Breezy Horn: Beyond a Fairy's Tail

by DarklordAxel20

Trial by Dragon Slayer

Dragon slayers…wizards who are known the world over for their lost magic which shares the same name. The lost magic originates from the dragons themselves; mighty creatures, nearly invincible to all but other dragons…that was until dragon slayers came into being. Unlike the continent of Ishgar, where they are all but extinct, dragons still call Equestria their home. Despite this, only a few dragon slayers are ever born every few generations. Even with such few numbers, dragon slayers are still feared and revered throughout the land for their powerful magic and destructive prowess, both being prime examples of just how close they are to being actual dragons.

Twilight stood there, eyes wide, as she stared at the grey-haired wizard standing before herself and her brother. Not only had he just told them he was a dragon slayer, but he has also said his type of magic was abyssal, a highly destructive form of raw, dark magic that few have been able to master. " M-Midnight...Sh-Shade?? " she hesitantly repeated.

This young man is Midnight Shade, one of the four S-class wizards that calls Breezy Horn their home, however, he's better known for his nickname: The Black Dragon of Breezy Horn, a nickname he earned over the years from his incredibly talented use of his unique form of magic. He may look and act cold and intimidating on the outside, but deep down, he has a heart of gold. In contrast, he tends to get overexcited at the thought of fighting. He has a rather unique relationship with his fellow S-class wizard, Sunset Shimmer. While they may act like they dislike one another, the truth is they are closer than anyone could ever imagine.

Suddenly and without warning, Twilight found a hand shrouded in a black aura aimed at her, "I hate it when others call me by my first name…please just call me Shade, " the purple-eyed slayer said in a cold and slightly threatening tone.

" J-just Shade...got it.. " Twilight stammered, stumbling back a bit.

After remaining on the sidelines for so long, Rex finally got fed up and flew towards Shade, " Well, if you really are a dragon slayer, then where's your cat?! "

He simply pointed up, " I believe you've already met, " the three looked up at the still floating cloak in shock; how had they not noticed it hadn't fallen? " That's enough fooling around, get your furry butt down here, " he called out.

" You're no fun! " a small voice whined from under the cloak. It suddenly fell to the ground, revealing what was truly underneath it, surprising the three newest Breezy Horn members, especially Rex. What had been in the air the whole time was a winged cat just like Rex, however, it was easy to tell this one was a girl. She was pink with a blue bow on her head and a little white skirt wrapped around her waist, " Yessir, you are certainly a killjoy. "

This lovable, pink feline is Joy, a winged cat just like Rex, and lifetime partner to Midnight Shade. She has an incredibly caring personality, but at the same time, is incredibly childish. She cares dearly for Shade and sees him as a sort of father-figure, however this doesn't stop her from getting on his nerves, whether it be intentional or accidental. She wears her bow affectionately as it was given to her the day she was named by Shade and Sunset.

Rex darted towards the female feline with hearts in his eyes, " Well, hello there miss, my name's Rex and it's a pleasure to meet you. "

She merely glanced at him before floating towards Shade, " Sorry, I'm not into younger guys. "

The male cat fell from the air with a depressed aura around him, " ...What does she mean younger guys…I'm not young…I think… "

" Joy, there's time for play, and then there's time for work... " he scolded her, his attitude and tone changing drastically, from calm and cool to highly annoyed, " and if you play while I work, we don't get paid! "

The female's eyes widened, " But...but no money means I don't get any more fish!"

" Exactly my point, " he said in a matter-of-factly tone.

" Ahem, " Twilight cleared her throat, catching their attention, " If, uh…I'm not interrupting anything...I never got a chance to tell you why we were looking for you. "

" You're here to take me back to the guild, " he said before she even got a chance, and before she could open her mouth to ask how he knew, he simply held up a letter, " Master sent this to me a little before you got here. "

" So you'll come back with us now!? " She said in an almost excited and hopeful tone.

" Nope, " he simply said, shattering Twilight's hope-filled attitude.

" Bu-...bu-but...but if you know why we're here…and who sent us...why won't you come back with us?!? " Twilight cried out.

Spike had remained mostly silent up until this point. To be honest, his poor little mind was having trouble comprehending everything going on before him. He had never met another actual dragon slayer before. It was kind of like seeing an actual dragon in terms of rarity to him. " So that's what was off about him...his magic is so...dark though… " he took notice of his sister’s wide-eyed expression, although he hadn't necessarily been listening, he could still tell something was going on. " Uuuh, Twilight? Something the matter? " he asked.

