Distant Ties

by Golden Paw

Chapter Three

Applejack slowly turned the pages of the photo album and smiled at the young faces all grinning back at her. The image of Star Oak and Evening Glade both beaming with sharp toothed smiles as they cuddled their new baby sister sent a fresh surge of emotions through her.

It had been many years since any of the foals had been small enough for Applejack to cradle in her hooves and deep down she missed the feeling of being able to carry them like she used to. Yet she was proud of them too, growing up so fast and learning their own place in the world.

She laid back on the sofa and let the soft cushions envelope her but it was no good. The empty space in the home still pulled at Applejack’s heart and though she tried to do everything she could to keep busy the worries kept creeping back.

Star had been gone for less than a day and already Applejack was pining for him. She didn’t let it show of course, keeping a confident smile and a positive outlook, yet the house just wasn’t the same without them all being there.

Looking at the clock on the wall Applejack knew that Star should have reached Misty Heights by now and the underlying sense of foreboding arose again. What would the others make of him? It had been a good while since their last news from Raven’s Rest and though Shadow was confident, Applejack didn’t trust the ominous silence.

The letter inviting Star to his coming of age celebration had been a surprise in and of itself. Nearly a year with no contact and then suddenly this. It had been doubly hard when Shadow had explained it was traditional for the candidate to leave his immediate family out of the event, “Star needs to do this alone, it’s a big concession that they’re letting my parents be present and that’s only because Star grew up outside the colony and doesn’t know what to do.”

That was crazy talk in her opinion. Family ties didn’t end just because yer got older and the idea that she couldn’t be there to support Star was eating her up inside, but Shadow had been definate.

The vast gulf between the traditions of the Apples and the bat ponies of Raven’s Rest had only become more apparent as the foals had grown up and though Shadow had been flexible on many of the expected rites of the negasi this was one of the most important it seemed and had to be done correctly, even if plucked at Applejack’s heart strings.

She looked about their home, with so many happy memories which had ingrained themselves into the very walls. The doorframe where she’d measured her foal’s growth, the worn floorboards where countless games had been played and the kitchen where Applejack had taught them all how to cook.

The hoof carved decorations on the cupboards and the homemade curtains lining the windows, everything about their home was Apple made and they’d done it together. These things would normally have instilled a sense of ‘togetherness’, but now they just reminded Applejack of Star’s absence and how powerless she felt, “Come on A.J, yer mopin n all that ain’t gonna solve anything.”

She’d said the same words to herself when it was time to move out of the old Apple family home and into her own with Shadow, when Big Mac had gotten married to Fluttershy and even when Applebloom had moved to Ponyville to follow her dreams of being a mage-tech engineer along with meeting her own husband. They all had their own families now.

Changes big and small meant she’d had to rearrange her life and see family move just that tiniest fraction apart, even if it was living just down the street. She knew it was silly, but a small part of Applejack just wished that good things could just stay the same.

Of course she was happy for them. Applebloom was so successful that she’d practically become Twilight’s right hoof when it came to making machines. Big Mac was contentedly running his part of the family farm with his foals and helping keep the ‘historical seat’ of the Apple family alive.

Applejack knew herself well enough to know it was the feeling of loss colouring her normally happy musings about things. Give it a few days, time for the absence of Star to soften and she’d be back and better than ever she….

“Ma?” Sky’s hesitant voice drew Applejack’s attention instantly.

Looking up she saw Sky Petal watching her from the foot of the stairs, “Yeah sugar cube?”

“You okay?”

Applejack paused before smiling sadly, “I reckon I am, just can’t help but pine a might bit with Star away.” Sky’s expression told Applejack all she needed to know, “You too huh?”

Sky gave a brave grimace and Applejack patted the seat beside her. Not needing any further encouragement Sky sat down and let Applejack ruffle her mane playfully, “Awww don’t you worry none Sky, yer big brother just takin his first independent steps into the world. He’s in good hooves with yer grandparents.” Applejack wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince more, herself or Sky.

“I heard you n Pa talking…..” Sky finally mumbled and Applejack felt her ears droop.

“Yer did huh? Is that what’s got yer all fussin?” Applejack continued to stroke Sky’s mane gently as she fidgeted.

“Yeah,” Sky replied finally, not meeting Applejack’s eyes. The unspoken words hung in the air and Applejack could almost believe she could just hug Sky and that would make everything okay, but hiding from a problem never solved it, best to talk it through. She was about to say so when Sky threw a curveball ball her way, “Yer sounded right angry with him, n he was with yer too, Yer ain’t….” Sky’s eyes, began to water and Applejack finally understood what was really wrong.

