Secrets of a Past Forgotten

by Shadow of a Former Brony

Rating: teen
Tags: Sad, Romance, Princess Luna, Original Character, Rainbow Dash, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 44926

A pony can only hold so many secrets, they will eventually tell them, and when these secrets threaten Equestria, who you tell them too will share in your silence. But the silence will be broken, the secrets will be told.

Some worlds are not to be discovered, some eras are meant to be forgotten, some seals are not supposed to be broken, some locks are not supposed to be opened,and most importantly,
some are secrets are NEVER supposed to be told.
Becoming the confidant of the pony that held all of these things was the worst idea possible.
But in the end it just might save Equestria itself.

currently under revision to fit into the Season 4 cannon.

Published 2013-12-28 16:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-28 22:58:24 UTC

It started with a nightmare

Darkness, overwhelming darkness.
Unable to see.
Unable to speak.
Voice lost to screaming.
Unable to feel due to the immense cold.
Unable to shake due to the tiredness.
Unable to hear anything in the darkness.
Unable to move because the stone walls surrounding.
Muscles atrophying from loss of movement.
The immense emptiness and hunger after not eating for days.
Somehow hanging on to the small silver string of life.
The world.... it tells you to give up and die, to surrender to death.
“NO! I WILL LIVE!”

The darkness gradually gave way to light as dawn arose, awakening the pegasus from sleep. He sighed as the nightmare once again tormented him, and he shuddered at the memory.

The Pegasus rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom as art of his daily routine. he looked upon himself in the mirror:

Colorless grey eyes, dark midnight blue fur, pitch black hooves, pitch black mane and tail as dark as the shadows of the night, HIs mane was soft looking albeit a little ragged.

A small scar on the left side of his neck, midnight blue Pegasus wings with a cut on the center of each wings main frontal edge, one broad pitch black line came up from the outer edge of the wing and went straight out.

After checking his wings and preening a few feathers. he checked the three feathers woven into his hair and sealed with magic, a midnight blue feather with a pitch black line down the center in the center of his mane, a midnight blue feather on the left side of his mane, and a pitch black colored feather on the right side of his mane.

his cutie mark was a black circle with those same three feathers crossing, with the feathers corresponding to the placement in his mane. This was the dark Pegasus, Shade Burst.

Shade Burst walked back to his room and grabbed a black long coat that had holes cut into the jacket for his wings to go through and allow him to fly. he rolled it on and smiled as he walked out of his room and into the wider than normal hall, the hall was wide enough so he could extend his wings and fly, Shade jumped down and flew down the round loft and down to the first floor kitchen and he grabbed some cereal and ate it quietly.

The first floor of Shade’s cloud house had no walls except for the walls in the kitchen where the bathroom, washer and dryer would be and for the bar he had set up in the kitchen. he had a coffee machine and the basic appliances, but they were high grade, as well as the ingredients in his pantry.

The other part of the first floor of the two floors of the four storied house was a large cylindrical room, an indent in the center held a round couch and round table, both a dark purple, bookshelves lined the first two stories of three, all filled with books of fiction and nonfiction, the third floor had of the cylinder loft had a room with very good acoustics, some speakers and a piano and violin where stored up there. The fourth floor was where Shade’s master bedroom and two guest rooms where placed.

“Now that I am awake, it is time to exercise” Shade talked out loud out of habit for usually he was the lone occupant of the house.

Shade Burst opened the door and walked outside; stretching his wings he looked around the town of Ponyville. not a Pegasus in the early morning sky.“Good, nopony around to peek” Shade thought as he satisfied his paranoia and whipped his wings down, making a large gust of wind as he flew up into the sky. He glided on a warm updraft until he got higher into the sky, then he looked around again, nopony around.

“Next step, boosting”

Shade Burst brought his wings straight forward and back, his midnight blue wings glowed pitch black and he shot forward, making a circle of black energy as sound distorted and went silent behind him as he picked up speed. His speed slowly returned to normal, and then he repeated the black winged energy and wing beat, and he moved fast again and slowed down quickly. Shade went around the perimeter of Ponyville in a good half hour until he felt all woken up.

Shade Burst stopped on a cloud after warming up. surveying the area around him once again for signs of prying eyes, he found none once again, Shade sighed as his paranoia once again calmed down and he allowed himself to get back to exercising.

*sigh* “Now for the real practice to begin” Shade taunted himself, and jumped up and boosted straight through the cloud, making the black ring. He then repeated the wing movement, flipped 90 degrees to be flying parallel to the ground rather than straight at it. he boosted again and made a sharp, right 90 degree turn, a black circle dissipating to the left side of his body where he was earlier. he was only going at a speed equal to a full speed or "sprinting" Pegasus speed for only a few seconds to move back to a normal "Running" speed.

Shade Burst brought his wings up and gathered energy once again and hit them down, boosting and turning 90 degrees left, he repeated the movement, and repeated it, and he did this until he was flying in a square at high, sub-mach speed. Shade had wanted to tighten his boost angle up to a triangle, but that was out of his reach. So Shade moved it up to a pentagon, then a hexagon, he turned his body so that the hexagon was vertical, then angled the burst from solely right, to right forward, and flew forward slowly in a hexagon, then tightened the hexagon up so that his forward-right turns where faster, and that he flew faster, then he made the right angle burst nearly nothing, and gave the front boost more energy, resulting in a very fast boost that angled the Pegasus in a very wide barrel roll that went faster and faster until he was nearly spinning, testing the limits and parameters of the angles at which he could boost

Shade brought his wings back and swung them forward, the black circle went from in front of Shade burst and cancelled all speed he had created, he brought them forward again and bursted backwards in a 180 turn, he repeated this cancel and 180 turns to see just how good his stops and redirects where.

This was Shade Burst's ability: his maneuverability, so much that he could fly indoors and around the angled corridors that was usually beyond a normal Pegasus’ capacity, where Wonderbolts could match this ability in sheer flight power maneuverability. Sometimes Shade even activated the boost without even moving his wings, something that only happens when he is utterly focused on his task of flying.

“All because of years and years of practice in the mind then on the field” he thought while his mind went to that dark place, he shook it off and looked around, finding a large enough cloud he went into it, boosting in a square until he destroyed the cloud from the inside out, a fun thing he had figured out a few days ago. Shade sighed as he looked at his own shadow arcing to the ground, signaling seven o’ clock, by now some ponies would be out and about and he couldn't show the boost ability to them, for the fact that he needed to keep it a secret, one of the many secrets that he was in possession of.

Shade Burst swung around again and saw that the main market of ponyville was open and deserted. He once again brought his wings forward, gathered black energy and boosted forward again. Leaving a black circle that diminishes behind him and makes silence as he shoots towards the ground, milliseconds before impact he extends his wings and flaps his wings, boosting again, stopping his rapid descent and sending a cloud of dust around him along with silence. Shade landed with a smile and looked around, then his longcoat vibrated and his hoof went in and he drew his phone out, the caller I.D picture showed that it was a tan Pegasus with green eyes and a blond and yellow mane with a brown stripe between the other two colors, he smiled and opened the phone with a smirk. “Ah, Soul Song, how is life for you?” he asked.

“Great! I just did a concert yesterday, I wish you could be on squad, you always had my back best.” the voice over the phone was of a musician by the name of Soul Song, a young and rising singer in the music industry, and Shade Burst is his personal bodyguard every now and then, and the two of them grew to be friends beyond just working together.

“Yes, being your bodyguard is fun, but stressful. I have to take breaks too. As same for you, I promise to help in your next tour, I promise.” Shade added a silent sigh as he thought about the stress of the job.

“Thanks man, speaking of breaks, could I crash at your place for a week or two pleaaasee??” the voice was hopeful and Shade could practically see Soul Song attempting puppy eyes on him.

When Soul Song was on tour, Shade Burst was his lead and personal bodyguard, and because of that the two pegusai were close, off tour Soul Song would sometimes stay at Shade’s house, and because of that Soul Song helped buying and accessorizing his friend’s house, and one of the guest rooms in Shade’s house was really Soul’s spare room, because for the past year Soul Song would crash at his house and stay in ponyville.

“No.” Shade replied flatly.

“WAIT!? WHAT!?"

“I am joking. Give me the time that you would be staying here.” Shade rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics.

“You didn’t sound like you were joking… Okay... It's Thursday, so… Friday, then for two weeks?” Shade cringed at the unreasonable amount of time Soul had requested.

“I work at the café, you know” Shade stated about of his off-tour job, running a shift that the Wild Horse Café owned and ran by a white furred black mane Pegasus by the name of Mr. Haykenama. Or Mr. H.

"I know I know, I’d stay out of your way and help my friends out with their stuff, I wouldn’t get in your way I promise I promise I promise! …So… Could I?”

“Yes, But-”

“YES! WOOHOO” Shade heard the sound of wind as he predicted that his friend just flew around for a second partying at his allowance to stay over.

“But is it to escape the crowds and be with me? Or is it an excuse to see Fluttershy?” Shade Burst mentioned Soul Song’s crush, the cream and pink colored Pegasus he had had a crush on since flight school. The flight school where Soul Song, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had been friends until afterwards when they parted ways. Nowadays they kept in contact, but Soul kept in contact with Fluttershy just a little bit more, and was one of the reasons why Soul Song would crash at the midnight blue Pegasus’ house, because of the proximity to Fluttershy, Shade Burst only knew of Soul's time in flight school from his stories of it, for he had gone to somewhere else entirely, and knew of Soul's crush due to the notes and letters he had sent to the less technologically blessed pegasus, Fluttershy.

“Hey! Hey hey hey! you said that, not me!” From Soul’s reaction Shade knew he had just scored a point and hit Soul’s weakness

“I will take that as a yes.”

“And I am coming to see you too Shade!”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes I’m sure! You are one of my best friends, and I can’t wait to see you!”

“I agree on both, I have an errand to run so I have to end our conversation” Shade sighed as he thought about the upcoming errand he was going to have to run

“Later Shade Burst!”

“Sayonara Soul Song.” Shade snapped the silent phone shut and put it back into his coat with a smirk, talking to Soul Song always improved his mood.

Shade Burst let himself calm down to be his usual bland mood and made his way along the path past Sugar Cube Corner and over to the Carousel Boutique. Shade sighed as he slowly trotted up and knocked on the door. A white unicorn mare with a fancy mane opened the door with a smile. “Shade Burst! How do you do!” she greeted with a smile.

“All right, I guess, so when again is this.... "photo" session?” at asking this, Shade internally sighed at the boredom to come.

“in about half an hour, I have to convince somepony I know to cover the other half of the shoot” Rarity continued with a sigh.

Rarity had invited Shade Burst a few days earlier to have him model in a photo shoot today to show off a new style idea she had come up with for stallions. And because Shade Burst was so “photogenic” in Rarity’s eyes and that the other pegasus had dropped out when she mentioned who the partner was, she had asked Shade Burst, for she knew of the pegasus from the custom order long coat he had ordered a very long time ago. He agreed, wanting to help the unicorn with her talent and to pay her back for all the orders he had made to her store over the past.

“Do you want me to help out with getting the other pony here?” Shade asked, he was a bodyguard, with experiences in other areas of protection, he could hep drag the pegasus over if it came to it.

“No, I'd rather not resort to a conflict. She is a really good friend of mine and I don't want to cause a ruckus”

“as you wish, can I go get something from the mail then?” Shade Burst asked, remembering that he was supposed to get a package from the post office that Soul Song had sent him. Supposedly it needed to be picked up immediately, and it had arrived today, on express mail. And he needed to pick it up the day it got there. So now since today was such a day, he would have to get it or Soul Song would pester him until he got it

“Of course, just be back in a little while” Rarity responded, smiling as the midnight blue Pegasus nodded and walked out to the door.

“Thank you” Shade Burst flew up and flew over to the equestrian post office. He landed flapping his wings with the black line through them once in habit he had long since stopped trying to undo. He walked in and was immediately hugged by a grey Pegasus with a big smile, gold eyes and blond hair.

“Shade!” Ditzy “Derpy” Hooves smiled at Shade Burst, who hugged the fellow Pegasus back

“Greetings Derpy! Good to see you” he smiled genuinely down at the Pegasus “I have received a package from Soul Song, could you go take it for me?” Derpy nodded and walked off, after she commented.

“Jeez, it's like the two of you are coltfriends or something!” she smiled as Shade sighed, Ditzy walked back into the post area and brought a package back, balancing it on her head, she tripped and Shade rushed to catch her, but another brown mane and chestnut fur colored earth pony got there first. He caught both the package and Ditzy, the mystery earth pony spoke with the accent of someone from Trottingham, or somewhere around there.

“There you are mate.” he handed the package to Shade, who took it and put the package under his wing.

“Thank you Doctor. it is good to see you once again.”

“Not on my end, though, still got that weird aura on you...” he commented brashly as he took a stelscope out and put it on the Pegasus’ neck, then put it away “still can’t place where it’s from though...” he then brought put a metallic rod in his mouth and one end lit up green as he brought it around the Pegasus’s body, he frowned a little in disappointment “it’s really not my problem though, it's yours.” Shade knew of the Doctor’s eccentrics and decided it was best to take the weird greeting as a “Good to see you too!”

“you have my gratitude for the package” Shade replied “Now I will be off, goodbye. Doctor, Derpy” Shade bid the ponies’ farewell and flew off back to his house, knowing that he could return in half hours time.

Rainbow Dash woke up and sighed, seeing on how she had purposefully slept in, because most of her morning was going to be torture. And if she was caught sleeping during said torture, it would only get worse. Rainbow Dash flew out of bed, stretching her wings. Rainbow ruffled her hair up as she went down the stairs of her cloud house, making little puffs of clouds bump up at the impact, Dash went to the kitchen, and got food for her pet tortoise, Tank. It slowly ate the food as Rainbow Dash checked if she looked okay, she wasn’t hungry yet, so she didn’t need to eat, she checked the time on the clock in the kitchen

“Well, Tank, I gotta Dash” she yelled a phrase she came up with on the spot, and nuzzled the tortoise, who licked her back."I like that one, I'll have to use it later!" Dash smiled and went out the front door and flew out, she saw Rarity approaching the spot below her house. Rarity was wearing a fashionable hat and sunglasses as she looked up, seeing the cyan Pegasus in the sky, she waved up to the pegasus. Rainbow Dash flew down with a gust of speed, and landed in front of Rarity, kicking up some dust that made the fashionista cough. “Woops!” Rainbow cheerily said with a smirk. Rarity just glared at Rainbow.

“Come on now, Rainbow, we absolutely have to get going or else we are going to make him wait!” she moved around with a huff and she started jogging slightly back to her boutique. Dash noticed her choice of words and flew up alongside her.

“Wait, I’m modeling with somepony?”

“Yes, yes you are, so we absolutely get there on time, if not early!”

“Fine by me, more people to share my pain!” Rainbow took off towards the boutique leaving Rarity behind, who just sighed and ran after the speedster Pegasus' retreating form in the sky.

Meanwhile, Shade Burst had arrived at his home, stepping in he went to the kitchen and the bar with stools as the kitchen was more restaurant style than normal, this was where Shade would eat at the bar of in the main loft.

Shade put his ear next to it he package and listened for a few seconds, then set it down and hovered his wing tips around it, using them to feel for any magic. Then, confirming that the package was safe. Shade grabbed a kitchen knife and deftly sliced the package open in one swipe and a letter and two packages came out. Shade spun the knife in his hoof as he read the letter.

“Dear Shade Burst:

enclosed in this here package with your name on it is a scarf I saw you looking at earlier during our tour, you always seemed cold so this might help a bit. Oh, and supposedly this scarf has magic that if you wrap it around your soul mate something will change on it to show you, Weird, right? I thought you'd be curious so I grabbed it, the other package is a blanket for Fluttershy, ~~you can run and give it to her~~ wait, no, just keep it at your house until I come over, thanks again for letting me stay. See you when I get there!

From: Soul Song”

Shade's ear twitched at the end. He sent this in advance; thanking Shade for something he had not done yet, knowing that he would. And that he would not pick it up until after the call, Shade tossed the knife up, caught it and sliced the package that has his name on it, and then set the knife back in the knife rack.

“Cheeky manipulator” Shade growled as he shook his head as he inspected the scarf, finding the pitch black scarf nice, and put the scarf around his neck, doing the usual tuck in he had seen before on ponies on fashion magazines Soul had forced him to read. Shade fluffed his black long coat and then nodded at his new ensemble, the midnight blue Pegasus trotted to the door and shut and locked it behind him. Flapping his wings Shade Burst hovered in the air for a few seconds, scanning for eyes to satisfy his paranoia rising up again. then gathered energy and bursted up and forward, creating the rapidly dissipating black circle and brief silence. Now gaining the altitude necessary,Shade glided over to Carousel Boutique.

Shade landed in front of the main door to the carousel boutique and opened it, making the bell ring; the white unicorn he barely knew was in the middle of a conversation with a fidgety light blue Pegasus with a multicolored mane. Both looked up at Shade as he entered. Something struck Shade as he walked in; something about this Pegasus was familiar... the stories Soul Song had told him and the letters his friend had received with pictures came to the forefront of his mind “Light blue Pegasus, multicolored mane. Hates staying still...”

“Are you Rainbow Dash?” Shade asked, pointing a hoof at the pegasus mare

“Yep! The one and only! The greatest flier in all of Ponyville!” the Pegasus boasted. “How’d you hear of my awesomeness?” she smiled like a celebrity at the midnight blue Pegasus who flatly replied.

“Read about you in magazines covering first documented case of a Sonic Rainboom.” Shade was telling the truth. He had studied it.

“Oh, I see. Did they really write about me?” Rainbow Dash turned to look at Rarity with raised eyebrows and an incredulous look, while Rarity returned the look.

“Yes, there was a boom of articles the entire week after, I was surprised that you were not interviewed by reporters, but you never entered your address into the appliance form, so no one could find or interview you, but they dug around and did find some information. I read up on the information” Shade had looked up information once the Sonic Boom happened, curious about the phenomena the Pegasus had made.

“Well it's nice to meet someone who likes the Sonic Rainboom just as much as me” Rainbow Dash smiled. “I love because it created my cutie mark” she boasted showing her signature cutie mark. “Oh, sorry for asking, but I never got your name” Rainbow looked upon the Pegasus in his entirety, she had seen this pegasus in town once or twice, and only for glimpses, Rainbow Dash knew most to all of the ponies in Ponyville, and this stallion was one of the exceptions, he was a mystery to Rainbow Dash, one she wanted to solve.

“My name is Shade Burst.” the midnight blue Pegasus replied with a nod. He used his wing to move his long coat away from his flank to show his own cutie mark. “Since you showed me your cutie mark: this is mine”

“How’d ya get it?” Rainbow asked. Rarity noticed Shade Burst stiffen for a millisecond, before putting on a mischievous smile as a mask.

“That is for me too know and for you to find out” his smile became one of mirth as Rainbow Dash pouted. Shade let the long coat rest on his back once again. He turned his head to look at Rarity. The three feathers in his hair moved in tandem with his mane, the movement attracting Rainbow's attention to the feathers out of curiosity, something clicked and her eyes went wide "that pegasus has feathers. and he has three... so that means... that is horrible..." Rainbow Dash shook her head toe expel the thought until later "I have to be respectful. I don't want to get him upset"

“so, we should get this over and done with.” Shade stated with a serious tone. Rarity blinked and nodded quickly.

“Most certainly!” she cheered and her horn glowed as she pulled out twelve mannequins, six for each pegasus. A camera and photo umbrella with flash appeared. Rarity flicked her head; a backdrop appeared against one of the walls. Shade and Rainbow watched the movement of clothes and backgrounds with varying degrees of apprehension.

“Well this is gonna be fun” Rainbow facehoofed as Shade looked over at her.

“Agreed, but we might as well work together with each other and with Rarity to get the work done faster.” he reasoned. Rainbow found no objection to his logic. so she nodded.

The three did work together, trying on the clothes and posing in multiple poses for each set. The time went by and Rainbow Dash actually found this kind of modeling fun. Rarity’s theme was “Pegasus: opposites” and the two of them fit it perfectly.

Shade had has his midnight blue body and pitch black smooth mane with the feathers that gave the dark look and Rainbow Dash had the multicolored Rainbow mane with the bright sky blue coat that gave the opposite look.

Rainbow got to wear multiple bright and flashy clothes, some even being rainbow colored, and she could do whatever she thought fit with the outfit and situation. One of the poses she didn't particularly hate, was when she was on her back hooves, the front to resting on the edge of a white chair, a pure white dress that was not a wedding dress,but normal strapless. it seemed to glow with rainbow colors when she moved. in this pose Rainbow was smiling brightly, and the dark colored Pegasus was sitting in the chair wearing a pitch black coat buttoned up with black bottoms, it seemed to suck the light around it. His face was serious and protectorate, as if he was guarding the light behind him. Which made the picture even out in an interesting way.

Rarity giggled for a moment in happiness after getting the picture. the three worked fast and got to the last one. Rarity made them do a lot more… Interesting… pose. It was where Shade was leaning back on a couch, his wings spread lazily about, wearing a black tux with a white shirt under with a black tie. Rainbow was wearing a strapped sundress that had no back that was white at the top then split into the Rainbow at the bottom. Rainbow was required to get directly in front of Shade and fumble in taking his tie off, and his top shirt button was messed with, and she would snap a picture. When Rainbow heard this she felt her wings slightly rise. But she forced them down to prevent anyone noticing.

“No. I am not going to pose in such a way” Shade stated, Rainbow Dash’s head whipped around to look at the midnight blue Pegasus. “This is your 7th picture; it is the custom design, right? That is not something that would appeal to any judge. I have a better idea." Shade turned to the Pegasus next to him "Rainbow Dash, can you stand on your hind legs?” Shade asked.

“Of course!” Rainbow Dash boasted once again, Shade moved the couch aside and stood in front of the now near grey backdrop.

“Back to back, on your hind legs.” Rainbow did as she was told, “Now we extend our wings as one” Dash's wings felt Shade's as they extended their wings, his wings where bigger than Rainbow Dash's by a little. The wings went out and above their heads. Shade's hooves found hers and grabbed them. Rainbow raised her eyebrows in surprise and held his hooves. “Now for the hard part, leave your right wing extended. But bring your left wing in.” Shade's voice was just over her shoulder. Rainbow shivered and she did as she was told. “Now look forward… Rarity take a picture from Rainbow Dash's side” Rarity was blankly watching the two as they posed. “Rarity”

“Oh! Sorry!” she rushed and set the camera up.

“Put a depressed face on” Shade voice echoed in Rainbows ear. “As if you just watched a friend leave forever” Rainbow nodded and visualized Twilight leaving all of her friends, including her, her first reaction was anger, then extreme depression.

“Perfect!” *snap* Rarity commented and took the picture.

"I have one more idea, you need a cover photo correct? Just stay standing Rainbow.” Shade commanded as she felt him turn around so he was facing Rarity too, his hooves took Rainbow's wings with an amazing amount of gentleness and extended them around her. He took her hooves and put them over her heart. Then his voice and breath hit Rainbows neck, making her shiver once more. “Now do not get mad” Shade's wings went to her wingtip and his arms went under hers and held her waist. His head went on his right shoulder. His eyes closed. And he was right, Rainbow was not mad, she actually found herself enjoying being held by a stallion.

"Wait. WHAT AM I SAYING! I am Rainbow Dash! the mare that can handle herself without a stallion!"

“Take a picture, Rarity.” Shade stated once again, Rarity jumped out of her daydream and angled the camera.

*snap*

"that just got a picture taking while being held by a stallion, great... just great...

“Done!” Rarity smiled largely. “It’s done!” Rainbow spun around ready to to yell at Shade for such a pose being forced upon her, but he had already moved out of the way. Shade was already taking his stuff off and putting in on the mannequin gently. Rainbow threw her clothes off and onto her mannequin and flew around in circles near the ceiling.

“Freedom!” She cheered, she looked around and found that Shade had put a black long coat and scarf on and was switching some things between his hooves, muttering something. Rainbow Dash’s curiosity got the best of her and she flew down behind him, “what are you doing?”

Shade Burst was looking at some cards, the ones she saw where solid color, on front with something on the back, he swiftly moved the cards into his jacket, his colorless grey eyes looked up at her flying form, his eyes stopped on Rainbow Dash's mane for a second before moving to her eyes. “I was cpmparing something. good job modeling, you are a natural…. And we made Rarity happy” he motioned with his head towards Rarity whilst changing the subject, who was looking at the picture, smiling and bouncing in near uncharacteristic happiness, but it was that she had an high chance of winning the fashion competition, and that she thought no one was looking.

“yeah, we did, I’m glad we made her this happy, she’s been going crazy for the past few days trying to complete the outfits, oh and along with that” *bam* she punched Shade, who locked her with a glare that she had to fight against cringing under.

“What was that for?” he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

“That was for the pose you came up with” RD replied with a huff, despite her wishes, Rainbow Dash was enjoying being held, but didn't want anypony knowing she enjoyed it, she had a reputation to upkeep.

“I did not make that pose up, I copied it from an idea for a CD cover my friend had, It never was accepted so I decided to use it as a possible cover photo idea” Shade replied matter of fact, He quickly became quiet as he walked to the door, Leaving Rarity to continue with her presentation and work, Rainbow, not wanting to be caught up in any unnecessary chores, followed him and they walked outside together.

A rumble was heard and Shade’s head looked around for the sound, before stopping on the light blue mare beside him. “Hungry?” he asked, Rainbow blushed in embarrassment.

“I should have ate breakfast…” Rainbow scolded herself and she nodded with a faint blush on her cheeks, Rainbow spread her wings to fly when Shade's voice gave her pause

“Wait” Shade closed his eyes, like he was in deep thought, against his judgement he spread his wings after looking up at the sun. “Follow me, Rainbow” and he went up into the sky. “I will make you breakfast” he offered with a small smirk. “it is the least I can do for making you do such an embarrassing pose"

Rainbow thought for a second "sure, I'll take you up on that offer" Rainbow followed the Pegasus back to his cloud house, "so your the one that lived here!" Rainbow Dash had seen this cloud house repeatedly, many a time she flew over and looked at it, the house always seemed empty or the curtains where drawn, Rainbow also had knocked on the door out of curiosity, but nopony answered. finally her curiosity was put to rest and she sighed as she looked at the house

"you did not know already? I live here, this is my house" Shade opened the door and shook his head, leading Rainbow into the main loft, he went to the left and took his jacket off and set it on the coat rack, but not before slipping the phone into a small nook in his scarf. He walked into the kitchen, grabbed some ingredients, then set it on the bar, Dash walked around a little, her hooves clopping on the stone floor, she walked and saw no pictures or anything that would show about the past of the occupant of this long mystery house. Rainbow saw the large bookshelves and cringed internally.

