Shadow stumbles across a deadly plan to take over Equestria and must stop the coming war.
Shadow Chaser's fourth adventure finds him in the midst of an international conflict that could lead to war on multiple fronts for Equestria. Will Shadow be able to stop the Germaneish ponies plans? What other nations are involved in the plot and why would they want to destroy Equestria?
It's been nearly ten years since Shadow joined the Code Star program and he'll have to pull out all the stops and call upon a lengthy careers worth of work to put an end to the war before the Equestrian military is overrun and Equestria is destroyed.
"Go to the Griffin Kingdoms, they said. The Northern Lakes won't be cold, they said."
Shadow's ear crackled to life, "Are you still whining, Shadow?"
Shadow stopped at the base of the boat in front of him and pressed his hoof to his neck. "Ya know, a very dear friend once taught me the difference between whining and complaining. Remind me to introduce you to her some day."
"I can't wait," The smile in Shimmer's voice was unmistakable. "For now we've got bigger problems."
"You mean besides a Germaneish ship stuck in griffin territory?" Shadow stepped back, casting his wall walking spell, and began his ascent.
"Well, besides that, you've got a snow storm headed your way."
Shadow stopped and rolled his eyes. "Perfect. So what are my objectives once I'm on the ship?"
"I won't say avoid detection but the fewer ponies that know you're there, the better. And no casualties. We don't need this turning from rescue mission to international incident."
"Right. Speaking of it, why am I on a rescue mission? We've been around for almost ten years now. Don't we have other ponies to handle things like this?"
"Normally, we just use the Shadowbolts but Luna wanted to avoid all detection. So she sent our best operative to get in and out undetected."
"That almost sounded like a compliment, Shimmer."
"Don't get used to it."
Shadow smiled and stopped just short of the railing of the ship, leaning slowly over and scanning the deck. Spotting no one he made his way over the rail and behind the nearest crate that sat on the deck.
Moving from cover to cover he made his way to a door marked as leading to the bridge. He stepped inside slowly and listened, immediately a bad feeling settled in his stomach. He could hear only himself breathing. There were no creaks or clangs from below deck and no sounds of hoofsteps as ponies moved about. Nothing. Only silence. Making his way up the stairs he remained extra cautious. A silence like this meant that any noise he made would be magnified and unmistakable.
As he peaked the stairs he heard voices coming from the only door in a tight hallway. Edging carefully to the door he perked his ears to hear better.
"Everything is in place. We just need to be sure you'll hold up your end."
A shuffle of movement. "Do not imply that we are the untrustworthy. You are the one selling out your own kind."
A grunt, struggling. Through a strained voice, "The Equestrians are not our kind. They are on their own. Their oppression has gone on too long and we aim to stop them."
Oppression? That doesn't sound like us. Shadow thought.
Another shuffle of movement, claws on the deck. "Regardless, we are not yet ready. We're plagued by these blasted snow storms. We will need some time before we can commit to a full assault."
"How much time?"
"A few weeks. We're approaching the end of the worst of the storms. But let me be clear, griffins come first to me. I will not sacrifice my troops if we are needed here in the Kingdoms."
"Understood. We have a deal, then?"
"For now, little pony."
Shadow poked his head around the corner just enough to see the griffin and pony shake on their deal. He quickly noted the several other griffins on the bridge along with other Germaneish sailors. Moving away from the door and to the stairs Shadow let his mind wrap around what he'd just heard.
An alliance against Equestria? This is not good. Time to make my escape and warn the motherland.
Shadow stepped down the first step and froze as he elicited a loud creak. He heard nothing from behind them, their conversation had stopped. Without another second of hesitation Shadow bolted down the stairs, as he reached the bottom he saw a griffin tear out of the bridge above him and clamber down the stairs at him.
As he exited the stairs Shadow paused for a moment, the storm was definitely here, he could barely see three feet in front of him. The snow would make for good cover though. He sprinted across the deck, running for all he was worth. He could beat most ponies in a hoof race but griffins had a very distinct advantage over him. Wings. Making for the bow of the ship where he had come up he heard a screech from behind him. Cutting quickly to his right and looking behind him he saw a griffin slam into a cargo box, splintering the box and sending wood flying.
Continuing his route to the bow of the ship Shadow glanced two more griffins through the snow in pursuit. Putting them out of his mind he ran on, putting all his heart into beating them off the ship. The cold and sharp conditions weren't helping though. As he neared the edge his muscles tensed in anticipation of his dive to the water below, but apprehension was beginning to grip him. He knew this would work but there's always a chance you miss when there's ice on top of the water.
And then Shadow did the one thing he hadn't anticipated. He slipped. He hit the deck still sliding forward with all the speed he'd had while running. Scrambling to get to his hooves to make his dive he slipped again and again, making no progress as the edge of the ship fast approached him.
Swearing as he went Shadow reached out with his magic, in a desperate attempt to slow himself that he knew wouldn't work. He did however manage to throw several cargo boxes off the ship. Finally resigning himself to what would be a painful fall, Shadow sat on his haunches, hooves extended in front of him. He would do his best to mitigate damage once he was airborne. With a heavy sigh, his own momentum carried him off the edge of the ship.
-----
The two griffins closed on Shadow as he sprinted toward the edge of the ship both were told to capture and not kill but that decision would be made once they had him.
As they flew as fast as their wings, and the frigid conditions, would allow, they shared a smiled when they saw Shadow slip and fall. Flying with increased vigor they closed in, but noted Shadow had not slowed down. His momentum from running was carrying him off the ship. He threw several boxes overboard as he slid and then he followed them off the ship.
The two griffins shared an evil grin as they landed on the edge of the ship, seeing a rather large splash below.
"He'll be dead in minutes in that water."
"And even if he makes it out the weather'll get him. Come on, let's go tell the general."
They turned and headed back to the bridge sharing a laugh at the hapless agent's fate as they went.
-----
Shadow stood motionless under the deck where he had stuck. The position he had been in as he slid off, and a spell that didn't know when to turn itself off, had afforded him a quick grip of the outer hull of the ship. He had quickly moved farther under the overhang so the griffins wouldn't spot him. He watched the boxes smash into the ice and water below and heard voices from above him.
He waited for another minute after they had faded away to be sure he was safe, before he began to hike back down the side of the ship.
Pressing his neck as he walked, "Shimmer. We've got a problem."
"Shimmer? I say again, war is coming. Rally the troops." Shadow swore to himself as he was met with more static. Gotta be the storm. Guess I'll find some shelter and try when it's over.
Moving away from the Germaneish ship, Shadow remained aware of his surroundings, the last thing he needed was a griffin patrol stumbling across him. The storm would do a good job of concealing him but the fact remained, he was a black pony on a white background.
After nearly a mile of drudging through the snow, and squinting through the wind in his face, Shadow stumbles across a small cavern in a cliff wall.
Better than nothing. He thought.
Moving inside the cave, Shadow remained wary. The Griffin Kingdoms were known for their harsh conditions and vicious predators. Lighting his horn, Shadow moved deeper until he came to a dead end. Satisfied he wouldn't be eaten in his sleep, Shadow fired a few magical shots to knock down some icicles hanging from the ceiling.
Piling them together in a small circle, Shadow sat back and stared at the ice, doing his best to remember a long since forgotten spell.
"How did he always say to do it?" He asked the darkness. Leaning his head back against the cave wall he closed his eyes, replaying the lesson as best he could.
-----
"Tell me again why I'll ever need to know how to set ice on fire." Shadow stared at the now mostly melted ice in front of him, before turning to his instructor with a rather incredulous look on his face.
"Because your job is going to take you to every corner of Equestria and beyond. You need to know how to survive in every environment. Any school filly can start a fire with wood and leaves. Not many ponies in this kingdom can set a blaze using ice. To my knowledge, the Princesses and I are the only ones who possess the ability. Now, why don't you stop talking, grab a new block of ice, and start trying to learn this!"
Shadow's temper flared but held his tongue. He knew this job would take some extra training and had been eager to learn. He was not, however, eager to be taught.
Grabbing a new block of ice, Shadow closed his eyes and powered his horn once again.
"Now, concentrate. Picture the ice in your mind. Imagine it on fire, but the flame is not orange. Imagine a blue fire. A fire born from the ice itself. Use the fire burning inside of you to light that fire."
The block in front of Shadow lit slowly, but the fire spread quickly, burning bright and blue.
"Excellent! Much better!"
"It's all in the visualization," Shadow said. "Just have to pick something you really hate that's blue and then it'll go."
"What did you picture?"
"Setting your mane on fire. Blue fire, of course." Shadow smirked as his friend and mentor rolled his eyes.
"Whatever it takes, I guess."
Shadow smiled, "Ya know, Shining, you're a great colt, and one heck of a leader, but you've got to be the most infuriating teacher I've ever had."
"Luna said to get your ready for work. And if I took it easy on you, then you'd never learn, buddy. Let's call it for the day. Celestia has Cadence and I headed up north to investigate something. Something in a cold environment where I might have to light some ice on fire." Shining nudged Shadow as they walked.
"Yea, yea. Go save the world, or whatever it is you do. I'm going home to my wife."
-----
Shadow's eyes snapped open.
"Something blue that I hate? Not much in this world that I hate anymore. Except being cold. Maybe that's enough."
Shadow stood and faced the circle of icicles, charging his horn. Closing his eyes, he pictured the ice in his mind, he felt the cold chill run up his back from the arctic environment he currently found himself in and furrowed his brow at it, using his hatred for the cold to light the fire. Opening his eyes, he was met with a small blue fire, crackling on the ice.
"Still not sure how this one works but I'll take it," he said, sitting down next to the curious fire and warming his frigid hooves.
Trying his neck again, he was met with more static and a garbled transmission.
"We .. not read you. I say again .. storm .. to continue .. few days. Exfil.. air .. impossible. Recommend, ground exfil. If you can hear me .. safe and keep moving out .. territory."
Shadow tapped his neck twice to indicate he understood and his ear fell silent. Hiking out of the Kingdoms had not been on the top of his wish list but he could do it. He wondered how far he was from the safe house they had set up for emergencies just like this. He would need some cold weather gear if he was going to make it out without freezing to death.
