The Story of Shade: How Shade Earned his Cutie Mark
It was well deep into the night, and in an upstairs bedroom sat a young colt. The young pegasus gazed out of his window, looking at the stars. The night sky was beautiful, it’s smooth dark blue colour let the stars stand out, and the light of the moon shone down upon the earth. The moon, great and large in the sky, and the silhouette of a shadow of a mare resting in it, just beautiful. The Princess’ night was almost phantasmic, and the young colt, Shade, he loved it. To Shade, the night was the time he could sit down and relax, look out to the stars and hope for a wonderful life. During the night he adored how still his village was, Hollow Shades wasn’t a big town, and was deep in the heart of a forrest, just north of Foal Mountain.
The streets were still, tonight was the night of the Summer Sun Celebration, not that anyone in town cared. Shade opened his window, his deep and pure black hair flowed gently in the warm night air. The short grey pegasus stuck his head out the window, and breathed in the humid, yet calming and inviting night air. He closed his eyes and breathed out in utter peace. All his worries gone from his mind, he had not a care in the world. Opening them he could smell a weak, and surprisingly soft musk from the forrest surrounding him.
His ear twitched, as he heard from the right the slow sound of somepony walking. It wasn’t loud at all, very quiet. He saw another young foal, maybe a little younger than himself gently walk down the gravel paths of town. He recognised her, she was the young unicorn he had seen earlier that day. He remembered seeing her crying, running out of school. Shade didn’t really know her apart from earlier. Every night he sits and looks out his window, and he’s never seen her walking. He knew something was wrong here, a young filly such as herself shouldn’t be out this late at night, and yet alone awake even. He watched her, and he couldn’t help but notice under the glow of the street lamps, resting on her pale green back sat her saddle bags. Where she was going was towards the edge of town, heading out towards the forrest. At this point he knew he had to leave his house and follow her, no filly should be entering the forrest at night, especially alone.
Shade crept out from his room, and down his stairs. He was careful not to make any noise. On the floor he was on now, especially, he didn’t want to risk waking his father, he didn’t know what would happen to that filly if he couldn’t leave the house. He always found it annoying trying to sneak out of the house, his room was located on a third floor, he lived in the attic basically. He didn’t mind of course, he had a better view of the stars. He was the only child, so no-one could complain. His mother might’ve of course, but he never knew his mother. His father never talked about her, and all he knows is that was was a unicorn with the most beautiful eyes anyone could have, and that she died giving birth to him.
Shade made it down the second flight of stairs. He gingerly tiptoed towards the front door, he didn’t want to make any noise on the wooden floorboards. When he made it to the door he slowly pulled it open, it squeaked slightly as it turned. Shade stepped out closing the door behind him. He knew where she was walking towards, so he ran out, towards the to town’s exit. His hooves trotting along the ground. He moved onto the grass realising how noisy it must be, especially in a small town like this.
Sure enough he was right, reaching the edge of town he could see a small glow off into the distance. It must be her, her short unicorn horn peeking out from her red, almost deep pink hair. Shade followed her through the forrest, he kept his distance of course, he wanted to know where she was going, he didn’t know how she might react if she discovered him. The small green glow of light from her horn guided him through the pitch black path. Noises crackling around him as he walked. He couldn’t say he wasn’t slightly scared of the forrest at all, but he knew it was still pretty safe in here. Nothing like the Everfree Forrest, they say the Everfree is the most dangerous place in all of Equestria. Just thinking about that took a load of Shade’s back.
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Shade continued to watch the light as he walked following the filly. Shade closed his eyes and yawned for a second, it was pretty late, and he had been walking for a while already. He opened his eyes again, the light, the green glow of her horn wasn’t there. He only closed his eyes for a second, and now the light was gone! He didn’t know what to think, what he could do. He decided to keep walking ahead, he had no light, he was in pitch darkness, but he continued to walk through that darkness, he had to find out where she went. He didn’t know what had happened to her, where the light went, but all he could do was continue to walk through the darkness and find her.
The sound, he heard a loud roar from ahead of him. The roar shook the ground below him, he knew that if he was hearing that, he was in trouble, and both him and the filly he was following. Chances are if he find the source of the noise he’s going to find her too. Without delay he bolted forwards, galloping ahead. He heard another noise. This time he heard a scream along with it. He ran through the trees, he couldn’t really see where he was going, but when he was close enough to a tree he could faintly see the trunk. Shade knew what he could do. He spread his wings, he wasn’t exactly a good flyer, and he’s only actually taken flight twice successfully, but he felt like in a situation like this it was necessary. He stepped backwards a few steps, talking a run up he took flight, he was proud with himself, he was able to fly so easily. But he was still concentrating on finding her.