“So he is an egghead too?” She thought as she flew up to the large bookshelves, with the large window providing light, and surveyed the area in front of her “have I never noticed this stallion in town?” The questions swirled in her head as she flew around and noticed Shade already at work making an omelet. "hey Shade, do you go out? I don't see you around town much." Rainbow Dash asked, Sitting on a bar stool. Shade did not look up from the food he was making.

"Rarely, I am a homepony. So no, I do not "go out" much, just to stretch, get food and work" Shade shrugged as he added hay and other greens into the omelet with casual attention.

"Really? mind if I look around at the books a bit?" Rainbow Dash asked, Shade once again became silent as he thought, and deciding against his judgement again, Shade shrugged

"Stay on the first floor. the second floor is my bedroom, and hey, that's my private area, so just stay out, please?" Shade's allowance gave Rainbow Dash the chance to jump into the air and hover, She looked back to Shade at her denial onto the second floor, she recognized that he wanted some semblance of privacy. Rainbow nodded in affirmation and flew over to the bookshelves that where tall enough that only a Pegasus could reach the top. various works of nonfiction and fiction where stored on the shelves. Rainbow stayed in the fiction section, trying to see if Shade had read any Daring Doo books.

Rainbow's mind drifted as she searched and her mind went back to the boutique when she had seen Shade messing with some cards with colors on them, and the other time seeing the three feathers in his mane move, and the expelled thought came rolling back. Rainbow Dash leaned back mid air and brought her hoof to her chin in thought. scanning back to the classes she had learned in school. the classes on History and Pony Culture and some Psychology stuff, most of which she had barely payed attention too in all three classes.

"Okay, so feathers in somepony's mane symbolize that somepony has died in their family, and he has three, three separate feathers in his hair, three ponies have died in his family. and if this happened... he would be in grief, he could be keeping mementos... could that be what's in his jacket?" Rainbow's curiosity was burning rampant in her mind, and she looked back to his jacket... just hanging there... on the other side of a wall... just hanging there, taunting her adventurous curiosity... "juuuust for a second, then I'm putting them back" Rainbow flew silently as she could to the entrance area and saw the long coat, she remembered the breast pocket Shade had shoved the cards into, she reached her hoof into the jacket an pulled out 15 cards, each of them where white on the back and had the name of a color each of the color wheel, one for grey, black, white, midnight blue, gold, bronze and brown, with the actual color opposite the name “Color cards? so these could be a memento from one of his loved ones? and wait, his cutie mark has those three feathers... it's that important that it's on his cutie mark!?” Rainbow Dash paled at the thought “he must have a hard past, he's probably hurting now... and how could the elements of harmony overlook such a pony!? He has scars on his body for Celestia’s sake!” The Cyan Pegasus solemnly put the cards back, just in time too, because Shade flew around the corner.

“Rainbow, did you forget something? I saw you fly around. Then head back" Rainbow jumped "why are you looking at my coat?” He stood and looked at Rainbow with a frown.

"sorry I was just looking at your coat, it seems a little familiar in design" Rainbow improved and looked at the coat in detail, it seemed different than most long coats she had seen in Canterlot.

"that is because it is a custom order coat from Rarity, it has holes cut in the back for wings so that I could fly while wearing it, and it is stitched to not impede my movement at all." Shade responded "do you want one? I cannot fathom you wearing a long coat" Shade shook his head as Rainbow laughed at the mental image. "regardless to your... admiration of my coat, your omelet is done, and I would like you to come over to the bar before it gets cold.

“Oh!” Rainbow jumped and flew around him and landed at a barstool. Shade watched her with as she flew, the light blue Pegasus never left the Stallion’s sight. Shade trotted over into the kitchen and grabbed the omelet and put it on the plate he had set out for her.

“Here you go” he handed her the cooked omelet on a plate, “ketchup?” He asked, Rainbow nodded, he grabbed a bottle, spun it in his hoof, “in a spot or on it?”

“On it” she asked, the near black Pegasus then squirted the ketchup onto it in waves, putting the amount for a restaurant, he then set it next to the plate.

“Coffee?” she shook her head. “Milk?” Rainbow nodded and Shade Burst went and grabbed a cup, spinning it on his hoof he grabbed milk, slid the cup on the table, and poured milk while he hovered along with, catching it with his hoof as it came off the bar, he set in front of Rainbow and grabbed an apple, spinning it on his hoof he tossed it, rolled it around his wings and slid it off his wings right in front of Rainbow Dash, she smiled and finished her omelet, resulting in her large smile and audible moan of satisfaction. That resulted in a smirk from Shade and a hard glare from Rainbow that made his smirk only widen. Rainbow took a bite of the apple. Then she noticed the familiar taste.

“Ib it frub Sweb Abble Agrebs?” Rainbow asked with a mouth full of apple.

“It’s not polite to talk with your mouth full” Shade lightly chastised with a low and dark vice, putting a hoof on her mouth, he moved the hoof onto her chin, shutting her mouth, he brought his face in close, his eyes closing slightly, Rainbow copied the movement and moved in “Okay?”

*POMF!*

Shade backed up and withdrew his hoof as Rainbow Dash’s head fell forward. this was because she was letting Shade support her head, she stopped herself from slamming her face into the table and whipped her head up again.

"Did he just fake me out on kissing him? what the buck!?" Rainbow tried not to choke as she chewed and gulped loudly, a gigantic blush adorning her cheeks, her wings where straight up, she rushed to smooth them down, Shade turned around as he grabbed the plate Rainbow was eating out of and set it in the sink, as no more food was present on it.

“Hey!” Rainbow glared swords, lances, spears and knives at Shade, his wings rose this time not out of arousal but of immense anger.

“She speaks with decency!” Shade exclaimed bringing a pitch black hoof up in the air and waving it. After that he brought it down and checked his scarf to tell if it was still there and his phone was still present, so that it had not fallen out in the rapid movement.

“I was asking if it was from Sweet Apple Acres, the place ran by the Apple family.” RD clarified her question, calming down somewhat from the fake out "I hate to admit it, but he got me good there" “I recognized the taste”

“yes, I got the apples from Sweet Apple Acres, it is best place to buy apples you know, and that is coming from a cynical scarred up Pegasus with no taste In apples” Shade picked an apple out of a basket that was laying on the bar and inspected it, his mind went back to the time he and Soul had been asked to taste test apples from a farm not owned by the Apple clan. Long story short, the two got chewed out thoroughly for saying that Apple clan apples where better.

“Oh, said that Apple family was better than another places?” Rainbow asked with a knowing smile, her wings no longer upwards and not pushed firmly to her back “I’ve been insulted for that before; rival companies sure suck, don’t they?” Shade thought for a moment on her statement, then nodded.

“Yes, I have tasted many an apple, and still Sweet Apple Acres’ are still the best” Shade set the apple back into the basket, opting not to eat the apple. Rainbow watched the apple and asked a question

“Do you know Applejack?” Rainbow stated out of general curiosity.

“Apple Jack, no… that is one word name…. Applejack? No, I do not remember the name, where is she from? or what is her job? that might make me remember” Shade asked looking of Rainbow.

“She is the apple bucker for Sweet Apple Acres.” Rainbow explained "orange colored, always wears a stetson and has her mane and tail tied back, she is also a very good friend of mine"

“Oh, no I have never met her, I heard that she is friendly but little else, maybe sometime you can introduce me to her, I would like to meet the pony that had been responsible for the apples I eat” Shade replied, tapping the tips of his wings together above his head, looking at the midnight blue circle it formed,

"yeah, I'll try and figure out a time for you too meet her!" Rainbow smiled, she was getting to know this pegasus more by the second. as the subject has been exhausted, Rainbow changed the subject to satisfy her curiosity “So… anyway, where did you learn how to cook? ....And showboat while doing it.” Rainbow asked. Shade adopted a taunting smirk.

“That is for me to know and you to find out, Dashie”

“Don’t call me Dashie! And if you better not tell anypony about the photo shoot and that last shot or else!” Rainbow ranted, yes, the pictures where going to go out to the judges and Canterlot and the winner would end up in a magazine, but she wanted her name to remain intact until Rarity won, she didn't want this stallion trotting around Ponyville saying that he was in a photo shoot with Rainbow Dash, ruining her reputation. Rainbow picked the apple up that was left on a small plate and took a bite out of it in anger. her face transformed into one of bliss instead of anger. “mmmmmm…” she moaned, smiling, Shade smirked and let out a small laugh. Rainbow's face became a nice shade of red equal to the apple she was eating.

“Don’t. Tell. Anypony o-” she threatened, pointing with the apple at Shade, who just crossed his hooves and leaned on the bar with a smirk.

“Or else?”

“Hey! That’s my-”

“Threat? It took you long enough to say that.” Shade smirked as he jumped over the counter.

“Stop completing my-”

“Sentences?” Shade laughed, and Rainbow felt a new feeling rise at the Pegasus’ laugh, but was replaced by annoyance.

“Stop. That.”

“Yes yes yes, “or else!” so what are you going to do to me? I am quite curious” Shade instigated as he got up in Rainbows face again, she didn’t say anything. But as Shade’s mouth opened to win the argument she stuck the unbitten part of the apple into his mouth and flew up into the air to get some space.

“I’ll race you! In fact, I challenge you to a race!” she challenged, a devious smile on her face “and the loser has to take the other out to lunch for five days! And today does not count!” Rainbow threatened. Shade took a bit out of the apple, smirked. Then nodded,

“Okay, we race from my house, through the surrounding forest, to your house and back” Shade set the terms up. “Through the forest, through the sky over Ponyville, through the forest, around your house, then repeat.” the track was nice sized, the two pegasus' houses where on opposite sides of Ponyville, so the track would take them a decent distance

“Fine, I accept the course” Rainbow nodded as she flew down and landed in front of Shade, “I accept the bet as well”

“I agree to the terms and penalty decided upon.” He stated with military seriousness bringing his right hoof up to his chest in a gesture unfamiliar to Rainbow,

“Why did he do that?” Rainbow thought as Shade and Rainbow Dash both walked to the door, Shade took his phone out from his scarf and took both and put them in his coat that remained on his coat rack. He opened the door and walked outside, squinting his eyes.

“Nice day for a race” Rainbow commented stretching her wings and body with closed eyes and soaking in the sunlight. Shade took the moment to look at Rainbow Dash, she was very athletic, she had a flier’s body, and Shade felt his own wings rise and then started stretching his own body to get ready for the race and hide the movement.

“It is very bright more than anything” Shade commented as he flapped his own wings and inspected the feathers. Rainbow used his moment of introspection to look at the near black Pegasus, she noted that he had an athletic body like her own, but not one made for running, but for someone who fights, like a royal guard. His wingspan was a little larger than normal and had a different design on his wings, one thick pitch black line going through the center of his wingspan. Rainbow inspected the three feathers on the back of his mane. Her wings where already up as part of her stretching, so she just stretched a second longer and put her wings down.

“Ready to loose, Shade?” Rainbow asked with a cocky tone.

“Ready to fly, Dashie?” Shade replied, bringing on a glare from Rainbow. Rainbow took a breath to calm herself

“On go, 3, 2, 1go!” Rainbow took a fast count and was far off in a matter of a second.

“That was a underhoofed move” Rainbow’s mouth dropped as Shade was actually half in front of Rainbow,

“How good at takeoff is he?” Rainbow asked to the wind, and switched gears, Rainbow Dash had decided to hold back to just see how fast this pegasus was, but now she decided to hold back less Rainbow speeded past Shade Burst in the matter of seconds, greatly increasing the distance between the two pegusai in Rainbow Dash's favor. Shade growled to himself.

"Alright, let's go!" throwing paranoia and caution to the wind Shade Burst boosted again again and again to catch up to Rainbow Dash, who had a good 5 second lead, Rainbow Dash dived down towards the forest, Shade boosted down along with his burst to close the gap by a second.

Rainbow Dash blew into the forest, Rainbow decided to play it a little safe considering her substantial lead over her opponent, she slowed down a margin to weave in and about the trees, whereas when Shade Burst swooped in, his speed diminishing after his most recent boost, he was focused utterly on speed and catching up, his wings stayed midnight black as his boost triggered subconsciously as he tilted slightly to avoid each tree, boosting past every one, leaving a trail of black rings that dissipated behind him, the forest went dead silence due to the frequency of boosts that where being used, Shade was going faster in a forest where normally any pegasus would have to slow down.

Rainbow Dash and Shade both exited the forest at the same time and Shade's paranoia shot back as he saw the town and boosted once more on his ascent, swearing to not boost while over the town, Shade ascended higher than Rainbow Dash, who looked up a bit behind her and saw Shade at a higher elevation and was adopting a descending form of flying, this was a good move during a race when pegusai where forced to descend in a later part of the stage, but Rainbow Dash ignored Shade's superior position and flew faster, leaving a Rainbow Trail as her speed continued to increase,

"Stupid move Shade Burst, you challenged the fastest flier in Equestria's history to a race" Shade scolded himself and pushed his wings as hard as he could, he only was a few notches faster than any other pegasus out there when he didn't have his boost ability. Shade growled in irritation as he reached the forest, this time ten seconds behind the speedster pegasus, he assumed that Rainbow Dash would have slowed down and Shade once again got into his diving position and turned the forest silent with his constant boosts to close the gap.

Shade Burst flew out of the forest and ascended around the turn to see Rainbow Dash halfway around the turn. Shade increased his speed as much as he could to get around the turn, still he was trailing by 8 seconds. An incredible lead for anypony to have, but the usual for Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash saw that Shade was watching her with extreme determination, to further taunt the Stallion, on the purpose of riling him up to make a mistake, Rainbow Dash did a loop de loop then dived to the forest, and yelled a quick "NICE TRY!" as the topper on the taunt.

"ignore it just go" Shade yelled at himself and once again entered eh forest, repeating his previous boost session, he flew out of the forest and into town, where Rainbow Dash was standing on a cloud a scarf lying in front of her, Shade flew up to the cloud and landed on it. "what.. is that my scarf?"

"yep, sure is, decided to push myself in the forest, I got ahead far enough to get to your house and grab the scarf and come back to see your losing face!" Rainbow Dash had pushed herself in the forest and decided to push herself to her full potential, she completed the course and reached Shade's hose and back to claim an easy victory, as Shade had not exited the forest yet.

"Cheater" Shade picked up the scarf that had been in Rainbow Dash's hoof, the scarf was light blue from where Rainbow Dash had touched downwards, at the touch the scarf reverted back to black, Shade wrapped it tightly around his neck. "you just skipped the forest on the fourth time, your speed is great enough to do that" Shade growled "I thought you where better than that Rainbow Dash, I guess that was too much to expect from you"

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash growled "I did not cheat! and to prove it I am going to make a new race!" Rainbow Dash had noticed that somehow this pegasus' speed had fluctuated during the race, specifically getting faster in the forest "lets go to the forest to our right that curves around Ponyville, we race through that forest to your house, first to get there, wins" Rainbow Dash was still confident in her speed, so she jumped off the could and glided down towards the forest,

"Fine" Shade glided after Rainbow Dash, a small smirk descended upon his face, she was challenging him to a race in his territory, he had an advantage that may just win him this new bet. Shade followed Rainbow Dash as she glided over to a trail that went through the forest, she walked into the center of the trail and turned 90 degrees left, facing the forest that curved around ponyville.

"From here through the forest" Rainbow Dash stated, pointing a hoof, Shade gave no answer as he crouched, ready to take off.

“Same penalty?" Rainbow Dash asked, Shade only gave a solemn nod "alright... so... 3....2... 1.... Go!” Rainbow crouched and shot off like she was strapped to a catapult and flew into the forest, Shade shot off a second afterwards, focusing solely on speed once more he boosted through the forest, keeping up with Rainbow Dash.

"No cheating here" Shade said to himself as he boosted and boosted, focusing once again on just going as fast as he possibly could, throwing all thought of safety out the window as he accelerated, moving in front of Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash decided to throw playing in safe out the window and went all out, she accelerated to her top speed that she would take when flying in open air and weaved in and out the trees no problem! "foals play, I had to do this every day in Wonderbolts training camp" Rainbow Dash left a weaving rainbow trail through the forest as she easily whipped through the forest and landed on Shade's cloud house with Shade Burst not even in sight.

"Ding ding ding~ we got ourselves a winner!" Rainbow Dash cheered and hoof pumped and sat on the cloud, a prideful smile on her face as she awaited her competitor.

meanwhile, when Rainbow Dash had accelerated to her normal speed, Shade screamed into the silence in anger and pushed himself harder, Boosting and boosting as fast as he could. trying in every way to increase his speed, to get faster, to push past his limit. Shade's mind flashed back to another time when he had pushed himself to his limit. the darkness and fear surrounded him as he flew faster. Shade ignored it and kept his colorless grey eyes focused on seeing the trees, he ignored the darkness with his eyes so his mind went to the screams, Shade's eyes widened as he heard them but ignored it to, finally the darkness formalized and attacked his eyes and ears he only saw black and words rang through his ears.

"RUN LITTLE PEGASUS, BECAUSE YOUR WINGS ARE USELESS HERE!"

Shade gasped as his nightmares attacked, his wings broke from the dive and his boosts stopped, the edge of Shade's wing clipped the side of a tree and Shade spiraled out of control and straight into the ground. Shade closed his eyes and black energy seeped out from under his eyes, his body became a Shade darker as he crashed and rolled into the group, creating one stallion sized rut into the ground twenty feet long. Shade climbed out from the rut, his body became normal colored once again as he shook his sore body to get the dirt off of him, Shade brought his wings out but pain rushed through right tip of his wing. Shad equickly looked at it and stretched his wing a few times "I clipped it, it would only hurt to fly now, but I can if necessary" Shade diagnosed and galloped through the forest, intent on keeping himself going at some speed to get to his house, he didn't want Rainbow Dash to think he quit the race, "this is not the first time I have ran when my wings where bad" Shade mused to himself but stopped the thought as his nightmares threatened to rush him again. "the punishment for secrecy" Shade sighed as he brought his wings out and began flying again, weaving a little slower and not using his boost, "you cannot live anywhere near a normal life"

Shade Burst finally broke the tree line and ascended up to his cloud house.

5 minutes after Rainbow Dash

"Yes, I have lost" Shade panted as he stood on his cloud house's entrance.

“Wow. what the hey happened there? I thought you where faster in the forest? maybe you where the one-" A growl stopped Rainbow Dash from continuing the sentence. "okay, what happened?"

“would you like to know? fastest flier in Eqestria? Because I will not tell you” Shade panted “and you deserve you answer for thinking such a thing, ch-"

“Hey!” Rainbow glared at Sade and flew up in front of him and landed, grabbing the midnight blue pegaus' scarf “Don’t even think about saying I'm a cheater! I beat you fair and square! alright!”

"now I have to buy you lunch for a total of five days. Correct?” Shade responded cooly as Rainbow Dash let go of his scarf.

“You are gonna buy me lunch for five days! Today's omelet does not count, and you have to eat with me when you buy lunch with me! that's for saying I cheated” Rainbow smiled gloatingly as she laid out the specifics of the penalty.

“I understand the pentalty, I will buy you lunch and eat lunch with you for five days, starting tomorrow.” Shade nodded and brought his hoof to his chest once more confusing Rainbow Dash. Rainbow nodded as well her smile growing bigger. an idea formed in her mind, as Rarity had said that the pony had a job that started after noon was over...

“soo... It's like 2 o'clock-”

“WHAT!?” Shade jumped in the air and then zipped in his house, he was shoving his coat on and running out the door “no no no no! I am going to be late! Mr. Haykenama will be furious!” Shade panicked as he went out the door again, as Rainbow wore an amused smile on her face, Shade took his cell out of his pocket and checked the time. “It is… 1:25.” Shade turned and glared at the now rolling-on-the-cloud-laughing-so-hard Rainbow Dash,

“hahaha! That’s priceless! The look of panic! “no no no no!” hahaha! Priceless! Hahahaha!” Rainbow had tears in her eyes that where falling on her cyan blue coat as she rolled on the cloud, Shade found the light blue Pegasus' laughter contagious. Shade laughed at his own over-reaction, eventually falling on the cloud right next to Rainbow Dash because of his own laughter, their laughter eventually died down and they lay there on the cloud, side by side.

“I work at the Wildhorse cafe, that’s where I learned to cook... And showboat while doing it, my shift starts at two during weekdays, and I have weekends off” Shade admitted... the anger at his loss had faded with his laughter, it was to be expected if you raced the best flier in Equestria that you would have no chance of winning. and he accepted the fact.

“Cool, I know something about you actually. Like fact stuff. Well…. I work on weather control as the captain for ponyville. I also am a Wonderbolt in training; my dream is to become a Wonderbolt.” Rainbow admitted back.

“A Wonderbolt? Nice, you can do it, I... I really do not have a dream.” Rainbow looked over at Shade with a annoyed look.

“Yes you do, everypony has a dream” Rainbow commented stubbornly.

“...I have a dream, but that is for me to know and you to find out, Rainbow Dash”

“Aw come on!” Rainbow Dash sat up and looked at Shade, who shook his head.

“No”

“Fine! I'll figure out later then” Rainbow sighed as she stood up and jumped, hovering in the air with her wings and flying backwards out of boredom and her desire to just be a showoff. Shade stood up and cleared his throat. Rainbow Dash stopped and landed on the cloud, tilting her head in curiosity.

"I formally apologize for calling you a cheater. It was vile of me when I was clearly outmatched, to resort to belittling my opponent to get revenge for my substantial loss. That is the ways of less honorable stallions, and is something I will never be proud of. I hope you can find it in your heart to eventually forgive me for my disrespect and misconduct" Shade bowed his head down at the end, Rainbow Dash was taken aback by Shade's actions, for she had already forgot about the "cheater" comment, but apparently Shade Burst had not.

"It's fine, Shade, I forgive you, I had already forgotten about it already" Rainbow Dash smiled as Shade's head came back up.

"Thank you for you forgiveness, Rainbow Dash" Shade nodded and Rainbow saw his shoulders lighten a millimeter, like a weight had been taken off.

"He's big on honor , isn't he?" Rainbow Dash mused to herself as a silence descended upon the two of them, Shade reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out and checked the time.

“Excuse me, but my shift starts in ten minutes. as I do not want to be late, I have to go”

"Later Shade!" Rainbow said goodbye with a wave, "don't forget lunch tomorrow!" Rainbow adopted a taunting smile as Shade rolled his eyes.

“See you tomorrow, Dashie.” Shade was grabbed by the scarf right after he used the nickname he had randomly come up with as a way to get Rainbow Dash back for the reminder

“Don't call me Dashie!” Rainbow Dash grabbed Shade's scarf and pulled him face to face.

“Or else” the two said in unison and Rainbow Dash could not stop herself from smiling. She let go of the scarf with a laugh as Shade smirked. Rainbow Dash flew up, and with wave, shot off into the distance. Shade watched the Pegasus's retreating figure with concern.

“What is this?” the thought was forgotten as Shade looked down at his scarf that had fallen out from being grabbed haphazardly out from under his long coat by a certain light blue mare, it had changed color, it was cyan from the spot Rainbow touched down, Shade rubbed the spot and it faded back to black “what was that? this is the second time this has happened.” Shade thought to himself as he flew off to Wildhorse cafe, but the thought was quickly replaced by thoughts of the light blue- in his eyes- mare that he had just spent time with, and the way his fears had made him spiral out of control. It upset his flying and he nearly ran into Derpy. “Sorry!” he apologized and looked to see if the mailpony was okay.

"It's fine Shade! just whatch where you are flying! crashing into pegasai is my job" Derpy called with a smile "oh that and delivering mail, see you around Shade!" Derpy flew off, Shade smiled a small smile and continued flying, his smile turned into a frown the farther he went

"This is dangerous" Shade banished the pegasus from his mind and focused on his flying "don't get caught in thoughts while flying"

Soul Song walked out of his practice room, leaving his guitar as he walked around in his cloud house in Applewood. He stretched his wings as he trotted up to his room to grab his guitar case, he grabbed his acoustic guitar and it's case and set his key inside it in a pocket as he put the guitar case, he locked the windows all shut, and flew around, humming a bit of song to himself. He grabbed his music player and headphones along with his cell phone and set it in the case as he flew around.

Soul flew past sheet music that was lying around in the middle of the table in the center of the high ceilinged room of his cloud house. Soul grabbed and organized the music, finding a few sheets of a rock Song that he had composed but not found the vocals for. He hummed a melody as he otherwise silently went about taking his un-composed music and putting it in a multi-layered folder. He put it in the guitar case; he then took the complete music and put it into a black locked briefcase, put the key in the guitar case, and slid the briefcase into the bookshelf in a cabinet behind it.

Soul Song walked around once more before setting the case on the table and went to go make a hay and jam sandwich, he never made it as the front door to the living room opened and a turquoise unicorn with a light blue mane trotted in, a red check mark on her flank, having used the spell to walk on clouds, her horn glowed as she walked in, the door shut behind her with a turquoise glow,

"Hello M." Soul greeted with a halfhearted wave.

"Hello. Song you’re re-recording is in an hour, get ready, now"

"Re-recording?" Soul Song asked, his eyebrows rising incredulously

"Yes, your last cd recording was sub-par at best, now you have to go and re-record the cd.”

"What!? All of it?!" Soul exclaimed, his producer, the recording technician, and the cd company representative had said that this was his best cd he's recorded so far, and his manager wanted him to re-record it!? A re-recording means losing money to bring the recorder back and probably the rest of the day, because she would make Soul Song do twelve retakes for each song of the 15 song cd, it was an unreasonable order to make to a singer.

