Weeks had past since I awoke, and it took a long time for my body to heal from the wound Night left. I was happy to find out that Dash, Wolf and Eagle escaped from the surprise attack on the train completely unharmed. They came to visit me when I awoke, a long conversation of the situation and what happened afterwards following suit.
It turns out that upon the stab, Eagle had busted down the door allowing Wolf and Rainbow to prevent my execution. A short angry shouting conversation followed before reinforcements finally arrived, Night immediately fleeing at the sight of the Solar Elites. They told me that she immediately took off with my body back towards Canterlot, themselves being instructed to follow her. Wolf couldn't help but mention that they had a really hard time doing so, a laugh escaping from myself as well as Eagle.
Rainbow herself, however, was the first one to talk to me upon my awakening. Upon my discovery of my feelings for her, I decided to keep it quiet and to just see where things went without pushing it. She was really happy to see me wake up and told me that she knew I would, even though the doctors had told her that it was an unlikely chance of happening. The conversation was very brief and ended with a simple gentle hug that I had not foreseen happening. Not to say I didn't enjoy it, but it caught me off guard.
The NLR had been keeping low and the Solar Empire grew very nervous that something was about to happen. Something very big that would be a game changer in the war. Celestia requested my presence as soon as I was healed, saying it was something important that she wished to discuss with me. I was unsure what she wanted, but as long as it involved killing Luna and Nights, I was all ears.
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Upon my exit from the hospital, I found myself trotting down the main halls of the Canterlot palace towards Celestia's throne. However when I entered the gigantic room, she was not there. Instead I found a guard waiting for me, pointing towards the back behind the throne where another hallway came to view. Understanding where he wanted me to go, I went down the hallway to come across a spiraling staircase going up. My thoughts grew ever louder, my curiousity straining my mind before I reached the top, noticing an armored wooden door. With a gentle knock, I waited for a response, but the room remained quiet. I knocked once again, this time the door opened to reveal Celestia at the doorway, looking down at me in her majestic form. My eyes met hers, and then I looked behind her, noticing that I had found my way into her chamber.
She motioned me to come in, stepping to the side to allow me entrance. I trotted in curiously, looking around at the exquisitly regal chamber. There was a large circle rug on the floor with the symbol of a sun, which matched her cutie mark. Beyond it, her extremelly prodigious bed made my mind sink back in surprise, for I had never seen that size of bed before. To the right I noticed the balcony, looking out over the royal city. I continued turning my glance to the right and I noticed a fireplace, already hosting a flame that radiated a pleasant warmth. Turning my head to the left, there was a large window and a bookshelf next to it, along with another door of which I assumed was a closet.
"You like my chamber, Shadow?" I heard her ask, my attention snapping back to her.
"O-Oh.. yeah! I've never.. seen a room quite like this before. It's really nice." I responded, my words stuttering at first causing her to let out a small giggle.
"Well I guess it's a perk when you're royalty." She admitted with a faint smile.
"I guess so... anyways you called me here for something, Celestia? What was it you needed?" I asked, my curiousity at its peak, her smile immediately turning into a serious stoic look.
"It has been weeks since any reports of the NLR has been heard of... and I believe they are planning something. Massive. An invasion perhaps. This is a great way to earn trust for you, since thus far you have proven yourself by not only swearing your allegience but saving one of my most accomplished generals, Rainbow Dash in the same day."
At the mention of her name, a small smile appeared on my face. For once I actually did something right by saving my friends. I did end up taking a blade to the chest and all, but I did manage to kill the majority of the Black Squadron, who, if not killed, would have taken out not only me but my friends as well.
"She... is a friend I do not plan on letting down, along with my two other friends." I confessed, the expression on her face showing curiousity to my statement but then going back to her normal look.
"I see... well I called you up into my chamber for a personal matter. One that must be kept between you and I." She stated, her glance slamming down on me as if expecting a certain answer.
"I promise to keep this between us, Princess. What is it that you wished to tell me?"
"I know my sister well... and she has used a very successful tactic of an ambush from behind our front lines. Even the one on Fort Blaze, of which you lead a team to ambush my forces from behind." Her voice slightly cracked as soon as she finished that, but before she continued I stopped her.
"Princess... that was a long time ago," I admitted, a small smile on her face being made visible. "I fought for the wrong side... and now I see clearly who needs to win the war. I fight for the reunification of Equestria, as do you. Whatever plan you have for me, I will follow your command with no question."
"Thank you, Shadow," She said with a nod of respect, before continuing. "Like I was saying, I planned on using this strategy against her, with you and your two friends leading an elite squadron to ambush them from the back. She will not expect an invasion if she is planning her own."
"So you're promoting me, in other words?" I ask, chuckling slightly.
"You could say that, Captain." She replied, giggling softly with a nod.
"I'm honored," I started, bowing before her. "we will win this war, Princess. When does the invasion begin?"
"It starts tomorrow. Get your forces ready, Shadow. I plan to end this war swiftly without fail." She said, smiling ever so nobly.