He heard the scream again, he turned around looking for the source of it. In the distance he could see Hollow Shades, he was pretty far away, there was no way anyone could possibly hear her out here. She was in danger and Shade was the only one who could save her. Shade saw a clearing to his right, just below a cliff-face, in the clearing was her, and something else, something big. He flew as fast as he could towards it, so concentrated on getting there he stuffed up with his flying and fell downwards into the trees. He was only a new flyer and he realised he did exceptionally well for his 3rd flight, but now was no time for congratulating himself.
He was pretty beat up from the fall, and was in no shape to be flying again. His left wing was in blinding pain. He could tell he might of broken it while he went through the roofs of the tree layer; hitting a branch. He heard her scream again, and it was pretty close, directly in front of him it came from. The grey pegasus got up, and bolted towards the clearing. He could see well in the clearing, the moon above him cast a solid light down, it was locked in the middle of the sky, he looked upwards to see the shadow of the mare missing from it. He didn’t care to much about it though, he had someone to protect.
He saw her, and it, the beast stood towering above him. The beast was a lion, but his wings and tail said otherwise. It was a manticore, in these woods. The wings were like that of a bat, and the tail was like a scorpion. Shade turned to look behind him, he saw her. He took a moment to think, if they ran, they wouldn’t be able to see where they’re going for one, and second even if they could the manticore would catch them fast. He had no choice but to fight.
He looked to his right, there stood a log, it wasn’t too think, but defiantly too long. He put one end into his mouth to hold it in place, and then he brought his leg down snapping it. He now had a weapon he could use to beat it.
He stood there, glaring into the creatures cold black eyes. The beast stood upwards on it’s hind legs, it’s shadow cast onto the ground below it. The beasts large ears project the image of devilish horns onto it’s head. The beast slams it’s legs to the forrest floor
with a ground shaking slam. The manticore attacks first, charging at Shade, he manages to duck under it and jab the manticore with his makeshift sword. This only infuriates the manticore, it roars and the frightening scream pushes Shade back, also causing him to turn his head. The manticore charges in, he swings his arm and hit Shade up against the side of a tree. a solid piece of bark falls from where he hit. Shade looks to his right and picks it up with his right wing. Holding it the courageous colt charges in, the manticore takes a swing of it’s tail, hitting the bark used as a shield. The manticore has it’s head down from the swing of it’s tail. Shade takes the opportunity to flip around and using his hind legs buck him in the face, knocking out a few of the monster’s teeth.
With come over-cockiness he looks back and smiles at the beautiful young filly, and a wink to finish his bragging. Suddenly a large paw smacks him across the face, Shade is pushed back and slides along the ground. Shade trying to rekindle his vision properly is attacked by another blow of the manticore, hitting Shade into the opposite direction slamming the into rocks of the cliff. The Manticore is fast, and is already by the cliff Shade was slung to. It tries another assault with it’s tail. Shade trying to recuperate rolls over causing the manticore to miss the attack. The manticore pulls it’s tail out from the rocks causing small rocks to fall from the cliff face, in which the rocks land on the manticores back, causing small cuts and bruises. The manticore lightnings his tail downwards again trying to hit the black haired pegasus, he put up the shield holding it upwards with both hooves, the manticore pulls it’s scorpion tail upwards and rapidly lightnings downwards again. Barely dodging he jumps upwards and gets behind the manticore, who’s tail is stuck in the cliff from missing, and begins to slash away at the manticores already scarred back. The creature, stuck with it’s tail in the cliff roars in a painful shout. It closes it’s wings shielding itself from the beating.
The manticore freeing itself swings around a 180, knocking Shade backwards again, Shade drops his already damages shield onto the ground. The young filly flinches from the sound of Shade painfully fly backwards. Shade gets up again, still holding the stick tightly in his mouth. Unwilling to back down, Shade continues to run and get knocked down again by the manticore, every now and then getting the odd lucky hit in.
“Stop! You don’t have to do this! Why are you even bothering to save me!? I’m worthless!”
The young mare cried out to him, her eyes full of tears and her face scared.
Shade didn’t flinch.
“SHADE!” She cried.
Then he stopped and looked at her, he was surprised she knew who he was. Nopony ever knew Shade, at school no-one ever talked to him, well except for Ignis, but he was always busy with all the mares, a true stallion he is. Shade was that one foal nopony ever cared about, or even knew the name of. Stunned, Shade was grabbed by the manticore, the manticore hit Shade directly with the side of his tail.