"You know what? No. I'm not re-recording the cd, I did one of the best cd's I’ve ever done, this would be the second time you are gonna make me rerecord it. So no, I’m not going to do it"

"No, you are going to re-record the cd."

"No, I’m not, I’m taking a two week vacation! You have been making me work all day every day. I have had no down time. You can admit that much!"

"Fine, I admit I have not given you any free time, but as an artist you need to work! And an artist works best when worked fully."

"No, I come back from every concert pleasantly tired than you make me record a cd or do an interview or practice, I am going to lose my voice!" Soul Song argued. That took the wind out of her wings.

"I see, but you still need to work. You are hired by co-"

"Contract? I've read it a thousand times. I have done over 40 hours of singing a week, so I am entitled to "off time" and can declare it whenever I want.”

"yes, but I can revoke that if I say that you are needed to do a concert or cd recording that is required, I have set an interview up for two separate magazines on you and Vinyl Scratch's relationship. You two have been seen together a lot."

"Only ‘cause you made me and her go on what looked like a date a bunch of times! We have met and are friends due to being fellow artists and liking each other's music, but nothing more. And I like somebody else..." Soul Song replied, breaking eye contact.

"Oh, that weak willed fluttlershy? She's not interesting at all, whereas we have the brash mare, Vinyl Scratch, she's perfect for your image, the two best artists in equestria, together! Think about all of the opportunities. You could do a dual CD and singles! Exclusive mixes of the two of you together! Think about it! Your popularity would go through the roof!"

"And you would make a ton of money off me. By using me and Vinyl, no, I will not is any way be forced to date Vinyl. I’m leaving" Soul grabbed his guitar case and got up and left. "I’m going on a two week vacation!" Soul flew off before his manager could stop him and went off towards the train station, he bought a ticket for a train that was leaving towards ponyville and walked up to the train as it pulled in, he brought his guitar case with him and sat in a seat and set his guitar case next to him. After a few minutes the train’s whistle sounded and the train moved off towards ponyville. He brought his cell phone out of his case and opened the flip phone to select Shade Burst for a text.

[Hey Shade, I’m coming a little earlier] Soul cringed after he sent the text, he felt bad for putting a burden on his friend, but he needed it. His phone dinged a second later.

[How early?]

[Tonight, I’m coming by train] Soul sighed and sent the text and facehoofed, he felt pretty stupid.

[It is okay, is M overworking you?] Shade somehow knew the reason and had predicted it, Soul frowned,

[Yeah, she’s making me rerecord my newest CD. Again. And trying to pair me and Vinyl up just to get money off the two of us]

[I am surprised to say the little, you sent me the prototype of the re-record, it was very good. And what do you mean. “pair me and Vinyl up”?] Soul smiled at Shade, he sometimes didn’t always catch slang, and didn’t use shortened versions of words, and sometimes messed up slang he was trying to use, Soul found it fun to poke fun at his formality, but today he decided against it.

[She is trying to fake a relationship between me and Vinyl.]

[That is not good, I will have to talk to her sometime in the future, trying to put to people together in a relationship when they do not want to be is wrong, very wrong]

[I agree about what you just said, so I left]

[You quit?]

[No no no no! I went on a two week vacation, does that sound good?]

[So you did not quit, thank Luna, and yes, that is a viable reason] Shade did sometimes use uncommon words that he found more interesting than the normal ones

[So can I come here tonight?]

[Of course, you are always welcome in my home. I will await you at the train station]

[Okay, see ya soon Shade Burst.]

[See you soon, Soul Song] after that last text Soul flipped the phone shut and looked put the window. His mind drifted to that of Fluttershy, and he let his head rest against the window and let himself fall into the darkness of sleep.

Author's Note

well, this is not my first time writing fan fiction, but it is my first time writing my little pony fan fiction, I hope you enjoyed it! tell me what about it you liked and what about it you didn't. constructive criticism is welcome. thank you for reading.
Shadow of a Former Brony out.

Spending Time With Princesses

The train chugged into the station at eight that night, Celestia's sun was just nearing the horizon to set; a whistle blew as the train pulled into station and stopped completely, this was the last stop of the night for the well traveled train. Ponies got out of their seats and with a slow pace of passengers without rush, exited the train.

"Mmm... what?" in particular one tan colored Pegasus with a blond and yellow mane with a brown streak down the middle was sleeping on his guitar case. The train's whistle had alerted him that his stop had arrived, the musician shook himself awake and threw his case loosely onto his back and walked out into the train station. Families and significant others embraced the tired passengers from the trip. Soul Song searched the platform for the sight of his friend, Shade Burst, Shade was one to keep his word and that he had said that he would be there to meet him. So by that logic, Shade Burst would be present, Right?

"Did he get stopped on the way here? did he get hurt? or was he running late? or... or did he forget?" walked a few steps before a voice directly behind him started talking.

“Or was he following you the whole time?”

“AH!” Soul Song jumped into the air and was hugging the bottom of a cloud while Shade stood on the ground below him, next to the guitar case that had been dropped in fright. Shade's long coat blowing around him as his wings held it down as the trickster Pegasus smirked up at his friend. “How did you do that!?”

“With a lot of practice” Shade replied stoically. Soul decided to drop the subject and find a new one.

“You’re wearing my scarf!” Soul Song flew down and hugged Shade, who paused for a moment before returning the gesture.

“Good post-noon to you too” Shade smirked and took Soul's guitar case off the ground and tossed it into the air, flying up to grab and carry it by its strap. Shade twitched mid hover as pain shot through his right wing. "wow that still hurts..." Shade quickly ignored the pain because of Soul, for he was worried too easily for Shade's liking. “We should be off” Shade called down as Soul flew up beside him.

"Wanna race there?" Soul asked with a challenging smirk. Shade just sighed and shook his head. "What?"

"Of all the things to ask me" "Who is holding a guitar case?" Shade motioned to the guitar below him with a hind leg. "I like for things to be fair, and unneeded weight would only serve to hinder me in a race. So, your answer is no" the midnight blue pegasus had enough racing for one day.

"Oh, whoops, sorry about that, let's just get going." Soul began flying towards Shade's cloud home with good speed, hoping to outpace Shade. Shade flew next to his friend and smiled at him, serving to annoy Soul Song further.

"I still can fly better." Shade broke his serious demeanor for sticking his tongue out at Soul Song, who tried not to laugh.

"Shut up" Soul shot back, not stopping himself from smiling. The two pegusai flew in a happy and welcome silence, giving both pegusai time to think.

Shade opted himself to forgo the conversation he had sent over the phone and restart the conversation, as well as forget about the phones in it's entirety. Only ponies in Manehatten, Las Pegasus, Applewood, Baltimare, and Fillydeplhia had mobile phones, and Shade did not want any more problems from the manager that was the root of Soul's problem, and the sole point of contact Soul Song had with his manager was through his phone. no phone? no problem.

Meanwhile Soul Song was happy to be finally free of the choking air of his manager's control, she was an amazing manager and was the pony to discover him in the first place and had been the reason for his success and that he had met Shade Burst, these where things that Soul felt grateful to M for, but she also had her mind in the wrong place, she was focused on the profit, not the ponies. This landed Soul Song in a balanced positioning between great positives and horrid negatives. Soul whipped the memory from his mind and instead tried to focus on relaxing and spending time with Fluttershy and Shade Burst.

Shade landed and walked into his familiar house, setting the case against the wall and taking his long coat off and setting it on the hanger, leaving the scarf on because of how comfortable it was. Soul went over and sat on the couch and sighed in great relief to be free from the tension and stress, and to be in the sanctuary that Shade's home presented. Shade trotted over to Soul and held out his hoof. "Phone"

"Oh! here!" Shade grabbed the cell and flew back to his room and walked over to a walk in closet he didn't need. "Soul was so insistent on having a big closet, at least it became a little useful in the end..." Shade mused as he trotted over to a safe on his right and opened it with a quick combination and swung it open, the safe was empty. Shade removed the batteries from the phones and setting the batteries in first, setting the phones afterwards. Shade shut the safe and locked it with a spin of the tumbler, resetting the spin combination.

"I guess I should just... check... Glass would get mad at me if I just ignored it" Shade thought out loud as he shut the door of his closet and trotted over to the back and flipped the light on, he tapped a hidden switch and the back wall flipped around. and his armor appeared.

Night guard armor. He was no bat pony, but he was part of the force none the less. His armor was near standard issue, but the colors where different and the design was slightly off.

His armor was all pitch black as the base color and dark grey secondary instead of shades of purple, the "eye" on the center of the armor was grey instead of blue, the plated armor extended to his neck and stopped compared to having a cloth drape over, his helmet was standard like, but the top spike was gone, leaving it flat, the sides of the eye slits extended a little farther past the eye slit and ended in a flat end, he also had a black cloth undercoat with a black chain mail coat to go over the cloth and under the armor. He only had hoof covers for his hind legs and retractible gauntlets for his front legs, easier to hold a sword that way, the armor was still in good condition. But Shade knew he needed to take it out and shine and repair it later, best when Soul was off doing something rather than chance him seeing the armor. Shade leaned over and grabbed a small pocket watch that was hanging off the armor. He had received the watch a long time ago, it was black and had the symbol of the crescent moon on it, it was old and had older numbers on the face, but Shade had learned them well enough to tell time on it. Shade put the watch in a crook in his scarf as he tripped the switch and the armor disappeared out of view.

"Better get back to Soul before he suspects something, sorry Glass, I know you would disapprove" Shade imagined his friends thorough scolding Glass would give him if he found out about Shade's armor upkeep. Shade smiled as he glided down to his friend and temporary flatmate for the next two weeks. Soul had grabbed a book on music theory and was reading it, as Shade descended Soul bookmarked the page and put it back in the correct shelf.

"Found the right hiding spot?" Soul asked with a laugh as he sat down again.

"yes, I got a better hiding spot." Shade laughed a little as well, neither pony wanted to deal with the phones and the stress that came along with it.“So…. How is work?”

“Good! I've been doing a ton of concerts, but M isn't being... considerate of my feelings. She is trying to push me and Vinyl Scratch together as a couple. Though I like Fluttershy...” Soul repeated his earlier text, Shade nodded as he thought to himself formulating a good reply to the statement Soul had made.

“Obviously” Shade commented. “You are constantly sending letters to her. Most of the time the reason you stop at my house it is because Fluttershy is in the proximity”

“Proxy-wha?” Soul asked.

“Proximity. It means to be close too” Shade rolled his right fore hoof and rolled his eyes as a sign of impatience and annoyance. "Just expand your vocabulary a little"

“Oh! Well then…. Your right” Soul agreed, slightly embarrassed by his friends blunt assessment of his vocabulary. Soul took a breath to calm himself and clear his mind, something Shade had taught him during the time they had spend together. “Fluttershy has been on my mind for a long time now. I can't go through a day without thinking of her. It's hard to concentrate” the guitar-playing Pegasus commented. Shade sat on the couch and leaned back, trying to relax his wings from the extensive usage over the day. Shade sat up as he remembered that he had some work to get done. Shade spread his wings and flew up to the bookshelves that lined the wall of his house and got his book on fighting styles that he had been studying for the past month or so. He flipped open to a page that was bookmarked and resumed reading at the spot as he sat down on the couch, relaxing his wings once again. Shade motioned for Soul to continue talking while he studied. This was a habit Shade had developed an affinity for, double tasking. “I’ve had times where I’ve nearly crashed into someone while I was thinking of her” Soul admitted, Shade’s ears popped up and he slapped his book shut, then he flipped the book back open

“My page!” Shade exclaimed, he sighed as he found his page again and resumed reading.

“What was that for?”

“I got a revelation on the royal guard's fighting principle, it seems like a heavy insight into the reasoning of spears being used with unicorns” Shade replied, moving his head forward to look deeper at the words. But Soul Song was skeptical of his bodyguard.

“Sure, it's rarely that simple with you” Soul Song floated over to Shade and looked at him critically. As Shade sighed and flew up again. Putting the bookmark back to mark his page before slapping it shut and putting the book back on its shelf. Soul saw Shade’s movement was erratic, like he had discovered something and he was unable to focus on something. “You’re hiding something!”

“And you would think that why?” Shade asked as he flew and grabbed the newest Daring Doo book and look at it, he had barely read the series, and he already had a replacement book as he got it as a present from Soul and had bought it before, but he never told Soul. Shade flew down and sent it in the middle of the large round table and sat in a couch as he looked at it, analyzing the book. Soul looked over from his spot on the couch and watched as his friend looked at the book. “Hmmm…” Shade then got up and paced, Soul watched the midnight blue Pegasus pace around the couch in an arc. Soul was used to the mediative pacing the midnight blue pegasus did when he was thinking to himself, nothing could really get the pegasus out of his stupor once it began. But Soul at least had to try to break him out of it.

“What?” Soul asked, but it had no effect. Shade continued pacing, and then he froze, his eyes wide with realization. Shade fell and landed flat on his butt as his pupils shrank in surprise. Soul watched Shade with his face full of concern for his dark furred friend, waiting to see how long the pegasus would remain immobile. “Shade…” Soul called, Shade stopped his realization and looked at him, his eyes clouded in deep thought. It was some movement, and it would be accepted with a grateful heart. “What is wrong?”

“Do not say a word” Shade commanded as he got up and paced for a while longer before talking once more, he stopped next to Soul and looked down at him. “I think that I have… found it.” Shade admitted as he sat down next to Soul. Soul’s eyes went wide and he looked at the midnight blue Pegasus. Soul Song thought that Shade would be ecstatic to find the one thing he had been searching after for Celestia knows how long. But Shade seemed worse than before he had made the relaxation.

“You have?” Soul asked, Shade nodded solemnly, then got up and paced again.

“I think I have, but I do not believe that I can just get it whenever I want. But I need too get it soon... I do no want to use somepony... but I need this... ” Shade talked to himself in fragmented sentences and Soul just listened as Shade rambled. Shade clenched his hoof and his fragmented sentences continued, Soul started to become worried for the safety of his friend.

"he hasn't been this bad for a long time..." Finally Shade's colorless grey eyes looked at his hoof and he shook his head and cleared it. Shade’s face went back to its normal smirk, the mask had came back up over the stallion.

“Enough with my problems, you have to see Fluttershy” Shade commented. His smirk growing and leaving Soul in the dark, who clenched his teeth in annoyance and anger as Shade stood up and trotted over to the kitchen.

“You can trust me you know” Soul Song mumbled quietly, hoping that the message would get to Shade burst. A package landed in his lap and Shade stood there, above him.

"I can trust you, but these secrets are too dangerous, I do not want to hurt you" Shade

“You have to give her the blanket you gave me. Or will I have to shove you out the door again? You know how she is when I am present.” Shade threw over his shoulder and grabbed two apples out of the basket. Shade tried spinning the apple on the tips of his right wing but the shot of pain made Shade twitch and drop the apple. Shade's hoof shot out and grabbed the apple and set it on the counter. "hey Soul, think quick!" Shade tossed the apple to Soul who silently caught it and started munching away. Shade trotted over to sit next to Soul Song as he munched on his apple, ignoring the look he knew Soul was giving him.

"Why do you have to shut everypony out from your problems? can't you just tell me a litlle bit more about you so I can help!" Soul raged at Shade in his mind as he looked away from Shade with a sigh.

"I am sorry Soul, I am so sorry, but I cannot see you hurt." Shade pushed the regret from his mind and opened his mouth.

“So… are you going to do it?” Shade gave Soul a sideways look as he chewed on his apple slowly, relishing the taste of the Apple family's apples. Soul was chomping on his apple to vent his anger, making some pretty loud crunching noises. Shade choose to ignore this for sake of possible causing an argument he did not want to instigate with his friend.

“Go see Fluttershy? Not yet” Soul made the excuse and Shade just shook his head and sighed.

“You are gravitated to her presence, if she’s within eye sight you move towards her” Shade rolled his eyes as Soul flew up and glared at him face to face. Shade smirked as he drew a parallel between this stallion and Rainbow Dash, both where easy to be annoyed, and outwitted.

“No I’m not!” Soul argued back.

“So instead you are repelled by her and run away?” Shade asked tilting his head to the side, Soul visibly deflated as he sunk back into the couch, getting out of Shade's face.

“…No…. no I don’t run from her…”

“Then run to her.” Shade smiled as he set a comforting hoof on his easily annoyed friend and looked at the clock in the room out of habit. The clock read nine o’clock. “On another note: I have sleep” Shade commented and walked up the stairs and up to his room, Soul grabbed his case and followed him, going to the top floor Shade went into his room, but not before he looked back to Soul and smirked. “Goodnight Soul, I will see you tomorrow”

“Night Shade!” Soul called as he went in the room across, shutting the door behind him, it was filled with his own stuff and the music pony went straight to his bed and went in, Shade watched his friend go into his room and waited until he heard the sounds of a plumb tuckered out colt snoring away, then and only then Shade entered the portal into his own, laying on the bed and waiting for the grips of sleep to tighten and hold him in its embrace.

Clinging to life as the voices swirl.

Wanting to sleep...
Afraid of the nightmare that was sleep
Afraid of the hell that was waking.

Cannot move, Cannot see. Cannot hide, Cannot run, Cannot escape the torture.

That is his punishment.

“Why do I deserve this!”

“Because you are not worthy of death, too merciful for your kind. So you shall get a living death"

Soul opened the door and looked out the window of Shade Burst's room, the sun had just came up above the horizon, the pegasus that was the owner of the room was sitting up, an empty look on his dark face and colorless eyes.

Shade was staring blankly at the opposite wall. Soul watched him from the doorway in absolute worry. waiting for movement to occur naturally in the dark colored pegasus, but giving him space. The two stayed like this for several minutes, a broken, sharp and painful silence like shattered glass descended upon the two.

“Are they back?” Soul broke the silence with a question, fearing the worst. he got worse than he had even thought.

“They never left” Shade got up and trotted wordlessly past Soul and into his bathroom, cutting off further conversation that Soul could possibly attempt with the amount of worry the Stallion had just induced into his friend.

Soul went into his own room's bathroom, they both got ready for the day, Shade glided off the steps and into the house and glided in slow circles in the top of the high ceilinged room as Soul trotted down the steps and was about to get breakfast ready,

Soul Song got two bowls, one orange for himself and a yellow one to cheer Shade up by starti ngsome weird argument the two would have and they would both be smiling at the end. Soul grabbed two spoons and milk and opened the pantry, and finding his own favorite cereal and the usual healthy stuff Shade ate, he grabbed both of them and set them next to each other. Shade silently glided down and took a bowl. the orange one. “Hey, I wanted the orange one” Soul said “I got you the yellow one, and I always eat from the orange bowl.”

“Wait, I thought this was- wait” Shade flew back to his long coat and checked something quickly. Shade realized his mistake “Oh. OH.” Shade flew back to Soul song and pushed Soul's orange bowl back to him and grabbed the yellow bowl and healthy cereal and poured it into the bowl with a frown. “Sorry” Shade poured the milk and began eating as he internally beat himself up over the stupid mistake.

“It’s fine, you're good” Soul slapped his friend on the back with his hoof as Shade was just swallowing a spoonful of cereal, Shade twitched forward and glared at Soul Song.

“You nearly made me choke” Shade's comment made Soul smile a huge smile to annoy Shade. The trickster decided to stoop to his friends level and punched the tan colored pegasus in the shoulder.

“Hey!” the musician glared at his bodyguard who smirked. “That hurts!” Soul reasoned, but the sting was already fading quickly. Shade's eyebrows shot up incredulously at how wimpy the pegasus was acting. “okay, not anymore, but for a second, okay?”

“Fine, now I have to exercise, all right?” Shade went out the door and squinted as the sunlight poured into his house “that is bright. It is not time for anypony to be up right now, so wait a minute before going to go see Fluttershy. Try composing some music or you can read from my library, as-”

“As long as it goes back exactly where it was before.” Soul completed. “I got it, you’ve only said it a thousand times” Soul stood up and tapped his bodyguard shoulder as he rolled his eyes at Soul.

“Have fun exercising!” Soul called as he walked up to the sound room and as Shade put on his long coat and put his watch into the breast pocket with a smile as he exited outside.

“Another day for exercise” Shade Burst thought to himself. Shade searched around to make sure his paranoia had been satisfied. He stretched his wings with the pitch black streak and boosted up high and into the air, leaving the pitch black circle behind him, after his race with Rainbow Dash, Shade allowed himself a small break. He just glided through the clouds for a simple exercise and stretching wanting to let his mostly healed right wing recover.

“Hah! Hah!” a feminine voice yelled. Shade immediately gathered his pitch black energy in his wings and boosted to a cloud, hid inside of it, and looked to where the sound was coming from. A Pegasus with a rainbow mane was clearing the clouds. Shade climbed out from inside the cloud and sat down as he watched as Rainbow Dash quickly destroyed the clouds and cleared half the sky. She then took a deep breath and landed on a cloud, Rainbow let her head sit on the cloud and sighed, out of a return to the one job she liked, cloud busting. Shade looked around to see that nopony was looking and Rainbow Dash was resting happily on her cloud....

Shade decided to try something.

Shade jumped and boosted down through the cloud and destroyed it. In the midst of the cloud breaking apart Shade boosted again, going through another cloud. This continued as Shade Burst rapidly went from cloud to cloud as Rainbow Dash sat up watching as the clouds rapidly disappeared by themselves.

“Whoa! Cool!” then a large cloud group was the only group left, Shade put more pitch black energy into his wings and burst through the entire group at once. “That was AWESOME!” Rainbow Dash cheered as her voice cracked at the end. Shade had an unfamiliar feeing rise inside himself that he quickly pushed aside for the need to focus on flying. Shade then boosted underneath the cloud Rainbow was previously sitting on and hid underneath it. Putting his hooves into the clouds at the four corners and pushing himself up against the cloud. “That was so cool!” Shade felt the rainbow Pegasus sit down on the cloud above him and bounce a little. “But who would do that?” Rainbow tapped her hoof against her chin. “Thunderlane? No, not fast enough, Cloud Kicker? Flitter? No, they wouldn't do that… would Twilight of broke the clouds with magic? no... if they wouldn't... who would then?”

Rainbow stood up and impatiently stamped her hoof. Hitting the hoof that Shade was using to hold himself under the cloud, Shade brought his hoof back up and repositioned it under the cloud.

"What was that for!" Shade yelled in his head at Rainbow Dash with a glare. "that was eather dumb luck or really good accuracy..."

“I better get home to get ready for Shade, he's gonna get me some lunch! And I got a present for him!” Rainbow Dash giggled mischievously at the thought as she grabbed the cloud and flew back to her house.

Shade let go of the cloud and dived above the tree level of sweet apple acres, staying in the shadow of Rainbow's cloud. Shade tailed Rainbow back to her house and stopped.

"Alright, choose what you want, Rainbow Dash, a castle or a mansion?" Shade took in the cloud home that was 20% larger than everypony else's. Shade watched as the fluid trailing off the corners where the same as the light blue Pegasus’s mane. "wait, she has a liquid rainbow generator? those things are super rare... not to mention expensive... Shade's thought was shoved away as he head Rainbow laughing. Shade watched as she pushed the cloud underneath the rainbow waterfall as the cyan Pegasus smiled widely as the cloud turned a rainbow color as it filled to the brim with rainbow fluid. "that is new. I never knew liquid rainbow could be absorbed into a cloud" Rainbow Dash then flew inside, grabbed rope and tied it around the center. Shade flew back to his own house, now knowing of the prank. But not its execution so he can still test his reflexes in a ambush situation. Shade reached his own house and went in through the door with a sigh.

Luckily finding not a Soul Song present, then seeing that the package for Fluttershy from Soul Song was not there. Shade figured the tan Pegasus would of already gone off to see Fluttershy, since most ponies would be up by now as he had seen Ponyville waking up after he had completed Rainbow Dash's job and flew back home. Shade looked at the newest Daring Doo book laying on the center of the table and glided over to it, he looked at it for a few seconds before grabbing it and flying back to the correct spot. Setting the book back in it's right spot, Shade smiled and flew back down to the entrance to his own house and took off his long coat and scarf and hung it up in on the coat rack. The liquid rainbow could possibly cause damage or stain to fabrics. And he did not want to deal with that, Rarity and Glass would give him quite an earful if he stained it.

There was a knock on the door and Shade flew over and put his eye through the peephole. He didn't see anything. But that didn't mean nothing was there. "and the prank begins" Shade thought grimly and brought his wings up, ready to fly. he oopened the door slowly. Shade looked up instinctively and saw Rainbow Dash jump and slam the rainbow cloud with all four hooves,

“Taste the rainbow!” Rainbow Dash screamed.

And a wave of liquid rainbow flew down at his face. Shade thought fast and brought his wings up over his head but the rainbow still splattered Shade's wings an hooves, but prevented the fluid from getting into his eyes.

“What... Is this?” Shade froze as he felt dizzy as he tried to comprehend all the colors covering his usually dark hued coat. He decided to change from trying to separate every color individually and trying to comprehend it individually. but to just make it one large color “this is rainbow colored” he thought and the dizziness faded and his mind righted again as it stopped it;s massive overload. Shade noticed peals of laughter coming from above him from behind the slightly less saturated rain.

“Priceless!” Rainbow commented as she rolled on the rainbow cloud. she stood and copied the dizzy face Shade had made “that was perfect!” Shade growled in annoyance and boosted up in front of Rainbow then boosted in the opposite direction. The momentum throwing the rainbow colored fluid onto Rainbow Dash, making her fur the same color as her mane in some places.

“Hey!” Rainbow had closed her eyes from laughter and hadn't noticed his boost. Rainbow wiped the rainbow fluid off her face. Rainbow flew off and pulled at the cloud, widening the cloud and making a pool of liquid rainbow. Rainbow jumped in the center and splashed at Shade.

“Hey!” Shade exclaimed then got a side of head turned rainbow. “Really?” Shade jumped and splashed back in retaliation and made the rainbow Pegasus even more colorful. "you want to try me? then take this Rainbow Dash!"

