Chapter 7

--Into the Wastes--

I slowly came to, when I felt someone placing a wet cloth on my forehead. I opened my eyes to see Mom sitting in a chair to the right of me. She had a look a relief on her face as she noticed me looking at her. She leaned over, and when I thought I was going to get a nuzzle, I got a hoof right to the base of my horn, and that woke me up pretty quick.

“OW!” I said as I tried to protect my horn from another strike.

“You had me worried sick, I told you to be careful when you left, and after the crisis is over, I find you and Keira in the infirmary,” Mom said with a tone that told me I was in trouble.

“Hey, I don’t know what that mare’s deal was, but none of our weapons worked, Keira even cut her head off, and she just grew another one. Then that potion knocked us out, and that’s all I remember,” I said holding my hooves up in defense. Looking around the infirmary I couldn’t see Keira, so I asked, “Mom, where is Keira?”

She smiled at last and said, “Keira is fine, she woke up an hour before you did, she should be resting in her room. You’ve been out for two days, sweetheart.”

I was relieved that Keira was ok, but I was annoyed that I was knocked out for two days, what kind of potion did she use? And then I thought about what had happened in R&D. That mare knew me somehow, what my name was, and she recognized my face. I had never seen her before, but she knew me somehow. I was frustrated, and I knew I needed answers, but first things first.

Turning back to Mom I asked, “What happened after I was knocked unconscious? What happened to the mare Keira and I were fighting?”

She looked at me with a grim expression, “The guardians managed to drive the invaders out of the stable. Both Overmares were secured, but Zira did suffer some minor injuries. There were some civilian casualties, and a few among the guardians. The mare that attacked you injured Cross and disappeared without a trace, taking some important data from our database.”

I sighed and fell into my pillow, as I tried to relax on the bed, despite being in the infirmary. How could we let this happen? Who was that mare and what did she want? Then another thought struck me.

Turning my head back to Mom I asked, “What about Saber? Did they capture him?”

Mom shook her head and spoke, “I’m afraid not. According to Master Gutshot, Saber fled with the cloaked mare as soon as things were going badly for the invaders. No one knows where they went.”

I sighed again and cursed under my breath. That traitor got away, and with valuable information. Then it hit me, what did they steal?

“Mom, did the scientists discover what the mare took from the database?” I asked with a serious expression.

Mom frowned and spoke in a dark tone, “According to the database, the mare took the research and recipes for the Trial of the Stars, the very one that was given to us by the Goddess Luna.”

I went pale, and could not speak for a good ten minutes. She had stolen the most precious piece of information in the stable, the process for making Guardians. There is no limit to what she could do with that information. It could mean disaster for Equestria.

It was then that the door to the infirmary opened, and in the blink of an eye, I was tackled into the bed by a familiar white mare, who had buried her face in my chest crying. I smiled and held her gently knowing how worried she must have been.

“Silver, come on, I’m ok, no need to cry,” I soothed her while stroking her pink and silver mane. She had a terrifying experience in this ordeal, and learning about me being injured probably made it worse.

“I was so scared, I thought you wouldn’t wake up,” Silver cried into my chest as she started to calm down. Uncle Forge came up with Auntie Text and Grindstone, all of them having relieved expressions on their faces.

Auntie came up to the opposite side of the bed that Mom was on, “Shadow, you had us worried sick. Keira told us what happened.”

Grindstone moved in front of my bed and spoke, “Dad and I ran into some of the invaders, but we got through pretty much ok. When Keira showed up with Mom and Silver, I was scared that something had happened.”

Uncle Forge moved beside his son and placed a hoof on his shoulders, “It’s alright son, Shadow is fine, and he made it through. But Shadow, I’d like to know more about this mare you and Keira fought. Keira said she cut off her head, and she just grew a new one.”

I nodded, “It’s true, none of my attacks seemed to affect her at all, in fact, she seemed like she enjoyed the pain. But that wasn’t what bothers me the most about her.”

Mom looked at me with concern in her eyes, “What do you mean, Son?”

I looked to her and said, “Whoever this mare is, she knew my name and seemed to recognize me. But how is that possible?”

Mom’s eyes grew in shock at the news as did everypony else in the room. I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but there was something about that mare that seemed familiar to me as well.

Mom finally spoke after a minute or so, “Shadow, this could be worse than we originally thought. If that mare knew who you were, it means they have been watching this stable for a while. Perhaps longer than they were in contact with Saber.”

That thought drew another chill down my spine, if they had known about the stable before they contacted Saber, then how did they find out about the stable? And why did that mare have information on me specifically?

The door to the infirmary opened again, and a familiar zebra stallion came in. Master Cross was limping on one of his forelegs as he came up to my bed.

“Hey kiddo, how ya’ feeling?” Master Cross said with a smile as he stood next to Mom.

“Hey Cross, I’m a little stiff from being in this bed for two days. I guess the mare did that to your leg?” I asked with a concerned look towards the stallion. He, of course, just shrugged and gave me that smile of his.

