Shades and Tails

Chapter 3 As Certain As Dark

We ran as fast as our hooves would take us, winding up in a small town square. To our left was a row of puppet ponies, appearing to have gathered in a sort of formation, a front line. They faced down law enforcement personnel, which meant a few deputies wearing silver stars on their tan uniform button ups. One had a curling mustache and seemed to direct the others, giving hard glares to the enemies. Currently they were at a standstill.

I moved into the square ahead of Card, moving toward the deputy ponies. “Shade, that might not be a good idea,” Card whined.

He was right, I heard the click of a revolver being cocked, and it was pointed straight at me. “Hold it righ’ there pardner,” the stallion with the brown mustache narrowed his lime green eyes at me. I stopped, but only to show I had a sense of coherence, that I wasn’t a puppet.

“It’s alright,” I called, “We were sent by the Royal Guard,” I indicated my uniform. You’re such a lier!

The deputy opened his mouth to answer me, but he looked over my shoulder and cursed. “Luna dammit! You’ve gone and attracted their attention.” the other officers began firing rifles, sending off warning shots, but the puppet ponies didn’t stop coming. I saw one coming for me, but a bullet pierced her chest and she fell.

“Faust!” came a shout, “I didn’t mean it, I didn’t wanna shoot ‘er!”

Unexpectedly, Card jumped over the hitches of an abandoned coach that had been being used as a blockade. He snapped, “Oh, gimme that!” grabbing the gun from the pony’s hooves. He spun round and aiming, fired immediately, his aim immaculate. One of the hostiles was hit in the hind legs, causing him to fall hard. A couple more of the puppets came forward, but they were shot off their hooves as well. The ones left standing stopped moving, now standing out in the square, muzzles hanging slack jawed. One was even drooling.

It was quiet for a minute, giving us all time to get acquainted fast. “Howdy, my name’s Deputy Director Houdin Baster. It’s a good thing y’all folks came when ya did. I haven’t seen shootin’ like that from my boys here in awhile. I think they’re a bit rusty.”

“Fine, but what’s going on?” I rolled my eyes. Formalities were a bit annoying in this situation.

“Well ain’t yer gonna introduce yerself?” Houdin narrowed his eyes at me.

Card glanced forlornly at the director, “Shade isn’t much for introductions. I’m Card…” Why did he sound so down about it? He was a social creature.

“Card…” I breathed, staring at him. He looked away. Yet again I noticed the mark on his hip had changed. Now it was a spade, diamond and club, in that order. Again, I was concerned. It was obvious by now that his cutie mark could change, but I needed to know what it meant. There was something in me that yearned to understand my closest friend better. To be closer.

My shadows taunted me for it, not caring how I felt. That I cared. I stopped thinking, repressing the emotions, stopped feeling. I had to be like that, all my life. It never ended. My shadows never went away and they fed off my emotions and turned them into something bad. It’s all I knew so by now I was used to being dulled and gray all the time.

“Hold it,” Houdin turned away from me, looking out into the square. I followed his gaze and saw an odd creature move into the middle of the square. He floated by the soft beat of his batlike wings.

His face was similar to a lion’s and gentle yellow eyes peered from beneath a well kept mane. Around his waist he wore a large golden buckled band and his tasseled tail swept back and forth. I couldn’t take his eyes off him. I was transfixed. The creature looked at me curiously, but there was a depth of sadness there too.

He looked away, addressing us, “Lord Tirek wishes me to tell you, a thousand years of imprisonment has not bode well. He shall show Equestria what it means to challenge him.”

Goaded by my demons, I shouted, “It means war!” I was upset by the whispers I heard, but my heart wasn’t into the anger they wanted me to feel. I couldn’t bring myself to inflict any kind of hurt on this poor winged creature. I saw myself in him, and that in itself hurt.

“Yes,” came his response, eyes closed and head drooped. “It does.” He snapped his eyes open, and the puppet ponies were suddenly on the move, not toward the group, but flanking the creature.

“Now hold up, youngin, we didn’t catch your name.” Houdin was scowling.

“I’m the dearest brother…Scorpan.”

⚪⚪⚪

It wasn’t long before the city had cleared out and the deputies were left confused. Plus, nopony could find the Sheriff and other law enforcement officers were missing. A few military ponies from up north had arrived a couple hours ago and I had given a quick debriefing of the events. They’d told me Scorpan was a gargoyle, brother to the centaur Lord Tirek and Prince of his kingdom. But they didn’t know much else.

“Shade, yer help was greatly appreciated,” said Houdin while sitting in the Sheriff’s office later that evening.

“S’no problem, really.” I answered him. I think the deputy director had taken a liking to me, but we couldn’t be friends because I wasn't capable of extending feelings anymore, and hadn’t been for so long.

“Ya know pardner, ya got here in the nick er time. I don’t know what we woulda done without you and yer friend.” Houdin nodded at Cardkeeper, a hoof on the brim of his hat. Said pegasus was sitting in one of the waiting chairs, staring with a forlorn expression through the blinds on the window.

I would say I didn’t know what was up with him, but I did know. He’d gotten a taste of the real world. Maybe he hadn’t realized what he’d been getting himself into when he signed up for the army. I’d known, because I’ve been told since the beginning of my life.

It’s as certain as dark, Shadow, and you’ve played the fool. Always, always. They whispered and haunted.

I knew one thing was certain. I couldn’t keep my mind off that gargoyle. Something drew me to him, like a song. Or a whisper in my certain darkness. The never ending cold pit that my heart dug. Where did it lead, I wondered.

I was just working up to answering Houdin when Card sat up straight in his chair, parting the blinds to look out more clearly.

“Shade, Sarge just got out of a taxi coach, and he’s coming toward the sheriff’s office.”