“SHADE!?!” He was slammed onto the ground.
Shade wasn’t moving, the manticore turned around to confront the young filly who thought she was saved. The manticore slowly crept over to her, she just stood there, terrified, petrified. A voice spoke from behind the manticore.
“Hey Manticore!” Shade slowly stood up from the ground. Bruised, beaten, and bloodied, Shade stood there, still with intent to finish what he started, to defeat this Monster and save the girl. He stood against all odds, against a monster than in one more hit would likely kill Shade. The moonlight shone onto him, a bright light started on his flank. The light swirled, and then finished with a flash. On his flank appeared a Shield, it was purple, with a black outline. Purple, Shade’s favorite colour. Within the shield was three crescent white moons. Shade got his cutie mark.
The filly opened her eyes, she saw the light from his mark’s awakening. She was both amazed and scared. She knew what he was about to do, he was digging his hoof into the ground, he’s ready to charge. He did a quick exhale out from his nose. “Come at me.”
Both charged towards each other, but Shade wasn’t charging into the manticore, he was charging for his wooden shield infront of him. Shade ran the shield was directly in front both him and the manticore now, the manticore being a few meters further back. Shade threw the stick into the air, grabbing the bark with his teeth, shade jumped upwards swinging in a circle, throwing the bark straight at the creature’s face, hitting landing a direct hit. Shade on his way down caught the stick again with his mouth. The manticore flung his face backwards, standing on two legs. Shade continued to charge forward towards the manticore. The manticore had no way to defend himself now. Shade, infront of the manticore jumped letting go of the stick catching it in his hooves, before using both his body weight and momentum from the run up to stab the stick and pull it downwards across the manticores chest and belly. The manticore would’ve scarred horribly from this. It cried out and landing back on it’s front legs again took off into the forrest.
Shade Stood there, huffing and puffing, beaten and bloodied, bruised and battered. But he did it. He saved her life. He won, he did it. He got the manticore.
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Both of them walking back to town. Shade broke the silence between them.
“Do you really want to head back to town?”
The unicorn turned, her eyes wide open. “But we have to, your in no condition to...”
Shade stopped her. “That wasn’t the question.”
She smiled, “to be honest no.”
He smiled back, “Great, I know somewhere we can go. Besides, all the medical centers don’t open until morning.”
Walking, they were almost back at town before Shade turned to the left, “c’mon”
Cutting through the forrest, they started walking up the hill, Shade walking awkwardly from his injuries.
At the top of the hill was a single tree, Shade sat down and looked over to the unicorn, she sat down next to him.
“Hey I never caught your name” He said.
“oh, it’s... it’s Chlora.” she responded quite shyly.
“Chlora, cool name.” He looked at her, he never noticed her eyes, they were large with cute eyelashes. A grey colour as both her eye colour and as her pupils. But they were beautiful.
Chlora picked up on him looking at her eyes. “Go on stare, I know, they’re ugly.”
Shade was somewhat surprised, “What? No I think they’re beautiful.
”
Chlora widened her eyes, “Y-you really think so?” she said blushing.
Shade nodded, giving her a smile.
“How did you find me?” Chlora said.
“Well, I was looking out my window, and I saw you walking out of town, I figured nopony should be walking into the forrest at this hour, especially somepony like you.”
“...and why’d you save me? You could have died, you could have easily just walked away and not gone through any of this trouble.”
Shade looked forwards, on top of the hill you could see all across the forrest, you could also see the stars and the moon. Both of them gazed at the moon. The mare in to moon was gone but Chlora looked back at Shade. Shade finally responded.
“I saved you, because it’s what I had to do, life is too precious to lose like that. Granted I could have died myself, yes. But at least I would die protecting somepony, trying to save a life. I save people. I help others in hopes one day, somepony will help me when I need it.”
“Now, the real question is how did you know who I was?” Shade Finished up.
Chlora blushed, “That’s what i’ll let you figure out yourself.”
They both smiled. They looked out to the stars, and at the new moon. It’s light was brighter tonight than any night before Before long Shade had fallen asleep up under the tree, sleeping in the moonlight. Chlora was asleep too, resting on Shade’s shoulder.
They spent the night there under the tree, the moon shown bright, and the manticore wouldn’t come back ever again.
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This is the first Story of Shade Walker. The regular grey pegasus, with the willpower and the resilience stronger than anypony ever known.
Shade Walker, the one and only.
Author's Note
I'm so tired, the last part of this was written with me being tired, i don't like writing something over a period of time so i write all at once. Thats just how i do things so... yah.
