The Shadow of Equestria

TOOT!

The train let out a loud whistle as it rolled into the station. The brakes let out a loud screech as they pressed against the wheels. The train came to a slow stop in front of the platform where the odd party was assembled.

Rarity groaned as she tugged at her cloak. Stratus had insisted that they needed to appear inconspicuous, but she didn't feel that they needed to appear as though they were going to a scarecrow convention. The ratty brown cloaks had been found up in the Apple Families attic. Rarity was fairly sure they hadn't been washed since Equestria had been founded, but she did her best to not complain.

Twilight sulked in silence. Ever since the attack on the library, Stratus had been even more distant then when they had first met. Seeing the thieves had triggered something in him, and he refused to talk to anypony. She had thought they were making progress when he told Rarity of his childhood, but now she didn't know how much of that was true either.

Now wasn't the time to think, however. The conductor was waving them aboard, and they needed to move. As they passed on, she saw Stratus slip a small bag of bits to the conductor and whisper something in his ear. The pony frowned, then nodded and waved Stratus aboard. The thief slipped on just as the doors began to close.

Thinking of thieves, Twilight felt her attention shift to Light Show. Since they had met, he had talked almost exclusively to Stratus. Now that  she had a chance to observe him, she noted that he and Stratus carried themselves with a slight crouch. The position reminded her of a panther stalking it's prey, ready to strike at any moment. It occurred to her that this unicorn was easily just as dangerous as Stratus.

"Wait," she thought to herself. "He clearly knows Stratus from a while ago. Maybe I can get information out of him!" With this thought in mind, she scooted closer to the other unicorn. He looked over at her for a moment, then went back to scanning the rest of the train. Before too long, she felt the train pick up speed and pull away from the station.

After a while, Stratus stood up. "I'm going to check the back," he quietly muttered to Twilight. "Stay put." Twilight nodded, and he moved away. As soon as he was out of their car, Twilight pulled herself fully over to Light Show. The thief finally gave her his full attention.

"Is there something you need?" He asked politely.

"Yes, actually," Twilight calmly replied. "I was hoping you could tell me something about Stratus." As she said this, she felt her other friends move over and lean in to listen to the conversation. Light Show looked at all of them, then quickly looked away.

"Stratus doesn't really want to talk about it," he said, "So I don't feel like I should either." The mares all sighed, and began to move back to their seats. "Instead," Light Show said, "I'm going to tell you a completely unrelated story I've been making up about a random pegasus who becomes one of Equestria's greatest thieves." Twilight and her friends all moved in closer again. Light Show chuckled.

"To tell this story right," he said, "I think I need to start from the beginning."

...

A young pegasus walked down the market street. His ribs were partially revealed from malnourishment. Ponies threw him the occasional glance of pity, but none stopped to help him.  That was fine. He didn't want their help anyways.

As he walked, he picked an older pegasus out from the crowd. His coin purse was exposed, and he wasn't paying it much attention. Grinning, the foal casually slid up next to him. He stood by the middle aged pegasus for just a moment, then quickly ducked away. Rushing through the crowd, he snuck into a nearby alley. As soon as he was out of sight, he stopped and pulled out the purse. Dumping it out, he counted out his plunder. It was easily enough for a weeks worth of food, if he played his cards right.

"You know, that doesn't really belong to you."

Jumping, the pegasus quickly pulled all the coins into a pile and looked around. Standing just a few feet away was the pegasus he had just robbed. The foal quickly began backing away.

"I'm so sorry, sir," he stammered out. "Please, don't tell the guard." The older pegasus simply walked over and picked up his coins. Looking at them in his hoof for a second, he turned to the foal. Walking over, he peeled open one of the shivering ponies hooves. Clutched inside was a single coin. The foal curled into a small ball.

"Please don't hurt me, sir," he whimpered. The pegasus looked at him, then smiled. It was a genuine, warm smile, and spoke of friendship. He crouched down to bring himself closer to the foals level.

"That was a good grab you did there," he said kindly. "You've got quite a good deal of talent there." He stood up, and observed the foal a bit closer.

"You look like you could use a good meal," he said. Then he turned around and began walking. After a few seconds, he stopped.

"Are you coming?" He called back over his shoulder. The young pony hesitated for a moment, then rushed after the stranger.

