//------------------------------//
// Black News 
// Story: A Shadow Falls 
// by Passion_Breeze 
//------------------------------//

Knock, knock, knock
Three slight raps on the door awoke Passion Breeze from his deep slumber. He’d been dreaming, albeit restlessly. His 21st birthday was next Tuesday, five short days, and with it came nervousness for the duties he would undertake as the youngest member of the Black Fleet, Canterlot’s elite covert ops unit. His fiery red mane was disheveled and the sleep in his eyes had dried thick atop the long blonde lashes he could never keep in check. While his proportions were nothing to gawk at by most standards of equestrian beauty if one were to look closely they would see through the intentionally unkempt sunset orange coat and unbrushed tail and find a hint of royalty in his rippling muscles and deceptively folded wings. His mother was none other than Princess Celestia herself. Before Luna’s banishment the princess had been a raving flirt though most didn’t know it and bore a child to a young pegasus captain in the fleet. Of course, such debauchery of royal blood couldn’t ever be public so few knew of Passion’s gleaming heritage. Royal alicorn blood had given him his rippling body but a mix of common blood had left him merely another pegasus though his eight foot wings belied the majesty in his veins. His cutie mark, covered by his night blue uniform, also showed his lineage. On his flank rested a golden sun sprouting two fiery wings and a white heart.
“Come in, Valorie.” Passion called, dawning his leather cuirass and rebrading his mane. “What’s the agenda today?”
“Formation with the fleet at o’ eight-hundred and a meeting for your coronation rehearsal at noon. Also I have a message from your cousin to meet her at Princess Twilight’s palace in Ponyville. She requested I inform you that it is a matter of some urgency.” 
Valorie was a young unicorn mare with a light cyan coat and an indistinct white dot as a cutie mark. Her talent was specialization in illusionary magic and though she’d never admit it, many of her family were mere traveling magicians. One of them, a blue unicorn with a wand and moon cutie mark, had actually gotten her a job in the palace through her connections with one of the princesses. Her cousin refused to disclose which of the royalty she shared such admirable relations with and merely blushed and stuttered when pried about the subject. She’d been hand maiden to princess Twilight before Passion had taken a particular liking to the young mare.
“Cadance?” quarried the sleepy pegasus as he dawned a dark cloak and a pair of twin blades that latched comfortably to his wings. “I thought she was in the mountains up north discussing a treaty with the legion. When did she return?”
“Some time last night, Milord. She stopped in to speak with the sisters and left within the hour.” Valorie bowed as Passion walked by her through the door.
“Well, make sure to apologize to Flash for me since i’ll be predisposed this afternoon. For that matter cancel my meetings for the week. I plan to be in Ponyville for a few days.” Passion stopped and turned before exiting the room entirely. “and I thought I told you not to call me that. I’m no heir to the throne.”

“Cadance!” Twilight shouted gleefully as the double doors swung open. Most of the council, as the locals affectionately called the six mares presiding over the small equestrian town, were out on official business around equestria. Only Twilight and Rainbow Dash remained as even Spike had accompanied a small envoy to the fire lands to witness the birth of a new dragon prince. “Sunshine, Sun-“
“I’m sorry Twilight, there’s no time.” Cadence sighed striding into the center of the throne room with her husband and three guards in tow. “I haven’t come on happy terms exactly.”
“What’s wrong?” The two mares asked, sitting straight in their thrones. 
“Is it about the legion? Did the negotiations fail?” Twilight was suddenly all business. Last year she’d met a young pegasus who claimed that he himself was the fastest flier in Equestria. After a race with Rainbow Dash it’d been revealed that he was actually a deserter changeling. Once Twilight and the others rescued the two from an exploding volcano he’d informed them that the legion was in desperate need of solace after their defeat in Canterlot. Their home had been over run by parasitic spiders from the east and they’d been forced to travel to and fro in search of food. Cadance had been sent to negotiate a trade. The changelings would reside within the empire and find sustenance in the natural energy radiating from the crystal heart in exchange for the use of their incredibly diverse military power.
