Chapter 39 - For a Brother

Darkness... It's all he had as he didn't even bother to open his eyes. He knew dam well the bag was still there on his head and it wasn't going anywhere soon unless he shook it off. Though last time he did that they gave him another black circle to match the one he had on his other eye so he decided against it as he sat on that uncomfortable chair they strapped him too. He was already used to the smell of the room, having been kept there for what he thought was a good week since they threw him in somewhere with only one door so it was hard to keep the day and the night cycle with no actual sunlight coming into the room to tell him if it was dawn or not. He got visitor sometimes too. Though they just opened the door to look at him and laugh, some of them come in and give him a good punch or two for fun.

He didn't have hope left, just faith in miracles at this point as he lost count of the seconds he was in there, then the minutes, then the hours finally as he gave up on waiting for someone to save him. Though he thought about it from a logical view and ran over the facts multiple times through his head with so much free time there that he came up two possible outcomes. One no one was coming because no one had a clue where he was and they would off him as soon as they think he's of no use at all and that be it. Two they would trade him for something of value to them, such as some of there men that may be in prison or some girls they could trade for their own corrupt business. Either way he knew the Princesses wouldn't allow that but would somehow find a way to make a deal with these scum and somehow save his life. Though if that were possible he would be out by now and with his family celebrating his own life.

Their was this thing his sister taught him, he remembered it as he thought about what would happen to him and the many things he might not be able to say if he were to never make it out of that stupid room they threw him in. He thought about his family and his dearest friend Cadance who he never got to confess to. Then solely on his sister Twilight and her many teachings to him as they sat for lunch or talked as they walked around Canterlot. He remembered something that used to calm her down or at least help keep in her mind in tact as she felt troubled or paranoid. He did it many times as he sat there in utter darkness, he did it till he felt sane again, he did he till he fell asleep, and even now he did it in the back of his mind as he sat there waiting for something to happen when in reality, he knew nothing was.

"My name is Shining Armor, I'm captain of the royal guard and secret agent to the royal guard, my moms name is Twilight Velvet, and my father's name is Night Light, my sister's name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm in love with my friend Cadance and if I make it out of this alive I will confess to her"

He ran over it again.

"My name is Shining Armor, I'm captain of the royal guard and secret agent to the royal guard, my moms name is Twilight Velvet, and my father's name is Night Light, my sister's name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm in love with my friend Cadance and if I make it out of this alive I will confess to her"

He didn't notice sound outside of ponies yelling.

"My name is Shining Armor, I'm captain of the royal guard and secret agent to the royal guard, my moms name is Twilight Velvet, and my father's name is Night Light, my sister's name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm in love with my friend Cadance and if I make it out of this alive I will confess to her"

The sudden light barely went though the bag on his head as he repeated it again.

"My name is Shining Armor, I'm -"

The bag was suddenly removed as the light pierced his eyes causing them to sting as he opened them from the sudden removal of the head ware. His eyes barely came into focus as he brought his mind back into the real world leaving behind the darkness he was just in. He could hear what he thought were the stallions outside his door groaning as he could hear again. His eyes were still reading the world as a blur as he suddenly felt feeling back in his body as the ropes holding him down became undone and something grabbed him as he fell out of the chair. He moaned as he felt tired and sore in everyplace of his body. He felt whoever was holding him drag him to what he thought was the wall and rested him there as they let go of him.

"Lyra is there any water around here"

"Lemme check, yeah this stallions got some, here ya go"

All he heard were low voices as he drifted back into darkness, not before feeling a cold sensation wake him up. His eyes shot open coming into focus fast as he felt water hit his head pulling him out of his slumber. He flung his arms around as if he was about to get drowned but felt somepony grab his arm getting his attention. He stopped and whipped his head to the side where he saw a red hooded figure holding a bottle of water in his face.

"Drink" The red hood said as he gave the bottle a shake moving the water inside causing the stallion to become very thirsty. He tried to reach for the bottle but had no luck as the energy in his body was gone from earlier and he couldn't pick up his arm. The red hooded figure saw this and slowly moved the bottle to his lips were he accepted the offer and began drinking the water. He felt like the heavens had given him a gift as he drank that water savoring each gulp of it. Soon the water was gone as he chugged it whole. The red hood just tossed the bottle aside as he gave a quick up and down of his body.