“Yer think Shadow n I have fallen out so bad that we’re goin ter split up?” The thought hadn’t even crossed Applejack’s mind, being so focused on Star. The surprise must have shown on her face because Sky suddenly looked confused, scared and embarrassed all at once.

Applejack simply smiled before kissing Sky on the forehead, “Now yer listen good, Shadow n I ain't goin nowhere. I’ve had worse rows with yer Pa before any of you three young-un’s came along and they didn’t stop us fer long.”

Sky didn’t look convinced and Applejack even managed a chuckle. She pulled the photo album back towards her and opened it to the very first page. There, tucked between the pages was a pressed white flower. It was old and dried with age but the petals still held an etheric quality to them.

“Yer know what I love most about yer Pa?” Applejack asked with a patient voice only for Sky to shake her head.

“He always says what he’s thinkin, don’t reckon he knows how ter keep his mouth shut sometimes. He did it the first day I met him and earned himself a good buckin,” Applejack saw the look of shock on Sky’s face and Applejack grinned, recalling her own failings on that first encounter with Shadow.

“But we made up after it and have been repeatin that same pattern fer years,” Applejack coughed, minus the buckin part of course.” Sky finally gave her a weak smile and Applejack pointed at the flower, “This ain’t the first ‘White Star’ Shadow gave me, that crumbled ter dust years ago. Nor is it the second or the third, he keeps gettin em fer me from Raven’s Rest every time he visits his folks back there n every time he gives me the latest flower it’s with the promise that he loves me.”

Sky’s soft features became a scowl, “But that don’t prove much ma, anypony can get a mare flowers.”

Applejack smiled knowingly, “That they can sugar cube but it ain’t the flower what makes that story special, it’s his word, his promise that he’s renewin every time he gives me a new white star.” Applejack smiled, lost in memories, “As I said before; your Pa ain’t one ter hide his thoughts. When he says he still loves me then I know he’s speakin the honest truth, he don’t know any other way.”

Finally Sky began to believe her words and Applejack hugged Sky again for good measure, “As fer the last row? Well I was just scared fer yer brother Star, there’s some right hinky things some folks in Raven’s Rest believe n Shadow insisted that we send him there without us ter support him. Didn’t seem right ter me but I still let Star go n yer know why?”

Sky gave the tiniest of nods, “Cause Pa said it would be alright?”

Applejack smiled with true joy for the first time in what felt like days, “Eyup, that he did.”

Both ponies, mother and daughter embraced, the simple feeling of support and trust easing their combined fears. Applejack heard the slight snuffles from Sky and felt her own eyes begin to tear up, “Is there anythin else eatin yer Sky?”

“No ma, just wanna keep huggin fer a while longer if that’s okay?”

Applejack nodded and was about to reassure Sky that she could be hugged as long as she wanted when another voice called out, “Don’t suppose there’s room fer me too?” Evening Glade’s deep voice came from the doorway, his strong features showing the conflict within.

“Time ter be strong again,” Applejack whispered to Sky who nodded before they both motioned for Evening to come join them.

Putting her hooves about them both, Applejack felt that odd kind of peace that only comes from a family sharing adversity. It was tough going through these trials, but knowing that they could count on each other and would come out the stronger because of it.

Sky Petal and Evening Glade may not be little foals anymore, both they and Star were young adults now but they still needed her and Applejack needed them. It was love at the most basic level and as she caught hold of that feeling Applejack honestly believed that somehow, everything would be okay.

---

The night’s of Ponyville had changed so much since Shadow had come to live here in what felt like a lifetime ago. The quiet pathways he used to patrol were bustling even at this late hour. Lost in his own thoughts he picked his way through the crowds towards the Central Watch Office.

An actual office, a law station in Ponyville. The very idea would have seemed absurd to Shadow all those years ago but now sporting his sergeant’s insignia on his standard issue ‘Night Watch’ armour Shadow Guard assured himself that it must be true.

He smiled to himself as a pair of watch ponies saluted him as they passed, heading out to their own patrols and Shadow found himself returning it more out of habit than any required regulation. Saluting him, it still felt strange even to this day.

Shadow’s thoughts were elsewhere tonight, back at his home and the tense situation he’d left Applejack in. It was the little things, Shadow was coming to realise made all the difference. It was a lesson he’d been learning his entire life it seemed, the small words that carried so much meaning behind them, the small acts every day that built up to an impressive whole.

Shadow had been a law enforcer for so long now that his own actions were almost mechanical, the practiced way he studied the citizens around him for signs of trouble, the almost magical knack for spotting those who were trying to avoid the attention of the law.