They walked together for a little while, moving down side streets and alleyways. The foal kept sneaking glances up at the pony he had just thought was going to kill him. After a while, he finally broke the silence.

"Um, sir?" He asked. The pegasus looked down at him with surprise. Then he chuckled.

"Oops," he said, "Looks like I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, aren't I? I forgot introductions again." He coughed into his hoof, then looked back up. "Please, just call me Wind Runner. What's your name?"

"My name is Stratus, sir."

"Stratus, hm? That's a fine name for a fine foal. Well, Stratus, we're going to meet some friends of mine." He gave his same warm smile. "I think you'll like them."

As they had been talking, they had been approaching a large abandoned warehouse. Now they reached the entrance. Wind Runner walked past the main doors, to a small side door. He gave three knocks in quick succession. A slot opened in the door, and a pair of eyes looked out. When they saw Wind Runner, the slot closed. A second later, the door opened, revealing a large earth pony. He grunted and nodded at Wind Runner. Wind Runner looked back at Stratus and motioned him in. The small foal walked in timidly. He was surprised by what he saw.

Inside what he thought had been was an abandoned building, multiple ponies were milling about. All of them wore hard expressions, but they softened when they saw the shock in the child's eyes. At a small table in the back, a group of ponies played cards. As Stratus watched, an argument broke out when two ponies played identical cards.

Wind Runner came up beside him. "It's nice, isn't it?" He said to Stratus. The foal nodded with wide eyes.

"Daddy!"

A small filly came running from one of the small side rooms. She appeared to be about the same age as Stratus, with a brown coat and a blank flank. A huge smile was plastered on her face. Wind Runner smiled and dropped to one knee as she came closer. When she got close enough, she leaped into the ponies arms. She laughed as he lift her up. Then, her gaze fell upon Stratus.

"Hi there!" She cheerfully called out. Stratus timidly waved at her. Wind Runner set her down, then turned to face the two of them.

"Before I forget introductions THIS time," he said, chuckling to himself, "Stratus, meet my daughter, Cloud Dancer. Cloud, this is Stratus. He's going to be staying with us a while." Cloud Dancer perked up at this.

"So you're a thief too?" She asked with eagerness. Stratus started.

"Well, um," he stuttered, "I'm not really a thief. I mean, I've stolen some stuff, but-"

"Cool!" He was cut off. Wind Runner laughed at his daughter's antics.

"I suppose I should explain before you get any more confused." He gestured around. "Welcome to the headquarters for the Canterlot Thieves Guild. I've been rebuilding it for a while now. And from what I've seen, you're quite a talented young thief. I would be quite honored if you would consider joining us. You wouldn't have to worry about going hungry, or cold, or being alone. We watch out for one another, and that includes you." He leaned closer to Stratus. "What do you say? This is a big decision, and I understand perfectly if you don't want to join."

Stratus looked around. Every pony in the area seemed to be helping each other with a wide variety of tasks.

"Well," he said, "I don't really have any place to go. I guess I'm joining." Wind Runner brightened up.

"Excellent!" He said. He looked around and picked out a unicorn from the crowd. "North Star!" He called out. The mare turned to look over at the group. Wind Runner indicated Stratus.

"Find this young foal some lodgings," he called out. "He's going to be staying with us for a while." North Star nodded, then motioned for Stratus to come along. Stratus timidly walked off with the unicorn. She smiled at him.

"So, you're Runner's latest apprentice?" She politely asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

She laughed. "You don't need to worry about the titles, Stratus. We're all equal here." She stopped by a door. "This is where recruits sleep. There should be a mattress in here for you. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Once you're settled in, you should come back out and meet the rest of the guild. I think Wind Runner's going to be starting your training pretty soon." She gave him one last smile, then began walking away. "Welcome to the thieves guild," she called back out over her shoulder.

...

"Wow!"

The group jumped as Pinkie Pie shouted out. They all glared at her for a moment, then looked around to see if any pony else had noticed. Fortunately, all the other passengers were occupied. Pinkie grinned sheepishly.

"Oops," she said, "guess I was a little loud." Twilight rolled her eyes, then turned back to Light Show.

"I'm confused," she said. "This guild sounds fine! Wasn't it just a gang of thieves?"