Shuffling a little closer to his blue fire, he closed his eyes for the second time. The ability to fall asleep quickly was a skill Shadow had picked up, not from training, but from years of working as a secret agent and spy. When you knew you only had two hours to sleep, you had to nearly will your body to shut down in order to capitalize upon it.
Shadow drifted off quickly, dreaming of warmer climates and a family he rarely saw.
Shadow awoke a few hours later and glanced out the cave entrance. The storm had died down considerably but it was still snowing. If he had heard Shimmer correctly then the snow wouldn't be stopping any time soon. He would have to bear with the conditions and press on.
Using magic to dim and extinguish his fire, he shuffled the ground to not make it obvious he had stopped here. Content with his work, he edged out of the cave and saw the sun just beginning to rise in the east. Exactly the direction he needed to head.
Sticking close to the cliff wall to his right, he moved as quick as the storm would let him. Bracing against heavy wind blasts and dodging the occasional falling clump of snow was the worst of what he had to deal with for the moment.
He could not, however, continue on and remain exposed to the elements as he was. He had to hope the safe house that had been set up years ago on the edge of the griffin territory would still be there and still have equipment hidden away.
Shadow was optimistic as he trudged on. The eastern side of the Griffin Kingdoms were not bordered by another nation so the griffins would rarely send any patrols out this way, let alone search for a hidden safe house. As Shadow exited the last of the mountains that bordered the griffin territory, he found that his optimism had paid off.
In a small densely packed clump of trees, he spotted the tiny shack. Approaching the shack, he noted the star that Luna had adopted as the Code Star logo. The tip of each star was colored differently. Clockwise they were black, blue, green, orange and white. The colors extended to the middle of the star when they met a second, much smaller, star, this one red.
Luna had told him once that each color stood for the environments her operatives worked in. First and foremost was darkness. Every operative worked deep undercover, or under the cover of night, as often as would permit. Shadow often joked that Luna had made it the top point as a nod to his abilities, and as the first agent in the newly restarted program.
Next, the blue and green represented sea and ground. Or air and ground, depending on who you asked. Realistically, the blue and green represented the world they protected. No matter what color it may be.
The orange, or, sometimes yellow, point, represented the fire that agents would often times put themselves in the middle of in order to complete their objective or protect other ponies. It represented the clear and present danger in everything Code Star agents did. A danger they accepted when they were inducted into the agency.
White, the final point, represented the light they brought to the world. The dark secrets they dragged into the light, often kicking and screaming. And it stood as a reminder to agents that no matter how dark things looked, there was a light on the horizon.
The red star in the center was the blood each agent shed for their country and the blood they sometimes had to spill in its defense. As things stood presently, Shadow imagined he'd be leaning on that red star quite a bit in the coming days and weeks.
Shadow had never been fond of the emblem. He felt it had too many colors and was too flashy and noticeable. As he passed the emblem he zapped it with a bolt of magic and turned it completely black. This was not a sign of disrespect but more of a game he and Luna had begun some years ago. He had made mention that he didn't like the emblem and she proceed to tell him harsh hay, there were already hundreds dotted across Equestria and their other areas of operation. So Shadow had resolved to change each star he saw in the course of his travels as an agent. He made a mental note to remind Shimmer he had just hit number 98.
Shadow entered the shack without hesitation. No smoke outside meant no fire inside. No fire inside meant no one staying here. He moved quickly to the middle of the room and tossed away a poorly placed rug.
He scanned the hardwood floor, quickly spotting the gap he was looking for. Using his magic he tore up the board and the two boards neighboring it, pulling up a black case from below. Opening the case, he spotted several items of clothing and a map. He pulled them all out, giving the map a quick study, but stopped when he spotted something even more valuable.
The small scroll sat in the very bottom of the case, rolled up and tucked away as the emergency kit. Shadow was never one to use the emergency kit but an impending war on two fronts, that Equestria could very well lose, was probably the correct time to do just that.
Opening the scroll, Shadow made sure to read it carefully, understanding it to be a method of quick and instant travel that could take you anywhere in the world, but it only worked once. All it took was saying the location you wished to travel twice out loud and off you would go.
Gathering the clothes back into the case Shadow stuffed it back into the hole, before standing upright and sighing heavily. Standing in front of him were two griffin guards, fully outfitted with battle armor.
"What's that you got there, pony?" The right guard said, noticeably feminine.
"Just some light reading." Shadow smiled, wiggling the scroll in front of them.
"Yea right. Gimme that." The left guard snatched the scroll out of the air and opened it. "What the? What language is this?"
"I call that, 'Shadow Speak.' Trademark pending, mind you. Most just call it spy code."
The female guard grabbed the scroll from her counterpart and looked it over. "I recognize this. This is the code Dash and I used to pass notes in flight school so no one else could read them."
The shock on Shadow's face was hard to hide. "You know Rainbow Dash? How?"
"She and her lame friends tried prank me out of Ponyville. I left because they couldn't handle me."
Shadow racked his brain. What was her name? Giles? Gloria? Gilda!
"I heard you made Fluttershy cry while you were there."
"Oh yea, that lame yellow pegasus with the ducks. What a loser." Gilda turned her attention back to the scroll. "Am I reading this right? We can go anywhere?"
"What are you taking about?" The male guard was beginning to lose his patience.
"It says it can take whoever is holding it anywhere. But I can't read this last part."
That's because the last part really is my own language. Shadow thought. It was a language he and Luna had come up with together to mask transmissions.
The other guard grabbed the scroll from Gilda and looked it over once more. The look on his face said he didn't understand it any more this time than he had the first time.
"To activate it you have to say the password." Shadow said, nonchalantly.
"What's the password?" Gilda tried to grab the scroll from her partner but he held it tight, she continued to try to wrench it from his grasp.
"Forsaken Forest."
Gilda stopped in her attempts to recover the scroll with a claw still on it and both griffins gave him a questioning look and spoke together. "Forsaken Forest?" In a flash, they were gone.
Shadow retrieved the black case once more, gathering a cloak, four rubber shoes that stretched over his hooves to warm them, and a visor that would help him see clearly in the snow. Donning each piece, Shadow spoke to the empty cabin.
"Ya know, I know you're probably not a bad griffin. Not deep down. But no one makes Fluttershy cry and gets away with it. Enjoy trying to find your way out of the forest. Here's hoping you don't find the Graveyard of the Forgotten."
Shadow once again replaced the case underneath the floor, replacing the floor boards and the rug as well. Exiting the shack, he had a moment of guilt. He had essentially sentenced both of them to starving to death. He knew deep down that they would have tortured and killed him without a second thought, but that did little to comfort him. If he was forced to kill, he preferred quick and painless.
Taking a deep breath, the cold air bringing him back to the here and now, he flipped the cloak up, adjusted the visor, and, remembering what the map had read, he set off to the east once more, heading across a tundra to Noveria.
Shadow leaned into the wind, trudging through the snow flying at him. Before the storm had hit fully he had seen a town on the horizon, and prayed it was Noveria.
He wished the two griffins had not happened upon him. He wished he'd have been able to warp safely back to Canterlot and inform them of the coming danger. But he knew if his presence and immediate disappearance had been reported that would've caused the griffins to move up their time table. As it stood now, he could still cross through to Noveria, contact the proper ponies to help and get things on track to deal with the invasion. In essence, by removing those two guards, he may have saved himself time. At least, that was the hope.
Shadow squinted through the flurry of snow. Noveria looked no closer now than it did five minutes ago. Swearing at the weather, he pulled his cloak tighter around himself and kept moving. He did so hate the cold.
He only hated the cold when he was forced to work in it. Normally, he loved spending time with his family during the winter, which was always a festive time for them. His first daughter had been born in late fall and that meant celebrating a birthday in between other holidays. Pinkie Pie made sure each party was bigger than the last, year after year.
Shadow had been even happier at her birth because it had completely blown his cover of being dead and he was able to rejoin his friends. None of which had been too pleased with his disappearance. Least of all, Rarity. He had come up with a crazy story of him leaving for a big case the day everyone had claimed he died and that he was just now returning. They all accepted this except Applejack, whom he quietly told the truth to.
Soldiering on, Shadow thought more of his family, recalling each birthday. There were never usually many toys, his daughters always just wanted to spend more time flying which Rainbow Dash had always encouraged. He remembered buying the Daring Do set three times. Once for Rainbow, once for his eldest daughter, Sky, who loved the books as much as her mother, and once more for his youngest daughter, Moon, still too young to read.
He remembered the last time he had been home. Sky had just begun to flit around the house, and he had encouraged her to work on her control before working on her speed. Much like Rainbow Dash, she had no intention of sacrificing speed. A broken tree limb, a shattered window, and a skinned knee later, she conceded that maybe she could use some control. Twilight Sparkle and her freshly broken window agreed.
Shadow lost himself in more visions of home. Of his girls playing in the streets of Ponyville. Of Rainbow Dash, doing her best not to be overly cautious with them, her own daredevil days mostly behind her now. He was so lost in thoughts of his own home that he nearly ran into someone else's.
Stopping just short of the house, Shadow looked around. He had wandered into Noveria without even looking. The streets were barren, the weather had driven everyone inside. Shadow wandered from house to house, looking for some sign of life. When finally he reached a building that looked like a library he spotted a familiar star and quickly zapped it black.
99. He thought as he knocked on the door to the library.
Shadow was all but certain he glanced someone in the window of the door before he heard locks on the inside begin to rattle. Something about that many locks set him on edge but it was probably just a precaution.
As the door finally opened, Shadow was waved inside by an elderly looking stallion with a coat similar in color to his own but his mane had turned a darker gray. Shuffling inside, he reveled in the warmth of the building as he shook off the snow from his cloak and boots, trying his best not to make too much of a mess.
The old stallion finally led him into an adjacent room, and directed Shadow to warm himself by the fire.
"So you're the agent they sent, eh?"
Shadow nodded. "You're the contact here in Noveria?"
