Midnight Shadow (Outdated)

by Orzo Pasta

May the Bridges I Burn Light the Way

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I already knew where the library was due to the events of the previous day. I was on my way, walking slowly, taking the time to observe the town around me. I got a general idea of the path from the abandoned house to the library, and what I could expect to see on the way, since I figured I'd be making more trips there in the future.

The library definitely was strange. I couldn't tell if it was a hollowed-out tree, or if it was just made to look like a tree. From a distance, it definitely looked like a huge tree, yet it had windows and a balcony. I only wondered about it for a few moments, before getting back on task. I opened the red door, walking inside.

The main room of the library wasn't nearly as impressive as the tower library I used to live in, but it definitely set itself apart from most other libraries, mostly in its architecture. It was either made to look like it was carved out of the inside of a tree, or it actually was carved out of the inside of a tree. In the center, there was a round table which had a statue of a pony's head on it. A staircase against the back wall led to the upper floor.

I began to search the shelves against the walls, looking for a book that might contain the spell I needed.

"Why are you here?" It was Twilight. Turning around, I saw she had come down from the second floor.

"I could ask you the same question."

"I live here. I have a reason for being here. You don't."

"Twilight, this is a public library. I am allowed to be here."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Alright, just don't mess the books up. They're poorly organized as is."

I looked back at the books. They weren't that bad, but Twilight probably saw them as much worse, seeing as she was always a perfectionist when it came to organization. Still, I could tell how they were organized, and soon found the book I was looking for.

Magic and Geology. It was a dull-looking book, with a gray cover. The author's name had faded off the cove, seemingly due to its old age. It looked older than any other book in the library. I opened the book, and sure enough, the gem finding spell I needed was there.

"So, are you the librarian too, or..."

Twilight was still standing there. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm not sure there even was a librarian when I moved in."

"Okay. I need to check out this book."

She rolled her eyes. "You don't need to 'check it out.' You can just take it. However, if you don't give it back, I will hunt you down and take it back by any means necessary."

She seemed completely serious as she said this. I wasn't too surprised. Twilight had always taken books seriously, and seeing as the library was her home, it was likely she thought of the book, as well as the rest of the books in the library, as hers.

"Don't worry. I just need one spell, and I'll be done with it."

Twilight looked right at me. "I don't trust you, as you're well aware. I'll make sure it gets returned one way or another, Midnight Shadow."

I sighed. "Yes, Twilight, I get the message. I'll bring it back."

With that, I left. Twilight definitely still held my actions on the night prior against me, despite the fact that they were all in an effort to benefit the group's effort. I was just trying to get us to the Elements as fast as possible. Somehow, Twilight didn't understand that. But, I couldn't do anything about it. I had lost her trust, and regaining it was something that would take time, if it happened at all.

I had what I was looking for. It was time to test it.
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According to the book, which was apparently written by somepony who lived in the area, there were caves nearby where gems were plentiful. By the book's description of the area, it seemed like the author lived there before Ponyville was even founded. By the description, Ponyville was nothing but trees, just another part of the massive Everfree Forest. Still, I could figure out where the caves were well enough.

Entering the caves, I saw no sign of the gems that were supposedly hidden there. I figured that any gems exposed to the surface would've been taken long ago, leaving only the well-hidden ones. I flicked the switch on my horn, read the spell from the book one more time, and cast it.

Sure enough, I could see where the gems were. It was sort of blurry, but I could tell where they were well enough to retrieve them. They were clustered together in chunks, hidden in the ground. There were quite a lot of them, just as the book said.

I dug up a few. It wasn't too difficult, seeing as the ground in that part of the cave was surprisingly soft.Sure,they were common gems, but they were still worth something. Given how easy it was to get them, I was surprised more ponies didn't become gem finders.

Then again, that would significantly increase the population of Ponyville, and the constant excavation plus the construction to accommodate the new population would likely have devastating effects on the local ecosystem. Not to mention the fact that Ponyville would no longer be a rural area, which would make it impossible for me to hide here.

Maybe it's a good thing not many ponies are gem finders.

I could only take a few, seeing as I had nothing to carry them in, but what I could carry would be enough to buy a saddlebag, which would allow me to carry more on my next trip.

I was still unsure if it was wise to be out during the day, even though it was such a rural area and was likely devoid of any presence of the Lunar Uprising. Still, as I was walking through the streets, nopony really paid attention to me, beyond a few strange looks, which I figured were due to either my mismatched eyes, strange scars, or metal leg, or perhaps both. I moved fairly quickly, trying not to be out longer than I had to, but also trying not to be suspicious.