She then looked at him with a slightly surprised look, " Spike! Haven't you been paying attention? He said he won't come back with us! "

" H-he won't come back?! " Spike looked at Shade in surprise, " But Master Celestia said to bring you back! "

Shade cocked his head and looked at them, " Doesn't anyone ever let me finish talking before they go running their mouths? " this caught their attention, " I was going to say, I'm not going back until I've tested you. "

This time, both their eyes widened, " T-...test?! " Twilight said in shock. There had been no mention of a test from Celestia, so why was he bringing up such a thing now? " What do you mean by test? "

He started chuckling, almost as if he found amusement in her nervousness, " Keheheh, what do I mean by test? It should be self-explanatory, " He crossed his arms and looked her dead in the eyes, purple met purple, but something about how sharp his gaze was unsettled Twilight. " I'll put it simply, " he said with a slight grin, " all you gotta do...is fight!! " he suddenly rushed the two, bringing his fist down on the ground near them, sending them rolling back from the sudden force of the attack.

" F-fight?!?! " They both cried out in unison.

"Yeah, fight, " he simply stated, as he engulfed his hand with his magic.

Twilight waved her hands in front of her frantically, " That hardly seems like a test! We both know that we're guild mates, so we don't have to fight anymore, " she nervously grinned.

" Besides, we really don't want to get thrashed… " Spike mumbled.

The older dragon slayer cracked his neck, " I'll be honest with you, this is kind of an initiation. BUT, " he paused, " it's hardly ever a fight…most of the time, it's some kind of loyalty test, where Celestia makes sure you're willing to do anything for your fellow guild mates, or some junk like that, " he said with a hint of sarcasm.

Twilight tightened her fist as he referred to Celestia's "test" as junk, especially with his tone of voice, " If my teacher came up with these loyalty tests, then they are NOT junk! "

He merely grinned, " Don't get your panties in a twist, if you're even wearing any. "

Twilight blushed profusely, " D-don't say things like that! "

" Anyway, " he continued, as if nothing of the manner had been said, " fighting isn't Celestia's idea of a test, but I'm in charge this time around since old cotton candy head is pretty certain you're already loyal enough. "

Spike snickered slightly, " Cotton candy head... "

" Spike! " Twilight scowled.

A dark purple aura began radiating around Shade as his expression turned into a sharp glare, " Alright, that's enough chitchat, I've told you about the test, now get ready, " his voice was darker than it had previously been.

Spike audibly gulped, stepping backwards in terror at the magic he could feel coming off of the older slayer, " It's k-k-kinda hard to get ready...e-especially when you're close to wetting yourself... "

" Tone it down Shade! "Joy chided her partner, " You're supposed to test them, not give them heart attacks! " They let out sighs of relief, perhaps his feline partner could talk him out of this, " You can save that for later. "

Their eyes widened and their mouths hung agape, " How can something so innocent looking be so cruel!?! " they thought simultaneously.

" No, if they have as much potential as Master says they do, then I wanna see it! " his fists tightened further.

A deep exhale came from Twilight as she had her own tightened fists, " ...Alright, we'll fight you…but in return, you ARE going to return to the guild with us! "

" Tw-Twilight, are you sure that's a good idea?! " Spike asked in a nervous panic.

She gave a stern nod in response, " If it's the only way, then we have to. Remember what Celestia taught us when we were younger... "

A memory flashed in the minds of the siblings, a memory of one of their first joint teaching sessions under Celestia's tutelage.

A young Twilight sat in middle of what appeared to be a library, focusing hard on three books placed in front of her by her mentor, her younger brother to her side, with an expression of confusion on his face. " ..Uuuh, teacher? " Spike said in his innocent, little voice, " Why exactly is Twilight looking at the books like she's gotta use the bathroom really badly? "

Celestia covered her mouth, muffling her initial laughter, " It's simple, Spike…or it would be if you were awake when I explained it, " Spike blushed from embarrassment, " I want Twilight to pick one of these three books. One of the three will aid Twilight in learning how to use the illusive art of star magic, however, " She stopped with a smile, " Two of these books are in ancient languages, while the third is a forbidden book, one that the Equestrian magic council has banned from ever being opened. "

Twilight raised her hand to speak, " Well, it's obvious that I'm going to pick from the first two. If the third is forbidden, then it must never be opened, " she stated.