“Al~right then! Come at me brony!” Rainbow splashed back,

Both pegusai engaged in the Liquid Rainbow War and started with serious faces and wing beats making waves and hitting the water with absolute precision to get the splash just right. As the bodies of Rainbow Dash and Shade Burst started to turn into Rainbow Colors as the fight went on. The two pegusai started laughing at each other. Rainbow Dash forgot about the splashing and just straight up tackled Shade trying to dunk him in the substance. Shade rolled and the two pegusai wrestled in the substance until they broke apart and burst out into fits of laughter

“H-hah!” Rainbow boasted between fits of laughter “y-your covered in rainbows! I can't even see your fur!”

“Really” Shade smirked as he laughed a little too “you just look like your mane outgrew and you are one giant rainbow mane and tail, didn’t know you where THAT unkempt” Shade smirked as he saw more red on the Pegasus’s face, then Rainbow tackled and shoved Shade into the pool once more.

“I still won!” Rainbow boasted as she stood above him, pinning the stallion with her hooves on top of his. Shade noticed the cyan pegasus' rainbow colored wings where splayed out.

"So she likes being on top..." Shade noted to himself with a smirk that formed on his muzzle “You think so?” Shade taunted

“Yes! I know so!”

“Want to test that notion?”

“Bring it on!” Rainbow Dash noticed the dangerous smile Shade gained at her reply one second too late. Shade grabbed her hoof and spun her around with surprising speed. Their positions had switched, and now Rainbow was pinned in the pool of rainbows and the similarly colored stallion was above her, a proud smile on his face. Rainbow Dash's wings where splayed out and Rainbow Dash's face was a little more red colored than before the switch.

"but I guess she likes being on the bottom more" Shade got off Rainbow Dash's hooves and laughed “You asked for it” he said with a smirk as he helped the mare to her hooves. "now how do I get this off?" Shade glared at his now rainbow colored body with a little disgust. Rainbow laughed and wiped a tear out of her eye.

“Do you know how to get this off?” it was Rainbows time to smirk as Shade tilted his head out of curiosity. “We have to make a rainbow, so help me” Rainbow flew over to the cloud and went behind it, and pushed as she compressed the pool of liquid rainbow into the cloud. “Push this thing with me” Rainbow commanded

“As you wish” Shade got into position, naturally syncing wing beats with Rainbow Dash’s wings did not hit his “I assume we go at a fast speed in an arc and create a rainbow.”

“Exactly” Rainbow sped up and pushed along with Shade, the two accelerated to a certain speed and the two maintained it, sending a rainbow trail behind them as the liquid fell off them and the cloud. The two pegusai started going up and about to curve down but instead Shade continued to push forward on the could “What are you-"

“Follow my lead” Shade turned into a large loop and ascended

"What? are we doing a loop de loop?" Rainbow thought as Shade made her thought correct, using the cloud the two pegusaid made a loop de loop and went down in a normal rainbow

“There, you do not see that every day” Shade smiled as Rainbow destroyed the spend cloud. both of their coats where cleaner than before and a little more vibrant due to the liquid Rainbow.

“That’s awesome!” Rainbow hoof pumped as she saw the work she had created. Shade looked around for a few seconds and blinked a few times.

Shade looked up at the rainbow loop once more and sighed quietly “it would be better if it worked like… that... I could always… but it has to be genuine…” Shade shook his head to clear his own confused thoughts, then looked back at the light blue Pegasus “wow, your mane and fur look different, if anything your light blue fur looks… different” Shade thought out loud.

“That’s because it’s not light blue but cyan”

“It is cyan?” Shade asked he looked at Rainbow dash’s coat close then noticed that she was a different shade of light blue than he had realized. “You are right, my apologies for the mistake” Shade said with a bow. “Will you forgive me?”

“You kidding? Of course!” Rainbow smacked Shade on the back and Shade faltered for a second in flight.

“You are in weather patrol” Shade said with a shake of his head

“And don’t forget it! I can clear the sky in ten seconds flat!” Rainbow boasted again and Shade’s usual smirk returned

“Really? Show me” Shade challenged.

“I can’t” Rainbow shook her head.

“Why?” Shade asked, tilting his own head, a feeling rose in Rainbow that was quickly shoved aside.

“Because two reasons: 1. the skies are cleared already and 2. that’s for me to know and you to find out, Shade” Rainbow used Shade’s saying against him and the midnight blue Pegasus just rolled his eyes “anyway, you still owe me lunch, you can go get your money and come back, meet me at the Golden Oak library in Ponyville within thirty minutes, okay?” Rainbow flew off before Shade could even respond.

“Alright, I will meet you there…” Shade said to the empty space. Shade sighed as a smirk graced his features as he lifted off to go back to his house. “she is different from other mares, that much is certain”

Soul Song went to the door of the quaint cottage, noticing the animals milling about and the small garden to the left “Looks like nothing has changed” Soul thought as he checked himself quickly before looking around, praying that the cream furred Pegasus was in, he knocked on the door. Nothing happened, he knocked again.

“Hello? It's me Soul Song!” he added. Inside the cream furred Pegasus was frantically moving about, cleaning up things and moving stuff so that the house looked clean and shushed the rowdy animals. Another knock came and Fluttershy squeaked.

“But I’m not ready!” she said to herself and dashed over to the door, she then checked her face in the mirror and grabbed a brush and brushed her mane and tail. Finally she deemed herself presentable. She opened the door slightly to see a tan Pegasus with a package under one front leg.

“You got mail!” Soul called with a smile. Fluttershy was overwhelmed with happiness and then tried to compose herself to little success.

“Soul!” Fluttershy whipped the door open and hugged Soul Song, making the tan Pegasus lean back and take a step back.

“Hey Fluttershy!” Soul Song smiled and spun the yellow Pegasus in a circle as their hug continued.

“It’s so good to see you!” she cheered as she was set down and the musician smiled. “How did you get a break from work?”

“Well I took a vacation. I wanted to see my friends, and you specifically” Soul smiled as Fluttershy blushed at his attention.

“Where are you staying?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head in a way Soul found cute. Soul knew of Fluttershy's reaction to the answer, but would not lie to his friend.

“I’m staying at Shade's house” at Soul's answer, Fluttershy started to shake a little “he is fine! It's nothing important right now” Soul handed the package under his leg to Fluttershy, she took it.

“Here is a present”

“Oooh!” Fluttershy went into the house and opened it, a cream colored blanket unfolded, it was embroidered with Fluttershy's cutie mark. “It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed and hugged Soul Song once again, this time the blanket between them. Fluttershy let go first with a shy smile and went upstairs to put the blanket on the bed, “no! Remember you can't go in my room if it's only the two of us!” Soul sheepishly backed down the stairs,

“Sorry…” Soul blushed as he backdown the stairs. He spotted the bunny, Angel, glaring at him as he turned around . The two participated in a stare down until Fluttershy got down the stairs. The orange pegasus and white bunny both smiled and looked at the crème Pegasus. Who smiled at the two of them in return with her usual serene grace.

“Thank you Soul Song, it looks great!” Fluttershy smiled while she went down and patted angel as she walked past. Soul brought on an evil smile and a glare from Angel who had received less attention from Fluttershy than Soul.

“No problem, I had it made for you and bought it” Soul reasoned, ignoring the bunny as he walked past and walked around the room, looking at the animals milling around, then got an idea. “Hey, want to go get lunch at sugar cube corner or something? Since I am around and all…”

“Yes!” Fluttershy flashed a large smile that made Soul warm inside. “Of course!” "wait, did he just invite me too a date!?"

“I’ll pay, let’s go” "hey waaaaaaait... did I just invite her on a date? I think I just did... she's not objecting though..." Soul Song shrugged and walked out of the house and then saw something going on in the sky. “Whoa, look!” Fluttershy and Soul Song both looked as a rainbow arched into the sky, then when it reached the top of its arc it went in a large loop and resumed the downwards arc.

“It’s beautiful” Fluttershy commented, looking at the shape.

“Not as beautiful as you though…” Soul commented quietly.

“What did you say?”

“N-nothing!” Soul said with a fake plastered smile as he tried in vain to hide his blush. Which only made Fluttershy smile “Now we better get going to eat, I am getting hungry!” Soul tried reasoning again as he ran in front of Fluttershy

“You’re always hungry” Fluttershy countered but followed anyway.

“All the more reason!” Soul opened his wings and flew around for a few seconds, “C’mon! We got ourselves a lunch to ravage!" Soul cheered "HA! take that for expanded vocabulary Shade!" after his taunt to Shade somewhere, the pegasus flew off as Fluttershy took off after him, heading into Ponyville for a "date"

Twilight was sitting in her library, her horn glowing with magic and her wings rose in concentration. Books where moving around from her most recent study, the books on Alicorn-level magic where flying up to the second floor and going onto her own private bookshelf and was locked with a magic seal.

The other books scattered about where picked up and set in their rightful places, The books where moving at a fast speed for the amount of books being moved and moved around Spike, who was sweeping the floor. Halfway through the re-organization, Rainbow Dash slammed open the door, causing all of the bookshelves to rattle and shake with the threat of falling over.

All the books in air froze and Twilight's purple magic aura enveloped all the bookshelves, pushing them back in place and making sure that not one book fell out. Twilight opened her eyes and the magic aura faded from the shelves and the books continued flying around to their spots, now avoiding Rainbow, the entire library's worth of books seemed to be moving around.

“Wow, you are really cooking sister!” Rainbow exclaimed with amazement at the books flying around her.

“Yeah” Twilight said with a distracted tone. "give me a second" a breif flash from Twilight's horn and the magic continued moving the books back on their own. “What is going on Rainbow?” Twilight asked “you seem a little on edge” Rainbow sat down and motioned for Twilight to do the same, Twilight made two pillows float over with more levitation magic. Twilight sat on her pillow and picked Rainbow up with magic and set the pillow under her before setting her down gently onto the pillow quickly. The aura leaving Rainbow Dash who bounced on the pillow a little, testing it.

“Oh, comfy.” Rainbow commented then her serious look came back “so… there is this... Stallion-”

“A stallion!?” Twilight exclaimed, the books moved a little faster for a second, then reverted back to their normal speed. “When did this happen!? How did you meet him!? Is he cute!?”

“It’s not like that!” Rainbow countered, her face red and an angry look on her face“I met him yesterday when I did the fashion shoot for Rarity; he let me have breakfast at his house after that”

“You went to his house!?” Twilight exclaimed, surprised at how fast her friend and stallion’s relationship was going so quickly, but Rainbow Dash's look told her that it wasn't like that.

“Yes, I did and then I saw something.”

“Why where you snooping?” the purple Alicorn's eyes narrowed at the cyan Pegasus who glared back.

“Because, he has three feathers in his mane braided in and color cards in his long coat he wears all the time, and he talks differently, and he’s…he’s… he just is… Different, and I can't place it” Twilight's face transformed from an angry glare to wide smile

“You like him! You like him!” she cheered, “This is so exciting!” Rainbow shook her head in anger, the angry look stayed

“No I don't!” she shouted, thoroughly annoyed “Pinkie Pie doesn't even know of him, though she knows everyone's name. And he didn't help or appear for the training for the tornado. Though I did see a black blur every now and then during that...” Rainbow ventured “anyway. This Pegasus has no friends. And I want to be his-”

“Marefriend?” Twilight couldn't help but make the jab, Rainbow glared and Twilight calmed down “I understand your position, he seems like has no friends and you want to help him, what’s his name?” Twilight's magic came to a close as all the books went back to their original positions. Twilight nodded in satisfaction and refocused on Rainbow Dash.

“Don't complete my sentences, just don't, and his name is Shade Burst” Twilight noticed a peculiar tone in Rainbow's voice and Twilight felt a weird feeling when she heard the name. but Twilight choose to ignore it for sake of creating further argument.

“I see, Shade Burst, that's a peculiar name. I haven't heard of him before. What does he look like?”

“He’s a Pegasus, taller than us, a really really dark blue, pitch black mane and tail. He has a scar on his neck and wings. Feathers are dark blue except for large pitch black line parallel to line of wings. Always wears a black long coat with stuff in it and a black scarf. He has a cutie mark that’s a black circle with three feathers, and he has three feathers braided into his hair, one is the same pitch black as the line on his wings, one is dark dark blue and the one is dark dark blue with a pitch black line through the center”

“Wow” Twilight said with a smirk. “Nice description”

“Well I just saw him like two minutes ago” Rainbow reasoned, Twilight thought for a second as her mind went through all of the ponies she had met in Ponyville.

“Aaaah… I don't think I’ve seen him, sorry” Twilight Sparkle said setting a hoof on her chin as she scanned through her memory for the unique looking Pegasus once again.

“Well he does seem anti-social....” Rainbow said with a sigh “that’s why I got a plan. I raced him”

"He accepted?" Twilight asked.

"yep! I kinda tricked him into it." Rainbow stuck her tongue out with a smile. "he deserved it"

“And is he as fast as you?” Twilight asked, but already knowing the answer.

“Not even close.”

“Did you actually push yourself?” Twilight asked her friend.

“I went all out and he didn't even compare” she said. “There was nothing but a competitive bet on the race” Rainbow smiled “and I won. So now he has to eat lunch and buy lunch for me for five days!” she put her hooves up in excitement “perfect plan! Now I can tell him to meet me at each of your places and introduce you to and actually make him socialize with ponies!” Rainbow dash fell back onto her back with a happy smile as she lay spread out on her back “I love it when a plan comes together”

“Doesn’t Soarin say that something like that?” Twilight laughed as her Wonderbolt in training friend sat up quickly at the mention of one of her idols and crush, a small blush on her face.

“Maybe. Anyway, come outside.” Rainbow Dash took a curious Twilight and overhearing Spike outside and showed them the rainbow she and Shade had made.

“That’s one messed up rainbow, but so cool!” Spike exclaimed. Twilight teleported somewhere and back, holding a piece of parchment and quill with magic she wrote an description quickly, her horn glowing as she looked from parchment to rainbow and back, and then she used magic, a flash and a full picture of the rainbow with the loop appeared.

“How did you do that?” Twilight inferred. Rainbow's smile got bigger.

“Long story short, I filled a cloud up with rainbows and pushed it along with Shade Burst, making the rainbow come off... Shade had the idea to make the loop, I helped on that.”

“Amazing!” Twilight wrote some notes and the rolled the parchment up, and sent back to her study to go write more upon the subject later.

“Haha! It’s cool and fun to make. Maybe you and me can try it Twilight”

“Maybe, but you know how well I am when it comes to flying, I’m decent. But not on that high of level.”

“You can still practice, I have to train you anyway” Rainbow added with a shrug,

“But I’m not as talented as you, even with your training” Twilight humbled herself.

“I am 20% cooler, but you’re at least... 15% cooler than most ponies, you can get better at flying” Rainbow complemented. Then a soft thud and a quiet wing beat the two looked over and a midnight blue Pegasus wearing a black long coat landed in front of them. He trotted up to the Alicorn and Pegasus, only noticing the horn on the Alicorn, not the wings.

“Hello Rainbow Dash, I didn't know you would want to eat at a library- Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Shade immediately bowed deeply to the princess and stayed in the position. “My humblest apologies princess for not noticing you and not giving you the proper respect you deserve. Please forgive my insolence.”

“Stop being so formal!” Rainbow exclaimed as she picked the midnight blue Pegasus up and set him on four hooves.

“It is fine, you may rise. You must be Shade Burst. I have heard of you, it's very nice to meet you face to face” Twilight smiled disarmingly at the Pegasus that was just bowing and groveling a second ago.

“I’m flattered, princess, that you know of me. The pleasure is mine to finally meet the newest princess at last” Shade turned the compliment around.

“Maybe so, but Rainbow Dash is right, you don't need to be so formal, call me Twilight Sparkle or just Twilight, whatever works best for you, and you don't need to bow. I want to be friends with ponies, not their ruler.” Twilight explained and Shade nodded as a relived smile passed over his muzzle.

“Thank you... Twilight, you have potential to be a great leader. That I can say with the upmost certainty” Shade complemented and looked to Rainbow Dash. “I guess that you have already introduced me to her?” he asked, motioning with a head jerk at Twilight. Rainbow nodded. “alright so are friends with Twilight Sparkle?” he asked for sake of confirmation.

“Yep! I knew Twilight here when she was just an egghead, now she's a princess egghead!”

“Egghead?” Shade asked with an eyebrow raised “what is that?”

“Someone who reads books all the time and is totally uncool” Rainbow explained giving a look to Twilight, the princess and the midnight blue Pegasus both frowned, but then Twilight smiled mischievously.

“Then you are an egghead too” Twilight said “you always read Daring Doo”

"So that is why she was looking at the Daring Doo books when I checked on her" Shade's realization clarified why that pony had looked at the cover of the newest Daring Doo book for so long.

“But I’m not as big as of an egghead as you are! I only read fiction! And you always read that research stuff!”

“But I remember that day the newest Daring Doo book came out two months ago you spent the entire day reading, then you wanted to read all this nonfiction on archeology and old temples”

“That was one time!”

“You mean the past three times a book has come out?”

“So what if I study every now and then! It does NOT make me an egghead!” Rainbow Dash looked away in indignation, flying into the air and crossing her forehooves. The two then noticed that Shade’s shoulders where shaking. “Are you okay!?” Rainbow asked with slight panic.

Shade opened his mouth and a laugh was an answer, Shade continued laughing until the two mares noticed how silly, or crazy, their conversation would sound to someone who did not know the two of them. “You two remind me of some ponies that I know” Shade smiled to himself “but that was good, something to remind me of a good time.” Shade nodded “and if this is a library, may I look?” he asked, Twilight nodded and went inside, Rainbow following as Spike went in and Shade brought up the rear. Shade looked at the small dragon and bowed slightly to him “thank you for being on our side, Spike, you will make a good aide to the princess, Dragons get wiser the older they get. And you will eventually get that too, and you will be essential to the princess in her time of most need, which may come sooner that we all think, if we are not careful in our actions”

“What?” Spike asked to Shade Burst’s mysterious compliment and warning, but he had already moved on, looking around the library. He was mostly going on the sections about magical events and magic in history.

Shade trotted around and inspected the books. “A good selection” he commented. Rainbow couldn't help but boast to defend Twilight's library.

“The best! There is about every book that's important here!” rainbow boasted, Twilight looked at her friend who was defending or complimenting her from Shade.

"what was that for?" Twilight thought as Shade gave a mischievous smirk.

“Not the newest Daring Doo book”

“Well that’s....”

“Not important?” Shade completed her sentence.

“Stop completing my sentences!-”

“Or else?” Shade smiled at Rainbow who flung her hooves up in desperation

“Don’t make me race you again!” Rainbow threatened. “Or I just can make this day not count!”

“Is that a threat or do you want to spend more time with me?” Shade smirked as Rainbow blushed and flew up in front of his face and grabbed his black scarf.

“I beat you fair and square, so you better co-operate and do as the bet said”

“Or else?” Shade added, Rainbow flung her arms up and flew into the air as Shade grinned.

“Will you stop doing that?” Rainbow exclaimed, doing a small loop to vent her anger.

"I keep forgetting how fun it is to drive ponies crazy" “Once it stops affecting you.” Shade's smile grew.

“Can’t you be a little civil?” Rainbow asked in desperation floating down to hover above and in front of Shade.

"Civil?" a mischievous smirk covered his face "that is a pretty new word I have never heard you say before. If you want me to be civil compared to how I am right now, would you rather have me talk like all those Trottingham citizens in Canterlot?” Shade cleared his thought “my my, Rainbow Dash you look absolutely smashing this morning. Would you like to join me for tea this afternoon on a balcony in my mansion as we watch the bustling town of Canterlot waltz through its daily life below us as we consume our sustenance with all the manners of courtly etiquette equal to a dinner with princess Celestia? And then after would you like to join the waltz of Canterlot with me? If only for a few minutes it would be well worth your time” The Alicorn, Pegasus and Dragon where surprised at how much Shade sounded exactly like a Trottish stallion on the upper crust.

“How did you do that!?” Spike exclaimed.

“With a lot of practice” Shade said, his voice already reverted to his normal tone. He adjusted his scarf from the slight panic that was rising from the apt attention he was being given. He noticed his scarf was a new cyan color in spots and rubbed the scarf to turn it back to black again, “what is going on with my scarf?”

"Did you just ask me out on a date?” Rainbow's question gave Shade the chance to recover back to his trickster mode.

“That is for me to know and you to find out, Rainbow Dash” Rainbow groaned and Shade laughed a little, Twilight Sparkle then choose to interrupt for the point of stopping Rainbow Dash from exploding in exasperation.

“Hey Rainbow, could you help me with something in the kitchen? I got this potion I needed to complete.” Rainbow, seeing a way out of her bad position. Did as she was told and went into the kitchen, Shade stood and watched the two mares go wordlessly, then glanced at Spike and went to go look at the magical events section.

"My my, that has been the most fun I have had in a while when it came to driving ponies crazy" He scanned the titles in S' and R’s and then went to the general history, and looked for the oldest version of books. finding one he took it out of the shelf and glanced at the cover, finding the book to be a descent source of information. Shade got up on his hind legs and leaned on a wall, a habit of his when he was reading. Shade opened to the index and scanned the listing of events, finding a specific on he flipped over to the page and began reading, his colorless grey eyes analyzing every page.

“So, are you an egghead too?” Spike asked with a forced smile, nervous on how he was supposed to prevent Shade from eavesdropping on rainbow and Twilights conversation.

“Yes, according to Rainbow Dash’s description" Shade admitted "I guess a trade in information is in order, I can tell them my "hobby" I guess" Shade sighed and looked at the book "I study magical events or phenomena that are incredibly rare as a hobby”

“So you are sorta like Daring Doo” Spike reasoned, remembering Shade and Rainbow’s conversation earlier. How Shade said he had the newest book, Spike assumed that Shade would at least know about the book.

“Not really, I am studying magical events. Not going out and searching for the people or place or items that can create the magical events” Shade stated. “Though that is not true, I have one event I do look for”

“But you still research it” Spike pressed, still going on about researching magical events to try and find some common ground. Shade shook his head to clear it from the subject he did not want to bring up.

“Yeah, just study, no search” Shade took a breath and looked down at the book, closing his colorless grey eyes as he took a breath and kept them closed.

“I have always thought magic was amazing, from the magic of being able to fly and sit on clouds, only Pegasai can do such things. Unicorns can delve into the secrets of the world and make amazing things with magic. Earth Ponies have their incredible strength and affinity to crops and fastest land speed. Dragons can eat jewels, breathe fire and sit in lava and other hot surfaces without getting hurt, and use their own magic that is on a whole other kind than unicorn magic." Shade's eyes shifted to his cutie mark "and also… in a way we are all magical in our own way... Thanks to our marks we can do things only we can do, and that is magic in itself that will always be beyond all comparison and comprehension” Shade opened his eyes and started flipping through pages and stopped at a specific page “and all I am doing is researching the fruits of their efforts”

“Wow…. That’s deep”

“Thank you, but you needed to hear that anyway, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Pardon my bluntness, you are a baby dragon surrounding by those that are not your kind. You must be going through some identity issues. What I said is true Spike, you will do something amazing for this world. that only you, Spike, aide to princess Twilight Sparkle, can do, and hopefully when it happens I will be there to see it, magical event or not.” Shade replied as Spike walked over.

"Thanks Shade, what are you reading?" Spike asked with a curious look as Shade lowered the book to Spike could see.

Shade flipped and showed a few pages: one was a large circular wave of rainbow colors with a white shockwave around it. the event had the title “Rainbow Burst” at the picture was labeled: “Rainbow Burst shockwave” there was a two pages of things about the “Rainbow Burst” Shade then flipped the page and a large pitch black ring and an arrowhead shaped mass of pitch black energy. It was only half of a page and had very little information. All which was speculative and read: “Oblivion Strike” Shade looked at the pages, flipping between them both, showing them to the curious dragon.

“Found what you are looking for?” Spike said memorizing the page number and book cover and title, Shade shook his head in a denial.

“I have the same information at my own house, so it is not new to me” Shade shut the book and Spike reached for it, he gave it to the dragon and looked him in the eye"there, now I have traded some information" “and I know you are going to report to princess Twilight on what I said and I know you are to keep me from eavesdropping on the conversation in the kitchen” Shade smiled as Spike froze, his intentions now known. “I am fine with that though, some curiosity and mistrust is expected with new people, especially those of the opposite gender and as... dark as I look.” Shade said motioning to his long coat and scarred appearance with the three woven feathers in his mane, one midnight blue, one pitch black and one midnight blue with the pitch black streak in it. “But eventually I hope to earn your trust and be a true friend; you can put that in your report, right?” Shade’s smile went back to normal and he went back on all four hooves. He stretched his wings out, winching a smige as the pain shot through but not only a small throb. and then went back to the books, looking for another one that would peak his interest as Spike sat nervously, expecting Twilight to reprimand him when she got back out of the kitchen.

“What’s taking them so long?” Spike thought with a bead of sweat and with an eyebrow raised towards the kitchen

“So how is he?” Rainbow Dash turned and looked at Twilight Sparkle with an earnest face.

“He’s interesting, his personality seems to be nice, and you two get along very well” Twilight informed as Rainbow smiled at the news.

“Think he could get along with Pinkie and Fluttershy and AJ?” Rainbow asked. Twilight paused for a second to think.

“Yes, your plan can work… and for a potential Coltfriend... He’s a good pick” Twilight winked at Rainbow who glared at Twilight

“It’s not like that!” Rainbow exclaimed “I barely know him!”

“Well what was that argument you just had outside? It seemed like flirting a little” Twilight said. Her mind going back to a study she had read on Relationships and dating. “by what the book said, engaging in activities together with a competitive goal, trying to outdo the other person in something and having a playful argument is flirting” Twilight said nodding her head proudly.

“No it’s nothing like that! It was an argument! Nothing more!” Rainbow exclaimed and crossed her forelegs. "I do not like him, he is annoying, but he's nicer than other stallions, so I'm giving him a chance, and hey! free food!"

“Okay, if you say so” Twilight went to the door and put her ear on it. Rainbow flew above her and stuck her ear to the door, the two heard the conversation Spike and Shade had. After hearing Shade’s justification of why he likes magical events, the two backed off from the door and looked at each other. “well... that was very insightful of him” Twilight said with a happily surprised smile, like when she found a book that she thought had some information and might be a bad source of information but turned out to be a good source in the end.