I was able to buy a saddlebag, as well as a plain cloak, which at the very least would make it difficult to recognize me from a distance. I got considerably less strange looks from the ponies passing by after I put the cloak on, although there were still a few who were probably wondering why a pony would be walking through such a small town wearing a cloak. Nevertheless, nothing bad happened.

When I got back to the abandoned house, I took a deep breath. It's over, at least for the time being.

I had figured everything out. I had found everything I needed; a hiding place, a source of bits, and, most importantly, a chance to rebuild my life. I had lost everything, but I had been given the chance to salvage what I could and replace what I couldn't.

I walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. It was the first time I had really gotten a chance to stop and think.

I thought about everything I'd been through ever since I first met Twilight over ten years ago. So much had changed in so little time. And then, when I was captured, a long time went by without anything changing. After I escaped, things began changing again.

The dust on the ground had been kicked up time and time again. But the dust was finally settling back down.

What would I see once it was settled? And how long would it stay that way?
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Having nothing else to do, I decided to read more of the Magic and Geology book. It was more than just finding gems; it described several experiments performed by the author, the most noteworthy of which involving magical runes on gemstones. The author found that when a magical rune was carved on a gemstone, as compared to a regular stone tablet, the rune was much more powerful. The book seemed like it was written back when rune-crafting was in its infancy, and yet some of the runes mentioned were much more modern.

About halfway through the book, a plain envelope slid out from between two pages. It was marked with two words: Midnight Shadow.

Somepony had left it in the book, knowing I would find it. Both the envelope and the enclosed letter looked like they were just as old as the book. I began to read.

If you're reading this, Midnight Shadow, it means you've found my book. I know you likely have a lot of questions, but I cannot answer any of them yet. Many of them have answers you must find yourself. However, while you may be safe for the time being, you aren't out of the woods yet. He knows you're still alive, and he'll be searching for you. Eventually, he'll find you, no matter what it takes.

You need to convince him to stop looking. If he thinks you aren't in the picture anymore, he'll turn his attention to his main goal. I can't tell you how to do this, but I can tell you that once you do, he will forget you quickly. His eyes will likely be on Canterlot; I recommend you go there to get his attention.

And, remember one thing. No matter what you do, don't let him get all of the-

The rest of the letter was torn. I read it again, an expression of disbelief on my face. The letter was asking me to fake my own death. I just couldn't believe it.

But the more I thought about it, the more that initial reaction faded, and the more I saw the logic behind it. If Desert River thought I was dead, there would be no reason to search for me. If he had no reason to search for me, he wouldn't find me. Everypony else already thought I was dead, with the exception of Twilight and those other five ponies. The Lunar Uprising was a huge threat to my safety, but I could change that with a simple plan and good timing.

Sure, it might require me to fake my own death, but that was nothing compared to what I'd been through up to that point.

I made up my mind. All I needed was a plan.
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The sun was setting over the magnificent city of Canterlot. The last ponies left outside their homes were returning, anticipating a good night's sleep. The streets were unusually still, as they always were during the night. An eerie silence filled the air. While most of the streetlamps had been blown out for the night, there was one that was forgotten. I stood underneath its flickering glow, surveying the dark street around me. Everything was still, as if the entirety of the universe were holding its breath. From under my cloak, my two mismatched eyes peered into the darkness, watching for any sign of movement.

Suddenly, I noticed another pair of eyes staring back. They were light blue, sparkling in the dim light of the streetlamp.

For a moment, neither one of us moved.

"So, you've come back," a familiar voice said from the blackness.

I said nothing, standing as still as a statue.

"I knew you couldn't stay away, Shadow. You have nothing left, and when ponies lose everything they go looking for anything they can cling on to, any fragment of their life they can grasp, anything to comfort them from the cold world around them. But, I'm afraid there's nothing left for you to find. You've done nothing but save me the trouble of tracking you down."

He stepped forward, his figure finally coming into view. He was also wearing a cloak, concealing everything except his eyes. "Perhaps you know you can't escape, so you're just willing to get it over with and save us all the trouble. How thoughtful of you."

I shifted slightly, still not speaking a word.

"Or maybe you really did think there was something left for you here? Well, I guess I'll find out in a moment."

He pulled something out from his cloak. A single tan hoof, holding a metallic object, emerged from the cloth.

I knew exactly what to do, and how to do it.

I turned and ran.

"So be it, Midnight Shadow," I heard him whisper from behind. Then, I heard his hoofsteps following me. I knew which way to go, making each turn quickly. He followed perfectly, not deterred by my rapid changes in direction, just as I was hoping.