A small chuckle came from Celestia, " Perhaps, but you never let me finish. Only one of the older books possesses the knowledge you're seeking, while the others do not. So let's say you take the time to learn these ancient languages, as unlikely as that would be, and you pick the fake, then you'll have wasted your time on a gamble. "

" B-but, that only leaves me with the book that's been forbidden from being opened! " Twilight exclaimed.

Celestia nodded, " Exactly, my dear Twilight, but think about this, " she held up her index finger and pointed at the book in question, " despite being considered ‘forbidden’, this book is also one of the few capable of teaching you how to utilize star magic, without the hassle of having to further stress yourself with the consequences of another option, one such consequence being failure. "

"...But they’ve forbade it from being opened...I don't like breaking the rules... " Twilight softly said.

Another nod came from Celestia, " Exactly, Twilight, " she said as she picked the book up and gave it to her pupil, " sometimes the only choices we have may be ones we dislike, but when this is the case, the only thing we can do is be strong and move forward without looking back. When those moments arise...that is all we can do. "

" ...That is all we can do… " the young dragon slayer mumbled.

Shade's magic enveloped both of his hands as he continued to tighten his fists. In all honesty, the dragon slayer had other things on his mind, but to get to them, he had to handle his current situation. Yes, he could simply just go home with them, but Shade never was one for doing things the easy way. " If you're going to fight me, then let's get on with it, but be warned, I'm not gonna go easy on ya! "

Their eyes widened as he suddenly closed the distance between them in a matter of seconds, managing to be in their faces in the blink of an eye. " Waaah!!! " Spike grabbed Twilight and leapt backward, evading the oncoming and sudden punch, " A-and I thought Twilight was fast! "

Twilight gazed at the abyssal dragon slayer for a moment, " He IS fast…and strong, but… " she paused, watching him slowly make his way towards them, " ...if we both attack at once, then there's no way he could handle both of us, " she said in a whisper.

Spike nodded and gave a firm thumbs up, " That's why you're the brains. "

" Enough talking already! " he rushed them again and brought his magic-enveloped fist down to the ground in front of them, hitting it hard enough to make a small crater, the shockwave from it sending them sliding backwards.

The siblings looked at each other and nodded, " That was close, but he's right. Enough talk…Spike, let's fight! "

" Way ahead of ya! " he balled his hands into fists and enveloped them in his own magic.

" Finally, I was beginning to think this would be boring! " Shade’s toothy grin finally returned to his face.

A small chuckle came from the pink feline floating overhead, " Shade love's fighting, he gets so excited about it that he tends to get carried away. "

" ...Carried away.. " Rex gulped.

A large orb of golden magic formed around Twilight's hand as she ran towards Shade, with Spike close behind, " Starlight Impact! " She reeled her fist back and lunged towards him.

Right as Twilight threw her punch, Spike rushed forward, " Emerald Dragon's Shining Fist! " and threw his own punch in tandem with Twilight's.

Shade's grin grew, " Attacking at the same time, that's a good idea, but you better have a lot of power behind those hits! " He reeled his own fist back, " Abyssal Dragon's Iron Hammer Fist! " The abyssal magic surrounding his fist flared up, spreading up his forearm as he pushed it forward, colliding with Twilight.

The force of the two attacks were enough to cause the two mages to go sliding away from one another, with Twilight sliding further than Shade, " H-how?! " She looked up and her eyes widened. He had managed to catch Spike's attack and match her own at the same time, " …If we want to bring him back...then I'm going to have to use everything Celestia taught me! "

" Hey, I got two hands ya know! " Spike reeled back his remaining fist, " Emerald Dragon's Shining-GAGH! "

Shade, however, was saying a spell as well, finishing before Spike could, " Abyssal Dragon's Assault Talon! " Abyssal magic covered his lower leg, which he quickly lifted upwards, slamming his foot into the younger slayer's jaw and sending him flying.

" Spike! " Twilight watched as her brother crashed into the rubble of the dark guild’s hall. She clenched her eyes shut with newfound anger, she was very protective of Spike and had never let anyone pick on her little brother growing up, nor had she ever let anyone harm him. " You're going to regret doing that!!! " she angrily cried out, " Raining Star Shower!! " She held her hand high into the air and created a magic circle, which released several star shots high into the air.

