//------------------------------// // Pack Life // Story: Dancing In The Shadows // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// As morning dawned over the forest, an alarm clock Echo placed on the table of his and Sunset's room went off. Grunting awake, Echo sent out a stream of crystals, which flowed over and switched the clock off. "Time to get up." He yawned, stretching his limbs. "Already?" Sunset groaned, raising her head slightly. "I'm afraid so." Echo nodded. "We still have a mission to carry out, you know." "You mean you still have a mission to carry out." Sunset rolled over. "I'm just along for the ride." "Come on, darling." Echo urged. "I'm sure our hosts will want us to join them for breakfast." "Go 'way." Sunset mumbled. "I wanna sleep." With a smirk, Echo extended one of his wings, and a swarm of microcrystals scurried over to Sunset and formed into a small tentacle, using the tip to tickle Sunset. "No... ah-hah-hah-hah-hah!" Sunset giggled. "No fair!" "I'm sorry, my dear, but you brought it on yourself." Echo chuckled, as he then summoned up a second microcrystal tendril. "Okay, okay!" Sunset giggled. "I'll get up! I'll get up!" "I had a feeling you'd see things my way." Echo smirked. "Now, let's get to the kitchen area. I'm sure our gracious hosts will already be there." "Food does sound good." Sunset admitted. "For some reason, sleeping in a hammock really makes me hungry..." "It was an unusual experience." Echo admitted. "I've never been in a bed that hangs in midair before." Echo and Sunset exited their chamber, and made their way to the kitchen. "It's weird." Sunset frowned. "I know it's morning, but it's not really sinking in, what with us being underground, and all..." "I know what you mean." Echo admitted. "It feels like no time has passed at all. I suppose the pack has simply gotten used to it." Echo and Sunset reached the kitchen, where Elatha, Snow, Willow, Moana, Nano and Wave were already having breakfast. "Good morning, you two." Elatha smiled. "Did you sleep well?" "As well as could be expected." Echo nodded. "Let me guess: The hammocks weren't what you were expecting?" Nano smiled knowingly. "Pretty much." Sunset shrugged. "It was a little odd, but we managed to sleep okay." "You lovebirds probably wanted a king-sized bed, right?" Wave snorted. "Sorry, we're fresh out. Along with the caviar and fancy quilted toilet paper." "Very witty." Echo snorted. "I assure you, Sunset and I are no strangers to 'roughing it'." "Please." Wave snorted. "For you fancy-shmancy ponies, 'roughing it' means staying in a hotel room with no suite on the side." "Echo and I once went halfway around the world, seeking out the pages of the book of King Sombra himself." Sunset retorted. "And we weren't always in close vicinity to a hotel. We're used to a lack of luxury accommodations." Wave, unable to think of a comeback, fell silent. "I think the hammocks are fun!" Snow chuckled. "All swingy and wobbley..." "Ah, the whimsy of a foal." Willow smiled. "If only the rest of us could be so positive..." Moana sighed. "You can be, you know." Echo smiled. "You just have to have hope." "Easier said than done, bat-butt." Wave scowled. "It's better than just standing around, feeling sorry for yourselves." Sunset pointed out. "Forgive Wave for his attitude." Elatha declared. "We've been in hiding for so long that we've become a little... jaded." "Understandable." Echo nodded. "There was a time when I would keep to myself, totally cut off from the outside world. But that is no way to live. Sunset helped me to realize that." "And in return, Echo gave me a closeness I didn't know I was missing." Sunset smiled. "Not to mention a foal." "So the fair maiden broke your shell of anti-socialism?" Willow asked. "Like a classical love story!" "I've always loved those..." Moana sighed. "Eh, gimmee a good comedy any day." Wave snorted. "I'm so glad things turned out so well for you two." Elatha beamed. "If only all of our kind could live as happily as you, Echo." "Perhaps one day, they will." Echo declared. "And I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that becomes a reality." "Well, at least you're not lacking in confidence." Nano said appreciatively. "Now please, join us." "Don't mind if we do." Sunset chuckled. "I'd love to have more of those yummy blueberries..." "Just don't go nuts." Wave frowned. "Foraging for food is harder than it looks." "Oh, hush." Elatha admonished