“Eh, she got a lucky shot in, it’s not too bad. I was more concerned about you and Keira after she came out of the mainframe room. The scientists analyzed that vial she used, according to them, it was a sleeping draft, ten times stronger than normal. If it weren’t for our enhanced metabolism and immune systems, we could have been out for a few weeks,” Cross said before taking out his flask, most likely whiskey, and drinking a sip.

I stood up straight in the bed at that new information. “That confirms she knew exactly how to combat Guardians.”

Cross nodded, “Looks that way. The Masters and the Overmares have been talking non-stop since the attack, and we haven’t come to a decision on what to do about this.”

“Why not? We can’t just sit around and do nothing!” I almost screamed in frustration. How could they hesitate to take action against these invaders? Who knows what damage they could do with the Trial of the Stars in their possession?

“Shadow, please calm down,” Silver asked as she put a hoof on my chest to get my attention. She always had a way of calming me, her and Keira.

“Yeah Shadow, after what we went through, you need to relax,” Another voice said from the door of the clinic. We all turned to see Keira strolling into the infirmary and coming up to lay on my bed, opposite Silver.

Master Cross looked to Keira with a stern look, “Keira, I thought I told you to go home and rest.”

Keira simply smirked at Cross and said, “I did, and now I’m here for my best friend. Didn’t you always teach us that we should put friendship first?”

Cross gave her a light smack to the back of her head, “Don’t use my lessons against me,” Cross said with a smirk. He then turned back to me, and was about to speak again when the intercom came on.

“Attention Guardians of Stable 100, you are hereby summoned to the atrium to receive a briefing on the current situation we find ourselves in. I repeat all guardians are to report to the Atrium for a briefing. Overmare Cherry Cobbler, out.”

We all heard the announcement, and Master Cross looked pissed about the orders. He then looked to Keira and me.

“Alright Keira, you heard the Overmare, we gotta go,” He started towards the door, and Keira got up to follow. I was sick of being in this bed, so I started to get up as well. Silver and Mom saw this and tried to stop me.

“Shadow you just woke up, you need to rest,” Silver said with a concerned look as she put her hoofs on my chest.

“She is right my son, you need to rest,” Mom said as she put a hoof on my shoulder.

I smiled at both of them as they showed such care for my wellbeing, but I needed to get out of this bed. I gently pushed them off me and got on my hooves, despite the stiff feeling of being in that bed for so long.

“I appreciate your concern, I truly do, but I have rested enough, and all Guardians were called. I need to know what the Overmares have to say, and I need to learn more about what happened,” I said looking at Silver and Mom. I knew that they were worried for me, but I needed to see this through. I moved to hug the both of them before moving to the door where Keira and Cross were waiting.

“If you’re sure about this Shadow, then come on, we gotta get up to the atrium,” Master Cross said as he started to lead Keira and I to the elevator. The atrium was a few floors above us, so we had to take the elevator. As the elevator went up, I could feel Keira giving me a look I knew all too well. I caved after a few minutes and looked to my best friend.

“Keira, I know you’re worried, but I’m fine. I needed to get out of that bed,” I said looking at her.

Keira then looked me dead in the eyes, “I know the real reason why you wanted to go to this meeting. It’s that mare isn’t it?” Same old Keira, she could always see right through me.

“Yes, ever since I woke up she has been all I could really think about. Who was she? And how did she know me? I need to find answers, Keira, and sitting in a hospital bed isn’t going to get me anywhere,” I said with a determination that surprised even myself.

Keira just smiled at me, “Shadow, I understand that you want answers, and I’ll help you find these answers. But I want you to promise me that you will take it easy after this meeting, you just woke up, and I still felt a little weak when I woke up. Promise me, ok Shadow?” She gave that look that made me want to hug her, I hated when she used this on me.

I hugged her, and said in a calming voice, “Ok Keira, you win. After the meeting I’ll go back to my room and rest,” We stayed like that for a while Master Cross looked at us with a smile on his face. Soon as the elevator reached the top floor, we separated, and moved to the hallway, following Master Cross to the atrium.

As we moved to the atrium, I saw several Guardians also making their way to the atrium, two of which caught my interest and I raced ahead to talk to them before the meeting.

“Master Gutshot, Master Zala!” I shouted to get their attention. They both looked back to me and waited for me to catch up to them. As soon as I got to them, I gave a respectful bow which they returned.

Master Zala was the first to speak, “Shadow, it is good to see you up and about, I was worried for you when I heard of what happened in R&D.”

Master Zala, she had to be my second favorite master. She was always kind to me, and told me I had a talent for stealth. I wasn’t as confident about my stealth skills, compared to my sword skills. But she always took the time to help me improve.

Master Gutshot spoke next, “Yeah, from what we heard from Cross, that mare was something else. She made her way through the atrium through all the gunfire like she owned the place.”

Master Gutshot and I weren’t as close as my other instructors, but he and I respected each other. I wasn’t the best marksmen in the stable, but I knew enough about firearms that I could be effective.

“Yeah, there was something off about her, I stabbed her through the heart, and she seemed to enjoy it. But back to the atrium battle, Master Gutshot, what happened to Saber?” I asked Master Gutshot. He looked to me with an expression that told me it wasn’t easy for him to admit.

