In the Shadow of the Sun

by Staggeredline

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Adventure, Dark
Length: 13688

A pegasus' life comes crashing down and he finds himself in a frantic fight for survival.

The day before his marriage, the life of a pegasus is torn to shreds as he is thrown into a frantic fight to survive.

Contains violence and language.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-01-21 05:18:12 UTC

Chapter 1

A/N: Inspired by Prototype. First fanfiction published, comments and criticism much appreciated!

Pain.

It was all he could feel.

The outside world was a blur to him. Most of his senses weren’t working properly. His sight only returned blurred images, beyond any recognition. His ears were filled with distance voices, none of which he could understand. The all he could taste or smell was blood.

And all he could feel was pain. A burning, unbearable pain.

How did this happen? He wondered, Why now? This was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life.

“Well, ain’t you lookin’ nervous.”

Ash’s head shot up at the voice. He knew who it was, the thick southern accent had given that away. “Hello to you too, Applejack.” He said without looking.

The charcoal grey coated Pegasus was sitting in the shadow of an apple tree in the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres, his near white mane moving slightly with the breeze. Ash turned his head to face the orange mare, watching her with violet eyes as she sat down beside him.

“So, ya gonna tell me why ya’ll so worked up?” she asked.

He grinned. “I’m going to ask her.”

Applejack stared at him for a moment, a look of surprise on her face. “Ya mean: THE question?”

Ash could feel blood rushing to his face as he nodded. “Yep.”

A huge smile broke out on the farmpony’s face. “Well,” she chuckled, “It’s about dang time.”

Fear.

He had felt fear a lot over the past month, but that was a different kind of fear.

That was fear of rejection, fear that something wouldn’t go according to plan, and a fear of making a fool of himself. The new fear was much stronger, making the other kinds seem trivial. It was the fear of lose. The fear of losing everything.

Especially the one he loved most.

Ash had never been so nervous in his life. He could see her tail dangling off the side of a cloud, like a rainbow lure. If it was a lure, it was working.

He gathered his courage and took to the sky, circling around the cloud before landing. It was fairly small, but had enough room for more than just the two pegasi. He stood on shaky hooves and watched her for a moment. Her cyan coated body rose and fell slowly with her breathing, and rainbow mane swayed in the gentle breeze.

Ash took a deep breath then gentle shook her with his hoof. Her eyes opened and she blinked repeatedly, before standing, and annoyed look on her face. “Huh? What is it?”

Rainbow examined the one who had woken her, and her face softened when she realised who it was. “Hey, Ash! How’s it going?”

Ash tried to meet her gaze, but failed and looked at his hooves. “Well, umm, I wanted to talk to you.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? About what?”

Ash could feel the sweat beginning to form on his body. “Well, we’ve been together for a while now...”

The cyan mare’s heart began to beat faster. He’s not going to end it with me, is he?

“...so, I’ve been thinking, and I wanted to ask you something...”

He reached into his saddlebag and withdrew a small box. Using his wings to help himself balance, he sat back on his haunches and held the box in one hoof, whilst opening it with the other.

Rainbow’s eyes widened when she saw the gold bracelet in the box. Gems of all colours adorned its surface, creating a rainbow pattern around its circumference. Ash noticed the expression. Thank you Rarity.

“Rainbow Dash.” he finally found the courage to look her in the eyes, “Will you marry me?”

Am I ever going to see her again?

It was something he couldn’t answer. The pain had begun to lessen, but the fear was there in its full strength. There was nothing that he wanted more than to hear her voice, or look into her magenta eyes.

Why me? Why now? Am I going to die?

His mind was slowing, and he was beginning to lose his grip on consciousness.

NO! I am not going to die! I am not going to die! I am going to live! To see her again!

But no matter how hard he fought, he couldn’t keep it back. He was slipping into the void.

It was getting late. Celestia’s sun was setting over the horizon, giving way to Luna’s beautiful moon. Ash lay on a cloud, watching the shining ball of light disappear behind distant hills, creating an awe inspiring, yet calmingly peaceful show of light.

The ceremony is tomorrow. He thought, I can’t believe she said yes!

He rolled over onto his back and shut his eyes, lying on the cloud in a state of bliss. Things couldn’t be better.