"Not by choice, I assure you. You're coming from the Griffin Kingdoms, right? Something about an invasion, if I remember correctly."
"Yes. How did you..?"
"Please, son. When you've been in this business as long as I have you begin to develop a sixth sense for things, like political dissent and rebellion. More often than not, the rebellions will never actually rise. Even if they do, they're normally dealt with in a way that causes no bloodshed to either party."
"And when the rebellions refuse to be subdued politically?" Shadow asked.
"That's where we come in. It is our mission to keep it from coming to an all out war. You like to think of yourself as a first line of defense against the enemies of Equestria, am I right?" Shadow nodded.
"You're not wrong. But, what if I told you, you're the last as well?"
"That can't be true, though. The Equestrian military is mighty, they would defend what I fail do," Shadow said.
"Again you are right. And also wrong. The military is not the shield that protects Equestria; they are the sword. You are the shield. Should the shield falter, the sword must take it's place."
Shadow felt his patience begin to wain. "Listen, philosophies aside, we need to warn Equestria. A war is coming."
"Yes, yes. The Germaneish and the griffins are allied. Together they are a formidable foe but their truce will not last."
"Look, I just need to contact Luna and find a way back to Equestria. Can you help me with that or not?" Shadow bit his tongue. He knew letting his anger flare at a fellow agent wouldn't help him in the long run.
"Relax. Luna is aware of the coming danger, I assure you. However, the next train out of town leaves this evening and is headed to Hufgrund in Germaney. So why not indulge an old spy with some light conversation until then?" The old stallion smiled at him. He had just told Shadow he had no choice but to wait, if he wished to proceed in a timely manner.
Shadow sighed and resigning himself to a wait with a philosophical old stallion. "So, you're an old spy? Have you been working for Luna all this time?"
"The pony in charge has changed a few times. It's been Celestia for a long time. But I go where I'm needed, and work for who I'm told." His voice had a level of regret.
"You don't sound proud about what you've done."
"I used to be proud. Proud of my work for Equestria, proud that I felt I was doing my duty. Proud that I worked my tail off for a better life for my family. But you know what they never tell you about this job? The world keeps turning even without you at home. They keep growing. My wife died of some rare disease while I was roasting in the Zebrician deserts. My daughter was off in the world before I knew it. I can't tell you what I would give to be a normal schlub with a boring job and just have my family back."
Shadow nodded absently. He thought of his own daughters and of those birthdays he had missed.
"But who else would do what we do?"
"There's always another agent, son. But don't let my experience sour you. I'm sure you're the next big thing in this agency."
Shadow laughed to himself. "Yea. I'm pretty good, I guess."
They talked about the things that spies talk about for the next few hours. Trade secrets, tricks they had learned, near misses that had almost not missed. They discussed the rise and fall of nations and rebellions. The elder stallion explaining that this was not even close to the first time Equestria was unknowingly on the brink of war.
When the topic turned to family, Shadow failed to mention his own. It was a habit he had picked up many years ago. The less ponies knew of his personal life, the less they could use against him.
When finally Shadow rose to leave for the train station some hours later, he felt refreshed. Never had he been able to just talk so openly about the things he did. As he donned his cloak and boots the elder stallion gave directions to the train station. Fully dressed and ready for what await him outside, Shadow shook the hoof of the elder stallion.
"Friends call me Shadow," he said.
Taking his hoof and shaking it, "Fisher."
They shared a nod and Shadow was out the door and moving down the street. He found the train station and boarded the outbound train quickly. Germaney was not his destination of choice at the moment but it would give him a chance to collect a little intelligence.
Settling into his seat and wrapping his cloak around him like a blanket, Shadow prepared for the rather long trip. Hoping to catch a few hours of sleep along the way.
Shadow paused as he walked down the street. He’d noticed the couple following him about two blocks back and now paused to casually window shop, all the while watching them in the reflection of the glass.
As they passed him he cast a glance at the mare in the reflection. Catching her eyes, she seemed immediately flustered that he was looking at her.
They’re trained but not well so.
Shadow turned in the opposite direction of the couple. He immediately noticed a stallion stepping from the alley in front of him, walking just a few paces ahead of him. Shadow threw a quick glance to make sure the street was clear before crossing it quickly and without warning. Nearly laughing at the reaction from his new tail, who had simply stopped and watched as he crossed, Shadow made his way down an alley and onto a new street. Stepping inside the designated shop, he gave a nod to his contact as he sat in a chair and picked up a newspaper, as well as donning a hat.
Shadow watched as his contact, and, in this case, body double, walked outside and waited until he was certain the tail had reacquired him before moving down the street once again, his unknowing pursuer following like a puppy dog. He chuckled to himself as he sat and looked at the newspaper, casually listening to the couple next to him speak of their plans for the day.
As if on cue, Shadow watched as the couple that had been following him originally ran down the street in the direction his double had walked. The couple beside him noticed the commotion and seeming nervous made their way out of the shop and down the street in the opposite direction, while Shadow simply sat and waited for team to come to him.
Five minutes later, Shining Armor entered the shop. Shadow gave him a small wave and invited Shining to join him.
“How did you lose our tails?” Shining asked.
“Two reasons I lost them, boss. One, no one ever really trained them on how to be inconspicuous. Two, as much as you all think I’m the new guy who needs all the training, you have to remember I’ve been doing half this work for years.”
“And the double? Where did you find him?”
“On your staff. Anyone can look like anyone in this world if you’re not paying close enough attention. And most ponies in this world will swap sides in a hurry to earn a few extra bits.”
Shining had a face of disbelief. This test had been set up to see if Shadow could evade pursuers that had the drop on him and an organized network of ponies working together. Shining had not taken into account that Shadow had learned this lesson the hard way in a non-training scenario. Years of working as a detective had trained him to keep his profile low and his ears always perked.
“So, do I pass?” Shadow asked in a smart aleck manner.
Shining shook his head and smiled. “Yea, you pass. Now let’s go talk to the instructors to see what kind of insight you can give them for the next time we run this.”
-----
Shadow woke with a start as the brakes squealed loudly and he felt the train lurch forward as it began to slow. Hufgrund already filling his window, he cast a few sparing glances at the buildings, trying to familiarize himself.
Hufgrund was the industrial equivalent to Canterlot. Instead of a bright place with many shops and things to offer, Hufgrund was filled with factories. Factories that caused a light smog, giving the city a constant overcast sky. Many of the cobblestone streets had been in disrepair for longer than most could remember. The city had undoubtedly seen better days but Shadow smiled as he glimpses the natural sky turning a deep purple as well. Just after sunset many bars and restaurants would be busy and he would have an easy time eavesdropping without consequence.
Leaning out his cabin door he grabbed the waiter walking by. "Excuse me, do you have a map of Hufgrund? I'm a bit of a tourist."
The waiter gave him a confused look. "Es tut mir leid. Ich spreche nur Deutsch."
"Oh. Okay, hold on," Shadow understood that. The waiter spoke only Germaneish. Recalling his basic knowledge of the language, he fumbled through.
"Ich bin ein tourist. Ich spreche nicht gut Deutsch. Ich brauche eine karte."
The waiter nodded and produced a map from his within his coat and handed it to Shadow, apparently having bought the story of Shadow simply being a tourist who spoke poor Germaneish and needed a map.
Through broken Equestrian but with a sincere smile the waiter said, "Have a good time in Hufgrund."
Thanking him for his kindness, Shadow tipped the waiter and headed back into his small cabin. He had a few minutes before the train stopped at the station and would need that time to study the map of the area.
Setting the map on the bench and leaning to study it, Shadow squeezed his ear gently twice. Another of Luna's wonder spells, Shadow found this one especially useful. It was a two way universal translator. Meaning the Germaneish ponies would hear him in Germaneish and he would hear them in Equestrian. Although it only worked on one language at a time, it was still a massive help. Shadow had forgotten to retune it from the Griffish setting he'd had it on but now had it tuned properly to Germaneish.
Glancing over the map, Shadow sighed and brought a hoof to his face. The map he had been given was definitely something a tourist would have. It was brightly colored and had large stars marking premier tourist destinations. It was hardly what he was looking for but he studied it nonetheless.
He noted the train station, the nearby shops and restaurants, he made doubly sure to note the police stations that had been marked with a blue policecolt's hat. He would avoid the police stations if he could. His only really goal while here was to listen and gather as much street level intelligence as he could.
Knowing the way the general population of the opposing force felt about the war, and their level of morale about it, was always a leg up. You could make slightly stronger demands, if need be, or bluff and be sure that you would not be called on it.
Shadow felt the train finally stop at the station and he rose. Folding his map and tucking it away, he moved to the nearest exit and out onto the platform. He noticed a heavy military presence in the streets below and made a mental note to steer clear of anywhere with too many soldiers gathered.
Stepping off the platform, Shadow moved down the street and stopped at the first shop he ran across. A small cafe but busy. Lots of idle small talk and even a few soldiers that appeared to be off duty for the evening.
Shadow ordered a small cup of coffee and bought a newspaper, though he could not read the foreign language that spread across its pages. He sat near the apparently off duty soldiers at a reasonable distance but close enough to hear them talking. They sounded drunk.
They spoke of the coming invasion without reserve. About how their mighty army and their powerful allies would crush all resistance they met. How their upcoming march on Stalliongrad would give them a fine hoofhold in Equestria and that it would be nearly impossible to remove their presence. One was even eager to meet Princess Celestia, he wanted to spit in her face himself.
Shadow felt his blood boiling as their conversation shifted to complaining about places they had been stationed. He calmed himself enough to pick up another conversation from a few other patrons not far from him.
Their voices filled with a mix of fear and apprehension they spoke in hushed voices about how they hated the idea of going to war with Equestria. They were happy and did not want to invite chaos into their lives. They were certain the princesses would punish the entirety of he Germaneish nation and not just those with delusions of grandeur.
Shadow sipped his coffee and let the conversations fall away. He had what he needed. Enough to know the Germaneish army's next target and to know that at least some of the public had dissenting ideas as to what was best for Germaney.
