I looked around once outside the forge and spotted a few shady looking ponies down the street eyeing the forge. When they spotted me they took off down the alley. I set my feet and took off after them, careful not to engage the wingblades. Once I was in the alley I saw the last pony duck into a pothole. I growled and set off down the alley, trying to get to catch up before I lost them down there.
I dived down the pothole and landed on top of the three ponies as they were floating down. We all splashed down into the sewer water and I rolled off of them. Flicking out my wings and opening the wingblades I said, “Where is Smokey? I know you know him, or at least of him, so don’t try that bullshit.” They all had blank expressions on their faces. I growled and pulled my lip up into a snarl, crouched down, and raised my hackles. “Where is he?” They all got up and held their hooves in front of them.
The front one, a brown pegasus with a blond mane and blue eyes, said, “We’ll take you to him, just don’t kill us!” I scoffed and lowered my hackles and lip, but continued to growl quietly. They all started to walk down the tunnel and quietly converse. Then, the one furthest to my left nodded and all but the brown one turned and charged me. I brought my wingblades up in time to block three knives held in each of their mouths. The brown one turned with a look of shock. “What are you doing?”
“Taking care of him! Go, warn Smokey!”
The brown one paused for a moment before taking off down the tunnel. I pulled my lip up into another snarl. “So, you think you’re pretty tough shit, eh? We’ll see how good you are!” I pushed my wings out towards them, overpowering them and throwing them on their haunches. One of them scrambled back in time to avoid my turn and kick, but I caught the other two square in the jaw. The last one gave a terrified look then turned and peeled down the tunnel. I took off after him and after about a mile of running he collapsed into the water, panting furiously. I slowed down a bit, trying to catch my breath, since I was lightly panting myself. “What in tartarus did you think you’d accomplish with that? Take me to Smokey, now.”
He, shakily, got up and started walking down the sewer again. After about another mile of walking I saw an entrance of sorts. “This is underground central. This is where Smokey hides.” The pegasus smiled and continued. “And this is where you disappear.” A multitude of pegasi jumped out of the entrance and surrounded me.
“Eh? What is this, fifteen against one? Seems a little unfair for you guys. I’m sure you’ve got more thugs than this, Smokey.” I stared into the entrance and Smokey walked out and stared at me. With icy lime green eyes.
“How did you find out about this place? I’ve been sure to keep it a well kept secret.”
I grimaced and crouched down. “Let’s just say a little birdie told came and told me.” His eyes flashed in recognition. “Yeah, now you’re gonna pay for doing that to a student of mine. This is for all the times you’ve put me and my family through tartarus.”
I turned to face him fully and brandished my new wingblades. “If you don’t swear on your life right now that you’ll leave my family alone, I’ll come up there and cut your damned throat.” I reached down and grabbed my new sword out of its sheath and set into a defensive stance. “Come on, then you thugs. You acted all tough a second ago, where’d the confidence go?” I waved a paw at myself. “Come on then!”
Several charged at once, but their movements were sloppy and slow. I dodged the first one and he went over my head and collided with the one behind me. The one to my left came in, and I was forced to block with my wingblade. I stepped forward and pulled my wingblade towards myself, causing her to stumble forward and leaving her neck open. I chopped the back of her neck with my paw, causing her to fall unconscious. I reset my stance as the rest came at me.
I gave a flap of my wings, causing a massive blast of wing to go out and cause some of them to stumble. I ran forward and delivered two swift blows to the head of two different thugs. Both fell to the ground. The other eleven paused, seemingly afraid to charge again. I heard the flap of a set of wings and turned just in time to duck down and avoid a dagger wielding Smokey that had charged me. He landed behind me, so I turned again. Only to have my left leg knocked out from beneath me. As I fell forward I ducked my head right, narrowly avoiding the dagger in his mouth again. When I landed I tucked and rolled, trying to put as much distance between me and him as possible.