Ash stayed there for a few minutes, taking in the smell of the fresh spring air, and the feeling of the soft cloud beneath him. He soon opened his eyes and slowly raised himself into a sitting position. The last rays of the sun were visible in the distance, and the light was fading fast. He looked over the edge of the cloud and frowned when he realised it the cloud had drifted over the Everfree forest.

Should have paid more attention. He thought, I’d better get back before everypony starts worrying.

Ash took a moment to stretch his wings before leaping off the cloud. He launched into a downward spiral, then moments before hitting the canopy of the Everfree forest, pullet up sharply. He closed his eyes and glided over the tall trees.

Tomorrow is going to be a good day.

Opening his eyes, he slowly began to climb in altitude. The trees below began to thin out, signifying the edge of the forest. He could make out the pale glow of Fluttershy’s cottage in the tree.

Ash snapped to attention when he saw movement below him. Slowing down, he circled above, trying to get a look.

Probably just an animal, He thought.

The light was almost gone, and he decided to continue on his way, but he saw it again, a dark shape moving below. Something about it unnerved him.

Just leave it and go home.

He frowned. Curiosity overcame any rational thought and he descended into the trees. His hooves touched the ground and he looked around for any sign of movement. There was nothing.

Ash waited a few minutes, but everything was still. It seemed even the wind had stopped, and only the sound of crickets filled the air. The night was upon him, and he found it almost impossible to see in the darkness. Not wanting to hang around in the dark he decided to leave.

Bah, it’s just my mind playing tricks on me.

He lowered himself and prepared to jump back into the air when he saw something in his peripheral vision. He turned to look but wasn’t fast enough. It hit him.

It was as if the temperature suddenly dropped to freezing. A chill ran up his spine and he shivered uncontrollably. Then, as quick as the feeling had come, it passed.

The forest was calm again, nothing moved, and even the crickets had stopped. There was only silence, and eerie lack of noise. Nothing stirred.

Ok, that’s enough sight-seeing for me!

Ash took to the skies as fast as he could, heart racing. Feeling a longing to hear another’s voice, he changed course to Fluttershy’s cottage. It only took a few minutes for him to reach her small abode, and he landed lightly at the door.

The crickets have started up again, he noticed, relieved that the deathly silence from before hadn’t followed him.

The Pegasus trotted up to the door and knocked his hoof against its wooden surface repeatedly. He could hear something stirring inside, then the door opened to reveal the small yellow owner of the home.

“Oh, hello Ash!”

He smiled warmly, “Hi Fluttershy.”

“Rainbow Dash is inside. She was looking for you. Why don’t you come inside... I mean, if you want to, that is.”

Maybe I did spent a bit longer out there than I intended.

“I’d love to.”

Ash entered, and a rainbow mane immediately filled his vision. “And just where have you been?”

He couldn’t help but grin at his fiancée mothering him. “Fell asleep on a cloud and it drifted over the forest. Sorry to worry you like that.”

The rainbow maned mare rolled her eyes. “You and your sleeping habits.”

“Coming from you of all ponies.”

The pair laughed, then embraced.

Ash felt her push on his chest, and he withdrew. She was looking at him with a concerned expression. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

“Your nose is bleeding.”

He touched his nose with a hoof and examined it. Crimson blood rested on the tip of his hoof, and he became aware of the warm liquid travelling down his snout.

“Oh dear, I’ll get you a cloth.” Said Fluttershy, who disappeared into another room.

“Are you alright?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

As if on cue, the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and a ringing started up in his ears. He winced and his legs buckled beneath him, causing Ash to fall to his knees.

“Ash!” Rainbow cried. Her voice sounded distant.

Ash looked into her eyes. He saw fear. Blood dribbled out of his mouth and down his chin and the ringing intensified.

Then the pain began.

Iwillnotdieiwillnotdieiwillnotdie.

He couldn’t hold on. He was slipping.

Just... hold on... for her.

He was fading. He couldn’t fight it.

I WILL NOT DIE!

There was nothing he could do.

I... can’t go... not yet... not... now...

Then he was gone.

Ash awoke with a loud gasp, as if he had been emerging from underwater. He examined the room, taking in the white walls, pale floor and the single door on the other side of the room. He felt soft pillows underneath him, and a warm blanket covered most of his body. He realised he was in a hospital.

“Hello?”

There was no response. He tried again, louder this time. “Hello? Can anypony hear me?”