He stood to leave but paused when he saw the two soldiers rise quickly. They did not approach Shadow but, instead, a white unicorn sitting in a corner by herself. She appeared to only be reading the news paper and nursing a cup of tea. Shadow did a double take when he looked at her, for she was nearly identical to Rarity, minus her mane color and cutie mark.
One of the soldiers leaned onto the table, and spoke a bit louder than he intended in his drunken stupor. "So what's a pretty mare like you doing out all by yourself?"
The mare appeared annoyed with the sudden intrusion in her private space. She glanced up at the soldier without fear and said simply, "I am trying to read an article on why the military is pushing for an unnecessary and unwinable war against Equestria. There's a fine piece in here talking about how we'll never even come close if our soldiers can't pull themselves away from their hard cider long enough to fight."
Even with his the stallion's back to him, Shadow could see his anger growing.
"Listen, you little whorse, you better watch your tongue. Do you know who you're speaking to?"
"From what I can tell," the mare said, matter-of-factly, "I am speaking to a drunkard that does not know how to properly speak to a lady. In fact, I believe I'm done talking to you. Good day."
The mare didn't pause after her comment. She left both her tea and her newspaper and walked out of the small cafe, and visibly angry soldier quick on her heels with his comrade in tow.
Shadow saw the stallion stop her in the street through the window. Just walk away, he thought at the mare. Just keep walking and don't stop.
He could see his silent pleas would go unanswered as he watched the two ponies engage in a shouting match, with a small crowd beginning to form.
It's not my problem and I can't make it my problem. Shadow thought.
Shadow's conscience fought him. That doesn't sound like the stallion dad raised you to be. You remember what integrity means, don't you?
Doing the right thing when no one is watching.
No. It's doing the right thing no matter who's watching. She's going to need your help.
There are plenty of ponies out there. One of them can help her. Even thinking that made Shadow feel like a coward. He wasn't normally one to back down from a fight but he had a more important mission to be worrying about.
And what if no one does? If no one stands up to the soldiers in the streets, then what? You just let them take her away? Let her fate be her own?
His conscience was winning the argument as Shadow watched the ponies through the window of the cafe. Then the decision was made for him.
Shadow had seen many cruel things over the years. Many great tragedies, the evil of which could not be explained. He'd killed in self defense and in the name of his country. And there were few things in this world that ever shocked or surprised him. But there was one thing that, no matter who it was, he would always fly into a rage when he saw it. And in the final glance he threw out the window, he saw it.
The stallion hit the mare. Hard. Hard enough to knock her to the ground. Shadow could almost hear the gasp from the gathered crowd.
Shadow was up from his table in a flash, nearly knocking it over. He made his way outside and began to push his way through the crowd of ponies, shouting at the soldier.
"Hey. Hey!" Shadow pushed through the last of the crowd and with as much bass as he could put in his voice shouted again, "Hey!"
The stallion turned in surprise at the sudden shout at him. "Oh, now who's this? Is this your coltfriend?" the soldier asked, leaning toward the mare.
"Don't touch her."
"Oh, yea? And who's gonna stop me? You?" The soldier pushed the mare, who had begun to slowly rise, back to the ground.
"I said, don't touch her!" The crowd behind Shadow took a step backward, both from not wanting to be associated with him and because the force and ferocity of his shout had caught many of them off guard.
"You know, it's not very smart of you. Picking a fight with a soldier in the most powerful army in the world."
"This is your only chance, walk away."
The soldier laughed, "Walk away? From you? Please. After I finish with you, I'm going to take you and this little whorse to a cell. Maybe you two can get better acquainted before the firing squad gets to you in the morning."
Shadow simply glared at the stallion in front if him and charged his horn.
"Aw, don't have anything else to say? Fine. Let's do this."
As the stallion finished his sentence, Shadow unleashed the spell he had charged, teleporting to just the other side of his opponent. As the soldier turned to face him, Shadow caught him under the chin with his hoof, sending him wobbling backward onto his rump.
Shadow turned to the mare, who was finally back to her hooves. "Are you okay?"
The mare smiled meekly and nodded before her face turned to surprise, "Look out!"
Shadow turned just in time to catch the earth pony stallion full on into his chest. The two stallions toppled end over end before landing with the soldier on top, who began to pound Shadow with heavy blows.
Shadow did his best to fend off the blows, but from his position under the soldier he could do little but cover his face and head. As the punches rained down, he suddenly felt the weight of the stallion disappear off of his chest and opened his eyes to a new stallion standing over him with a hoof extended. Shadow recognized him as one of the dissenters from the cafe.
Shadow took his hoof and rose. "Thanks."
The stallion smiled, "Hey, I figure if he's going to hit a mare, he doesn't deserve a fair fight."
Shadow and his new ally faced the soldier who was just rising to his hooves.
"So that's how you want to play it? Fine, let's see how tough you are when I have backup." The soldier reached for a whistle around his neck and it began to sound with a piercing loudness that did not seem possible.
Shadow heard shouts from down the streets and heard orders being barked. His ally heard them as well, and not wanting to wait until the odds were no longer in their favor, he charged the soldier shouting, "For Germaney!"
But the civilian did not attack alone, the entire crowd seemed to rush to the soldier and then shift to meet the soldiers that were beginning to arrive, pushing the small brawl into a full blown riot. Shadow seized the opportunity and grabbed the mare from the cafe and lead her out of the crowd.
"Come on, we have to get out of here." Shadow pushed through the tail end of the crowd looking for a safe place to go.
"There!" The mare pointed to a train on the platform above them that was just preparing to depart.
Shadow and the mare moved as quickly as they could. They pressed through more civilians that had come to join the fray and made it up to the platform as the train started to slowly roll out of the station. They sprinted through the station, chasing the train and looking for a place to jump on, when finally the tail end of the train appeared the mare hurriedly jumped aboard and turned to Shadow, urging him on.
Shadow was losing ground slowly. The fight on the street had taken more out of him than he thought. He could see the end of the platform approaching and knew he would only have one shot.
As he reached the edge, Shadow jumped as far as he could, and grasped the railing of the trail car, his hooves dangling dangerously close to the tracks. The mare quickly moved to help him up, pulling him over the railing and the two of them took a moment to catch their breath, watching Hufgrund begin to fade into the distance.
Shadow directed the mare to step inside and they made their way to an open cabin. As they passed other full cabins, he lifted a pair of tickets sticking from a coat pocket in one of the adjacent cabins. Finally settling into their own room, he looked at the ticket and their intended destination.
Shadow sighed deeply and stared at the tickets he held. Haliflanks was very out of the way from the direction he wanted to head. He'd be forced to catch another train from there to bypass Derbyshire and head to Stalliongrad.
Looking up at his new companion he smiled softly at her. "So how long have you worked for the agency?"
The look of surprise on her face was understandable. Most agents never met one another. Not because of some fanciful idea that they couldn't work well together, but because most of their duties held them in very different parts of the world. Shadow had picked up on the subtle indicators of her status as she had dealt with the soldier in the cafe.
"H-How did you..?"
"Your Germaneish needs work for one. Second, you'd be surprised what I notice that no one else ever would." Shadow tried to sound reassuring, but she seemed more shaken than anything.
"Wow. Maybe I'm not cut out for this, after all." She stared at her hooves as she spoke.
"I don't see why you wouldn't be cut out for this. You passed the training, you implanted in Germaney easily enough, and you seem to know how to handle yourself."
"Yea, I just can't control my mouth." She looked up and her eyes met his.
"Well, if that was something we had to do then I'd never have even been considered."
Her smile betrayed her mood. "Name's Cherish."
"Shadow."
"Whoa," her voice suddenly turned to that of a fan meeting a celebrity. "The Shadow?"
"Uhh.. That depends. How many Shadows are in the agency?" Her reaction to his name was a very unexpected one.
"Shadow Chaser, right?" Shadow nodded in the affirmative. "Wow. Never thought I'd have the pleasure of meeting you."
"What are you talking about? How do you know me like that?"
"In the training facility they have pictures of some senior agents. Most of whom have died in the line of duty, but your name is listed on the wall, next to all of those pictures as the founding agent and the very best."
Shadow cocked an eyebrow. They must have changed the layout of the training facility since he was last there, because he remembered it as a shack in the middle of a field. He made a note to tell Luna to take his name down. Once he died or retired he'd be happy to have his name displayed but he didn't need fans who were also fellow agents.
"Well, then, yes, I am the Shadow. But don't let it get to you. I went through the same training you did. So what can you tell me about Germaney?"
"Nice looking country. Mostly good people. Could use some work in the culinary department," Cherish said flatly.
"I meant about their plans."
"I know what you meant, sir. It was a joke. Their army is moving out soon but they've been planning this for a while. Gathering supplies, training soldiers, I think they've been trying to recruit allies, as well."
"They have. They're working with the griffins."
"The griffins? I'd been hearing things about the Xiao ponies."
"The Xiao have been our allies for a long time and we stand on good terms with them. I find it hard to believe they would attack Equestria."
"I bet you would've said the same thing about Germaney a week ago."
Shadow nodded in concession. He had not expected a war when he went out for a routine rescue mission. "Still, it's hard to believe they'd turn on us. Any of them. What do they have against us?"
"That's an easy one, sir. Land. The Germaneish have been bitter for a long time that Equestria is nearly five times the size of their country. I imagine the Xiao and griffins are the same," she paused considering other motives. "Then again, they might just be in it for the fight. The griffins, especially."
Shadow sat quiet, considering her words. He knew the griffins might only be in it for the fight and if the Xiao were really in it for the land then it would certainly be a long fight. But with the odds stacked against Equestria, he had to wonder how long they could hold before they would finally be overwhelmed. They were well trained and plentiful, but great numbers could overwhelm any army.
"Alright, I'm going to report in. You might as well try to grab some shut eye. You're not going back to Germaney and we're leaving Haliflanks as soon as we arrive."
Cherish nodded her understanding and Shadow stepped out of the cabin, heading for the tail end of the train once more.
A cold wind met him as he stepped onto the decking and he pressed his neck gently. "Shimmer, I'm on a train headed to Haliflanks."
