//------------------------------// // Part 6 - Sometimes You Fight To Lose // Story: The Love Of Shadow And Night - The Story Of The Pony Luna Left Behind // by palelordhiphis //------------------------------// "I thought you said it'd take seven days to reach the border," Bright Eyes said, showing his surprise that they had managed to make it in just a little over four days. "That was when I intended to walk here. We've been running. It makes a difference," Shadow replied flatly as he looked out over the landscape of the changeling empire. Dark blues barely distinguishable from black, deeper purple shadows, greys, and a few dingy brown highlights, "It's not much to look at." "I hear that further on in the land itself changes shape on a regular basis, making it impossible to map out," Forth said. "I've heard that too, but I have to wonder how much of that's just the overactive imagination of a few ponies or propaganda spread by the changelings themselves to keep us ponies out." "Do you see those lights over there, sir?" Blade asked while pointing his nose towards a series of flickering orange and yellow lights in the distance. "Yes," Shadow said while squinting towards the lights, "Looks like campfires, hundreds of them." "Campfires?" Bright asked. "Yes," Shadow replied, "And where there's that many campfires there's an army." "Forth and Blade," Shadow turned to face the two unicorn soldiers, "I'll need you to head back to Canterlot and inform the council that an army is definitely gathering at the border." "What about you?" Bright eyes asked. "I'll be going in to get a closer look at the army and when I have some more information I'll return to Canterlot as well," Shadow said. "You mean that we're going in to get a closer look," Bright Eyes said firmly. Shadow smiled and looked at the pink pony who had worked so incredibly hard to be a good friend to him, "Bright, have I ever told you why my cutie mark is a pair of boxing gloves?" "No," Bright Eyes said, looking obviously confused by the sudden change in topic, "I just kind of figur-" Shadow reared up on his hind legs and swung out with his right hoof, clipping Bright across the jaw. He followed with a left upper cut which sent the pink and blue pony sprawling on the ground. Shadow walked up to his friend's unconscious body and looked down with eyes brimming with a mixture of regret and certainty in his actions, "I'm sorry about this, but I know you'd never have left my side willingly and I can't risk you coming with me. I promise you that this is for the best. You'll be safe." "Sir?" Forth asked as he stepped towards them, "Was that really necessary?" "You let me worry about what's necessary," Shadow said firmly, "Now, I need you and Blade to head back to Canterlot. You'll take turns carrying Bright until he wakes up. I want you to get as far as you can as fast as you can. Make it pointless for him to even try to come back. Do you understand. You get this pony back to Canterlot and safely!" Forth and Blade snapped to attention and said in unison, "Yes sir! We won't fail you, sir," they quickly placed Bright on Forth's back and galloped back towards Canterlot leaving Shadow alone at the border of the changelings. He moved towards the campfires slowly, making sure to listen for any patrols, scouts, or anyone else using the ill-kept paths. A few hours into his journey he heard hoofsteps heading towards him and ducked quickly behind a pale grey rock. "Those stupid ponies will never know what hit them," he heard a deep voiced changeling say. "Yeah," a high pitched squeaky voice replied, "by the time they even know we're there, we'll be everywhere. We won't just have them surrounded," a flash of green magical energy reflected off of several nearby rocks and trees for a second before a new voice finished the sentence, "we'll be them." Shadow waited behind the boulder, shifting his position to keep it between him and the patrol of changelings as he listened to their voices fade away in the distance, "I'm not about to be captured - not yet anyway," he thought to himself. When he was sure they had moved on far enough, he continued to head towards the campfires. He had to hide a few more times to avoid being seen by other changeling patrols, but just before nightfall he had made it to the edge of the camp and could see the ebony bodies of the changelings walking around, laughing, joking, and priming themselves for battle. Shadow waited until he saw a larger changeling, in full armor, who trotted with the air of importance only a officer can trot with before making his move, "There you are," he whispered. "For Canterlot!" Shadow shouted as he charged into the middle of the camp and straight for the commander. Several changelings moved to stand between him and their leader, but were quickly dispatched with a few kicks, spins, and dodges. Just as he reached the commander the large changeling stepped back and signaled for more soldiers to surround Shadow. He fought against waves of ebony bodied attackers, kicking, twisting, falling to the ground again and again only to rise and fight, biting and breathing hard, and nearly blind from the pain of overexertion as his muscles strained to keep him up and fighting. At last they began using bursts of green energy that lanced into him, setting off waves of torment until his hind legs could no longer lift him, but still he fought. Blind and screaming curses into the air, he fought. Clawing at any wisp of movement that came near until not even he could stand up against the onslaught of magic, hooves, and torturous, burning pain. "Withdraw," he heard a deep voice call out someplace on the edge of his fading consciousness, "I said withdraw, soldiers! I want this pony alive. There are questions to be answered and the Queen may want to see him." "The Queen?" the words echoed in Shadow's head as the sweet darkness of passing out overtook him and wrapped around his mind to hide him away from his injuries for a time.