“No, Twilight. The negotiations were successful and the legion is being housed in the caverns under the crystal city.” Seating herself in one of three unmarked thrones at the rear of the room Cadance lowered her voice so only those present could hear. “The news I have is far more severe, i’m afraid. When Shining Armor and I were investigating the caves in the north range we found something.”
“Spiders?” Rainbow Dash whispered shakily, gripping the edges of her crystalline chair.
“Yes, but more than that. Chrysalis showed us to the great hall where the newborns are kept until they hatch. When we got there we heard voices echoing down the corridor we’d just left but no one was there. Only shadows from the faint light inside the tunnels.”
“What are you saying?” Stammered the violet princess. “You heard talking shadows?”
“Not only that, when we turned to leave, three out of five of the queen’s guards had simply… vanished…”
“Wait a second.” Rainbow Dash interjected. “Ponies don’t just vanish. Not even changelings. That’s just crazy talk.”
“Are you saying we’re lying to you?” Shining spoke up quickly, shooting down the cyan pegasus’ allegations.
“Well, no, but-“
“So what do you think happened to them?” Twilight asked, shushing her overzealous friend.
“Aunt Tia thinks it may have been the spiders but that just doesn’t feel right and Luna agrees.” said Cadance. “but I think it’s more than that. There was something about those caves that seems wrong and Chrysalis agrees with me.”
“What do you think it was?” asked Twilight, falling incredibly silent.
Shining Armor put a soft hoof on the loving princess’ shoulder as he spoke. “We think it was… him.”
“Who?”
“Sombra…”

“That’s ridiculous!” Passion shouted, slamming a hoof onto the table between the two royalty. “Sombra’s dead and gone. You saw what happened just as well as I did.”
“Watch your tone, Passion.” Shining Armor muttered from the balcony outside the library.
“No, Shining, he’s right, we all saw it.” Said Cadance. “That still doesn’t explain the caves and it seems like his style.”
“Look, Cadance, the only piece of him left is that retched horn and the fleet’s been watching it twenty four, seven. I know.” Passion laughed sarcastically, brushing a lock of his mane from his face. “I’m on that retched detail.”
“Is there any way?”
“Of course not. The black fleet is the best… Period. Luna trains each member personally and we make up Celestia’s personal detail. That horn is still in the catacombs, guaranteed.”
The sun was setting low over the horizon behind Canterlot and the wind blew harshly through the bay windows leading to the balcony. Shadows in the library cast eery shapes onto the three ponies’ faces and the candle light flickered in the breeze. A commotion could be heard from the village below as the Summer Sun celebration’s first night kicked up. This year’s festivities would take place here in Ponyville and it would last the whole five days. This year would be special for multiple reasons. Four princesses now occupied Equestria’s borders along with the allied force of the Changeling Legion from the north. Luna’s two thousandth birthday would be on the third day of the festival and Passion’s own birthday along with Celestia’s would be on the Summer Equinox this year. Also, since Shining Armor would be resigning from Captain of The Canterlot Guard his replacement, a young golden stallion, who is rumored to have connections to the youngest princess would be dropping from Cadance’s personal guard to take his place. This meant that, along with Passion’s promotion to Captain of The Black Fleet three new medal’s were being celebrated along with the new status of six mares from Ponyville and a treaty with the second most powerful nation on the continent. In short a lot of changes were in progress and Passion was in the middle of them.
“Look Cadance, It’s the Summer Sun. No one in their right mind would try to enter the catacombs without special permission this week. Albeit Sombra wasn’t exactly sane, but if it makes you feel better, i’ll double the detail this week and after the festival i’ll make a full investigation into those caves.”
“Thank you, cousin.”
“We appreciate it, Passion.” Shining stated warmly as he closed the doors, shutting out the growing cacophony from below.
“Don’t mention it. Now if you’ll excuse me I have some private business to tend to.” Out of his saddle bags, Passion pulled a black sheet of parchment and a silver quill that wrote in ink only readable by members of the fleet under moonlight. He scribbled quickly on the dark paper and sealed the letter in a white ribbon. “These are the orders to increase the security detail in the catacombs beneath Canterlot. Bring them to Valorie and tell her their for Night Quill. I’ll see you both at Luna’s honor gala. If you need to reach me before then, let Valorie know. She’ll be able to contact me.”