Her voice crackled in his ear. "Haliflanks? What's out there?"
"Nothing. I ran into a complication in Germaney and had to get out quick."
"What kind of complication?"
"It's not important. Listen, tell Luna and Armor to rally the troops. Head to Stalliongrad. Germaney is getting set to make their assault. Make sure they know the Germaneish will have griffin support, so they're going to need the combat flyers. We're going to catch a ride there as soon as we get to Haliflanks."
"We? Who's we?"
"Like I said, I ran into some complications. Just make sure the army is ready."
"Will do, Shadow."
Shadow stood silent for a moment on the end of the train, watching the tracks fade behind them in the distance. The night sky was full of stars and only a tiny sliver of the moon could be seen. For a moment he wished he could be free of the pressures of his current position. Free to spend time with his family and make new memories with them. Leaning on the railing, feeling the wind ruffle his mane, Shadow made a promise to himself and to his family.
"This is the last one, girls. I'm coming home after this." He spoke to the sky, to the stars themselves. He watched them twinkle, as if to cheer at his decision. He would finish this task and forever more just be a husband and a father.
Smiling at the sky he saw the faintest hint of orange among the blackness, "Good morning to you too, Celestia." Shadow's mood soured, however, when he noticed the moon was only halfway through it's journey across the sky.
He leaned to the side of the train, squinting against the unobstructed wind now assaulting his face. He could see a town in the distance. The orange glow originated not from a magical source inside the town but from the town itself. The buildings were on fire.
Ducking back inside the train, Shadow ran to the cabin he now shared with Cherish. "We've got a problem. Come with me."
"Haliflanks is on fire. We need to stop the train."
Cherish stopped in Shadow's wake. "What? Why? If the something is on fire we should be there to help them."
Shadow turned to her, his voice taking up an annoyed tone at having to further explain himself. "You're not hearing me. It's not a building that's on fire, it's the entire town."
"Oh." Cherish watched him turn and rush the final few cars to the conductor, whom Shadow spent a hefty amount of time arguing with before the conductor willingly pulled the brakes.
When Shadow returned to her she spoke, "What did you say to him?"
"I told him if he didn't stop the train I'd throw him off and then stop it anyway."
Cherish eyed him curiously, unsure if he was joking. "So what's the plan? Turn around from here?"
Shadow moved to the nearest door that led outside, pushing it open, "Not without knowing what we're facing. I'll be back in ten minutes."
"What? You're going in there?" The thought had not even crossed Cherish's mind to investigate.
"Yes. If I'm not back in ten minutes, tell the conductor to roll it the other direction and head for Stalliongrad and not to stop until you get there." Shadow stepped from the train, facing the direction of Haliflanks.
"But we can't just leave you here!" Her status as a young agent was beginning to show.
"Yes, you can. And, if I'm not back, you will. That's an order." Without giving her another moment to protest, Shadow took off into the night, they weren't too far outside of Haliflanks but he didn't want to waste any more time.
Cherish moved up to the lead car and spoke with the conductor, "What's our top speed in reverse?"
"Reverse? We can move as fast as we can forward but sharp turns and stopping become an issue."
"Is there any way to make it safer?"
"Not unless that horn of yours can lift this car to the end of the train."
-----
Shadow moved as fast as he dared. The town was full of Xiao ponies. They barked orders he couldn't understand at ponies that simply cowered in fear of them. Not wanting to endure any more pain than that of their town burning.
Haliflanks had always been the epitome of peaceful. A town on the fringes of Equestria but filled with happy folk who never wished harm on anyone. Mostly farmers in truth. They'd had their differences with one another before but when things boiled down, they all just wanted to farm their land and live their lives.
Shadow slipped inside the back door of a building he had identified as town hall. The Xiao seemed to have set up their own base of operations inside. Keeping himself pressed to a wall he tweaked his ear until he understood them.
".. We are already behind schedule. The General wants no further delays. Finish with this town and let us begin our march to Stalliongrad. Our allies will strike in three days time and we must be in position before then. Do you understand!?"
"Yes, sir!"
Shadow heard the shuffling of hooves, whoever had been yelling was now gone and the pony that remained issued orders in just as harsh a tone as his commanding officer. Manure rolls downhill. Shadow thought.
Shadow began to slink back to the exit when he heard the officer speak again. "I'm going out the back way. If the Colonel comes back in here tell him I've gone to check on the next train’s arrival. We cannot have a bunch of civilians surprising us."
Shadow looked around him and ducked into the darkest shadow he could find. Waiting patiently for the officer to appear.
As the pale yellow pony rounded the corner he stopped and sighed heavily. Removing his hat he ran a hoof through his dark colored mane. Shadow almost felt bad for him. It was clear he was new to this job and war was not something he had expected to have thrust upon him. As he stepped toward the exit, Shadow emerged and grabbed him, pressing him roughly against the wall with a hoof in his mouth.
Shadow charged his horn for effect and spoke softly in the harshest tone he could muster. "Surprise. Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to remove my hoof and you're going to tell me exactly what your army is planning. If you try to scream you can rest assured that it will be the last thing you ever do. Do you understand me?"
The wide eyed lieutenant nodded, his eyes telling Shadow he was full of enough fear to keep him from screaming. But upon removing his hoof Shadow was greeted with something he hadn't expected.
"Please, you have to get me out of here. I know their plans but I just need to get away from this and I need help."
Shadow raised a bewildered eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"We're not soldiers. Not all of us. We're conscripts. When our government was approached and told they could have more land as long as they agreed to support a war with Equestria they began to conscript everyone they could. Those who refused were coerced."
"Coerced how?"
"They kidnapped ponies' families. Threatened them with torture if they didn't cooperate."
Shadow looked back in the direction the lieutenant had come from, making sure they wouldn't be surprised. "Alright, I'm going to let you down. But so help me, if you attract anyone's attention I will not hesitate.."
"Yea, yea. I'll keep quiet. Just get me out of here." The lieutenant's fear was undeniable.
Shadow eased pressure off of him slowly, still wary this might be a trick. Only when the officer stood freely and only looked to Shadow for direction did he allow himself to relax slightly.
"Alright, follow me. Stay low," Shadow said.
As one they slipped out the back door of town hall and into a back alley. Shadow intended to follow the same path he had used to infiltrate the town but the fires were proving to make that difficult. Two of the houses he had used for cover had now collapsed and offered little in the way of hiding places.
Thinking quickly he lead his new follower around the opposite side of town hall, staying off of main streets as much as possible. When they came to an impasse of guards on either side of a house Shadow began to climb in the window before his companion stopped him.
"What're you doing!? That place is on fire!"
"Yea, and it's our only option. Just move fast."
"I don't think I can do this." The lieutenant had begun to shake a little from his fear.
Shadow grabbed him roughly, pulling him close, "Listen to me. The only reason you are still conscious right now is because I don't want to carry you. Now get inside before I leave you here."
Something in Shadow's words seemed to harden the pony. His shaking stopped and his brow furrowed in a kind of determination. Maybe it was just the fear of being left behind but the lieutenant happily climbed in the window in front of Shadow, moving with a purpose through the home. Shadow followed on his heels.
Stopping at the front door of the home, they peered out; Xiao military were on both sides of the street and Shadow ducked down quickly as one of the soldiers looked at the house.
“Any ideas,” Shadow asked.
“Yes, but you’re not going to like it.”
Shadow cocked an eyebrow.
-----
The soldiers stood in the street, mostly watching the houses burn. Most had adjusted to their conscript life rather quickly and just did as they were told in hopes of going back home as quickly as possible, and if the whole of Equestria fell as easily as Haliflanks then it would indeed be a short war.
“Get out there, Equestrian scum!” The shout came from one of the nearby burning buildings. A lieutenant was pushing a dark colored stallion out of the home. A few soldiers came over to assist the lieutenant.
“Who’s in charge of you men?” The lieutenant spoke with force, he was clearly angry.
Another lieutenant stepped forward sheepishly. “I’m in charge here.”
“Then would you care to explain to me why I caught this stallion trying to escape out the rear of that house!?” His shout stopped everyone in the street.
The stallion in charge of the platoon on the street could only stammer in response.
“I’ll tell you what,” shouted the lieutenant. “Why don’t you take your men on a perimeter search of each building in town, to secure anyone you may have missed!”
The platoon leader turned and shouted, “You heard him! Form up and begin a search of the buildings!”
Nearly all the ponies on the street began to move immediately, most bumping into one another in an attempt to avoid the ranking ponies and further shouting.
Shadow nearly broke character from laughter. Truly they were an undisciplined army. With a push from behind he was reminded of their plan and he moved toward the train station only a few steps before they were stopped by another officer.
“Lieutenant Han!” Shadow and Han froze, Han because he knew who it was, Shadow because he recognized the voice.
“Colonel!” Han stopped and snapped off a salute.
“Where are you taking this stallion?” The colonel eyed Shadow with suspicion as he was not restrained in any way.
“He is accompanying me to the train station. This is the resident mechanic for all trains that roll into station. He will tell the next train that arrives that there is a problem with the engine and the passengers will depart into our waiting arms.” Han spoke with a slight waver in his voice, it was clear the he feared this stallion.
The colonel stood silent for a moment, once again glancing over Shadow and giving Han a skeptical look as well. His face hardened slightly before it loosened and he actually halfway smiled.
“That’s the kind of motivation we need from all our soldiers, lieutenant. I’m glad you didn’t take my yelling at you too hard and you got right back on track here. I’m thinking when I pass this up the chain that you might be in for a promotion.”
Han had a moment of pause. He had never seen the colonel smiled nor had he ever been complimented and promised a promotion at the same time. “Th-Thank you, sir! I’ll admit, I didn’t expect a promotion with the fiasco that this occupation turned into but it would be an honor.”
“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Han. You’re right, this was a fiasco, and that will reflect upon you, but it is how we operate in the face of adversity that speaks volumes about our character.” The colonel spoke as if he truly believed the homes that burned around him were part of some greater good that only the Xiao could see.
Shadow coughed hard, waving at the air to indicate he’d been hit with some smoke, but mostly because he needed Han back in the moment.
