’t get an answer to. I look toward Navy, “Ok, just because it’s really bothering me, how did you know my name when you showed up on our doorstep?” He smiles, “Easy, I had heard a basic description of the ponies the guards had dropped Atom off with and then I simply asked around town when I got here. In a small town like this, it doesn’t really take long to find somepony who knows somepony else.” The relatively normal response eases my worries, “Oh, alright then, sorry, just a lot of weird things happening in the last day, it’s nice to hear at least something is the way it should be.” Hydro seems to be more impatient than anything else right now though, “Yeah, moving on though, so you said you were Atom’s friend, but why are you here?” Navy straightens up a bit, the most serious I’ve seen him act, “I’m here because I think Atom is innocent.” I hope he wasn’t expecting a dramatic gasp. I simply look at him after his statement, “And why do you think that?” “I’ve known Atom since we were foals; he’s a good pony, a bit hot tempered at times, but good nonetheless. He wouldn’t hurt another pony without reason, and money isn’t a reason. Another thing that bothers me is actually how I heard about all this. My friend overheard a pair of guards talking about what happened to Atom, now talking with Atom has told me that the few times a guard has gotten arrested, all of the guards has been solemn about it, but these guys were laughing at all of it as if it was a joke. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. I think Atom’s being framed.” With every new side to a story, another small piece of the truth is found. Hydro is the first to respond, “Well... that was a very nice story Navy, and I do like that Atom has a friend that has his back right now. But I’m not sure exactly what you wanted to accomplish by telling us all this.” “Umm… well… if he is being framed I can’t go to the guard, so I thought maybe I could come to you guys and maybe you’d let him go.” He tapers off at the end. Hydro answers clearly but not harshly, “No. As odd as this whole thing has been… there’s still too much we don’t know, and pretty much everything Rhino and I know is based solely off what you, Atom, or the guards said. We don’t have enough information to really act on anything, so for now we’ll just be sticking to the original plan of just keeping an eye on Atom until some guard comes and gets him.” Navy look from Hydro to me, “And there’s no way I can convince you guys?” I shake my head, “Sorry, this is just the best we think we can do right now.” He sighs before looking back at us, “Can I at least see him?” Hydro and I look at each other before looking back at Navy and nodding. I go and retrieve Atom from his room and lead him back to where Navy is waiting. Navy smiles at his friend while Atom just seems surprised to see him. “Hey Atom, long time no see.” “Hey Navy.” Navy cocks his head at the short greeting, “You okay Atom? Oh silly me, I know what’s wrong,” he digs around in his saddlebag a moment before bringing out a pair of green aviator shades and hoofing them to Atom, “there you go, I found these in your apartment when I first went to look for you. I thought you might want them back since you go hardly anywhere without them.” Atom looks at the shades sadly before sighing and hoofing them back to a confused Navy, “Keep them.” “What? Why?” “Just, keep them.” Navy looks down at the shades before looking back at Atom, “But, you can’t not want your shades, you always wear your shades ever since your mom gave them to you!” “You don’t understand.” “Then make me! This isn’t you Atom, what happened to you?” Atom simply looks down, the image of a defeated stallion, "When I was young my mother told me those who moved with the wind lived a good honest life. That's why I joined the royal guards, so I could make a difference for the better in this world. And those shades are a symbol of what I was trying to be. They are the eyes set upon my life goals. After recent events, I can't help but feel that my choices in life have let the winds lead me astray. And worst of all I let my mother down. I don't deserve those shades. They are meant for a better stallion.” “So that’s it then, you’re giving up?” “I guess I am.” “Then you aren’t even Atom anymore.” “What do you mean?” Navy walks over to Atom and places the shades over his eyes, “Remember what you used to say? Your life’s motto?” Atom simply remains silent. “You used to always say, ‘Never stop. Keep going until it's either done-’” “- or becomes impossible.” Atom finishes, slowly rubbing his hoof along the sides of his shades. Navy smiles, “Exactly, last I checked, you weren’t in an impossible position-” “- and this is far from over.” Atom finishes, voice slightly stronger this time. “Good, so tell me, are you giving up?” Atom takes his hoof off his shades and stands taller than I’d seen him stand the whole time I’ve known him, “I never give up.” Navy beams at the return of his friend, “It’s good to have you back Atom.” “You know what Navy, despite all this, it’s great to be back.” Navy turns back to Hydro and myself, “Sorry about all that you two, but thanks for letting me talk to him.” I smile a bit myself at the scene before us, “Hey, no problem. If you would have told me that guy there was the same depressed one we’ve had the last day I would have said you were crazy. No pony should give up like that.” Navy and Atom brohoof a moment before Navy starts heading towards the door, “Well, like you guys said I didn’t convince you to let Atom go, so I’m gonna head back to my hotel for the night. Would you mind if I came back tomorrow though?” I shrug while still smiling, “Long as one of us is here I don’t see a problem, house arrest doesn’t exactly have clear cut visiting hours anyway.” Navy just keeps smiling, “Thank you guys again,” he raises a hoof to Atom, “See ya, Atom!” “Later, Navy!” Hydro decides to be the one to snap us out of whatever daze we were in, “Ok, this has been a very long and very… interesting day. What say we all turn in? Atom, back to your room please.” While Hydro goes to chain up Atom’s door again, I yawn and make my way up to my soft and awaiting bed. As soon as I lay down I feel Specter wriggle his way under one of my forelegs up against my chest but tonight I’m too tired to care. I murmur as sleep overtakes me, “Good night little buddy.” ***Sunday, Day 22, 12:01 AM*** *Thump* Whoops, almost forgot, or rather, did forget until I remembered. *Ahem* Navy Shadow comes from the user Navy Shadow.