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Chapter 18

Four days after Shade had returned from his displacement in Wyatt and Agito’s world. He was somehow tired and had just wanted to relax; which was a luxury he seemed to have very little of since he had returned to his own reality.

During the week the town had grown substantially as more houses had been built with a small portion of races from around Equestria have travelled to the town for many reasons.

Most of the new arrivals for members of the three pony races, but amongst those numbers were monsters who had willingly turned themselves into Shade and allowed themselves to be marked as a sign of goodwill, under the understanding that many ponies did not trust them due to the harm many other monsters that had appeared before had given them.

Many of the ponies had opened up small businesses in the town, though many were small-scale including tailors, greengrocers and a small group of three monsters and two earth ponies had opened a blacksmith from where they had been sending custom pieces of armour for Shades own Royal guard.

The Greengrocers currently had little in terms of stock but what they did have was imported from a nearby farm that was just outside of the Everfree that from what Shade had heard was called Sweet Apple Acres, which ironically mainly exported apple based products to the town.

Beyond the growth, of the town almost nothing else had occurred, everyone who had been injured in the crash beyond Gil was still unconscious, all of them still alive, but seemingly in self-induced comas, and no other attacks from any source had occurred.

Only a few minor problems had occurred since Shade had returned the most trivial was some nobles travelling into the town constantly attempting to have Shade put every single monster to death or locked away for the rest of their lives, for which Shade had them tossed out of the town and had messages sent to Celestia and Luna as he had heard back the nobles who had came with those orders having their titles revoked and in a few cases of where they had re-entered the town and attacked the citizens paying very hefty fines and in one case being sentenced to a 10 year in prison for attempted murder of a pony who had protected one of the civilians in the town.

Shade wasn’t too happy with this and had been in contact with Celestia who had made a suggested for the fate of the pony who had committed the crime and as such had organised for them to be sent to Shade as Harmony had suggested a punishment from criminals with over 5 years prison sentences or death sentences were to be sent to him and placed into an underground mine Harmony had told him about to mine for resources under the Everfree.

All in all, everything had begun to fall into place, if a lot faster than Shade had expected them too.

As Shade was thinking about what had transpired he had decided being that the town was still growing it was easier to travel around the town helping settle many minor disputes along with helping people build their homes when needed, he had even assisted in welcoming people into the town when a family of Unicorns had entered a few minutes before.

It was during this time that he had become aware that Gil was constantly trailing him almost as if he was a lost puppy looking for its owner, which was an idea Shade wasn’t fond of linking him too, even with that being the case Shade constantly took a look back towards him making sure he was safe.

Since Gil had recovered he had been to one of the tailors who had opened stores in the town and had got an assortment of simple clothes, one of which he was currently wearing was a simple white t-shirt and black trousers along with what looked to be some white and gold trainers.

It was then they felt the area around them began to tremble as Harmony shouted to Shade, “Shade, whatever this is I can’t locate, but it seems to be messing with the natural magical leylines I have around the Everfree. It may be affecting some ponies with high magical potential.”

“Do you have anything beyond that for us? Anything in relation to how it may affect them?” Shade asked.

“To my knowledge, the only case we have seen currently is from that of a Unicorn, she had an extremely overclocked magical surge, which fried her entire nervous system, she is still in a coma and even if she wakes will be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life,” Harmony explained.

“Well, is that the only case of this? If so we can’t form a conclusion on whatever caused the quake to be the same cause as that of the unicorn you mentioned?”

“Well… the quake did seem to have an epicentre in the lower right right side of town, it may be worth investigating.”

Shade nodded and headed down to find out about the quake.

After a minute Shade came across what looked to be a large male earth pony that had a red coat and orange mane along with a cutie mark that looked like a cross-section of a green apple.

“Who are you?” the pony asked as another tremor occurred seemingly from the feet of the stallion.

“My names, Shade. You could call me the leader of this town,” Shade stated calmly before adding, “are you okay, I can’t believe you cause these tremors normally?”