Wave. "We have plenty to go around." After picking out some food, Echo and Sunset joined the pack members at their makeshift table. Just as they were finishing up, Artorias and Aether entered the room. "Ah, there you are." Artorias declared. "Good morning." Echo said curtly. "Since you'll be staying with us for a while, I suppose you'll want to know the lay of the land." Artorias declared. "I can have Nano show you around, if you'd like." "It would be my pleasure." Nano agreed. "I know this place like the back of my hoof." "I suppose that would be a good idea." Echo mused. "If we're going to stick around, we should get to know our temporary abode." Sunset declared. "Lead on, Mr Nano." Echo declared. "Right this way." Nano smiled. Echo and Sunset followed Nano out of the kitchen. "Well, well." Elatha smiled. "Looks like somepony's warming up to our guests." "Don't get the wrong idea." Artorias scowled. "I just don't want them getting lost down there. We have better things to do than waste our time bailing them out." "Testify, brudda." Wave smirked. "I doubt that would happen." Elatha declared. "From what I've heard, Echo's pretty smart, and Sunset was once the personal student to Princess Celestia herself." "Really?" Moana gaped. "Zounds!" Willow gasped. "Big whoop." Wave rolled his eyes. "It's not like that kind of stuff means anything out here. It's instinct that helps us survive, not some dumb book smarts." "I like them." Snow chipped in. "Sunset is really nice, and Echo looks cool." "No, I look cool." Wave boasted, "That nerd got nothin' on me!" "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Wave..." Elatha snorted. Meanwhile, Nano was leading Echo and Sunset through the tunnels. "Did you guys really dig most of these?" Sunset asked. "Not entirely." Nano admitted. "There are some natural caverns that we linked the passages to. The cavern containing the underground river, for example, is right over here." Nano led through a eastwardly facing tunnel, bringing them to a high cavern, with the river in question flowing through it. "Incredible." Echo smiled. "Nothing quite beats the wonders of nature." "And it provides us with all the clean, fresh, drinking water we could ever need." Nano smiled. "It was a lucky find for us. If we hadn't discovered it, we would have had to get water from the only river, two miles away." "Long way to go to quench your thirst." Sunset acknowledged. "Most of the chambers are for living in." Nano revealed. "We like to be ready to take in new members." "What of some of these other tunnels?" Echo inquired. "The ones that slope upwards?" "Most of them lead to trees we've turned into lookout points, from which we can observe the forest, and keep an eye out for intruders." Nano declared. "Would you care to take a look?" "Why not?" Sunset grinned. "I could use some fresh air." The trio walked up a chamber, reaching another hollow trunk. They ascended (Sunset on Echo's back), reaching the top of the lookout. "Impressive." Echo looked out over the forest. "We chose only the highest trees, so we could get the best view." Nano declared. "Ah, smell that fresh air..." Sunset sighed. "No offense, but it's a little musty down in those tunnels." "You get used to it." Nano declared. "Now, let's get back to the tour." "Great..." Sunset groaned, not altogether pleased to have to go back down. They descended back down to the tunnels. "So, do all these upward sloping tunnels lead to outposts?" Echo asked. "The rest act as emergency exits, in case we are ever discovered." Nano answered. "Good thinking." Sunset smiled."You never know when you'll need a quick escape." As the tour continued, Nano led them to a large, circular chamber. A large ring was drawn on the ground, with seat-shaped stones surrounding it. "And this is our training ground." Nano declared. "This wide, open space makes for an excellent arena for us to spar with each other, thus keeping our combat skills sharp." "My hats off to you." Echo smiled. "You really do seem to have thought of everything." "Oh, I can't take the credit for this one." Nano said humbly. "This was all Artorias' idea. His brilliant tactical mind has been quite an asset to us." "You really think highly of him, don't you?" Sunset asked. "Of course I do." Nano nodded, nudging his glasses. "I owe him my life. If it weren't for him, I would probably be trapped in a cage, nothing more than a tool of destruction..." "How do you mean?" Echo asked. "Well...before the pack, I was actually a very important pony... a Senator, actually." Nano revealed. "Senator?!" Echo and Sunset gaped. "That's right. I should let you know that 'Nano' is just a nickname that the others gave me when they saw my power to coat myself in unbreakable metal. It went well with my last name... Machines. 