Shade's eyes slightly widened at the sudden show of magic, " ...Amazing… " He quickly held his arms out in front of him, doing his best to block against the barrage of magic bolts that were now raining down on him, kicking up dust with each hit.

After firing what had to be more than a hundred magic blasts, Twilight's arm dropped and she began panting, " There...I've never really...gotten a chance to practice...that spell before...who knew it could be so draining? "

As the dust and smoke settled, Shade slowly came into view again, his arms still stretched out. To Twilight's shock, the only real signs that damage had been done to him were the scratches and smoke rising off his arms. " Now I'm impressed...and a little ticked off, " without warning, he suddenly sped towards Twilight, landing a punch on her face and knocking her to the ground.

" Emerald Dragon's Glimmering Claw! " Shade heard from his right, causing the dragon slayer to quickly turn towards the voice. Spike was right in his face with his hand opened and his magic taking the shape of a claw, " Try catching this! " He swung the attack, striking Shade's facing and causing him to stumble backwards.

A small chuckle came from Shade as he held the side of his face that was slashed, and began speaking between pain-filled grunts " ...I like you two, just a little more and you'll pass…if you're conscious, that is. "

Twilight pulled herself up off the ground, panting harder than she had been, " I don't get it, it's obvious we're hurting him, he even sounds in pain...but he just keeps going… "

Shade cocked an eyebrow as he looked at the star mage, " I figured it'd be kind of obvious by now. "

" What…would be...obvious? " Twilight asked between pants.

" I'm not an S-class mage for nothing, you know, " he started explaining, " I've been a part of this guild for a little over ten years now. I've also been on more quests than most regular wizards see in their lifetime and been in plenty of fights as well. " He paused to take a breath, possibly a sign of exhaustion, " But you two, " he pointed, " this is your first real fight. Yeah, you've been taught by Celestia since you were a kid, but that knowledge means nothing without the experience to use it. "

Twilight lowered her head. She hated to admit it, but he was right. While she excelled in academics and learning about magic, she had little to no experience with fighting, save for sparring lessons with her teacher. " It was then that Spike went running past her and towards Shade; there was fierce determination in his eyes, " Don't listen, Twilight! Just because we don't have the experience doesn't mean we can't put up a fight! "

Spike began wildly throwing punches at Shade, who stopped each punch with the palms of his hands, but the speed of the punches was enough to surprise even him. " You've got resolve, I can respect that! " The magic covering his arm began taking a shape along the side of his arm and past his elbow, almost like that of a blade, " but it'll take more than resolve to pass my test! Abyssal Dragon's Rave Edge! " he did a full spin, swinging his arm at Spike in a backhanded motion with enough force to send the younger slayer flying into the air on contact, " I'm outta your league, kid! "

" Aaagh! " Spike cried out as he flew through the air, his fight ending as quick as it started. However, something managed to stop his flight through the air. As Spike's eyes pried open, he glanced and saw what it was, " Twilight! "

She had quickly leapt towards her brother, catching him in midair, " That was a close one... " She looked down at Shade, who was just eyeing them. " Spike, I'll be truthful…we don't stand a chance of winning, not unless we play smart. "

" Oh, and we've just been playing dumb this whole time... " Spike retorted sarcastically, " …what did you have in mind? "

Twilight managed to soundly land with spike in her arms, as she began to whisper to him, " I'm going to throw you, and when I do, I want you to let out one of the strongest attacks you can muster...I'll attack, too...then, when he goes to evade, I'll unleash my strongest spell…got it? "

" ...Can we not throw me? I've been tossed around enough today, " he pleaded, but unfortunately, those pleas fell on deaf ears.

" Ready? Let's go! " Twilight gave her strongest leap, gaining considerable height into the air.

" Go ahead and hit me with everything you got, " Shade mumbled.

" Here goes nothing! " Twilight gave her best throw, hurling Spike right towards Shade just before she dropped.

Spike sped towards Shade with his arm readied to strike, " This time, I've got you! Emerald Dragon's Dawn Crash! " the green magic on his hand built up in size as he launched a full-power punch at Shade, with added power from being rocketed towards him.