“Yes, you’re right, sir. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get to the train station to be ready. The mechanic here said the train was set to arrive soon.”
“Carry on, lieutenant.”
They both snapped a salute and turned opposite directions, one headed toward his perverted view of patriotism for his country, the other headed for a freedom far away from that perversion.
Shadow followed Han closely as they made their way across the town and into the train station. Making sure the coast was clear they slipped down onto the tracks at Shadow’s direction. Moving with caution at the edge of the building, they hurried off into the darkness beyond the town, heading toward the train.
“You’re right,” Shadow huffed. “I hated that plan.”
Han afforded himself a small laugh. “At least it worked, right?”
“I thought you were going to stay with them when he offered you that promotion.”
Again Han laughed, “I take it you’re not a big fan of foreign films?”
Shadow shook his head as they continued forward.
“You, sir, are looking at the best actor the Xiao have to offer.”
This time Shadow did laugh. They slowed as they neared the train. “Well, you certainly sold it well enough. What the…”
Shadow stopped as he noticed the car they approached was not the engine he had been expecting. It was simply the passenger car normally trailing just behind the engine. Walking around the side of the train they noticed several ponies walking around outside the train near the caboose.
As they approached Shadow was met with an amazing sight. The engine of the train had somehow been moved to the rear of the train. This would decrease their travel time to Stalliongrad significantly, as they wouldn’t need to account for the engine pushing the train instead of the normal pull.
Looking around Shadow spotted Cherish standing just beyond the engine with the conductor at her side. Cherish seemed nervous while the conductor was still trying to convince her of something.
“Miss, I certainly appreciate you corralling enough unicorns to move this thing but we can’t wait for your friend any longer. Before too long, the ponies in that town over there will see this here train and get curious why it’s stopped and they’ll come to investigate. And I’d rather not be here when that happens.”
“Just a few more minutes. He’ll be here, I swear.” Cherish’s voice was meek, she was running out of excuses as she looked around at the unicorns boarding the train, finally spotting Shadow and Han headed straight for her. “Shadow!”
“How did you do this?”
“Well, the little miss here asked me about who was on board and as it turns out, a right many of them are unicorns. We explained the situation and they all chipped in to help move the engine back here.”
Han stood with his mouth open. Where he was from most ponies were Earth ponies. To think that with enough of them the unicorns could move this train car, he was certain the Xiao would have little effect on Equestria’s true army.
“Huh,” Shadow glanced at the train next to him and then to Cherish, nodding approvingly. “Good work, Cherish. Now let’s get out of here.”
Cherish blushed slightly at the acknowledgement. “Yes, sir.”
“Ain’t gotta tell me twice,” the conductor said, climbing into the engine and beginning to crank up the engine.
As Shadow, Han and Cherish climbed aboard, Shadow stopped Cherish short just inside the car. “Truly, good work. This will save us a lot of time.”
Cherish nodded slightly. “Thank you, sir. Who is the pony you brought back?”
Shadow explained that Han had information about the Xiao plans and would be a valuable asset to the Equestrian military. Their only goal was to rally at Stalliongrad and prepare for the coming conflict.
As they moved farther into the train, eventually settling in next to Han, Shadow reflected on the coming events. He knew he’d not be at the keep when the fighting started. His place was elsewhere. He had to make sure the alliance between the nations was severed as quickly as possible.
“So, just a bunch of unicorns, huh?” Shadow smiled incredulously at Cherish from his seat across from her.
She nodded emphatically, “Yeah! Everyone was very helpful except for this blue mare that kept referring to herself in the third-person. She seemed more interesting in performing parlor tricks than actually helping.”
“Can’t win ‘em all, I guess. By the way, getting something like that accomplished is what this agency is all about.” Shadow spoke with emphasis. He knew a good agent when he found one.
“I guess. But I couldn’t have done what you did. I couldn’t slip into town and back out unnoticed.” Her voice once again filled with doubt.
Shadow sighed choosing his words carefully. “There’s more than one type of agent. You have the ones like me. Masters of subtlety and stealth. Able to slip in and out with no one knowing we were ever there. And then there are agents like you.”
“You mean bad ones?”
“No. I mean agents who specialize in subterfuge. You have an innate ability to unite ponies. Though the reason you unite them is not always the truth. You are the type of agent who can cause a civilian uprising to turn over a corrupt government. Making it seem like we played no part at all and that the ponies just got fed up with how they were being treated. You lead them, but, most often, not directly.”
Cherish fell silent, contemplating his words. She had never felt like a leader at all. In fact, it had been the conductor who rallied the unicorns at her behest. Maybe he was right. She looked up at him and nodded as if she understood.
“Alright, we should all grab some sleep. We’ve got a bit before we arrive so now’s the best time.”
Without protest from his two companions they all leaned their heads back, closing their eyes each struggling with a mind full of very different thoughts.
One anticipating just how he was best going to deal with the alliance of nations facing them, another pondering her future in an organization she was unsure she belonged in. The final doing his best to quell the nightmares that would plague him for years to come, screams of ponies trapped in their homes as they burned.
Silently, he wiped a tear from his face. His acting days were long gone and life had come at him quickly, thrusting him into a position of cruelty he had never even dreamed of occupying. Letting out a deep breath he cleared his mind and did his best to find sleep.
Shadow awoke with a start as the train lurched forward. He had been out nearly all of the 14 hours it took them to arrive in Stalliongrad. He looked around groggily. Han sat across from him, staring out the window, admiring the countryside and the immense castle that waited them outside the train.
Han smiled as he noticed Shadow watching him. “It’s beautiful. Your country, I mean. Much of my homeland is barren. Living just opposite the mountains stops a lot of the weather that would normally reach us. I’m not used to so much… green.”
Shadow nodded, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “I’ve been to a lot of places in this world. Equestria is the nicest of them all. And Stalliongrad,” Shadow motioned out the window. “It’s the most secure.”
“I certainly hope so. If the keep should fall and my countrymen find me inside, my death will not be quick.” Han shuddered as thoughts of the many torture methods that would undoubtedly be used.
Shadow leaned forward and put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. “The keep will not fall. With this keep, so goes the rest of Equestria, and the soldiers here know that. They will fight to the very last man to make sure this land remains in the control of the princesses.”
Han nodded, and forced a smile for his companion’s sake. “I hope you’re right.”
Cherish appeared and beckoned them off the train. Someone was waiting to speak to Shadow.
The three of them moved, to the exits and stepped onto the station decking, slowly. The aches of days past were beginning to catch up to them, Shadow especially.
As he looked around Shadow spotted the stallion he’d hoped to see, stand a head above most other ponies on the platform and impossible to miss in his armor, Shining Armor stood looking directly at Shadow, wearing an all too familiar smile.
Shadow approached one of the only stallions that counted as a superior officer to him and gave him a brotherly hoof bump. “Good to see they still let you do real work, Shining.”
“You’re telling me. You know they tried to make me a desk clerk? Worst five minutes of my life.” Shining gave him a broad grin. Their humor hadn’t missed a beat in all these years.
Turning to the matter at hand, Shadow motioned Han forward. “Shining, this is Han. He’s with the Xiao army.”
“Was with them,” Han corrected.
“Right. The Xiao are headed our way along with the Germaneish and griffins. Xiao is here to help us deal with them.”
Shining nodded in understanding. “Very well. Glad to have you with us, Han. What can you tell us about the Xiao’s plan of attack?”
Without hesitation, Han launched into a tirade of potential plans the Xiao had made, each varying only slightly but the main premise being that they would be a surprise force on the Equestrian flanks. Almost every part of their plans succeeding relied on the element of surprise, which they no longer had.
As Han paused, Shadow interjected, “I think you guys have things in order here. Shining, I’m off to save the world.”
“Not if we save it first,” Shining said grinning.
Shadow laughed softly. “Han, good luck. Stick with Shining here and everything will be alright. If the keep is going to fall, Shining will be the last stallion standing. I guarantee that.”
Han nodded and Shining responded, “That almost sounded like a compliment, Shadow.”
“Don’t get used to it.” Without pausing Shadow turned to Cherish, and headed into the keep ahead of Han and Shining.
“What should I be doing?” Cherish asked, as they hurried inside.
“Depends. Can you fight?” Shadow spoke bluntly. His jovial tone with Shining Armor had suddenly turned serious.
“Not especially well,” Cherish relented.
“Then get together with one of the shield teams. They could use your help.”
Finally inside the keep, Shadow and Cherish wound their way through the bustling crowd of civilians and soldiers alike. From his left came a familiar voice, “Shadow! Don’t you ignore me!”
Shadow stopped cold and turned slowly, “Rainbow?”
Before he even had time to look, his wife was on top of him, holding him tight in an uncharacteristic display of her love for him.
Pulling her back gently, Shadow spoke softly, “Dash, what are you doing here? Where are the…” His eyes drifted past her and he saw his daughters rushing toward them. “Girls!”
“Daddy!” Nearly dropping Rainbow Dash, Shadow grabbed both his daughters tight into his hooves. Cherish felt her heart melt at the obvious family reunion.
Holding back his tears of happiness at seeing his family, he turned to Rainbow, still holding their daughters. “What are you three doing here? It isn’t safe here.”
Rainbow shrugged softly. “According to the news it’s not safe anywhere. Celestia had Twilight contact me and the other girls and told us all to come here. I guess she figured no place was safer.”
Shadow sighed setting his daughters down, who immediately began to question Cherish, Rainbow’s nonchalant attitude as a war loomed was baffling to most. For him, it was just Dash. His mind clicked as what she had said sank in. “So the rest of the girls are here too?”
“Yep. They should be around somewhere. AJ and Spike were helping set up defenses and Twilight’s studying spells.”
“What about Pinkie, ‘Shy and Rarity?” Shadow asked.
“Pinkie’s off somewhere being Pinkie and Fluttershy’s helping Rarity make some fashionable battle armor.” Rainbow scoffed at that.
Shadow shook his head, even in a time of war Rarity had to look her best. “Alright, can you take me to Twilight? I need to talk to her.”