He heard the echo of hooves striking the floor, slowly growing louder, when a head appeared in the doorway. “Oh! You’re awake!”

A golden coated mare with a pale blue mane entered. She wore a nurse’s cap with a hole cut in it to make room for her horn and wore a white uniform that covered her body, but ended just before her flank, revealing a red cross mark. She trotted up to the bed.

“You gave us quite a scare, we thought we’d lost you.”  She looked him over, “Are you feeling alright?”

“I feel fine. What happened to me? Where am I?”

“You’re in the Royal Canterlot Hospital, and you’ve been here for three days. As for what happened to you, I’m afraid we’re not entirely sure. You were admitted in a critical condition, you were unresponsive, bleeding heavily and appeared to be in a lot of pain. There was a lot of internal bleeding, but we couldn’t find a cause, and then, it just stopped. Healed. Completely gone. You appeared to have slipped into a coma, and we couldn’t find anything wrong, so we decided to keep you here under observation.”

Ash sat in silence as the words sunk in, but then he remembered something. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?”

“Your friends were staying in the Castle.”

“Can I see them?”

“Not yet. I’d like to give you an examination, just to be sure you’re alright.”

Ash growled in annoyance. “I feel fine! Nothing’s changed! Nothing’s wrong!”

The mare stared at him for a moment, then spoke. “I... I’m afraid that’s not true.”

“What do you mean?”

She her horn glowed and a small object levitated from a pocket on her uniform. Ash soon saw that it was a small makeup mirror.

“Look.” The nurse said, her voice low.

She held the mirror in front of his face, which twisted into a look of horror when he saw his reflection. His eyes were no longer the violet hue they were before.

They had turned a crimson red.

Rainbow Dash sat alone on the balcony, looking up at the night sky. Her tears had dried, but the feeling of sadness remained, tormenting her in all her waking hours.

I just want him back.

Her friends had done their best to comfort her, assuring her that everything would turn out for the best, and that they could finally get married and spend the rest of their days together, but Ash’s condition did not improve. For the past three days he lay in the hospital bed, unmoving and unresponsive, with only his steady breathing and heartbeat informing them that he was still alive.

Fluttershy and Applejack had returned to their small home town, for they each had commitments that they needed to take care of, but at least they returned.

Her ears perked up when she heard hoofsteps from behind her. She turned to see Princess Celestia herself, along with her friends. Celestia spoke.

“I have received news from the hospital.”

Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat. He’s going to be fine, we’ll be able to marry and this will all work out.

The expression on Celestia’s face told her otherwise. She looked toward her friends, who bore similar expressions of sadness. Pinkie’s hair was deflated, and Fluttershy eyes filled with tears.

“No...”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow. There was nothing they could do.”

“NO!”

The rainbow maned Pegasus fell to the ground, her legs suddenly unable to support her weight. Her vision blurred as tears clouded her eyes, spilling down her face.

“No...”

A/N: Thanks for reading, and remember to track/comment/rate!

Chapter 2

“W-what? How?!” Ash stammered.

The nurse levitated the mirror back into her pocket. “I’m sorry, but we don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?!”

“Please try and stay calm, sir. Now, I, nor any of the doctors in Canterlot, have seen or heard of anything like your condition. It isn’t natural.”

“So what? It’s something magical?”

“It has to be. There is no other rational explanation.”

Ash sunk back into the bed. “So what now?”

“Previous examinations have shown nothing wrong. Aside from a change in colour, your eyes are perfectly fine.”

Ash snorted.

“As for magically, Princess Celestia herself performed that examination. She turned up nothing.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Celestia wants to keep you hear until we can figure out what happened. I’ll let her know you’re awake and you can give her a report, and she’ll probably bring your friends in too. In the mean time, stay in bed. You can let me know if you need anything.”

The nurse left, leaving Ash alone. He sighed and thought about the situation.

Did this happen because of that thing in the forest? What was that thing, anyway?

“You are in danger.”

Ash jumped at the voice. It sounded like a whisper in his ear, but there was nopony else in the room. “Who’s there?”

“You are in danger. Flee.”

“Who are you?”

“We are the same.”

A feeling of unease crossed over the grey Pegasus. He could feel something wrong, in the back of his mind. “So... you’re me?”

“Yes. Danger approaches. You must flee now.”

He was about to respond when the door opened. His eyes widened when the Celestia entered, along with a pair of unicorn guards.