“Horse feathers,” I muttered a curse under my breath.

The cafe doors into the building opened in the other room, smacking the walls. There came quick gallops, then the office door—with its big textured glass window—opened, Sarge bursting in.

“By Faust, when you two disappeared!” he was out of breath. He continued once he’d caught his breath, “You had me worried sick.”

I sat back, not wanting to speak. There was nothing for me to say. I’d never thought Sarge had a soft side. He’d always been tough on his cadets. This side of him, the concern in his indigo eyes. It was unsettling. Of course, never in a million years would I ever let anypony see my coiling emotions. Ever. Period. I just thought neither would Sarge.

“Are we in trouble?” Card asked, nervous.

Sarge shook his head, “Faust no, though you should be. I could court martial your flanks for this.” He was smiling as he said it, “But no, I’m actually glad you flew the coup and came here. It gives me legitimate reason to put us on the front lines. Now that Equestria knows the threat is real…” that made everypony in the room feel the tension of the implication. Because like I had said to Scorpan…it meant war.

⚪⚪⚪

DODGE JUNCTION TAKES FIRST HIT! WAR MAY BE ON OUR TAILS.

That was the headline on the latest newspaper. I set it down, blinking. I was the only pony awake on the train. I looked to Cardkeeper, watching the soft rise and fall of his chest. The way he slept was adorable. He was on his back, hooves in the air, wings twitching and blanket draped over his stomach, nearly falling off. Watching him sleep was somehow comforting to me. Seeing his gentle breath. Something about it calmed my shadows, and for once they were quiet.

He rolled over, his face in my direction. “Oh, Card,” I smiled to myself.

As though he’d heard me, he blinked awake. He saw me and returned my smile sleepily. “Hey Shadow,” his voice cracked. My heart skipped a beat. He said my name.

He rolled to his stomach, resting his head in his arms and watching me with that calm smile. “What’re you doing on the floor? Did you sleep?”

“No,” I sighed. “I stayed up all night reading up on news.” I held up the paper we’d gotten that afternoon in Appleloosa. Now we were on our way to a base a ways outside the small town. I’d never even heard of it, and Sarge said it was a well kept secret. Mustang Town it was called.

“You’ll be tire-errrrUHHHHHH,” Card yawned, a hoof in front of his mouth. I chuckled softly. “What?” he gave me a quizzical look.

I coughed, blushing and looking away, “You’re just uhhh, you’re…”

“Shadethrower, spit it out,” Card whined, plopping his head down and giving me puppy-dog eyes.

“Youresocute!” I blurted.

“Cute?” Card whispered.

I closed my eyes and nodded with a sigh. “That’s what I said.” I picked up the newspaper, grunting and trying to distract myself.

Card slowly crawled out of the bunk, falling to the floor in a heap. He shook himself off, flicking his wings. Then he shuffled toward me. I hid my face behind the newspaper, so he would not see my burning face. But he leaned against me, his head resting on my chest.

“I care about you Shade…” Card whispered, blinking his tired eyes up at me. I rested my head on his, putting the newspaper to the side. “Yesterday scared me.”

I didn’t know what I was supposed to say to that. It was a bit scary to me too, but I would never admit that to anypony, ever. “I think that we need to expect it. But this is why we’re heading to that base. We’re finally going to do something about it.”

“I’m glad.” Card closed his eyes. There were a few moments of silence, and cuddling, but I felt a little uncomfortable. I’d never done this with anypony before. It was so hard for me to understand what I was feeling, whether I was okay with this or not…

“Hey,” I said softly. Card shifted so he could face me. He sat patiently. “I wanted to know, I mean, if it isn’t too much…Why does your cutie mark change?”

Card looked down, his cheeks turning pink, “Oh, you’ve noticed?”

“If you’re not comfortable sharing with me…” I didn’t know how to talk about these things. Was I being insensitive?

“No! You’re my best friend. I, uh, ok don’t judge me…” Card dragged a hoof through the dust. I waited in silence. “I have multiple personalities. My cutie mark shows which personality is out at that moment.”

“What personality is out right now?” I was curious.

“My normal personality, the Ace of Spades. My truest self.”

“I love you just as you are, I don’t care about the personalities Ace.” I barely breathed the words. It almost choked me to say them at all.

His voice was low, still not looking at me, “It’s my turn to ask a question. I saw the way you looked at that gargoyle. Something up?”

“I’m definitely intrigued by him. He’s between a soul and a shadow, that’s as certain as dark. But I don’t know what to make of it.”

I kept talking, faster and faster, until the words blurred together. “I wanted to know, wanted to see kuzheremindsmeofmyselfanditdoesntmakesense and—”

Card pressed his lips firmly to mine, a strong kiss that felt like it’d been locked away for a very long time. My eyes widened and my face heated up. I was blushing furiously and I had no idea what to do. Pull away, do nothing, return the kiss?

If watching him sleep had sent my shadows into a state of temporary serenity, the out of the blue kiss sent them into a mode of frenzy. They were back, flaring up and yelling incoherently at me. Anyway, Card broke off before I could react and he came away with heavy breath. He gave me a crooked smile.

My shadows buzzed like hornets around me and I felt dizzy. “What, uh, was that for, eh?” I licked my lips gingerly, still tasting a subtle sweet taste.

“I think you’re so adorable when you get worked up, you know? And you get worked up about a lot of things.” Card’s face reddened as he stared at my mouth.

“I do not!” I waved dismissively, but my voice cracked.

Card put his head on my shoulder, “Mm.” His noise of agreeance still sounded sarcastic. Faust, I so badly wanted to kiss him again. I settled for breathing in his scent instead. A bit sweet, but masculine too.

When we woke up, it was morning, and Sarge found us cuddling on the floor.