Behind the Shadow

“Why the hell am I doing this?”

When Sunset approached him in their history class and invited him to lunch with her friends, Onyx declined with the excuse of no money. When Pinkie joined in with that dinner plate sized smile and insisting food would be on them, he almost couldn’t refuse. It had been about three weeks since he’d properly eaten, his snack rations of jerky and pickles were cleaned out a month ago. Only the liquor he had tricked his belly into being full, but with the last bit of it gone and his body in a sorry state he needed real food. The long nights spent researching and staking out Razor and the Crimson Moon Council hideouts took up most of his time. The idea of food flew over his head with barely a crumb on his mind. But if they were paying, it sounded like fair game. The mere mention of a meal made his stomach growl. He made a mental note to not drain their wallets.

As he scanned the small cafe, a couple hazards stood out to him. There were too many large windows for his liking, making it easy to see who was inside. Sunset and her friends were in a window booth at the front making them easy targets if someone decided to attack. The cafe also resided in the center of a city block making the front door the only reasonable means of escape. He felt uncomfortable being in a public place with a large group during the day. Informants for Razor could spot him, and with several potential targets around him, he couldn’t guarantee they would all make it out this time.

“Well, might as well get this over with,” he mumbled to himself. Rolling his neck in an attempt to loosen up, Onyx placed his hand on the door. Was he overthinking it? No. It was always wise to be cautious in a situation like this. There was no room for complacency.

Stepping inside the cozy little cafe, the smell of freshly baked pastries, grilled chicken, and freshly brewed coffee filled his nostrils. His mouth watered. The mixed scents of the girls he had saved then caught his attention, overpowering his sense of hunger as his mind changed focus. The pleasant aroma of Sunset’s perfume had quickly become his favorite, most likely because he’s spent the most time with her. As he walked down the aisle of booths and tables, he noticed they were all in a pretty good mood. With friendly smiles plastered on their faces and bright eyes, they easily welcomed him with open arms. Except for Twilight. She welcomed him as her friends did, but with a passing sideways glance Onyx knew she wasn’t being completely sincere. She did well at keeping a friendly face, no doubt with practice. Her friends were convinced. He knew better though; the small hint of apprehension that hid in her pupils was enough for him. That look became all too familiar to him over his lifetime. It unnerved him how she looked at him. Could she see what he truly was?

Meeting the girls at their large booth, Onyx squeezed into the open left hand end next to Sunset. Giving a short wave to everyone, he got comfortable. Resting his left arm on the back of the booth over Sunset’s shoulders and propping a leg on his opposite knee a small yawn escaped. “Where’s the food at,” he asked, his stomach growling loudly. “I’m starving.”

A few cute giggles came from Fluttershy sitting across the table. “Oh, you sure sound like it. Sunset and Pinkie went ahead and ordered for you. It’ll be here soon,” she answered with a sweet tone.

Sunset did her best to hide it, but her cheeks faintly flushed red. Feeling Onyx brush against her sent a flare of warmth throughout her body. Just from sitting close to him, she could feel his body heat radiating off of him like a heater. Despite the warm weather, it was calming; peaceful and soft, much like cuddling up with a blanket next to a warm fire on a winter night. She silently wished he could be a replacement for the blankets she had at home. Having such a handsome cuddle buddy would also be a plus. Even with how he could be dangerous, the way he carried himself with a stern, controlled confidence, made her feel the safest she’s ever been. Sunset stammered, “W-We weren’t sure when you were going to show up, so I- I thought it would be nice if you had some food ready, that’s all.”

Onyx gave a nod of appreciation. It was nice of her to think ahead, although he wanted to look at the menu before. That grilled chicken he smelled was heavenly. Either way, food is food. There’s no sense in complaining when it’s free too. ‘I wonder what Pinkie Pie ordered for me. I hope it’s an apple fritter,’ he thought. Those small chunks of apples with the cinnamon absorbed were his favorite part. An old memory from years ago had begun to resurface at the thought of the perfect apple fritter. There was only one woman he knew who could make one with so much love and care, even gods would try to seize their divine hands on one for themselves in place of fabled ambrosia. As he blinked, the memory faded as though it was never conjured from the depths of his mind.