“Passion?”
“Yes, Cadance?”
“Forgive me asking but..." She stopped and considered her words for a moment, finding no better way to ask. "Where do you go every night?”
Passion stopped and stood silent inside the doorway. His cloak fluttered ominously in the breeze let in when he opened the giant doors and he sighed before pulling the hood over his face. “If I told you that it wouldn’t be private would it?
With that he exited the library, shutting the door quietly and trotting out into the crowd gathering in the small village.

Passion stepped out onto the balcony of the dingy bar on the edge of Ponyville. The view here was the second best in town. If one were to stand just at the edge of the wooden platform they could see over the trees to sweet apple acres in the northwest, glimpse Cloudsdale and the Rainbow Fields in the southeast and see the entirety of the equestrian capitol in the mountains to the northeast. A wooden stairway led to the roof where one could see all of Ponyville as well, with the new palace in the southern corner of the small village. Even with this spactacular view the whole area was entirely secluded by decorative shrubs lining the bannister all around. Passion could see all around but no one could see the him or the second occupant in the private space. Locking the white painted door behind him he walked to the railing facing the main stage erected across the square from Sugarcube Corner and rested his hooves next to a pair of sky blue ones that looked unusually frail next to his own.
“You have no idea how hard it was to get Twilight to send Fluttershy to Cloudsdale instead of me. I would have been back tomorrow anyway but then we wouldn’t have been able to get any privacy.”
“The things we do for love, huh?”
Rainbow Dash sidled closer to the tall orange stallion, laying a deep kiss on his lips. Her wings shivered as Passion returned the kiss. They stood still enjoying the peace of that simple bond for a moment before breaking apart and looking softly into each other’s eyes.
“You made me wait. I don’t like waiting.”
“Don’t you ever take a break, Rainbow?” Passion muttered, staring out at the celebrations below. The streets of Ponyville were lit by lanterns hanging from every corner and window on every building below. The shining fireflies swung in the breeze as chattering ponies from every corner of Equestria filled the cobblestone streets. Cheerful music blared from the inns and taverns and streamers hung over the throng as multicolored beads and alcohol floated through the crowd. It was a hectic and chaotic swath of color and vibrance that rarely ran so purely in Passion’s life. 
The Black Fleet rarely saw daylight, instead doing their work in the shadows and under the stars on the darkest nights. Light and color rarely graced a Black Fleet operative’s eyes and instead their vision was stained by blood and filth on most days. As beautiful as Equestria looked from the outside, there is always an ugly underbelly to match even the most pure society. This is where Passion did his life’s work flushing out the scum of the land, and also why he’d fallen in love with the colorful, rainbow mained mare next to him. She practically embodied the beauty and fervor of equestrian life.
“Never.”
“Aww, that’s not true.” Passion chuckled quietly. “I saw you standing there. You look so beautiful like that. Just relaxed and care free.”
“Oh gawd.” Dash giggled. “Don’t go getting all sappy on me, mister dark and brooding.”
“Pfft. Whatever, Rainbow. Come on. The concerts starting in an hour. Lemme buy you a drink.”
The two pegasi walked back into the dimly lit bar and sat at the counter where a rosy, wine colored earth pony stood mixing different ales and tonics. “What can I get you two love birds, huh?” The saucy mare said, eyeing the blue pegasus sarcastically as she put a hoof to her face. “I Just got a new bottle of premium tequila from the crystal city. Three hundred bits a pop can you believe that? The legion brought it from the mountains with them. They say it’s distilled in the rock beds under the caves. It's twenty percent alcohol and it tastes like moon water and lemon grass.”
“Sounds perfect, Berry.” Passion laughed nudging Rainbow and slapping forty bits on the counter. “We’ll take two on the rocks and a bottle of Saddle Arabia brandy.”
“Well, look at you big spender.” Said Berry Punch, swiping the bits off the counter as she filled two shot glasses with ice and a thick, dark green liquid that smelled like rain water and mountain air.