The whispering had stopped, and Ash bowed his head. “Princess...”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Ash looked up. The princess had a slight frown on her face, and her expression was similar to the hard gaze the guards used. Ash shrank back before her eyes, which were fixed on his.

“Princess... what-”

“Silence. Ash, you are a good stallion, and I’m sorry it had to come to this, but it is necessary.”

Confusion and fear assaulted Ash. Come to what? What is she sorry for? Is she responsible for this?

Her intentions finally became clear when one of the guards levitated a syringe full of a clear, bluish liquid.

Celestia turned and headed toward the door. She paused before leaving and turned to him again. “I’m sorry.” She said before she disappeared, leaving Ash alone with the two guards.

Ash looked between them frantically. “What are you doing?!”

He tried to get up, but found himself held down. The second guard’s horn glowed, surrounded by a pale greenish grey aura.

The first drew closer, the syringe approaching with him. “By order of Princess Celestia, your life if forfeit.”

Ash struggled. “Why?!”

The guard drew even closer still, until he was standing over the helpless Pegasus. “You can’t do this!” Ash screamed.

Ash thrashed as hard as he could, suddenly feeling a lapse in the field holding him. With a final push he broke free.

“You are out of time. Kill them.” The voice growled.

The guards seemed unfazed by his escape, only angered. The first launched the syringe down at him. Ash rolled off the bed, dragging the blanket with him. The syringe barely missed him, driving itself into the mattress as Ash fell to the floor.

He struggled to free himself from the covers as the second of the guards charged at him. Ash tore free from the grip of the sheets just in time to be slammed into the wall by the guard.

He involuntarily cried out as the guard spun around and aimed a buck at Ash’s head.

No you don’t!

Ash pulled himself out of the way as the guard’s hooves smashed into the wall, creating two holes where Ash’s head had once been.

Strangely, Ash recovered from the assault abnormally quickly. He felt a surge of anger, and leapt on the guard with all the force he could muster.

Ash could feel the guard’s ribs crack under the force of his impact. The guard cried out in pain as they landed on the ground. Fuelled by his anger, the grey Pegasus scrambled on top of the stunned unicorn and struck his head repeatedly. He could feel the guard’s armour, flesh and bone give under the volley of punches.

The other guard let out a wordless war cry a jumped at Ash, knocking him off his companion. The guard reared up and brought his hooves down on Ash’s chest, forcing the air from his lungs. The rage that had overcome Ash swelled with the wave of pain. He bucked upwards, sending his hooves into the guard’s unprotected stomach with a sickening thump.

The guard’s eyes widened and he choked. Blood began to drip from his mouth as he fell to one side, wheezing.

Ash slowly stood, the rage from the fight subsiding. The Pegasus surveyed the room. The bed, syringe still protruding from the mattress, had been shoved aside, presumably when he fell. Two holes showed the points where the guard’s hooves had collided with the wall. Ash looked at the two guards.

The first was unrecognisable. His helmed was dented and distorted, and his visible face covered in blood and gashes. Ash could even see a split in one of his eyes, which stared blankly forward.

The second guard lay on his side, blood dripping from his mouth and a massive black bruise with two distinctive hoof marks on his underside. His haggard breaths became slower and slower until they stopped completely.

Ash stood still, staring at the horror he had created.

What have I done?

“You did what was necessary.”

He spun wildly, searching the room for the source of the voice. “Who are you?” he snarled.

“You still do not understand. I am YOU.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Doesn’t it? We are the same being. If it helps, think of me as a section of your subconscious.”

Ash’s heart was racing. This thing was in his head?

“What do you want?”

“To help us.”

Ash let out a short bark of bitter laughter. He could feel tears beginning to form in his eyes. “How can you possible help me?”

“I already have. It was with my strength that you defeated your assailants and protected you from serious injury.”

“You killed them?!”

“No, I merely supplied the means. It was you who performed the deed.”

Ash couldn’t contain himself any longer. He let out a choking sob and tears ran down his face. He had just killed two ponies. Taken their lives in a fit of rage.

I’m a murderer.

“You must leave.”

“Just leave me alone.” He sobbed.

“It’s not safe here. Leave.”

“And go where?!” he shouted, “Where can I go? They’ll hunt me down! I killed two ponies!”