Abyssal magic flared up Shade's arm, expanding past his shoulder, as the limb filled with strength, " Abyssal Dragon's Iron Hammer Fist! " The two slayer's fists clashed, letting the two magics collide against one another. However, even with all the added power, Spike couldn't push Shade back, " That was a nice attempt, Spike, but you'll need more than- " his eyes quickly darted towards something coming into his peripheral vision.

It was Twilight! She used Spike's attack as a distraction to close in on Shade, " My turn! " Her body began to glow blue as she gathered magic in her, " Constellation Impact: Ursa Major! " The form of an ethereal bear shaped around Twilight as she sent her palm right towards Shade's face, hitting him and knocking him a great distance away.

A sigh of relief left Spike's mouth as he looked up at his sister, " Twilight, that was awesome! "

But Twilight couldn't say the same. She tightly held the hand she used to hit Shade, " ...It might've looked awesome, but my hand begs to differ. " She quickly raised her other hand and extended her index and pinkie finger, " No time to waste, Spike; we have to strike while he's down… " With all her effort, she poured as much magic as she could into the extended hand, " My strongest spell so far! Celestial Constellation Summon: Bow of the Archer, Sagittarius! " A much larger golden bow formed in front of her, this one having a horse head at the tip. A massive magic circle appeared in front of the bow and a large, glimmering, golden arrow formed in Twilight's free hand, " Celestial Star Shot!!! " She pulled back on the bow’s string and fired the arrow, " Spike! Now!! "

On his sister's command, Spike lunged into the air and took aim, " Here goes! Emerald Dragon's Roar!!! " He let loose a roar at least twice the size of his first one. The green typhoon of magic sped side-by-side with Twilight's attack, and as they did, the two attacks began intertwining until they were one.

Shade lifted himself up onto one knee while rubbing his jaw, " She's got a mean right arm… " he looked up to see massive a ethereal arrow flying towards him at blinding speeds, " …shit… " was all he could say before the attack struck, followed by an immense explosion.

The sibling wizards shielded their eyes from the blast as it lit up the area around them. Twilight collapsed to her knees. She had more than enough magic left in her, but for reasons unknown to her, she had lost the strength to stand. " ...I…I think we got him, Spike... "

"Please don't jinx it, Twilight, " he groaned as he fell backwards. Unlike Twilight, Spike's magic was still developing due to his young age, and so he is quick to exhaust his reserves. He lifted his head and looked towards the rising smoke left behind from the explosion, " If he's not out cold, he's probably really mad... "

" We'll just have to wait and see, " that's all they could do, and if he was still willing to fight, then their efforts were in vain. Twilight could keep fighting, but without Spike, she could only go so long and only accomplish so much, " Please...just let this be it. "

As if by chance, a gust of wind kicked up, blowing away the smoke that had been shrouding the results of their combined attack. There, in a blackened crater, laid Shade, covered in dirt and scrapes, with a small trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth, his eyes closed. Smiles came to the faces of the brother-sister duo, as they gazed upon his seemingly unconscious figure. They went to let out a celebratory cry of joy, but in a matter of moments, joy was replaced with fear and shock, " ...Oh, come on...there's no way... "

A small groan escaped Shade's lips as he sat himself up in the crater. He let out a small huff, before standing up and dusting himself off, " ...That really hurt, you know… "

Spike stared with a mixture of fear, shock, and admiration, as he watched the older dragon slayer's nonchalant actions, " ...Could I be this strong??? "

Without another word, Shade put his hands in his pockets and walked out of the crater, making his way towards the other mages. Twilight forced herself to stand and quickly took a defensive stance, making sure Shade couldn't directly go for Spike if he attacked, but she was in for a surprise. He pulled one of his hands out of his pocket and used to wipe the trickle of blood away from his mouth, " ...I've got one thing to say to you. "

" ...What? " Whatever it is he had to say, she wanted him to just spit it out.

A smirk that showed off one of his sharpened canines came to his face, " You passed. "

Both siblings were completely at a loss for words, " Excuse me??? " They spoke in unison, a testament to just how confused they were.

" I said… " he started, " You. Passed. "

" But…but…but…but…but...we…we… " Twilight fumbled over her words, her confusion becoming unbearable. How could they have passed? She was under the impression that to pass, they would have to have beaten him. " What do you mean we pass?!?! " she shouted, her confusion getting the better of her.

