Shadow Flame (The War of Azgaren)

Shadow Flame

(The War of Azgaren)

Chapter 2: The Struggle of Acceptance

It was the night after shadow underwent his ceremony to become a guard, exhausted from the event he walked into the guardhouse past a few guards who did nothing but glare at him. Shadow walked over to one of the bunk beds and crawled to the top one, he laid down and quickly fell asleep.

Shadow awoke from his sleep at the sounds of guards in the house yelling and making other noise.

"Could you guys please keep it down I have a busy day tomorrow, a lot of work to do."

"Shut up!" said one of the bigger guards in the room as he walked over to shadows bunk and ripped him off to the ground, smashing his face into the floor.

"How do you like this Shadow? This is nothing compared to what you did to some ponies." He pushed his face harder against the floor.

Shadow thought to himself,

"I deserve this…I've caused this place so much trouble. I need to let them do what they want to me as long as it makes them feel better."

"I deserve this" said Shadow softly

"No…you deserve much worse! Pick him up boys!"

As the big guard said this 3 other guards grabbed Shadow and dragged him outside. They threw him against a tree near the guardhouse and then began to tie him to it.

Shadow did nothing he just sat there excepting their punishment. It wasn't long before he was securely tied to the tree.

The big guard punched Shadow in the gut as hard as he could
.
"URRRGHHH!" coughed Shadow as spit flew forward.

Shadow now hung there fastened to the tree his head was hanging down but his red eyes staring fiercely at the guard.

"Do what you wish... I deserve every bit of punishment you all throw at me."

The guard smiled as he said, "Have at him boys."

All the guards behind him started grinning and laughing as they all lined up to take turns brutally beating Shadow. This carried on for about an hour. After every guard had finished their turn the big one stepped up to him. His head was still hanging miserably.

"Had enough punishment for one day?" he asked smiling

Shadow didn't respond. But his eyes still stared at the guard.The guard grabbed Shadow by the hair and raised his head. He then reached to his side and pulled out a sharp sword.

"You killed my father that night you went on a rampage. This is his sword, don't you see it fit that it should cut your throat?"

He put the sword against Shadows neck but he said nothing still. Blood now slowly started running from his mouth down his chest dripping onto the ground from the guards assault. His red eyes still had an unbreakable glance at the guard.

"Damn you!" said the big guard. "I'd kill you right here , but I'm sure I'd get kicked out of the guard for doing it."
He lowered the sword but still had a grip on Shadows hair.

"By the way…if anypony asked what happened to you, just say you fell or started the fight ok?"

Shadow was still silent

"URRRGHH talk damn you!" the guard punched him across the face with force enough to instantly knock him out.

"Humph, leave him here over night we'll remove him from the tree in the morning."

"Yes sir!" the other guards responded as they saluted him.

"Now let's get to bed we have a big day of work tomorrow."

The guards all piled back into the guardhouse and closed the door. The wind started to pick up and a slight sprinkle of rain started to fall.

Shadow slowly came to and lifted his head, his vision was blurry at first the guardhouse was swaying left and right in front of him.

"I just want to make things better…but I don't know if I'm able to do that, I've wronged so many ponies."

Shadow looked around it was down pouring outside his long hair was wet against his body mixing with all the blood on his chest. Drops of water were falling from his hair to the ground making a small red puddle under him. He was still stuck to the tree.

"I have to get out of here or I might get sick from the rain or die from my injuries, damn it I need to use my magic….im sorry Celestia."

Shadows horn started to glow, the rope that held him to the tree slowly caught fire at the knots and fell to the ground and so did he. He fell into the puddle of blood and water. He got up but then paused when he saw his own reflection in the dealuded crimson puddle.

"I'm not a monster am I?"....

Shadow looked at the guard house doors "I don't dare show my face in there again."

Shadow then looked to the woods.

"Well, it looks like I'm camping out tonight."

An arc of lighting flashed in the sky and thunder sounded. Shadow slowly made his way into the forest , the pain from his injuries was growing with every step. When he finally made it to the woods he quickly gathered some twigs and started a fire with his magic. He then laid down against a fallen tree.