Light Show shook his head. "Back then, the guild was good. We only stole from those who could afford it. We fancied ourselves the fulcrums, keeping the balance between the nobles and the commoners. I joined about a year after Stratus. Everything I know is just what he told me back then." He looked around, checking that Stratus wasn't back yet. "Now, we should probably continue before Stratus gets back. You get the idea of how he joined. He got trained alongside Cloud Dancer. The two of them grew to be pretty fast friends. They were always the personal prodigy's of Wind Runner. He was the guild master back then. He's the one who rescued most of us off the streets. It's what happened to me, and Stratus too. In fact, I think only Cloud Dancer wasn't an orphan. And she only had her father. Her mother died a while before any of us met her. I guess I can skip ahead a bit, probably up to about where it all went wrong." He closed his eyes. "And the point where I made the single worst choice of my life."

...

Stratus, Light Show and Cloud Dancer were walking down the hall. The three of them had just returned from a successful heist, and were talking excitedly, remembering several of their finer moments, and several minor nuisances. As they chatted and laughed, a group of rougher looking thugs passed them. The three thieves stepped aside and let them pass, then continued down the hallway in the direction of the mess hall.

"It's got to be said, ever since Lurker took over recruitment, we've had a major drop in quality," Light Show remarked. "I don't mean to sound harsh, but I did a couple of jobs with some of these new recruits. Most of them actually have zero idea how to do anything."

"Cut them a little slack, Light," chided Cloud Dancer. "They just need some more experience, that's all." She looked around, then turned back to her friends. "You guys don't mind if I go check on my dad, do you?" She asked. "His fever was getting way worse when we left, and I'd like to see if he's okay."

Stratus smiled at her. "Don't worry about it," he said. "We'll save you a spot." He shifted uncomfortably, and looked as though he was about to say something else, then looked down the hallway. Light Show frowned at him, then turned to Cloud Dancer.

"Go check on your dad," he said kindly. "We can wait."

Cloud Dancer smiled at them, then glanced at Stratus. Stratus kept his mouth shut, looking down the hallway. Cloud Dancer's smile drooped just a bit, then she went down in the direction of her father's quarters.

The remaining two thieves resumed their walk down the hallway. As soon as they were out of earshot, Light Show turned to Stratus.

"What's wrong?" He asked, even though he knew perfectly well what it was. Stratus sighed.

"I just- I just don't know how to ask her," he confessed, hanging his head. "It was so easy to talk back when we were fillies, but now? I just don't know how."

Light Show gave his friend a look. It was no mystery that the guild's legendary master thief had a crush on the guild master's daughter. Any pony with one eye could see it. For the past month, Stratus had been trying to ask her out.

"Stratus, you know that if you don't ask her out, some pony else will," he said. "Beside's, it's no secret that she likes you two. She's just waiting for you to make the first move."

Stratus gave him a smile. "You're a good friend, Light Show. I'm just not brave enough."

The two of them reached the lunch hall. Grabbing a bowl of soup each, they took a seat at an open table. Just as they were about to sit down to eat, Cloud Dancer burst into the room. Spotting their table, she raced over, breathing heavily.

"Stratus!" She quickly exclaimed. The pegasus looked up. "My dad! His condition's gotten worse! He can't even move! He asked me to get you!"

Stratus quickly stood up. "Let's go," he said. The two raced off. Light Show looked at them for a moment, then got up to go follow.

The two pegasi raced down the corridors until they came to the guild master's bedroom. Throwing open the door, they burst inside. Wind Runner was lying on his bed, sweat covering his brow. He looked up as the door opened, then smiled at his two students. He motioned with his hoof for Stratus to come closer. As he approached, the sickly pony motioned for his daughter to wait outside. She dutifully shut the door. Wind Runner looked up at Stratus.

"Stratus," he said. "You've always been a good student. Now, I have just two request's for you." He began coughing violently. Stratus moved forward to help, but was waved off. Wind Runner recovered, then continued. "I would like for leadership of the guild to pass onto my daughter. I want to ask you to protect her however you can." He smiled at his student. "I've noticed your- feelings for her." Stratus quickly began denying it, but Wind Runner cut him off. "You always were a good pony, and I want to tell you that I support your attempts to reach her. She'll need you when I'm gone. That's my second request. I want you to tell her how you feel. I know she feels just like you do. Can you do that for me?"