I’ve got the advantage at a longer range, he knows that and is trying to keep it close. Meaning he’s going to charge me again. When I came up from my roll I jumped left and saw him fly past me and land in the water. I turned and saw him get up. I set my defensive stance. My wings brought up into a ready position to perform a counter. He paused before charging again. He started to circle me. As he moved out of my safe area I’d adjust my stance so I’d be facing him. After a few repetitions of this he charged again, then ducked left, just out of my safe zone. I narrowed my eyes and threw my left wing down, nearly cutting him down his side, and creating a giant splash of water. Damn if he hadn’t dodged there I would have had him. I reset my stance again. I breathed in deeply and exhaled loudly. Centering myself I charged forward and threw both my wings out and forward, making it impossible to dodge left or right. Smokey flapped his wings and took off. The blast of air hitting me in the face and causing me to blink and lose sight of him.
Several thugs chose to spring forward at me, while they thought I was distracted. I jumped straight up and rammed head-first into Smokey’s stomach. I grunted and fell back towards the ground with Smokey. With a loud splash we both landed. I rose up first, but my vision was a bit blurry. I heard the sound of a wingbeat behind me and dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding a dagger thrust from an orange pegasus. I turned my body onto my forelegs and kicked out with my hind legs, sending the pegasus into the wall, and sliding down into the water. I heard the splashes of another pony approaching and threw out my right wing, causing a deep gash to open in the pegasus’ chest. He fell to the ground, gasping and clutching at the new wound.
Smokey finally got up and started to move around me again. I dropped down into a ready stance. On my next pivot of my stance I charged forward and swung my neck to the left, causing my sword to cut him across the chest, much shallower than the one on the other pegasus, though. He winced, but kept moving. He dashed to my left and tried to charge in. I threw my left wing out, to try and block the dagger again, but he ducked below it and kicked up a splash of water in my face.
I jumped up and flapped my wings, trying to separate myself from him. When I got up into the air I opened my eyes, and spotted Smokey just as he hit me, causing me to fall into the water with a loud splash again. I shook my head out and rose to my paws shakily.
My eyes went wide when I heard a splash behind me. I jumped left and tried to turn. Unfortunately caught the edge of the blade cut into my left hind leg. The cut stung, and I felt myself flinch, but I pushed through it and stood up again. Smokey’s eyes filled with a cruel sort of mirth. “Aw, what’s the matter, Shadow. Not used to getting cut up?” I pulled my lip up into another snarl and felt my hackles rise. “Aw, look, the mutt’s mad.” I growled and gave a sort of half bark half yell, and I hardened my glare and let all my anger and determination surface in my eyes.
Smokey didn’t look the least bit unnerved, in fact, he laughed. “What in tartarus is so damned funny?” Smokey looked down at me and his own glare hardened and I saw all the hatred he had in his eyes.
“You really don’t know what you did, do you, Shadow?” I started to walk around me again, but it was more relaxed. I kept my guard up. “You don’t know why I hate you so much. I hate you because of what you put my sister through. What you did caused her and my family to fall apart. Do you think you know her name? It was your entry match into the professional league, after all.”
I felt my face soften slightly, but hardened it right away. “Of course I do. Her name was Lucky Breeze. Though I fail to see how anything that happened to her after that was my fault! I beat her fair and square by the rules of the tournament.”
His face hardened into a look of pure rage. “How could you not know? Oh right, you’ve lived with your dad, who’s paid for almost everything for you. You couldn’t possibly know what it costs to live and support another pony on your own. You can’t know what it’s like to deal with starving on the streets. Being forced to beg others for just enough food to keep living, not just for yourself but; for another, as well. You don’t know what it’s like to watch every friend you ever thought you had turn on, and leave, you alone.”