“That traitor, he rallied the invaders and held us off, the rat even lead them to our security vaults and stole a bunch of our weapons. The battle was a stalemate for a while until Zala and Rune came with reinforcements after they secured the Overmares,” Gutshot said looking to Zala with a look of gratitude. Master Zala just smiled and gestured for him to continue.

“Anyway, after the reinforcements came, the invaders fell back, and tried to get to the stable door, but the security team led by Chief Onyx were there to meet them. As we cornered them, that mare came through the atrium through all the gunfire like I said earlier, and made her way to the invaders by the stable door. Then she punched Saber in the face, and this dark hole popped out from the floor after she crushed some kind of crystal. Then they all just disappeared through the hole,” Master Gutshot said as he finished his story. As much as I enjoyed hearing Saber getting punched, I wondered what relation this mare really had with these invaders.

Master Zala stepped forward to speak, “Rune and I did not have a difficult time getting to the Overmares. I believe the attacks on them were just to divide our forces and buy time for this mare to get to R&D. The forces guarding them were not armed well at all, only machetes and pistols.”

I noticed that when the two ponies attacked Mom and I in our quarters. If they knew what they were going up against, wouldn’t they had been equipped with better weapons from the start. I get why they would raid the security vaults, but why not bring their own, in case they could not get to the weapons in the stable? It did not make any sense.

“Still, we managed to secure the Overmares without much problem. Overmare Zira had a few bruises and cuts, most likely to soften her up for some “fun” as they would put it. After that, I had a team move them to Level 10 with the civilians while our main force moved to assist Gutshot in the atrium,” Master Zala continued with her story of what had happened. After what nearly happened to Silver, I actually felt sympathy for Zira, which for me was saying a lot. As much as I hated Overmare Zira, no mare deserved to be treated like that.

Master Zala then moved closer to me and put her hoof on my shoulder, “Shadow, I would like to hear about your encounter with this mare. Keira told us her part already, but I would like to hear yours.”

I looked to her and nodded, “I found her hacking into the Stable-Tec mainframe. When I entered the room, she turned and saw me. And what has been bugging me this whole time is that she acted like she knew me or knew of me at least. She even knew my name, and I never gave it to her,” I paused when I saw the look of confusion in both masters faces. Master Zala then motioned for me to continue.

“I fought her to the best of my ability, but all my attacks didn’t seem to hurt her at all. I even stabbed her in the heart, and it just seemed to be pleasurable for her. Then her download finished, and she looked like she was gonna knock me out, then Keira showed up. The rest you probably know,” I finished, and Master Zala took her hoof off of my shoulder.

Both masters looked to each other and shared worried looks. As they turned back to me, Master Cross and Keira had caught up to join us.

“I take it you two filled Shadow in on what happened in the atrium?” Master Cross said as he came up to Master Zala.

“Yes, and he informed us about his encounter with this mare. This information is concerning, Cross, whoever she was, she knew more about us than we originally thought. Though, why she seemed to know Shadow so well is odd,” Master Zala said to Master Cross as we all started back towards the atrium.

“I agree with Zala, all this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I understand Saber must have been leaking information to them for a while, but he wasn’t all too bright when it came to all that goes on in the stable. And as much as he hated Shadow, I don’t think he would give specific information about him or any of the guardians. This mare got her information about him from another source, and that is more concerning,” Master Gutshot said as we continued.

We all moved to the door of the atrium, stopping just inside. The three masters said that they needed to go to the Overmares, so Keira and I moved to the crowd of guardians in the center of the atrium. After a few minutes of small talk, both Overmares appeared at the front of the atrium. Surrounding them were all the Master Guardians and Chief Onyx. It made me think back to Master Broadsword, how he was mercilessly killed by Saber. I would make him pay for that.

Overmare Cherry spoke first, “Guardians of Stable 100, we come together after the disaster that occurred just days ago. I apologize for the long wait, but we needed to be sure of our information before we addressed you all. Now let this meeting begin.”

Overmare Zira then stepped forward, “As you all are aware, the attack on our stable was made possible by one of our own, Swift Saber, who had been in contact with the invaders for weeks according to the information our scientists were able to gain from his equipment.”

Cherry took her turn again, “After consulting with Chief Onyx and the Masters, we now know that Saber was not the leader of this attack, he was only an accomplice. The real leader was a cloaked mare who we could not identify. She used the confusion of the attack to make her way to the Research and Development Level of the stable,” As she spoke, the other guardians all became restless. But one motion from the masters calmed them down again.

Overmare Zira then stepped in, “She made her way to the Stable-Tec database and stole valuable information from the mainframe. We now know exactly what she was after. The data she stole was the recipes and procedures of the Trial of the Stars, the process of making Guardians.”

It was at this moment that the atrium erupted into chatter as the guardians all grew concerned about the new information. I didn’t fare much better when I first heard it. There was no limit to how much damage that information could do in the wrong hooves.

The Overmares tried to calm the crowd, but they could not get through to them. Master Gutshot then stepped forward and took in a deep breath.

“SILENCE!” Master Gutshot shouted in a voice that sounded like it was magically enhanced but it was all natural. It worked as the atrium drew quiet as a graveyard.

