Shine Of The Silver Sun

by Nameless Narrator

Mistakes: Freedom

Appearing in complete darkness, Astray had no idea where he was, when he was, or, temporarily, who he was. As the satyr gradually regained knowledge of himself and his own body, he realized two new things - it was cold, and he absolutely despised teleportation. Possibly it was due to the spell being experimental, or that his stomach wasn't used to it, but he had to sit down in the sea of cold ink to gather himself.

After a minute of controlled heavy breathing, his eyes got used to the lack of light, spotting faint shimmer in the distance. Thankfully, he still had his backpack and all his, and some Connie's, belongings. A quick blind fumbling inside later, he pulled out the double-ended flashlight and on the second attempt turned the correct function on. It didn't let out a beam of light, rather illuminating the area like an uncovered lightbulb. Astray once again had to admire the gadget's reach when it revealed that he was standing in a domed cavern filled with some sort of carts, steel tracks, and other mess. Over a dozen tunnel mouths dotted the cavern's circumference, and Astray finally recovered from his magical trip enough to realize the shimmer was a dim ray of light coming from the one across the cave from him.

The spell was supposed to bring him close to Contradiction. Maybe she was there?

"Miss Contradiction!" he called out, his voice echoing through the complex of tunnels, "MISS CONTRADICTION!"

No answer, at least at first.

*Clip. Clop.*

Slow hoofsteps of a pony descending down stone stairs reached Astray's ears, making him rush over to the lit tunnel. Somepony was coming and they might know where he landed. After all, this could be some complex of storage cellars or something. As he was halfway through the clearly pony-made cavern, a pony walked into the glow cast by his flashlight.

A big pony.

She was clearly a brown-coated earthpony mare with her greyish-blond mane hanging limply around her head. Astray couldn't see a cutie mark, but perhaps it was something that blended well with her coat, or-

She also had the butt of a zebra queen, he couldn't help noticing as his eyes slid over her form all the way to...

...the thin, steely, scorpion-like tail whipping the air behind her.

Horrible premonition assaulted Astray recalling sir Cromach's description of the undead mare called Black Shield. Reaching for the sword on his belt, he nonetheless asked:

"You there, have you seen a white-maned, black unicorn mare around?"

The mare stopped, looking straight at Astray.

"The last time I saw that pony was on the train to Canterlot," Shield answered calmly, "You are one of the three who she was working with. A... satyr, am I right?"

Astray's breathing sped up as his fingers grasped the handle of his weapon. He didn't pull it out yet, though.

"You are the flesh golem, Black Shield."

"Guilty as charged," Shield gave him a smile he could only describe as strangely sad.

Astray didn't know what to do or say. His enemy was standing right in front of him, and he just stared, paralyzed. His mind raced a mile a minute, his training saving him and making him recall every detail he could about the pegasus flesh golem from the sewers. Shield didn't have that many enhancements, was about the same size, but moved with catlike grace instead of limping stomp like the other one. On top of that, Astray just didn't have it in him to attack somepony, even somepony like Shield, without being attacked first.

"You used to be a Royal Guard, I was told. Why did you do all you did? The rings, the hospital, Connie."

Shield raised a hoof, examining it from all sides.

"What does it matter now anyway? You are here, you know about me, and that means I'll have to get rid of you eventually."

Astray gritted his teeth, still refraining from pulling his weapon out.

"Because I was also told the Royal Guard are the best, the most loyal, and the most dedicated ponies who serve the public. You were like that."

Shield chuckled.

"It's just a job like any other. What is your name, by the way? You know a lot about me, but it's rude not to introduce yourself to a lady."

"Astray."

"Well, Astray, I don't really have a say in the matter of what I do or don't do anymore. As much as I like some 'upgrades' my master made to me after killing me and raising me from the dead, I miss just being able to go out for a drink with friends. That, and all that free will thing."

"Are you being controlled by magic?"

Astray inched himself towards Shield, curiosity now winning over dread.

"Yes," nodding, Shield slowly mirrored the approach.

When he was close enough to touch her, Astray let go of his sheathed sword and did something his entire being was screaming at him for being stupid.

He scratched Shield behind the ear.

She was cold. Not like something frozen, only something that wasn't generating heat anymore. Astray had never felt anything similar before. Living beings were soft and warm, and Shield was by all means alive, but cold like a statue, as if something was missing from a real pony. The alien sensation left him creeped out, but he couldn't simply let go when he saw the mare was easing into his touch, eyes closed and clearly enjoying the contact.

"To be honest, I expected you to attack me by surprise when I'm this close," he commented.

"Wouldn't be much of a surprise when you were expecting it, would it?" Shield allowed herself a quiet laugh. From her observation of the satyr during her time following Contradiction, she knew his capabilities enough to be sure she was completely in control of the situation. Flicking her ear, she nudged his hand away, "Aaaah, real warmth. I missed that."