'Nanomachines'." "Wait... Senator... Machines..." Echo murmured, before lighting up. "Wait, as in Senator Neigh Machines?" "The one and only." Nano nodded. "Elected governor of Colerodeo, slasher of the state budget, successfully privatised the police force... to name a few of my accomplishments." "I think I read about you once." Sunset mused, "You were a powerhouse not just in the office, but in the battlefield. You served ten years in the Foreign Guard fighting in Saddle Arabia, Hindia, Isreinal..." "That explains your battle prowess." Echo smirked. "Yeah, those were the days." Nano sighed, before frowning, "But then... something bad happened." "I would assume so." Echo nodded, "According to what I read in the newspapers, you supposedly went 'MIA' when visiting troops stationed at a base in Isreinal and then... was pronounced dead. What happened there?" "Well..." Nano sighed, "I was just in Isreinal as a part of a rally for the troops. Reminding them of what they were fighting for, and showing off what the private military companies had to offer them... unfortunately... we were then attacked by a bunch of hostile natives, and they began unleashing these weird fireworks that rained down on the entire base, exploding everywhere...it wasn't before long that one landed right in front of me, and gave me a faceful. I was conked right out." "Ouch, that must had left a mark." Echo cringed. "Yeah, I thought the same thing." Nano agreed, "But when I woke up, I found myself in a padded room. I wasn't sure what happened till the leading officer of the base came in and told me that I was blasted with a 'dark magic napalm'. It was an illegal explosive that would either kill you on detonation or leave you with burns so severe that you would die anyways. Either way, I shouldn't been able to survive that blast." "But you did... and that is when you..." Sunset asked knowingly. "Yes... they explained that when that blast hit me, I was burned at first... but then, according to them, my face was coated in this chromed metal for a few seconds before it faded away and the burn was gone." Nano explained. "They said that they found an anomaly in my bloodstream, and that I was now able to perform the 'Nanomachines' dark magic spell at will... and quite frankly, I was freaked out." "I think I can undestand that." Echo nodded, "When I first developed my dark magic power, I was horrified of myself." "But it ills in comparison to what came next." Nano frowned, "After they explained everything, they told me that I had a 'gift', and that I could do my country a favor in using my powers to fight their war." "And I take it that you didn't want to?" Sunset questioned. "It's not that I didn't want to." Nano clarified. "I love my country, and I would gladly throw my life on the line to protect it... but I had my own life back in Equestria as a senator. I just wanted to go back home... but unfortunately... they didn't take no for an answer. The army in which I served for many years thought that I was an asset that they must take full advantage of... so that is how, I, Senator Neigh Machines, became nothing more than a slave to the army." "What... how could they do that?!" Echo snarled, outraged, "Surely ponies must had noticed you missing!" "They thought of that." Nano frowned. "They did everything in their powers to cover me up and make it seem like I was kidnapped and then killed by the hostiles, all as an attempt to stoke the flames of war. They put me under lockdown, and saw to it that I never went outside, unless it was to carry out a mission or to run tests..." Nano's body trembled slightly. "And when I was out, everypony looked at me with these scornful eyes... like I was no longer a pony to them... but a living weapon. They wouldn't even talk to me, and even if they did... they just called me a freak... my own ponies..." "That's horrible." Sunset gasped. "Truly disgusting." Echo agreed. "Did they have no appreciation for the work you did for them? Of the sacrifices you made?" "Apparently not." Nano grimaced. "So... how did you get from there to here?" Sunset