"Can you walk?" The red hood said as he began pulling him up off the ground standing him up against the wall.

"Maybe..." Shining managed to croak out as he took a step forward almost tripping but using the wall as leverage to keep himself up.

Just then he heard someone enter the room as he turned his head and saw a female looking figure with a white hoodie on as she whispered something into the red hooded ones ear.

"Tell Celestia to send in her troops, I'll get him out of here" The red hood said as the mare just nodded before disappearing from the door.

"Who are you?" Shining asked as best as he could as the figure just stood there before taking his hood off and turning around to him.

Shining instantly knew that whoever in front of him wasn't a pony as he took in the fur color and saw that it was just skin. The way their face was shaped and how they just looked in general said that they were at least pony-like in some aspects. He had golden hair and golden eyes as he stared. He was never one to judge but whoever stood before him was someone special that much he could tell.

The once hooded figure smirked as he looked at him. "For now just call me Ed, I'm a human"

Shining thought of how strange the name was but waved it away as he just nodded at the name before watching the human make his way to him.

"Come on Shining we gotta get out of here" Ed said as he grabbed his arm and rested it over his shoulder helping him off the wall as they began making there way out of that terrible room.

Once in the hall it took a second to click as Shining's mind didn't believe what its eyes were seeing. Out in the hall laid more than 10 stallions all knocked out on the ground as Shining saw that they were all still breathing. The hall was pretty wide and had other doors that were left open like his. After looking closely the stallion saw that there was holes in the walls beside him like somebody banged something against it breaking the cement. He just ignored the whole scene as he slowly walked to the end of the room where he saw an elevator awaiting him. Ed helped a lot as he carried most of the stallions weight greatly reducing the pressure on his legs as they made great time getting to the elevator. As they got to the elevator a ding was heard as Shining just realized that the elevator had just arrived at there floor causing his eyes to open wide.

It happened so fast as he suddenly felt the wall holding him as he leaned against it and the doors opened to the elevator. Two stallions were standing there talking about Celestia knows what before they realized what was happening. Ed had rushed both of them of them tackling them to the elevator wall breaking the elevators glass mirror as he did. The two stallions just groaned as they slipped to the floor before Ed quickly lifted his foot between the two stallions sending a kick left to first stallions face then right two the second stallions face. It was like his foot was sweeping the ground for dust as Shining watched how fast his kick snapped forward and back. Satisfied he grabbed both stallions by their legs and dragged there unconscious butts out of the elevator before going back to him and helping him off the wall. As they made it into the elevator Ed quickly pushed a button from the list of floors to choose and sat Shining against the railing in the elevator as the doors closed and they waited in silence.

Shining was the first to speak. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" He asked curious to learn what training he received.

"From a simple housewife" Ed said as he smiled at Shining before looking back to the elevator doors.

"A housewife" Shining thought as he tried to think of how he learned to fight from a simple housewife.

"So you work for Celestia?" He asked getting a chuckle from the human.

"No I'm just here to break you out" Ed simply said as his eyes flickered to the number floor they were on then back to the doors again.

Shining was confused at this point. "So your saying you don't work for Celestia, does that mean you work for Luna?" Shining slowly asked trying to figure this human out.

Ed just smiled at that. "She'd like that" The human said as his head turned to the wall next to him as if somepony was there and then to him as he sighed.

"But no I work for no Princess and I'm here on my own accord" Ed said as he looked straight at Shining hoping he got his message across.

"So your here, because you chose to be here" Shining said as he got the jist of it.

Ed just nodded as he kept his eyes on the door. Shining tried to wrap his head around the situation before realizing that this human had no reason to be saving him. No orders no nothing. Then he thought about his family as he asked another question.

"Do you know my family?" Shining asked as Ed grinned and looked at him.

"Just your sister, unless you guys have more siblings I don't know about but yeah, I know your sister" Ed said as he now had a soft smile on his face probably thinking of her.

"You say that like you just found out about me" Shining said wondering if he did.

Ed was about to say something but stopped as he fished for something in his pocket. He grabbed what he was looking for and showed it to Shining as he saw that it was a photo of him and his sister together.

"Not just 6 hours ago I got this picture from Celestia, one look at you and I knew you were her brother" Ed said as he put the photo back in his pocket.