Overmare Cherry then stepped forward, “Thank you Master Gutshot. Now as we were saying, this mare stole valuable information from this stable that could have a disastrous effect on the surface. We cannot sit idly by and let this happen. The Guardians were created to protect the land and its inhabitants. Ponies, zebras, griffins, it does not matter, all are under our protection,” The crowd then roared into cheers at this statement.

Overmare Zira stepped forward yet again, “At first we were planning to launch a full strike team to the surface to reclaim this information. But after days of discussion and consideration, we have come to the conclusion that sending a large strike team would not be the best course of action,” The crowd grew restless again but were silenced after a minute as they wanted her to continue.

“The forces that attacked us could very well be out there and waiting for us to send a large force and leave ourselves more vulnerable to a larger attack. With the losses of weapons, and population, we suffered in the attack, sending out a group would not be wise,” Overmare Zira continued.

Overmare Cherry again spoke, “After discussing the matter for these several days, we have come up with a solution to the problem. We must send not a group, but a single guardian to the surface. They will then track down the invaders, find the stolen data, and either retrieve it or destroy it. That is the mission that we have decided,” The crowd then drew quiet with only faint whispers. I was stunned at this information, one guardian sent out alone to the surface. No one had left the stable in over two hundred years.

“I understand that many of you are hesitant to go to the surface, and I cannot blame you. We have no idea what the surface is like now, and the dangers are just as unknown. We wish this mission could be purely voluntary, but the importance of the mission is too great. We need someone to volunteer, or we will be forced to choose,” Overmare Cherry said with a grim expression.

This mission was dangerous and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. No one knew what was beyond the stable door and the mission would be extremely difficult. The chances of success depended on the skill of the guardian. It took only a moment for me to make a decision.

I raced to the front of the crowd, Keira was shocked and was blocked off by the others. As I made it to the front, I raised my hoof and shouted, “Overmares, I volunteer for the mission!”

The entire atrium was filled with gasps and whispers. The Overmares and the Masters all looked at me with shock.

“Shadow, you just got out of the infirmary, you are in no shape to be going on this mission!” Master Cross shouted at me in the Overmare’s Office.

The two Overmares were sitting at their desks as they looked at us arguing. Master Rune, Master Gutshot, and Master Ivy were sitting in a circle around us. Master Cross and Master Zala were arguing with me in the middle.

“I’m fine and you know I’m one of the best candidates for this mission. Master Zala knows that my stealth and information gathering skills will be exactly what this mission needs. And my combat training is top notch. I feel fine, and I’m ready for this,” I shouted back at Master Cross.

Master Zala spoke then, “I agree that your skills would be best suited for this mission, but the fact that you just got released from the infirmary is a factor in this decision. You must not be reckless in your decisions Shadow, you must think about this first.”

“I have thought about it. Please Masters, with all due respect, you all know I can do this,” I said looking to all the Masters with a hopeful expression.

They all looked to me and to each other several times before Master Ivy spoke up, “Shadow has some good points, and he has the skill set for this mission. He is also one of the best students we have had in many years. Do you all agree on that?”

Master Gutshot spoke next, “He has always been a hard worker, and he never skipped class. While he isn’t a crack shot, he has my approval.”

Master Rune stepped up, “While he may be part unicorn, his condition makes it risky to overuse his magic. Plus the fact he has the lowest spell arsenal of all my students despite my instruction makes me hesitant to send him. He is a wonderful student, but I cannot give him my approval.”

I didn’t like her decision, but I could understand it. She was right, I was probably the most pathetic unicorn in the stable. With only a few spells in my possession and a handicap with my magic, I wasn’t her best student. She didn’t hate me but we never connected.

Master Zala sighed and spoke next, “I agree that Shadow does have the skills for this mission. He is one of my best students, and his ability to gather intelligence will be most effective. As much as I agree he would be best for this mission, I still say that he is not in peak condition for this mission. I’m sorry my student, but I cannot approve of this.”

I looked to the last master, Cross had a conflicted expression on his face as he looked at me. Then he sighed and spoke, “Shadow, you are the best student I have. There is no other guardian that I would trust with this mission. Well other than Keira maybe,” He chuckled at that last bit. I grew pale thinking about Keira leaving in my place.

“But one thing you have over Keira, is a unique goal. I know why you want to go. It’s because of that mare, isn’t it?” Cross said as he looked me straight in the eyes. He hit the nail on the head.

I looked away only for a second, then I spoke, “Master Cross, I admit that you are right. I need to find that mare and get answers. But that does not mean that I do not see the severity of the situation. I will do what is best for the stable and for the surface. I will personally see to it that the Trial of the Stars will not be used for evil intents. I swear to the Goddess Luna that I will complete my mission to the best of my ability. Just give me a chance.”

After I finished Cross smiled even wider and came up to me. He put both hooves on my shoulders and spoke, “Then you damn sure have my approval. You just make sure you make it back, cause I don’t want to be the one to tell your mom you fucked up and got yourself killed.”