Shade flinched from her suddenly raised voice, " OK...Ow, you know dragon slayers have sensitive ears, right? "

" …He's right, " Spike groaned, his own ears being damaged from Twilight's vocal assault.

" That's not important! What's important is how the heck did we pass if we didn't beat you?! " She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

He raised his brow, " You honestly thought beating me was the way to pass? If that were the case, you would've failed from the start. The real test was to impress me, and you both did a great job of that. "

" Wh-what do you mean…we get that you're strong and all, but I think we did good enough to have beaten you! " She should have been glad they had passed. It meant she could bring him back to the guild and fulfill the request Celestia had given her, but the desire to know why he really passed her had welled up in her rapidly.

He didn't immediately respond. If anything, it looked as if her words pushed him deep into thought. " There's something Master Celestia taught me back when I first joined the guild...you see, there was this girl in the guild, and no matter how strong I got, I couldn't beat her. That was until Celestia told me this... "

Ten years ago, in the town of Ponyville, a ten year-old Shade stood under a tree, relentlessly punching away at the bark of an ancient oak. " I don't get it!!! " he shouted to no one particular, as he took his anger out on the wood before him.

The sound of soft footsteps across the grass came towards him, causing him to glance back at the source of them, only to see his guild master smiling at him. " What seems to be troubling you, Shade, dear? " she asked in a tender, motherly tone.

He crossed his arms and let out a small huff, " Not that it's any of your business...but I just don't get it! "

" Hmm? Get what? What per say don't you get, Shade? " She asked curiously.

He clenched his fists and teeth shut before growling out, " I just can't beat that stupid redhead!!! I try my best but I can't do it!"

A small giggle escaped Celestia's mouth, " Oh, so this is about Sunset, then? Am I correct? "

" Don't say her name! " He punched the tree once more, this time hard enough to leave a dent in its base. " I know I'm strong enough! ...And I know I got enough magic energy...but no matter what I try she ends up beating me...it's not fair! "

Her tender smile remained, as she knelt down and placed her hand on Shade's shoulder, " Shade, dear, having the strength and magic to beat someone isn't always going to cut it. "

He looked at her as if she had grown a second head, " Wha-what do you mean?! "

" I'm saying, " she began while sitting both herself and Shade down underneath the tree, " that strength and magic are only as good as the person wielding them. You could have all the power in world, but without the proper skill and training, it's useless. Remember that to be a great wizard, you need more than power, you need skill, and to have skill, you need heart, and I personally believe that you, Shade, have a very big heart, one that's ready to show the world that you're going to be one of the best wizards ever. "

A smile came to the boy's face as his guild master ran her hand through his gray hair, and rubbing her thumb against one of his hair horns. " You really think so, master? " he asked.

" I know so, Shade, now come along, " she stood herself up and helped him up, " I'd like to start teaching you how to properly train yourself and your magic. "

He gave a big toothy grin and hopped up before walking along with her, " You're the best, master! I'm so gonna show Sunset not to mess with me! " She could only smile at his youthful enthusiasm.

" Just like strength, you could have all the magic and knowledge on it in the world, all the formal teaching, but without the proper skill and training, it's useless to you, " he looked off in the distance as he spoke.

Twilight helped Spike to his feet, each and every word he said imprinted into her mind almost immediately, " ...It sounds like you and Celestia are really close from how you described the way she spoke to you...kind of like a mother and son.. "

" Heh, " he let out a small chuckle, " Celestia treats us all like we're her kids, I've just been around longer than most, so I guess she's the closest thing I got to a mom now. "

A small, but sad smile was on Twilight's face, " Maybe that's why she sent us to get you…she was worried about you. "

He kept his head turned away, so they couldn't see the small blush on his face, " Pfft, worried about me… " he lowered his head slightly, " ...I've told her a hundred times not to get bent outta shape just cause I'm not there, " he mumbled.

Joy flew down to look her partner in the face, " Well, they passed, so I guess we gotta go home. Yessir, time to go, " Shade nodded in agreement and began walking towards the trail.

Spike rubbed the back of his head as he looked at the slayer and cat duo, " Oh yeah, there was a really scary girl at the guild who sounded like she was really mad at you for being gone, " he shuddered at the memory.

Shade froze in his tracks, his eyes widened and his face pale, as if he had seen a ghost. Twilight eyed him curiously and with a worried look, " Shade?" No response, " Shade are you alright? " Still nothing.