A scream filled Ash’s ears. He turned to the door to see the nurse. Her eyes were wide and her face a mask of terror. Her gaze darted between the broken corpses and the blood covered Pegasus, before she turned tail and bolted out of sight, screaming at the top of her lungs.

That... voice is right. If I stay here they’ll find me, and I don’t want to hurt anypony else.

He turned to the single window of the room. The view was impressive, and showed the bright lights of Canterlot in the dark of the night. Ash leapt toward it, closing his eyes as he broke through the glass.

The air outside was cold, but a refreshing change from the smell of sterilisers that had plagued the hospital, and the more recent stench of blood and death. Feeling the wind in his mane calmed him, to an extent, and he felt the feeling of freedom flight brought to him. Only, something was missing.

Rainbow Dash.

A feeling of loneliness crept over him. He had to find her.

And tell her what? That I’ve just killed two ponies in cold blood. And what about Celestia? What would she tell her? I’ll kill that bitch!

Rage boiled up inside him, but he realised what was happening.

No! Don’t let your anger rule you. I need to find Dash, that’s all that matters at the moment.

He adjusted his course to head toward the Royal Castle. That was where the nurse said she had been, but also where Celestia was most likely to be.

Celestia walked through the immense hallway in her castle, her mind wandering over the recent events. She truly regretted what she had done, but there was no other way. The princess thought back to her encounter with the element of loyalty. She’ll recover, eventually.

Guards stood to attention as she past them, but the sound of hoofsteps echoed down the hallway, causing Celestia to look around.

A Pegasus guard ran toward her. He stopped before her and bowed. “Princess...”

“Rise, captain.” He obeyed.

“The target has escaped, your majesty.” He said, “Both the guards you left to deal with him are dead.”

Celestia frowned. This was getting out of hand. “He killed them? How?”

“We’re not sure. Hoof shaped bruising on the bodies suggest he fought them unarmed, but both of them look like they were hit with sledge hammers. We believe he has escaped into the city.”

The white alicorn thought for a moment, then addressed the guard. “Put the city guard on alert, he cannot be allowed to escape. Also, evacuate the hospital wing and torch it.”

The captain looked up in shock. “Princess-”

“You have your orders, captain. Leave no evidence behind.”

The Pegasus bowed once again. “Of course, princess.”

He turned to a pair of guards stationed in the hall. “You two, alert the guard! I want this city on high alert in ten minutes!”

“Sir, yes, sir!” the shouted in unison.

The guards took off to complete their assigned tasks, leaving Celestia alone in the hall. She stayed for a moment, just appreciating the calmness of the castle.

A calmness that wouldn’t last.

A/N: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is property of Hasbro, all characters are property of their respective owners. Thanks for reading! Rate, comment, track!

Chapter 3

“HALT! In the name of Celestia!”

Ash dived down to street level, pulling up at the last moment to prevent himself from crashing into the hard cobblestone paths below. At the speed he had been flying at, it probably would have been messy.

He sped through the streets, dodging streetlamps and other obstacles, the pair of pegasi guards behind him. The guards were fast fliers, especially considering their armour and bulky size, but not fast enough. Their prey was gaining ground on them, increasing the distance with every passing moment.

Ash released an inward sigh of relief. Maybe I don’t have to fight thes-

The air was forced out of Ash’s lungs as something slammed into his back and pummelled him into the ground. As he realised a guard had dived on him he felt the weight on his back lift. The pair rolled across the ground, eventually coming to a halt as the two guards chasing him caught up.

Ash scrambled to stand, but his dizziness forced him back down. He tried again, but another weight sent him flying into a wall. Despite the pain of the impacts, the grey Pegasus noticed that he was relatively unharmed.

His mind was brought back to the present when a voice tore through his thoughts.

“Got you now!”

Ash barely managed to leap aside, out of the way of the buck one of the guards had let loose. He screamed in anger and leapt on the guard, lashing out repeatedly with his hooves. The guard cried out in pain as one of his wings was bent in an unnatural direction by the assault.

Lights came on in the buildings surrounding them, and the dark silhouettes of ponies moving inside could also be seen. A second guard grabbed Ash’s mane in his teeth and, with a single heave, tossed the smaller Pegasus aside.