Soon, I reached a bridge. On the other side stood two more cloaked ponies, blocking the way off.

"I really did hope you'd make it easy, but I guess that isn't your style." Desert River was blocking the only other way off the bridge. I briefly looked down, seeing a long fall onto a barren rock face. "Now, it's over."

I smirked. "You're very arrogant, Desert River, you know that?" I flicked the switch on the horn atop my head, and used a spell to bring an object out from under my cloak; a rod of a shiny blue material.

"What, you think that blue rod is going to save you?"

I climbed onto the railing of the bridge. Pulling down my hood, I smirked at Desert River.

"No. But it will bring you down with me."

I struck the rod against my metal leg. On the first strike, it ignited. Desert River took a step back.

I looked over the edge again. The bridge was held up by several supports that reached all the way down to the bottom of the ravine. I threw the burning rod at the base of the nearest support, and then waited three seconds.

Desert River had started darting towards me, knife held ready to strike. I charged a spell in my horn, and leaned backwards.

Freefall is definitely not a comfortable situation to be in. Still, I held my eyes closed, focusing my mind on a single task.

Everything slowed down. I heard the sound of hoofsteps running off the bridge. Then, the sound of an explosion just beginning to light, followed by the much closer sound of a Teleport rune charging up.

I opened my eyes, looking up. Desert River was running off the bridge. He wasn't watching.

Good. Now he'll think I died here. Just as I planned.

The rune activated.
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I was lying on a grassy field. The wind was blowing softly, rustling the leaves on the trees nearby. I opened my eyes, head still spinning. My breathing was surprisingly slow and even, and I felt no panic or fear, just a sense of disorientation. Soon, even that faded, leaving me in a state of perfect tranquility.

I sat up, looking out at the field surrounding me. It was still nighttime, but the open field was well lit by the moon's silvery glow. I sat there, breathing deeply, watching the wind as it blew across the grassy field. It was so peaceful, almost like the events that had just occurred were nothing but a distant memory.

I was humming an old tune. I wasn't sure where I had heard it before, or when I had started humming, but the song was slow and relaxed, like the surface of a placid lake, undisturbed by the troubles and hardships of the world around it. I knew I couldn't stay there forever, but I was content to spend one tranquil moment there.

I looked around. In one direction, the small buildings of Ponyville. In the other, the abandoned building on the edge of the Everfree Forest.

I did it. My plan worked. Desert River made it out, and so did I.

But he didn't know that.

I began to walk towards the house I had been staying in. I had things to do, machines to build, gems to find, a life to rebuild. And now that I was free from the searching gaze of the Uprising, I could do so with peace of mind.

It was a new beginning for me, and as I reached the door, I smiled.

I reached up, turned the door handle, and entered my new home.
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I carved the last line in the rune, etching it into the deep blue surface of the Arcanium construct. It was somewhat more complex than my horn or the Arcanium coin I used to create the Protection and Teleport spells earlier, and for good reason. This particular device had to perform several operations in a short time frame, and as such it needed a more advanced Arcanium construct at its core.

A few days prior, there was some very strange news from Canterlot. Apparently, in the middle of the night, a bridge that was built over a ravine simply collapsed. The Royal Guard couldn't find any evidence as to what caused it, despite their best efforts. It was simply dismissed as a chance event, and construction for a replacement bridge began soon after.

It was unfortunate that my plan had involved damage to public property, but there was no other way I could ensure it was convincing with the resources I had available. I still wasn't completely sure if the plan worked, but I refused to allow myself to live in fear for the rest of my days, and as such I assumed it went perfectly. After all, if it didn't work, there would be nothing else I could do.

My thoughts drifted back to the construct on the work table. It was small, about two thirds the size of the bottom of my hoof. I had already made the bronze casing, and it was a simple matter to put it on the construct. I put it in the compartment in my mechanical hoof, then grabbed my saddlebag and notebook.

In order to test the device, I needed a place that was completely isolated. I had decided that the gem caves would be remote enough. The walk was uneventful, and soon I was there. I went inside, picking a particularly open area in the cave system to set the experiment up.

First, I identified the center of the cave. Then, I began to place objects in a circle around the center point, keeping seven steps between the objects and the center. The objects varied in size and weight, which was how I had chosen them. Among them were two rocks, a pen, a piece of paper, a pillow, and a tree branch I had picked up on the way.

Then, I walked back to the center. Taking the device out, I held it in my hoof, looking it over. To the untrained eye, it would look like a bronze cube, with a line splitting it in two. I twisted the two halves of the device, widening the gap slightly and exposing a small part of the blue construct beneath.