Stratus hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll try, sir," he said.

Wind Runner nodded. Stratus stood up and turned to go.

"Could you send my daughter in?" Asked Wind Runner, sitting up. "I want to talk to her one last time, while I still have the chance." Stratus nodded once more, then turned and walked out. As he passed Cloud Dancer, he motioned for her to enter the room. She quickly rushed in. Stratus looked in at the pony who had been his mentor for so many years one last time. Then, he turned and slowly walked down the hall.

...

The wake was held early the next morning. The rain fell from the sky, pattering against the window panes of the building the thieves called home. A heavy, oppressive mist hung over the city.

"Stratus clouds," Stratus thought to himself with a dry laugh. His name seemed to be just a perfect metaphor for sorrow. Wherever he went, it seemed that pain and death weren't far behind. And apparently, even the ponies he had come to accept as his family weren't safe from that decree of fate.

Laying before him now was proof of this disheartening observation. Wind Runner had been laid in a simple wooden coffin, his eyes closed in eternal slumber. It seemed that at anytime, he would just wake up and lift the whole mood with one of his lighthearted jokes. But Stratus knew that he would not wake from this.

Cloud Dancer stood by the coffin, sorrowfully accepting the apologies of every pony. Stratus kicked himself inside. He still hadn't been able to ask her, even after receiving Wind Runner's dying wish. He could just never seem to find the right moment.

Light Show was nowhere to be seen. They had received a message of utmost importance from a potential client in Manehattan. Light Show had been forced to go and deal with the situation. It had taken much persuading to convince him that nothing would happen while he was gone. But now, Stratus found himself wishing for his friend by his side to help him.

The line inched ever closer to the coffin. Stratus looked over at Cloud Dancer. She was currently accepting the sentiments of one of the new thieves. Stratus noted with a slight scowl that the pony seemed to be taking a bit longer than required to speak to the mare. Just then, he looked closer and noticed a slight gleam in the ponies hoof.

He instantly leaped forward. "Knife!" He shouted. Cloud Dancer saw it too, as the pony quickly shoved the knife forward in a lunge. Cloud Dancer was too quick, however, and caught his hoof in mid thrust. Flinging him behind herself, she faintly exposed her back to the crowd. Stratus saw several more ponies begin charging her. He was just a few seconds from reaching her, when one of the ponies managed to come up on her unguarded rear. Time seemed to slow down as the knife lifted up, higher and higher. Cloud Dancer began turning, and caught sight of the threat just as it plunged into her rear.

Stratus felt a cry become caught in his throat as his friend's eyes rolled up into her head. She fell with a thud that seemed to shake the whole building. Stratus landed next to her a split second later, crouching down next to her. An eternity seemed to pass as he lifted her head gently with his hoof, silently willing her to come back. But she remained unchanged.

Stratus felt his entire body run ice cold. Every nerve in his body grew spiked as he rose and turned to face the killers. Most ponies seemed to have fled, leaving him alone with almost a dozen foes. They drew a combination of daggers, short swords, and clubs. Stratus had no weapon, yet he stood unmoving. The pony who had delivered the killing blow lunged at him. Stratus seized his wrist, twisting it until he heard a pop.

The pony gave a cry as his hoof broke and his knife dropped. Stratus caught the blade before it even hit the ground. Pivoting on his heel, he felt a tremor run up his arm as the knife tore out the ponies throat. As the pony fell to the ground, Stratus shifted his grip on the handle, and drove it point first through the ponies head. He did not stop pushing until he could see the blade protrude from the ponies mouth.

A burly earth pony with a large club began charging him. In one fluid motion, Stratus pulled his blade from the head of the pony he had killed and charged forward. He met the larger ponies charge just as the club swung down. Stratus slid to one side, letting the ponies flank become open. He ran his blade upwards along the ponies stomach, cutting out organs as it went. His blade exited the chest just in time to catch a downward swipe from another attacker.