“Sure.” Rainbow started to turn but stopped when she realized Sky and Moon had been pestering Cherish with questions unceasingly for a few minutes now. “Girls. Leave her alone, I’m sure she’s very busy.”
Sky came rushing over in an instant. “Her name’s Cherish, Mom! She’s super nice. She said she works with Dad. Is that true?” Her final question addressed to Shadow rather than Rainbow.
“Yes she does, honey. Would you two like to hang out with her today?”
“Yeah!” They answered in unison, as had become their custom.
Shadow shot Cherish a look and she just nodded. Her new mission was making sure his daughters were safe.
They all fell in step together, heading inside the keep proper. Sky bounced along, fluttering her wings to hover momentarily and ask Cherish more questions. Shadow had helped Moon up onto his back. Still too young to hover, she flapped her wings from her position on his back, trying to strengthen them, to one day keep up with her sister.
After a bit of a walk, they arrived at the grand library that Twilight had all to herself. Purple flashes signaled from down the hall that she was hard at work practicing her spells. The years had proven that she was set to be the world’s greatest magic user. Shadow was sure to caution Sky from being too loud and asking too many questions of Twilight. The last thing they needed was one of her spells to misfire from distraction.
As the five of them entered the library Shadow helped Moon down from his back and he stepped forward with Rainbow. Together they approached Twilight, who had just finished a spell.
“Twilight.” Rainbow spoke quickly, making sure she didn’t start another spell.
Still startled at their sudden presence it took Twilight only seconds before she rush to hug Shadow.
“It’s been too long, mister,” she said, breaking their embrace.
“You’re right, but my job keeps me busy some times.” Shadow gave her a wink and the three of the laughed.
“So what are you doing here? I take it you’re working to stop this fight?”
“Something like that. I need a favor, Twilight. How good are you at creating scrolls?”
“Almost better than Celestia these days. What do you need?”
“Teleportation scrolls. A few of them.”
“I can do that easy.” She smiled with self-assurance.
“Awesome. How long will it take?”
“Based on how long the spells are, a few hours. I’d say by night fall.”
“You couldn’t have better timing.” Shadow smiled and embraced her once more. “We’ll leave you to work.”
“You can leave the girls if you like. They’re safer here than anywhere else in the keep,” Twilight wasn’t a parent herself but she had baby sat Sky and Moon enough to care for them like they were her own.
Shadow nodded. “Thanks, Twi.” Turning to his daughters and Cherish, “Alright, girls, you stay here with Cherish and Auntie Twilight. Mom and I will be back in no time. Okay?”
The girls nodded happily and giggled as Cherish picked them both up. She seemed to be a natural at dealing with fillies as well as more adult ponies.
Together Rainbow and Shadow headed to Rarity and Fluttershy’s makeshift fashion boutique, which brought another round of hugs for Shadow.
“Rarity, I’ve got an order to place,” Shadow said in an official sounding voice.
“Oh, stop it, Shadow. What do you need, dear?”
“I need something that looks like a Germaneish uniform.”
Rarity was taken aback for a moment. “Shadow, I’m afraid that’s not a design I know.”
“I do. I’ll walk you through the basic design but we only have a few hours.”
“A few hours? I don’t know if we can make a complete outfit that quickly.” Fluttershy’s voice rose softly.
“We’ll just have to make as much progress as we can, dear. I’ve learned better than to question Shadow when he needs an outfit,” Rarity said, trying to sound reassuring.
Shadow nodded and turned back to Rainbow. “You can go back to the girls or help AJ and Spike. I’ll be stuck here for most of my time before I leave.”
Rainbow nodded solemnly and embraced him tightly. “Just come back to us.”
Shadow nuzzled into her shoulder and kissed her neck softly. “I always do.” Pulling back from the hug they share a few long kisses, before Rainbow Dash turns and heads back toward the library.
Shadow turns back to Fluttershy and Rarity, now both smiling softly at him. “Let’s get to work, ladies.”
With the scrolls made, Shadow stood in the library in front of his friends and family, wearing a nearly perfect Germaneish uniform, with saddlebags holding three teleportation scrolls, and a few extra tricks Twilight had been able to cook up for Shadow on short notice.
“So what’s the plan?” Spike asked. Since Shadow’s involvement in the Code Star Program, Spike had grown increasingly interested in whether or not Luna would accept a dragon among their ranks. She would, but Spike was still a bit too naïve for his own good.
“Well, the alliance between the Germaneish and the griffins is about as loose as they come. I have to convince the griffins that either the war isn’t worth it to them, or, that the Germaneish would betray them just as easily. Hence the uniform. The griffins will have set up out of range of our artillery and fliers. They’re probably on the north side of the Trottingham River.” His ear crackled and Shimmer confirmed his theory. “I’m only going to set a few fires, maybe poison their onsite water reserves, fire a few random shots in their direction, and then make sure they see me and recognize the uniform before I disappear.”
Spike and the others nodded along. None except for Shimmer and Twilight had ever heard such a detailed plan of action from him. They each believed he could and would stop this war before it began. They had received word that the Germaneish would be marching on Stalliongrad at first light.
“I have a question,” Spike said.
“Shoot.”
“What if it doesn’t work?” All eyes were immediately on him, some wide, some accusatory.
“That’s where I come in.” Shining Armor’s voice carried from the doorway, as he approached the gathered ponies. “If for any reason Shadow can’t get this done, I’ve got an entire battalion of soldiers ready to make a preemptive strike before dawn. We know where the enemy is, so there is no reason to wait for their attack.”
Shadow nodded at Spike. “But Shining will get to enjoy sitting on his hooves all night because I’ll be able to handle this one just fine.”
Shining rolled his eyes at his friend. “Yea, just don’t forget who taught you.”
Shadow smiled, “You’re right. Thanks, me.”
Drawing a laugh from the group was all Shadow needed. He took a step back and drew one of the scrolls from his saddle bags. He mumbled under his breath and in a flash he was gone. As everyone turned to leave the library, Rainbow Dash remained. Staring at where he husband had stood only moments ago.
“Rainbow?” Twilight’s concern was unmistakable.
Rainbow Dash sighed and turned to her friend, wiping her eyes. “I hate this part.”
Twilight embraced her tightly. “He will be okay, Rainbow. You know that.”
Rainbow nodded into her friend. “Sometimes I’m not so sure, Twi. I want him to be okay, but he carries so much on his shoulders. He carries more than his share of burdens for us all.” She broke the embrace and stepped back from Twilight, letting out a sigh. “I just want my husband back.”
-----
Shadow appeared right in the middle of the griffin camp. He quickly ducked behind a stack of supplies as he heard someone coming to investigate the flash of light. Pressing himself low to the ground he peered under the boxes, watching the feet of the soldier.
“Must’ve been seeing things.” The feet turned and headed back the direction they had come.
“Shadow, can you hear me?” Shimmer joined him.
He tapped his neck to send a single quick click to signal yes.
“Okay, I’ve got an overlay of the camp. Thank the Shadowbolts when you get a chance. From your current position the biggest tent is due west.”
Click.
Shadow took a moment to take in his surroundings. There was a bit of cloud cover that blocked the moon, which would help him remain undetected. He moved silently through the camp, pausing only when he heard the rustling of armor that all the guards wore. He could see the big tent; its height suggested it was a command tent and not a barracks tent.
As he reached it, his ear crackled again. “Personnel?” Click click. “Command?” Click. “Good. Set the charges.”
Shadow reached into his saddle bags and pulled out two of the four small purple rocks Twilight had given him. Placing one at the entrance of the tent, he slowly wound his way around to the back side and place the second just inside the flap. Click.
“Alright, you’re headed directly to your south. It’s their largest supply reserve. They’re actually dumb enough to keep them stockpiled in one area. Place a charge in the center.”
Shadow moved with all the speed he could. As expected, the supplies were a bit more tightly guarded than the rest of the tents. Finally reaching the supplies, he tucked the small purple rock into one of the supply crates. Click.
“Next is getting a couple of tents on fire before waking the camp up. Up for a challenge?”
Click.
“Okay, you’re headed east. There are two long tents next to each other.”
Shadow moved slowly crouched as low as he could. Between the supplies and the tents Shimmer mentioned, there was little in the way of cover. If he was caught his uniform wouldn’t buy him much time before they figured out his ruse. Just as he had nearly made it to the safety of the cover of the tents a griffin stepped from his tent and stretched. They were about to perform a guard change.
Shadow rolled silently to his right and behind the new guard. Putting the guards own tent between them he stayed low and looked for a place to hide for the guard change. Nestling between two tents that were closer together than the others he watched as several more griffins emerged from tents farther ahead of him, and headed to their designated post.
Much to his dismay Shadow heard a stirring in the tent to his left. If this was another guard he would have no choice but to take him out. Holding his breath he listened for more movements or the clanking of armor. Silence. Exhaling silently his ear crackled.
“You alright Shadow? You’ve been stationary for a few minutes now.” Click.
Once again, moving toward the long tents, Shadow felt a strange presence. Like eyes upon him. He looked around but spotted no one who would be actively observing him. Walking between the two tents the hairs on his neck began to rise. Something was wrong.
Quickly tossing the first of the two red stones Twilight had given him he hurried to the other edge of the tent, dropping the other before ducking into more cover. Still he felt watched.
“You alright Shadow? What’re you doing that far from the tents?” Click click. “Are you compromised?” Click … Click. “Hold still, Shadow. I’m dispatching one of our high fliers to get a better look.” Click.
Shadow sat motionless waiting for his ear to crackle again. He couldn’t explain the feeling he was having and that was what bothered him.
“Flier says it’s clear, Shadow. No unusual movements, nor anyone out of place.” Click.
Taking a slow deep breath and letting it our just as slowly, he calmed his heart. Reaching into his saddlebags he pulled out the color coordinated sticks Twilight had also given him. They were no longer than a pencil and just a bit thicker. Taking both of the red stick he cracked them and immediately saw two fires pop up near the long tents he had placed the red stones.