"You're welcome," Astray retracted his hand, "You know... I really wasn't expecting you to be like this."

"Like what?" Shield raised an eyebrow.

"Not after my throat."

She sighed.

"I don't know how you got here, but I'm under no order to harm you. However, that will certainly change when my master arrives."

"So, how about I get out of here?" asked Astray without much hope.

"If you think I can let you leave then you haven't been listening," Shield shook her head, "If you want to fight, we can start right now. Otherwise... you can be the first pony other than my master I'm speaking to in weeks."

Astray knew it would be better to fight now, before Shield's master appeared and made the situation a two on one.

Yet, still he couldn't. Shield needed someone, he could clearly see it in her. She was enslaved and locked in a misery nopony should ever live through, and if a warm word was the best Astray could do for her then he would. So, he asked:

"How is it being undead?"

"A feeling to die for," Shield gave him a smug look when he facepalmed. However, Astray's following grin was genuine.

"Is there a way I can help you? I mean, it's my job in a way or something. Maybe, I'm not really sure."

"Help... me?" Shield took a deep breath and then sighed, "Me being here is your death sentence and you want to help me?"

"Why are you keeping me here anyway? I don't even know where this place is. A wizard called Arcane Hex just teleported me here to look for Contradiction."

Shaking her head, Shield's smile grew bitter.

"Then I can honestly say I am really sorry that you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sadly, now you know about me, and the only way out is where I came from. And where I came from is secret. A secret my master can't allow you to know."

Astray's memory worked overtime. The last flesh golem had been basically immune to any crushing damage he could cause, the undead flesh made sure of it. Even Anvil's mace had been mostly an instrument to shove him away instead of a weapon. Astray's pistol could pierce the hard skin, but he was doubtful Shield needed working organs in the same way a pony did. His sword was the best bet. A slashing weapon could possibly cut off a limb and then he could run.

Killing Shield didn't even cross his mind anymore.

"I'll ask one more time. This place is a maze of tunnels, at least from what I see from here. How about you let me go a different way? Maybe I'll get lucky."

Shield opened and closed her mouth. She took several steps away as if leaving, then froze and turned back to face him. Ears floppy, she shook her head.

"It won't let me."

"Then I guess this is it," Astray took his backpack off and unsheathed his sword.

"Wait!" Shield raised her hoof, "You wanted to do something for me, right?"

"I was kind of hoping I might free you or... you know."

"I have only one path to freedom, and you aren't strong enough to grant me that. But," she walked close to Astray, sat down on her haunches, and stretched her forelegs towards him, "I'd like to feel the touch of somepony other than the damn unicorn controlling me."

Just like before, this was the best time for Astray to strike, and he didn't take the chance. Instead, he kneeled down and hugged the desperate mare, twitching slightly as her tail wrapped around his waist.

"I guess your master doesn't give you hugs as much as he should," Astray muttered in her ear.

"He made changes to my body, he made my plot look like a zebra whorse's, he plows me daily and his magic forces me to feel ecstatic about it," Shield sniffled, "And the worst part is that I like it. It's the last thing I have left. Everything else I feel, touch, smell... everything is just a shadow of what the world used to be. There's just forced mind-breaking pleasure, or the hollow cold of death."

"Maybe, if I get out of here, I can find a wizard who could break the spell."

"No, but thank you for the sentiment. You'll never know how much it means to me. There's a core inside me, a crystal my master periodically recharges. I cannot show you where because this body won't allow me to show you any weakness. Even saying this is difficult. I have to keep tricking the spell with each thought that I'm saying this only because I'm desperate. At least that part isn't too hard," Shield rubbed her muzzle against Astray's neck, "The core is tuned only to his power. If I leave him somehow, the energy will run out, this body will fail, and I will finally die. If it is destroyed, it's the same thing. I wish I had more options, but all the magic books I read since I died state the same."

"Alright," Astray tightened his hug, making Shield blink in surprise, "Then we can stay like this for as long as you need."

Shield had no idea what she'd done to deserve a blessing like this. She knew it would only be temporary, and eventually she'd end covered in the satyr's blood. However, as his heat penetrated the cold flesh of her body, she felt happier than ever before, relieved, and deep down maybe even hopeful. Maybe the trainings she'd secretly observed in Manehattan while trailing Contradiction had been misleading. Maybe Astray was strong enough to end her misery, but...

...but she was somehow sure that was just blind hope. She needed to give him a chance, any chance.

"If I were alive and still had this hot piece of ass, I'd show a kind-hearted guy like you an evening you would never forget. But," she pushed suddenly blushing Astray away, "there is no way you can get out after my master arrives. If you ever want to see daylight again, or at least not end up a slave like me, you have to go all out and kill me now."

Standing up, she walked a little way off, then took a deep breath, and whipped her tail. Astray, understanding Shield was giving him the only chance he would get, suited up, stomped a little to get used to the weight of the armor without the backpack, then flourished his sword in one hand and the flashlight in the other.

