Chapter 1: Shadow Flight

Sunset’s Last Glow

Chapter 1: Shadow Flight

“I can hear her… that laughter,” one said to the other two, both wanting for the freedom that they hope would come soon enough with her victory as she promised only days before.

“Patience, my brothers; you shall soon taste of the freedom eternal night shall bring,” a second said, his eyes flitting about in the darkness.

In the shadowy recesses of the Old Castle, mired in the depths of the Everfree Forest, the three beings looked on from their safe shelter at the broken walls and cinder blocks casting that were casting an eerie, ethereal mood.  They saw the one they swore their lives to, in her stark beauty and grace; the Dark Mare, staring down this impudent unicorn mare—barely even older than a filly.  All alone—something that his brethren would consider not the brightest of strategic decisions considering what she was daring to challenge.  That filly is a foal!  Our Princess of the Night will eradicate her with little effort.  Why is she even bothering to try?  None that oppose us will stand.  That is the promise we were given, and we shall believe!

“Why is she taunting her?  She is alone, no chance against a mare of that might,”  the third laughed, amused at this mare’s crazed defiance toward the one who called herself Nightmare Moon.

Time passed, and the three watched from the safety of their sheltered place, enclosed in a glass that was just thick enough to see through.  They stood, pacing about every so often as the second ticked by without much event.  Now, now there was something to be seen, and laugh about.

“What does she hope to do by her deftness?  Sliding underneath just to reach an old rock?  And this is the one that is supposed to be trouble?  What a stupid mare!”

Suddenly things changed.  What was once one pony became six, and the odds no longer favored the figure looking down at the initial unicorn. “Brothers… something is wrong.  There are more of them.  No, no… this wasn’t supposed to....!”

As the six mares of various color and build assembled and stared down the Dark Mare, a slow but constant crackling sound started to fill their world.  Suddenly the entire room they were floating about in shifted, tumbling into an environment that was foreign to them.  “What’s happening?”  The crack turned into an implosion of their shelter; they all fell out of their housing, and were cast to the winds.

The spirit forms they used to be ended up taking the forms they had known all too well, from weeks and months past.  All three, strapping middle-aged pegasi--talented fliers, well ambitioned, and one a former leader of the Weather Patrol.  But this day... they followed one and one only--Nightmare Moon.  The first, the highest leader of them all, the dark coated stallion, with the dark red and amber hair, and golden eyes.  His mark was that of a shadowed moon with a hawk diving through the top of the high part of the radius.  The second, a totally black maned with stripes of cobalt blue specimen, with a deep rich dark orange coat.  Finally, the last of them to form was a sky blue coated pegasus with silver hair that was tagged by a slowly rising sun--that should not have been there.

Upon which they found they could fly again.  “Free!  Night eternal shall reign!”

“NO!  Something’s wrong!  Where are the rest of us?” the tallest one said, his red and golden mane being tussled by the speed at which they had been moved.  “We should be her side, legions of pegasi ready to raid the Castle and seize Celestia as we were ordered, not flying about without any fixed aim as a broken cell of merely three, with nopony to give orders to!  Where is she--she promised she would find us and lead us to victory!”

The doubt that filled their brains was soon met with sudden realizations—as the sun rose.  Disbelief was the first emotive expression on the leader’s face, as he looked through his mask and goggles as the celestial body ascended rapidly as it had been hidden away.  She… she failed.  That mare did that to our Princess?  Impossible!

All three stopped midflight, keeping their wings in motion to prevent them from falling.  “No… the promise has been broken.  There will be… no eternal night.  We… we are alone, brothers.”  The lead pulled back his mask, revealing his dark blue coat.  “Defiance, Stealth Light… we need to presume that we are no longer going to have any backup, as our legions are not among us.  I recommend we do not continue with the mission as had been planned.”

“Phoenix Ember, have you lost your mind?  We were given an assignment, and we are going to see it through!  Why do you waver now?” Defiance asked, predictably, his contrasting black and blue mane shining in the sunlight.

An angry gaze came from Phoenix’s golden eyes, glimmering with harsh intent.  “You question my orders, Defiance?  You’ve been warned.  I advise you close your mouth and follow my directions.”

“Defiance is right, Phoenix Ember.  We were ordered, regardless of what happens, to raid the castle and capture the Sun Princess,”  the silver haired Shadowbolt said plainly.

“You as well, Stealth, will question my directions?  No.  We will stay here until I have decided we will move.  And for now… now we will land, and wait.  She told us that I would lead, that I am the head flyer and that nopony moves so much as a feather unless I say so.”

“Respectfully, sir, I disagree.  We are Shadowbolts!  Soon to be feared among all of Equestria, as we would enforce the night that should have been drawn and complete!  Not to see the rise of another day’s sunlight!” Stealth argued, shocked by the lack of cavalier from the commanding officer.

“It is lucky she is not here right now, as she would dispatch the two of you in very unpleasant methods for your mutinous words.  She gives me orders, I give you orders.  I do not believe this should ever be held in question.  Have I made my stance clear, gentlecolts?”

