Shadow, Love and Pride

VII

My Choice, My Fate

“Sister is there a way to reach our destination fastest!?” Princess Luna was panicking. She wanted to teleport to Ponyville, but the spell only works for short distances.

“Luna, we are going the fastest we can. The top two Wonderbolts themselves are flying the carriage.” Soarin and Spitfire were summoned to fly the princesses to Ponyville, they knew they wouldn't make such a request if it wasn't important and flew at their top speeds. From what information they gathered Ponyville was about to face it's greatest threat. Those are heavy news since it has already been attacked by a rampaging giant purple dragon. The other members followed closely behind. “We will be there in a record time of thirty minutes. Please tell me what's happening.”

Luna sighed and tried to relax enough to explain coherently. “Shadow will counter shadow to save light.” Princess Celestia has heard this before. In her dreams, warning of the shadow that is to come and how magic will be unable to stop it. To her surprise, her sister knew what it meant and remained silent to listen. “I know Kido Badtower. He has warned me about how he suspected an evil clan will rise to take over Equestria and how our forces and magic will be vain efforts to stop them. He is the only one that can save us.”

“How does he know? Why can only he stop it?  And how is it that by the mention of his name you know the threat is here?”

“He is a detective and is good as his profession. He will stop them because he is a creature of the shadows himself and knows their weaknesses. And he told me he would contact me when the threat was imminent. I haven't heard or seen him in over two years.”

Celestia was shocked at this bit of information. “Luna how do you know him for so long? You were freed from the moon less than a year now.”

“That is a tale for another time. Right now we must make sure Ponyville is safe... if it hasn't already been...”  DAAAAAAHHHHH!!!

They heard what seemed to be an explosion coming from a town close by. Luna panicked more now. “Fly, Wonderbolts. The town of Ponyville requires our aid!” Celestia grew anxious at the realization they were thirty minutes away from the town. What could have caused such a loud noise?

ZZZ

Kido just gave Bellz a speech of how he will essentially torture her to surrender and leave the town. But she just smile and sniffed the air. “Pretty big talk coming from a dog. You got a lucky shot, but now you won't surprise me.”

“Wait does he happen to be a Diamond Dog?” Rarity asked her friends. They all shrugged their shoulders, since none of them have yet to see under Kido's hood.

“Yes... I am!” Kido yelled out.

“You can hear us all the way from over there!?” Rainbow Dash quickly asked  in a high tone.

“Dogs have good hearing! I hoped we could still be friends after this!”

“It's true, they really do. And I'll be his friend, I don't mind if he's a dog.” Fluttershy said to her friends.

“Fella I don' care what you are. If you save our town, you'd be an honorary member of the Apple Family.” Applejack yelled.

“And you're welcomed to Sugarcube Corner anytime. Cupcakes are on me. Now get that meany! WHOOHOOOO!” Pinkie Pie yelled excitedly.

“You'd be 20% cooler!” Rainbow Dash declared.

“I'll make you a new wardrobe.” Rarity offered.

“I'll share my gems with you.” Spike had just woken up to the scene.

“And I'll gladly join you for that treat you offered!” Twilight said.

“Yay Kido!!! Whoo HOOOO!!!” Said an excited Derpy.

“Derpy where did you come from?”

“Oh you know... from around.”

“No I mean... never mind, just don't get too close to that bat.”

“I know. He already told me bad people were coming.”

“Wait... What!?”

Kido had his eyes closed, feeling happier this very single moment, than he has his entire life put together. But he got distracted. Bellz took the touching moment to strike, going for a grab at his neck with her left hand and attacking with her right. Twilight and her friends grew worried. Bellz slashed at his face.

“AH!!! Y U NO WAIT TIL TOUCHING MOMENT PASS!!!?” Kido yelled grabbing Bellz's hands to stop her flurry of attacks. Bellz just laughed hysterically trying to get loose from her opponents grip. But Kido managed to grab both her wrist in his left hand. Bellz knew she was in trouble since she couldn't escape, she tried slashing with her clawed feet but Kido fought threw the pain. He was tougher than she thought, so she braced herself. Kido punched her in the gut hard with his remaining hand. Then again, Harder. And then a third time with all his strength. Bellz couldn't take anymore and felt the sensation to hurl rise. Kido made to throw her to the ground but Bellz made a grab for his face with her clawed feet, but grasped his cloak and hood instead.

“GAGH!!! *COUGH*” She hurled blood and meat from her last meal. She couldn't prove it, but she was certain, he was bearing iron fist under the red gloves he was wearing. Feeling her insides burning. She looked up at the one responsible for her pain. “YOU!?... *COUGH* WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? YOU'RE LIKE ME!!!”

Kido noticed she had removed his hood and cloak. Revealing two pointy ears, black spiky hair on top, a long black muzzle, the rest of his head a dark brown and he only had one eye, one red eye. His right eye wasn't there, there was only a deep vertical scar. He still had the lower half of his face covered. But Bellz could already tell what he was. “You're no Dog. You're a Werewolf!!!”

“Did I just hear that right?” Pinkie Pie asked her friends.

“It doesn't matter... we have to trust him.” Twilight quickly stopped them before it became a debate.

Bellz healed from the attack and stood up. She threw the cloak as far as she could. “Oh I see. You wanted to make friends. You may be a Werewolf but you still crave attention like a hungry puppy. You're shorter than any wolf I've ever seen.” She laughed at him. Kido felt the rage brewing inside of him but controlled it. “Now tell me. Werewolves are conquerors and carnivores. Always hunting... killing for fun. Of course you got banned like my kind to Tartarus. What are you doing helping ponies?” Bellz was softly laughing now.

Kido stayed quite and removed the black mask covering half his face. He was wearing all black except for his red gloves and boots and his arsenal of knives around his chest, belt and thighs. “Since the day I was born I was instructed of my destiny to one day escape Tartarus, open it's gates and free all inside. When I finally did escape, I only needed to open the gates from the outside and free my clan and fellow creatures of shadow. But I did not fight or distracted the mighty Cerberus. I ran.”

“What!? You could have opened the gates? Why didn't you?” Bellz was shocked and appalled that someone would abandoned his own clan, leaving them in the prison of Tartarus.

“To walk a path drawn by others. Not choosing my own way. Damn you and damn them all. I will make my own destiny.”

“And what's that suppose to mean?”

“Fuck you. I do what I want!”