I teared up a bit and hugged him tightly. I pulled away and looked to Master Zala. She walked up to me and spoke, “I understand why you must do this, but you must also promise me that you will take care of yourself out there my student.” She finished, and I hugged her too. She returned it, and I looked to the other masters. Those who spoke against me going before just looked to each other and nodded. Master Ivy smiled and looked to the Overmares.

Overmare Cherry looked to me, “You are sure you want to do this Shadow, this is your last chance to back out. We will not think less of you.”

I stood straight and bowed in respect, “I am ready for my mission Overmares, you can count on me to get the job done.”

Overmare Zira chuckled and looked to me, “I say let the half breed go, he does have the necessary skills, and if this mare did know of him, it could lead us to how they found the stable in the first place,” Everyone in the room glared at her, but she simply took it and shrugged.

Overmare Cherry Cobbler then spoke firmly, “Shadow Strike, you are hereby given orders to venture to the surface. Your mission, find the invaders and retrieve the data that was stolen. You may also destroy the data if it comes to that point. Also, I ask that you try to keep a low profile out there, we do not want any more attention drawn to our stable,” I nodded in affirmation.

But then a question popped into my head, “Overmare Cherry, if I may ask, what about Saber?”

She looked at me and thought for a moment, “You are right, he is too dangerous for us to let him go. Your mission will also to be to find Swift Saber and execute him.” Those words were music to my ears.

Master Cross stood before the Overmares and spoke, “Overmares, I ask that you allow Shadow one night to prepare and rest for this voyage. We can supply him with what we can spare, and he can recover his lost strength. He will be ready to leave tomorrow morning.”

Both Overmares looked to each other and nodded after a minute of silence, “Very well then. Shadow, you are to rest and prepare for your mission and will leave the stable tomorrow morning.”

Chief Onyx then spoke for the first time since this meeting started, “Overmares, I would like to bring up the fact that a good portion of our weapons were taken by the invaders. We cannot spare even a pistol for Shadow’s journey,” I had a feeling he was just holding out to make my journey more difficult for me, but I did not care. As long as I had Venta and Umbra, I would be fine.

“Very well then, the hybrid will just have to live without a gun, though judging by his test scores on the firing range, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Overmare Zira chuckled, and I gave her a dark look. I wasn’t a terrible shot, I just wasn’t a sniper, but give me a shotgun, and I can kill anything. I prefer close-quarters combat anyway.

Overmare Cherry then dismissed us from the office and Master Cross, and I moved together towards my quarters. He then looked at me and said quickly, “Not telling Zephira about this.”

I sighed and cursed him under my breath, “I figured as much, still, can ya be there, so she doesn’t break my leg just to make me stay.”

“You are not going!” Mother screamed at me so loud my ears rang a little.

Master Cross and I had made it to our quarters, Mother was waiting there for us. On the way there we picked up Keira who had been waiting outside the atrium for us. I had told Mother of the mission I had volunteered for, and she wasn’t too thrilled about it.

After the ringing in my ears went away, I spoke, “Mom please, I know you are worried about me, but I need to do this.”

She huffed and started to pace around the room, she then looked to Cross and glared, “You approved of this Cross? He just got out of the infirmary, and now you expect him to go to the surface to face Luna knows what?”

Master Cross spoke as calmly as possible, “Zeph please, I didn’t approve this at first, hell I reacted no different than you are now. But Shadow made his points at the meeting. He wants this mission, not just for the stable but for answers. You know as well as I do that there was something more to that mare.”

Mother huffed again and continued her pacing, she got like this when she was upset. I honestly hated doing this to her, but this was something I needed to do. She then rounded on me and moved right into my face. The hardest part was seeing the tears starting to form. I did what any good son would do in this situation, I hugged her tightly around her neck, nuzzling into her cheek.

She tensed only for a moment, but quickly returned the embrace, the tears finally letting go as she sobbed into my shoulder. I felt tears beginning to form in my eyes as well, I hated seeing my mother cry. I just held her for as long as she wanted, and after what felt like an hour, but was only a few minutes, she let me go.

After a round of sniffling she finally was able to speak, “I can’t convince you to stay, can I?”

I shook my head and looked at her, “I need to do this Mom, I need answers, and the surface will suffer if that data is used with evil intentions.”

She smiled at me and brushed my cheek, “As much as I don’t want you to go, I could not be more proud of you as I am now. My son, promise me you will come home, in one piece, promise me.”

I nuzzled her cheek once more and spoke softly, “I swear by the Goddess Luna that nothing will stop me from coming home to my family,” She wrapped me in another hug the moment I finished and I returned it. After she let me go, I looked to the next mare who was due to give me an earful.

Keira walked up to me and punched me on the shoulder, “I want to kick your ass so bad right now for making us go through this, your mom especially. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel so honored to call you my best friend. I wanted so badly to beg the Masters and the Overmares to let me go with you.”

I stopped her at that sentence, “Keira, I know you’ll be worried, and part of me wishes you could come with me. But here is where you are needed. I need someone I can trust to take care of my family in my absence. I know Silver will need someone to comfort her while I’m gone, this will probably break her heart.”