The caramel latte macchiato Rarity sipped from sat on the table half full. She leaned on her elbow with her head in hand. She held a foxy gaze, taking in the appearance and demeanor of the man before her with the astute calculation of a queenly designer. A sly smirk took her mouth. “So, Oslyx, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were just telling us about your incredible feat of stock brawn. I have to say, it makes a girl wonder just how far you can push your limits,” she spoke with an amorous tone that hinted at her own feminine wandering thoughts. Sunset shot her a quick glare of daggers. Stifling an outburst of laughter, Rainbow and Applejack nudged each other with elbows.

‘Is she hitting on me?’ Onyx wondered. “Yeah, I wish the equipment would handle my full strength, but with a busted shoulder I had to take it easy. Don’t think much of it,” he flatly said. A short silence covered the group. Rarity straightened herself out and awkwardly sipped from her straw. Onyx’s food had finally been served by a waiter who promptly set it down and excused himself. Seeing the BLT sit on the plate in front him, reminded him of meeting Sunset the night before. An apple fritter sat on the side of the plate, and with absolutely zero second thoughts he began to devour the food like a starving animal. It wasn’t as tasty as he had hoped, but he didn’t care.

Applejack broke the silence, hoping to finally confront Sunset about the events of last night that worried everyone so much. She tipped her stetson forward, putting on a steady and stern expression. “Are ya’ finally gonna’ tell what happened last night now that he’s here, Sunset? We waited for him, so it’s your turn to spill the beans. Where were you?”

Onyx stopped his inhalation of his sandwich and spoke through a full mouth, “You haven’t told them yet? Kept your promise longer than I thought you would.”

“What promise,” Twilight asked, her voice filled with worry.

Nervously tapping her fingers on the table, Sunset found the courage to bring up the events of last night at Joe’s Diner. Whatever her friend’s reactions were, she was prepared for it. They deserved to know the truth. “Last night when Joe’s blew up, we both were there. Some men in suits came in and started shooting the place up. Onyx was hurt and…” Her voice became shaky. Bearing through the recent trauma, she swallowed a hard lump in her throat that made a pit in her belly. Regaining her composure, she continued. “If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here. He saved my life, again! I owe him my life, we all do.”

They all did? The same question passed through each of their consciousnesses. The sudden realization of who this man was before them sent the girls into a state of shock. That night flashed in their minds; the fear, the inescapable dread, the horrid sight of seeing those grimey men get beaten to a pulp. The blood, the violence, it was too much for them then and it still was. They had hoped to move on and forget about the whole experience. Seems the universe had other plans. Rarity had fainted, causing Fluttershy to hurriedly fan her face with some spare napkins. Pinkie Pie’s hair slowly started to straighten out and turn a darker pink and the joyful mirth her eyes held had faded, but it bounced back with resilience and her smile unexpectedly had grown even wider, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Rainbow Dash sunk low into the booth’s seat in disbelief, her eyes glazing over. Applejack lowered her stetson over her face, visibly shaken at the information revealed to her. Twilight began to hyperventilate, her heart pounding against her chest in a futile attempt to escape.

Twilight was right. There was something about this guy that rubbed her the wrong way. It caused her soul to attempt to separate from her body; to flee from the powerful dark magic residing within him. The harmonic magic within her swirled in a chaotic hurricane, slashing at the inner confines of her soul and mind, begging to be let out. Her human body couldn’t handle the power, locking her in a stalemate, unable to move or think.

“So, what h-h-happened after,” a frightened Applejack asked. At the moment, it took every ounce of courage she had to ask that simple question. The information laid out to her was a bit much for her at the moment.

“We were chased. He took me somewhere safe and I stayed the night with him. Not like that, I know what you're thinking,” Sunset exclaimed. “I was scared as hell at first and was freaking out, but without him I still wouldn’t be here! It’s because of him that I survived. He’s the guy from the alley that saved all of us!” Lowering her voice to hiss she continued, “And he’s taken bullets for all of us. He may seem dangerous, but the selfless act of sacrificing himself to make sure I came back to all of you is enough for me to trust him with my life! He’s on our side.”

