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Trixie1,054 words
Luna1,249 words
ShiningHill1,951 words
Hollow Shades Part 11,990 words
Hollow Shades Part 21,541 words
Hollow Shades Part 3: The Adventure Returns!1,344 words
Hollow Shades Part 4: The Adventure Re-returns!2,485 words
Hollow Shades Part 5: The Machine!2,342 words
Hollow Shades Part 6: Destroy the Machine!2,661 words
Hollow Shades Part 7: Level Up2,041 words
Battle of Hollow Shades Part 11,452 words
Battle of Hollow Shades Part 21,153 words
Battle of Hollow Shades Part 31,150 words
Battle of Hollow Shades Part 41,461 words
Battle of Hollow Shades Part 51,222 words
Battle of Hollow Shades Part 61,977 words
The Finality of Things2,295 words
The End2,071 words
Epilogue2,080 words

Hollow Shades Part 4: The Adventure Re-returns!

Hollow Shades Grand Finale Part 2
Speech Increased To 2.5

In Hollow Shades the night was fast coming to an end. Celestia's sun hovered just over the thin horizon, showering the treetops of the swamp in golden-green tones. But it wasn't the trees or the light that mattered, but the things that moved underneath. From the town hall, Pierre du Mont Blanc poured over an old map of the region, completely naked under a heavy raincoat and black fedora. It was very obvious for everyone involved.

"So..." Juniper Fields, his secretary and a vampire pony, cleared her throat. She was seated behind a desk a few ways to the side from her boss, with only a typewriter between her and how naked Pierre was.

He was very naked.

"For the last time, Miss Fields," he deadpanned from behind his polarized spectacles, still naked, "I am invisible. It does not matter. Yes?"

"Still tho."

A very heavy, uncomfortable silence fell between them. You could hear the sound of a teensy little fly stuck behind the wall plaster, precisely five paces and two hoof widths to the right of the mayor. Do recall this oddly specific description, I do swear it will matter later.

"Still what?" he asked. "You're naked too, you know? The only thing you're wearing is a bowtie, for Celestia's sake!"

The vampire mare bit her lip. Oh, she knew.

Suddenly feeling very exposed, Pierre closed the belt of his raincoat and tightened it hard enough to bite him. He cleared his throat and dabbed a few droplets of invisible sweat from his face, upsetting his spectacles in the process.

"Anyway. We have to do something to get rid of this.. this monster! before he ruins my chances to be reelected." He smashed a hoof against the desk, startling the vampire mare. "I want ideas. Good ones, and I want them yesterday!"

From across the room, seated on a little stool, a mysterious figure shuffled on his seat against his bindings and muttered words muffled by the gag in his mouth. Pierre stared at him a while longer, unsure of what to think, what to do, painfully aware of the very intense stare Juniper Fields was giving him from behind her typewriter. He shuddered. His entire campaign, heck!, his life itself was in jeopardy! Now the creature that had built him his fortune, his most trusted advisor, seemed to have nothing more to say. Trembling, as he always did when he tried this, Pierre crossed the room and removed the creature's gag.

"The entire town is at my throat." he muttered. "If I run now, creature, will I ever be able to recover?"

The creature stared at him a moment. His next words were a punch to the gut.

"Face your death with some courage, thief."

Pierre said nothing for a moment. He just trembled. "No! I'm not done yet. I built this town from scratch! I won't... I can't leave it behind. Without it I am nothing... I made Hollow Shades what it is now. I won't leave it." His voice was breaking.

"You made it? I was sure I'd find you face down in the dirt."

"Shut up!" he screamed, and grabbed the creature by the collar of its clothes. "I don't need you! I don't. I don't!" He repeated it like a prayer, shaking the creature hard and weeping invisible tears. Behind him Juniper Fields fanned herself hard with a stack of papers, eyes glued to the scene.

"You're still alive?"

Pierre stopped. He was on his knees, shivering, when the question shocked some sense into him. He was, wasn't he? A smile broke his lips. Yes, he was! He was alive and still as powerful and wealthy as ever, and nothing would stand in his way!

"Yes!" He laughed maniacally, hooves raised to the ceiling as random, unrelated lightning thundered outside the window! It would have been more impressive if he weren't, you know, invisible and all. But still. "I will get rid of the monster and reclaim Hollow Shades as mine! I WILL GET BACK WHAT IS MINE! MUAHA-AHA-AHOO-AHA-AHEEHEE-AHA-HOO!"

Overwhelmed by Pierre's seductive laugh, Juniper Fields bit off a chunk of her typewriter and fainted. The creature merely stared.

"Have you always been that ugly?"