After all, quicksilver bullets loaded in the pistol should work against magical enchantments, but Shield needed to see and, as Cromach had said, a well-aimed beam of blinding laser should be more useful.

"Alright," Shield stomped the ground, "Don't go easy on me. Understood? No matter what. Once we start, I won't be able to stop."

"I under-"

*Clip. Clop. Clip. Clop. Clip-*

Astray's heart skipped a beat. From the same cellar that had let Shield in came a second figure wearing a brown robe with a hood. The only thing Astray could identify was that it was a stallion size-wise, and a unicorn thanks to the horn poking through the hood.

A voice he'd never heard before said:

"So this was the magical disturbance," Astray didn't see anything through the darkness of the hood, but the bored tone of the unicorn hurt enough, "Get rid of him."

The only warning Astray got was Shield's twitch as she stopped herself for a second before charging straight at him.

He should have fought her earlier. He should have attacked Shield after she's said he wouldn't be let go. But... had he done that he wouldn't be himself. He couldn't leave a hurting soul without what little help he could offer.

And now he would pay for it.

Still, the unicorn didn't seem intent on joining the fight just yet, so Shield was the only enemy for now.

Astray's training with Antares paid off instantly when he sidestepped before Shield would slam into him, kicked the knee of her foreleg, causing her to trip, and stabbed her in the barrel. The creaking of steel against ribs made him a little sick, and...

...he got his breath knocked out of him as Shield's tail whipped his side.

Quickly jumping back up from the floor, he realized his sword was on the cavern floor a little way away and that Shield was closing in, raising on her hind legs to punch his head off. Blindly drawing his gun, he shot in Shield's direction.

A groan told him that the projectile had worked. To what degree, he wasn't going to check, instead opting for a quick lunge towards his sword. As he grabbed it, Shield's tail wrapped around his fetlock and heaved, making him slide across the floor before letting go. Rolling, Astray didn't let go of his weapon this time, and, on his back, kicked Shield away with both his legs as soon as she pounced at him to crush his ribcage.

Pain shot throughout his leg and he realized how heavy and hard Shield actually was. A kick which would sent a normal pony flying only made her stumble, and Astray had to roll away to avoid Shield's tail impaling his skull. He hit something like a steel bar which stopped his roll - Shield's leg. She was now standing directly above him, tail still stuck inside the floor.

As she raised her hoof to stomp him into paste, the steel stick of the flashlight digging into Astray's swordless palm made itself remembered. In the fraction of his possibly last second, he flicked the correct switch and aimed it Shield in the face. She didn't make a sound, but shook her head and stumbled, her hoof only grazing his head.

Quietly thanking his guardian star because even a normal step coupled with Shield's size would likely turn his face into a pancake, Astray pressed his hooves against Shield again, this time grabbing her foreleg with one arm, and pushed. Shield keeled over, ending on her back, and Astray grasped his sword again. The satyr's strength and endurance training, but most of all the knowledge of grabs and balance he'd learned from Antares were keeping him alive.

Standing above Shield wiping her eyes, he didn't hesitate and stabbed right where a pony heart would be. Shield's tail wrapped around his hand, pulled him down, and...

...flashing lights danced in front of his eyes.

"Grrngh!" he stumbled backwards, wiping fresh blood streaming from his nose and mouth away. His vision was swimming after Shield's punch, and his stomach revolved, but he was still standing after what felt like eating a cannonball.

Unfortunately, Shield was standing up as well, blinking, shaking her head, but looking straight at him. Either whatever magic kept her body working was able to regenerate her eyesight, or Cromach had been overselling the flashlight's power. Seeing the lack of damage his stab had caused, Astray leaned towards the first option, though. His pistol had worked well, shocking Shield and slowing her dowm temporarily, but he didn't have the time to grab a new bullet from the pouch on his belt and reload.

"Alright, Shield," the unicorn called out, "Enough playing around, I have research to return to."

Like a blur, Shield moved much faster than before, appearing in front of Astray, punching his stomach, turning her back to him, and bucking up with her hind legs. Astray flew a considerable distance before hitting the floor in burning agony accompanying his every breath.

So... this was Shield when she wasn't able to slow herself down anymore.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw bright yellow and red light. Even in pain and on his back, he had enough presence of mind to first look at Shield who stood still before following the light. The unicorn's horn was glowing with flames, and a head-sized ball of molten magma hung in the air in front of him, growing steadily.

Astray tried to sit up but keeled over as his clearly cracked ribs felt like somepony stabbing him with a spear. Then he realized Shield wasn't attacking him anymore because the spell was about to go off, and if there was something that worked against the undead, it was fire. He was going to die in several seconds.

However, the bitter, devastated expression on Shield's face told him all he needed to rest well. Even for a moment, he'd brought solace to somepony in need. This was only a small price to pay. He just wished Bubbles wouldn't have to pay a part of it when she found out.