“I don’t normally cause these,” the pony chuckled.

“I bet that’s the case, listen I’m going to try and help you, but I need you to stay calm okay?”

The pony chuckled and waited, staying as calm as anything. Shade got close and saw the pony looked semi-familiar still not knowing who he was but recognising his features from the crowd during the attack in Ponyville just over a week before.

It was then Shade placed a hand on the stallions head before closing his eyes before mentally saying to Harmony, “Any clue what going off with him?”

“It appears the magic inside him is going haywire, after all, every creature has it in capacity, and his seems exponentially higher than others,” Harmony stated.

It was then Valkyrie’s voice added, “He’s very clearly a Gate, I’d have someone keep an eye on him in case a rogue Phantom comes for him, same goes for anyone who suffers from whatever causes this to happen. It’s almost a clear sight of the fact.”

“I’ll make sure to have a few Gamma keep an eye on anyone who suffers from this,” Shade added.

After a few moments, Harmony responded by saying to Shade, “well it looks like I’ve somehow managed to lower the output of his magic… but I could sense a strange presence affecting the natural magic that's flowing through him, and it seems to be coming from at least 7 other sources.”

“Any idea where these sources are?” Shade asked.

“One source seems to be just outside the Everfree while four others are in the forest and at least two more are in the town… though there’s a third in town that’s seemingly moving but not affecting anyone if anything it’s draining the damage from him, I’m trying to locate that source but I can’t find it.”

Shade then looked behind him before saying, “I think I know what that source is… leave it be the others pose a danger to life, locate them first, this 8th signal seems like it won’t be an issue.”

“If your sure, I’ll locate one to try and see if it reduces the effects, but the stallion infront of you should be safe for now, I’ll get a few Gamma to make sure he gets home safely.”

“Okay, thanks Harmony, when you have a location of whatever is causing this please relay it to me,” Shade requested before looking to the stallion before taking his hand away and saying, “hopefully you should stop causing so many tremors, but I’m going to have a few of the guards stay with you in case it starts again, don’t worry you won’t know they are there so just keep doing what you were okay.”

The stallion just nodded to Shade before he made his way towards the Greengrocers that had opened pulling a cart of apples behind him, as Shade smiled and walked back towards the castle looking into a nearby alley to see Gil hiding behind the corner.

At this Shade only smiled before suddenly stopping looking down the alley are he said mentally to Harmony, “Harmony, could you scan the area nearby please?”

“I can why… what the heck is that?!” Harmony asked in shock

“You feel it too? Does it feel like a large font of pure energy forcing itself outwards trying to seep into the world around it? And it’s seemingly coming from nearby.”

“I can confirm that it seems to be around the corner of that alley where the epicentre of the magic outflow is,” Harmony stated.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll investigate it now in case I can do anything about it,” Shade responded as he made his way down the alley before hearing Gil quickly run down the alley before a sudden flash of golden light was seen around the colour.

“Umm… Shade, I don’t mean to worry you, but where is the other presence that was with you moments ago?” Harmony asked.

“I’m still trying to find that out, I pretty sure I saw someone down here before that flash of light,” Shade admitted as he surrounded the corner to find nothing but an empty alleyway ahead of him.

It was then that Shade took three steps forwards before closing his eyes still being unable to feel the pressure he had before, it was then he reached into his jacket and pulled out the Wizard Eyecon.

“If magic is causing this, a Rider with a closer attunement to magic may help,” Shade stated before transforming using the Wizard Eyecon, before suddenly being struck by the full force of whatever force had been creating the magical outflow, the epicentre being directly at his feet.

“Harmony, I need you to scan the magic under my feet, I think it’s what caused the ponies magic to go haywire earlier, use it to try and locate any similar signals around the Everfree.”

“You’ve got it… I assume you're investigating into this further?” Harmony asked.

“This is in the centre of town, and we have no idea how large the effect of this is.” Shade admitted before adding, “If I can dispel this before it causes any more harm, it’ll be the best outcome.”