With a nod, I exited her chamber, making my way down the spiral staircase. The day I soon anticipated was quickly approaching, the fate of Equestria resting on this invasion. My role in the final battle was, to my surprise, very symbolic. My awakening was news of good fortune to the citizens of Canterlot, and while I trotted down the city streets, many stopped me to wish good luck or how happy they were that I was fighting for their side. To be honest, I favored this side a lot more than I have ever liked the New Lunar Republic. Here there was a since of practicality and harmony, even with the war still raging on as it has for the past ten years.
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The sun was slowly setting beyond the horizon, the brilliant colors casting across the sky with great detail. I was sitting down with Eagle and Wolf in the officers tent at a training outpost just a quarter mile away from the royal city. We had already made our plans for tomorrow and awaited its arrival. Our conversation was slow at first, but then gradually picked up its pace as more curious topics were brought up, such as their lives before the war. Eventually the conversation went quite for a long time before Eagle spoke up to break the deathly silence.
"So this is it..." Eagle started to say, staring into my eyes, "once again we are the ones who will ultimately decide who wins the war."
With a nod, I turned my head and looked at Wolf, his eyes staring at the ground in silence. All three of us were in this situation before, back when we were supposed to have ended the war with the assassination of Celestia. Only this time, we were working for Celestia, planning to invade and destroy the NLR. Irony twisted it's ugly head upon us, and I was crazy enough to stare into it's deadly eyes with great anticipation.
"We will not fail this time," I stated bluntly, causing Wolf to look up at me with perked ears, "We will defeat the NLR and end this war once and for all. I am tired of the thought of Luna's terror continuing with each passing day and night. More and more, innocent ponies die.. and like other friends before, I am always too weak to stop them!" I slam my hooves down on the ground, startling the other two, "I will kill her. I will kill every soldier in my path if I have to in order to put her down."
My anger inside of me was spiking again, the frustration of being weak only adding to the negative anger that already swelled inside my very being. I despised not only Luna for her hideous crimes, but I hated myself for allowing it to happen. I hated myself for being too weak to do anything about it. Iron Shock and Cosette, two of the greatest ponies I've ever come to know, died because I was too weak. It was something I couldn't tolerate, but something I could do nothing about.
"Calm down, Shadow. You're getting yourself worked up again... why don't you go and get some fresh air outside?" Wolf suggested, placing a hoof gently on my shoulder, calming me down slightly, but not enough for his overall expectation.
"Fine, I guess it's for the best." I stated bluntly, sighing in both stress and anxiety.
I trotted outside of the tent, and out of the outpost's gates, heading towards a small hill that out looked an open field where the sun came in view. I sat down and dug my hoof into the ground, trying to relieve myself of the building pressure inside of me. Not only was the mission a major concern to me, but the welfare of my friends tortured my very being as well. I was too weak to save my best friend, and I was too weak to save Cosette, the one I fell in love with.
A sudden tap on my shoulder caused me to turn my head around to meet that of Rainbow Dash, whom I was not expecting to pay me a visit. Since Cosette's death, I was not able to cope with her loss and I was in a state of constant depression, but whenever Rainbow Dash was around, that feeling of morose somehow lifted, and a feeling of happiness was there. A small smile appeared on my face as our eyes locked, Dash returning a warm smile and then turning her gaze to the sunset.
"It's a beautiful sunset, isn't it...?" She asked quietly, a small blush on her face being made visible.
I nodded and looked towards the sunset as well, all the stress and anxiety leaving my body. For a moment I didn't care about tomorrow and the upcoming invasion. All I could think about was the moment I was in, being there with her. Whether or not we won the war tomorrow, all I cared about was Dash. I would never let anything hurt her and I would even put my own life on the line to keep her alive.
"Shadow, can I tell you something...? It's important." Rainbow Dash started, getting my attention as our faces turned towards each other.
Her sparkling violet eyes glistened into mine, her rainbow colored mane flowing majestically in the cool air breeze. For a long moment there was a silence, and both of us just stared into each other's eyes for a long period of time, enjoying the moment for every second it was worth. I knew this moment wouldn't last forever, but I didn't care. I was with her and that was all that mattered.
"Yes, Dash?" I asked silently, knowing what she was going to say, but anxiously awaiting the words to come out of her mouth.
"I... I wanted to tell you that, I know you lost her and all... b-but... in case we both die tomorrow, I wanted to tell you that... tha-" Before she could finish I gently pressed my hoof against her muzzle, causing her to stop. Her blush deepened, as my own blush began to develop. She didn't fight my action, but instead waited patiently for my next move.
As the sun was only a few inches away from setting, the warm colored sky began to dim into the darkness of the night, that tiny bit of sunlight shining down upon us. Without any hesitation, I removed my hoof and pressed my lips against hers, feeling my heart skipping a beat. She let out a faint gasp, but pressed back into the kiss moments later, a smile painted on her face. I knew right then and there that I had developed feelings for her, and tomorrow would be so much more harder if I lost her.
Then the light faded into darkness.