I looked down and felt my face scrunch up. When I spoke next it was with an icy tone. “No, I don’t know what that’s like. You know what I do know about living? Being forced to be an outcast my entire life, just because of how I was born. I’ve had no control over what I am, but I’ve been judged on it my entire life. I’ve been called a mutt, I’ve been called a monster, a beast. If you can think of a derogatory term to call a wolven hybrid I’ve probably been called it. It’s gotten so bad that, in recent years, I haven’t even blinked or winced when a pony called me a mutt. It’s gotten so bad, that when a kind pony offered me just a place to stay I broke down crying, something I never do. And, I know what it’s like to only have two people I could ever depend on fully. Can you say the same, Smokey? I don’t know what happened to your sister, but none of it was my fault.”
He gave a cold, humorless, laugh. “Yes, you have been, Shadow. And no, I guess, I can’t say that I’ve been through what you have. But because of you my sister was forced to enter the underground to earn money enough to support me and herself. On top of that she was forced to work another job, to keep up appearances. Because of that she was too tired to fight properly and died down here among scum and filth. Even when she reached out to you, you refused her. Why, Shadow? Why can’t you just admit that you’re to blame? You killed my sister! And I had to sit there and watch for almost a year, while she slowly died in front of me, with nothing for me to do about it.” Tears started to stream down his face and fell to his haunches..
“When she reached out to me, Smokey, it was as a fellow warrior looking for help with technique. She never asked for money, if she had I would have given it.” He looked up with a look of anger, but not pure rage like it had been.
“You couldn’t see she was struggling!?” He screamed at me.
“I could, but she didn’t say anything, so I didn’t pry. I had respect for her as a warrior. You don’t pry into the lives of those you respect, you wait for them to come to you.” I shook my head, a look of pity on my face. “I’m sorry to hear of her death, but I won’t claim responsibility for it. I will, however, claim yours, if you don’t leave my family alone.” My glare sharpened again, staring him down, daring him to say anything but yes.
He looked down and finally fully collapsed into a heap in the sewer water. I heard the soft clank of the dagger hitting the ground and him sob out. “I can’t promise anything about the other pegasi, but I will stop actively hunting you and your family.” He looked up with a broken expression, then looked around and pulled me in close. “I need a place to hide. I’m going to be hunted now, they’ve seen weakness in me, and they’ll try to take advantage of it, Shadow. I’m not asking to stay with you, but I need a place to hide.”
I felt a fresh tide of rage boil up in me. How can he dare ask me for something like this? He’s done nothing but hunt me from the first time I entered Cloudsdale to now. And he wants me to hide him? I felt a glimmer of another emotion tug at me: pity. None of this is entirely his fault. I could have tried to reach out and talk to him earlier, or his sister. I felt my face soften slightly and I lowered my lip again and growled out. “Fine, follow me. I don’t want any trouble, though.” He solemnly nodded and shakily got up. “I can’t promise Val and my dad won’t try and rough you up a bit, but you’ll live through anything they put you through. And I won’t try to stop them.” I started to sheath the short sword and noticed the movement of the other thugs in the small tunnel.
“Sorry we can’t just let you leave, kid.” A medium sized pegasus came up and stood in front of me. I leaned down and bared my teeth at him. He didn’t even flinch. I flattened my brow and brought my wings to his throat, making them cross slightly.
“My tension for bullshit has been thoroughly shattered tonight, I suggest you step aside, thug.” He gulped and nodded before moving away. Suddenly my path was once again blocked. This time by a somber looking Butch. My face hardened into a glare. “Butch, was it?”
“Yes, that’s my name.”
“Are you gonna get in my way, Butch?”
He shook his head and backed out of the way while saying, “No, I just wanted to thank you. I’m going to go with you, if that’s alright.” He leaned a bit. I reclined slightly before leaning in myself, and swiveling an ear around. “In truth, I’m probably the only one here who really cared about Smokey.” I nodded and kept walking. “The nearest exit is to the left out of here.”
I blinked and nodded again. Once we were out of the tunnel with all the thugs I heard an outbreak of shouting, cursing, and fighting. “Looks like shit just goes back to normal again. From what I understand we’re about two miles from the forge.” Butch nodded, but remained silent. Odd pegasus. I shook my head and kept walking.