“Trying to impress me, Passion?” Rainbow laughed as she clinked her glass against his and filled a cup with the sweet red wine that had just been placed on the counter.
“I might be.” Quipped Passion, downing the green drink in a single gulp. “Damn, that is good.
“So,” The fire maned stallion began, filling his own glass and turning to face the small dining floor in the tiny tavern. The candles burned low and the music and chatter outside floated softly in through the tiny windows alight with magical signs reading Berry Punch’s Wine and distillery. “did Spitfire ever get back to you about the show tomorrow?”
“Yeah, actually she did.” Replied Rainbow as she sipped at the sweet, strawberry flavored wine. “I’m making a guest appearance with them. Twilight and I have a whole routine set up to open the show.”
“You’re going to do a routine with the princess?”
“Spitfire is opening a new section of the Wonderbolts. It’s a Junior fliers’ corps that’s going to open all of their shows and she wants me and Lightning Dust to lead them. Tomorrow we make the announcement and she wants Twilight to be a part of it.”
“That’s great!”
Rainbow Dash took another sip from her glass before refilling it and staring out the door to the crowded street. “I’m not so sure. Lightning is a great flier, maybe even on par with the rest of us, but she’s a total hot head and likes to start trouble.”
Passion chuckled softly, earning a deadly stare from the blue pegasus. “Sorry, I know what you mean. Her and that griffin friend of yours started some trouble at the palace last month. They lost a bet to one of my pegasi and I had to break up a big fight. Lightning kicked Firefly in the muzzle and Gilda tried to claw Shade’s face off.”
Rainbow giggled at the thought of a griffin claw deep in Passion’s second lieutenant. She was an agile flier but she was also scrawny as a twig. Gilda would have ripped her good but Shade’s not one to go down easy. She got drunk at a bar in Canterlot once and took down three bouncers with nothing but a bar stool and an ice cube. “That must have been a sight.”
“Not really. Gilda ended up breaking the bar in half.”
Rainbow raised an eye brow at such a ridiculous notion.
“Literally”
“yeah,” Laughed Rainbow. “Sounds like Gilda. Anyway, what about you. I heard your getting your promotion tuesday.”
“I am.” Muttered Passion. “It’s just a formality really. Celestia’s just being diplomatic and giving the ponies something else to talk about. It’s all a big joke if you ask me.”
“Passion the celebration is a big deal.”
Passion lit a cigarette off of one of the bar candles and ordered an ale before speaking again, his face dark and brooding. “Tia’s just riding out the high every pony has from all the excitement lately. These ponies have no idea what’s really going on out there beyond our borders. I do. I’ve seen it.”
“And?”
“It’s not good Rainbow. I bet they didn’t tell you on the news what really happened to the legion. Why they had to move into the crystal caverns?”
“Yeah, a cave in when the empire rose up in the east.”
Passion sighed and pulled on his cigarette. “Typical Celestia, lying to everyone all at once. The caves are overrun by shadow leach spiders. Dirty bloodsuckers with legs. There’s talk of war in Saddle Arabia and the griffons are planning to defect to the wyverns in the far west. There are rumors of windigo’s in the north and now... Now Cadance thinks Sombra is coming back…”
“That’s ridiculous!” Rainbow gasped, recoiling on her stool. 
“That’s what I said.” Passion replied with a dark spark in his eye. “It is ridiculous but for some reason every time I tell myself that it sounds less convincing. I’ve doubled security in the catacombs under Canterlot but those caves aren’t entirely mapped out… What if i’m wrong, Rainbow?”
Rainbow Dash sighed and lifted Passions muzzle with her hoof. “Look, you’re about to be captain of the fleet. Whether that’s formal or not your ops respect you and that’s because you deserve it. So the caves aren’t entirely mapped out. So Cadance GUESSES Sombra’s coming back. So WHAT, Passion? You’re the captain for a reason so don’t worry. You’ll do fine. Don’t worry.”
“Thanks, Bow.” Passion sighed putting out his cigarette and downing the last of his ale. “I owe you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Come on it’s time for the concert.” Rainbow hopped agilely off her stool and shook out her mane. “and don’t call me Bow in public.”