***

Bubbles rushed through the dark tunnel. She didn't need light, she didn't need a map. She didn't hear miss Connie and Anvil calling for her. In fact, she wasn't feeling much other than the faint tug of something inside her which was leading her through the web of corridors.

It wasn't far.

Soon, she heard groans, stomps, scratching of steel on stone, and dull thuds. Flickering light was coming from just behind the curve of the tunnel. Orange light of a lava lamp mixed with the glow of a flashlight. Bubbles jumped at such speed that she needed to bury the claws of one foreleg into the stone floor in order not to slam into the tunnel wall and correct her course out of the mine shaft.

Three pairs of eyes turned to her as they heard her growl.

Astray was on the ground, clutching his chest and bleeding all over his face. A short distance away from him stood a titanic earthpony with scorpion tail watching Bubbles with narrowing eyes. Bubbles' instinct, the tingling in her whole body, made her bare her teeth at the earthpony who had to be Black Shield. However, she knew that was just her basic need, the need to protect who belonged to her. Her succubus part wanted her source of fun and food to survive. Her predator part needed its toy. Her pony heritage and growth wanted to shove herself in the way of the blow aimed at the nicest being she'd met in her life.

However, her rage at herself for being an unthinking animal took over for once, and the discipline of combat training won. The unicorn wizard was the problem. He was charging some spell. The spell was deadly.

Knowing only those three things, she bolted like a feral, but with mind like cold steel, beast, zig-zagging towards the mage. The glowing ball hovering above the unicorn's head moved a little towards her arcing to the caster in a second. She made it three quarters of the way before...

...everything went red, hot, and loud.

Anvil, dragging Contradiction moving her legs half in the air by the borrowed shirt jumped out of the tunnel right before the ball of fire exploded into sparks after hitting Bubbles square in the muzzle and the almost liquid flames sent out a wave of heat she felt all this way away.

"BUBBLY!" screamed Anvil.

"Bubbles!" groaned Astray.

Connie, let go by Anvil, just collapsed on the floor, pleasantly cold in comparison to the raging inferno in front of the enemy unicorn shielding his eyes.

Secret Seeker pointed his foreleg at Astray. Shield pounced, tail about to impale the satyr's neck to the ground. A glowing tentacle grew from the ground, wrapped around Shield mid-jump, and slammed her in a long, round arc into the stone floor which cracked.

"Feeling better, I take it," Anvil grinned at Connie, freeing her warmace from the harness on her back with a short tug.

"I have some unfinished business with her, but I think the unicorn is the real problem," Connie, trembling once again after the telekinetic feat.

"GRRRRRRWRRRRR!"

The growl made everyone on both sides freeze. It had the deep harmonics of terror the original pony of ages long gone heard inside a deep, unexplored cave. They all realized the cavern had gone cold after the unicorn's first spell, only hearing the creaking of rock cooling down from its melting point. In the middle of the steaming crater stood a figure - smoking, but only with tips of her hair and mane singed, Bubbles.

"Heh, fireballs against a demon," Connie chuckled.

Her amusement faded when Seeker recovered instantly, a wall of ice shards materializing in front of him. Shattering into a hail of icicles guided by Seeker's foreleg, the spell acquired its target and followed Bubbles jumping from side to side to dodge and get to Seeker backing away.

"Let's do this!" Anvil took a step towards Bubbles chasing the wizard down, but Connie stopped her.

"Go help Astray, the unicorn can't just teleport away from me. That, and I'm positive he has both rings on him. It'll take damage I can deal to stop him, not your oversized flyswatter."

Anvil wanted to remind Contradiction about current leadership, but stopped herself. This wasn't the time, and...

...after watching crushed Astray try to get up over and over and fail, she was seeing red.

She wanted to roar so loud the entire underground would hear, that the whole mount Canterlot would shake, but she also knew that last time she'd done that it caused sir Cromach to nearly die. Instinct was not something to obey yet. She didn't have enough experience for her instinct to be right.

"Touch him again, and I'll rip you in half with my bare hands," Anvil rushed off.

Connie heard it, though.

"That guy got both of them?" she shook her head, "Unbelievable."

Anvil's mace missed as Shield dodged to the side, sending sparks and pieces of rock everywhere.

"I'm sorry," she heard Astray call out, followed by a gunshot.

Shield froze, her view of the world momentarily distorting with the quicksilver bullet disrupting the magic keeping her alive. Before Anvil could ready her mace again, she'd already recovered, punching the minotaur in her stomach. It wasn't as devastating as with Astray due to Anvil's heavier armor and physique, but it gave her enough time to rush past the minotaur, extend her tail, and spear Astray's gun holding hand.

"DON'T WARN HER, IDIOT!" Anvil huffed, "Don't be a wuss when it finally counts!"

"NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Astray clutched his forearm, looking around for something to stop the bleeding, "She's not-"

He was interrupted by a scream from Black Shield herself.

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP AND FINALLY STOP ME!"

