//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: The Adventures of Shadow Chaser: Shadows of War // by RangerBeef //------------------------------// Shadow awoke with a start as the train lurched forward. He had been out nearly all of the 14 hours it took them to arrive in Stalliongrad. He looked around groggily. Han sat across from him, staring out the window, admiring the countryside and the immense castle that waited them outside the train. Han smiled as he noticed Shadow watching him. “It’s beautiful. Your country, I mean. Much of my homeland is barren. Living just opposite the mountains stops a lot of the weather that would normally reach us. I’m not used to so much… green.” Shadow nodded, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “I’ve been to a lot of places in this world. Equestria is the nicest of them all. And Stalliongrad,” Shadow motioned out the window. “It’s the most secure.” “I certainly hope so. If the keep should fall and my countrymen find me inside, my death will not be quick.” Han shuddered as thoughts of the many torture methods that would undoubtedly be used. Shadow leaned forward and put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. “The keep will not fall. With this keep, so goes the rest of Equestria, and the soldiers here know that. They will fight to the very last man to make sure this land remains in the control of the princesses.” Han nodded, and forced a smile for his companion’s sake. “I hope you’re right.” Cherish appeared and beckoned them off the train. Someone was waiting to speak to Shadow. The three of them moved, to the exits and stepped onto the station decking, slowly. The aches of days past were beginning to catch up to them, Shadow especially. As he looked around Shadow spotted the stallion he’d hoped to see, stand a head above most other ponies on the platform and impossible to miss in his armor, Shining Armor stood looking directly at Shadow, wearing an all too familiar smile. Shadow approached one of the only stallions that counted as a superior officer to him and gave him a brotherly hoof bump. “Good to see they still let you do real work, Shining.” “You’re telling me. You know they tried to make me a desk clerk? Worst five minutes of my life.” Shining gave him a broad grin. Their humor hadn’t missed a beat in all these years. Turning to the matter at hand, Shadow motioned Han forward. “Shining, this is Han. He’s with the Xiao army.” “Was with them,” Han corrected. “Right. The Xiao are headed our way along with the Germaneish and griffins. Xiao is here to help us deal with them.” Shining nodded in understanding. “Very well. Glad to have you with us, Han. What can you tell us about the Xiao’s plan of attack?” Without hesitation, Han launched into a tirade of potential plans the Xiao had made, each varying only slightly but the main premise being that they would be a surprise force on the Equestrian flanks. Almost every part of their plans succeeding relied on the element of surprise, which they no longer had. As Han paused, Shadow interjected, “I think you guys have things in order here. Shining, I’m off to save the world.” “Not if we save it first,” Shining said grinning. Shadow laughed softly. “Han, good luck. Stick with Shining here and everything will be alright. If the keep is going to fall, Shining will be the last stallion standing. I guarantee that.” Han nodded and Shining responded, “That almost sounded like a compliment, Shadow.” “Don’t get used to it.” Without pausing Shadow turned to Cherish, and headed into the keep ahead of Han and Shining. “What should I be doing?” Cherish asked, as they hurried inside. “Depends. Can you fight?” Shadow spoke bluntly. His jovial tone with Shining Armor had suddenly turned serious. “Not especially well,” Cherish relented. “Then get together with one of the shield teams. They could use your help.” Finally inside the keep, Shadow and Cherish wound their way through the bustling crowd of civilians and soldiers alike. From his left came a familiar voice, “Shadow! Don’t you ignore me!” Shadow stopped cold and turned slowly, “Rainbow?” Before he even had time to look, his wife was on top of him, holding him tight in an uncharacteristic display of her love for him. Pulling her back gently, Shadow spoke softly, “Dash, what are you doing here? Where are the…” His eyes drifted past her and he saw his daughters rushing toward them. “Girls!” “Daddy!” Nearly dropping Rainbow Dash, Shadow grabbed both his daughters tight into his hooves. Cherish felt her heart melt at the obvious family reunion. Holding back his tears of happiness at seeing his family, he turned to Rainbow, still holding their daughters. “What are you three doing here? It isn’t safe here.” Rainbow shrugged softly. “According to the news it’s not safe anywhere. Celestia had Twilight contact me and the other girls and told us all to come here. I guess she figured no place was safer.” Shadow sighed