Keira looked at me with a smile, “I know, don’t you worry Shadow, I’ll take care of everyone until you get back. You better come back, or I’ll never forgive you.”

I smiled, and wrapped her in a vice-like hug. She wasn’t startled at all and returned it immediately. I could feel her nuzzling my cheek, and I grew a little warm. I pulled away, and we both had a slight blush. I’m sure it was nothing.

As I turned to Master Cross, the door to our quarters burst open and two mares came in flanked by two stallions. The mares both took a chance to slap me, and before I could recover, the younger mare grabbed me.

“Shadow, you are such an idiot!” Silver cried, beating her hooves into my chest. It didn’t hurt, but I could tell she was upset.

Auntie Text looked at me with tears in her eyes as well. She took a minute to compose herself and spoke, “We heard that you volunteered for the mission to the surface, Shadow, please tell me you are not thinking about going out there.”

I sighed and stroked Silver’s mane as she stopped beating her hooves into my chest. I spoke softly, “I know you all don’t want me to go, and a part of me doesn’t want to go either. But, that data could do so much damage, and I need to know who that mare was.”

Uncle Forge came forward and wrapped his hoof around his wife’s shoulders. He spoke in that gravelly tone I’d come to expect from him, “Shadow, I’m not too thrilled about this myself, but I can understand your reasons to go. You are a grown stallion, and you have been trained by the best Stable 100 has to offer. If anyone can survive up on the surface, it’s you.”

Grindstone came by and padded his sister on the back, “I know we can’t convince you to stay, but we can give you our support. You are one of the toughest guardians in the stable, and with the weapons my dad made, you can make it through anything. I’ll be here to watch over Silver and our family. You can count on me,” He said with a smile.

I smiled back at him and felt Silver calm down enough to lift herself off me to look me in the eyes. She hiccupped a bit, but she finally got enough control of herself to talk. “Shadow, I don’t want you to go, but I know Dad is right. You can make it out there, but I want you to make me a promise, that you will come back alive, ok?”

I nuzzled Silver’s cheek and spoke, “I swear by the Goddess Luna that I will return alive and well,” Silver smiled at me as she rubbed her eyes. Auntie Text then grabbed her in her magic to hold her against her chest.

Master Cross finally came up to me, “Shadow, all the advice I can give you is to use your training to the full extent of your ability. Make sure to be discreet and thorough, and always remember that the Goddess Luna will be smiling down on you.”

I stood proudly in front of all of them, “I will Master, and I’ll make you all proud of me.”

Uncle Forge then came up to me, “Shadow, I would like to take Venta and Umbra with me to my workshop tonight. I’ll clean them and do all the repairs they need to be better than new for your journey.”

I smiled and was about to thank him before I realized that I had no idea where my equipment was. Mom chuckled at my worried glance, and I turned to her.

“I have your weapons in my room, I kept them safe for you while you were in the infirmary. After I give them to Forge, I will help you prepare all the battle brews and potions you will need for your journey my son,” Mom said before turning to walk into her room.

Auntie Text spoke next, “I afraid we cannot be of much help with your preparations Shadow, our maps of the surface would probably be too out of date to be helpful.”

I smiled at her and shook my head, “Having you all supporting me, and showing how much you care is more than enough Auntie,” She smiled back at me and so did Silver.

Grindstone suddenly perked and shouted, “Oh wait, I almost forgot about something. Silver, Keira, you remember that project you two were helping me with?”

Keira and Silver both looked at each other in shock and immediately nodded. Keira spoke first, “Did you finish it?”

Grind shook his head, “No, but I can have it done by tomorrow morning before Shadow leaves. I’ll work all night if I have to.”

I was rather confused at this point, “Ok, I’m lost, what is going on?”

Silver looked to me and giggled, “It was supposed to be a surprise for your birthday, but I think we can make an exception.”

Grind looked to me again, “Don’t worry Shadow, you’ll like it. I’ll have it to you before you leave on your mission,” Grind then immediately ran out of our room followed by Silver and Keira. I just blinked and didn’t ask.

Mom soon came back with my weapons and Uncle Forge took them to be prepared. Auntie Text gave me one last hug before she departed as well.

That whole ordeal had worn me out, and I collapsed on our couch. Mom chuckled at this, and moved to sit next to me. I laid there on my back, my head resting by her. She took her hoof and moved it through my mane; it was so relaxing. Mom always had this special talent of making me feel safe and warm. I was going to miss her the most during my mission.

I nuzzled into her side as she kept stroking my mane. We stayed like this for a while, and soon I felt all the tension from the last few hours slip away. I got up and nuzzled her cheek before getting off the couch.

“I’m going to take a little walk through the stable. It’ll be a while before I see home again, and it’ll give me some time to think about my mission,” I said looking to Mom, who smiled warmly at me and got off the couch as well. I left out the door, into the stable that I would leave behind.

As I moved through the stable, I could see Guardians and security ponies moving from place to place, cleaning up the mess the invaders left. The ponies really weren’t prepared for our defenses, makes you wonder if they were supposed to escape at all. I’d have felt sorry for them if that one group didn’t try to rape Auntie and Silver. They dug their own grave when they agreed to this strike, and they paid for it with their lives.

