Shendu

My eyes creek open, a fantastical sight greets me. A twisting vortex of color above a calm countryside. I sit myself up and notice with a shock my body is back to.....to...what it used to be. Where am I? I raise my many limbs about me, and notice that one of my claws is missing. I try to remember why. Everything is hazy, and the attempt to remember causes my head to throb, I slowly rise. The countryside is calm, long and wavy grass surrounds me and a mighty tree looms nearby. The vortex of color above me twists constantly, moving by some unseen force. The landscape is only barely touched by the light above, seeming like it was the light of the moon that shone upon it.

"Shendu can you hear me?"

A voice tickles my mind, but any meaning behind the words is lost as I gaze into the vortex of color above me. I watch the display in awe. Reds, blues, yellows, the entire rainbow dances. It calms me somehow, and I find myself lowering to the ground, laying in the soft grass. Then another color enters the light show. A dark, inky blackness seeps into the vortex. I find myself recoiling at the sight. Some far-away part of me crying out in horror, but I can only watch as it perverts the vortex.

"Wake up dammit! You need to wake up!"

Another something tickles my mind. What was that? I look down at my body and see the same blackness from above is wafting off my form, drifting up and joining the vortex. Another glance at the darkening vortex above shows the colors are fading fast, most of the vortex is now unseen in darkness. The landscape around me reflects the change, the once mighty tree is now withering, its leaves turning to ashes. The grass too, is dying, tuning yellow and wilting before my eyes.

"No." I whisper. Everything was perfect! Serene! I need to do something before it is lost completely. I jump to my feet and look around, searching for something, anything, that might fix this.

"Shendu if you can hear me you need to wake up!"

This time I hear the words and grasp the meaning. I'm asleep? But how do I wake up? When did I fall asleep? The last thing I remember was getting off the train and running through the snow... then there was that voice.

"Did you forget what you were? How sad."

That shadow, it did this! I clench my eyes shut and focus on myself, trying to block out everything around me. Wake up wake up wake up wake up.

A cruel laughter echoes around the dreamscape, I open my eyes and see the surrounding land is now barren and dead. I look up, the vortex is nearly completely black, only a shimmer of color proves it's not completely consumed. In a panic, I dash to the now-dead tree and slam my head into it with all my might, I hear what sounds like the shatter of glass as memories pour into my mind. Memories of slaughter and blood. I remember my life from the beginning, starting with the chimera, the first thing I ever killed. Everything goes black, and I feel liquid being splashed on my face.

I gasp and try to sit up, blinking at the bright light that surrounds me. A powerful hand holds me down on what I now feel is a bed. Water drips from my face as I try to get my bearings. Wrath and Spike are the only ones in the small room. A bucket dangles from one of Spike's claws. He sheepishly grins.

"Sorry."

"It's okay." I mutter. I look back to Wrath and see his other hand holding part of my mane, which I see is now back to the grey it once was. My eyes begin to water. "I remember everything." I suddenly remark, looking down. "I forgot after they transformed me, but I remember now." There is a pause, then I feel myself being lifted and pressed against Wrath's chest. I can't see anything as tears stream from my eyes. I can only hug the muscled human's chest as grief wracks my body.

Wrath

The filly quietly sobs in my arms. I slowly look over to Spike and see a confused look on his face. I motion with my free hand to leave the room, to which he quickly obliges, leaving me alone with the sobbing Shendu.

"Hush, little one." I quietly say to the filly. I take a seat on the bed and gently rock her. Her little hooves try and grasp around my chest as she tries to reign in her emotions. I just let her hug me and hold her close. So her memory is back? Is this the work of Sombra? What would he possibly stand to gain from making Shendu remember being a maiden? Or was that even his intention? So many questions I don't have the answers to. I can only hold the filly as she cries.

After we came through the barrier the first thing we did was run for the palace. Once there the others went to meet with Cadence and Shining Armor while I brought Shendu to the first bedroom I could find. Spike alone accompanied me. Many minute pass as the filly's cries slowly quiet, until she is simply clutching my chest.

"Why?" She quietly asks. I can only raise an eyebrow. A meaningless gesture to one whose face is buried against my chest and arm. I give a 'hmm?' in response as I gently turn her so her face is toward me. She still huddles against my chest, refusing to look me in the eye. I can see the tear stains marking the fur beneath her eyes.

"Why am I alive?"

"Because Celestia decided that you should live." I respond slowly. She shakes her head.

"No, I mean, why am I alive in the first place? Why was I a monster?"

That question gives me pause. I had expected her to ask why she was a pony, or why she remembered in the first place, or even why Celestia made that decision. I am slow to respond, gently stroking her mane as she finally raises her eyes to mine.

".....Nobody knows why they are alive. Many have theories, many think they know, but worrying about why you exist is futile. You will never know. Just know that you are alive, and..... yes, you were a monster. But there is no reason why you were a monster, you simply were. There is no reason why I am human, or why Celestia is a pony. We simply are. But you are not the same creature you were before, know that. The creature that attacked that town is dead, Shendu. You simply share its name and know its memories. You are who you choose to be."

Shendu looks down, and a small frown worms its way onto her face.

"I didn't choose to be a pony."

"And I didn't choose to be a human. I said you are who you choose to be, not what." After that she looks up at me with a look of wounded hope.