He hit the ground and rolled back into a crouching position. The guard charged, but Ash was ready. In a move he had learned from Applejack when helping out on the farm, he leapt forward, bringing his hind legs up underneath him and spinning 180 degrees on his fore legs. The guard saw what he was doing and tried to slow himself, but the momentum he had built up kept pushing him forward. Ash kicked his hind legs out in a furious buck.

He felt his hooves strike home, and the resistance gave way almost instantly. A loud snap echoed through the street. Ash turned to see his foe hit the ground, the guard’s face crushed up and bleeding from various lacerations where the skin had split, with his head wrenched backwards beyond where it should safely be.

I did that? Ash suddenly felt sick in his stomach.

The third guard stood his ground, but didn’t attack. He tried to hide his fear, but Ash could see it in his eyes. Feeling a sudden urge to throw up, Ash decided to leave.

“Follow me and I’ll kill you too.” He tried to make himself sound threatening, but he couldn’t hide the trembling in his voice.

Without waiting he took off, fresh blood still dripping from his hooves.

The fire raged through the hospital, smoke blotting out the moon in the sky and screams filling the air. Ponies rushed to control the blaze, and managed to contain it to a single section of the hospital.

Thankfully, a large group of Celestia’s guardsponies had been in the area, and were able to aid in evacuating the patients. Unfortunately, two unicorn battle mages had been trapped inside whilst attempting to recover the body of a recently deceased pegasus.

Neither survived.

Ash dove headfirst into the freezing water with a mighty splash. He resurfaced moments later, gasping for air. Shaking the water out of his mane, he swam to the shore of the small pond where he began to scrub furiously at his coat.

So much blood.

His hooves trembled as he rubbed them together in the water, leaving a small red cloud under its surface.

How many is that now? Three? Four?

His heart was racing, and despite his efforts the red still stained his fur. With a cry of frustration he threw himself into the icy water and began to thrash violently under the surface.

How many more will die because of me?

His lungs began to burn for air and the cold bit into his skin forcing him to the surface. He gasped loudly as soon as his head broke through the surface, and he pulled himself ashore, shivering.

Ash looked down at his coat. Red stains still marked his fur, but most of the blood was gone.

What the fuck am I going to do?

His gaze drifted toward the castle. It stood like a white mountain, illuminating the sky around it. The clouds around it were constantly cleared to prevent intruders from using them as cover. Ash could see guards patrolling around the mighty structure.

I can’t get in there, not without being seen. I’ll have to wait if I want to see Dash, maybe when she leaves for Ponyville? No, Celestia will be expecting that. Fuck! What has that bitch told her? If she’s hurt her... Ash growled without thinking.

No, she’s an element bearer. Celestia wouldn’t... she couldn’t do that. Ponyville’s my best bet now, but the princess will probably be expecting that. Maybe I can catch her on the way?

A shadow crossed overhead, and Ash looked up to see three pegasi guards passed overhead. Ash stood as still as he could manage with his uncontrollable shivering. Thankfully, the guards didn’t seem to notice and continued on their patrol.

“The cold will soon take its toll if you remain where you are.”

“Fuck you.” The Pegasus growled.

“Say what you will, you are still putting yourself at risk.”

The voice was right. Ash knew he couldn’t stay in the park, or the city for that matter.

I have to keep moving. I’ll stay outside the city and wait for my chance to see Dash.

Having made his decision, Ash spread his wings, but decided against it. They’ll be expecting me to fly. I’ll stay grounded... for now.

Without a word, the grey Pegasus set off into the night, leaving the crimson clouds in the water to disperse.

A cordon was quickly set up in the street, and the residents evacuated. Guardsponies were everywhere, examining the crime scene or just keeping onlookers away.

In the middle of the street lay a body, the white fur and shining golden armour marking the deceased as a Royal Guard. Surrounding the body was a pool of fresh blood, gleaming in the light. The body sported horrific injuries, including a broken neck and skull. The victim’s face was unrecognisable, as it had been completely crushed.

A guard captain stood over the body, looking down on his fallen comrade. “Rest in peace.” He muttered.

The sound of hoofsteps behind him caused the captain to turn. Before him stood a black coated unicorn clad in dark armour. His face was covered by a helmet with reflective black goggles concealing his eyes. A patch on the unicorn’s shoulder displayed a white sun being covered by a black moon.

“Are you in charge here?” the black clad unicorn asked.

“That I am. And you are?”

“Lieutenant Shadow Spark. I have a message from the princesses.”

“Which is?”