“Hey, freak!” A gruff voice shouted from behind me, one that was all too familiar. I groaned and turned to see Granite moving towards me, no pose for once.

“I’m not in the mood for your shit right now, Granite. Don’t you have some clean up to do?” I said with as much of a neutral face as I could make, trying to contain my hatred for this guy.

“Dad told me you’re leaving the stable, I just wanted to be the one to tell you good riddance. Hope the surface chews you up and spits you out,” Granite said mockingly.

I simply turned and started walking away even as he yelled at me saying he wasn’t done with me yet. I didn’t care, he wasn’t worth the breath it would take to tell him to fuck off.

I just continued walking through the halls of the stable, thinking about that mare in the cloak and why she seemed to know me. And how I would deal with her if I found her. She seemed to enjoy pain and wasn’t affected by normal attacks. Keira cut off her head, and she just grew another one. I had never heard of magic like this, perhaps I could spend some time in the library. But first I had something else to deal with.

“You can stop following me. I know you’ve been following me for a while now, so just come out,” I said while turning around to see who was following me. I knew it wasn’t Granite, he couldn’t be stealthy if his life depended on it. And it wasn’t Keira, she wasn’t this sloppy.

“Aww, you found me out, and I had this spectacular plan to get your attention,” a familiar mare’s voice said from around the corner that I had just walked around. Ugh, I was not in the mood for her right now.

Ivory sauntered over to me, putting emphasis on her hips as she moved down the hall towards me. When she caught up to me, she was right next to me with that same smile that made me sick to my stomach.

“Ivory, I’m not in the mood, why don’t you go hit up Granite? I’m sure he’d love to play with you,” I said as I turned to move down the hall again, but I was cut off by Ivory who ran in front of me to cut me off.

“Come on Shadow, you know I only have eyes for you. Besides, that blockhead couldn’t handle a mare like me,” Ivory said as she did a little twirl in front of me to show off her body.

“Ivory, I am not interested, nor will I ever be interested. Now go find another stallion to bother, I’m sure you’ll find one who is shallow enough to give you a second glance,” I said trying to move past her.

To my surprise, I found myself pinned to the wall, with Ivory leaning into me. She sighed and moved her snout into the crook of my neck. Ok, now she was going too far. I tried to push her off, but she wouldn’t move. She had wrapped her hooves around me, and pinned my hooves to my sides. But that wasn’t it, there was something else. My body felt weird, and I was losing strength, my mind was getting cloudy.

“Ivory, get off, this is harassment,” I said feeling really uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure what would be worse, being violated by Ivory like this, or facing Zira and the whole security team.

“Mmmm, you smell so good. Come on handsome, one night before you leave, what do you say?” Ivory said while moving her muzzle closer to mine. Oh, fuck no, not on her life.

“GET OFF OF HIM YOU WHORE!” A female voice said as Ivory was pulled off of me.

I collapsed back to my hooves and tried to steady my breathing and clear my head. I looked up to see Keira in between me and Ivory, who had been slammed against the opposite wall.

Ivory got back to her hooves holding her head, “How dare you, I am the daughter of an Overmare, I can have you arrested for that.”

Keira stood her ground and responded, “Yes and I’m sure Overmare Cherry will love to hear about you sexually assaulting Shadow using pheromone infused perfume.”

So that’s why I was feeling strange! She must have hired an alchemist to make her that perfume so I couldn’t fight back.

Ivory huffed, “I always get what I want, and sooner or later, Shadow will be all mine,” she said with a confident grin.

In a flash, Keira was in front of her, staring straight into her eyes with what I could assume to be a look of pure rage, judging by Ivory’s pale expression.

“Listen to me, whore, if I catch you pulling another stunt like that again, I don’t care who your mother is. You will be in pain, more pain than you have ever experienced. The pits of Tartarus will look like a trip to the stable spa in comparison,” Keira said with a dark tone.

Ivory had a pale expression on her face as she backed away from the enraged zebra, making it to the corner before having the courage to look back and speak. “One day you won’t be around to get in my way bitch, and when that day comes, Shadow will be all mine,” Ivory said with a somewhat confident grin.

Keira just took a step forward, and Ivory yelped before running around the corner and down the hallway. Keira then turned to me and tried to calm herself. I took that moment to run towards her and wrap her in the tightest hug I could muster.

“Keira, you are the best friend I could have ever asked for,” I said as I felt her go stiff only for a moment.

Keira recovered and returned my hug, and we both just stood there in the hallway for a few minutes.

I eventually let her go, and I spoke, “I can’t believe she would stoop to something like that. I couldn’t think, I could barely move.”

Keira just put her hoof to my muzzle to shut me up, “It’s ok Shadow, you couldn’t help it. Those pheromones would have turned a normal stallion’s brain into a drunken haze in seconds,” she said with her usual smile.

I took a minute to compose myself, “Well that was unpleasant, I guess I can just continue my walk, care to join me?”

“I’d love to,” Keira said as she moved to my side. We both then started down the hallway of the Stable.