Sunset pleaded with her friends, trying to make them understand. Onyx wasn’t a threat to them, or Equestria. From what she gathered he was just trying to survive in a world that had no gratitude or kindness for him. It saddened her to come to that conclusion, but it seemed to be the best answer she had at the moment.

Bizarrely enough, the known scaredy-cat Fluttershy still held her kind and cordial attitude. When he had given her that vial of red liquid to heal her cut, she felt the benevolent energy he emitted. To her, he was no different than a bear, only being aggressive when the time called for it to protect something. Her soft teal eyes shed a small tear. She would always be grateful for that night he saved everyone. He didn’t have to heal her or help her in the school’s hall, yet he did out of the kindness of his heart.

Wiping his hands free of crumbs on his pants, Onyx calmly placed his hands on the table in front of him. With the information out, there was no use hiding now. He’d confirm Sunset’s account. Hopefully with this knowledge reaching them they would be open to sharing information on the magical anomalies that took place. Opening his mouth to speak, he stopped. A small glint of light appeared from the rooftop of a building across the street. He thought nothing of it as it disappeared, but a second one appeared on top of the building next to it. His eyes widened as his heart thudded in his chest. Launching his body over the table, he knocked Twilight to the side in the nick of time as a large caliber bullet shattered the window her back was turned to. He wasn’t so lucky though, as the sniper round pierced a golf ball sized hole straight through the right side of his chest and exploded out his back. It knocked him back with the force of a cannon, slamming through the cashier counter and into the wall behind it. The limestone cracked and almost gave way to the force his body pushed against it, leaving a vague indentation in the stone. Blood spilled out his chest like a sick crimson fountain, leaving a dark pool to form at his feet. An agony filled scream erupted from his throat, threatening to tear it apart from the inside out. Counter attack! It’s the only chance you got!

“Everybody get down,” he commanded, through ragged breaths.

The cafe full of customers was sent into a panic, everyone screaming and ducking under the tables and getting behind any cover they could find. Instinct took over with retaliation at the forefront of immediate action. Sliding the pistol he had taken from Golden Bullet out from his pants, a thin black aura of light enveloped the gun as it circulated the trigger and barrel. Taking fast aim, he fired a shot. The black light aura condensed into a solid form of energy that encased the bullet in a shroud of darkness. A powerful shockwave of condensed energy erupted from the barrel as he pulled the trigger, blowing the gun to pieces in the process. The shockwave shattered the remaining windows and deafened everyone in the immediate vicinity.

The glint of glass he saw before shattered into hundreds of small shards, light refracting off of each and every piece. A portion of the building’s roof crumbled to the ground with a headless body following the debris. Tossing the pistol to the side, Onyx attempted to get to his feet, using every bit of strength he could muster. The white hot pain in his chest was too much, but he had to move and get these girls out of here! Coughing up a substantial amount of blood and clenching his teeth, he forced his body to move. Blood caked his lips and continued to freely pour from his chest. Every muscle screamed at the strain and urged him to give in and lay there. Bullshit! He couldn’t give up, not for a single second. A surge of adrenaline pumped through his veins, numbing any pain he had. Getting to the booth the girls were at, he ripped the table top off its post and leaped outside. He yelled back at them, “If you want to make it out of this alive I suggest you stick close to me! Move!”

The Rainbooms quickly followed the command of the booming voice without a second thought. They climbed over the broken glass, huddling behind the makeshift table shield and followed as Onyx stumbled his way to the end of the city block. With the table shield providing cover from any other unseen snipers, the group stopped behind a parked semi-trailer. A brief moment gave them a chance to catch their breath and count heads. There were only six. Where was Twilight? Realizing she was still on the floor of the diner, Onyx urged the rest of them to make it to the next block corner.