“That’s deep” Rainbow mused, looking at the door with a confused look on her face “He sounded so… so...”

“Tender, open, vulnerable, hot?” Twilight gave out four possible descriptors and Rainbow glared at the new princess.

“No! Well…” Rainbow paused to think of words. “I think vulnerable would be the best, it’s like he actually opened up for once”

“And you want him to open up to you” Twilight assumed, And the speedster Pegasus nodded in confirmation

“Well duh! I want to be his friend for Celestia’s sake!” Rainbow announced. Decided that it would be the best time to go out into the main area now; Rainbow and Twilight didn’t want to keep their potential friend waiting. The two ponies went out the door looking calm and composed.

“Sorry ‘bout that!” Rainbow said scratching the back of her head with a hoof “it took longer than expected to do what Twilight wanted” Shade nodded as he scanned a few more books for titles that jumped out to him, and finding none. Shade pulled his pocket watch out of his long coat and checked the time, Rainbow Dash's eyebrows shot up when she noticed the lack of a phone as the time telling device "what happened to the phone?" Shade caught Rainbow's curious look and stowed the watch away with maximum efficiency.

“We should go get lunch before my shift at work comes up” Shade stated and walked to the door “should we go, Rainbow Dash?” he asked,

“Well, I thought we could stay here and eat with Twilight and Spike, but they-”

“I will pay for all of you” Shade interjected.

“No! You don’t need to do that!” Twilight exclaimed. “That’s a lot of bits! I have my salary as princess and I can-”

“No, you need to use your money on improving the library or other things that are bigger or more important, I, as your subordinate, will pay for you and your aide, and because I have to pay for Rainbow, I will pay for her friends regardless” Shade stated, putting his hoof down. Shade gave a look to Twilight that said he would not budge on the subject. “Only a direct order from you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, will make me stand down” the room was silent for a few tense seconds. Then Twilight smiled

“Well, what ruler would I be if I did not let my subordinates help when they offer it?” Twilight kept her smile and looked at Shade, who smirked and bowed.

“Thank you, Princess, for letting me do my duty, now that I don’t know if there is any place you like to buy from specifically?” Shade asked. Spike brought out a piece of paper with a quill, freshly dipped in ink

“I will write the order on this so you can remember it”

“Thanks” Shade said. “Where do you want be to go and order and bring back?” Shade asked. Twilight gave the name of the restaurant “I know where that is, so what do you want to order, order like you usually do, I have enough” Shade stated with no doubt, Twilight and Spike both ordered what they usually got and Rainbow then surprised both Spike and Twilight by ordering a Zap apple jam and hay sandwich, it was an expensive food choice, but Shade showed no change and merely nodded “I will be back post-haste” he said, using a little Trottish accent to make Rainbow groan. Shade took the note and put it in his long coat and went off the door, spreading his wings and taking off in milliseconds.

“That was mean Rainbow!” Twilight chastised, “You shouldn’t have had him pay for that expensive of food!”

“Well it was to get him back for beating me in that argument earlier” Rainbow made the excuse. Twilight rolled her eyes, the two ponies and Dragon dropped into a comfortable and welcome silence as they went about looking at books for a few minutes until Spike broke the silence.

“Hey girls… there’s something I wanted to show ya” Spike interrupted, the two mares turned to face their purple Dragon friend. “You overheard everything, Right?”

“Yeah, we heard on how he likes magical events and his speech about it” Rainbow confirmed.

“It was deep” Spike stated “but anyway, during his speech thing he found this book.” Spike walked over and pointed at the book “the book is titled “magical events and its creators” under “general history” he looked at this page” Spike flipped open the book to the page on the Rainbow Burst

“The Sonic Rainboom?” Rainbow dash asked “what about it?”

“Well…. it’s called “the Rainbow Burst” in older equestrian, before it was renamed the Sonic Rainboom.”

“I think Shade may be researching the Sonic Rainboom” Spike guessed

“Maybe he wants to perform it” Twilight replied, Rainbow laughed haughtily

“Ha! Well he’s too late, I’M the one that performed the Sonic Rainboom first! So I hold that right!” Rainbow boasted.

“Yeah, but look at this” Spike flipped to the next page, or half page, on the “Oblivion Strike” “he looked at this hoping to get more information on it”

“The “Oblivion Strike” a very complicated maneuver first used by a Pegasus that is not known. when the Strike is activated, all sound is gone, and the world loses color. it can go through a magical attack or enchantment if the user is strong enough and it is as fast as the Rainbow Burst” Twilight read the information scrawled onto the page "huh, it's the negative of the Sonic Rainboom" Twilight thought to herself, setting a hoof to her chin "maybe this may be could be something with Starswirl's studies on negative switching..."

“So he might want to do that move?” Rainbow said with her eyebrows rising.

“Maybe he wants to be as good at you but doesn’t want to copy you, so he’s trying the “Oblivion Strike” instead” Twilight explained, looking deeper at the picture, trying to get the meaning behind the illustration.

“We shouldn’t just judge him on this” Spike advised with a trace of trepidation. “He knew that you were listening in”

“What!?” Twilight exclaimed.

“It was obvious” Rainbow confirmed with a shrug.

“But he said “I’m fine with that though, some curiosity and mistrust is expected with new people, especially those of the opposite gender and as dark as I look.” Then he motioned to himself” Spike explained, reading off a scrap of paper he scrawled the exact words on “and then he said “But eventually I hope to earn your trust and be a true friend” then he told me to put it in my report. So I did.” Spike said with a shrug “I might not have the ability to tell if he was lying, but I’m sure he actually wants to become our friend too, eventually”

“That’s surprising” Twilight smiled “and that makes our job a little easier if we are both working towards the same goal”

“How does he know so much? Does-”

“Anything get past me? Not usually” Shade Burst made the two mares and dragon all jump in surprise, the midnight blue Pegasus was standing in the doorway, a bag with food set on the ground it front of him as a smirk was upon his face.

“How long where you there?” Rainbow demanded.

“Well... that is for me to know and you to find out, is it not?” Shade smirked as Rainbow Dash fumed. "and now I have received information in turn" Rainbow was about to yell at Shade. But then was distracted as Shade Burst took a zap apple jam and hay sandwich out of the bag. Rainbow Dash swooped hungrily and ripped it out of the other Pegasus’ hand and then sat up on top of one of the bookshelves staring at the sandwich.

“Oh how I’ve missed you, come to mommy!” Rainbow cooed to her sandwich and then froze, mouth mid-opening. Shade was smirking as Rainbow blushed furiously “oh shut up! I can like food!” Rainbow glared and opened her mouth again toe yell. but Shade raised a hoof to silence her

“I know already: don’t tell anyone about you and your zap apple jam and hay sandwiches or else” Shade said, Rainbow glared at the unaffected Shade burst.

“Also, don't tell anypony about me reading Daring Doo-”

“Yes, the ever present “Or else” threat” Shade just stood with his taunting smirk as Rainbow tried not to swoop down and punch the light of Celestia out of the trickster Pegasus. “Anyway, Spike, your ruby sandwich, and Twilight, your usual jam and daisies” Shade gave out the two sandwiches. Then pulled out one that was hay and lettuce and flew up to the shelf next to Rainbow Dash, Twilight got the idea and flew up next to Rainbow Dash, then levitated the pouting Spike next to her.

“Why eat so healthy?” Twilight asked. Shade paused as he chewed on his sandwich. Shade shrugged as he let himself reveal more personal information.

“I do have to stay in good physical condition, I need to stay fit to be able to run, fly, or fight if anything happens.” Shade replied as if it was obvious, Twilight didn’t understand but she saw Rainbow Dash nodding.

“I know! I have to watch my food intake too! And exercise a ton! But I get tired after I push myself really hard so I end up napping.”

“I do the same, but I work I Wildhorse café so I have to work out a lot in the morning then make sure I have enough energy for the rest of the day, I cannot take a nap to save my life" "oh well, I told the princess about my job, she would figure it out anyway"

“Haha! you just gotta learn from the master then! I do have lazy days or days when I don’t count how much food I take in” Rainbow admitted as Shade nodded in confirmation

“You have too, living under a self-imposed rule structure will drive you crazy, you have to break the rules, that is just our nature as pegusai” Shade shrugged as he bit into his sandwich once more.

“We just have to be free in the sky, it is the only way to live as a Pegasus” the two pegusai said at the same time, both froze after saying the line at the same time and then wordlessly resumed eating. Twilight was surprised about how much the two pegusai had in common.

“So where do you work out?” Twilight asked the Pegusai, trying to get conversation started up again.

“I'm usually on the north side” Rainbow shrugged and bit into her sandwich, face transforming into one of pure pleasure “oh I love you” Rainbow said to the sandwich with a voice full of passion.

“Thank you, I never knew you thought of me that way” Shade brought a hoof to his heart as Rainbow glared and punched him in the shoulder The midnight blue pony smirked at Rainbow who swung again and Shade dodged under it. “But to answer your question I usually "work out" in the south. Sometimes I fly through the Everfree forest. If really need a challenge” Shade answered

“Everfree!? You must be insane to go in there! There are animals everywhere that could kill a Pegasus, and the trees are so close that you’d clip your wing trying to fly through that!” Rainbow exclaimed

"You have no idea, Rainbow Dash"“That is why I go there, it’s a challenge, and I like challenges” Shade said crossing his forelegs after finishing his sandwich.

“Wow, he’s as big as a risk taker as Rainbow is!” Twilight thought as she heard Shade’s answer.

“Not bad, do you like to take risks?” Rainbow questioned.

“Depends on situation and the reward” Shade replied with a dodgy answer. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“So sometimes?” Rainbow proposed a compromise

“Sometimes” Shade compromised

"okay, guess he plays it safe more often..." Twilight shook her head and refocused on the conversation

“So you are only…10% cooler than most ponies I know.” Rainbow revealed as if it was a point score or grade received in academics

“Thank you, I intend to get it up to 15% by the end of the year, I hope you can give me updates” Shade let the slight jab roll of his shoulders countered with his own.

“Yeah right, as if, that’s a demote to 9%” Rainbow said with a glare, Shade smirked

“Thank you for the update” Shade replied, Rainbow glared, finding that the Pegasus had goaded her into doing exactly what he wanted. Rainbow glared at the trickster Pegasus who only smirked. The tension calmed and the three ponies and dragon engaged in small talk until Shade checked his pocket watch; it was 1:45, Shade stowed it away again to keep it away from prying magenta eyes.

“Well, I must be off, I have work to attend to” Shade pushed himself off and glided to the door, the other two ponies followed suit and Twilight levitated Spike down to face the midnight blue Pegasus, Shade Burst bowed to Twilight “until another day, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and also to you, Spike” Shade then bowed and took Rainbow’s hoof “I will see you tomorrow, Lady Rainbow Dash” Shade used his Trottish voice as Rainbow raised her other hoof and swung at Shade who jumped back and went to the door. His wings spreading as he shot of into the sky with a smirk. Rainbow flew out to the door and glared at Shade’s retreating form.

“I am SO getting you back tomorrow!” Rainbow yelled, Shade couldn’t help but laugh

“I will be looking forward to it!” Shade yelled back. Twilight just laughed at the antics of the very alike but different looking Pegasai and then her eyes were drawn back to the opened book with the page on the “Oblivion Strike” staring at her,

“I’m going to ask Celestia about this, I’m curious, and I want to know”

And when Twilight Sparkle wants to know something, she WILL find the answer.

The two Pegusai sat down for lunch at one of the many restaurants in Ponyville, it was a favorite of her friends, Fluttershy had said, so it must have meant that Rainbow and Twilight would eat there if they had to go eat somewhere, Soul Song quietly wished that it would not happen today so that he may spend as much time as possible, when the tan and cream colored Pegasai went up to the counter to order, Fluttershy did something nopony expected

She talked first.

“I would like to order a grass and daisy sandwich please” Fluttershy said, barely a hint of her usual shyness present. Everypony within earshot froze and stared at the cream colored Pegasus with a pink mane. “W-well if you’d like that is…” Fluttershy reverted back to being shy and everypony unfroze and Soul frowned a little.

“I’d like a grass and Daisy myself.” Soul ordered a second after, handing the correct amount of bits out to the still slightly shocked cashier. He went back to go prepare the food. “Why did everypony act so surprised!? She can be assertive when she wants!” Soul thought with a growl as he sat in a chair next to the Pegasus with the long pink mane “you did really well” Soul complimented “you were really assertive!”

“Yeah... Maybe” the demure Pegasus started to frown. “I’ve been practicing to surprise you when we met again but it didn’t seem like it worked…” Fluttershy shrunk into her chair a bit; Soul surprised himself by taking his hoof and setting it on top of the Pegasus’ causing her to look up.

“No, you did great, everyone was so surprised, and I am too, but that is a good thing, you are improving!” Soul completed the compliment with a large smile.

“Maybe…” the humble Pegasus wasn’t used to getting compliments, mostly due to a certain Cyan colored Pegasus that thought she wasn’t assertive enough. Soul song caught onto the look

“Is Rainbow Dash being… herself?” Soul just shrugged as Fluttershy nodded “thought so, she was always a little mean, even when we were fillies in flight school.”

“Yeah, you were always defending me along with Rainbow Dash, and also playing your guitar or humming all the time, do you still do that?” Fluttershy asked the Pegasus who rubbed the back of his neck

“Y-Yeah… I still do...” Soul admitted with an embarrassed blush “now she thinks I’m weird…”

“Don’t think badly of yourself! I think it’s cute that you sing all the time!” both Pegasai froze after Fluttershy’s comment

“Did she really just call me cute?” Soul thought, his face crimson. “She thinks I’m cute!?”

“Did I really just say that? I called him cute!” Fluttershy panicked “I think he’s cute!?”

The two Pegasai just sat there shocked at what the butter yellow Pegasus had said, and Soul Song slowly gained his courage to say something. He was so focused on the task that he didn’t notice the midnight blue Pegasus drop from the sky and land right next to him.

“W-well… I think-what is wrong?” Soul asked, he tilted his head to the side as Fluttershy trembled and wordlessly pointed with a quivering hoof to something behind him,

Soul turned and saw the side of Shade Burst go past him, “Soul” was his one word greeting, eyes forward, not meeting the gaze of two other Pegusai, especially the cream one.

“Shade” Soul Replied, Shade nodded then he went over to the counter and ordered four sandwiches to go and stood there, his colorless grey eyes looking in the opposite direction of the two whilst Fluttershy trembled on her chair. Soul Song sighed. “He’s still scary?” Soul asked. Fluttershy couldn’t use her voice as she trembled.

Soul noticed that as long as she saw the midnight blue Pegasus she trembled and could not focus. Soul took the opportunity to change her view and trotted over to face her, then asking her to switch chairs. thereby diverting her view from the Pegasus and focusing on him instead where Soul got a view of Shade Burst from next to Fluttershy’s head. Fluttershy calmed down somewhat and they managed a little small talk as Soul monitored his friend from a distance. Soul knew that Fluttershy was still on edge and got up “I’ll get him away from here if it cheers you up...” expecting no reply, Soul trotted down to his friend.

“My apologies, I did not know you were here, if I had known beforehand I would of did something different” Shade greeted as he leaned on the wall of the building on his hind hooves, his wings extended, showing the midnight blue line in the center of them. this was a habit of his that Soul found kinda funny.

“It’s fine, why are you eating here anyway? You usually eat at home” Soul asked, trying not to upset the dark Pegasus with such a mean question.

“I am ordering food for someone, I lost a bet, and she told me that this is where she wanted the food from, so I was ordering it, I did not mean to bother you” Shade explained as he opened the pocket watch and checked the time quickly before shutting it again. A large smile spread across Soul song’s muzzle

“A she!? You are spending lunch with a mare!?” Soul was always prone to be over interested, and incredibly mocking, of Shade’s love life, mostly because of its nonexistence.

“Yes, a mare I lost in a race too- do not say anything” Shade added before Soul could even think of taunting him "it did not end well for me in the end, do not ask more."

“So you lost?” Soul asked for the sake of confirmation.

“By a good five minutes” Shade replied as the waiter walked out with two plates with the two sandwiches the Soul had ordered. “The waiter is delivering your food, you better get over there” Shade directed as another waiter handed the midnight blue Pegasus a bag he took in his hooves,

“But who’s the mare?” Soul asked, wanting to find out.

“Well... that is for me to know and you to find out, is it not?” Shade smiled at his best friend and took into the skies with the bag

“OH COME ON!” Soul yelled after him, but then flew back to his table to sit with Fluttershy, “sorry about that, he apologized for scaring you, he doesn’t want to scare you” Soul defended his friend as he took a bite of his daisy sandwich. “heh, it’s funny, he’s practically dating some mare”

“Really!?” Fluttershy asked with a surprisingly interested face on

“Yeah, supposedly he lost in a race against a mare, and now has to eat lunch with her for a few days or something” Soul explained, a small smile growing on his face. “Do you know the mare he has to eat with?”

“Yes…” Fluttershy smiled, lifting Soul Song’s spirits, it also was a mischievous smile, one she gave him when they would get small pranks back against Rainbow Dash during their time in flight school “it’s Rainbow Dash”

“What!” Soul song exclaimed, everypony now stared at him, but he was used to stares, being a musician after all, and a famous one at that. “Look away, just a surprised Pegasus here” and the citizens did, “jeez, they like to stare…” Soul muttered under his breath “aaaaanyhoof. Shade Burst is eating lunch with Rainbow Dash” Soul Song tried to hide his excitement.

“…yes?” Fluttershy confirmed, Soul Song’s excited nature slightly setting her on edge

“Oh this is just too good! This is perfect!” Soul Song smiled so large he thought he rivaled Pinkie pie. But then again, Pinkie Pie was the goddess of smiling, and you didn’t want to say you were as good as a goddess, there was Andromeda to pay for that….so maybe he smiled just as large as he could

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head in a cute manner as she bit into the sandwich

“It means the two friends we thought needed a good friend of the opposite gender just hooked themselves up! I want to see where this goes” Soul smiled. “ohhhh… so many ways I can mess with him! So many ways! I can finally get him back!”

“Yeah... you’re right, I can prank Rainbow Dash back!” Fluttershy smiled. “That sounds like fun!”

“Well if it sounds like so much fun…” the tan colored Pegasus finished his sandwich “why don’t we go to your house and plan something to prank both of them at the same time?”

Fluttershy nibbled on the last bit of her sandwich as she thought to herself, then nodded “yeah, that sounds great! Let’s go!” at Fluttershy’s agreement the two flew off towards the cream colored Pegasus’ house.

To plan the perfect way to get back at their respective tormentors.

"I give you my greetings, Soul Song, How did your time with Fluttershy go?” Shade asked as Soul Song walked back into the cloud home with a large smile on his face. Celestia’s sun already nearing the horizon.

“Hey hey hey Shade well, do ya count the part where you made her afraid?” Soul stopped his smile to look at the midnight blue Pegasus.

“I am sorry; again, I did not know she would be that afraid of me even after a few months of no sight of me” Shade replied with a frown on his midnight blue muzzle as he flipped another page in his book and read.

“Its fine, she got better after we left and we were happy by the time I left her house” “because we have the perfect plan to get back at you and Rainbow Dash for all your pranks!” Soul thought mischievously as he trotted up to the other Pegasus, who had his coat and scarf both hanging down the hall. “how did your day go?” he asked, greeting the Pegasus.

“My day was fine, I had to go each lunch with that mare and work, nothing too out of the ordinary” Shade reported, a folder was open to his right, papers and quills spread around him on the table, his colorless grey eyes scanning pages as he looked over and wrote notes on some pages before going back on reading other pages of notes. His scarf was tucked around his neck for warmth, also storing his pocket watch in the knot.

“Doing the nightly study?” Soul Song asked, if his friend had any down time that he could not truly do anything, he would read and analyze papers and books about things that interested him and then when he was finished studying them, he would write papers and send them out. He was still researching some on magical events, but has wrote one on how offensive magic can be diverted and sensed by other ponies besides Unicorns. And ways magic could be used to enhance weaponry; even though he could not use it. he could always study it.

“Yes and no. I have been making a lot of headway into the data I have collected” Shade reported as he looked over some pieces of paper and looked through once again “I have obtained a lot of valuable information on fighting styles of militaries across the world, and in comparison to Royal guard and Night guard, along with Special Task groups, the third was the hardest to get style information on, but I have taken all the information I can, all I am now is concentrating it into a direct comparison to be a report to Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Captian Shining Armor” Shade wrote a few more sentences on a paper and set it down “also Princess Sparkle, If she was interested in this report” the midnight blue Pegasus mused as he leaned over and wrote more notes down.

“Princess Sparkle? OH! Twilight Sparkle.” Soul Song translated. Still getting used to the idea about the unicorn now being an Alicorn,

“Yes, that Sparkle” Shade responded as if it was already pre-accepted fact, like she was always a princess “now did you already eat supper?” Shade changed the subject, not directly looking Soul in the eye; he was too busy with his work and was double tasking.

“Eeeyup, already ate with Fluttershy” Soul confirmed {“and planned the best prank ever hheeheheheheh!”}

“Okay, I have ate already, I am going to be awake for a while longer until night truly falls and I have to turn lights on, all right?” Shade then leaned over and wrote more, this time adding the completed pages to a stack already forming up. “I could actually complete it within a few days, If I work hard” Shade mused with a little optimism in his voice.

“Wow, you must be tired, you are optimistic!” Soul smiled largely

“Oh shut up” Shade snapped back, that only made Soul smile larger.

“Welllll then, I’ll just go get my guitar and compose in my room a little, if you don’t mind” Soul asked, Shade stopped and looked his friend in the eye.

“When have I ever stopped you from composing music around me? You know how much I like your music. Do it down here, I will make room for you” Shade then got up and made room for the other half of the round table for Soul’s paper, “go! I will grab more quills.” Shade got up and flew over to his shelf and started getting quills and ink as Soul Song bolted up the stairs, grabbed his guitar and folder full of not yet composed music and flew down, by the time Soul got back a space was open and Shade was back to his work, Soul sat down across and began to set out his sheets and tune his guitar.

“Ready for one productive night?” Soul challenged, Shade smirked back

“Ready.”

Shade and soul both went to town on their respective projects. Soul went off playing his guitar and singing as he composed. Shade was listening to the music as he went from paper to paper, synthesizing the information and turning it into a report.

The two talked about their lives sense they had last met each other, they laughed at funny moments, or at each other’s failures and got upset when the other was treated unfairly and wanted to get back at the pony. They worked and commented on each other’s progress and challenged each other to press on. They made revelations that inspired revelations of the other. And they did their work in happy camaraderie and warm atmosphere with music and enjoyment of each other's company until Celestia's sun had gone down and Luna's moon had rose into the sky.

“Well... We did a lot!” Soul Song cheered while playing a quick riff from his song.

“…we did cover a lot of ground...” Shade Burst looked out upon his stack of paper. It had doubled. “If we do this two more times I think I could finish it.”

“It’s that big?”

“It is full comprehensive, we need to improve to be able to fight against enemies, especially after the changelings incident” Shade sighed and went back to his work, finishing his paragraph and setting it down. His mess of papers around him had thinned as they went back his folder.

“Well, you always did a good job” Soul encouraged.

“Yes, but I am not an analysis pony, I cannot do it as fast or anywhere near perfect”

“Well yeah, it's not your talent, it's-”

“Protection” Shade filled in, he lied.

“So you ARE a bodyguard-”

“No, you know my occupation is not a bodyguard” Shade explained, Soul had caught onto that much but Shade would not let the pegasus know any more.

“You’re right, I still can't hear what it is, right?” Soul sighed. As Shade Burst shook his head

“Sorry, that is for me to know, secrets” Shade rested his chin on hoof.

“Really? Really?” Soul Song asked incredulously as he stared at Shade Burst’s smirking face

“Sorry... It is all I can tell you” the midnight blue Pegasus shook his head to clear it “enough on the depressing stuff. Play me everything you have made so far.”

“Say please?”

“I ask of you”

“Say please?”

“I request of you”

“Say please?”

“I BESEECH OF THEE! MINSTREL! PERFORM THINE SONG!” Shade yelled out in an old age voice, an annoyed and lightly enraged look on his face.

“Pffftt....HAHAHAHA!” Soul fell over sideways he was laughing so hard, he held his stomach in pain, “Stop! Stop! That’s too funny!”

“He is like Rainbow Dash, they have that same sense of annoying humor” Shade thought with an annoyed look at the tan Pegasus laughing on the couch.

“Alright, I will stop, hosting you in my house that is.” Shade’s comment made Soul Song stop laughing with a jerk.

“Wait WHAT!?” Soul exclaimed.

“I was lying, and… Please can you play music for me?” Shade asked a frown on his face, Soul Song smiled as large as he could.

“Of course, all you had to do was say please!” Soul grabbed his guitar and set it on his lap, he started strumming his guitar and sang his song he had spent so long making. Shade listened with his eyes closed as he let the song roll over him and affect him.

“Is it good?” Soul asked tentatively.

“Do you want the truth? The absolute, blunt truth?” Shade asked. Soul frowned and looked worried.

“…yes” Soul admitted, a sad look on his face.

“The truth is…. That it is…. The best song you have made so far” Shade’s verdict made Soul Song fly up in and cheer.

“YESSSS!” Soul Song flew about in circles cheering “YES YES YES!”

“Excited?” the grey eyes Pegasus asked.

“Well yeah of course! My best friend just said he liked my newest song!”

“I am his… Best friend?” Shade thought, surprised, “this is not a good thing… is it?” Shade thought sadly as he watched his… Friend fly around in circles, super happy about his progress on the song. The deep thinking Pegasus then truly noticed how dark his house was, he went to go turn a lamp, but then also realized the time with a watch check.

“Wow…. It is very late” Shade noted, Soul Song froze and looked up at the clock.