The three looked at each other for a tense couple of moments, all three exchanging pointed glances.  “You… nothing better than a wretched sun lover.” Defiance said, spitting at Phoenix Ember.

“We all used to love the sun, Defiance, you foal!  We all appreciated the glory of a sunrise and the sunset as Our Princess would raise the luminous moon for all to see… and mock, not revel in.  Do you really understand what will come with this ‘eternal night’, hmm?”

Stealth Light almost stopped flapping his wings after Phoenix made his declaration.  “I understood completely, Ember.  I listened to her plans after we were given our mission… and it was to be glorious!  No more sun to hurt our eyes, and the cessation of the worship of Celestia so that the true Princess of Equestria could reign.  You are unfit to lead me.”  He stripped off his outer uniform, and let it fall in the light of the fresh day.  “I no longer acknowledge you as a friend, or a pegasus.  May your life be short.”

In the Shadowbolts, betrayal was considered the highest offense possible to the organization, followed closely by dereliction of duty.  It was almost physically painful for Phoenix to hear the words depart Stealth Light’s mouth.  Of all of the Generals in his immediate command, he considered him the most trustworthy and loyal.  “I presume you’re going to abandon me as well, aren’t you, Defiance?”

Defiance snickered for a minute, looking at Phoenix.  “I may be.  I’m not sure, Phoenix… were you always so easily swooned when things went wrong?  No.  You were the pillar, the foundation upon which the rest of us decided to follow without question.  Now… now, you’re nothing.  As weak as I thought you to be after the first time we met.  I’m not going to waste this gift given to me by Nightmare Moon.  You keep it--to remind you that you screwed up and failed us.  And, Phoenix Ember… you had best pray that our paths never cross again; if they do, I will view you as my enemy, not my friend.”

Defiance stripped off his outfit, and passed it to Phoenix.  “You love the sun so much, Ember--maybe you should fly to it and find your freedom that you wished for in the endless night we were promised.”  Without another word, he flew off toward the east, his destination unknown.

Phoenix watched his comrades in wing fly away from him. For the first time in the millennium’s length of time that had passed but to him felt only like a few minutes, he was alone.  With his wings, his uniform and the rest of the world of Equestria around him, options needed to be considered.  He was still in a state of shock at the betrayal of whom he believed to be two of his most trusted friends, but it appears as if their hearts loyalty was disintegrating as rapidly as did the shell they had been enclosed in.  Perhaps this was a plan if things went wrong?  Maybe a more delayed tactic to lull Celestia into a false sense of security and then we strike?  He then turned his eyes back toward the sun, which had finished it ascent into the sky.

I do not know this world as best I should.  If I am… alone now, under the rule of Celestia’s light and the Dark Mare is no longer among us, I will surely cease to have purpose in living.  Why did we get cast away from the castle?  All of the facts went through Phoenix’s mind as he slowly flapped to the closest safe location he could find, in the midst of the Everfree Forest.

His landing was rough, but the location familiar. I’ve been here.  We all were here. We must have been with her from Ponyville, and ended up at the Old Castle… a shadow of its former self.  Something doesn’t seem right--the time seems as if it’s moved too quickly.  But--no, I am a Shadowbolt… and I have a job to finish.

He didn’t even believe his own thoughts as his hooves touched the soft, giving soil of the deep wood.  It felt good to be back on Equestrian ground, although definitely not in the manner and capacity he was promised by Nightmare Moon earlier on.  He strode about the trees, the illumination from the sun above jetting through the thick foliage.  The betrayal of his comrades—the only two left, it seemed, saw raw in his now empty stomach. Hmm.  I should go and try to find something to eat.

Birds and other creatures made their morning songs as he strolled in the muddy ground, fresh from a rain the day before.  Must have been a pretty good dousing… I wonder if Adept Shield is still running the weather operations.  I’ll have to pay him a visit… and see if I can persuade him to shift his loyalties one more time.  If not, I’ll just put a sword in his side and end it quickly for him.

His walk lasted a couple of minutes as the forest began to ebb away to a small clearing.  In it, Phoenix found something he would never have thought to happen upon in the Everfree Forest—a small cottage, made from hardened mud and other materials.  There were a couple of quaint windows on the side, and smoke drifting out of the chimney. Who would be so foolish as to build a house out here in the middle of this dank place?  Must be some sort of isolationist or just a crazed pony that decided this was the best place to set up shop. Phoenix flapped his wings once more, drawing them in and approaching the building, figuring there being little better to do other than investigate, capture whomever might be inside, and use the weapons at his disposal to convince them that they were on the losing side.

Shadowbolts don’t knock, Phoenix.  Just walk in.  He pushed forward on the doorway, and it opened into a warm house, filled with trinkets, masks and bottles of potions and spices.  Inside, he could hear some humming coming from another part of the house.  He quickly flitted into a place where he could monitor the whole of the place without being seen.  Stealth above all… observe what’s going on.

The humming drew closer, as Phoenix used his wings and back hooves to press himself against the rugged-textured ceiling of the hut.  He looked down and noticed the occupant walking over to a large cauldron that was bubbling slightly, smelling of unusual fragrances that Phoenix could not quite place.

