An Alicorn's Shadow

     Sol awoken from a much needed sleep. He got up and looked around. Searching for something, but found nothing. The only thing he saw was a little black wolf, that he had his arm wrapped around and it held close to him. Sol smiled at the sleeping wolf and carefully slipped his hoof out of the wolf's grasp. He walked over to the window and stared at the golden sky. "It's a beautiful morning. Perfect for hunting." He said as he walked back over to the wolf. Sol then taps the wolf with hoof. The wolf opened it's eyes and growl at him. "Oh come on, Nightshade! Get your lazy flank up! We have to go check the traps and see if we caught a bunny or something." The wolf looked at him with a(n) annoyed face and let out a big yawn, before getting up. Sol looked at the wolf's blue left eye and red right eye. Sol and Nightshade then started to head out the door.

     Sol and Nightshade stumbled upon a rabbit hanging from a rope by it's hind leg. Blood was running down it's head and dripping from it's ears in to a pool of blood below it. "That's a big one. See! I told you my trap will work!" Sol walked over to the blood soaked bunny and cuts it down. It fell in the pool of blood and splashed some blood on Sol's hind legs. Nightshade walked over and picked up the bunny by the neck. He then places it in Sol's saddle bag. "Let's go check the other traps." As they walked, Sol thought to himself. [Every time I look at Nightshade I can't help being reminded of my mom. To think this wolf was a puppy when his mother gave birth to him and that was just three weeks ago. Sadly, he was the only one to survive his birth. The rest of them died and because of that colt. Even the mother couldn't hold out anymore and gave up. I took care of him ever since then.]

     Sol and Nightshade came back to the facility and went inside. Sol flipped the switch, which ignited the campfire in the middle of the room. "And you thought taking the wire out of the light and using it to create a fire was a bad idea." The wolf growled at him. Sol walked over to the fire and took out a skinned rabbit. Sol then jabbed a stake through it before placing it over the fire. Sol grabbed the crank and turned it. Sol let's go of the crank and turns to the black wolf. "Nightshade, could you grab a couple of plates for us to eat on?" Nightshade snarled at him. Sol sighed while slamming his hoof in his face. "Please." Sol groaned. Nightshade walked over to the stack of plates and grabbed a plate from the top. He then heads over to Sol and sets the plate in front of the black colt, before bowing. "Where's yours, my humble servant?" Sol said with a smirk. Nightshade looked up at him and growled. Sol laughed, before tossing him a raw skinned rabbit. Sol watched as the black wolf pounces on the rabbit and devours it.

     Princess Celestia is in her room, crying silently in her pillow while thinking to herself. A guard opened the door. Celestia lifted her head to looked at him. The guard took off his helmet and held it on his chest. "Your Majesty, its been a month and a half since Sol disappeared. We've stopped searching for him and we assume the worst has happened. I'm sorry for your lost."

     Celestia sits up and cried even harder than before. "Don't you dare say that ever again." She said with a hint of anger in her voice. "He's still alive! I know it! He's out there somewhere, crying his eyes out and yelling for help." She yelled. "He has to be." She whimpered before collapsing on to her legs. "Could you give me some time to myself."

     "Yes, your Highness." He said before walking out the door and closing it.

     Celestia got up and walked over to her dresser. She levitates a framed picture up to her face. Its a picture of her and Sol standing in front of the castle. She takes the photo out of the frame and folds it. She then takes out the gem from her amulet and places the photo in the empty space before placing the gem back. Then she puts her hoof on the gem. "Its ok Sol, you'll always be close to my heart."

     Nightshade looks up from his meal and sniffs the air. He runs to the open window and growls at it. "What's wrong? Is the food that bad?" Sol said sarcastically. Sol sets his plate down and walks over to the window. He saw four pairs of glowing purple eyes. "Oh. That's the problem, isn't?" Sol started to mumble under his breath. "What are they waiting for? Maybe we're not their targets? Or are they waiting for the right time to attack? Or are they waiting for us to make a move first?" Sol backed away from the window and walked towards a box that read "Experiment #37 a.k.a The Folding Crossbow". He took out the cross bow and unfolded it. He then took a quiver filled with crossbow bolts and straps it to his back. He then puts a 8x scope on the attachment railing. Sol walks back to the window and points the crossbow out of it. He pulls a crossbow bolt out of the quiver and places it on the top of the crossbow, while pulling back on it, priming the weapon. He holds the front, while he slides his hoof between the hoof guard and the trigger. Sol looks down the scope and zooms in to see the threat more clearly. Sol knows he can't see their faces, but he aims for the middle right one, the glowing purple eyes. Before Sol could get his hoof around the trigger, the eyes disappeared. Signaling that they ran off. Sol takes his head from the scope and folded up his crossbow. He than throws it over his back and just kept staring in the direction where the creatures were.