Shadow couldn’t put his hoof on when these skills had matured within him, but with them working he had his mind free to worry about home, both homes. Shadow had grown up in Raven’s Rest, been a young guard in Canterlot during his youth and now a Sergeant in Ponyville. Each step in his life had left it’s impression on him and now Shadow felt his loyalties pulled by commitments to the ties he’d made.

His thoughts inevitably drifted to Star Oak, Ponyville bred and now experiencing the culture of the negasi first hoof. It was a decision that still dragged at Shadow’s heart. He’d reluctantly agreed to Cloudy Knight’s plan, after all Raven’s Rest was part of who Star was and who was Shadow to deny him that cultural heritage?

Shadow found himself closing in on an agitated orange unicorn without even consciously being aware that he was doing so. It was in the way the ‘suspect’ held himself, the tell tale glances and the jittery motions.

Pricking his ears, Shadow could almost hear their jumpy heart rate even through the crowds all about, the beat of a hunted animal playing through the suspect’s body like a drum. It would be impossible to describe the instincts to a non bat pony, it wasn’t a hunger as such but a drive ‘gifted’ to them by history.

The need to hunt, to seek out that which was hidden and expose it. Shadow had come to understand these instincts were the legacy of bat ponies. It made them exceptional enforcers, perfect for a life of nighttime espionage and secret detection. Just the way Nightmare Moon had intended no doubt.

It did however clash heavily with the naturally peaceful nature of a pony and Shadow, now old enough to understand, could see the wisdom in Cloudy’s plan. As Shadow’s foals grew up the strength of that drive, that ‘unnatural trait’ would begin to develop in them and they needed to know how to manage it.

The suspect was still unaware of Shadow’s approach, lost in his own world of thoughts it seemed. The skittish tick about the suspect’s muscles told Shadow the nature of the crime: ‘Blue-Sand’. The multicultural nature of Ponyville brought its own problems along with its pluses.

Mercifully only a tiny percentage of the populus would ever be out to make a quick bit and the sale of forbidden substances was one such path. Distilled from the notorious ‘Poison Joke’ flower, Blue-Sand had some euphoric and hallucinogenic properties but left the user emotionally unstable for days at a time after, dangerously so. This unicorn had all the signs. Shadow felt sorry for him more than anything, most likely a student who’d moved to Ponyville to study at T.C.A.P and had given into the new found ‘freedoms’ offered here.

The parallels to Star’s situation weren’t lost on Shadow, stepping out from the safety of home and family for the first time. The dangers for Star were different of course, but it still wracked Shadow’s nerves to think of him out there.

Star was lucky though, Shadow knew he had Cloudy Knight and Starsight to watch out for him whereas this poor colt looked to be a fresh ‘loner’ who’d fallen prey to very different kinds of predators.

Shadow paused, lurking in one of the few dark spots the street had to offer, he let his innate talents come to the fore. Shadow had always wondered how his old mentor in Canterlot, a bat pony named ‘Night Blade’ had been so adept at stealthcraft. Though Shadow was in no way as skilled as Blade, the most famous of Luna’s scouts, Shadow could now understand somewhat how their breed played a part in that legend.

The way the unicorn was watching his surroundings hinted that he was waiting for somepony, potentially a supplier and Shadow allowed his keen eyes to survey the passers by. If there truly was a dealer then they’d be far less conspicuous than their buyer.

The ‘Nightmare’s Curse’ as historians like to call it affected each pony differently, the strange mixing of a cutie mark’s potential and the changes made to their ancestors would express itself in unpredictable ways. In Shadow this had the positive effect of heightening his intuitions for a situation, a ‘gut’ feeling for knowing when something clandestine was about to happen.

That same sense was tugging his metaphorical sleeve, and as he looked out across the crowds Shadow’s eyes fixed on an armond coloured pegasus. She was trotting nonchalantly among the citizens with an almost carefree air. There was nothing untoward about her except the tingling in Shadow’s stomach.

He waited, not so much blending into the darkness but becoming just another part of the background and with a simple hoof action activated his personal ‘scryer crystal’ worked into his helmet. Now that he had a ‘second witness’ in the recording device Shadow waited, as several minutes past and he watched the pegasus drawing nearer to his suspect before feeling a rush of vindication.

The unicorn’s hopeful expression was almost heartbreaking as he saw the suspected dealer. Shadow sighed before filtering out all the other sounds around until he could clearly make out their furtive conversation as they slunk away and into a nearby alley.

“‘Twister’! I’ve got the bits do you..?”

“Yeah ‘Sunbeam’, but keep it low huh?”