“Just be careful, you have no idea what's on the other side if you do activate it, if there is another side… or even what it will do?” Harmony admitted.

“Harmony, you said it before there was another presence her before I walked down the alley, I saw a flash of light from here, then nobody, I’m pretty sure something happened,” Shade responded as a red magic circle appeared around his feet, in a similar style to that of when you used his finisher, “So if this did affect them, I need to make sure their safe.”

All Harmony could do was sigh before the magic circle around Shade feet flickered and he disappeared before she could say anything else.

As Shade reappeared on the other side of whatever the magic circle had done he looked around himself to find that he was surrounded by the same alley he had been in only moments before, however, something seemed off about it.

It was then he took a better look at the area around him to find that the walls all had large gashes torn through almost like some kind bladed weapon had somehow cut into them, beyond this fact he could hear a very familiar sound around the next corner of the alleyway. A sound he heard almost every time he used his Shade Eyecon. The sound of rattling chains.

It was then Shade slowly made his way towards where the sound was coming from as he looked around the corner to find Gil running away from looked to the chains he heard before as he realised that at the end of the chain was connected to what looked to be a long dagger that could be better described as a nail.

It was then the chained dagger tore into Gil's shoulder as he screamed out in pain as he pulled the dagger out of his arm blood falling to ground from his wound as he cowered against a wall in both pain and unadulterated fear.

It was then Shade traced the path of the chain backwards as he saw what looked like almost human in nature. The human had long purple hair that reached towards the ground, a tattered black dress that had its shoulders completely ripped away and covering her face was a large red mask that had what looked to be one single large eye on the centre of it.

“Why did I have to be right?” Shade asked himself as he levelled his weapon towards the human attacking Gil and fired three times, all three bullets hitting the human and it jumped backwards seemingly mostly unaffected by the bullets.

It was then Gil shakily turned his head to see Shade, as he weakly stuttered out, “Shade…”

Shade only nodded to Gil holding out his Shade Eyecon quickly changing forms before quickly using his own chains to fling himself next to Gil and the use the same chains to form a barrier between both them and the strange human.

It was then Shade placed a small toy car that looked almost like an ambulance into Gil’s hand before saying, “get yourself out of sight, that little car will sort you out, but no promises in it being painless.”

Gil simply nodded shakily before saying, “thanks,” as he shakily attempted to stand but couldn’t muster the energy to do so.

Shade then sighed before quickly picking Gil up and quickly running into a nearby alley before thinking, “Thank god that human’s not the sharpest tool in the shed,” before he slowly placed Gil on the ground before adding, “after you feel better don’t come out until I get you, okay?”

Gil only nodded back in agreement before running back out the alley quickly looking at the chains he used to create the barrier to see sparks bouncing off them as it seemed the human was trying to get past them, as for how they hadn’t Shade could not understand, was this human, not alive and simply a mindless puppet of some kind, or something more than that.

Shade then took a single breath before allowing his chains to quickly charge towards his opponent, swinging at its leg in an attempt to grab and throw it away from him to give himself some room to act against his attacker.

In response to Shades attack, the human jumped backwards dodging out of the way of the initial attack only for Shade’s chains to wrap around his opponent's legs before throwing and dragging them through the walls before proceeding to throw them into the air.

It was then that Shade thought, “I’ll handle this before that thing hits the ground,” however before he could act he saw what looked to be a red magic circle appearing in front of the figure which faded into existence.

After a few moments, the circle burst out in a crimson glow as Shade looked to where the human had been moments ago to find that it still retained the same look as before but now was sitting on a large white pegasus who’s size was comparable to Celestia’s, and looked to be mounted by the human, who looked to be using the dagger to control it having two digging into each side of the pegasus’s neck.

“I’m really glad no other ponies outside can see this, they would be disgusted,” Shade stated as he realised the pegasus was clearly being forced to do as the human wanted, before both the Pegasus and it’s rider suddenly flew towards him at a pace Shade could barely keep up with the only signal being a beam of white light that quickly passed through his body.