The device began emitting a blue glow, which quickly formed into a shield around me. Then, a shockwave of energy burst out from the outside surface of the shield, pushing all of the objects back and putting cracks in the semi-soft cave walls.

The device had worked exactly as intended.

I had designed it to be an emergency self-defense measure. A shield around me for protection from immediate threats, followed by a shockwave to relocate and disorient other potential threats, buying me precious time to escape. I may have stopped worrying about the Lunar Uprising, but that didn't mean I was going to let myself be defenseless. After all, being on the edge of the Everfree Forest, there were a number of creatures that would attack me on sight, and if one wandered into town one day I wasn't going to be found without something to protect myself. That, and there was always a possibility that the Uprising was either still looking for me or would catch word of the fact that I was still alive. Regardless of how likely I was to come across danger, it was definitely better to have the device and not need it than need it and not have it.

The device had slammed every one of the objects onto the cave walls. I wasn't sure if this meant the shockwave was incredibly powerful, or that objects were affected the same regardless of mass. I wrote the results down in my notebook, then collected all of the objects, put the device back in my hoof's compartment, and left.
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Later that day, I found myself once again making my way to the library. I had finished copying all of the information in the Magic and Geology book, and I didn't want to lose Twilight's trust any more than I had, if that was even possible. Plus, she might not let me check out any more if I don't return this one.

I opened the door, once again entering the tree-library hybrid building. Twilight wasn't there, which I had prepared for. I set the book down on the center table, and then put a note I had written on top of it. That way, when she came back, she would know I was the one who returned the book.

I walked out, my task complete. However, immediately after I left, there was a flash of light from inside. I stopped, turning back to see what had happened. When I got back to the door, I found it locked, and all of the lights that had been on inside the library were strangely out, leaving the inside in complete darkness. It was starting to get late anyway, so I decided not to worry about it, and started heading back to my house.

Not long after, I was stopped by a large group of ponies. It seemed like about half the town's population.

"Hey, you, have you seen Twilight?" one pony in the front of the group asked.

I couldn't walk around them, seeing as they were somehow blocking the whole street. "No, I haven't." I didn't like being inconvenienced for no reason. "Now, can I please get by?"

"Do you have any idea where she might be?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, I don't. Now, if you don't mind-"

"Are you sure? Do you have any idea at all?"

I felt something snap inside of me. I opened the compartment in my hoof, took out my device, and quickly turned the two halves.

Sure enough, it launched the whole crowd back. I started running as soon as they were clear, glancing back to make sure nopony was seriously hurt. Luckily, it seemed like most of the ponies had been slowed down when they collided with the rest of the crowd. It may not have been the best thing to do, but there was no serious harm done, and I could continue on my way. The shield dropped, a mere three seconds after its activation. I put the device back in its compartment, then kept walking away from the crowd.

Well, at least it's been useful once.
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The next morning, I was walking to get the newspaper, as I had done for the past few days. I noticed some ponies trying to avoid me, walking on the other side of the street or even turning down a road they were clearly not planning on walking down. It was probably due to the events of the evening prior. I made a mental note to devise less disruptiveways of getting around obstacles like that crowd.

The newspaper stand was open, as usual. I put a gem on the counter and took a paper. The pony on the other side of the stand simply nodded. I took a look at the headline.

Possible New Lead in Canterlot Demolished Bridge Case.

Upon reading those words, I felt a surge of anxiety. I hoped that the plan had, in fact, worked as planned, and that this 'new lead' was just a false alarm. I started reading the article.

Earlier this week, a bridge in Canterlot crumbled to dust in the middle of the night with no explanation. However, new information has come forth as to what may have caused this. An anonymous source gave some information to the Royal Guard yesterday. He said that he had seen what happened from his window, which overlooked the bridge. He claims that, just before the bridge went down, there were four cloaked ponies standing on the bridge. According to the anonymous source, one pony jumped off the bridge, and soon after an explosion came from below, destroying the supports holding up the bridge. The other three ponies supposedly escaped. The Royal Guard has not made an official decision as to whether or not this source can be trusted, but have released the information in accordance with the Information Transparency decree which was issued by the Princess in 831 A.L. For those not familiar with the decree, it requires that all military operations conducted by the Royal Guard and National Guard cannot be hidden or concealed from the public in whole or in part. Since the Royal Guard themselves were given the information anonymously, they are incapable of revealing the identity of the source, which they would otherwise be required to do. Because of this, we were unable to interview the source to obtain more information. We will report on any new developments as they occur.

So, somepony saw me, as well as the others, but they didn't see who I was, and they didn't notice that I had made it out alive. Which meant there was no new news for me, or for the Uprising.