We just walked and talked about my mission for about an hour or two. Nothing exciting happened, and we eventually made it back to our quarters. I told Keira good night, and she said that she would be there in the morning to see me off. I was glad for that. Having Keira there will give me the courage I need for this mission.

I walked into my living quarters to find Mom asleep on the couch, a book resting on the floor below her hoof. Mom was probably reading and dozed off, dropping it in the process. I just smiled and shook my head, she always pushed herself.

I picked her up gently in my magic and moved her into her bedroom, placing her on her bed. I pulled the covers over her and gave her a quick nuzzle, making sure to not wake her up.

I then left to go to my bedroom, practically collapsing on the bed. I was so tired, and I knew that this would most likely be my last night in a comfortable bed. I drifted off to sleep, hoping that tomorrow would go well.

I was shaken awake by a striped hoof on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to find Mom staring at me with a look that had a mix of sadness and understanding.

“Shadow, it’s time to prepare. The Overmares have given you one hour before you are to report to the Stable door,” Mom said with a solemn tone in her voice.

I wrapped my hooves around her neck, “I know you don’t want me to go, but I have to. The Trials are too dangerous to be left in the hooves of those invaders. Plus, I need answers about that mare,” I said with confidence.

Mom hugged me back tightly before letting me go and allowing me to gather my saddlebags. Mom then gave me a potion box, which was filled with special brews that she had made while I was out on my walk. I felt a little bad considering I had agreed to help her with them, but she just shrugged it off.

We moved through the Stable with a quick pace, Guardians and civilians all forming a barrier on both sides of us. They looked at me with different expressions, some with admiration, and others with disgust. I didn’t pay them much mind, I just moved through the crowds and eventually, we made it to the Stable door.

There were several ponies and zebra in the door chamber. The Overmares, standing alongside the Master Guardians. Keira was standing with Silver and her family, all of them moving forward to meet me.

Uncle Forge moved up to me first, “Now what kind of Guardian is complete without his weapons,” he said with a chuckle.

Silver then levitated Venta and Umbra over to me, both looking brand new. I unsheathed both of them, and as always, Uncle Forge had outdone himself.

After I sheathed my weapons and strapped them to my back, Grindstone moved in front of me with a box. Now I was curious. He had said that he would have something for me when he left last night.

He opened the box and inside was something beautiful. A necklace with the symbol of our tribe in the center of the chain. I took it out and looked at it with amazement. The gem was perfectly cut and had almost no weight to it at all.

“Grind, I don’t know what to say,” I said with a look of amazement still on my face.

“It gets better, turn it over,” Grindstone said with a smile on his face.

I did as he instructed and was awestruck once again. On the other side of the gem, three symbols were carved into it. The cutie marks and glyph mark of Grind, Silver, and Keira. I was speechless, the time it would have taken to carve these into the gem must have been insane.

I looked up to see all three of my closest friends looking at me, waiting to hear my response to this wonderful gift. I felt a tear in my eye and wiped it away.

“Guys, this is so beautiful, I don’t know if I could bear to lose this on the surface,” I said with a hint of sadness.

Grindstone just chuckled and said, “No need to worry about that Shadow, I had Silver help me enchant the chain of the necklace. The only one who can take it off and on, is you.”

I pulled all three of them into a big group hug, tears flowing down my cheeks. As we separated, I took the necklace in my magic and placed it around my neck, stuffing the gem into my barding.

“Ahem. As touching as this little display is, it is time for you to begin your mission, Shadow Strike,” Overmare Zira said with a clear hint of disgust in her voice.

We all glared at her, but I knew she was right. I quickly gave all of my family hugs one last time before moving up to face the Masters and the Overmares.

Master Cross came up to me and hugged me tightly, “Be careful out there kiddo, remember your training, and keep a low profile.”

I then felt something being placed in my hoof. I looked to see a black flask with Master Cross’ glyph mark on it. I looked back up to him and he just smiled.

“Figured you could use a pick me up when you’re out in the field. That’s my best brew yet, so enjoy it kiddo,” Master Cross said, looking at me with his trademark smile that told me this stuff would make my day.

“Alright Cross, it is time for him to leave,” Overmare Zira said once again.

I moved to the door of the Stable as Overmare Cherry entered the override code to open it. The giant cog-like door moved off its place in the wall, and a tunnel was revealed on the other side. I cautiously walked out in the tunnel, moving away from the stable. As I got about twenty feet from it, I turned back to see my family, including Cross, waving their last goodbyes to me, which I returned before the door moved back into place.

I turned back towards the tunnel leading away from my home, and started forward, “Alright, let’s see what the surface is like?”

Footnote:

No Status Changes

Author's Note

Hey guys, Hades here with an new chapter.

I am so sorry for the long period of no updates. I went back and worked out all the issues I had in the first six chapters. A special thank you to my editor, Mister Hypothetical for helping me out with that.

Now here is Ch. 7 and Shadow is finally out of the stable. More adventures are on the way. I promise that they will be coming more frequently.

Also if you haven't seen my blog, I have created a Discord server with a Fallout Equestria theme. I'll leave a link her for anyone who wishes to join. Come chat with me and other authors.

https://discord.gg/vxRm4Bp