Sunbeam’s heart rate nearly doubled and Shadow could see his horn giving off little sparks in time with an eye twitch. Still more signs that Shadow’s gut had been correct again. Waiting until the expected package was being passed over before Shadow suddenly exploded into action. Before the small parcel of blue/green powder had left Twister’s hoof Shadow had sprung upon him and firmly fastened a ‘null-collar’ around his neck.

Twister’s cry of alarm was cut short as the spells within the collar did their work. Shadow felt a tingle of dark pleasure as Twister’s wings clamped against his sides and as if weighed down by a mountain the collar dragged him to the ground where he fell, ridged as a board.

Still reveling in the thrill of action Shadow quickly turned his attention to Sunbeam who without giving second glance at Twister tried to bolt for the alley’s exit. Shadow let his predatory side carry him forward and tackled Sunbeam before he’d even taken three steps.

“Don’t resist or I’ll be forced to collar you too,” Shadow announced and to his dismay the pony under him began to weep. It was such a pitiful wail that even Shadow’s hunting instincts were swallowed up in sympathy.

There was no fight there, just a sad broken pony and it pained Shadow to see a fellow equestrian reduced to such a state. The way Sunbeam continued to paw the ground, desperately trying to reach the packet of Blue-Sand just out of his grasp almost broke Shadow’s heart. More out of kindness than a need to restrain Sunbeam Shadow still attached a collar to him and almost thought he saw a measure of peaceful oblivion drift across Sunbeam’s features.

His anger returning, Shadow quickly scooped up the offending substance and stored it away as evidence before rounding on Twister again. The darker side of his soul reared up again as he stared down at the subdued Twister, to think that a pony would willingly cause such pain to another kindled a fire in Shadow’s head.

But just as his father had taught him, Shadow reined in the anger and let his breath out in a steady flow. The whole interchange had lasted less than a minute and Shadow took some pride that the citizens of Ponyville continued along the street beyond, completely unknowing of the arrest that just taken place.

The stirring hunter in Shadow’s heart circled once more before, with a mental tug on its chain, Shadow sent it back to its lair. With an almost melancholy air, he quickly prepared a message carrier and jotted down a brief report before tossing the tiny ball into the air.

With a blur it unfurled its dragonfly like wings it sped off towards the nearest Law Station and Shadow internally thanked Applebloom for her work at T.C.A.P. The messenger drones were just one of many helpful tools in the watch pony arsenal now.

With that Shadow’s thoughts turned back to family. Yes he’d been right to agree with Knight’s plan. Shadow knew more than most just how important it was to see what kind of impression his bat pony blood had on Star and his other foals.

Would they have the same need to hunt as he did? Would it show in some completely unexpected manner? It was his personal fear, his responsibility to find out what his foals were and the only way Shadow knew how to do that safely was back at Raven’s Rest.

It was a long, lonely wait for Shadow as he sat there in the alley with only two unconscious ponies for company. In a city full of happy, carefree equestrians, Shadow sat alone, the unforeseen worries of his life filling his head like a dark cloud.

Reaching into his armour Shadow pulled out a beautiful silver ring on a delicate chain that hung about his own neck and stared at it for what felt an eternity. As he studied the emerald centerpiece he thought of his vows to Applejack and how he’d promised to stand by her side through thick and thin.

How could he support her when it was his own blood, his own legacy that potentially threatened their foals? He loved them all so much; Star, Sky, Glade, Applejack and wanted nothing more than to keep them safe and happy. Yet he was almost powerless to help this time, there was nothing he could do but wait and trust in his parents.

The feeling of failing in his role as a father and husband ate at Shadow’s core, wore him down and made him feel useless. He could almost see why a pony would turn to such a thing as Blue-Sand despite knowing all the dangers it held.

For the tiniest of moments Shadow actually entertained the idea of maybe slipping one of his own collars on, just to have a break from the worries and fears that assailed him. But then he looked to the symbol of his love for Applejack and drew strength from it.

Yes they fought, but they always made up again after. Shadow just couldn’t imagine a world without his family now. They were part of him in so many ways and in light of recent events Shadow was all the more convinced they were the better part of him.

Applejack still loved him despite his failings, she’d taken the same vows as he’d taken and was true to them. She’d squared her shoulders when they’d discovered the potential troubles with their foals and Shadow was in awe of her tenacity. He couldn’t just set aside all that they had just because the sky had gotten stormy, they were too important to do otherwise.

Shadow was still staring at the ring when his backup arrived. After offering only the most basic of explanations Shadow quickly tucked the ring safely back under his breastplate. The thoughtful expression was gone from his face and Shadow Guard the city watch pony was back in place again.