I took a deep breath. I had said I would live without worrying about them, but it was sometimes quite difficult to do so when their influence could be seen on a daily basis.

I flipped through the pages of the newspaper, looking for anything else that might affect me. Sitting down on a nearby bench, I saw another article. It wasn't particularly interesting or important, but something about it seemed off.

New Theater Planned for Canterlot

Sunday, plans were released for a new theater in the heart of Canterlot. In the Great Canterlot Fire of 990, an old historic theater was destroyed. Luckily, the rubble has been cleared out enough to allow for an exact replica to be made in the same spot. Very soon, construction on this new project will begin. Estimated to take seven months, when it is finished it will be a hub for theatrical performances in Canterlot, and will be, once again, the biggest theatre in Equestria. Rare is the day when such a massive project is approved, given all of the challenges that come with it.

Lately, there has been an increase in governmental interest in the buildings destroyed in the fire. In June alone, seven different expeditions were approved to search the ruined portions of the city. Never before has the Royal Court so suddenly and unexpectedly taken an interest in something they seemed so content to leave alone. It is estimated that about sixty-five percent of the ruined buildings will be replaced or restored in the next year. No doubt about it, something has happened to make the Royal Court find interest in the ruined city. Given how much time has passed, it isn't likely much will be left, but what is left will certainly be recovered.

That was it. The article itself seemed okay, if not a little lacking on details. What really caught my attention was the wording. In some places, it just felt like they purposefully shifted words around for no reason. It was almost as if-

I had an idea. If I was right, it meant there was definitely something strange going on. I looked over the article again, but I began writing down the first letter of every sentence.

S-I-L-V-E-R L-I-N-I-N-G

I looked at the author of the article. There wasn't a name listed. I then noticed that none of the text on the rest of the page made any sense. It was just a bunch of random words, put there to look like text. The paper it was printed on was a slightly different color and texture than the rest of the pages.

Somepony had put this fake page in this newspaper. And from the looks of it, that pony was Silver Lining.

I looked around, hoping to see him somewhere. After a moment, I noticed a cloaked pony standing in the shadows of an alley, looking straight at me.

It was him, alright.
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I looked around, making sure nopony was watching me too closely. Convinced that I was, more or less, just another face in the crowd, I stood up and started walking over to him.

I entered the alley, standing next to him. He was leaned up against the right wall, and I began leaning against the left one.

"What is this about?" I asked, my voice slightly hushed.

"I know it was you at the bridge that night."

My heart began to beat a little faster. "What do y-"

"Don't try to play dumb with me, I know it was you."

My heart rate was definitely accelerating. "So what if it was?"

"I wanted to ask you a few questions."

Considering all that was at stake, I decided to comply. "Like what?"

"Who are you?"

The question surprised me. I figured that if he was able to find me, then he would know all about me.

"I know you were the pony I met in the blizzard last January. I know you were the pony on the bridge. And I know who the others were. So, tell me, who are you?"

I took a deep breath, my heartbeat slowing just a bit. "My name is Midnight Shadow. I'm just a gem hunter."

"That isn't all. There's no way those ponies would take such an interest in somepony who was 'just a gem hunter.' I know them, and they only go out in such a populated area when they have a good reason, even at night. So start talking."

I sighed. Silver was definitely good when it came to identifying lies.

"Remember back during the blizzard, when I read your book on Canterlot?"

"Yes, but what does that have to-"

"Remember how it said something about a government official who went missing?"

Silver looked at me, for the first time in the whole conversation, and there was a look of pure shock in his eyes. "That was you?"

I nodded. "Midnight Shadow, former Royal Engineer."

He definitely wasn't expecting that, but he quickly regained his composure. "Still, you had to do something to get them to notice you like that."

I looked around, making sure nopony was paying attention to us. "He said something about me being 'a symbol of everything he stands against,' and 'a reminder of a past failure.' I'm not sure even I fully know why they're after me."

"Who was this again?" he asked. "Could he have, by any chance, been named after a certain aquatic feature in an arid landscape?"

It took me a moment to realize what he was saying. "I... think so. Yeah."

Silver went completely silent.

"Silver?"

He pulled a small card out of his cloak, and passed it to me, still silent. I took it, not quite understanding what he was doing. Then, he turned around swiftly, facing into the alley, and disappeared into the darkness.

"Silver?" I called again, into the alley, but there was no response.

I walked out of the alley to take a look at the card.

It was coordinates, and they were fairly close by too. It was quite obvious what he wanted me to do.
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Author's Note:

Sorry if this one took a bit long.