asked. "The next six months I spent in captivity was just a recurring nightmare that I couldn't wake up from. Day after day, they kept sending me out into the field, using me to fight their battles. I couldn't run away, for they had wiped all proof that I am alive, and they told me that no one would believe that I was the senator, and because of my abilities, they would see me put down. I never felt so betrayed and violated by the country that I had fought for... it wasn't till this one day that they ordered me to take out a village that had children soldiers protecting it that I had had it. The moment I was let out, I made a break for it, knocking any who would try to stop me out of my way. Lucky for me, they didn't have anything that could stop a pony who couldn't be fazed by cannons or arrows." Nano gave a snide chuckle. "I imagine they still weren't keen on letting you go." Echo noted. "Not exactly." Nano admitted. "They gave me quite a chase. Eventually, I managed to trick them into thinking I was dead by armouring up and jumping off a cliff into a raging river. I changed back to normal the second I went under, waiting until the current pulled me away before I resurfaced." "Pretty smart." Sunset nodded. "After I got away, I wasn't sure as to what to do next. My old life was no more, and Senator Neigh Machines was dead. Before I knew it, I was at the coast of Haygypt, hoping to hitch a ride back to Equestria, where I met Artorias. To be honest, I was a little shocked when I first saw him. As you know, even in armor, he is intimidating. I armored up in an attempt to ward him off, but he didn't attack, instead offering me shelter for the night. Tired and hungry, I accepted the offer, and Artorias shared his food with me. As we bunkered down together, Artorias told me of his noble mission of protecting his Nightcrawler brethren." "So that's how he recruited you." Sunset noted. "Not quite." Nano stated. "In the middle of the night, the soldiers I thought I'd escaped found me. They threw a specially-reinforced net over me, which even my powers couldn't break. But just before they could take me, Artorias leapt in. He beat them both to within an inch of their lives, then threatened to kill them if they ever told their superiors of what had happened." Nano smiled. "From that night forward, I swore my loyalty to him, staying by his side as he and Aether gathered more of us together, with the intent of protecting Nightcrawlers from a world that hates and fears us..." "Don't you ever miss your old life?" Sunset asked. "I do, sometimes." Nano admitted. "But every time I think of it, I'm reminded of how the country I loved and served turned its back on me. Worse, it turned me into a weapon. So I prefer not to think about it too much." "I can understand that." Echo declared. "I imagine all that anger helps in the heat of battle." Nowadays, I prefer not to fight if I can help it." Nano declared. "I lost my zeal for battle after I lost all choice in the matter." "It didn't look like that yesterday." Sunset snorted. "I can fight if I need to." Nano declared. "Artorias taught me that a cause as noble as ours must be fought for." "Admirable." Echo nodded. "For all his purported savagery, your 'Great Gray Wolf' seems to be quite the protector." "When he's not trying to kill other ponies, that is." Sunset snorted. "He only ever kills in the name of his pack." Nano said heatedly. "He never kills just for the sake of killing. He does so, because it is his duty as alpha to protect his pack, by any means necessary." "Are you certain of that?" Echo asked, recalling the footage of Artorias apparently slaying several security guards. "Positive." Nano nodded. "I know Artorias. He was the first pony I saw since I broke out that treated me with a sense of dignity and respect. He has done so much for me. Artorias may be many things, but he is no murdering monster." "Let's just hope your loyalty isn't clouding your judgement." Sunset muttered under her breath. "My judgement if just fine, thank you." Nano said tensely. "Trust me, I've seen enough of ponies who use and betray others to know what a truly noble stallion is." "Of course you have." Echo nodded, not wanting to rouse Nano's ire. "Now, is there anywhere else we need to see?" "Well, not really." Nano shrugged. "You've already seen the kitchen, the main chamber... any other chambers are reserved for storing food and tools." "So the tour's over." Sunset