He suddenly grabbed his head and yelled out in a panicked voice, " SUNSET’S GONNA KILL ME!!! " and took off down the trail without them.

" ...And we were scared of him? " Twilight said with a sweat drop.

" Ummm...what was that about? " Spike reluctantly asked.

They started following home, when Joy decided to answer Spike's question, " There are three things in the world that Shade's scared of. "

" Only three? What are they? " Twilight asked, her curiosity peaked at what could scare someone so strong.

" Yessir! Three things, and they are: any mode of transportation that isn't me, bridges with water underneath them, and Sunset Shimmer, " she responded casually, as if any of those three things were normal.

" Bridges??? " Rex spoke up for the first time in a bit, " …And I thought Spike's fear of everything was dumb. "

" Is Sunset that strong?! " Twilight asked with a tinge of fear in her voice.

Joy rubbed her head as she thought on the question for a moment, " Well, she and Shade are about equally strong, they tie in spars a lot, but when she gets angry at Shade, she likes to beat him up, and Shade being Shade tends to try avoiding it at all cost. "

" ...Sounds complicated, " Spike mumbled aloud.

A cheerful giggle came from Joy, " Not complicated, it's just how they show they love each other. "

This caught Twilight's attention, " They love each other? But she looked like she wanted to kill him...and he looks like he'd run away at first sight. "

Before the conversation could go further, a large shockwave went passing by them, leaving a long cut in the ground next to them. " What the heck was that?! " Spike cried out, as he clung to Twilight.

The three turned around to see a large man holding an even larger machete glaring at them, " So you're the punks who wrecked my guild hall! " He roared furiously.

" Who are you...? " Twilight asked as bravely as she could.

" Who am I?! I'm Krow! The master of the guild you just thrashed! And now I'm gonna thrash YOU!!! " He stomped towards them.

" Sorry pal, but it wasn't them, " everyone heard from behind Twilight and Spike.

" Shade! " Joy cheered.

They turned back to see Shade there, when just moments ago he was way ahead of them. " So you're the punk who made a mess of my guild, well then I guess I'm just gonna have to make a mess outta you! "

Shade watched as the monster of a man charged him, ready to swing his massive blade at him. As the dark guild's master rushed towards him, he took a fighting stance with his right arm pulled back, then his magic poured heavily all over the arm. " This is gonna hurt you more than it's gonna hurt me, " he swung his fist, connecting it with the man’s jaw and knocking him into the air. " I'm in a hurry! Let's end this! " He jumped high into the tree top, bouncing off a branch overhead and launching himself towards the flying criminal, " Abyssal Dragon's Iron Sledgehammer Slam!!! " he gave a mighty over-handed punch to the back of Krow's head, rocketing him towards the ground in an instant and with enough force to make a crater.

The trio of Twilight, Spike, and Rex all watched in awe while Shade used the momentum of the punch to flip behind Krow, and stick the landing, " ...T-two hits...and he looked so tough... " one of them said.

Shade turned towards them and continued back down the path, " Like I said, if the test had been to beat me, you would've failed for sure, cause I wouldn't have held back. "

A loud sigh of relief came from Spike, " Let's be glad he's on our side… " They all nodded in agreement and continued following him back to the town.

However, while everyone ran ahead, Twilight stopped when she heard groaning and mumbling coming from the beaten Krow. " ...Y-...you guild punks...gonna...get yours someday...soon...mistress moon...will make sure of it… " and with that, he was out cold.

" ...Mistress moon...going to get ours? " She repeated under her breath, but she cut herself off and broke herself out of thought as she watched everyone leave without her, " Wait for me! "

The town of Everfree

The group made their way back into the town, and to "celebrate", Spike began kissing the ground in an overly-dramatic show of relief, much to everyone's dismay. Shade immediately made a beeline for the house that belonged to the very same man who mistook Twilight for a dark guild member.

" Uh, Shade, I wouldn't do that! The old guy there is kind of a grump, " she puffed out her cheeks in a very child-like manner as she remembered the man's rude behavior.