"Now you're speaking my language," Anvil aimed her pistol and pulled the trigger.

The short second of Shield's paralysis worked this time as Anvil closed the distance and swung her mace. Shield dodged again, making Anvil demolish the floor one more time. This time, though, the minotaur let the mace go, sidestepping a vertically swinging tail, pulling out the sword on her belt, and chopping quickly ducking Shield's ear off. Using the bastard sword with only one hand, her second hand was ready and punched Shield away from her.

Seeker's foreleg drew a symbol in the air, and Bubbles slowed down to a quarter of her speed. Bubbles knew the spell from the training, but she still had no idea what to do against it. This one was vastly less powerful, though, so she tried to push through, feeling it weaken with every movement of her muscles.

Shards of ice formed above Seeker, aiming at her, before...

...not moving an inch.

Connie watched the mage wave his foreleg and his horn glow ineffectively with sadistic amusement.

"Not working as intended? Don't worry, I've been with guys with the same problem."

Her telekinetic grip on the projectiles slipped as they melted. Despite what Connie had told Anvil, she wasn't sure she could hold a living target effectively. Her best bet was to occupy the unicorn until Bubbles recovered from the slowing spell.

When Secret Seeker summoned a tornado of small, sharp rocks, each shooting out at Connie, she quickly realized even slowing the enemy down was much easier said than done. She wasn't in any shape to dodge, so she had to telekinetically deflect each rock Seeker threw, turning the fight into a duel of reflexes, will, and mental endurance. He shot, she deflected, she shot an invisible spike, Seeker's tornado weakened as the mage looked in disbelief at the deep cut in his robe and blood seeping through. With a scowl, a glimmering amethyst aura enveloped him. It wobbled when Connie's next mental projectile hit.

Well, at least his offensive power dropped a little. In her state, Connie took every advantage she could.

Speed returned to Bubbles' world. She saw the enemy locked in a battle of some magic with miss Connie, circled around, and bit the purple barrier. It cracked.

The second bite made it disappear and Bubbles rub her muzzle.

Secret Seeker looked behind him, his offensive spell failing. He saw the deadly open muzzle, focused, and...

...his body moved so fast it seemed to teleport. Unfortunately, the target was the nearest wall.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Seeker screamed as he stretched his legs to slow his movement. The force of the shove was such that his limbs instantly broke in multiple places. He wasn't used to physical pain, and this was far too much for him to handle.

The agonized scream of her master broke Shield's battle trance. Her body forced her to turn her head away from Anvil to see what had happened. Seeing Secret Seeker in a broken heap by the distant wall made her move involuntarily towards him. Unfortunately, it was a direction into which her fighting instinct would never go because of Anvil's currently slashing sword.

Another punch from Anvil made her trip over her own leg, giving the minotaur enough time to finally take a deep breath and swing down as wide as she could. The bastard sword cleaved the hardened flesh, chopping Shield's foreleg off. Spinning around, Anvil's next blow chopped off the dock of Shield's tail, the whole thing dropping on the ground. Now barely holding balance, Shield was kicked down on the floor by Anvil who raised her sword again to cut her head off.

"Please, no," Astray groaned, dragging himself towards them, "Just take her foreleg so that she can't fight."

Anvil looked at the pleading satyr before gritting her teeth and chopping Shield's other foreleg off.

"Thank you," whispered Astray, "Help the others."

Seeing none of the satyr's bleeding was fatal or overly threatening, Anvil rushed towards the remaining three fighters.

Under the effect of both rings, Secret Seeker was already standing again and shielding himself from pouncing Bubbles and Connie looking for a moment of weakness.

Seeker's horn glowed, and Anvil's legs gave out, making the minotaur drop on the floor. The momentary paralysis spell left him open for Bubbles flanking him and chomping his shielding spell again. Despite the miraculous healing properties of the rings' full power, Seeker couldn't focus on three things at once. As soon as the barrier disappeared, Connie found the hole in the mage's defenses she needed, sending out a telekinetic edge which sliced all four Seeker's legs at knee-height.

The air around the unicorn blurred, and he disappeared.

Connie's glowing tentacles flailed through the air where the mage had been a fraction of a second ago. She waited with held breath, and...

...nothing.

She had to be too weak to affect reality like before.

"Damn it!" she cursed to herself.

"It's a contingency spell!" they heard a clear voice of Black Shield, "He can't be far! Go up to the cellar where I came from. You might still catch him."

"Where?" asked Anvil, standing up as the feeling in her legs returned.

Shield pointed the stump of her foreleg towards one of the tunnel mouths.

"Follow me, that's an order!" the minotaur waved her arm and ran off.

Bubbles went along without a word. Connie looked hesitantly at Astray lying on the floor who nodded. Shrugging, the unicorn decided not to question anything for now.

Shield and Astray were left alone, only with the breathing of one of them and several sets of disappearing hoofsteps.

"I was surprised you could say all that."