     Sol looks in a box labeled "Unknown creatures that have been found". He kept searching the files, but something caught his eye. It was a file the read "Timber wolves". Sol grabbed this file and walked over to a spot on the floor and started to read out loud. "Timber wolves also called " The wolves of the Everfree trees". These creatures are strange, they don't need blood or food to live. We hypothesise that these creatures work the same way plants work. We were right. The wolves need sunlight and water to live. We've found out that the won't go near fire. We've also found that they don't have a reproductive organs, but there's so many of them. So we thought that there was something creating them. We've notice that every time we in counter one there's always that same glow in there eyes. We found out that there was a tree that would produce magic and create the wolves with it's own limbs. When the tree dies, it becomes a Timber wolf itself, but bigger and stronger then the others, so we think it's an alpha. It will then choose it's mate, which it odd. But we found out that when the tree dies the wolves began growing reproductive organs and females are now able to carry a child. Timber wolves are very fascinating creatures." Sol got up and walked back over to the box. He places the file next to it. He than grabs the box with his mouth and drags it over to the place where he was sitting.

     Sol took another look in the box and picked a file at random. He looked at the file he chose and it said "Shadow beings". Sol opens the file and read out loud again. "Shadow beings also called Hunters of the Shadows. These creatures are dangerous. They hunt the evil of the earth and destroy it along with everything in it's path. These creatures come in all shapes and sizes, but always have the same features. Black body with purple eyes. It depending on what evil it hunts, it turns in to something to hunt it. It doesn't confuse it's prey and knows which prey it was chosen to hunt. Sometimes there'll be a creature with evil locked away and because of that, a creature called a Guardian will protect it. But it is never successful. Its extremely rare for the prey to kill the Shadow being it's being hunted by. The Shadow being is stronger than it's prey and dies after it kills it's prey. That's all we know. If your a pony with evil inside you, I just have to say  good luck." Sol thinks about this for a minute. [Black body and purple eyes. Is that why that dragon went after me? But, I'm not evil. Unless.....  I'm too tired to think right now.] Sol puts the file down and walks over to Nightshade. He lied down next to the sleeping wolf and blacks out.

     Sol awakens and stands up to stretch. He looks over to his side and sees that Nightshade is sitting in the corner. "Nightshade what's wrong?" The black wolf then looks at Sol and then turns back to the corner. Sol walks over to him to see what's he staring at. When Sol got over there, he remembers the spot they were standing in. This is the spot where Nightshade was born and were his family died. "Do you miss her?" The wolf shook his head. "Is it something about last night?" Nightshade nodded. "Was it the food?" The wolf shook his head. "The files?" The wolf shook his head once again. "The pack of wolves in the trees?" Nightshade nods. Sol thinks for a second. "Is it because you feel lonely and want to be with your kind?" Nightshade nods. "Oh. So that's the reason." Sol said sadly. He then smiles. "Come on! Let's go find your home!" The wolf gave Sol a confused look. "I want you to be happy, its ok I can take care of my self." Sol got up and walked over to the crossbow and quiver. He puts on the quiver and then grabs a strap for the crossbow. "Just in case." Sol said while swing the crossbow on to his back. Sol started to walk towards the door. "Aren't you coming?" The wolf follows Sol out the door and begin their new adventure.

     A few hours after they left they ran into a few packs of wolves. "Man those last ones were a####les! I think its time to call it a day." Sol suddenly stop in his tracks. Nightshade looked at him but kept walking then he ran into something fury. Nightshade took a looked at the thing he bumped into. It was another wolf and a female one at that. Nightshade looked at the light grey wolf in her blue eyes. She then started to sniff him and opened her mouth.

"Oh! I'm sorry." She said with an apologetic smile

"W-Wha............" Sol said.

"I'm Gayle and you are?" She said

"That's amazing! How can you speak like that?!" Sol said.

"Its because all wolves from our pack need to drink from "The Pond of Voices" and that's how I'm able to speak." She explained

"My names Sol Eclipse!" Sol said. "Do you have any of that water?"

"Why yes, I do." She said as she pulled a flask from her bag. She then opens it and puts it in the frozen black wolf's mouth. Nightshade swallows the water and clicks his tounge a few time.

"That stuff taste like s##t!" He said.