“How strange. I was sure that this door I left closed--perhaps somepony has entered my house undisclosed?”  She shook her head, spat something in her native tongue, and walked over to the door, closing it and fastening the lock, thinking it had just been the breeze of the day.  “Back to work, no time to shirk,” Zecora said as she turned from the door and walked back to the main part of the house.

The rhyme reached Phoenix’s ears with all the grace of hooves against smooth slate, the grating sound making him cringe as he watched the zebra mill about her home.  He couldn’t quite place where she might have come from, as zebras were very uncommon…almost a myth that Luna had told them about during their classes from a couple of weeks ago to Phoenix’s recollection.  He shifted a little bit, to get a closer view on what the smaller mare was working on.

“Memory of time and many fortunes sighted; I pray that this spell not be blighted.”  She added some spices to the kettle, stirring it with a spoon that was sitting nearby on a desk.  A moment later, she turned and began to flip through a book, browsing its contents.  She seemed to get lost in the tome, and this allowed Phoenix to look at the room a little more.  The greeting masks didn’t catch him off guard—in fact, most of everything inside of the house seemed welcoming.  The only aspect that he didn’t care for was the house’s occupant.  I hate zebras.  He was getting tired of waiting, and let himself descent rapidly from the ceiling, landing with a hard thump.

Zecora spun around to see the intruder in her house, a dark blue coated pegasus, who quickly raised his wings up in an effort to put them around her mouth and neck.  She had little time to react as Phoenix wrapped her up, and drew her close enough to him to apply enough pressure to make her very uncomfortable.

“Feh!  Figures I would stumble upon one of the most worthless creations ever made by Celestia!  I still don’t know what she was thinking when she divined you up to be so contradictory, with your off-setting stripes!  Now hold still, you’re struggling too much.”  Phoenix’s grip on the medicine pony was adequate, but not very stable.

And how unstable it was ended up being proven a couple of seconds later as Zecora kicked at his exposed front hooves, which ended up shifting his center of gravity.  Phoenix only tightened his grip around her neck and mouth—however gravity would soon have her way as Ember’s front hooves landed roughly on the unforgiving hardened mud floor, which caused his wings to loosen their grip around Zecora, who started coughing sharply from being practically choked in the pegasus’ grasp.

Phoenix’s mouth and muzzle both hit hard as he fell, and he slowly got up, rubbing it with his hoof as he stood back up.  Zecora’s coughing jag had finally let up, and she dashed over to retrieve a staff that was resting by a nearby bookshelf, which she then held in her hooves as she stood up on her two back hooves, pointing it toward Phoenix.

“How dare you!  Come into my abode, steal my breath away!  I don’t know who you are, but you are unwelcome to stay!”  the zebra’s normally white and black face was a flushed fury of red and purple, her attempt to regain her breath not quite finished as she jabbed the staff toward Phoenix.

Phoenix wasn’t even fazed.  “Oh, just be quiet, with you and your rhythmic nonsense.  I really don’t care.  All you need to know is this—you’re my prisoner and you’ll do as I tell you do to!”

Zecora didn’t like this particular pegasus’ attitude toward her.  “On the contrary, my winged fiend—it’s your feathers that will be preened!  The wrath you have risen is not settled fast—take heed, and care, lest it be your last!”

“You don’t scare me in the very least, you confused pony.  So put your stupid little stick down and—“

The next sound that was heard was that of a resounding WHACK as Zecora took the staff and lowered it with all intentional force onto Phoenix’s head.  He hit the floor, a tumbled mess of feathers and coat landing into a lump.

“Threatening and attacking was very unwise... in fact, it may prove to be your demise.  Now that I’ve rendered you to be fell, whom should I contact and quickly tell?”  Pondering the alternatives available to her given her remote and isolated location, she turned back toward her intruder and  gave him another whack on the head for good measure, just to make sure he had been knocked out.  She dropped the staff onto his limp body, it giving him a bruise on his chest to add to the two lumps on his head, and strode over to her bookshelf, retrieving another text, this one far more recent.

Her hooves became a flurry of activity as she plucked various jars and ointments off of the shelves, pouring them into the cauldron in carefully measured amounts. In her native, non-rhyming tongue, she spoke: “Light that is powerful and strong, I send you up to the skies to serve as a beacon for anypony to see, and understand that I need help.  I have been attacked by an unknown pegasus who did not name himself, and I am frightened that I may need to do far more than I would prefer to him if he should arise again and try to capture me.”

A moment later, she stuck her hoof into the cauldron, and tapped on its side.  A moment later, a ball of energy spewed forth from the kettle, and made its way to the chimney, going straight up.  A couple of moments later, there was an explosion of energy and light outside—even noticeable in the middle of the sunrise.

“Rest now, you foolish pony that flies through the air… soon somepony else will be here to provide you care.”

In his relatively unconscious state, Phoenix’s body could not deliver any words.  But his spirit, still vibrant and awake, had a simple plea:  “I’m sorry, Princess Luna.  It appears as though I have failed you in the simplest of tasks.”