"Celestia probably thought I could help and she was right, But I didn't do this for her but for your sister Twilight" Ed said as he looked at the number floor they were on and back to the door again.

"I would have done it for anypony else but you were a special case, I guess you can say that I was indebted to saving you..." The human said as he let the sentence linger before picking it up again.

"Your sister saved my life and I plan to repay her in anyway I can until I die" Ed said as he gave a serious look to Shining.

Shining didn't know what to think, but as the doors opened Ed turned his head and so did Shining as they saw both stared at what was awaiting them outside those doors. Stallions here and there were pouring gasoline out on the floor, they all seemed to be in a panic as their movements were fast and sloppy. Ed looked to the floor number they were on and quickly realized they were on the top floor. Shining on the other hand just looked at the scene before them and regrettable did something he would never let down.

"Their trying to burn any trace of evidence!"

Ed looked to Shining as the stallion took a second to realize what he did before he moved his hand to his mouth covering it. The stallions in the room all slowly stopped what they were doing and turned to the two in the elevator before looking back at each other. Shining counted too many to fight, he was going to slam down on the button list not caring what he hit but suddenly felt the human pull him out of the elevator. Shining didn't know what he was doing but as he looked to Ed he saw his head turn towards a door right next to the elevator that said "stairs" right above it and pulled him over to it opening it as he shoved him in there. Shining fell to the ground as he entered the room groaning as he did from all the sore muscles he just got reminded he had. All he heard was a clap and then some weird noise like something was electrified as he turned over and saw that the door was sealed shut like it had never been there. Shining felt himself being picked up again as he looked and saw Ed putting his arm around his shoulder again.

Shining just went with it, not questioning what Ed just did as they began walking up the stairs. It wasn't a long flight but just one level up as Shining could see the door to what he thought was the roof and made their way towards it. Ed pushed it open causing the light to blind Shining for a moment before his eyes adjusted to the new brightness. He saw the blue in the sky and not a cloud in sight as it was a beautiful day in Equestria. Though that was shortly interrupted as a door could be heard slamming open near them. Shining looked as stallions came bursting out through another staircase on the other side of the building completely opposite to them. Just then a pegasus landed in front of Ed catching Shining off guard but the Ed not. Shining got a good look at the pegasus before realizing it was the Wonderbolt Spitfire.

'What's a Wonderbolt doing here!?" Shining asked frantically as he had no idea what was going on.

"Take Shining down first as planned" Ed said as he got a nod from the pegasus as he got handed over like luggage.

Spitfire grabbed him from behind making sure he was secure in her arms before he took off. "You gonna be okay?" Spitfire asked as she gave Ed a concerned look before he nodded.

'I'll be fine" Ed said smirking as he turned his attention to Shining Armor and gave a serious look.

"These stallions, what are they responsible for?" Ed asked as his eyes flickered to the large group of stallions he counted past 20 that were slowly walking over here.

"They've been trafficking mares like pieces of meat, they do what they please because they think there invisible" Shining said feeling a little anger weld up inside him.

Ed just nodded as he gave a pat to the stallion. "Then I better make sure that they all go to jail then right?" Ed said as he smiled and nodded to Spitfire.

Then he was airborne. Shining was only in the air for a few seconds before hitting the ground again on his feet. His brain probably shut down as he looked down at the ground as they descended. As soon as he knew it he was standing again with the help of Spitfire as they walked towards a a group of guards already calling for the paramedics. Shining just looked to Spitfire as he spoke.

"Go get -"

The explosion just cancelled off his voice as he felt the shock-wave go under his feet. He looked up instantly and saw that the top of the building was on fire as he the rest of it lit up like domino's going floor by floor as the fire erupted. Shining's mind just went blank as he watched the building burn. He made his first step.

'ED!" He yelled out as he began walking towards the building using every amount of his strength left to walk properly before finally tripping. He didn't even feel the ground hit as he suddenly felt the feeling you get when your dreaming as he floated. He tried to understand what was happening but then darkness again.

"My name is Shining Armor, I was saved by a human named Ed"

Author's Note

I wanted to try the story from a different perspective and see if I would like it.

I know this is short but hey it was the best plan that I could come up with that would get Shining the hell out of there.

I honestly don't think there will be another chapter explaining how Ed got there but your allowed to guess how :3