As we walked into the forge I large amount of movement and saw Rec dash through the lobby and nearly bust the back door off it’s hinges. I winced and tried to call out to her, but it was too late.
Not a second later Val and dad came rushing through the door and charged right up to Butch, Smokey, and me. Val gave the harshest glare I’ve ever seen. I shivered, it just seemed unnatural on his face. “What the hell is he doing here, Shadow?”
“He needs some temporary protection for a while.” I put simply. Both dad and Val’s jaws dropped a look of absolute horror and shock on their faces. “You can take the last training rooms at the end of the hallway here.” I pointed sharply and both of them set down the hallway, silently.
I started to sit down before Val rushed forward and grabbed me by my shoulders and shook heavily. “What the hell are you thinking, Shadow? Those two are the ones who have been the main source of hell for all of us, and you bring them here?”
I sighed and fell to my haunches and winced. “Look, Val. I know you may not understand my reasons for doing what I’ve done, but I’m not going to try and explain them right now, okay?”
He started to open his mouth to protest and dad stepped forward to cut him off. “Valor, I understand you’re concerned, we all are. But, Shadow’s obviously hurt, and we need to take care of that first. Then maybe we can get him to explain why he’s brought Smokey here.”
He grimaced, but nodded and walked back to the door to the forge area. He waved a hoof over his shoulder and said, “I’m not responsible for anything that bastard does.” The door slammed shut and we were left in complete silence.
“Well, today’s been one hellhole. I think we should go home early. Get that cut looked at.” Dad started to walk out, but noticed I hadn’t responded. I was staring at the ground. “You alright, Shadow?”
“No, I’m not, dad. I just considered killing somebody because they were different from me. Doesn’t that make me the world's biggest hypocrite? I mean, while his methods were beyond extreme, but I think we wanted similar things. I just want everyone to understand I’m more than just a wolven-pony hybrid. I’m Shadow Ironsword, the son of a great pegasus, and a great wolven, and a great duelist on my own right. I’m more than my appearance. And I think he just wanted me to understand his pain. What he went through when he watched his sister slowly fade away.” I shook my head and tried to clear my head. “I’m thinking too much.”
I felt his hoof slap onto my shoulder and I looked up into the burning eyes of my father. “Don’t. Ever. compare yourself to that scum. He did things that made other ponies lives hell. You did what you should have. You reached out and sought help. He lashed out and sought to destroy.” He scrunched up his eyes and shook his head. “Don’t do yourself that injustice by comparing yourself to him. I didn’t hear his explanation, but it can’t be good enough to justify what he’s done all these years.”
I stared down at the floor and scrunched up my own eyes. “I never said that he was justified, but I can’t help but compare us. In some ways we’re very similar. I could have gone down a very similar path, at any point, as him, if it weren’t for my luck and loving family.” I looked up and wrapped him in an embrace. I felt tears start to sting at the corners of my eyes. “I don’t know what to feel besides grateful to you and Val for how long you’ve been there for me. And guilt that I just thought to take a pony's life.” I shook my head and tried to shift my features to a happy expression. “Anyways, you’re right, we probably should go home.” It didn’t fool him.
“Shadow, I’m not convinced that you’re just gonna keep going on. You might want to just see about seeing a doc, if this is really how you feel.” He looked down at the ground, his face shrouded in shame. “I really don’t want to suggest such a thing, but I don’t know what else to say. Just know that I love you.”
“I don’t blame you for saying that, dad. If our positions were reversed I might say the same thing. Though I can’t say for sure. I guess I’ll never know.” I shrugged and started walking towards the doors. “I guess I’ll just head home now. You can stay here if you want, I can head home on my own. I know there’s more work to be done, since it’s still early in the day.”
He looked up and started to reach out, but stopped. “Alright, if that’s what you want, Shadow.” He turned and walked to the forge door. It closed quietly and I was left alone again.