“Make a run for it and turn at the laundromat. You’ll see a white door with red markings. Get inside and wait for me,” he told them.

Out of breath, Rainbow Dash yelled back in her own adrenaline surged state. “We’re not going anywhere without Twilight! We have to go back for her!”

This was no time to argue. “I know. Just go,” snapped Onyx. The illusion cast over his face was gone, revealing his true, battle worn face. Sunlight reflected off the sharp canine teeth he bared at her, serving as a reinforcement of his command.

Rainbow Dash took a small step back, frightened at the display. Looking at how scared her other friends were gave her the resolve to get them to safety. She locked eyes with Applejack, who gave a curt nod. “Okay, fine. You better bring her back alive,” Rainbow shouted as she and Applejack herded their friends to his instructions.

As Onyx watched the group turn the corner a small wave of relief washed over him. Now he didn’t have to shepherd a group to safety and could move with no restrictions. Readying himself to make a dash for the cafe, his legs tensed with power. Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, the concrete sidewalk exploded from his initial push. If there were more snipers, they couldn’t hit what they can’t see. Shots rang out as he flew by, missing him by only inches and kicking up chunks of concrete behind him. As he passed the cafe in a blur, the pink highlights in Twilight's hair made it easy for him to spot her. Reaching through the window, Onyx grabbed the girl’s shirt by the collar and hoisted her on his shoulder in one swift movement as he passed by. With another burst of unworldly speed, Onyx continued on down the street in a flash, only slowing down to turn into an alley. Tensing his powerful legs once more, the power launched him into the air to the third story of a fire escape. With his free hand he grabbed the railing of the fire escape and used the momentum to swing through the air. Landing on another fire escape at the end of the alley, he got to the opposite end and leapt to the ground with a soft thud.

There he spotted the white door with red markings; a circle with two lines converging to the middle, but not touching. Bursting through the door rather clumsily, he slammed it behind him in a hurry. A single wooden staircase was before him and he rushed up it, skipping steps five to six at a time. No other doors existed except for the single one at the top of the staircase bearing the same marks as the one he came in through. All six other girls stood there waiting for him, their faces plastered with shock and fear. A few had slumped against the walls and started to cry. He gently laid Twilight on the floor and made an attempt to move to the door. He couldn't, his body prevented it. Clenching his teeth again, he could feel two of his molars shatter. Just a couple more steps. That’s all he needed, then he could rest.

Something prevented Onyx from moving, the feeling of a soft force pushing on his chest. Through blurry and spotted vision he could barely make out the red and yellow of Sunset’s hair. She was moving her mouth, but her voice was heavily muffled and drowned out by a high pitched ringing in his ears.

As Sunset stood in front of the man on death’s door preventing him from moving any further, she tried to talk to him, to have him explain what just happened. Looking into his eyes, she saw they were glazed over, almost a milky white. Seeing the blood drip from his lips, she stepped back in horror and felt a sticky substance on her hands. Dark red crimson covered her hands. A pit formed in her stomach, and a scream caught in her throat. Why was he always getting hurt when she was around? ‘Is this my fault?’ she asked herself.

The adrenaline surging through his body suddenly came to a halt. It was impossible to breathe, each breath being too short and stinging his working lung. Every fiber of his being strained against the damage as he could feel his body beginning to shut down. Stumbling into the door, he rested his body against it. Trying the doorknob with a weak grip he found it was locked. Through the blood spilling from his mouth he managed to choke out a few simple words and the door’s lock clacked open. Opening the door, he barely took two steps inside the small apartment before crashing to the floor.

‘This is it. They’ll be safe here. They’re in good hands.’ Tunnels formed in his vision and he closed his eyes.

The girls could only watch as Onyx fell, their feet frozen in place. A voice yelped out in surprise from the other side of the doorway, snapping them out of the shell-shock. “Holy shit, Onyx! Come on, man, not again!”