"That's amazing!" Sol said

"I'm actually not suppose to give it to wolves outside of the pack." She said as she puts the flask back in her bag. And continues. "Now what's your name?"

"Uuuuhhhhh.....Nightshade." He said.

"That's an odd name for a wolf. Why did your mother give you that name?"

     Nightshade looks down then looks back up trying to hold back the tears. "She didn't give me that name, she died when I was born."

"Oh. I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories."

"Its ok. I'm f—" Before Nightshade could finish he was interrupted by a strong sounding voice. He looked up to see a grey male wolf bigger than him.

"Gayle what did I tell you about interacting with wolves outside of the pack?!" Said the unknown wolf.

"Is that anyway to talk to your future wife, Richard?" She said.

"You're coming back home!" He said as he grabbed her tail with his mouth and pulled back.

"Ow! Stop that!" She yelped.

"You're coming with me!" He said as he pulled harder and harder.

"Your hurting me!" She started to shed tears as she says this.

"You stubborn bi—" He was interrupted when Nightshade headbutted him. Flinging him a few feet. "Hey! Whats the big idea, you mot######ker!"

     Nightshade didn't pay any attention to him and turns to look at Gayle. "Are you ok?"

"Why'd you do that?" She said.

"Because it looked like you needed my help." He said.

"You're going to pay for this!" Said Richard while holding his head.

"And what are you going to do about it?!"

"Nothing for now. Gayle come on were going home!"

"She's not going anywhere!"

"Are you challenging me!?"

"I guest I am!"

"Fine! Where do you want to fight?!"

"In front of the whole pack!"

"So what are you wagering?"

"Her!"

"Please! Wager something that you can't replace and something that's worth you fighting for.

"You heartless, bastard!"

"I've got an idea! How about the winner becomes the alpha and the loser is killed!?"

"Fine by me!"

"See you at the fight!" And then he left in the opposite direction.

     "Hey are you ok?" Nightshade said.

"Nothing to bad. But why did you do that?" Gayle said.

"Because he needs to be put in his place."

"You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I did." He says with a smile.

She smiles back. "You're too protective."

"Why did you marry that guy?"

"I was forced into it. An alpha is suppose to have a mate to carry on the legacy."

"Wait! He an alpha!"

"Yes. What's wrong?"

"I'm gonna die!"

"You're going to be fine."

"What makes think so?"

     Gayle walked closer to him then licked his cheek and whispered in his ear. "Because you have someone worth the fight."

Nightshade looked at her and blushes. "A-Are you sure you'd want someone like me?" She nods. "Sol what do you think?"

"What do you think?" Sol said.

"Ok then let's do it then."

"Follow me." Gayle said.

     They arrive at a crowd of wolves. The wolves stepped aside to make a path to the middle. They walked down the path leading to a ring of stones. They then saw a grey wolf standing on the other side of the ring of stones. "Are you sure I can't back out?"

"Yes. If you back out, you lose." Gayle whispered.

     Nightshade stepped into the ring. "Good luck, sweetie."

"Good luck, Nightshade." Sol said with a smile.

     The black wolf walked to the middle of the ring. "Took you long enough!" He said.

Nightshade said nothing.

"Ok, don't talk! It'll be much easier to take you out!"

     Richard runs at him and pounces with his mouth open and one paw ready to attack. Nightshade jumps out of the way, letting the grey wolf slam in to the ground. He got up and ran at him. Nightshade stood there. The wolf jumps at him again. But Nightshade jumps at the wolf, grabbing him by the neck. Tackling him to the ground. But the black wolf and wouldn't let go. Richard tried hitting the wolf. But it only made him bite harder. Nightshade can taste the blood of the wolf and feels his scratches getting weaker. He knew that it was time to end it. He pulled his head to the side as quickly as he could. He then heard a snapping sound from his neck and dropped him. He watches as the gray wolf's lifeless body hit the ground. He looks up to see Gayle running at him. When she got to him she put her head close to his. She then began rubbing her head against his. When she pulls away, Nightshade licked her cheek. "I love you, Gayle."

"I love you, too!" She said.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes!"

Sol thought to himself. {Holy####! That was fast!} He then notice that Nightshade was standing over him.

"Well I guess this is goodbye. Thanks for everything you've done, Sol. You can stay if you like?"

"No thanks. I can handle it myself. Goodbye, Nightshade."

"Goodbye, Sol." Sol gives Nightshade a quick hug before left.

"You never told me about him. What is he?" Gayle said.

"All you need to know is that he's an angel of darkness." Said Nightshade with a smile.