"Yeah," Shield blinked, "Definitely... that's weird. My master's name is Secret Seeker, and... oh," she stopped, "We are under Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Umm... can you drag yourself over here, Astray, please?"

Slowly getting up, Astray hissed at the shooting pain.

"I'm feeling tired all of a sudden..." muttered Shield in surprise, mostly to herself.

The satyr crawled on all fours over to Shield, cradling her head in his lap.

"Haven't felt... anything... in so... long."

"Are you okay now?" Astray brushed Shield's bloodied mane away from her muzzle, careful not to touch the stump of her ear, "You... hey, miss Shield?"

"Just... just Black... Shield. I... I think Seeker must be... too weak for the... spell to work... properly."

"But now that you are you we might save you, right?"

Smiling, Shield shook her head. In her savaged shape, she was a terrifying sight, but Astray couldn't help returning the smile.

"Still thinking... about that, eh? Let's... not do that. I don't want to just... switch the wizard I slave for."

"But you can clear your name, sort stuff out with your family. I will vouch for you in front of the princess if necessary. I-"

Shield wiggled her foreleg stumps.

"Don't. I don't want... anypony... to see me... like this. Anyway... what if Seeker... escapes? I don't... want this to... continue."

Through the cut off chunk of Shield's barrel, Astray saw her lungs slowly rising and falling. So she was breathing all the time, only so weakly.

"I... I don't know what to do," the satyr felt a tear run down his cheek.

"Got... something... sharp?"

He nodded, shuffling away for his sword lying on the floor nearby and returning to Shield.

"Is this enough?"

"I... think so," Shield nodded, "Cut into... my chest. There should be a... crystal. Pull it... out."

"But that'll kill you!"

"I knew... I had only one... way out. Please..."

Just like everyone else in this difficult situation, Astray, ever since arriving at the Order for the first time, learned when to listen.

The tough flesh resisted, but pretty soon he cut his way through to the chest cavity using the original wound Anvil had caused. Feeling like a butcher, his only way to mentally survive the hacking and spreading of ribs was Shield's content smile following his every move.

"It doesn't hurt, really?"

"Not... at all. Do you... see it?"

Shoving both his hands inside, Astray saw faint purple glimmer next to the extremely slowly beating heart.

"This?" he touched it.

"Hnnnnnng!" Shield shook in his lap as the strange shiver rushed through her whole body and what she felt was soul, "Take... it out... and destroy... it."

"I... can't," Astray shook his head, "You are a good pony. I can't just kill you."

"Please. Secret... Seeker... murdered me... a long time... ago. I would... do it myself... but that... minotaur... kinda... cut my forelegs off... and tail. I sort of... liked the... tail... and ass."

"But-"

"Listen... either I will be... under somepony else's... control. Or... I'll die as the... energy... runs out. That... actually... hurts. Just like... when you... touched it."

Her despair ripped Astray inside, but what could he do? When did he start thinking his opinion was worth more than Shield's own. The best he could do was to respect her final wish.

"Alright, I'll do it. Just trust me that I would want to do anything to help you if I knew how."

"You already... are."

"Okay, brace yourself," grasping the hoof-sized crystal, he pulled it out.

"Hnnnng! Owwww..."

It shimmered and hummed, and a small piece of it was missing. As he looked closer and then inside the open chest for it, Shield chuckled.

"Your... Contradiction... did that. She almost... got me... before."

"You know," Astray pulled Shield into a hug, ignoring the growing stains all over his clothes, "Relaxing like this fits you better. Can you even feel it?"

"You... are warm..."

"You are so cold."

Growing colder with each passing moment, in fact.

"I... did it. Can you... please... tell the Royal Guards... about me? Tell my family... that I brought my killer... to... justice."

"Of course. It takes quite the pony to avenge themselves from beyond the grave. You are definitely one in a million, miss Shield."

"Just... Black... Shield."

Her eyes misted over, turning into white orbs. The grip of her hind legs and foreleg stumps on Astray went limp.

"Screw you... master. Heh... I finally... did it. I'm... free..."

Successful in the end, Black Shield took her final breath.

Astray lay Shield's corpse down. He wanted to stay there with her, but he knew the others might need him. Putting the power crystal under his armored boot, he stood up, and crushed it to dust. Filled with newfound determination, he gathered his backpack and weapons.

No one, no matter how powerful, would ever do something like what happened to Black Shield to anyone else.

Not on Astray's watch.

Never!

***

There was no door, only a rectangular part of wall which was open like one.

After ascending up a short staircase his teammates had taken a short while earlier, Astray was greeted with the sight of the robed unicorn lying motionlessly on the floor in a pool of blood, Contradiction carefully checking all pockets of his robe, Anvil walking around the room, and Bubbles sniffing around. The place looked like a clean cellar with white walls, some empty shelves by the walls, several lightbulbs on the ceiling bathing the room in bright light, and crates clearly bashed open by Anvil's hammer containing some paper boxes with writing Astray couldn't read.

