The New Life of Shadow Ironsword

by ShadowIronsword

new understanding

I walked beside Amber and my dad as we went back to Val’s house. “Well that was one hell of a night. I gotta say, Valor’s a better drinker than I thought.” My dad motioned to Val, on Amber’s back. She didn’t look too good herself - none of us did, we’d just spent the night drinking after dinner - but she was in the best shape to carry Val, besides dad, who said he wasn’t gonna carry a colt who weighed as much as Val did.

“Yea, I thought he’d give up on round ten, but man he kept going till round fifteen.” I nodded my approval, causing me to stumble a bit. “What’s the matter, Shadow? You’ve been awfully quiet since you tapped out on round seven.”

I stopped and tried to collect my thoughts before speaking in a very slurred manner, “Iiiii jus’ wanned tooo nnnoot get in the waayyyy off yer’ funnn.” I stumbled a bit to the left into Amber.

She gave a chuckle at that. “I guess I know why you don’t talk now, huh? Dang, you’re a lightweight though.” She looked down at me, still leaned up against her. “Listen, buddy, I’m already taken by the stallion on my back. If ya want me, you’re gonna have to take it up with him.”

I looked at amber funnily. She’s really not that bad looking, now that I think about it. No, no, I can’t think like that, she’s Val’s marefriend, and I’ll respect that. ‘Sides I don’t think I’m her type.

“Welp I think ya broke him Amber, I expect to be refunded a single, high-class fighter, son.” He looked down to me. “Come on, son. We’ll head home now. I know you and Val are gonna have one hell of a hangover in the morning.”

“He ain’t that broken, he’s still breathing and standing, so he’s fine! And are you saying you won’t?” She looked at my dad with a sceptical eye.

“Fair enough. And Nope! Found out night after my sixteenth birthday. Buddies took me out drinking and I went longest amongst them.” He smiled smugly, “And when I woke up, didn’t have headache to speak of.”

“Well, I’m definitely gonna be feeling tonight in a few hours.” I looked up at the sky, noticing the moon was well over half way through its path through the sky.

“Ish not thaaat lllaate.” I started to feel really tired. My eyes started to close and I felt my face starting to fall down. Welp, this is gonna hurt...again.

---

I awoke with a groan and a pounding in my head. I pulled my paw up to my head and groaned again. “Ya know, ya really need to stop falling down and getting knocked out when you hang out with Valor.”I put my paws down and pushed my head over the top of the couch I was on. I saw Amber there at my dad’s dinner table sipping on a cup of tea. “Don’t give me that look! I was being serious. Every time you’ve hung out with Valor to my knowledge you’ve collapsed of one thing or another.”

“Well, that isn’t normal. These past times have just been exceptions.” A thought occurred to me. “And, hey, what about the time in the forge?”

A thoughtful look crossed her face, she nodded her head in concession to my point. “Fair enough, but seriously that’s still two out of three times.” She stuck her tongue out at me.

I flopped back down grumbling. I instantly regretted the decision to do so as a stabbing pain rushed into my head. “Ow, ow, ow. Okay, bad idea to flop down with a massive headache.” I heard her chuckle from behind the couch. “Hey, how exactly aren’t you in the same place as me?”

“Because, unlike you, I know when to stop. Preferably before I collapse.” She levitated down her cup of tea. “Here drink some of this. It’s a blend meant to help with hangovers.” I took the cup into my hooves and took a tentative sip.

“Damn this tastes amazing!” I instantly felt my headache start to fade. “And my headache is starting to fade. What exactly is in this blend? I’ll have to remember it for later on down the line.”

I looked around noticing the lack of my dad and Val. “Ah, you must be wondering where they are, right?” I gave a slight nod of my head. “Well, your dad went to the forge early, because he left early yesterday. And Valor’s at home right now, still sleeping off the drinking we did last night. To answer your question though, it's a family secret!” She stuck her tongue at me again. “Anyways, I’m sure you wanna get up and help your dad, right?”

I gave a little gasp and looked at her, “How’d you know that?”

She gave me a look saying ‘really?’ “I’ve been with your best friend for almost three weeks, and from what I’ve seen you’re almost exactly the same. So I made a guess.” I conceded her point with a tiny nod. “Anyways, I won’t let you leave. Not yet, at least.”

“And why’s that?”

“Cause I need to make sure you’re good to go and work in a forge, meaning you’re running at least normally.” She motioned for me to get up, and I complied. “Now, stand still while I give you a once over with my magic. You might feel a tingling sensation, but don’t worry.” She lit up her horn and I felt a tingling sensation start in my hooves and slowly run all through my body ending in my head and wingtips. “You look good to go, not one hundred percent, but good.” I gave my thanks with a nod.

Another thought crossed my mind. “What exactly do you do? I mean I know it probably has to do with healing ponies, but what exactly?”

She paused momentarily before responding, “I help heal and rehabilitate old war veterans at the lodge they stay at.” She started to smile a bit. “They are all so nice and welcoming. It’s all I can do to help them, and it’s not nearly enough. They’ve gave their lives to Equestria, and most ponies don't even think about them or the others that don’t even have a place to stay.”

I gave a solemn nod, “Well, it’s awesome of you to care so much about them. While I’m here in Cloudsdale I’ll have to come by and give you a hand. I’m sure they’ll be happy to know there’s more than one pony out there that cares about them. And I’m sure you’d like a hand.”

“I definitely would appreciate it, and I know they would too.” She gave me a friendly smile. “Valor was right about you.”

“Hmm? What exactly was he right about involving me?”