“Whoa, we gotta sleep!” Soul flew about, packing his papers cleanly into his folder and putting his guitar back in its case. “G’night Shade Burst!” Soul called as he flew up to his room “I got a big day tomorrow!” he called back

“Every day is a big day for you!” Shade yelled back

“Well duh! That’s what makes it fun!” Soul countered

“Maybe! Good night!” Shade yelled as Soul song shut his door with an excited slam. “that colt likes his sleep” Shade chuckled a little to himself as he packed his own stuff into its folder and flew up to the top shelf of his large bookshelf, a slot was open above it, with a sliding door, and folders where paced nearly end to end.

Shade put folder into the shelf and shut it, the door closed and it disappeared, enchanted to be only opened by him. Shade made his rounds, turning off lights and devices and shutting and locking doors, drawing shades over the windows and such. After checking once more over his house, Shade flew up into his own room, trotting in and shutting the door of the darkened house. Shade trotted over to the twin doors, and opened them; trotting out into the balcony Shade Burst took a deep breath as he leaned on the railing and looked out to the sky.

“Luna… this is not a good thing… is it?” Shade looked out to the moon, a depressed look on his face. “I am supposed to be secret, for I carry secrets. no one is supposed know anything about me… or else they will be in danger if they figure out that they know about me or I tell my secrets. But then you sent me here to be in Ponyville… where I cannot help but make friends and have people knowing who I am and tempting me to open up to them.” his face turned into one seeking support.

“Yes… the power of friendship is one of the strongest things in the world and my Confidant is needed... But the people that are important to me, my friends, my Confidant, they will be in danger, I will do my best to protect them, but I cannot protect them all the time, how can I be close without putting them in danger?” Shade sighed “or should I even have friends at all? should I pass and let my secrets pass with me? I am so confused… Luna, I hope you can give me wisdom, if not now, than some night, until then, good night, My Princess” Shade gave his parting and went back into his room. Forgetting to shut the balcony doors out of his mass confusion, after untying his scarf and catching his pocket watch, he set both at his bedside and He went into his bed and waited for a few minutes, dreading closed his eyes. Finally succumbing into the need for sleep, he shut his eyes, falling deep asleep within minutes.

A while later, a shadow in the moonlight passed over and that shadow landed on the balcony, and the shadow looked out at the spot where the midnight blue Pegasus with grey eyes had stared up at her moon and asked her help. She used her magic to push the already open doors aside. The Princess of the Night, Luna, entered into Shade Burst’s room and sat at the side of his bed, her face etched in sadness, it only worsened her heavy heart when she spotted the pocket watch laying on his nightstand. "he still has it..." Luna hung her head before the sleeping pegasus in sorrow "what have I done..." Luna took a breath, steeled her resolve and remembered the prayer Shade had sent up to her. Now would be the only time for her to say something, when the world was asleep an no one was looking and Shade wasn't even listening. That was she operated, with silence and secrets.

“I am sorry, my Sword. I cannot help you… for your dilemma is not one I know, for I struggle with friendship myself... and though I wish I could be your Confidant, I cannot, for I hold too many secrets of my own… those involving you and the entirety of Equestria.” Shade burst tossed in bed, facing luna with a look of pain on his face that threatened to break Luna's resolve. Either by Shade's grace or some luck in the stars, the nightmare ridden pegasus turned away from her and stopped tossing and turning.

“I am so sorry that I cannot help you with your nightmares… your dreams are cut off from my power. I wish I could help, but I cannot…” Luna set her hoof down on edge of the bed reaching out but not touching the Pegasus, and then looked up at the sleeping form of the pegasus that faced away from her. “I am so sorry that I cannot help… We are only the same, broken and confused”

The princess’ eyes went wide as Shade Burst turned over in bed to face her, his hoof went out and sleepily fell on top of hers, Luna looked up at the sleeping face of a Pegasus that she wanted to aid but could not, too bound by secrets to help. But a silent message passed from the sleeping pegasus knight to his princess, a message of forgiveness. "thank you for your forgiveness, though I do not deserve it" Luna smiled sadly as a tear slowly went down her face “but that is what friends do, don't they?” Luna let the tears flow as she covered Shade's hoof with hers "we forgive and forget and continue on, even if our secrets bind us.. we will continue on."

Author's Note

well here is another Chapter! and I can't believe I forgot to say this: Soul Song is the property of my and my friend, he doesn't have an account here yet, but yeah, that OC is a ponified version of my friend. like exactly Ponified. I added him for reasons. I like him as Shade's friend, and he will get better as time goes on, he makes for good comedic relief. I hope all of the ponies and dragon where in character... well maybe not Luna, but there is a point to that. Speaking of our favorite moon princess, Luna has a relationship to this pegasus, what is it exactly? you might find out in later chapters. tell me what you think and what your predictions are. I want to hear about your speculations about Shade's past and Luna's involvement with him, and about this pocket watch, and about why Shade has to be all paranoid, and who is this Glass dude? just send me what you think, I want to see it all.

A Day On the Town

“Princess Celestia!” by the call of her most faithful and strongest Pupil, the Ruler of the day turned as the purple Alicorn galloped into the throne room, Twilight attempted to bow but Celestia’s magic stopped her from doing so.

“Remember Twilight, you bow to no one, you are a Princess now,” The ruler said as she walked up to her pupil “but yet I am still your teacher, what is it you ask of me? If it is within my power I can help.”

“I seek knowledge,” Twilight explained, teleporting the book that yesterday Shade had been flipping through. She opened the book to the half page on the “Oblivion Strike” then turned it to face Celestia “about this: the “Oblivion Strike”.”

Celestia’s face stayed the same; she looked at the page and back to Twilight. “I am sorry Twilight, this is not my information to give.” Celestia looked out to her throne. Twilight’s face fell.

“Then who can give me the information I seek?” Twilight asked, Celestia turned back to face her student.

“Ask Luna, she has the information you seek, but I do not know if she will give it to you, but you can always try...” Celestia’s voice had a trace of warning. But Twilight ignored it and galloped away.

“Thank you Celestia!” Twilight called as she went out the doors.

“I’m sorry Luna…” Celestia sighed as she looked out to the stained glass showing Twilight and her friends using the elements of harmony on Nightmare Moon. “Looks like neither of us can ever fully escape our past”

Cold.

Immeasurable cold.

Lost feeling in hooves and wings.

The wings freezing over... so brittle any movement would break them...

The shivering has stopped.

This is Death’s truly cold embrace.

Heat.

Searing, immolating heat.

Burning pain in the legs as if they were pillars of fire.

Wings burning as if they were closer to the sun than Icarus ever flew.

Now instead of death’s cold embrace...

The burning pits of the hellish abyss awaited him.

“Just let me die!”

Shade Burst shot up out of bed, closing his mouth to stop himself from screaming and waking up Soul Song. The day was nearing the time of sunrise. Shade brought his hooves to his ears and snapped his eyes tightly shut and curled up as small as he could and tried not to shake. He waged war on the fear that was invading him, eventually the darkness receded with the twilight and the dark pegasus could move again.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone for one night” Shade thought grimly as he slowly got out of bed and went into the bathroom to wash up and take a shower. Afterwards the dark Pegasus came out of the bathroom, water still slightly dripping from his mane and feathers and onto the towel around his neck as he robotically went through the motions of his usual daily routine: check self in mirror. Dry mane. Put scarf on. Put watch in spot, check the room.

He then noticed that there was something... Off about his balcony doors.

Shade broke out of his robotic trance and raised his wings, gathering black energy in the wings, ready to boost as he cautiously approached the doors... in the crack between the doors there was a single feather, larger than a Pegasus’ feather, it was midnight blue. Shade's energy faded from his wings, he picked the feather out with a bout of curiosity that overpowered his paranoia.

“What is this?” Shade asked out loud as he backed away from the doors, feather in his mouth as he went to a mirror in his room and compared the feathers, the one in his mane was a few shades lighter than the one in his mouth, as well as it was longer than the one in his mane. Shade Burst had already guessed that it was not the feather like the one in his mane, for he remembered that had only seen these feathers on one Pony, or more specifically, one Alicorn.

“Thank you Luna, I am glad to still have your support” Shade thanked the Princess “may we both be blessed that I never will have to use this”

Soul Song awoke, his eyes fluttering open as a smell approached his nostrils, he checked the window… it was just after sunrise. Soul got out of bed and slowly flew down the steps and into the kitchen. The instant he sat down on the bar stool, a mug with some iced coffee in with caramel and chocolate flavoring in it with whipped cream covered in caramel and chocolate sauce appeared in front of him slid across to his outstretched hoof.

“Iced Coffee…” Soul drank some of the mug hungrily, “you make the best stuff ever!”

“Yeah right” Shade denied the compliment as he sipped a caramel iced coffee with a straw, the midnight blue Pegasus trotted over to the round table in the room and set his mug down. "Well, if Rainbow Dash likes this series so much…" Shade reasoned before flying up and grabbing a Daring Doo book, the second to newest. Shade flew back to his seat, pausing for a second to remember what happened. After refreshing his memory the pegasus flipped open to a bookmarked page and started reading. His colorless grey eyes scanning the page as he read the story, Soul Song flew over and read over the shoulder of the midnight blue friend.

“Oh! You’re at that part! Oh right then the monster is about to hit Daring she-” a hoof was stuck into the tan Pegasus’ mouth.

“Shut it” Shade commented and then brought the Pegasus in for a noogie, messing up his blond, brown and yellow mane “this is for trying to spoil it!”

“H-hey! I give! I give!” Soul Song surrendered and Shade let go of the tan musician’s head, Soul flew up and grabbed his coffee and flew back to sit on the opposite side of Shade. Soul Song reclined for a few moments before he started humming to himself. Finally the Pegasus couldn’t stand it and flew up and grabbed a daring doo book himself (the newest one) and started reading it in his spot.

“So Daring Doo uses a curved stone piece of a wall to redirect the arrows that were fired at her?” Shade asked out loud, his eyes not leaving the page. Soul nodded sagely, for he had read every book at least twice. “Possible, if the trajectory of the arrow was correct and the speed was right and the placement of the rock was angled right…”

The two pegusai sat and read in the early morning day as the sun started to actually rise into the sky and the day began it’s forward march. Shade checked his pocket watch and got up, bookmarking his spot and grabbing both empty mugs and washing them in the sink.

Soul paused for a moment as his sluggish brain finally got into full gear, then he remembered what day it was, “It’s SAAAAATURDAAAY!” Soul blurted and jumped into the air. The sudden burst of movement and scream caused the other bodyguard Pegasus to fumble with the mug he was washing, he caught it on his wing tip holding the handle mere centimeters from the ground. Shade sighed in relief and checked the mug once for cracks and put it back in the sink.

“You are correct in that statement,” Shade replied solemnly. “But do not say it so loudly next time."

“That means you don’t have to work today or tomorrow!” Soul exclaimed with a large smile.

“Yes it does.” Shade nodded in acknowledgement and continued washing the mugs.

“So… you don’t work today or tomorrow and you don’t have any plans?” Soul asked, moving forward, his smile growing by the second.

“No. I do not” Shade answered with a shrug, "I am also getting Monday off as well, Mr. Hakenama said I needed a break. I do not know why though…"

“Well then! I gotta-” Soul put his bookmark back in and shut the book and set it on the shelf “-go leave to go somewhere! Later Shade!” Soul flew out the door, literally. Shade watched his friend take the exodus out of his house and laughed as he trotted over and shut the door, then opened it again as an idea struck him.

Shade Burst smirked as he flew back and grabbed his long coat put it on, he shut the door behind him and boosted after the musician, Shade stayed far enough behind that the tan Pegasus did not notice him, but while Shade could see him in full view. He followed Soul Song all the way to a forest full of animals. The musician landed and practically skipped up to the door, while his military-trained Bodyguard watched from the cover of a tree.

“So he went to Fluttershy's house?” Shade thought as he hid in the shadows, watching his mark come up to the door and knock on it. At the second knock a rainbow colored blur flew out and tackled the musician, Shade froze as he watched Rainbow Dash hug the Pegasus.

“SOUL SONG!” Rainbow yelled as she picked the Pegasus up in the air “dude! It’s been AGES!”

“Yeah it has!” Soul cheered back, the two pegusai flew around and chatted and caught up on the past things that had happened between the last time he had come and the most current time. "Wow, you've done a lot!"

“Yeah, it’s awesome!” Rainbow Dash boasted as she landed “I usually am anyway” Soul laughed a little at Rainbow Dash as he landed himself. He knew of Rainbow Dash's less awesome moments through Fluttershy's letters. “What?”

"Nothing, so what about these elements?” Soul Song thought it better to voice his knowledge and changed the subject as he walked around Rainbow Dash who smirked.

"Welp, I'm the element of Loyalty, Fluttershy is kindness, Rarity is generosity, Applejack is honesty, Pinkie Pie is laughter, and Twilight is the element of Magic" Rainbow Dash explained, the explanation finally got through Shade Burst's head and he was surprised to say the least…

“I have heard of the elements that handled the Discord and Nightmare Moon incidents along with being key in the defeat of the Changeling hoard and the protection of the crystal kingdom from Sombra… but we never got a description, those five ponies and Twilight are our countries’ biggest weapon… they don't have the elements, yes, but they still have the magical connection to do some high level magic… But if these ponies are so important... why are they sitting out here in the open?” Shade's paranoia hit and the Pegasus tried not to yell in panic.
“If I remember right the ponies with the elements got tricked by discord and nearly lost… they could be tricked again and killed this time! And if one of them were killed, the entire connection would be lost and all of the other ponies would be too buried in grief to notice and be open targets! This is madness to have them so unprotected!” Shade shot up out of the tree and began blazing home.

“I am so sorry, Luna, but I have to use the feather… they are open targets… and I don't want them to be hurt because of me”

"Wow, that's awesome, I always knew you were the loyal one" Soul admitted with a large smile as he looked the Pegasus up and down with a new light.

"Thanks for saying that, I had a hard time believing it at first but in the end, it's true, I will do anything to help my friends." Rainbow crossed her hooves with a serious look, a look that was betrayed by her smile.

“Well I hope you can do whatever it takes to help Shade as well” Soul thought to himself and sighed internally "and speaking of friends, is Fluttershy home?" Soul asked while walking around Rainbow Dash and over to the house.

“Is your marefriend home? Yes.” Rainbow smirked as Soul turned around with a heavy blush

“Oh shut up!” Soul yelled and ran inside the house.

“It’s not a lie!” Rainbow called back as she fallowed and stopped. Fluttershy was hugging Soul Song and the two ponies muzzles where less than a hoof length away, Soul’s wings were up from surprise of Fluttershy’s sneak hug.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa, WHOA!" the sight of Fluttershy, never the one for physical displays of affection, being so forward, not to mention with her old friend. That was just a little too crazy for Rainbow Dash "bye!” Rainbow Dash, red faced, flew out the still open door and into the sky. Soul song and Fluttershy stopped hugging and moved away as they laughed and hi-hoofed.

“That was great! Good improvisation on that!” Soul smiled as a light blush hit his face.

“I wasn’t really improvising…” Fluttershy talked so quietly it could barely be heard as she scratched her hoof on the floor as she hid her face behind her hair, it was red as a cardinal. Only then did Soul notice what she had said and its implications for the incredibly shy pegasus.

“O-oh… Well then… I should… pay back the favor then” Soul slowly moved himself over and kissed Fluttershy on the cheek.

*POMF*

The tense silence of a second passed, then-

*THUD*

The poor Pegasus was so surprised she had fainted from the embarrassment, Soul panicked.

“Ah! What have I done!? Did I kill her?” he lamented as he brought his ear up to her mouth, she was still breathing... And she was unconscious, by the looks of it. “Oh thank Celestia she’s okay”

Soul fell back onto his haunches as he thought to himself as he tapped his chin with his hoof… “Okay… Shade taught me if someone passes out you have to make sure they are not anywhere where they can get hurt, if they are, move them” Soul nodded and went upstairs, opening the window to her room fully to provide a good entrance. Soul went back down and picked Fluttershy up and flew up to her room from the outside through the open window.

Soul gently set her down on the bed and tucked her in it, being incredibly gentle the entire time as to not hurt the fainted pegasus. The musician looked down at the animal tamer below him. “She is so cute when she sleeps, though I’d rather have her wake up… isn’t there something about in an old ponytale where an asleep pony would wake up if their true love kissed them? And if she’s asleep and it doesn’t work, she won’t know if I did anything to her…”

*POMF*

“NO! Bad wings! Bad! Bad mind! Bad Idea! No! No-no-no! No!” Soul Song slapped himself to snap himself out of it “OW! That hurts! Well at least now that’s over… maybe… I’ll just kiss her on the forehead, that’s not the lips, and it’s not anything bad… yeah… I’ll do that” Soul Song tentatively leaned over Fluttershy. His lips trembling as he slowly leaned down… he planted a millisecond kiss before jerking his head straight back up, his face beet red. Soul then watched for a change…

Nothing happened

“Looks like it didn’t work” Soul sighed as he exited the room and went downstairs, knowing the layout of the house and how it was supposed to be cleaned from the times he had helped. Soul Song and idea struck Soul as he landed on the bottom of the stairs.

“Angel!” the angry rabbit appeared out of nowhere to glare at him “hey, stop that" the rabbit continued glaring

"Alrighty then, let’s clean up the place for Fluttershy for when she wakes up, then she’ll be super excited when she comes down to a clean house!” the rabbit surprisingly nodded and grabbed a mini dustpan and hand broom and began sweeping, looks like the rabbit was used to it. Soul whistled as he worked and started cleaning the house himself “I hope Shade isn’t too bored today, he always was a loner on weekends…” Soul tried to focus more on the cleaning, but couldn’t help it as his mind wandered…

“Shade is… well… Shade Burst! He can always occupy himself, and he has to do stuff in private, he does have all those secrets and everything… and I mean he has all those books! And all that work to do…. That just sounds boring…I’ll have to ask him about what he does during his free time tonight… but for now I think it’s best to just let him be, Rainbow would probably be getting him now anyway… I hope” Soul Song looked up in to the ceiling.
“Rainbow… he needs a friend…. A really good friend, somepony he can trust above all others. Somepony that is loyal and will never betray him. I cannot be that pony, he won't let me. So… Rainbow you better be that for him, or else I don’t know if he’s even going to ever spill his secrets… and the secrets will hurt him, and not just himself, every pony around him will be hurt”

Princess Luna was sitting on the stargazing balcony of Canterlot castle. A telescope was standing next to her, just recently stopped being of use once the sun came up and the stars disappeared into the day, her mind wandered about the lights in her sky, the stars.

Even though Luna did bring the moon up, she did not determine what order or pattern the stars appeared in the sky. They changed on their own, different each season. It always mystified the ruler of the night but she let the stars be, knowing that they where not hers to touch.

A Pegasus had once studied the “star formations” as he called it and chronicled many patterns at midnight every night on a grassy knoll near the old castle, eventually the pegasus had became a Night guard and became one of her personal guards. Eventually the pegasus became Luna's protégé on the night sky and her champion guard. Luna would spend nights in the star gazing tower in the old castle with the pegasus, helping with the work. Luna already knew the stars for she had seen such positions every night for hundreds of years, and thoroughly enjoyed berating the Pegasus during the studies into the subject.

“You missed one” Luna called from the side of the balcony as she turned her head over at the pitch black pegasus looking through a handheld sextant up at the stars. One of his hooves was writing down dots on black paper with white chalk, the other holding the sextant. An astrolabe sat on the table alongside the black paper he was writing on. When he heard the Princess’ voice, the Pegasus set down his instruments gently and turned to look over at her with a frown on his face.

“Oh be quiet…. and if so, which one?” shushing the Princess was a very very bold move in the case of the pegasus, but he had spent enough time with the Princess and had saved her life on more than one occasion, so he earned a little bold moves here and there.

“That one” Luna pointed with her horn at the sky, the Pegasus sighed in exasperation, he looked up at sky full of stars, trying in vain to trace the line from her horn to the star.

“Tell me exactly! Do not be vague. Give me a straightforward answer.” The Pegasus ordered, even if he had no right doing so, but the Princess didn’t take offense to his bold out of line order.

“When does the Night ever give a straightforward answer?” the Princess of the Night smirked as the Pegasus sighed.

“When I look through a sextant or astrolabe at the stars, to I have to look through it at you to get a straightforward answer out of you?” the Pegasus illustrated his point by grabbing his astrolabe and aiming it at her face while looking through it. “I am looking at the Princess of the Night, Luna, now will she give me some answers as her sky does?” after a few moments of playfully glaring at her through the astrolabe, he switched to the sextant and began anew at the glaring game. Luna covered her mouth with her hoof as she tired not to laugh at the pegasus that was wearing very thin on his patience. The Pegasus continued glaring at her until Luna chuckled and then began to full on laugh. the Pegasus to smiled and brought his view back to the stars and continue his studying.[]] Luna's magic grabbed the sextant with a pale white glow.

"What are you-" the Pegasus holding the sextant asked before being spun a few times and stopped him to focus on a star.

“That one” Luna stated matter of fact.

“Oh what a beautiful star!” he exclaimed as he kept his eyes on it and went to his paper and wrote down the location, then switched to his astrolabe and looked at the star again “Perfect” he said and held his astrolabe in place as he double checked the paper, adjusting a few figures. The Pegasus smiled as he set down the instruments and looked at the paper he had wrote on while running a hoof through his grey charcoal mane. The paper showed the latitude and longitude positions of many, but not all of the stars in the sky. “That was a lot of work for today, if this pace continues I will have the stars for this month charted out by two nights.”

“Is thy night vision spell I gifted to thee acceptable?” Luna asked as the Pegasus looked over his work; he whipped his head over to look at the Princess, his attention fully riveted on her with his piercing blue eyes.

“Yes, it works as if I am in broad daylight, and with that spell I have covered the past two months of star charts” the Pegasus smirked at Luna "not bad for a pony that is not a scholar"

Luna merely shook her head in disbelief “thy may not scholar pony be. But thy can still apply scholar like figures, how?”

“With a lot of practice, and patience” he responded with a chuckle and scratching of the back of his mane “I may be in your Night Guard, but that does not mean my life is rooted to that thing along” he explained. “My calling may be for fighting. But I can have other passions and likes, charting the stars in your beautiful night sky as one of them.”

“But still thee cannot shirk on thine duties.” Luna warned him as she hid her reaction to his complement.

“I do not; I only do this when I have time to spare. Otherwise my first and foremost duty is your service, my Princess.” the pegasus bowed deeply to Luna, who smiled to his bowed face. As the pegasus rose, he was smirking “or if you don’t want my help I can just sit here all night-”

“No, I need thy help, my Knight” the Princess of the Night said to the Pegasus, “you are the greatest Knight I posses, and without thy support many evil events would have come to pass”

“And that is my calling, to help you, Luna” The Pegasus’s ears perked up as a rolled up message popped up beside his hoof, he grabbed it and ripped it open and read it quickly “and about my calling, I must go perform it, I will see you soon again. Somepony has found some of Discord’s plunder seeds that he did not use and is attempting to corrupt and destroy the Rainbow Creator”

The Pegasus explained the fact as he handed the letter off to Luna, he galloped to the edge where armor and a sword lay, and he put the armor on efficiently and quickly. But got stuck with the sword belt being hard to tie with his wings in the way. Luna tightened if for him.

“Many thanks, my Princess” he thanked her and opened his wings, drawing his black sword at the same time. His wings gathered energy and he shot into the air, leaving a fading energy afterimage of a five pointed star made of pitch black lines, the energy afterimage rapidly faded away as sound cancelled and the Pony sped off towards to direction the letter indicated.

Luna stood and grabbed the Pegasus’s sextant with magic and brought her eye to it, staring through it until the Pegasus faded from sight. Her worry was rising the longer the pegasus was away from her sight.

“Good luck-”

“Princess Luna!”

“What would that be?” the mind of the Princess of the night was jerked back to reality as an Alicorn ran up to her, not her sister, but the newest Alicorn.

“Ah, Twilight Sparkle, it is good to see you this morning” Luna greeted the neophyte Princess.

“Thank you Princess Luna” Twilight tried to bow but Luna’s magic stopped her.

“No need to bow, we are equals, what is it that you have come to see me? I am quite curious, when you want to talk you usually look for Celestia, not I” Luna was telling the truth, Twilight rarely talked to the Princess, opting to talk with her older sister she had more in common in.

“Yes, I am sorry, I will try to talk to you more, starting now, actually” Twilight Sparkle teleported the book in front of her and opened the book, flipping pas the Rainbow Creator, the Rainbow Blast, and then showed the “Oblivion Strike” Twilight handed over the book to Luna, who picked it up with her own magic and looked at the article in front of her, Luna had to prevent her eyes from widening at the information presented.

“The Oblivion Strike? What do you wish to know about it?” Luna asked, catching onto Twilight’s idea immediately.

“Well... someone I want to be friends with, he researches magical events and magical things in general... I think he wants to perform this move, and I wanted to see if you knew anything I could give to him as information to help him out” Twilight explained. Luna set the book down and shut it gingerly, with her hooves, not magic.

“It is not as the book says, this cannot be performed by any Pegasus with a black mane... this… event can only be created by a Pegasus who has an incredibly rare power” Luna sighed

“Do you know who has this power?” Twilight was riveted

“Yes, only one Pegasus has performed the Oblivion Strike in its entirety. He had the power to change direction into whatever direction he wanted, being able to channel energy into his wings and expel it in a explosion that cancelled sound. The Oblivion Strike is all of his energy into one sound-breaking boost of speed, and he only used it in the most dire situations, never for show or profit, only for protection” Luna explained.

“And who was that pony?”

“My greatest knight, the Knight of the Moon, Shadow Cepheus”

“Your greatest Knight?” Twilight tilted her head “I never heard about that…”

“That is because he did not get recognized for his prowess, because he was at his highest strength and achievement… a thousand years ago”

“Oh…” Twilight’s ears drooped as she heard it.

“Yes, he was of the generals of the Night Guard and was my personal champion, much like how Starswirl the Bearded was my sister’s”

“You had a pupil!?” Twilight exclaimed, suddenly curious about Luna's past.

“No, he trained himself in his arts of war and I aided him in another one of his passions” Luna told Twilight as she stood and walked off the balcony. “Come with me” the Princess of the Night commanded as Twilight teleported the book away and accompanied beside the lunar Princess.