It was then Shade quickly flicked the band on his arm that held the two roidmudes activating the slowdown effect knowing it would barely effect Gil thanks to the Shift car he gave him, as he saw that the rider was clearly slower than before now moving only slightly faster than Shade running speed.

It was then Shade quickly turned to wait for his attacker to charge back towards him as he untangled his chains around his shoulders as a red aura surrounding them as the floated around his form the red markings on his armour glowing red, as he brought his arms up in front of him, with on hand grasping the chain.

After a few seconds of waiting the rider began to charge towards Shade once again, as Shade continued waiting as they got closer before his chains darted forwards grabbing ahold of the pegasus’s wings quickly holding them against its side as it began to plummet towards the ground.

As the pegasus continued to fall the human on its back began attempting to force it to do as it wants as Shade heard the pegasus screaming out in pain as the daggers were jabbed into its neck a bit more.

As soon as Shade saw this he quickly had the chains envelop the rider on it’s back cocooning it in chains as it lost grip of fell of its back in the process releasing the pressure on the pegasus’s neck as it crashed into the ground by Shade’s feet in a cloud of dust.

Once the dust had settled Shade looked down to find the pegasus on its side looking up to him in fear, it was then Shade knelt down in front of it and placed his hand out as the pegasus recoiled clenching its eyes shut before stopping and slowly opening them to find that Shade hadn’t harmed it.

It was then that the pegasus looked up to him in confusion to find him checking over the wounds that the rider had caused, along with checking no other injuries had occurred during the crash. After a few moments, Shade simply nodded his head before standing up and saying, “you're fine, there are no notable injuries from the fall and the wounds against your neck aren’t a danger to your health.”

The pegasus only looked at Shade as it said shakily, “why?”

“So you can speak, unlike that other human… I think she has a thing for BDSM,” Shade stated.

“Why are you not harming me?” the pegasus asked again.

“Because I don’t harm the innocent, I saw she was harming you and forcing you to do what she wanted through pain and fear, so I released you… I don’t know where you can go, but you're free to find out,” Shade admitted as he released the Pegasus’s wings.

The Pegasus, however, didn’t go anywhere as it simply stood back up before as lowered its head to Shade, who looked back in confusion for placing his hand outwards as the pegasus rested it’s head on the palm of his hand.

“Are you trying to tell me something?” Shade asked in confusion.

“I choose you,” the Pegasus simply responded as a white spark flickers between the Pegasus and Shade, which is followed by the Pegasus’s hairs turning from white to black as Shade felt something burning into his own back, a feeling he chose to ignore it for the time being in favour of checking on the two puncture wounds on the Pegasus’s neck to find they had completely healed.

“Now I think we need to finish something,” Shade added as he turned to look to the human who was still cocooned in his chains, as he saw they could still be moved before he lifted them up constructing them tightly as multiple loud snapping sounds was heard as the chains slowly moved over the body getting tighter and tighter.

It was then the Pegasus lowered itself beside him gesturing for Shade to climb on simply saying, “You think you are the only want wanting payback?”

“Of course not,” Shade responded climbing on to the pegasus’s back, “I’ll just try to not fall off.”

“You’ll be fine,” the pegasus responded as he flew into the air as the chains cocooning the human began to lift from the ground as four separate chains attached themselves to the falls walls surrounding then bearing the broken body of their attacker to the world with just a set of chains covering the figures entire face from the neck up.

Once both the Pegasus and Shade were above the chained figure they both looked down before Shade asked the Pegasus, “you ready to end this?”

“For longer than you could know,” the pegasus replied calmly.

At this Shade nodded his head before reaching to his driver pulling the handle as the driver shouted out, “Shade! Omega Charge!” as a black light surrounded them both as they bolted forward, looking like a single continual black lightning bolt that tore through the other human’s body destroying the unprotected body.