Acting on instinct, Stratus threw himself to one side. He felt the wind of another ponies blade cut the air where he had been a second ago. Doing so threw him right in front of another pony, however, who seized the opportunity to get in a free strike. Stratus barely felt the knife slice through his fur, leaving a large gash. The pony paid for his hit a second later when Stratus delivered a ferocious kick to his head. The ponies face was blown inwards by the force of the blow, sending him across the room.

The rest of the attackers, smelling weakness, moved to surround Stratus. He merely stood and watched them. One pony, thinking he saw an opening, leaped forward. He didn't even have time to feel himself become skewered on the dagger which had claimed the lives of his comrades. But the other ponies took the chance opened up to charge Stratus all at once.

Stratus didn't even look, or try to dodge. He simply swung his blade in every direction, seeking to kill as many as he could. He felt numerous wounds open up all over his body. After just a few seconds, the attacks ceased. Stratus looked around. Scattered on the floor were the bodies of all his attackers. Their bodies were cut open and mutilated, barely recognizable. Stratus knew that he looked no better. He could already feel his vital force draining out.

From behind him, he heard ponies running. He turned to face them. A full new group, twice the size of the previous one, swept into the room. Behind them, he saw a sickeningly familiar face.

Lurker, the pony behind guild recruitment, walked into the room with a grin. Catching sight of Stratus, he stopped for a second, then laughed.

"Amazing!" He called out. "I truly thought I had sent enough men to overwhelm you." A wicked look came onto his face.

"Your friend Light Show was right," he said. "It really would have taken more men to win this." He looked around at the ponies he had gathered. He turned back to Stratus. "Luckily for me, I have plenty more men."

Stratus stood there, completely still. He grit his teeth at the mention of his friend. "Light Show helped this?" He seethed to himself. Lurker, noticing this, gave another laugh. He then turned to one of his men.

"Kill him," he said. The pony hesitated, then began moving forward. Stratus looked at them. His eyes locked with Lurker's for a moment. Then, he turned and raced towards one of the windows. As he leaped out, he covered his face from the razor pieces of glass with his wings. As soon as he was clear, he attempted to spread his wings. But they had been too injured in the fight, and he was left falling out of a fourth story window. He closed his eyes as he plummeted towards the ground.

The guards raced forwards to follow him, but Lurker stopped them. "Forget him," he said. "He's dying anyways. Let him go bleed out in a ditch. It's the only way for street trash to go." He looked at the mess in the room. "And get some pony to clean all this up," he said as he turned to walk out. "I need to go tell the guild that there's been a change in leadership."

...

The ponies all sat in quiet shock. This story made some of the worst horror stories they'd ever heard seem like a child's book. Finally, Twilight spoke up.

"What about you?" She asked. "How did you find out about all of this?"

"About a day after it happened, one of Lurker's thugs approached me. He told me that Stratus and Cloud Dancer had betrayed the guild, and both of them had been eliminated."

Twilight stared at him. "And you believed them?"

Light Show laughed. "Sweet Celestia, no. I saw through that lie before they finished telling it."

"Then why did you stay with them?"

"I knew that my best chance of finding out what really happened was staying in the guild. I had my suspicions that they couldn't kill Stratus, but I couldn't be sure. I slowly made my way up in Lurker's trust, until he was willing to tell me almost anything. The rest, I pieced together from what other ponies told me." He sighed. "Do you see what could have happened? If I hadn't been so stupid and left, I could have helped. Cloud Dancer might still be alive, and everything might be fine. Stratus has every right to hate me. I should never have deserted my friends at a time like that."

Twilight felt her heart go out to this unicorn. For the first time, she realized his true motivations for coming. He didn't seek vengeance, or to earn Stratus's forgiveness. He simply needed to prove to himself that he could help his friends.

"Is that why Stratus is always so... so dark? And why he never wants to tell anything?" Fluttershy asked in a timid voice.

Light Show nodded. "Stratus was never very talkative. He always thought that if he could keep his experiences inside him, he could keep other's from feeling the same pain that he felt. But," and he lowered his voice, "It always seemed to weigh on him very heavily. All that pain inside him is what gives him his resolve, but at the same time, it puts a lot of stress on his sanity." He sighed. "I'm quite worried about his mental health. I think that, at this point, he's gone completely off the deep end."

Twilight shivered. It was just then that she realized it was fully possible that they'd put their lives into the hooves of a mad pony.