Applejack, Sunset, and Rainbow rushed over to find Joe crouched over his friend’s body. When he noticed the other people outside the door, he recognized the girls that would come into his diner on occasion. If Onyx brought them here it was for a good reason. In the years Joe has known Onyx, everything the man did had meaning. With no time to lose, he left his friend on the ground, rushed the girls inside, carrying Twilight in his arms and setting her on a nearby couch. Applejack kneeled down beside her, staying by her friend’s side.

Joe’s heart pounded in his chest. When he first heard the multiple footsteps coming up the stairs he thought the worst. Hitmen had found the safehouse and came to clean up any witnesses to the bombing at the diner. Seeing his friend pass out with blood pooling from his chest was worse. Clearing off a table with his arm, dishes crashing to the ground, he lifted Onyx onto it. Gripping his shirt, Joe tore the fabric apart and saw how bad the situation was. The hole that pierced through Onyx’s chest was hard to look at. ‘This is really bad,’ he thought. Holding down the building bile in his throat, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to make a call. There wasn’t anything he could do to help, but he knew someone who could. Onyx was still breathing, but only barely. Hopefully, he held out until then.

The soft footsteps of Sunset and Fluttershy caught Joe’s attention as he set his phone down with a shaky sigh. Seeing the sullen expressions on their faces confirmed what he had already assumed. They were with him and saw it happen. Poor girls. Tears dripped off their cheeks as they stood trembling. Sunset, his favorite customer, held her stained crimson hands tightly to her chest. The two gazed at their savior on the table with hollow eyes, broken and unmoving. Biting the inside of his cheek, Joe did the only thing he could do. Throwing his arms around them in a hug, he spoke softly to them with words of encouragement.

“It’s gonna be okay. I know it’s hard to see him like that, but I’ve known Onyx a long time and he always comes out on top in the end,” he whispered, the caring tone of a father being carried on his voice. “Things may look bad, and you probably blame yourselves, but trust me when I say the best thing we can do right now is wait.”

Pulling away from the girls, Joe held a soft and cheerful smile hiding the intense pain he felt blazing in his chest. The only thing he wanted to do was fall to his knees and cry, but not in front of them. Leading the two girls from the kitchen into the small living room, he helped them all get cleaned and patched up. The small cuts on their arms and faces were made quick work with the help of a medkit from the bathroom. Once he was done, Joe left the living room and pulled the curtain that separated the rooms closed.

Joe had been in this exact situation many times before, and he felt sorry for these girls having their first time with it be so bloody. The mercenary on his table had shown up on his doorstep too many times to count, some in worse conditions than he was now. Each time, Joe thought he was dead. By now he thought he would have gotten used to it, but it never got any easier, only harder as the years went by. The thought Onyx may not survive crushed him. Seeing the one and only person Joe could call his best friend, his brother, constantly on the verge of death drove a grief stricken stake through his heart.

“You bastard, now look what you’ve gotten yourself into,” Joe murmured with his voice strained. Leaning over the table, he put his ear to Onyx’s nose. He heard no breathing. Taking Onyx’s limp hand in his own, his eyes began to water and he choked on his own words. “Make it back this time, man. Don’t let those sons of bitches think they got the better of you. You still have a promise to keep Bright Mac.”

Grief twisted Joe’s face as the water works were set free. Gripping his friend’s hand tightly, Joe silently cried. Tears fell from his face and a lump sat in the bottom of his throat. The want to scream out his woes was drowned by his worry of the girls in the next room. What felt like hours passed as he sat there, praying for Onyx to give him some sign that he was still alive, however small it was. Feeling something move in his hand, Joe looked down and saw Onyx’s fingers twitch before giving a soft squeeze. He could barely feel it, and it lasted only a second before it was gone. Joe breathed in deeply, exhilaration filling his body at the feeling. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he wiped his puffy, red eyes. It may have seemed like nothing, but Joe knew this was Onyx telling him to not worry. With a glimmer of hope now resting in his heart and mind, he softly thanked whatever divine beings watched over them.