“By the authority of princesses Celestia and Luna, you and your guardsponies are now under our command. The Eclipse are taking over this operation.”

Slipping out of the city had been easy enough for the grey Pegasus. He had waited in the shadows, observing the guards on their patrols. Ash noticed that some groups were following set patrols, whilst other, larger groups seemed to be cruising around the city at random.

Search parties, he thought.

He didn’t remember how long he had waited, but soon enough his patience was rewarded. There had been confusion among the guard when several black clad unicorns had shown up barking orders. Ash saw his chance and seized it, diving over one of the city’s safety rails and down the side of the mountain the city rested on before any of the guards could notice.

After a brief freefall, he spread his wings and slowed his descent. It had been clear skies from there on, and Ash set a course for Ponyville, which was marked by a spot of light in the land before the grey pegasus. Staying low to the ground to minimize the chance of being seen, he sped towards his target as fast as he could.

The wind flowing through his mane and the burn of his wings at work brought the feeling of freedom, and for an instant he felt at peace. But the feeling didn’t last, as the cruel truth of reality came crashing down in the form of memories.

The shadow, his eyes, the ponies that he killed, the voice in his head... and her.

Will I ever get to live a normal life? He wondered, No, I’m a murderer... a monster.

Tears began to form in his eyes, but he shut them and willed himself not to cry.

Just get to the town, wait for Dash. We can figure this out.

... I hope.

A lone unicorn sat before a desk in a room lit only by a single lantern on the hard wood surface of the desk. His short mane was jet black, and his coat a few shades lighter. Orange eyes stared down at the reports in front of him, darting back and forth between the words on the pages. The room brightened slightly as his horn, or rather the remaining two thirds of the magical appendage, glowed a brilliant orange. The papers before him glowed with an aura of the same colour as they shifted and reorganized into a neat pile.

A loud knock on the door echoed through the room. The stallion raised his head.

“Enter.”

The metal door opened and light poured into the room, washing away the shadows and revealing the black clothes, and lunar eclipse patch on each of the unicorn’s shoulders. A second unicorn entered the room, dressed in a similar uniform, but with the addition of several armour plates and a helmet and goggles that concealed his face.

The newcomer bowed his head. “Commander.”

“Report, soldier.”

“Searches have found traces of blood in a pond at the Redflower parks, along with odd magical energy, but there’s no other sign of the target. We believe he has escaped the city.”

The commander placed his front hooves on the desk before speaking. “This was expected. Do we have any leads on his whereabouts?”

“The most likely destinations are Cloudsdale and Ponyville, the target’s hometown, but there’s every chance he’ll disappear into the country.”

“Sweep the countryside, and send small detachments to Cloudsdale and Ponyville, but keep them out of sight. We don’t need public attention.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Kill the target and bring back the body. The princess has given us permission to use any means necessary, only a few strings attached.”

“Strings, sir?”

“The target is in close with Loyalty, and the princess has made it very clear that Loyalty is not to be harmed. Understood?”

The unicorn stiffened his posture and saluted. “Sir, yes, sir!”

With a nod, the commander dismissed the masked stallion, who turned and left the room. The commander watched the soldier leave, and continued to stare through the open door after his departure.

“Give’em hell, soldier.”

A/N: Don't forget to rate/comment/track! All characters belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 4

Rainbow Dash soared high in the air, above the layer of clouds that blanketed the sky. Flight always seemed to bring her peace, as she assumed it did to other pegasi, but this night was different. There was no peace, no joyous feeling of freedom, only depression and anger.

Anger that she didn’t know why or how he had died. She pressed hospital staff for answers but only got ‘I don’t know’, or ‘we’ve never seen anything like this before’. Then the news came, and from Celestia herself, that he had died. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so sad in her life. The emotion of the previous 24 hours outweighed even the deaths of her aging parents.

Maybe that’s why. They were old, and he wasn’t. I wish I could have at least seen him again.

Rage boiled up inside her at the thought, for even that final comfort had been taken from her. As if to add insult to injury, somepony had started a fire in the hospital, destroying his body, killing two guards and nearly burning the building to the ground. The city guard had been on high alert when she left, searching for any sign of the felon.

I’ll kill that bastard if I see him!

The rage didn’t last long before it was washed away by sadness. Dash slowed her pace, and banked off to her right, towards a cloud. She landed softly and rolled onto her back, staring at the bright stars of the night.