setting his daughters down, who immediately began to question Cherish, Rainbow’s nonchalant attitude as a war loomed was baffling to most. For him, it was just Dash. His mind clicked as what she had said sank in. “So the rest of the girls are here too?” “Yep. They should be around somewhere. AJ and Spike were helping set up defenses and Twilight’s studying spells.” “What about Pinkie, ‘Shy and Rarity?” Shadow asked. “Pinkie’s off somewhere being Pinkie and Fluttershy’s helping Rarity make some fashionable battle armor.” Rainbow scoffed at that. Shadow shook his head, even in a time of war Rarity had to look her best. “Alright, can you take me to Twilight? I need to talk to her.” “Sure.” Rainbow started to turn but stopped when she realized Sky and Moon had been pestering Cherish with questions unceasingly for a few minutes now. “Girls. Leave her alone, I’m sure she’s very busy.” Sky came rushing over in an instant. “Her name’s Cherish, Mom! She’s super nice. She said she works with Dad. Is that true?” Her final question addressed to Shadow rather than Rainbow. “Yes she does, honey. Would you two like to hang out with her today?” “Yeah!” They answered in unison, as had become their custom. Shadow shot Cherish a look and she just nodded. Her new mission was making sure his daughters were safe. They all fell in step together, heading inside the keep proper. Sky bounced along, fluttering her wings to hover momentarily and ask Cherish more questions. Shadow had helped Moon up onto his back. Still too young to hover, she flapped her wings from her position on his back, trying to strengthen them, to one day keep up with her sister. After a bit of a walk, they arrived at the grand library that Twilight had all to herself. Purple flashes signaled from down the hall that she was hard at work practicing her spells. The years had proven that she was set to be the world’s greatest magic user. Shadow was sure to caution Sky from being too loud and asking too many questions of Twilight. The last thing they needed was one of her spells to misfire from distraction. As the five of them entered the library Shadow helped Moon down from his back and he stepped forward with Rainbow. Together they approached Twilight, who had just finished a spell. “Twilight.” Rainbow spoke quickly, making sure she didn’t start another spell. Still startled at their sudden presence it took Twilight only seconds before she rush to hug Shadow. “It’s been too long, mister,” she said, breaking their embrace. “You’re right, but my job keeps me busy some times.” Shadow gave her a wink and the three of the laughed. “So what are you doing here? I take it you’re working to stop this fight?” “Something like that. I need a favor, Twilight. How good are you at creating scrolls?” “Almost better than Celestia these days. What do you need?” “Teleportation scrolls. A few of them.” “I can do that easy.” She smiled with self-assurance. “Awesome. How long will it take?” “Based on how long the spells are, a few hours. I’d say by night fall.” “You couldn’t have better timing.” Shadow smiled and embraced her once more. “We’ll leave you to work.” “You can leave the girls if you like. They’re safer here than anywhere else in the keep,” Twilight wasn’t a parent herself but she had baby sat Sky and Moon enough to care for them like they were her own. Shadow nodded. “Thanks, Twi.” Turning to his daughters and Cherish, “Alright, girls, you stay here with Cherish and Auntie Twilight. Mom and I will be back in no time. Okay?” The girls nodded happily and giggled as Cherish picked them both up. She seemed to be a natural at dealing with fillies as well as more adult ponies. Together Rainbow and Shadow headed to Rarity and Fluttershy’s makeshift fashion boutique, which brought another round of hugs for Shadow. “Rarity, I’ve got an order to place,” Shadow said in an official sounding voice. “Oh, stop it, Shadow. What do you need, dear?” “I need something that looks like a Germaneish uniform.” Rarity was taken aback for a moment. “Shadow, I’m afraid that’s not a design I know.” “I do. I’ll walk you through the basic design but we only have a few hours.” “A few hours? I don’t know if we can make a complete outfit that quickly.” Fluttershy’s voice rose softly. “We’ll just have to make as much progress as we can, dear. I’ve learned better than to question Shadow when he needs an outfit,” Rarity said, trying to sound reassuring. Shadow nodded and turned back to Rainbow. “You can go back to the girls or help AJ and Spike. I’ll be stuck here for most of my time before I leave.” Rainbow nodded solemnly and embraced him tightly. “Just come back to us.” Shadow nuzzled into her shoulder and kissed her neck softly. “I always do.” Pulling back from the hug they share a few long kisses, before Rainbow Dash turns and heads back toward the library. Shadow turns back to Fluttershy and Rarity, now both smiling softly at him. “Let’s get to work, ladies.”