"So I don't h-have to be a m-monster?" She quietly asks, her voice cracking sadly as fresh tears well up in her eyes. I grasp her a little firmer in response as I pull her into a hug. The forlorn filly cries fresh tears onto my chest as she clutches me again with all her might.

"No you don't." I whisper. More to myself than her. "No you don't."

Twilight

The throne room is filled with my friends, my brother and sister-in-law, and myself. We all stand around a seated and disheveled Cadence.

"Sombra's attack has stopped, for the moment." Cadence says as she opens her eyes.

"Excellent." A monotonous voice calls from behind us. I turn and watch as Contessa with a throng of royal guards enter the throne room, shutting the door behind them. "We have much to discuss."

The mare produces a map of the area, with a large X to the southeast of the city, right in the middle of the Crag mountain range.

"What is this?" Shining asks. The girls all voice their confusion as well, Contessa merely points at the X.

"This, is how we defeat the Dark King." She says as she taps the X with a hoof. "The tallest mountain in the Crag mountain range had a crystal mine in it, back in the glory days of the crystal empire. Sombra had quite a large labor camp there when he came to power. We came to the conclusion that Sombra's corpse must be there." All heads look to Contessa as they process this new information.

"That would make sense." Cadence mutters. "That would explain how he attacks when he does. If he is using the natural shadow of the mountain."

"Precisely." Contessa praises. "If we find his corpse and properly destroy it, the Dark King should be gone for good."

"Ah have a question." Applejack speaks up. "How do ya 'properly destroy it'?"

"Yeah, I mean, how to you destroy something that is already dead?" Rainbow adds. Shining armor tilts his head to the side.

"Well, light magic should purge his body. Any kind would do after how long it has been." he says. "But how do you get there? Sombra is still rampaging just beyond the barrier. It will be very dangerous."

"Yes, and it is not as if Sombra will simply stop his attack on the city. Cadence is a dear but she won't last much longer, we need ponies to stay and help protect the citizens here in case the barrier fails." Rarity says.

"So we need to decide who stays and protects the citizens and who goes to defeat Sombra?" I ask.

"Yes." Contessa answers. "I think it is fairly simple really. The ones who would actually be of use in getting to Sombra and killing him once and for all are small." She pauses as she takes a breath. "I am a seasoned commander, so I will of course be going, then the dragon as his fire will be useful against any ice we may encounter blocking our way, five of my best guards and lastly the human for protection. Everypony else will stay." Applejack and Rainbow immediately begin to protest, but a look from Contessa shuts them up almost immediately. "Anypony else would just be a liability"

"Why not take me?" Shining asks, Contessa just looks at him with her unreadable expression, then silently gestures to Cadence, whose eyes are half-lidded and is beginning to lean to the right. Shining scowls at Contessa before moving to support his wife, nudging her softly to wake her from her near slumber.

"Any other objections?" Contessa asks as she looks around the room. "No? Good. I will be getting my stallions and myself ready. We should get moving as soon as we can, like Rarity said, Cadence won't last much longer." With that the olive mare turns and trots away, the guards she brought with her quickly following suit. I turn to my friends.

"Girls, while they can probably beat Sombra, we should look for another way. Lets go to the library and see what we can find." I suggest. Nods meet my notion and after a hug with my brother we make our way out of the room.

Wrath

Many minutes have passed since Shendu asked that last question. Her crying has now stopped and if it weren't for her eyes being open I would think she were asleep, as she has not made a single sound since. She is not the same creature she was before. She is a pony that shares the maiden's memories, that is it. I rock her gently and cradle her a little closer, she responds by clutching my arm tighter. And she is my charge. I am unfit to raise a child, but who else would take her? Who else could take her? The ponies of today have very limited knowledge of the horrors this one endured. I am one of few that can give her the care she needs. But I am no parental figure. Even with...with..... my own. I was a provider. My....my.....she actually raised the girl. Besides, am I even capable of raising a child anymore?

My musings are interrupted as a knock sounds on the door. Shendu and I both look toward it as it slowly opens and Contessa, along with Spike, come walking through.

"I hope I am not interrupting?" Contessa asks.

"No, what do you need?"

"We have a plan to finish Sombra, and we leave as soon as possible. You, the dragon, five of my guards, and myself will be going." Hearing this, Shendu clutches me tighter still. Surprising me with her strength.

"I'm going too." Shendu states.

"No, you are not." Contessa responds, earning a glare from Shendu. "You saw what happened when you were exposed to Sombra, we can't even think of exposing you to him again." Shendu begins to quiver in my lap. Seeing this, Spike speaks up.

"The girls are all down in the library looking for things to do incase we fail or Cadence gives out before we can beat Sombra. I can take you to them?" He offers. Shendu looks up at me and begrudgingly nods her head. I set her down and she slowly makes her way out of the room, following Spike. I look over to Contessa and find her watching Shendu go, when the door shuts behind them she speaks.

"How is she?"

"She remembers her former life. All things considered she took it pretty well."

"Well that's good to hear, now come on, we have to get ready. The maiden's, er, Shendu's claw is with my guards, one of them grabbed it when you dropped it back outside the barrier. We have to go as soon as we can. When Spike meets us we can set out." I nod my approval and follow her out of the room.

Author's Note

I can't even apologize about delays anymore. So I won't, but I do feel bad. Military life kinda fucked me, hard. But hey, here is a chapter, albeit a short one.

As always, please leave a comment and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is welcome!

Thanks for reading!