But he went ahead and knocked anyway, and almost immediately they heard the man’s voice, " Huh? Wuzzat? Who’s there?! "

" Pardon me, sir, " he said in a respectable tone, " I'm the wizard that was hired to take care of your dark guild problem. "

The door quickly swung open revealing a smiling old man, " Well now, why didn't ya just say so from the start. So, my boy, did ya take care of them like we asked of ya? "

" Mhm, " Shade gave a nod, " each and every one of them, guild master included. They're out cold back at what used to be their guild hall and the army should be on the way to pick them up. " He smiled as he watched the old man's face brighten up, " Your town is officially free from Crow's Murder's grasp, sir. "

The man who Twilight assumed was the town’s elder looked like he could just cry, " Oh, thank you so much, my boy! We can finally go back to being a prosperous trading town! "

" All in a day’s work, sir, " he started to walk away from the porch when the elder suddenly stopped him.

" Hang on a second now, you forgot yer payment, " he called to Shade, before holding out a rather large pouch of bits.

" Thank you for your generosity, sir, " he nodded, as he took the pouch and walked away from the house.

Twilight watched as he walked her way and then right past her, " He seems so different when he's helping people…Joy, is he always like that? "

" Yessir! " she chimed, " Shade might look like a big meanie, but he's really just a big teddy bear. "

However, without a moment’s notice, Shade's calm, collected self faded, and was replaced by the same panicked Shade from before. " Ok, we got our payment, now let's book it back to Sunset before she roasts me alive!!! " he cried out as he ran towards the train station, leaving everyone except Joy in a nervous sweat.

" He really doesn't want to make her any angrier than she already is, does he? " Rex asked his fellow feline.

" Nope, " Joy casually responded, " he sure doesn't, and he's even willing to get on a train. That shows just how much scarier she is to him than any mode of transportation ever could."

" Well, let's hurry after him already before he leaves us behind! " Twilight shouted as she dragged Spike behind her, racing Shade to the train.

And so the group boarded the train back to Ponyville, hoping to get there as fast as possible, lest one of them further invoke the wrath of a flame-haired mage.

On the Train Back to Ponyville

Twilight looked upon the writhing form of Midnight Shade as he lay sprawled out on the seat parallel to her own. She honestly didn't know what to think as she listened to him weakly mumble about wanting to die, " …And I thought Spike had it bad… "

" ...Can't move…stupid train… " Shade weakly groaned, before quickly covering his mouth as his motion sickness suddenly got the better of him.

" ...See Twilight…he knows what I mean when I say...trains are evil… " Spike said, before he too had to cover his mouth.

Twilight could only sigh as she now had two motion sick dragon slayers to put up with. At least Shade wasn't as verbal as Spike, even though he did look to be in more pain than the latter of the two. " What am I going to do with you two? " She shrugged with another sigh. However, at the moment, something else was on her mind other than the two "dying" slayers, " What did he mean by...Us guilds were going to get it one of these days...and who or what is mistress moon? " " Maybe I'll ask master Celestia when we get back to the guild, " she thought out loud.

" …While you’re at it...could you ask her if...there's a cure...for this curse we have… " Spike spurted out.

" Like I said...what am I going to do with you two... " Twilight groaned, but with a small smile.

Author's Note:

Well hey there again ladies and gentlecolts, glad to see you all again. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I'm still not so confident in my abilities to write out fights so even if they turn out good, I won't think so, I hope you think differently though. I'm just gonna say this now, Twilight and Spike are the only really underpowered characters as of right now, and well that reason has been stated a few times now, they don't have any real training aside from small sparring sessions. Every other main character is among equal standings, besides it's not like they can't just get stronger, do you honestly think I'd leave Twilight, the main character, the weakest of the bunch forever? For those of you that have seen the anime I want you to try imagining Lucy when she first Joined the guild, trying to fight Laxus, that's basically what happened here. Well anyway next chapter is more about slight plot development and introducing some supporting characters as well as learning a bit about the rest of our "mane" cast while we're at it. I hope you all enjoy reading, like it, favorite, comment, you're all human beings you decide what you do, and I'll see you all again soon, buh-bye

Next time on Breezy Horn: Beyond a Fairy's Tail: Guild Life.

Comments

[Ze1a7in]

I think the fight was written well. I am thoroughly enjoying this story.

[DarklordAxel20]

8485041 I am very glad you enjoyed it. I wasn't so sure of myself as I was writing it but knowing that other people thought it was good reassures me I can write good fights in future chapters.

[R-Bot]

The only thing I'm scare of is tornados and a girlfriend's dad which I never had been in a relationship and the school I use to go, the girls are bch