4. Exploration
They had been traveling for hours on end, Shadow didn't allow them to stop. Broken didn't struggle, but it was more herself that struggled. Her injuries had healed, but she wouldn't stop pushing herself, as though if she didn't, something bad would happen. Her eyes glanced at the thin birch trees, their limbs stretching out to create a canopy over there heads. The sun kept off of them, making it not too hot to walk all the way to Ponyville. Broken looked at her, he was concerned, his dark green eyes scanned her and the surrounding area.
"I think you need a break Shadow, your having trouble and it is easy to tell. The demons can't see us as weak." Broken explained, speaking up.
"But it might be-" Shadow started before she was interrupted.
"No, you injured." Broken cut off in a stubborn way.
Shadow seemed to growl, but nodded. She slowly walked over to one the birches and laid underneath the tree. Her deep blue eyes were focused on her wounds as she scanned them to see how severe they were. None were still open, and they looked mostly closed, yet they looked terrible. However one grabbed her attention, it looked black and disgusting.
"Hey Broken, come look at this." Shadow called to her companion.
Broken looked behind him and walked over to the grey mare and looked at the wound. It looked infected and he grimaced.
"Its infected. We have to get to Ponyville sooner then expected." Broken sighed.
This isn't good, infections can lead to sickness, or maybe even worst death. We will have to keep moving. Broken thought.
"Then lets keep moving." Shadow muttered, getting to her feet quickly.
She staggered to her hooves. It was clear to Broken that she was having difficulty getting up just by her stagger.
"I will help you if you need it, just tell me so." Broken said.
Broken didn't go faster and instead kept at a slow pace so Shadow wouldn't feel she had to go faster. They remained silent, as though speaking was a sin. However Broken didn't like the silence, it gave him a bad feeling.
"Shadow, I never asked, but where do you come from?" Broken asked curiously.
Shadow anted to stop for a moment, for she didn't know if she was from Manehatten, but that was all she remember now. Her head lifted and she looked at Broken.
"Manehatten." Shadow mumbled.
Broken paused, hoping for more of an answer, but she said nothing else.
"So, who are your parents?" Broken asked, persistent to learn more about Shadow.
Shadow paused once again, "Umm, I honestly don't know. I-I can't remember." Shadow admitted.
"Oh, I am sorry." Broken whispered, feeling kind of bad.
"What about you? Where did you come from and how are you half demon?" Shadow asked curiously.
The twosome didn't know much about each other, even if they had time to ask during the week they knew each other. Broken sighed, and took a deep breath.
"I was born Hollow Shades. My parents worked as poor farmers, we had nothing. Farming was hard in Hollow Shades, it was just so dark. My parents were starving and when they had me, they had no way of caring for me. One night we were attacked by a criminal, my mother was killed. On that night, my father took me to an old shrine, he offered me for my safety. He thought he was giving me to a god, but instead, he gave me to demons he didn't know about. That was what I was told, and from then on, I have been a monster." Broken explained, his voice dreary.
"That's... that's terrible! Didn't he notice?" Shadow cried.
Her face felt hot, she wanted to cry for her friend's hardships.
He doesn't deserve to be half demon, a monster! I do, I have a cold heart, I freed the demons, but I can't tell him that. What if he thinks I am dangerous? He is my friend, he is the only one I have. Shadow thought.
"Don't worry about. My father may have not noticed, but I have a feeling he didn't mean to. My mother was gone and he felt he had no choice." Broken explained, putting on a fake smile.
"So what else happened to you, if you don't mind telling me?" Shadow asked.
The story was making her interested. It was like a book, not real, but she knew it all too much. Broken just smiled at her and nodded.
"When I got older, I joined the Canterlot Guards, I was always good at fighting, but soon I couldn't help myself and I began to commit murder. I was found out and left. For the last few years, I used that sticker to make it seem like I wasn't who I was. That is my history in a nutshell." Broken explained briefly, trying not to make it long and boring.
"So that is why you can fight so well." Shadow exclaimed, piecing it together.
"Yep, my mentor taught me well, you could say." Broken said, somewhat gloating.
They both laughed as Broken put out his chest as a joke to look like an all powerful warrior. All of a sudden, a twig snapped, they immediately stopped.
"You get down." Broken whispered over his shoulder.
Shadow nodded and lowered herself into the brush. Her wounds hurt, mostly the infected one. She watched to see a skinny little demon appear. It was tiny and it squealed when it fell on the floor, but it was covered in wounds.
"Somepony was here." Shadow guessed when she came out of the brush.
Broken nodded, it had to be true, there was somepony out there.
"Who is out there?" Broken called into the thin trees.
As he called he heard hoof steps, and two figures appeared. One was a teal stallion with odd orange eyes and a sky blue mane. The other was a filly, she was a pegasus with dull blue fur, but a lighter muzzle, with darker freckles, her eyes were stunning yellow and her mane navy colored. The stallion stepped forward and looked at the twosome.
"I do apologize, my comrade and I never meant to scare you." The stallion said, his voice soft.
"Hey, look big brother, the mare is injured! Can I help her?" The young mare asked, having the same kind of accent.
"That is if it is alright with Miss. umm, I don't know your names if I recall." The stallion said.
"I am Broken and this is Shadow." Broken explained, introducing them.
"I see, I am Crayton and this is my little sister Ellie. We come from Canterlot, we came this way in hopes of sanction." Crayton introduced them.
Ellie scrambled closer to Shadow and began to look at her wounds, "I can help you if you want?" She squealed.
"That would be nice, thank you." Shadow answered, and laid down.
As Ellie moved, it was easy to see the first aid cutie mark she had, well her brother had one with a book, but he also had a dagger.
"Perhaps an alliance is in order. I can't protect Ellie by myself, and if I die, she has no pony, maybe we could travel together." Crayton offered.
"That would be fine with me, how about you Shadow?" Broken answered, somewhat nervous.
"Fine with me too, we need a medic." Shadow answered.
"Splendid."