sighed. "Good. I need to take a load off..." As Echo and Sunset returned to the main chamber, they saw a very peculiar sight; Prince Blueblood was standing in front of Snow and Moana, with an unknown green Earth Pony in a leather jacket. "What in the world...?" Echo gaped. "What's he doing here?" Sunset asked, astounded. "Oh, good!" Nano smiled. "I was hoping to see one of these!" He rushed over and joined the girls. "I say." Blueblood said, in a high-pitched voice that was definitely not his own. "Out of my way, you foul peasant." "Hey, don't you call me a bird!" Said the Earth Pony, using Wave's voice. "I'll bust yo grill!" "What is going on?" Sunset frowned. "I have no idea." Echo shrugged. "You dare to challenge the mighty Prince Blueblood?" The faux-Blueblood asked, waving his hooves. "I shall give you what-for, you wretched commoner!" "Oh, yeah?" The Earth Pony grabbed the faux-Blueblood's mane. "How ya like me now?" "Ooh, ow!" The faux-Blueblood cringed in mock-pain. "Not the mane! I surrender!" Snow started giggling madly. "That was so funny!" She chuckled. "You guys are great!" "I love this material!" Nano added. "It's a great way to spend a morning." Moana smiled. The faux-Blueblood and Earth Pony took a bow. Suddenly, a green wind surrounded the faux-Blueblood, then spread to the Earth Pony. It swirled all around them, masking them from view. Then, just as suddenly, the wind died down, leaving Willow standing where the fake Blueblood was, and Wave where the Earth Pony was. "What a show!" Snow applauded. "Encore! Encore!" "You guys were really great." Moana smiled. "Especially you, Willow." "You're too kind, my lady." Willow grinned. "Back in the day, I would entertain hundreds of ponies at once, their applause like sweet music in my ear. But even a small audience can grant me such music." "That was impressive." Echo declared. "Ah, are you an acting fan, too?" Willow asked. "He didn't mean that." Sunset rolled her eyes. "He meant the whole 'making yourselves look like other ponies' thing. I didn't know you could do that." "Ah, yes." Willow nodded. "A little something I developed when mastering my powers. I like to call it the 'Illusionary Winds'. With just a thought, I could assume the form of any thing I can think of, given that they are around the same size as me. Alas, it's tough to maintain. Lose my concentration and the illusion will fail. It becomes much harder should I decide to share my power with another. It does have its uses... even if the uses are only temporary." "Worth it, though." Wave smirked. "Trust me, I've seen the guy's one-stallion shows." "Oh, please." Willow snorted. "You played your part... adequately. It's easy to see you've had no formal training." "Don't get high and mighty with me, theatre boy." Wave growled. "Come on, guys." Nano urged. "Relax." "So, did you enjoy the tour?" Moana asked, trying to bring attentions elsewhere. "Oh, yes." Echo nodded. "It was most informative." At that point, Artorias, Aether and Elatha entered the chamber. "Hey, guys." Elatha smiled at Echo and Sunset. "We have a little something for the two of you. A sort of 'welcome to the den' present." "What is it?" Sunset nodded. Aether brought forth two dull green gems hanging on strings. "What fascinating things." Echo mused. "What are they?" "Now, they are nothing." Aether announced. His horn charged up, his eyes grew wispy, and he infused both gems with dark magic. "Now, they will serve as protection." "Protection?" Sunset asked. "Yes" Aether nodded. "I have infused these gems with the 'Voldemare' spell. Something that I picked up a while back in my travels. The spell shields all who wear this charm from the effects of dark magic. It also doubles as a body enhancer, improving the durability of one pony, allowing them to endure against heavy physical blows. As of now, a hammer would feel like a tickle." "That explains why my crystals didn't do as much damage against the others as I thought they would." Echo mused. "I knew they couldn't be that good." Sunset snorted. "Like you'd know a real warrior when ya see one, preggers." Wave said snidely. "Not only that, but they will also mask a Nightcrawler's own powers." Aether continued "Mask them?" Echo asked. "So we can't be found, duh." Wave sneered. "What, you don't think some of the ponies who want us dead won't have some way of detectin' our magic?" "Hiding underground protects us from most ponies, but the really