I felt a hoof softly tap my shoulder and I looked up into the concerned eyes of Rec. “Yes, Rec, I’m fine, or at least I will be. Let me know if Smokey or Butch causes any problems, okay?” She nodded uncertainly and started making her way back over to her desk, a look of concern still clear on her face.
I breathed deeply and started to head out of the front doors, when Amber came barrelling in from out on the street. She steamrolled right over me, causing me to roll, and try to recover from the sudden tumble. “Sorry, Shadow! I lost track of time, I’m ready to go to Canterlo-” She blinked and looked at the steady line of blood that was seeping from the cut in my hind leg. “What the hell happened to you?”
I looked down and tried to avoid eye contact. “I confronted Smokey.”
She gave a look of shock and...indignance? “Why does nopony tell me when stuff is happening? I mean when Smokey came back and attacked your dad all I get is a ‘come on, no time to explain. Vanguard needs your help’ from Valor, and now-”
I cut her off with a wave of my paw, and knitted my brow. “Look, Amber, I’m sorry that no one came to tell you. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, ya know?”
“No, I don’t know, Shadow!” She huffed, but dropped to her haunches. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s looked at that yet, have they?” I shook my head and she huffed again. “Figures, no one else around here knows anything about first aid.” She walked around my side and looked down to my flank and grimaced. “We might need more than just a few bandages for this, it looks pretty deep. I won’t know for sure until I get a good look at it, though. Come on, we’ll head back to my place, I have more supplies there.”
She started to get up and walk to the main doors. “Amber, I don’t know if I’m going to Canterlot tonight. I don’t think I want to face Page, knowing I had just had the intention of killing somebody.” I looked down and let my vision cloud with tears. Closing my eyes I started to cry, letting the tears roll down my face.
I felt a hoof push my chin up and opened my eyes to see Amber’s kind face. “Look, Shadow, I get it. You don’t want to do that, but do you want to talk about it? It might help you come to terms with it.”
I tilted my head, then tried to avoid eye contact, and said, “Come to terms with what? It’s not like I killed anyone.” The bitterness in my tone surprised me. What am I so bitter about?
She nodded her side to side. “True, but acts of violence aren’t really a normal thing for anyone. Especially for ponies. As I told you I was involved in checking if a soldier was ready for battle, that includes certain mental aspect as well. I’m just saying, Shadow, if you need to talk I’m here. I’m not forcing you to talk.”
I sighed and turned away from her. “Dad said something to you about my mental state didn’t he?”
“No, should he?”
“I don’t think so, but I don’t know anymore. Especially after this, I’m not sure I’m stable.”
“Trust me, Shadow, you’re stable. From what I’ve seen you’re just prone to a few fits of anger, which is normal, but sometimes it goes a bit extreme for you.” She smiled kindly, sat down beside me and put her foreleg over my withers. “Come on, let’s get to my place and we can talk about this some more and get that wound looked at.” I nodded solemnly and started to move towards the doors. Some movement in the corner of my vision caught my attention. I turned my head and spotted Blade poking her head out of the Training room closest to me on the left. I waved and motioned my head for her to duck back inside.
She smiled hesitantly and nodded before ducking in. I started to turn towards the door again, but I heard the door open fully and the hurriedly clopping of hooves coming towards me. “Thank you, Shadow.” She stood back, turned and ran back to the door.
I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. “See? I don’t think you’d have a filly doing that for you if you were as unstable as you think.”
I looked down again and said, “I don’t know, Amber. I don’t think normal ponies go off with the intent to kill another at random.” I got a prompt smack upside the head. “Ow! What in tartarus was that for?”
“For saying it was at random. You, Valor, and Vanguard had been threatened for years. Then you add a few more to your close-knit family and they’re all threatened. I don’t think I could have done nothing in your situtation. In fact, I might have chosen the same course of action, if I were in your position.”
I blinked and looked back up at her. “Really? Are you just saying that because it’s already done. If I hadn’t already done it I wouldn’t believe I’ve done it, even if someone already had.”
