A Whole New World

21st Autumn's Dawn

Guardsman Shadow Breeze trotted around the field, doing laps. He tried to focus on pacing himself, anything to help him take his mind off what had happened the night before. He looked down at his hooves as he ran, Just place one hoof in front of the other Shadow. Don't think about them.

But that was the only thing he could think about. The events that had unfolded at the camp, how Thunderlane and Rumble had died. He sighed and sat down next to a tree, hanging his head in defeat as the memories came flooding back. Their voices, their faces as they died, standing right there in front of him.

He buried his face in his hooves, but didn't cry, too filled with grief to do so. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't hear the hooves approaching him, nor the voice that accompanied them.

"Hey, are you ok?"

After a few seconds, the voice spoke again. It was slow and calm, and Shadow almost felt himself being soothed by it, "Buddy, are you alright? Do you want me to get somepony?"

Shadow lowered his hooves back to the ground, but kept his eyes focused on the ground, "No. I'm not hurt or anything like that."

The pony sat down next to him, "Well, what's bothering you then?"

Finally, Shadow looked up. The voice came from an earth pony stallion with a light-grey coat, a black, spiky mane and blue eyes. His cutie mark was a set of four-leaf clovers, "Who are you?" Shadow asked.

"Trooper in the Celestial Guard," the pony explained, "Out of all the places I could of gone in the military, my parents wanted me to become one of Princess Celestia's personal guards. Not exactly what I wanted, but I'm not complaining. So what's your name?"

Shadow couldn't keep eye contact with this pony, his coat and mane reminded him too much of Rumble, but the least he could do was be polite, "Shadow Breeze."

The pony smiled, "That's a good name. Tell me Shadow Breeze, do you believe in destiny?"

"What do you mean?" Shadow turned to look at him.

"I mean, do you think that there's something we're all supposed to do in life before we die? Maybe there's something that's supposed to happen to us, and fate won't allow us to leave until that's completed."

Dutch listened to Shadow Breeze as he explained what happened while he had been down in the bunker. As he progressed, the human's face became more and more concerned, and when Shadow finished, he didn't reply for several minutes as he digested those words.

Finally, he took a breath to speak. Shadow hoped they would be words of comfort or compassion, but what he heard made his ears fold against his head.

"Shadow, don't ever tell anyone what you just told me." His voice was quiet, and whether it was from the shock or to make sure no one else heard, he didn't know.

"Why not?" Shadow asked, cocking his head.

"You just... can't, ok? Promise me that you won't tell anyone. I don't know what will happen to you if you do."

Shadow stared into Dutch's eyes. They said the exact same thing his mouth did. Slowly, he nodded, "I promise Dutch."

Shadow thought for a second. What if what happened last night was destiny? What if they were supposed to die? He didn't know if that was true or not, and he didn't want to think about it. And what about Dutch? Was he doing the right thing by swearing him to silence. He didn't know.

He felt like he had to talk to somepony about it. Somepony who hadn't been there. His father had always said it felt good to let your problems out. Gradually, he turned his head back to the earth pony.

"Can I... tell you a secret?"

Author's notes: I hope AnonJ17 is ok with this.