The Silver Dawn

"Shadow, get that fence cut quick! If they see us we're dead!" Midnight Moon whispered harshly. I rolled my eyes as I continued to saw at the chain link fence in front of me with the rusty saw we picked up on the tracks. It was my seventeenth birthday today and I had learned of an amazing birthday cake the rich bakery on the other side of town had made for her daughter. My stomach growled in anticipation as I managed to saw through another layer of fence.

"Moon I swear to Discord, if you tell me to hurry up again and I'll start pretending your hooves are part of this fence. Now shut up and let me work!" I scolded as I spoke through the rusty saw in my mouth. I grunted and forced the saw through the layer of chain and then started to work on the last row.

"Well maybe if you weren't such a baby and just decided to climb over the fence like I had originally planed I wouldn't be complaining now would I?" With a loud sigh she plopped down onto her flank and looked up into the starry and full moon lit night sky. "Shadow, baby, do you ever think that one day we will finally be able to live normal lives?" she asked rather suddenly. I stopped sawing and released the rusty hacksaw from my mouth and spat out the dirt and rust.

"Midnight why would you ask me such a silly question?" I asked with a worried tone as I sat next to the purple maned, silver eyed mare next to me. "Of course I do. I would love the opportunity to just pack up and leave this Discord forsaken city and start a new life. I dream of it day and night." I let out a soft sigh as I kicked a small rock resting next to my hoof. "Besides, you know as much as I do that I would love to move away with you." I said softly as I leaned in and kissed the mare on the cheek. She smiled softly as her head moved and her eyes shifted to stare into my own. The soft shine of the moon light reflecting off the silver orbs, making her eyes look like glowing spheres of light.

"Yeah, I know Shadow. I'm just so sick of living here. I'm sick of having to run away from swarms of rats every night and living in a house of mold. I hate it here! I can't stand the disgusting sight of what I'm forced to call my home. I just want to run away with you and live a new life in a quiet town where no one pony gets judged for being different than the rest. I just want to be with you and start a fa-" Her sentence was cut off as the sharp cracking sound of a magically spell whipped past us. Midnight screamed as the glowing aura of her invisibility spell dissipated and left us out in the open. I stood up and instantly flared out my wings as I stood in front of her in a defensive stance.

"Hey! Who in the name of Discord do you think you are you good for nothing money sucker?!" I shouted into the dark abyss of the street in front of us. My eyes scanned for any movement, any sign of another pony trying to hurt us from within the shadows.

"Who are you calling a money sucker you rat dweller?" I hear from my left. I turned toward the sound and narrowed my eyes and lowered my back in a more threatening stance. "Maybe you would like to explain to me what a rat dweller like you is doing next to a hole in the fence next to the Shopping District!" The snooty, high classed Canterlot accented pony demanded.

"What we are doing is none of your business money choker. Don't you have money to go wank on or something? Maybe a family to ruin while you laugh in their face." I snorted and spat in the direction of the voice. "You money suckers are all the same! Just because something is different doesn't give you the right to treat them like vermin!'

"No it doesn't. However, when good for nothing and lazy ponies like yourselves try to steal my business and stink up my streets then we take action!" another crack filled the air as a purple bolt of magic hurled toward me. My eyes widened as I braced for the impact. I waited two seconds, three, four. I opened my eyes and looked around and saw nothing. I was still standing, my limbs were all in tact, my mane untouched. I let out a long sigh of relief as I turned around to face Midnight. "Hey Moon are you ok?" I asked before noticing she was gone. "Moon? Mooooooon? Did you run away again?" I called into the night.

"Sh-shadow..." a weak voice behind me whimpered. I snapped around and gasped as I ran toward the tan furred mare laying on the ground.

"Midnight! Moonie are you ok?!" I shouted as I finally reached her. Faint sparks of purple energy cracked and fizzled around her fur and mane as she lay there. Her silver eyes looked up at me as I dropped down in front of her. "H-hold on Moonie, ok? y-you're gonna be alright." I said as I attempted to pick her up. She let out a blood curdling scream forcing me to drop her and gasp.

"Shadow...I-I can't...move. It hurts so b-bad." she whimpered out as a tear flowed its way down her cheek. She took a shuddering breath and gulped. "I-I love you Shadow. I love you so much a-and... I'm sorry for all the bad...things I said to you over the y-years." She finally got out, her voice slowly becoming a whisper as her eyes closed. Her heaving, panting sides slowly fell as she went limp.

"M-moonie?! Midnight Moon?! No no no no no! Baby no please!" I shouted as I gently took her limp head into my hooves and pressed my forehead against hers. "P-please don't leave me alone Moonie..."

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    Years Later

"...And then I stayed with her. I didn't leave her side for at least three days. The rain and cold finally forced me to get up and call the authorities." I let out a sigh as I rubbed the bridge of my muzzle. "They buried her next to her three sisters at the Canterlot Cemetery and gave her family a compensation check that got them out of the Slums. Her mother didn't even bat an eyelash when she passed Moonie's casket. By Discord did I want to just buck her face in... My only hope and life line was gone and I was alone in a world of darkness and brutality. I just didn't want to live anymore." I finished as tears started to slowly flow down my face, the subtle pitter of them hitting the floor making my heart shatter.

"W-what did you do after her death?" She asked me. I looked up into her eyes as I suppressed a small, quiet sob

"I decided enough was enough. The Royal Court needed to know how poorly we were being treated and they needed to know as soon as possible. I couldn't sit by any longer and let the segregation of the rich and the poor continue and ruin so many ponies lives. They needed to be told the truth and I didn't care who wanted to stop me."

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Earlier

With burning determination and purpose, I stormed up the stairs of the Royal Palace in the Sun District and stomped my way through the large, marble made halls of the capitol building of Canterlot. Apon reaching the doors to the Royal Court I was stopped by the Solar Guard stationed outside.

"Hold there! Citizen you stand before the entry way to the Royal Court of Equestria. By why rights or reasons do you stand before me?" A nasally voiced guard said stepping forward and planting his glowing spear of magic into the ground in front of him.

"My name is Shadowbane. I demand to see the Princesses of Equestria in full Royal Court on behalf of everypony living in the Slums in the center of this twisted city." I started as my wings flared out and my head held high.

"Yes...another pony from the so called 'Slums'... very well Mr. Bane you ma-"

"The name is Shadowbane. Nothing more nothing less you got me?" I growled as I stepped forward.

"Very well Shadowbane. You may enter the Royal Court as soon as the princesses of Equestria are summoned. Please take a seat over there and wait please." With an angry look I huffed and sat on the rug of a waiting room like area. I opened my left wing and closed my eyes as I started to preen out the damaged feathers in my wings, my head just ripping out the broken ones and throwing them onto the floor. If anypony was allowed to be prideful of one thing in their life then mine would be my wings. I kept every feather in strict order and made sure they were always straight. The fight or flight situation happened almost everyday in the Slums and one broken or misplaced feather could be the difference maker between life and death. More times than I could count I had to rely on my wings to carry me to safety.

"Ehem! Shadowbane, the Royal Princesses of Equestria will see you now in the courtroom." The nasally guard said apon reentering the room.

"Good... it's about time I get to be heard by someone of significant authority." I snorted as I approached the doors

"Yes...quite. The Royal Court will now come into session for a citizen concern. Everypony bow before your Supreme Leaders! The princesses may enter!"