His hoofsteps made the three turn their heads.

"ASTRAY!" Bubbles shot towards him, hugging his leg so tight that she threatened to cut his blood flow off. After fruitlessly trying to shake her off, he just patted her head.

Watching his teammates genuinely happy to see him, even bruised, battered, and swollen Contradiction to his utter surprise, Astray pondered his luck. Arcane Hex's spell had worked, it had brought him close to Connie, but to Black Shield and her master as well. They must have been searching for her. He realized he should have asked Shield about it again after her control spell had worn off, but interrogation had been the last thing on his mind.

Instead, he just returned Connie's weary smile, the unicorn nodding at him. Anvil strode over, grabbing him by his shoulders and sweeping him off of the floor with Bubbles still attached.

"Oh, stars, help, my ribs!"

His wheezing fit of pain made Anvil let him go overly gently, but she still let her hands remain on his shoulders.

"What about Black Shield?" she asked.

"I'll tell you everything later," Astray pushed her hands off of him and turned to Connie, "Is there a way to get Shield's personal file from the Royal Guard? She asked me to tell her friends and family what happened."

"I... think I can manage that," Connie nodded, "She was under this guy's control, wasn't she?"

"Yes. When the spell wore off, she wanted me to destroy the thing keeping her undead and a slave. She is... in peace now," he looked at Shield's master, "His name is Secret Seeker, and he's behind all this. Good job getting to him."

Anvil coughed.

"I doubt this is over, Astray," said Connie seriously, "This was Secret Seeker. We didn't get him," she rolled the now obvious corpse over, revealing a stab wound in the barrel where a heart was, "Somepony else got to him first and took both rings so that this guy couldn't recover."

"Yeah, he's the unicorn who was working on the Royal Guard dig site investigating the avalanche," added Anvil, "I'm positive he was behind us dropping down into the mines. And now that we've found Contradiction, I'm also sure he was there looking for her."

"So, where are we, some secret lair of evil?" asked Bubbles, looking at the door on the other side of the room, "Should I go first?"

"Anvil, will you do the honors?" Connie raised an eyebrow and grinned at the minotaur.

"As a good leader, I accept helpful proposals from my companions," Anvil smiled back, raised her warmace, walked over to the door, and smashed it.

Kicking the bits of wood off of the frame, she disappeared in the hallway on the other side. Astray could hear multiple sets of hoofsteps, then surprised yelling, and rushed outside as well, arriving in a long corridor with stairs on one end and many doors everywhere else.

He stopped, realizing where he was. Shield hadn't been lying.

He'd never been here before, but the repeating emblem on each of the doors of the wide hall was something he knew. Of course, the trio of unicorns in decorative robes with glowing horns staring at Anvil in utter horror were a clue as well.

This had to be some of the scattered buildings belonging to the upper Canterlot complex known as Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

"What? Who? Where? Why? What do you think you're doing here, you savages?" one of the unicorn wizards furiously stuttered out.

"Who are you, and where are we?" Anvil asked, angrier and louder.

The wizards took a step back when heavily wounded Contradiction limped out of the cellar.

"I knew you power-hungry bastards were in this together," she hissed. Raising her voice, she ordered, "Weapons down, everypony. By my authority as a second in command of the Order of the Silver Sun AND an honorary member of princess Celestia's Royal Guard, I order you to contact any member of the paladins-"

"But how did you-" one of the mages still didn't get the memo.

"RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!" the hallway walls around Connie creaked as thin cracks ran through them, "Or I'm arresting all of you."

"On what authority?"

"I have just told you. And you'd better listen if you don't want the princess herself taking your robes and pointy hats away. So," Connie smiled with no friendliness in it, "what'll it be?"

"G-g-got any identification?"

Connie's eye twitched. Anvil, however, cleared her throat, walked over to the wizard leaning further and further backwards, and presented her Silver Sun badge. That seemed to calm the mage somewhat, and he nodded to his colleagues.

"You get whoever is on duty upstairs, you contact the Royal Guard. I'll stay here with these... ponies."

"And a damn healer!" Contradiction yelled at the two quickly retreating unicorns.

"Umm, where's Bubbles?" asked Astray, looking back into the cellar. There was now only Seeker's body left in there.

"I sent her to drag Shield over as well," said Connie, chuckling as Astray let out a relieved sigh, "She'll be here soon. Shield was a huge pony and Bubbles isn't the strongest there is."

"So, what now?" asked Anvil.

"You're the boss, what do you think?" Connie sat down, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes.

"I think I don't know enough about Canterlot politics to make a correct judgement."

Connie stared at the minotaur, mouth agape.

"Did I actually hear that, or am I hallucinating due to bloodloss?"

Anvil opened her mouth to retort.