“He said that you were a bit out there, but that you had a heart of gold, and was far more deserving a good life than anyone else he’s ever known.” I felt my face heat up, and I opened my mouth to protest that their were other ponies out there more deserving. She waggled her hoof and pulled it up to her mouth, then she gave me a light poke in the side. “Now, get going. I’m sure Vanguard is doing fine, but he definitely isn’t as young as he was years ago.”

I felt a slight twinge of guilt that I would so readily turn down a compliment like that. I turned towards the door, but paused and turned my head to see Amber heading back to the kitchen to grab her things. “Hey Amber?”

“Yea, Shadow?”

“...Thanks. Not just for the compliment, but for watching after my dad and Val while I was in Ponyville. You didn’t have to, but you did. I think you’re a far more deserving pony of a good life than I. I hope it works out between you and Val, if for no other reason that I get to see you both happy. And maybe to get to know you a bit better.” She gave a shocked gasp and turned towards me with a sad expression on her face.

“You’re welcome, Shadow. And I hope the same things.” With that I gave a wave of my paw, turned and headed out the door to head to the forge. I barely heard her whisper, “If only you knew what I’ve done, maybe you wouldn’t say that.” I didn’t draw attention to it, since she obviously didn’t for me to hear it.

---

As I entered the forge and came face to face with one of the only ponies outside of my family and Val I could consider a friend, my agent: Script Quill. She was a medium sized pegasus, coming up to about the bottom of my neck in height with a brown coat, orange mane, and red eyes. “Hey Script what’s up that you’d have to come and see me at the forge?”

She nodded her head to me in a professional manner. Okay, so it’s business then. “I’m sorry about the timing, but I couldn’t find you at your father’s or Platinum Valor’s house. In fact it seemed that no one was home at either. Ugh, tell me you didn’t go out drinking with them last night?”

I gave a little chuckle, “Yep, went with them, and Val’s new marefriend, Amber.” I tilted my head to the side. “Though, I don’t know why that’d be a problem, I don’t have a fight scheduled until a month from now, right?”

“Right, but the top twenty duelists in the world are getting together for a conference tomorrow here in Cloudsdale.” She gave a little squeal of excitement, “And they’re going to be lining up the next year’s fights amongst the top duelists in Equus.”

“Um, don’t the duelists normally just send their agents to these kinds of events?”

“Well, normally, yes. But, the officials of the duelist society have stated they would like it if the duelists themselves could show up and participate this year.” I gave a nod. “Also, they want to do a kind of giant everyone for themselves match with the top fifteen in the world.” She looked down to my casted foreleg. “Umm, that might be an issue though. When do you get that off?”

“I get it off tomorrow, actually, according to Amber, who is a trained nurse I found out, told me it should be fine to do some light sparring by tomorrow. So, if I’m gonna do some sparring tomorrow I’ll have to hold off showing my new gear, made by Val himself!”

She tilted her head to the side, giving me a quizzical look. “And that would be?”

I looked to either side of the main lobby to make sure it was empty before slipping up to whisper in her ear, “He calls them wingblades. They’re a sort of gauntlet-like thing that fits over the wing. It has a retractable blade inside that’s made of cold-steel, making it the perfect setup for fighting mages.” This could be good, three of the ponies who hold positions above me are multi-sword wielding mages. I wonder if the blades also disrupt a telekinetic grip on things? “This could easily bring me up a few spots in the rankings, assuming I do the proper training to get used to them.”

She nodded her head and smiled at me. “Good to see you’re thinking ahead and planning for how to climb the ranks, Shadow.” She walked up a put a reassuring hoof on my shoulder. “I know you’ll make one of the best, if not the best, duelist in the world.” She struck a silly pose, “With my help, of course!”

“Naturally. I suppose I should know where this meeting is going to take place?”

She facehoofed, “Duh, that might be kind of important, huh? It’s gonna be at Cloudsdale stadium at two O’clock tomorrow afternoon.”

I nodded, thinking about what I had going on tomorrow, which was a grand total of two things besides the meeting. “I should have my cast removed by then and I should be ready to go for that tomorrow. Do you know if we’re supposed to bring weapons or not?”

“Um, not that I know. It’s supposed to just be a friendly sparring match among Equus’ best duelists.”

“Awesome, count me in, then.” I nodded to her and her hoof slipped off my shoulder and back to the floor. “So, what’s up with you recently?”

When she spoke next it was with a remarkably more friendly tone. “Oh? I’m doing fine, you know trying to make it in life and all that.”

I frowned a bit at that. “Just fine? Come on Script you know you can’t hide much, you’re a terrible liar. Something up with your kid?”

She gave a heavy sigh, “Yeah, she’s been trying to learn to fight, but since I can’t afford a proper trainer, she’s been getting into fights at school, and the school is getting tired of dealing with her and the kids she fights being hurt and just the fighting in general.” I gave a sympathetic nod, it wasn’t easy for kids with poor parents to get proper training, and often fell to petty street fighting in order to get experience.

“You really should have told me sooner.” She looks up at me and tilts her head. “I’d be happy to teach your kid, Script. I’m gonna be in Cloudsdale for a couple weeks anyways, might as well help her get better right?”

She gasped and I saw her eyes well up with tears. “You’d do that? I thought you were busy for the next few months? I mean, I certainly won’t turn it down if you’re willing, but what changed?”

I turned my head away from her. “I’d rather not talk about it right now, but yeah my schedule just opened up for a bit.” I gestured for her to come closer. She stepped closer and I gave her a hug. “Don’t worry. When I’m done with her she won’t be starting anymore fights in school, or on the streets.”