"Ok time to try some medical magic….I wished I would've studied into this a bit more, but some knowledge is better than none."

Shadow started focusing, his horn glowing with an eerie red color as he tried to heal himself. Nothing was happening.

"Urgh I guess my magic is only made to destroy not to mend….."

Shadow put his head back against the tree and looked up into the sky. The rain had started to let up but was still falling.

"Maybe its better I die here in the woods….Equestria would be very happy to see me dead and it would put an end to my suffering..."

While Shadow was saying this to himself he noticed something in the sky, it was red and falling fast, very fast a trail of smoke following behind it.

"What is tha-!!!!"

The object flew into the woods with a loud Crash. It hit with force enough to knock over at least a dozen trees and leave a hole in the ground.

"What in the hell is that?!" said Shadow out loud as he slowly made his way towards the crash site. As he got closer and closer he noticed a familiar smell, the smell of fire. He got closer still and then couldn't believe what he saw.

In the middle of the hole there was a pony laying on her side, fire was almost entirely surrounding the hole.

"Hello!" yelled Shadow "Hold on I'll get you out of there!"

Shadow focused a stream of magic under the pony in the hole and slowly levitated her towards him. When she was about one arm's length from him he gently sat her on the ground. Now he was more shocked at what he saw she had a unicorn horn…and pegasi wings.

"YOU'RE AN ALICORN!" he yelled

The light tan alicorns eyes slowly started opening revealing that she had beautiful green eyes.

"Who…who are you?" she asked in a very soft kind voice.

"M my name is shadow Flame", what's your name?"

"My name is Princess Sacredwind, but you can call me Sacred for short."

She extended her left hoof for a hoof shake and Shadow started to raise his left hoof but then the wound from his battle with Nightmare Moon caused his arm to fall and for him to make a groan in pain. He then started swaying from side to side and fell to the ground. The last thing he remembered seeing was the alicorn moving towards him.

Shadow opened his eyes and looked to his right and then to his left, he was back at the small campfire he had started. He was confused.

"Who was that beautiful alicorn?" he said out loud

"Did I just fall asleep and have a dream?"

Shadow looked straight on and saw that all the trees were knocked over

Then jumped when he heard a female voice from behind him.

"Hehehe beautiful alicorn huh?"

Shadow turned to see her sitting behind the log. Now shadow got a better look at her. She was smaller than the other alicorns he had seen. She had a light tan coat and her long mane blew majestically in the wind it was blue in color with lowlights of a darker blue accenting it. Her cutie mark was a silver buckler shield with a green rune in the middle of it that meant "Dagaz" or dawn.

"Oh uh.... hello there" said Shadow blushing

"You were in pretty bad shape when I got to you, you were almost dead." responded the alicorn.

"Yeah…how am I alive right now?"

She Grinned, "I healed you up silly, do you think I would've left a pony there to die?"

"Well I thank you Kindly Sacred, I owe you my life."

Shadow looked at his arm "Oh and sorry about the hoof shake this arm is almost useless to me now."

"Let me see it." she said with her soft voice

Sacred put her hoof over the scar on Shadows left arm and her horn started to glow green with magic and then before shadows eyes the scar disappeared, he could move his arm freely again. He looked at his arm in amazement and started moving it up and down.

"That's unbelievable! It's like I never had an injury there in the first place! Thank you so much Sacred!" said shadow as he bowed to her.

"Oh no please don't bow shadow I was inclined to do it, but we are almost complete strangers, tell me about yourself...and about his place. Ok lets start off with this Shadow, where exactly am I."

"Your in the forest outside of Canterlot, in Equestria."

Sacred seemed slightly confused but she nodded her head anyway. She had another question ready for Shadow

"I see...How did you get your cutie mark Shadow?"

Shadow looked up at Sacred.

"Well I come from a royal bloodline that specialized in combat magic especially fire. So naturally i got my cutie mark while...following family traditions. How about your cutie mark Sacred?"

"I too come from a royal bloodline my family rules over Azgaren and-"

Sacred was cut off by the voice of an angry colt yelling,

"Shadow what are you doing here?!"

"Oh no" said Shadow, "Not him again…"