She nodded her head, a serious, but warm, expression on her face. “Yeah, Shadow. Now come on, we should really get that wound looked at.” I grimaced but followed and limped with every step. Why did it suddenly start hurting so much? Just a few minutes ago I thought I was fine.”
I started to limp more and more heavily as we went along the street to Amber’s and Val’s house. Ow, ow, ow. “Dammit all to tartarus, why does this hurt so much? I was fine on the walk back to the forge!”
She turned back to me and smirked. “That’d be because the adrenaline is wearing off. You’ve had to know about this before, right?” I shook my head.
“I’ve never really been in a life or death situation before. I mean each duel has it’s own risk, but it’s rare that someone dies in one, but I guess it does happen. I mean I’ll normally crash after a match, but I always just thought that was because of the physical tax on my body.”
“Well, you’re partially right. But the whole crashing thing is mostly due to the lack of adrenaline, and therefore energy flowing through your body. Though, you didn’t experience that after the most recent match, did you?”
I blinked and thought back. No, I don’t think I even felt a bit tired, or hyper, after I got out. I just felt normal, like I never went in. “No, I don’t think I did. What’s that about?”
She looked down and cupped her chin in a hoof. “I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it a bit later. Right now, we’ve really got to take a look at that leg. If it really is as bad as you’re saying, it may be worse than I thought.” I grimaced, but kept walking along. When we finally reached the house I felt like it would have been better to just cut the leg off than to try and keep walking on it. We finally got inside and Amber cleared the table. “Okay, get up on the table and lie on your right side, so I can get a good look at it.”
“Still just appreciating the view, huh?” I chuckled and ducked another swipe at my head.
She had a slight redness in her ears, but didn’t say anything. She shook her head and puffed her cheeks out. “Alright, this might sting, but I’ve got to clean it first.” She grabbed a white cloth and dabbed it into a white bottle that read ‘Rubbing alcohol’. Oh funnnn. I braced myself for the sting, but before she set the cloth she lit her horn and surrounded the area around my wound in her magic. I felt the area go slightly numb and I relaxed a bit. Then she pressed the rag down and into the wound. I winced and instinctively pulled away from the source of pain. “Come on, Shadow, don’t be such a foal. The sooner I get this cleaned out, the sooner I can get a proper look at it.”
“Easier said than done, Amber.” I growled out as she continued to dip the rag into my wound. “Dammit to tartarus, how much cleaning to you need to do? That hurts!”
She gave me a deadpan look. “You were in sewer water, from what I collect, yes?”
“Yeah, but how would you know that? I never told you where I confronted Smokey.” I stared on in confusion while she continued to give me a deadpan look.
She huffed and tapped her nose with a hoof. “You smell like crap, Shadow. I want to make sure it’s all clean in there before I try and wrap it all up.” She pulled the rag out and lit her horn with a lighting spell of some kind. Looking into my cut a ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “So good news is it looks like just a really deep cut. Didn’t peirce any arteries or anything major. So you should be good to sit around here for a few days, since I don’t want you up on that leg, in case it gets worse.” I groaned and tried to roll over onto my haunches, but a glow of magic stopped me. “What did I just say? Let me move you around.” She stuck her tongue out and lifted me up in her magic over to the couch. “There, anything you need, before I head out?”
Wait, you’re going to lock me up here and then just leave me alone?”
She smiled brightly. “Yup! And if you move I will know, since I’ve got a movement detection spell on that couch now.” She directed a light glare my way before heading back out the door, leaving me alone.
I groaned and rolled over onto my back, and tried to fall asleep. Celestia, this is going to be a long few days. I noticed an ink well and a piece of paper on the other end of the couch. She did this on purpose, didn’t she? I turned over onto my stomach, careful to avoid rubbing my wound. I breathed in and sighed. “Okay, what do I say? What do I need to write?” I need to reconcile with Twilight, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I shook my head. “If I keep saying that, and accepting it as an excuse, I’ll never do it.” I set my face into a determined look and put the quill to the paper. “Dear, Twilight,...”