“Shadow Shield was a general of the Night Guards, yes. And he is one of the strongest fighters of all time, he was a match for Starswirl the Bearded at combat, even if he was at a disadvantage against magic because he was a Pegasus”

“Shadow Cepheus was a match for Starswirl the Bearded? That is not possible!” Twilight exclaimed, Luna rolled her eyes, already knowing of the younger Princess’ obsession with the mage and scholar.

“Ahem, I meant in combat, in wisdom… Starswirl was one of the smartest ponies that ever lived, but yet even HE used Shadow Cepheus’s work” Luna exposited. “Shadow Cepheus loved the night sky and the stars, he studied them every night at midnight, and made the star charts,” Luna pointed up with her hoof. Twilight looked up and she saw that she was in the equestrian royal library in the nonfiction section. Luna moved her horn with a flick and pale white aura and from a shelf flew a book to her outstretched hoof. Luna opened the book, and black pages with charts of the stars where inside “he was the one that made all these, after all these years of work he made a chart for the night sky for every month of the year,” Luna looked upon the pages with familiarity

“I was there, helping him by giving him night vision spells and heat preservation spells so he didn’t freeze. Aided in clearing the clouds during the clouded nights, I was with him the entire time, every night... every hard, hopeless time and every joyous night when a chart was completed. We were with each other every starry night…”

“…What happened?” Twilight asked, Luna’s face fell when she heard the question. Twilight instantly regretted the question, “I’m- I’m sorry, I shouldn’t of aske-”

“It is fine.” Luna sighed as she shut the star chart book. “I actually do not know what happened… he… passed during the years I was sealed away on the moon.” Twilight’s mood sunk as her ears and wings drooped.

“I’m sorry.” Twilight apologized, but she was consoled as a midnight blue hoof moved her face up to look into the eyes of the Princess of the moon

“Do not apologize for my actions, I was clouded by my jealousy, and I had to lose everything, including Shadow Cepheus.... I must now make my actions to atone for my loss, and I just hope he is in a better place now. I have made my peace, now all I can do is be a better mare and Princess from now on…” then Luna’s ears perked up as a rolled up letter tied with a midnight blue ribbon appeared in front of her. “I am sorry Twilight, I must be off. This is an important letter that commands to be read post haste. Pardon me” Luna moved away to another part to read the letter in private, leaving the slightly saddened Twilight behind.

“I never knew Luna went through so much pain, or that she had a pupil…” Twilight’s eyes stopped upon the star chart book. “Every starry night…” Twilight remembered and grabbed the book with magic; trotting over to a chair and table she opened the book gently with her hooves and began studying.

Studying the work of The Princess of the Night and the Knight of the Moon.

Shade Burst slammed his door open and then shut behind him, he boosted up to his room and went to his drawer, and opening it he grabbed Luna’s feather and midnight blue colored ink. Shade went into the middle of his room and set the parchment down in front of himself.

“Please forgive me Luna for using the emergency system to let you know, but you did give me your feather…”

Shade dipped the quill of the feather into the magic-infused inkwell and began writing, his mouth grasping the quill firmly,

Dear Princess Luna:

This is insane, absolutely insane! The Elements of Harmony are open targets! I know they no longer possess the Elements, and therefore cannot use them, regardless to that fact, they are still incredibly close to Princess Twilight Sparkle, and if any of them were hurt or killed, some of the strongest ponies in Eqestria would be deadly crippled! And in this town everyone knows their name and where to find them! Any assassin could just ask the location and this friendly town would show them to the house, and right to that Ponies’ death! I know Twilight is safe because she moved into Canterlot Castle, but she still spends a lot of her time in the library still and in Ponyville!

This is not a good choice; these Ponies need somepony, anypony to guard them! I know they can take care of themselves but they can still be beaten by a superior force or tricked by taking advantage of their weaknesses. Because of this, I request Guards. I know my position is temporarily removed as I have to take off from duty to “let the heat die down” if I am using the words right, and therefore I cannot officially request backup, for I know not how much They know about me and my location, as this was the original reason for my temporary discharge. But I think sending some Night Guards or at least some Royal Guards here and there and monitoring things is not too poor of a notion, and if this is not an official request, then it is my personal one. It is not too much of a request to wish protection for those that are important to my country, and important to me?

If you are able to send Night Guards or Royal Guards and fufill my request, I personally want to take over lead role in the guardianship of Rainbow Dash, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Spike, as well as Soul Song, even if that means my reinstatement and return to attention… the eight of them are, if not already, deeply interwoven with each other. If one where to die... the entire group would fall to pieces and be defenseless from outside forces due to grief or rage or other emotions that could cloud the mind in that state. Even though the six mares do not possess the Elements of Harmony, and therefore are not the weapon to seal Discord away again and are unable to use the power that you and your sister once had. And therefore could be expendable in battle. They still are the incarnation of harmony, and they still have the potential for great magic together. And they are the incarnate of one of the most powerful lights in this world, a light that saved you in your time of greatest darkness.

The light of Friendship

So please Princess Luna, Help me protect this light.

From: Shade Burst, Commander of Task Force 491

P.S. I know this has no place in a letter of such importance and on the emergency letter system, but I will still ask. Are my comrades okay? I have no doubt that they are alive and well, but I still worry for them, I hope you can ease my worry and confirm my belief that they are alright.

Shade finished the letter and set the quill aside, he wrapped the parchment up and grabbed a midnight blue ribbon, he tied it around the rolled up parchment and held the tip of the feather to the parchment roll the feather and letter disappeared in a burst of magic.

“Aright, I guess it is up to you now, Luna…”

Shade Burst sat up and sighed, he knew that Luna had to talk to Celestia once the sun was fully raised and then send guards out once they gathered them, or even approved of the notion in the first place. No use waiting over matters of country when they take time.

Time he should not waste sitting around doing nothing.

Shade went over to the door but quickly turned around. His mind catching on something he forgot. “I should not leave that open” he sighed as he grabbed the ink and ribbons and put them back into the drawer and shut it. The ink he had used along with the ribbon was something only the captains of the task forces used, the ribbons differently marked for every captain.

If they had a feather of one of the Princesses, if they dipped the feather in the magic-infused ink, and wrote using the feather as a quill, the magic could send the letter immediately to the feather’s owner. As such the ink was incredibly valuable. Shade shut the drawer and checked to see if the wards where still there, if someone beside himself tried to open it, the drawer would react as if it was locked. Shade nodded as he hovered his wing over the drawer once more to check.

Finding his emergency letter materials safely put away. Shade went about double-checking if the balcony doors where shut, for he knew Luna had shut them last night.

As he trotted up to the doors Shade Burst noticed the view outside his balcony. The midnight black Pegasus opened them instead. Moving out the doors he went forward and leaned on his railing. Looking over the town of ponyville as it began its weekend day, a smile on his face as he watched. He thought about flying and spectating from higher but the breeze was great as it moved around. His eyes still found one thing lacking, but he shook off the feeling “Even though my view is not perfect, I still can enjoy it….”

“My thanks to the weather patrol” Shade thought out loud, knowing that Rainbow Dash was the one behind the clear, beautiful day.

“You’re welcome” a voice sounded from behind Shade Burst, causing the midnight black Pegasus to spin around and rise his wings and crouch, ready to tackle the voice, recognizing the voice’s owner Shade voiced is thoughts in surprise. “Rainbow Dash!?” he frowned as Rainbow laughed and landed next to him.

“How long have you been there?” he asked knitting his eyebrows together in slight frustration.

“Well… that’s for me to know and you to find out, isn’t it?” Rainbow replied, a knowing smile on her face as Shade smirked.

“Well… did you see the explosion?” Shade asked.

“What? What did you do!?”

“Oh, you did not, then nothing!” he smirked as Rainbow Dash started pegging him with questions.

“What did you do!” She yelled, grabbing his scarf and bringing their faces closer, his smirk to her death glare.

“Nothing!”

“What did you do to make the explosion!”

“Nothing at all, I never made one in the first place.” Shade responded with a smirk growing on his face even wider as Rainbow Dash blushed and thwacked Shade on the shoulder, as she realized that her leg was being pulled.

“You had me worried!” Rainbow glared at him as Shade brought a hoof to his heart.

“I did not know that you cared so much, thank you.” Shade smirked as Rainbow Dash stopped herself from screaming in frustration.

“How do I deal with this pegasus! He is driving me crazy!” Rainbow screamed in her head, Shade trotted past her and into his room, motioning for Rainbow to fallow. Shade once again noticed his scarf had changed color once more.

“This scarf is really starting to annoy me…” Shade thought as he rubbed his hooves on it, changing the color back once again.

Rainbow Dash waited until Shade had passed his bed and gotten into the hall, then she dashed through the room and into the hallway.

"I do NOT want to be in his bedroom" Rainbow glared at the door and continued following Shade. The midnight black and cyan pegusai flew down into the main loft as Rainbow Dash landed on the couch and relaxed without any care of Shade’s opinion. Shade ignored it as he glided into the kitchen, noting that he still had some coffee still half warm in his coffee pot he looked over to Rainbow Dash.

“Want some coffee?” he asked. Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up and with a blast of wind and rainbow trail; she was sitting at the barstool.

“Lay it on me brony!” She spread her hooves wide.

“I never knew of a Pegasus that liked coffee on their body, some pegusai these days…” he commented as Rainbow Dash shook her head profusely

“Not like that! It’s a figure of speech!” she groaned as the light of understanding reached Shade’s grey eyes. “Seriously, how much into the modern world are you?” Rainbow asked while facehoofing.

“Not very much, Dash” Shade said to himself as he grabbed the coffee pot and poured one into a mug. “You like it hot?” he asked, motioning to the mug.

“Steamy” Rainbow Dash replied in a low tone, she blushed as she realized what she had done. Shaking her head to clear it she reiterated her statement “yes, hot coffee please” “where in the bucking hay did that come from!?”
“Alright…” Shade shook his head and got the words out of his head “you like things… steamy, I will remember that…” Shade took note of the large blush that appeared on the mare’s cheeks at the words, it was becoming of her “wait, where did that come from?” he thought to himself as he warmed the coffee up to its normal hot temperature.

“You like your coffee black?” Shade asked, Rainbow took a moment to decide.

“No, surprise me” She challenged.

“Okay then” Shade started off by adding mocha creamer, mixing it until he found fit and adding half a creamer of caramel. Mixing until he found it right he grabbed another mocha creamer of another kind, adding a little he mixed it in, then added the rest of the caramel creamer, finally finishing mixing the creamers with a straw he took a quick sip through the straw and took it out, not letting the Pegasus at the barstool see him sample it.

"I think it is ready” Shade grabbed a bottle of caramel, noting that Rainbow Dash was right hoofed he added some caramel to the inside and on the lip of the mug, on the left side if the handle was facing him, he put the caramel away and set the mug in front of Rainbow Dash. The mare that was a frequent coffee drinker inspected the coffee before looking up at him with a withering stare, Shade only shrugged.

“Down the hatch!” grabbing the mug with her right hoof, Rainbow smiled, setting her lips to the spot shade had put caramel and took a sip, then a few more after it. “How… how did you do that?” she asked the midnight black Pegasus.

“How did I do what?” he asked, pouring caramel creamer into his own mug and mixing it, before putting crushed ice in and setting it into the freezer of the fridge.

“You made it taste like chocolate candy with caramel in it with coffee flavor in it, how?” Shade smiled at Rainbow’s question

“Mr. Haykenama runs us very hard to make the best drinks, it is our specialty, so I try to do my best, though if Mr. Haykenama makes you a drink, you will never think mine are good ever again,” Shade denied the praise “and honestly, some of the other workers there are twice as good as me, if not better, I got here only through a lot of bad drinks and failed attempts.” Rainbow smiled.

“Still good nonetheless” Rainbow replied, taking another sip gratefully “I like it a lot” she smiled again as she took another sip “not as much as zap apple jam and hay, but close” Shade rolled his eyes and took his own coffee out, added whipped cream on it and began sipping it through a straw as he leaned on the counter on his hind legs, “now that’s not right” Rainbow glared at Shade.

“What isn’t right?” Shade looked at himself, his long coat was fine, scarf was still black, his feathers where still in his mane, he was standing on his hind legs on the counter, was that her problem?

“You are drinking iced coffee with a straw, which is a crime against coffee-”

“Drinkers everywhere, the coffee drinking community should exile you from such misusage of such practices of coffee” Shade completed. “I know about you devoted hot coffee drinkers, do no try to change my belief”

“Hot coffee is better” Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves as she set down her drink, and idea came to Shade and he took and ran with it.

“Fine, let us test this notion” Sade grabbed and took a drink of Rainbow’s coffee, in the same spot she drank from.

“That’s my coffee!” She yelled like a kid and reached for it as Shade brought the mug down Rainbow grabbed and looked at the amount of contents left “oh thank Celestia you only took a sip…” she was glad Shade was not that cruel.

“Not half bad” Shade judged with a smirk, something about the drink was… different to him… “Was it that Rainbow Dash drank out of it first? Like it matters” Shade dismissed the feeling.

“Not half bad!?” Rainbow exclaimed, “this stuff is the best!” she boasted.

“Thank you for complementing my work. I am glad you like it” Shade smirked as Rainbow had complemented him, even though her purpose was to insult him. She saw the mug in Shade’s hoof, an idea of her own came and she took and ran with it.

“That is mine” Shade stated as Rainbow Dash took the mug out of his hoof and started drinking it through the straw with some gusto. “hey! Do not drink it so fast or else!” Rainbow dash stopped drinking to deliver a glare.

“Or else what!? Oh horseapples!” Shade sighed as Rainbow Dash hurriedly set the mug down and put both hooves to her head, her brain splitting with pain and cold equal to a windigo-level blizzard.

“Or else you will get a brain freeze, I like my drinks really cold.” Shade shook his head, a smile of mirth making his grey eyes shine. “Silly filly, you need to take my advice every now and then, or at least wait and assess the situation completely before taking action” Shade walked around the counter so he stood behind Rainbow Dash and grabbed her mug of coffee and brought it to her lips “if you drink something hot it will cancel the brain freeze” Shade tipped the mug slowly and gently and Rainbow Dash let Shade Burst hold her drink as she drank the rest of the coffee, letting the warm liquid run down her throat and warm her brain back up, she let her hooves down and tilted her head back as Shade made sure she got every drop of the coffee. “There, better?” Shade asked, setting the mug down and moving behind the counter again to lean up on his hind legs and drink the rest of his own coffee silently. Rainbow sat silent for a minute, trying to figure out what had just happened, the blush came and was pushed away as fast as her legendary speed allowed.

“Yep, my brain freeze has-”

“Thawed out?” Shade commented as he took his now empty mug and threw the straw away, putting the mug in hot soapy water with the mugs from the morning, letting them soak. Rainbow threw a glare at the trickster Pegasus and started licking the edges of the mug, trying to get the rest of the caramel off the mug,

“Wow, this caramel is really good! What is with it?” Rainbow thought, her tongue still not reaching the edge of the mug, she finally gave in to her annoyance and jammed her muzzle into the mug, finally reaching the bottom of the mug, she sighed as the last of the caramel was finally addled onto her tongue and relived her of her desire of caramel, seeing as it was fully eaten.

Shade was leaning on the counter, watching the shenanigans the rainbow colored mare was performing, oblivious to her behavior being monitored by the Trickster Pegasus. Shade’s smile grew as she finally jammed her mouth into the mug “she gets annoyed quickly, often resorting to brute force, I will have to remember that” Shade then repressed a laugh as she visibly calmed down, her shoulders sagging in relief “that and she likes things steamy” Shade took a breath and calmed his smile down to a smirk. “Trying to clean off the mug, are we not?” Rainbow froze.

“Um…. Yes?”

“Well did you need my help?” he asked, taking the mug off of her hooves and putting it in the sink to soak. Shade stopped and looked at Rainbow’s blushing face with an analytical look, making the mare uncomfortable until he moved forward slowly “I think you have something right here” Rainbow Dash froze as her mind focused on the stallion moving towards her face, the closer he got, the more nervous she got, until finally.

“Okay! Okay! I got it!” Rainbow ran her hooves over her face, whipping the caramel off her face and frantically moving way, falling off her chair and onto the floor, “ow.”

“Why did you do that?” Shade asked as he walked around, he leaned down and whipped the rest of the caramel off with a rag he had grabbed, “I was only going to wipe your face”

“O-oh…” Rainbow stuttered, making the midnight black stallion smirk,

“What did you think I was going to do?” Shade asked as he stood back up onto all fours, bringing Rainbow Dash back up with him.

“Nothing.”

“That is not the truth.”

“Well it’s all I’m gonna tell you!” Rainbow shot back, making Shade shrug.

“Fine, you can keep the information to yourself”

“At least I don’t have to worry about that now” Rainbow thought with an imaginary sigh of relief as the tension drained from her shoulders. Making the Pegasus mare roll her shoulders a bit to get them less sore.

“You look really tense, you should go get a massage from the spa, that could ease up some of the pain” Shade recommended, despite his own aversions to spas himself.

“The spa? No way! That’s WAY to girly” Rainbow blew off the recommendation.

“Alright, stay sore then” Shade shrugged and went over to the bookshelves and as he went to grab the Daring Doo book he was reading Rainbow Dash flew up next to him and looked at the newest book.

“Ooooh! The newest book! I really want to read it!” Rainbow practically drooled at the sight of them, causing Shade’s response to fire in reply.

“No, they are my personal books and I want them in good condition, so drool on my books is not something that I want, or approve of.” Shade denied, pushing Rainbow Dash cautiously away from his shelf of books.

“Awww…..” Rainbow Dash got a big-eyed look and aimed it at Shade Burst.

“Are you… trying to charm me?” Shade asked, surprised by mare was currently looking at him

“Yes…” “Now to shift it to round two” Rainbow adopted a small smile, tilted her eyes, and shut her eyes a forth of the way, Shade’s eyes widened slightly. “may I, Please, read the book?” Rainbow extended the please and moved slightly forward with each step. Shade blinked once.

“No, in face, I mean fact, we need to go get lunch.” Shade tried not to face hoof in his anger at himself as he turned around and grabbed his long coat and scarf from his coat hanger and put them on.

“Alright, fine” Rainbow pouted, something Shade found nearly as distracting as he previous look.

“Now where am I getting these ideas from? I need to lose this” Shade unceremoniously pushed his thoughts away by shaking his head, effectively removing the thought from his mind as Rainbow Dash passed him “Where too?” Shade asked, opened the door for Rainbow Dash and following out behind her, he didn’t see the mischievous smirk on her face as the location popped into her mind.

“we are going to Sugarcube corner”

Soul Song had finally cleaned up the house, and had begun making food for the mare he likes when the mare in question waltzed down the steps, a dreamy faraway look on her face with her eyes closed.

“Oh I had the most wonderful dream! Soul nuzzled me then carried me up to bed and kissed my forehead and then... Oh! It's just so wonderful” Fluttershy squished her hooves against her face to hide her blush as she fluttered about the living room in happiness. Soul Song watched from the sidelines of the kitchen as he looked at the pegasus dance around, a slight blush appearing on his face as his mind tried to fill in the blanks about what happened next in her dream. Fluttershy stopped as she noticed Soul Song, her blush deepening exponentally every second she was under his gaze.

“So… so what happened next?” Soul asked. Fluttershy shook her head frantically.

“Nothing! Nothing happened! Heehee…” Fluttershy adopted a shy smile to placate the tan Pegasus staring at her. She floated down and hid behind her pink hair that matched her face.

“You better be happy that you are so cute that I’m not going to get mad at you, otherwise you would have been in deep trouble pegasister” Soul stated as he went back to cooking and froze “I just called her cute didn’t I?”

“W-well I’m glad I am…” Fluttershy stammered out… “and… did you really nuzzle me back?” Fluttershy’s question made Soul pause.

“Eyup. And kissed your forehead too, I hoped to wake you up but it didn’t work. So I went down here and cleaned up along with angel and now I’m making lunch” Soul retold the events. Fluttershy nodded sagely.

“Good job, mind if I help?” Soul nodded frantically. “so what are you making?”

“Scrambled eggs, I’ve seen Shade do it millions upon millions of times. I’ve learned how to do it pretty well myself!” Soul explained. “I’m making a side salad too, but it’s only half done.” Soul pointed with a hoof to a half full bowl of lettuce and other greens, “can ya help out?” Fluttershy was happy to help, the two chatted a little as they made the food, more enjoying each other’s presence over talking.

Soul began singing one of his songs while he cooked, Fluttershy joining along once they completed making food the two Pegasai went out and sat at a table, their plates full of food, the two dug in, using forks with utmost efficiency to eat the food before them.

“Wow! You did a good job!” Fluttershy complemented the musician’s food.

“Well your salad is divine” Soul responded, causing Fluttershy to giggle and made Soul’s heart flutter.

“You really do spend a lot of time in Applewood, you can use some fancy words” Fluttershy’s smile caused Soul to talk more.

“Well “every gentle colt should have an extended vocabulary to better express one’s intentions when engaged in converse with other Ponies” as some speech dude would say.” Soul quoted a prissy Trottingham stallion he had met on the street that chewed him out when he used “too many uncouth, common words.”

“Wow, you can use fancy words!” Fluttershy’s laugh made all of Soul’s body light up in a warm feeling.

“Yeah I can! Wait, did you think I couldn’t?” Soul asked quickly, making Fluttershy laugh at his panicked expression,.

“Well… I didn’t know” Fluttershy responded, setting Soul Song at ease, shown by his shoulders slumping.

“Well I can, I need to be fancy every now and then” Soul’s statement gave Fluttershy a chance and she took it.

“Like when you talk to Octavia?” Fluttershy’s question made Soul’s eyes go wide.

“I do talk to her yeah, but not often, I’m actually thinking we could use her help” Soul reasoned with a smirk.

“How?” Fluttershy wondered, seeing the smirk on Soul gave her something that she either wanted to be worried or relived that it was present, she would find out.

“Okay, I say I take Shade Burst to go to Canterlot to go pick something up, you go on a shopping trip with Rainbow Dash, we can send them to the same place so they meet up, we watch from afar, and if they don’t go out together, we send them somewhere and all eat dinner together, I know you don’t like Shade, so you can leave, I can go “cheer you up” and we leave them together, then they go eat dinner and we watch, good setup, right?” Soul Song listed out his idea, they had planned to go get them in some romantic situation and Soul had slept on the idea. He waited as soul scratched her chin, figuring the plan out.

“Perfect! Though Rainbow won’t like going”

“True, but neither will Shade.” Soul replied.

“I think we can do it, but when?”

“Hmm…. It’s Saturday… Shade said he got Monday off this next week… so how does Monday sound?” Soul asked.

“I think it works” Fluttershy said with a smile. “I help the animals and Rainbow always gets the weather done in ten seconds flat, so we have open schedules.”

“And I am on vacatiooooooon!” Soul cheered, making Fluttershy laugh again.

“Yep! You sure are!” Fluttershy smiled and gave Soul that fuzzy feeling again.

“So now how do we break it on them?” Soul continued, scratching his chin.

“Spring it on them, they always have open schedules.”

“True dat!” Soul laughed at his words “it’s funny on how alike the two are.”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, that sparked a conversation on comparing and contrasting the two Pegasai, leading into stories and laughs for the both of them, the two pegasai’s food was eaten and they continued, once completing the conversation on the compare and contrast, they just talked, this continued until Angel jumped on the table slamming his feet on it. Creating a loud noise

“What the hay?” Soul asked. “Sorry.” Soul quickly apologized.

“It’s feeding time! I nearly forgot!” Fluttershy jumped up in a hurry and ran about “I’m sorry Soul but I am going to be incredibly busy for the next hour or so, so if-”

“It’s fine fluttershy, I’ll go out and go do something” Soul nodded with a smile as he grabbed the plates and brought them to the sink, he washed them off and left the house with a happy sigh, watching as the demure pegasus began feeding all the animals around her.

“Wow, I really am love-struck, aren’t I?”

Luna, the Princess of the moon, had just read the letter, smiling as she read the P.S added on the end.

“He is not as far off as I thought” Luna smiled as she went to the throne room, walking up to Celestia who was busy reading the normal messages of the day, when Luna approached with a somewhat serious face on Celestia bid the other ponies away, they cleared the room in seconds.

“What is the matter, sister?” Celestia asked. A letter floated over and Celestia began reading, getting the same smile her sister gained. “He really worries, doesn’t he?”

Luna nodded with a smile back “yes, but it is put within some fact” the sisters smiles faded for a second, then returned. “So do you have information on the Task Force that I do not know of?”

“The group? They are coming back within the next week; the mission in the crystal kingdom is finished.”

“Good, I was surprised they had pulled it off, it would have been easier if Shade was with them.”

“Yes, but they survived none the less, I am appreciative of the group's growth without true leadership, but they need their leader back, and they know who the true leader is”

“Trickster” Luna responded, smiling as Shade entered her mind. “How many years have they worked together?” Luna asked, just for general sake of conversation.

“Well… all began force training at the age of thirteen, at seventeen they became task force 491, and three years of missions.”

“I see, and one year of general separation, due to how close that was…” Luna completed. “That mission was too close for anypony’s comfort” Luna paced back and forth as Celestia looked upon her younger sister calmly.

“Have your hormones ever really calmed down?” she asked with a taunting smirk. Luna rounded on her and glared.

“It is nothing of the sort!” Celestia waved her hoof in a truce in the face of Luna’s rebuttal.

“Okay, now, onto Trickster’s request” the mood became somber.

“It is true, the six are in need of protection, and are an open target” Luna conceded.

“Yes, but if we reinstate him it may trigger the moles they have set up” Celestia sighed

“I agree with him though, we should send guard.s” Luna stated.

“I agree as well, but how many, and which guards?” Celestia asked, both having the same idea at the same time. Both recognizing the look on each other’s faces as they saw each other have the same idea at the same time and same reaction to it.

“We are sisters after all” they two Princess jinxed and smiled at each other.

“Now you owe me a drink of apple cider” Celestia told Luna, who shook her head in confusion.

“And why do I owe thee such a thing?”

“It’s a secret!” Celestia said with a smirk as Luna groaned. Celestia was glad to have her sister back after the years of isolation. “Only two more members and I will have the full family back” Celestia smiled, not knowing how long it will take but wholly intent on hoping that her wish will come true.