***

A ways away from the town proper, a lone figure made his way across an empty field, strewn with crushed pumpkins and broken fences. His tall, imposing, mighty silhouette clashed against the gloomy backdrop of the town, and as he walked the very image of power seemed to be projected from each determined step. Truly, he was a being of radiant and immeasurable power! He was the guard!

"Gotta keep my eyes open. Damn dragons could swoop down at any time."

Watchful as ever, the guard of legend cast his gaze across the field. It seemed empty, but then again, experience had taught him that even the quietest patrol path could be crawling with enemies. That or it must have been the wind. One or the other.

Anyway! Fully alert, our legendary hero trained his sights on the path ahead, and lo and behold, a pony!

"Hello, monster!"

Our hero stayed still. Perfectly silent, waiting for the moment to strike or defend himself! Also the pony wasn't within detection range. It was a tiny pony, small and squishy, much like all the little equines—pale white of coat, with a buttery-yellow mane and ruby-red eyes—but this one was evil!

Brave and clever, our valiant hero reacted immediately! As the evil, stubby pony prepared her malignant machinations to be cast against him, he did nothing! Because she was still too far away! But he would have, surely, had she been but a few steps closer. Trust me. Confused, the mare dragged herself forward on her haunches.

"Helloooo? Mister Mooooonsteeeer?" she said, and scooted a scoot too close! At once, mighty and with speed to rival even the fastest Dwemer trap, our legendary hero drew his sword and assumed his battle stance, startling the mare out of her skin.

"Only burglars and vampires creep around after dark. So which are you?" The rasp of true, nord steel sang in the cool, morning air.

With her mouth in the shape and size of an ostrich egg, the mare stared at the mighty guard. 'How did he know?!' she thought, as every hair from the top of her mane to the tip of her tail stood at attention. Two long, sharp fangs glinted in the faint morning sun, and her cutie mark—a crystal goblet full to the brim with blood—shone under the glare of dawn. She tugged at her bowtie.

"W-well," she stammered, looking for words that could save her pony behind, within the wordbox all ponies had inside their pony brains. But there was naught but pony within. "I... you see, I am not..."

Astute beyond common understanding, our heroic guard understood then. He sheathed his sword.

"I know Thieves Guild armor when I see it. You're not fooling anyone."

In that moment Juniper Fields realized just how out of her depth she was. The monster clearly knew she was working for the mayor, and her infiltration/seduction/kidnapping/falling-in-love-and-moving-to-the-Pony-Alps-to-start-a-life-together-only-for-the-both-of-them-to-forget-what-it-was-that-had-made-them-fall-for-each-other-in-the-first-place, leading-to-a-life-of-frustration, resentment-and-desperation, that-would-lead-to-a-rough-falling-out, divorce, and-eventual-reunion years later, when-they-both-would-be-ill-and-only-then-would-they-realize-they-could-have-worked-through anything had-they-only-listened-to-each-other mission was ruined!

"I know your kind, always sneaking about," he said, and turned around to leave.

Juniper Fields stared at him a moment, trying to process those words. Quickly, shock turned to anger. He didn't know her at all! No pony did, and he did not have the right to just lump her up with ne'er do wells and no-good robber ponies like that! She stomped her hooves and ground her teeth together until it hurt. Juniper put one hoof forward, breathing hard, and prepared to charge.

Ahead, the guard didn't move. He didn't flinch, or even make the slightest attempt to defend himself. He knew his words truly were his sharpest and truest weapon. For behind him, the little pony's angry hoof began to tremble ever so slightly, and she fell on her hindquarters with a sad, deflated squeak. She was a bad pony. She couldn't deny it anymore, not when so boldly confronted and exposed. With big, teary eyes, Juniper looked up at the guard and extended her hooves. She'd never wanted a hug so bad in her life.

The guard turned to face her. He looked at her, through her, with a penetrating gaze that managed to both bore deep into her soul and look right past her at the same time. In that moment, more than ever before in her life, Juniper Fields felt naked and exposed, her very spirit laid bare to be judged. She began to salivate. Just a bit tho.

"Well. I'll let it slide this time. But you'd be smart to take that off. Someone might get the wrong idea."

Juniper squeed like no pony has ever squeed before and barrelled straight at the guard—tearing off her bowtie in the process—now free from Pierre's evil influence. She hugged dat guard. She hugged him like there would be no tomorrow, like the world might end and he was the last bit of solid matter left in existence. Her soft, plushy hooves squeezed him hard enough to make the armor creak under the pressure. In doing so she felt strangely... whole. Warm and fuzzy inside, Juniper the vampire pony smiled and buried her muzzle against the guard's chest.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Watch the magic!" the guard said, and Juniper let go with a wide, beaming smile. The magic... of friendship? Had he truly meant that? No way!