Holding the other purple stick in his magic he ran through the camp shouting, attracting as much attention as he could. “For Marelin! For Germaney!” He repeated his shouts over and over, only two guards followed him, the others rushed to put out the fires. When he was certain he had no more time to spare he began cracking the purple igniters. The supplies exploded to his right, from behind one part of the command tent exploded followed by the other side.
Pulling out the last igniter he cracked it quickly just as his mind processed that he had not thrown all four. His left saddle bag exploded and propelled him through several tents and sent him sprawling on the ground.
Somehow still alive he tried to reach with his magic into his remaining saddle bag for a scroll but the force of the blast had shorted his magic and he could barely move his limbs to reach it physically.
Struggling to even breathe he heard the clanks of the armor approaching and nearly wished for death. He was close as it was, but the griffins would send him there in a slower fashion than he wants.
As the clanks grew louder, Shadow closed his eyes and hoped to merely disappear into the land, as if by some miracle of earthen magic. Resigning himself to his fate, there was a sudden and thunderous boom nearby. He couldn’t quite place where but he could feel the ground rumble in response to the boom.
Maybe they just decided to mortar the whole camp and count me as an acceptable casualty. Truth be told, Shadow was okay with that. As long as the griffins believe it was the Germaneish, he had succeeded.
Before he had a chance to revel in his successful death a familiar pegasus scooped him up from his position on the ground and was off in the night with him. Every inch of Shadow’s body screamed in pain at the rough handling and, in fact, Shadow himself was screaming. The pain only lasted a few moments before it overwhelmed him and he was unconscious.
Rainbow Dash slowed and reached into Shadow’s saddlebag, grabbing one of the remaining scrolls, and in a flash they were back in Stalliongrad. Her cries for help brought half the keep to her, and before she knew it, Shadow was in the infirmary hooked to machines Rainbow didn’t understand and she had a firm grip on his hoof.
Shining Armor entered the infirmary slowly. He’d never seen Shadow like this before, even though he himself had put Shadow in the hospital once during a training scenario gone wrong. But never like this. Barely clinging to life. He stood on the opposite side of Rainbow Dash and looked over Shadow before looking to Rainbow.
“Rainbow Dash, I hate to ask you this right now but.. Is it possible any of the griffins were able to recognize you?” His voice was soft but purposeful.
“I don’t know. I don’t care. Fight your war without us.” Rainbow didn’t look up from Shadow as she spoke, her voice cracking slightly.
“Dash.. I need to know. Did they see you long enough to identify you as Equestrian?”
Her stare would’ve made even a windigo freeze over. “I don’t know. What does it matter?”
Exasperated, Shining was forced to ask again, he needed a clear answer. “Listen, Dash…”
“No, you listen! I’ve sat for ten years and watched this stallion throw away his life for this country. He’s come home bruised and beaten up more often than I can count and he’s always able to laugh off the pain and still be the best husband and father he can be, but this is too much. I don’t care if they saw me! I am NOT losing the stallion I love over some war that we’ll win anyway! So, no, Shining Armor, I don’t know if they saw me, but I don’t give a flying feather!” In the midst of her yelling her wings had picked her up and carried her so far across Shadow’s body that she was now leaning into Shining Armor’s face.
Shining backed up a step. “I’m sorry..”
“Yeah? Well, you should be!” Dash returned to her original side of Shadow’s bed and took his hoof once more.
Without another word, Shining left the room. He would rally the troops for a morning defense, unsure of what the griffins knew.
“Rainbow..” Twilight stood where her brother had just exited.
“Leave me alone, Twilight.” Dash couldn’t contain her tears any longer.
Twilight felt her own anger well, “Rainbow Dash. Stop it right now. You know darn well that Shadow wouldn’t want you yelling at us about this. And you probably know better than I do that Shadow is a fighter. He’s not gone, Rainbow Dash. Not by a long shot.”
Dash sniffled, barely moving at all. “You don’t get it, Twilight. I know he’s a fighter. I know he’s been banged up before and always comes back. I know. But you didn’t hear him scream. When I grabbed him, he screamed so loud. I’ve never heard him in that kind of pain.” She lost herself in her tears for a moment. “Twilight… I don’t think he’s coming back to us.”
Twilight moved to her friend and held her while she cried. Together they sat until dawn broke in the sky. Twilight had been wary of the dawn but when nothing happened she started to hope just a little bit. As the first hour after dawn passed without so much as a single shout from a guard, Twilight was certain Shadow had succeeded.
Rainbow had fallen asleep on Twilight’s shoulder, but awoke with a start when the door to the infirmary opened. A silver pegasus with a shining mane and Princess Luna stepped into the room.
“Princess Luna, what are you doing here?” Twilight asked.
“Hello Twilight. I came to check on our number one agent.” Motioning to the silver mare, “This is Shimmer. She took over as Shadow’s operational handler after you, Twilight.”
They each said their hellos and discussed Shadow’s condition, which hadn’t changed much since the night. When finally Luna and Twilight departed Rainbow and Shimmer were left on opposite sides of Shadow and an awkward silence slowly filled the space between them.
After having all the silence she could take, Shimmer spoke, “He talks about you a lot, you know.”
Dash had barely registered that she wasn’t alone and responded with a confused, “Huh?”
“Shadow. He talks about you. And your daughters. Just about as often as he can. He misses you when he’s on missions. I suppose that’s obvious. … Look, I know I’ll probably never know Shadow like you do so.. Why don’t you tell me about him?”
Rainbow Dash sighed, gathering her thoughts. “He’s.. He’s about 20% cooler than any other stallion I’ve ever met.” Laughing at her own small joke, Dash relaxed a little, still holding Shadow’s hoof.
“How did you two meet?” Shimmer asked.
Dash recounted the story of their first case together and how she had saved his life then as well.
It continued like that for a while, Shimmer would ask a question and Rainbow Dash would tell the whole sordid story. Over time the two of them began to laugh, and Shimmer began to tell her side of some of Shadow’s adventures, which, according to Rainbow Dash, were very different to how Shadow told them. When finally they had run out of stories it was nearly nightfall again.
Rainbow Dash quelled her laughter and glanced at Shimmer who was just smiling at Shadow. “You love him, don’t you?”
Shimmer was a bit shocked at the forwardness of the question but nodded softly. “Maybe not in the traditional since and not like you love him, for sure. But I’d really be lost without him.”
Rainbow just nodded and smiled. “Shadow has that kind of effect on ponies.”
-----
The war never came. Shadow had succeeded in an odd fashion. His charges had done their job in both burning the tents and blowing up the command tent and supplies, but what he hadn’t learned was that the particular camp he had destroyed wasn’t the one slotted to attack Stalliongrad.
The griffins had agreed to help the Germaneish but had never intended to follow through. Their plan had been to wait for the Germaneish armies to leave the capital and then swoop in and claim it for themselves. Deep down they knew they would never conquer Equestria so they had simply decided to go the easiest route to acquiring more land without directly engaging the most powerful army in the world.
With the attack on the camp, the griffins had gone ahead with their attack on Marelin, which, unbeknownst to the griffins, was embroiled in a bitter civil war for power. The opposing sides were able to put aside their differences when the griffins showed up and began to demand Germaneish land under threat of war with the Griffin Kingdoms.
The griffins had massively underestimated the resolve of the united might of the Germaneish army and were easily pushed out of Germaneish territory and back to their mountains where their dreams of grandeur ended.
The Xiao ponies of the Ibex Empire had decided to push forward with their surprise attack of Stalliongrad. Thinking that the ease with which Haliflanks fell was an indicator of an inferior military. The Xiao ponies were mercilessly pounded by artillery and mortar fire two three solid days before their ears pounded in their heads and there was no more fight left in any of them.
Shining Armor took a division and followed the Xiao back to the borders and began to help the rebuilding efforts in Haliflanks. Lieutenant Han, now just, Han, lead the rebuilding effort as a show of good faith that not all Xiao ponies were not all war mongering. He still struggles with the nightmares of what he was forced to do in Haliflanks.
-----
Applejack sat in front of the gravestone, reading the name over and over. She wiped a tear away before placing the flowers she had brought at the base. Standing slowly she turned to her friends.
Rainbow Dash with kids in tow, hugged Applejack tightly. “I know he misses you just as much as you miss him.”
“Does the heartache ever go away?” she asked.
“I don’t think so, AJ. But to me, that ache means that the love is still there. It’s better to hold onto it than wish it away.” Rainbow patted her back softly.
“Thanks, RD. Do you know where Shadow is? I’d like to see him before I head back to the farm.”
Rainbow Dash nodded and motioned to a far side of the graveyard. “He’s underneath that tree over there.”
Applejack nodded and wiped another tear away and she wound her way through the graveyard, sitting down with a heavy sigh underneath the tree.
“Hey Shadow. Came to visit Skip today and I knew you were here too so I thought I’d come say hello before I head back.” She sniffled softly, “I feel like such a fool talking to the ground and crying like this. Especially after you taught me to celebrate the life of the pony and not cry over ‘em. But sometimes when I’m out here, I just can’t help it.”
“Crying is part of celebrating them, AJ. The point is to share in their joy and sadness after their passing. Besides, it’s not every day you fall in love. There’s nothing wrong with crying over them, though. We all have those days when we really miss our friends and family.” Shadow rounded the opposite side of the tree and sat down next to her, wiping his eyes.
“If you don’t mind my askin’, who all’s out this far that you come to visit?”
“My parents.”
“Oh.” For a long moment, they sat in silence before Applejack asked another question. “Shadow, how did you make it through all that stuff out at Stalliongrad?”
“That’s the easy part. For a minute, while I was lying there, I wanted to die. But then I remembered something my dad had said to me a long, long time ago when I had wanted to quit at something that he thought could’ve been my special talent.”
“What did he tell you?”
“He said, “You want to take the easy way out because if you try and fail there's only you to blame. But you know what? Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes. It's all up to you. So get up, get out there, and go start doing the work.” I realized that death was the easy way out. And I'm not one to turn down a challenge.”
“Your dad was a smart fella, Shadow.”
Shadow chuckled softly as he stood up and extended his hoof to her, helping her up. “Yeah. I think so too.”