As soon as they stopped Shade looked back to find the head of the human still suspended in the chains as he released them as the head began to fall only to suddenly dissolve away leaving a small shimmering light on the ground in the heads place.

After both the Pegasus and Shade landed next to where the light had appeared Shade climbed off walking towards the light to find what looked to be a small card that looked to have a man riding a chariot on it with the word ‘Rider’ written below it.

“That strangely makes a lot of sense in context with you,” Shade responded looking at the pegasus as he placed the card in his pocket, “we better get out of here, so I have one question for you. Do you wish to stay and fight alongside me, this is your choice to make.”

“I said I choose you, and I’m sticking to that. Besides since the day I was created I was bound to that things will, I doubt I could live by myself.”

“Okay then, well then I’m glad to have you with me… just try to get on with everyone okay.”

“What makes you think I wouldn’t?” the pegasus asked.

“Considering the fact, you aren’t alone it may seem a bit bizarre,” Shade stated reverting back to Wizards form unsure if he could leave the same way he had entered otherwise.

It was then that the mark on Shade’s back began to flare up before the Pegasus said, “Why do I get a feeling that the mark on your back is my way out?”

“Because it likely is, don’t worry you won’t be sealed away again I promise. We’ll get out then you can live freely however you want.”

“I’ll hold you too that, if you are like Medusa I’ll kill you myself,” the Pegasus responded.

Shade stopped momentarily at that before think to himself, “Medusa… isn’t that the Gorgon from Greek myth?”

“No it’s one of the Greater Phantoms,” Valkyrie stated.

“I’ll vouch for that,” Hellhound agreed.

“I’ll take your words on that,” Shade responded rolling his eyes under his helmet before saying to the Pegasus, “you ready?”

“I guess,” the Pegasus responded nervously.

“You’ll be fine, I promise,” Shade responded as the pegasus turned into a black light that moved towards Shade’s back.

Once Pegasus that completely disappeared Shade quickly made his way back towards Gil who he found still shaking gripping the Shift Car he had been given tightly.

It was then Shade knelt down infront of him before saying, “Gil, it’s okay, that thing is gone now.”

It was then without as word Gil suddenly grabbed onto Shade tightly wrapping his arms around his chest and bringing his head close to Shade’s chest before openly crying.

Shade then slowly placed his arm under Gil before picking him up and allowing him to move his head to cry into Shade’s neck while he used his other arm to allow keep him from falling backwards, as he said with a calming tone, “let's get you out of here, it’s probably not a good idea to be here any longer than we have to be.”

Gil did not respond to him as he continued gripping Shade’s neck now burying his head against Shade’s shoulder still sobbing.

Shade simply smiled under his helmet before slowly rubbing Gil’s back as he walked back to where he had first entered the strange place he had arrived in before standing in the same spot as he had entered as the same magic circle as before appeared on the floor around him before raising around the two of them before they seemed to return to what looked to be the same location as before, but without the large gashes through the wall.

As soon as Shade was sure they were safe he cancelled his transformation before turning his head to Gil who stopped crying and was now falling asleep in Shade’s arms, tears still staining his face.

It was then Shade heard Harmony quickly say back, “Shade, you better be okay, you idiot.”

“Charming Harmony, charming,” Shade responded rolling his eyes before adding, “I’m fine, whatever caused the problem here was handled, and I have a direct magical source which should help us locate the other sources, when I get back I’ll hand you it, also it seems that Gil got dragged in their, and he’s pretty shaken up from the experience.”

“I see, we’ll need to work out how he got in and make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. If you hadn’t arrived when you did, who knows what could have happened to him.”

“I don’t want to think about it, but it wouldn’t have been good, that's for sure,” Shade agreed with a smile as he made his way back towards the Castle to both check on the situation of the other injured people from the train crash and scared civilians from the attack on the Shade Theocracy’s hideout.

Author's Note:

I'm sorry for the long wait for the last two chapters. Hopefully, I should be able to update this more in the future.

as always, I want to hear your thoughts on the chapter and what you think will happen next

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