"That was uncalled for," said Astray, "Miss Contradiction, I know you aren't too fond of us no matter what, but Anvil is infinitely smarter than she looks and, despite her occasional... misstep, can stay calm and reasonable when it counts. You are, and for a long time were, the one provoking trouble."

He expected to be yelled at, to possibly recieve some telekinetic punishment. What he wasn't expecting was a corner of Connie's mouth moving up.

"Finally grown a spine, have we? You see, Astray, I wasn't exactly myself when I did all that. I'll tell you everything when we get out of here and get real investigators to scour this place. However, have you ever heard about something called 'banding against a common enemy'? Army sargeants use it often to make their trainees tighten their bonds by joining together to survive the harsh training and abuse. After seeing your first couple trainings, Cromach had this idea that it might work. Unfortunately, my 'accident' made a mess of it."

"The hate... that was all an act?" Astray couldn't believe his ears.

"Oh hell no," Connie shook her head, "but it started that way. I didn't mind being harsh with you, like nearly breaking Anvil's arms and legs on the first day, because I knew it was necessary to beat the useless and annoying parts out of you. I'm just saying... you know what, forget it. I failed to win my own personal fight until recently, and if Cromach allows me to tell you I'll share the details when I'm ready. For now, believe me when I say that I'm happy you're here all alive, I'm happy you're working together, and I'm happy you don't need me around, because I won't be returning as your leader."

"What?" Anvil gasped, taken aback by the admission.

"I realized Cromach is leading the Order on his own. He used to have Blaze, baron Hoof, and commander Darkness do it with him. All the communication with Canterlot and stuff. Shadowstep's changelings have no desire to do anything of that sort. Cromach needs me way more than you do. That, and now that I know what's wrong with my abilities, you are even less of a match for me even in training. I need him. You, only the three of you, are the new Order team, the new Hoof of Fate as baron Heavy Hoof used to call it."

"But-"

"I will, of course, advise you whenever needed," Connie's raised hoof stopped Anvil's reply, "Just like now. We need the Royal Guard to send special forces here, somepony who can deal with any magic Secret Seeker and whoever killed him used to operate unnoticed. None of us knows anything about real magic so we aren't equipped to deal with this. Plus, the wizards will be pissed. Am I right?"

Everyone looked at the remaining robed unicorn just standing there and listening.

"The orders of wizardry don't look kindly on anypony making mess in their classrooms and laboratories. That is correct."

"Exactly," Connie nodded, "There will be some political pushback, but that's Celestia's business. When she finds out that a murderer, a thief of ancient magical artefacts, and a user of necromancy had a base here in the school, which I suppose he did... oh boy, the fireworks. But for now, we..."

Connie's eyes closed, her voice fading.

Astray leaned down to her, putting an ear to her muzzle.

"She's just unconscious."

"Hey you, wizard," Anvil used her most authoritative voice, "Know any healing magic or something?"

"M-maybe some basic stuff. I'm more a theoretical wizard than-"

"Then get to basic stuffing on both her and Astray here."

"I'm fin-"

"That's an order."

"As you wish, boss," Astray sat down next to Connie with his back against the wall.

While the unicorn was if not treating the wounds then at least alleviating the pain of the patients, Bubbles trotted out of the cellar, finished with her task.

"Zug zug."

"Well done," Anvil scratched her behind the ear, "Can you stay with the bodies to make sure nopony steals them while we wait here?"

"No problem," Bubbles saluted.

Standing in the doorway to have clear view of both the cellar and the hallway if needed, Anvil crossed her arms on her chest. There was so much she didn't know, so much she'd have to organize, and so much that would now depend on her, not temporarily anymore.

She would do her best...

...or yell at Astray long enough that he would do it.

Was she going mad with power already? She dismissed the silly thought with a chuckle.

She was used to fighting for her life, on her own, whether it be against the elements or wildlife. From now on, though, others would depend on her. Fear was something one couldn't let too close up north, else it would devour them, but here it was sneaking up on her.

On the other hand, she wasn't alone anymore.

Comments

[Anonymous Critic]

"Please, no," Astray groaned, dragging himself towards them, "Just take her foreleg so that she can't fight."

Well, I'd say take all of the legs, but yeah.

[Anonymous Critic]

"Zug zug."

What?

[Two_Madmans]

"That guy got both of them?" she shook her head, "Unbelievable."

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP AND FINALLY STOP ME!"

Poor Shield...

somepony who can deal with any magic Secret Seeker and whoever killed him used to operate unnoticed.

The guy who wanted rings

"Zug zug."

Lok'tar Ogar!

[Blewfire]

Poor Black Shield, at least she is at prace now.

[Teraunce]

Well I hope Black Shield gets posthumously honored for pulling the near-impossible and helping avenge her own death from beyond the grave. At least she's at peace. *cries*

[Nameless Narrator]

10836175
She is a testament to indomitable will.

[ProjectRabbid]

Finally it is over... It was quite the journey but you know what, it was good

[Nameless Narrator]

11487392
Good to hear it was worth the time.