She had waited a thousand years; she could wait longer, if that’s what it took.

“Why are we are going to sugar cube corner?”

“Simple. They sell some of the best food ever!” Rainbow Dash reasoned as she went inside of the store. Shade burst following a second after.

“I cannot argue with that logic.” he muttered sarcastically under his breath.

“Hi there!” there was the sound of a party cannon going off as Shade found that his vision had been forcefully conquered by a pink mare smiling so large it seemed physically impossible.

“Hello…” Shade returned, he found his vision restored as the pink mare began bouncing around him in a display of impossible energy. “How can a mare possibly have this much energy in such a small form?”

“Have you already had your party?” Pinkie Pie asked, stroking an imaginary beard, “of course you’ve had your party! I throw a party for everypony in ponyville!” Shade nodded his head in affirmation.

“Yes, I came in a group, so when you threw the party multiple ponies were introduced, I am just more forgettable than others” Shade explained with a shrug. For the second time in a row Pinkie Pie had a confused face on her muzzle as she looked at the Pegasus.

“This is the same way she acted when I asked her about Shade Burst, she doesn’t know his name!” Rainbow Dash decided to not voice her thoughts as the midnight blue Pegasus talked to the pink party pony.

“What’s your name?”

“Shade Burst” he added with a disarming smile. “I am-”

“OH WAAAAAAAITTT!” Pinkie Pie gasped, “You’re Rainbow Dash’s coltfriend!”

“Wait, no I am-”

“Sweet! That means I get to throw a “Rainbow Dash got a coltfriend party!” pinkie’s energy flared and her eyes got large as dinner plates.

“NowIgottagotelltheothersandgogetpartyfavorsandstreamersandballoonsoh!Balloons!ohIcangetalltherainbowcolorsisawatthestoryandmostimportantlyicangetacake!thoughwhatkindofcakewouldaRainbowDashGotAColtfriendcakebelike?I’mgoingtohavetomakeone!Ohhthisissoexciting!”

Rainbow Dash tried to stop herself from bursting out laughing at Shade’s frazzled look “oh wow this is priceless! I wish I had a camera!” Rainbow Dash’s snigger brought Shade Burst back to reality, or whatever semblance of it that could be allowed when Pinkie Pie was present.

“Wait... you said party, how many would be coming?” Shade asked, the worry on his face brought Rainbow Dash out of her amusement and into curiosity.

“What, scared of large crowds?” Rainbow Dash taunted.

“Yes, yes I am” Shade admitted, giving Rainbow Dash a reason to pause and think.

“Oh, really? Well can I still have a party?” Pinkie asked, Shade thought for a moment.

“I might as well, I was given little choice” “… yes, but you can only have… five of your best friends come along, Rainbow Dash is with me” Shade’s restriction made Rainbow Dash’s face scrunch up in confused thought along with Pinkie Pie.

“Wait, so that means Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Raririty, Applejack, and Soul Song?” Pinkie Pie asked,

“I think that would be sufficient” Shade agreed.

“That’s awfully specific” Rainbow threw away her doubt, Shade seemed like the one to avoid attention, so a small party was something to be expected, and she needed to trust the stallion, she was the element of Loyalty, wasn’t she?

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie Pie cheered and bounced up a down “a small party is still a party! I can’t wait until they find out that Rainbow Dash has a colt-”

“Actually” Rainbow Dash cut in “Shade isn’t my coltfriend, it could be a “welcome to being our friend” party instead of the other one” her suggestion made Pinkie Pie nod sagely.

“Yes, that sounds much better. Now I gotta go prepare! Tomorrow night at Sweet Apple Acres barn! See you there!” Pinkie Pie shot off in a burst of energy, Shade watched the mare leave… and suddenly felt very tired.

“How does she stay so excited? I cannot understand, is this what the element of laughter is useful for? Just making parties? It is not even needed for harmony” Shade sighed.

“She’s a crazy one, but she’s fun to be around, she can pull a great prank!” Rainbow defended Pinkie Pie.

“No wonder you and her get along, Pranksters, the both of you” Shade Burst accused, earning a mock hurt and shocked face from Rainbow Dash.

“Gasp! How dare you accuse me of such a thing?” Rainbow had adopted a posh accent that made Shade roll his eyes.

“You may think that you are better when it comes to accents, but I still win.” his statement in that posh trottish accent he has used before.

“Seriously!' Rainbow Dash exclaimed “how do you-”

“Practice, lots and lots of practice” Shade had coughed and re-adjusted his scarf, and coughed again “oh Luna I hate using that voice, makes my throat… feel weird” Shade scratched his neck, coughed once more “there, better, now if you can pick up your slackened jaw off the floor, I would like to see what you would like to order.” Shade’s taunt made Rainbow Dash promptly pick her jaw off the floor and go to Mrs. Cake, who was watching the two Pegasai interact with a large smile

“Well, nice to see you again, Ms. Dash, he’s a cute one” She smiled as Rainbow Dash refrained from groaning and only gave Mrs. Cake the “really?” Look.

“Seriously? I don’t like him, seriously, I don’t” Rainbow Dash denied and looked at the food. And ordered what she usually did, but for two people Mrs. Cake nodded in reply “he’s paying” Rainbow Dash added, Mrs. Cake nodded and went to go get the food ready while Rainbow went up to Shade Burst, who was looking around the shop, a slightly curious look on his face. “Hey, you gotta go up to the counter, you go pay and I’ll find a spot.”

“On it” Shade trotted over with nary a word after that and waited patiently. Mrs. Cake came out with the food requested and handed it over to Shade, who paid the correct amount without trouble, his bit bag jingling a little when he put it back in his coat.

“Be gentle with her, Shade, she may act tough but she’s not always that way.” Shade looked at Mrs. Cake who delivered the warning.

“I will do my best, but my circumstances are not always… favorable to others around me, I will protect her as best as I can.” he responded calmly without a trace of doubt.

“Good, I think she’s in good hooves, thank you, Shade Burst” Shade thought for a moment on how Mrs. Cake had gotten his name, then remembered that Pinkie Pie ad asked it a moment before, she must of overheard it.

“Thank you, Mrs. Cake, for saying that” Shade grabbed his food and went off to Rainbow Dash, who sat impatiently waiting.

“What took you so long?” Rainbow demanded and Shade replied and the two began talking back and forth.

Mrs. Cake watched the two pegasai interact and a worried frown creased her face “call it mother’s intuition, but that Pegasus is hiding something, and it seems like he actually can open up to Rainbow Dash… be careful, Rainbow Dash, you are probably one of the few that can get him to open up… But be careful, Shade is like fire, get too close, and you’ll get burned…”

Twilight sighed and blinked herself out of her studying daze, the alicorn looked around at the books that had piled up around her, all related to stars and their usage in medieval days and how that Shadow Cepheus’s work was referred to again and again, but just the book, no name, nor date or usage, just the data, “what’s going on?”

“That work was used many times for many things, was it not?” Twilight jerked her head to look at Princess Luna, who had a smile gracing her features as she sat down next to Twilight in her pile of books and opened to a book on stars and the future.

“Yeah, he was, just as much as Starswirl the Bearded was…” Twilight frowned. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I didn’t look anything up in the library about the night and stars…”

“It is fine, Twilight, you made no mistake, only since my return have the books on the night and stars have regained demand, though only very little now, my hope is that the study of my night continues, as the study of Tia’s day continues” Twilight could only stare at the Lunar Princess as she quickly scanned through a book and a smile of someone greeting an old friend dominated her features, she looked happy, but the melancholy and sadness was there too, Twilight was surprised enough that she forgot her place in the book as she accidentally closed it. But Luna shot her wing out and saved her page.

“Thank you, Luna” Twilight nodded and reopened the book, only to shut it and bring the book out that was the cause of her study. “His work is truly amazing”

“It took practice, a lot of practice, and he never thought it was good enough” Luna replied, Twilight gained and incredulous look.

“That’s crazy! This is amazing! The attention to detail yet the artistic flair of it makes it amazing to look at, and even better to study! How could he think that it was never good enough?” Twilight turned to look at Luna who set her book down and looked over at Twilight.

“I said earlier, he was no Scholar, he was a warrior, so he thought that if any Scholar would take up his profession he would be quickly outpaced”

“But why did he think that? He was amazing!”

“But not a genius, though he always strove to be better in his secondary profession, even though as a warrior he was a genius, he improved on something else, and without knowing it, you have copied his trait, you are a genius at magic, and yet you made friends and became very good at making them, much like Shadow Cepheus, but different fundumentally, you pursued another kind of magic, whereas Shadow Cepheus sought understanding.... which in a way made a friendship with me.” Luna finished her talk and stood once again, bowing her head slightly, “I will see you soon again, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“See you again, Princess Luna” Twilight waved a little as Luna cantered off to somewhere else. Twilight studied for a few more moments before realizing her purpose “Shade!” Twilight stood straight up in shock and memorized all the titles and flew them back to her shelves, except for the book Luna had first shown her, Twilight checked it out and teleported it to her room in Canterlot and went out to the balcony and was about to take flight until she stopped. A letter appeared in front of her with a burst of confetti and a horn sound.

“Pinkie?” Twilight asked as she opened the letter

Dear Twilight

You are invited to the super-duper pony party
for Shade Burst becoming our friend!
Meeting at the barn at 2000 sharp!

See you there!

From Pinkie Pie!

Twilight rolled the invitation up and put it in her mane, then smiled put to the sky “Oh well, I guess I’ll just talk to them tomorrow” Twilight turned back to the library and summoned the book she had checked out, a smile on her face.

“Now that I have the rest of the day clear… that makes room for long time of studying! Yay!”

Twilight had to refrain from skipping through the library as she went back to sections and summoned the books around her, Smiling, Twilight opened the first book.

“Ready for one productive day?”

Shade and Rainbow walked out of sugar cube corner, Rainbow Dash was talking animatedly while Shade walked alongside her, his long coat and scarf present as well as his smirk as he shook his head up and down as Rainbow explained. “Then I flew up to the dragon and kicked it!”

“You what?” Shade asked, blinking a few times. “Say again?”

“I said I kicked the dragon!”

“You must be really stupid.”

“Hey! I am confident in my abilities!”

“Overconfident is more likely...”

“Hey! I am not-”

“Overconfident? Yes you are, you kicked the dragon in the face, then what happened after?”

“W-well... It roared at me and it only made him angrier...”

“I thought as much.” Shade sighed as he shook his head. “So then what happened?”

“Fluttershy went up and made the dragon calm down. He was mad at me for kicking him.”

“I would be too if you kicked me in the snout when I just woke up from a nap.”

“Be quiet, I’m telling a story” Rainbow Dash shot a glare at Shade and took an annoyed breath. “So then fluttershy convinced him to leave and stop spreading smoke over ponyville.”

“Good job Fluttershy.” Shade commented, making Rainbow Dash glare at Shade once again “what? She nonviolently and diplomatically made the enemy retreat, without any casualties. The only injury was a hurt snout” Shade nodded, a smirk forming “I have heard of this… “Stare” of hers. It brought a cockatrice into submission. That is surprising in itself”

“What? What is surprising is that you agree with Fluttershy! I thought you’re the fight to win type”

“No, I use my words first, my sword second. If I can trick someone or use my wits to defeat an enemy without casualties, I will, but if conflict is the only way to defeat the enemy, then I will fight”

“Have you done that before?” Rainbow turned around and fixed Shade with a look.

“That is for me to know, and you to find out” Shade's signature smirk made a debut as Rainbow groaned and face hoofed.

“Stop... It!” Rainbow wiped her hoof of her face and Shade’s smirk wiped off his face and his neutral expression returned.

“All right, do you have any errands to run? I can come along and help, an extra pair of hooves make the work go past twice as fast”

“You sound like Zecora.” Rainbow Dash shook her head and hung it in shame.

“Zecora?” Shade tilted his head as a questioning look descended upon his face.

“Forget it, I do have to get some food. I could use some help.”

“It will be my pleasure, miss.” Shade bowed and walked alongside her as the two pegusai went into the central market side by side. Shade noticed the looks thrown his way as they walked side by side, Shade felt his training as a bodyguard kick in and warn him. “You are attracting some attention. Miss Dash.”

Rainbow dash then noticed the eyes in the market directed her way as the sudden change in the stallion's tone and demeanor alerted her to what was going on.

“It's fine.” Rainbow's reply did not put Shade at ease. “I attract attention wherever I go.”

“Yes you do, miss Dash...” Shade admitted “but now more than usual. And there is muttering amongst them” Rainbow Dash listened harder and heard whispers, but couldn’t place any words in the mutters.

“The “muttering” is new. But it's probably because I’m hanging around with someone as “Shady” as you”

“Was that an insult?” Shade Burst replied with a glare, Rainbow realized her mistake.

“What? No!” Rainbow backtracked “you've always been the secret one that no one knows anything about, you talk to no one and we rarely see you in town, so of course they'd be surprised if I walk into the market square with you by my side”

Shade thought for a moment, he frowned slightly “would this hurt your reputation if we continued to shop together?” he asked, his voice sounding with a note of finality “if so, I will leave to not hurt your reputation further.” It was Rainbow's time for thought now; she set her hoof on the midnight blue stallion’s shoulder and made him wait.

“No. Stay with me, we have hung out a few times already, so whatever damage was already done” Rainbow shrugged and smirked as she put a saddlebag on Shade and tied it on him “ready to be a pack mule?”

“Pack Pegasus, thank you very much.” Shade Burst corrected as he walked alongside Rainbow Dash into the main market square, Shade held the bags and made small talk with the vendors along with Rainbow Dash, the initial absurdity of Rainbow and Shade together all faded and ponyville went back to its normal progression like nothing had happen.

“Wait, they put out a new single of Once Lost Souls!?” Rainbow exclaimed as she stopped walking and stared at the music stand, then started bouncing up and down. Shade was carrying a few things in saddlebags (with Rainbow Dash's mark on them) and stopped quickly to avoid bumping into her.

“Yes, I suppose they did” Shade responded, trotting alongside her. “Do you like their music?” Shade asked, for Once Lost Souls was Soul Song’s band.

“ARE YOU JOKING! THEY- yes, I am a supporter of their music performances” Rainbow shrugged her obvious enthusiasm off and continued walking, trying to adopt a sophisticated air to make up for her previous fingerling. Shade smiled a little.

“Such passion, I am a little jealous...”

“You say something?”

“No, just thinking about if you would have enough money to purchase the song after running all your errands” Shade covered expertly. Rainbow nodded and continued walking, Shade trailing after. Rainbow was chatting up a vendor that was selling Wonderbolt posters, and Shade was left waiting for her to return. Shade looked over and walked up to a flower stand, the owner looked over and smiled at him as he walked up.

“Hello Shade burst, good to see you again.” the tan colored pony with rose-colored mane and tail smiled slightly as the Pegasus approached.

“Hello Rose Luck.” Shade replied “the feeling is mutual, how are those rose seeds growing?” he asked, he had obtained some rose seeds from the royal gardener in Canterlot, he gave them to Shade and had explained that “only one who has a cutie mark for roses could grow these, if you meet someone with that, give them to her” Shade had kept his word and gave them to Rose Luck, and had been checking on the progress on the seeds, curious on what they were.

“Great! They haven't bloomed yet, but they are nice and healthy, I’m going to give you one once they bloom, alright?”

“I have no objection to that, I will pay you for it as normal.”

“No! You don't need to pay for it.”

Shade shook his head with a sigh, “I will, if not as payment, then as a prize for growing the seeds. Will that be more preferable?” His offer gave Rose a moment to think.

“Yes, it will, thanks again, Shade Burst”

“I was only keeping my word, Rose Luck, there is no need for gratitude”

“…Do those have Rainbow Dash's cutie mark?” Rose’s question and point at his saddlebags made Shade sigh.

“Took you long enough” Shade muttered to himself.

“Why do you have her saddlebags?”

“I am pack pegasai for her today” Shade's matter of fact response made Rose's eyebrows rise.

“Did you lose a bet?”

“Yes, but I am helping her out of my own accord” Shade smirked as Rose Luck laughed nearly running into her flower cart but stopping herself. Shade changed the subject before any further embarrassment to him could be generated. “Are you still keeping my name secret?” Rose Luck nodded to Shade’s inquiry with a slightly miffed look.

“Yeah, I’ve been keeping your interactions with me secret, why do you go through such lengths to maintain secrecy?” Rose asked with her eyebrows knitting together.

“I don’t like ponies know my schedule or whereabouts, I already made one mistake and I do not want to do it again.” Shade shook his head “call me paranoid all you want, I just am.” Rose nodded in understanding of Shade’s predicament.

“Yeah yeah, I understand, somepony has to be paranoid or nopony would be safe.” Rose shrugged, then she became serious “Speaking of which I heard that somepony has been asking around for a pony that matches your description, I don’t know why or who, I’m just saying some rumors that I’ve heard” Shade frowned at the information the flower mare presented.

“Thank you, I will keep it in mind” Rose saw how mired Shade was becoming in his thoughts and she decided to get the pegasus back on the right track.

“Okay, now get along, I bet she'll get jealous if she sees us together. So get going!” Rose shoved Shade and turned him around, angling him to Rainbow Dash

“It is not like that! We are friends. Only friends”

“That may be true, but Celestia hath no greater fury than a mare scorned” Rose smiled as pushed Shade once again. The trickster pegasus smirked and began walking towards Rainbow Dash.

“That is something that we can both agree on”

Meanwhile:

“Agh, what to pick?” Rainbow Dash muttered as she considered what to choose between two posters, one of Soarin or one of Spitfire, she growled a little as she switched her eyes between the two. She wanted to instinctually buy the Soarin one and shove it in Shade’s bag, but a message would be sent to him, and Rainbow Dash found that she didn’t want to send the message to him, she finally decided on picking Spitfire, and once she paid her bits, she turned around-

“Rainbow Dash!” a voice called out to her and she looked about, a pony trotted up to her, panting slightly “have you been hanging out with that dark colored pegasus?” the flower pony, Lily asked, Her eyes wide and questioning.

“Yes…. and his name is Shade Burst” Rainbow sighed as Lily gasped and shook for a split second.

“You know his name!? That’s amazing!”

“I’m surprised you haven't heard it...”

“Well he only talks to some shopkeepers briefly, and whenever somepony asks about him they say it's “trade secret” and won't say a peep about him!” Lily exclaimed.

“Weird...” Rainbow noted, “Why hasn't he told me to keep his name or stuff secret?” Rainbow let her mind wonder “there must be a reason for why, but it's probably a secret too” Rainbow countered, “but why don't you just go up and talk to him yourself?”

“W-well, he is kinda scary…”

“Scary? He is not that scary” Rainbow did her best not to laugh, the Midnight Blue Pegasus was anything but scary to her, “then what is he to me?” Rainbow thought to herself, but then cut the train of thought off as Lily spoke.

“Well that’s because you are brave! He just has the Aura of… Danger around him, but you say your middle name is danger so maybe you don’t feel it?” Lily tried to explain her own avoidance of the Pegasus and Rainbow Dash’s apparent tolerance of the aura Shade emitted. “Well that and he is kinda hot.”

“Shade is hot?” Rainbow nearly laughed, she was hearing more descriptors of this Pegasus that she had thought of herself! “How is that?”

“Well he has a different colored coat than most ponies, and he has those feathers in his mane and his long coat, so he’s kinda… exotic? And another thing is that he is hard to find, you never can just look into the crowd and see him, you have to be looking for him in order to see him, and that is only for a few seconds, and I’ve never seen him flying either, he’s so… mysterious”

“Alright, I have heard enough” Rainbow Dash interrupted Lily’s gushing over Shade Burst, It triggered a strange feeling in her gut and anger to well up inside her “what is this?” Rainbow Dash pushed the emotion off “Shade may seem like that to you and anypony else that thinks that, but Shade is nothing like that, he’s just like everypony else, you just have to have the courage to go up and talk to him” Rainbow defended Shade. “Or be overconfident and yell at him like I do”

“Well than you should tell me about him! So I can know what he’s like so I can get the courage to talk to him!” Lily moved closer to Rainbow Dash, invading her personal space. “Pleaaase? Pleaaase?”

Rainbow Dash was starting to get uncomfortable with the look in Lily’s eyes, “Please tell me! You are my only hope of meeting Shade Burst face to face! Please tell me!” Lily grabbed Rainbow Dash’s leg, further putting Rainbow Dash at unease.

“Lily, I don-’”

“Please?”

“Lily, I shou-”

“Please?”

“Lily, sto-”

“Please!”

“Lily!”

“Please!”

“Would you stop preventing the blood from moving through Rainbow Dash’s foreleg please?” A dark voice sounded from Rainbow’s right, a Shade’s hoof descended on Lily’s and removed them forcefully from her foreleg. Rainbow’s right foreleg was tingling as the blood returned to her leg, Shade stepped in front of Rainbow Dash, putting space between Lily and Polychromatic mare “You may leave, after I ask you a question” Shade reached his hoof out and extended it towards Lily’s head, she squeaked and ran away from Shade Burst, her face redder than her friend Rose Luck’s roses.

“Blast” Shade muttered and stomped his hoof into the ground in frustration.

“What’s wrong?” Rainbow Dash asked, Shade turned around to face her.

“I felt a strange magic around here, and I thought somepony was the source of it, but before I could check Lily she ran away.” Shade adopted a look that Rainbow Dash could only describe as Shade’s version of pouting.

“HAHAHAHAHA!” Rainbow Dash began laughing and holding her sides, “that is hilarious!” Rainbow dash’s laugher gave Shade Burst his reason to regain his composure.

“Is my pouting really that amusing? If so… then how about this?” Shade actually pouted, his face dripping with fake distain, Rainbow Dash nearly fell over and Shade had to rush over and support her from falling over and smashing her goods that she had bought.

“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Stop! Stop Stop! That is too much!” at Rainbow’s request, Shade Burst stopped his fake pout and smirked as Rainbow’s mirth echoed around him.

“I… I like this.” Shade thought to himself as he was tempted to join in “now I see why Pinkie Pie and the element of laughter are important to harmony, there is a need for levity in every relationship, for it may become too grim over time and become unbearable, laughter is the light that chases the gloom away” Shade ended his internal thought and looked at the cyan Pegasus “are you finished yet?”

“Yes! That was awesome!” Rainbow Dash wiped as tear from her eye “I haven’t laughed this hard in months! Thanks Shade”

“No need for gratitude, I am only doing my job” Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows rose as Shade denied the praise.

“What is that?” Rainbow Dash asked as she tilted her head in a way that made Shade smile a little.

“Being your friend” Shade’s comment made Rainbow’s eyes widen in surprise and excitement “that is what I am, am I not?”

Soul Song strung his guitar one last time while he was in the sound proofed room in Shade’s house, his sheets of music shrew about him on the floor as he sat playing his guitar, “another good day of songwriting, man this makes it so much easier to write when M isn’t looming over my back with deadlines and threats and other stuff” Soul whistled a few notes to himself and added the few notes onto his sheet music, writing the words underneath.

“I won’t let you fall…” Soul hummed to himself as he wrote the second chorus down, there was the sound of a door shutting as he looked through the sound proofed window as Shade Burst entered into the main room. He opened his wings and flew up to the fiction shelves and picked out the daring doo book he was reading earlier and flew back to his spot on the couch. he opened the book and flipped to his page and resumed without a word.

Shade glanced up at Soul who backed away from the window after Shade spotted the musician. Soul flew out of the room and around to land at Shade’s side with a thump. Shade shut his book with the bookmark at the same time Soul landed in an uncanny moment of timing. Shade turned to look at Soul as the tan pegasus smiled at his midnight blue counterpart. “So how did your day go?”

“It was okay, I am fine, I had a pretty good day overall, I got some things at the market, spent most of my day there actually” Shade explained with a shrug.

“Really? Cool!”

“Yes it was “cool” I am sure of it,” Shade replied, he checked the time on his pocket watch in the fraction of a second. “That was quite the amount of time I spent away, did you eat any food?”

“Nope, did you?”

“Neither did I,” Shade sighed at his irresponsibility. “I will go make food for us.” Shade stood up and trotted over to the kitchen and whipped up some dinner for the two of them. A light meal so that they could sleep without digesting food during it, the two ate off trays and read until the night came.

Shade slapped his book shut as he completed it, the trays were long since washed and put away, “I hate endings.”

“I hate them too, especially after a good story like Daring Doo, but now you only have a little left until you catch up to the new one!”

“Yes indeed, one more story to go through, then the newest book” Shade sighed as he put the book back in its shelf, and flew back down, a tired look on his face, “I think we both need to be asleep, do you not agree?”

“Actually, no, I’ll be up for a while longer, Shade, I gotta get my work done. Besides, you seem tired for once, just go to sleep”

“Alright, I will lock the house up” Shade kept his word and locked the house. Shade decided to refer to his friend on an event that was still troubling him. “ one of the ponies were… different… today. Be careful tomorrow.”

“Oh my, your paranoia is in full swing!” Soul sarcastically commented and brushed off the worry with a shrug, thus resulting in a face hoof from Shade and hold of his head as he felt a migraine coming on.

“Yes, it is my job to be paranoid.” Shade explained.

“And what is your job that you have to be paranoid for me?”

“Being your friend” Shade responded, glancing at Soul, his mind switched to Rainbow Dash, he had seen the same reaction on her face as well. “That is what I am, am I not?” the tired trickster pegasus left with a migraine running in his head and didn’t see Soul Song’s giant smile directed at him.

“Yes you are Shade. You are my friend, and you have no idea how happy I am that you say that.”

Author's Note

Well then! even with finals and distractions and other crap I still have enough time to upload! yeah this chapter isn't one of my favorites, maybe because I've read it ten times over with a critical eye and I find no enjoyment in the story portion anymore, this also marked my first time using google docs to set up the chapter, copy from word to google docs to here. It's a long process but totally worth it in the end.

that is what I meant by the fourth closed look, it's... interesting. I was surprised when I saw it, so Shade reflects my reaction.
Anyway, I'll write my next chapter and get it up after a good edit to fix any problems, as that is what I have been currently doing.
until then, じゃあまたね!