die-hard kind that want all Nightcrawlers dead will stop at nothing to root us out." Nano added. "We all carry one of those enchanted gems, in order to prevent that from happening." The pack extracted a gem each from the pouches they wore around their waists. Even Snow had one. "These charmed stones keep us safely hidden." Willow added. "Without them, we would be found anon." "Good thing for us we have Aether to cast the spell." Moana declared. "Indeed it is." Artorias agreed. "Without him, we would never have come this far." "Yay, Aether!" Snow whooped. "Please, my friends." Aether chuckled humbly. "It was the least I could do." "And now you want to give these to us?" Echo asked. "Of course." Elatha nodded. "You are quite powerful, Echo. You could be detected by our enemies. And Sunset, I don't think I have to point out how much protection you could use in your... vulnerable state." "Good thinking." Sunset cast a glare Artorias' way. "Wouldn't want to be at the mercy of a rogue Nightcrawler in my position..." Artorias growled at Sunset. "Thank you, my friends." Echo said curtly, as he took one of the gems. "I'm sure these bewitched stones will come in useful." "This one does go with my eyes." Sunset joked, taking the other gem. Both Echo and Sunset wore the gems as a necklace. "Well, look at that." Elatha smiled. "It's like you're full-fledged pack members, now." "Let's not go too far." Artorias scowled. "This was a necessary action, not an invitation." "Yeah, right." Wave nodded. "Can't have bat-boy here lurin' trouble our way." "Nonetheless, we appreciate the gesture." Echo declared. "Believe me, the last thing we want is to bring trouble to your doorstep." "That's right." Sunset nodded. "With a couple of exceptions, you guys have been really nice to us." "Well, we don't really get company that often." Elatha grinned. "So we thought we'd make the most of it." "And we appreciate that." Echo smiled. "Believe me, I know how hard it is to trust newcomers to your world..." "A decision that has proven most effective." Artorias snorted. "Don't make me regret this, you two." With that, Artorias left the chamber. "Don't let that bluster fool you." Elatha smiled. "He must really like you guys to let you have those." "He's got a funny way of showing it..." Sunset declared. "Let's just be glad we've made some progress with him." Echo nodded. "Now, how about some lunch?" "I could eat." Sunset shrugged. "I'll join you." Elatha added. "And me!" Snow rushed over. That evening, while Sunset was in the main chamber with Elatha and Snow, Echo was in their bedroom, playing the second of Nocturne's tapes. "Update: I recently arrived south, and reached the town in question." Nocturne's voice declared. "Unfortunately, I was unable to search the place, due to certain... issues that I won't go into here. So as you can imagine, I reached something of a stumbling block. But I was able to find evidence of other Tenebros gene carriers in this vicinity. In fact, there is word of a city, not too far from here, where Nightcrawlers are rumoured to reside. Hopefully, I will be able to locate one such subject and coerce it into cooperating. Once that is achieved, I can begin the project. I imagine the mysteries surrounding the Tenebros gene will require extensive tests. Considering the Nightcrawlers' unique biology, I doubt the subject will be too uncomfortable. And even if they are, it would be a small sacrifice to make in the name of progress. One must not be squeamish when making history, after all." "What is this?" Echo frowned. He had never his father speak in such a cold and clinical manner before. Nocturne was always so passionate about his research... at least, the research Echo knew of. But this... this sounded a bit... off. "And I do intend to make history... no matter how long it takes." Nocturne's voice said ominously. "Whether it will take one subject or a hundred, I will unravel the truth behind the Tenebros gene. Make no mistake of that." 'It's like he only considered Nightcrawlers to be laboratory specimens.' He thought. 'Mere raw materials to continue his research with. But that can't be. I knew my father, and he wasn't like this... was he?' "I will update as soon as I find a suitable specimen." Nocturne's voice continued. "Until then, this is Nocturne Ballad Alchemy, signing off." The tape reached it's end, leaving Echo standing quietly in the chamber, lost in his uncomfortable thoughts.