"Do you... do you really mean that, Mister Monster?"

Our heroic, merciful guard stared straight ahead in complete silence. But he didn't need to say anything more. Juniper could see it in his empty gaze—he truly did mean everything he said. With a nod and a little grin permanently etched into her face, Juniper bid her new friend farewell and watched him turn and leave in the direction of the forest, happier than she'd been in a very long time.

A few minutes passed after he had disappeared before she realized her mistake. Juniper was a bit slow.

"GAH! THE MAYOR'S PLAN!" she screamed and leapt a tree's length up into the air. "I HAVE TO WARN HIM!"

***

"It's the town!" the goo pony mare said, as she and her slimy companion broke through the cover of the trees. The Hollow Shades day market was just setting up outside town, and a few of the day ponies had begun to set up shop as they walked up to the first few rows of stalls—eye wide open in case they spotted their guard friend.

"Anypony's seen a tall, armored non-pony creature around here?" the goo pony mare asked, while the worried toad watched on from atop her head. But alas! Pony after pony said the same. They'd all seen him, but nopony knew where he'd gone... Tired and with low spirits, the two brave heroes settled down on a quiet street corner to rethink their strategy over a small breakfast.

"I'm so sorry," the mare said, hooves wrapped around a jelly and jelly sandwich without bread—goo ponies are extremely sensitive to gluten, you see—eyes cast down. "I was so sure we'd find him, too!"

*Ribbit*

"You're right, at least we know he was here." A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Oh, you always know what to say to cheer me up!" She smooched the toad on its toady cheek, and took a big bite out of her sandwich.

"Want some?"

*Ribbit*

"Sure!" She smeared her jelly and jelly sandwich over the toad and let its toady skin absorb the nutrients, like you do.

*Ribbit*

"I know! It's my favorite, too!" Satisfied and ready for more action, our heroes stood and readied themselves to renew their search. But as they did so, a pony appeared from just beyond the street's end. It was a mare, but not just any mare, and the goo pony recognized her almost immediately. Juniper Fields, the mayor's assistant, trotted up the street with a look of determination on her that she'd never seen before.

"She's not wearing her bowtie!" the goo pony gasped, as the vampire mare walked past them, with a small entourage of skeleton ponies right behind her. They all looked like ponies on a mission, but what that mission was? Well, it couldn't be any good for them, surely.

*Ribbit*

And our toady friend was correct, in a way. Forces of darkness were arraying themselves in secrecy to unleash a battle the likes of which hadn't been seen in Hollow Shades since the age of Nightmare Moon. What they did not know, however, was just how great the magnitude of their struggle was becoming.

*Ribbit* our knight of slime and loyalty whispered at his friend, and the goo pony stared in disbelief.

"No, you can't leave me!" she said, eyes wide and heart breaking. "Please, your friend needs you. I need you..."

*Ribbit*

The toad leapt from the sidewalk to land next to a drain. He turned one last time to look at his friend's eyes, so full of sadness and tears. 'Please' the goo pony seemed to say, lips quivering. But for our toad the path ahead was clear and righteous. He knew what he must do.

*Ribbit* he promised, and with those poetic final words, he leapt into the drain and let the current carry him away.

Alone and distraught, the goo pony mare wept bitterly as storm clouds gathered over Hollow Shades' skies. A light drizzle began to fall and sizzle against her gooey body, and she knew she must seek refuge. But in that painful moment, she let the rain burn away at her goo and carry her slimy tears away, just like her friend had done. All alone and heartbroken, what was the point in carrying on?

She stomped the ground with a trembling hoof. No. She wouldn't let the pain hold her down. With her other hoof she wiped away the honey-like teardrops falling down her cheeks, and clenched her jaws. They had come so far together... and she knew he wouldn't abandon her. She knew he would fight to the last for his friends, and as certain as the goo must stick, she too was his friend and he was hers.

"I will see you again," she said in a whisper, under the heavy rainfall as thunder echoed above. "And when I do, no evil or storm will keep us apart. I promise, my brave amphibian prince. I swear."

With those words, the goo pony mare stood and turned in the direction Juniper had disappeared in. With narrowed eyes and a newfound purpose burning in her heart, the goo pony mare chased after her. If somepony knew what had happened to the guard, it would be her.

Author's Note:

Got myself caught in a dimensional time rift, lads. Chapter may be coming in with a slight delay. Lots of love from Messina, Sicily, 1347 AD.

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