Gaining a drip of the high confidence Onyx had, Joe stood with a new understanding and conviction. Now, all Joe needed to do was take care of the girls in Onyx’s place. He wasn’t entirely sure why they were here, or what was going on. Onyx never really talked about the jobs he was currently working on. He always liked his privacy, and Joe gave a soft chuckle to himself. Even after knowing him for over twenty years, Onyx still kept his secrets. Joe understood, the line of work Onyx was in carried a great deal of danger in the underworld of Canterlot City; even the slightest bit of information put a price on your head. A passing mention of a highschool was brought up a while ago over some beers, so Joe figured it was relative. If students of the same school were brought here by Onyx’s own hand, he knew there was a strong viable reason. Taking a deep, lungfull breath, Joe steeled his resolve to ask questions on his own behalf. He was sure Onyx would understand; the drive to find out what happened to his best friend took the forefront of his mind.

Joe’s muscles tensed as he balled his fists, a slight anger tensing his muscles. As he let go and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Joe stepped through the curtain and closed it behind him. The thought of his departed daughter holding a step in his course of thoughts, keeping him calm. With a calm demeanor, Joe sat down on an open seat of the same couch Twilight lay on. He folded his hands, and examined the girls around him. They weren’t in good shape. Whatever happened between them and Onyx put an obvious toll on their mental state. Pushing his fatherly instincts to comfort them aside, he began asking questions with a cold professional tone.

“How do you know, Onyx?”

The question brought some of them out of their stupor, looking at Joe with half-dead eyes. Minutes passed, each waiting for someone to take the lead and answer. Eventually, Rainbow Dash braved it and answered. “We almost got mugged, or worse, in an alley. He showed up and… took care of them. He showed up as a new student at school going by the name of Oslyx, and we didn’t know it was the same person, until what just happened,” she answered.

“Heh, sounds like him. What happened,” Joe asked.

“It happened too fast to get a grip on, but the window at the cafe shattered and he ended up on the other side of the cafe. We got outside and he went back for Twilight. Told us to come to a door with red markings, and we came here.”

“That sounds just like him. Always putting the lives of others before himself. The son of a bitch never knows when to quit,” Joe said, grimacing. With Joe’s experience of helping Onyx on a few jobs, he knew it was the work of Razor snipers. “What happened to her?”

As Joe gestured to an unconscious Twilight, Applejack tipped her stetson. “We don’t know. She just stopped movin’ and passed out when she was pushed out of the way.”

“Hm, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Onyx may know how to help, but he’s not in any condition to be doing anything,” said Joe, a hint of worry crossing his face.

“What do we do now,” asked Rainbow, her voice scratching at a high tone.

As Joe took a deep breath, he said, “The only thing we can do is wait. As much as I hate it, only time will tell when Onyx makes it out of this. When he does, he’ll have a plan, no doubt. He always does.”

Sunset Shimmer raised her head from in between her knees. The worry she felt for the man that saved her and her friends had seemed to double from her friends’. She had to know more about him, hoping it would help distract her from blaming herself. If only she hadn’t invited him to lunch. Drying the tears from her eyes, she asked Joe, “Just who is Onyx? Why’d he risk his life for us?”

“It’s not my place to say,” answered Joe. “Onyx is a private guy for a reason, but I can say this. He’s a mercenary that rarely acts like one. He’ll go through Hell and back for someone if he has to, he’s always been like that. If he saved you once, expect him to do it again and again.”

“You keep talking like he’s going to survive! How could anyone live after something like this,” Sunset burst out, frustrated and scared. She was sick of seeing people die, much less her savior.

Joe balled his fists, knuckles turning white. He refused to believe it. “He’s not going to die! He always survives, it doesn't matter what happens, death isn’t an option for him,” yelling out in his own frustration, Joe realized he went too far.

Shaking his head, he left behind the curtain. If there was a door it would have been slammed. With grief fogging his mind, producing a bottle of rum from a cabinet, Joe drank. Onyx was always the one with a plan, always seemed to know what to do in a crisis. Without him in functional condition, Joe felt useless and broken. He wasn’t one to make plans and take action, just a supporter of a mercenary’s jobs.

“You better heal up quick, Onyx. I can’t do this without you.”