I just want him back...

Ash looked out over the town of Ponyville. Unsurprisingly, it was exactly the same as it was when he had last seen it. Most of the buildings were dark, but light could be seen through the windows of a few.

On the flight back from Canterlot, Ash had decided that going into town was a bad idea. There was no telling who knew about what happened to him, and being recognised would surely bring unwanted and potentially dangerous attention. Upon arriving, the first place the grey Pegasus had visited was Rainbow’s Cloud house.

The huge white structure hung over the high enough ground to cause serious harm in a fall. A river of rainbows flowed around the main structure and pooled in several areas around the base before pouring off the cloud completely in a beautiful rainbow waterfall. Ash felt a dull pain in his chest when he first saw the place.

So many memories.

He circled the house, but saw no sign of recent habitation. Glances through windows revealed only dark rooms. Nopony was home. Ash suddenly became aware of his own fatigue when he saw the empty bed through a window.

Maybe I could go inside, have a quick rest... no, can’t risk it.

Keeping low to the ground, the Pegasus flew silently around the town, toward the Everfree Forest. In the darkness, he could make out Fluttershy’s cottage in a small clearing. There were no lights, only the silhouette of the small building.

Keeping his distance from the dwelling, Ash descended into the trees. A life time of stories had taught him to fear the Everfree Forest, and Ash was in no mood to be caught up in another fight, so he stayed on the edge of the forest. The edge was marked by a visible line where the trees took on a darker appearance and grew much closer together.

Ash landed and rested himself against a tree. His previous fatigue had grown and he felt himself drawn into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

It was as if the entire world was invisible. There was ground beneath him, but all he could see was darkness. He called out in vain, desperate for the contact of another, but to no avail.

Sinking to his knees, he felt the despair of loneliness engulf him.

The sound of hoof steps roused him from his stupor. A figure stood behind him, definitely a pony, but unrecognisable. The pony watched him silent and unmoving. He tried calling out to the pony, asking who he was and where they were but the pony just stared at him.

A sudden feeling of rage erupted, destroying any rational thought. He charged at the silent pony, who in turn cried out in fear and fled. The pony ran fast, but he was fast.

He jumped onto his prey, tackling the pony to the ground. He raised a hoof and struck the pony across the face, resulting in a cry of pain. He lashed out again and again, all the while screaming at the pony, who cried and begged for mercy. Blood stained his hoofs and his coat, and the pony beneath him soon fell silent, but he kept attacking.

Tiredness overcame him and his previous bloodlust subsided. He reared back in shock when he saw the battered and bloodied corpse before him. He shook the body, apologising franticly and begging the pony to wake up, but there was no response.

Blood pooled underneath the pony’s body. He leaned forward and looked into it.

Ash’s eyes met the red ones of his reflection.

Ash jolted awake, heart racing and drenched in sweat. He looked around franticly, and felt a wave of relief wash over him when he recognised the familiar trees.

It was just a dream.

Looking up at the sky he saw it was day time, but the sun was lowering itself toward the horizon.

How long have I been sleeping?

A rustle in the undergrowth to his right caught his attention. He jumped to a standing position, and prepared to take off when a small brown rabbit hopped into his view. He sighed and fell back into a sitting position.

The rabbit took notice of him, and cautiously approached.

I’m close to Fluttershy’s cottage, so this must be one of hers.

The rabbit was only a meter away when it stopped, and Ash felt an unfamiliar feeling in the back of his mind.

What the-

The rabbit suddenly squealed and fell. It thrashed wildly, kicking up small clouds of dust and grass. Ash started toward the rabbit, but stopped almost immediately. The rabbit’s flesh was moving to its own accord, swelling and shrinking in different places on its body.

The grey Pegasus stared in horror as the woodland critter’s body deformed and reshaped before his eyes. Pain steadily rose in Ash’s head. He felt like his brain was slowly beginning to burn, and cried out before falling. After a minute the pain subsided to a dull throb, and Ash slowly stood.

The rabbit’s body laid still, no longer the cute little bunny it was before. On the ground in front of him lay a hideous creature that resembled a cross between a rat and a small dog. The little fur that remained had turned black, but most had fallen off, revealing dark, leathery skin. Claws sprouted from its paws, and razor sharp teeth were visible in its mouth.

The creature’s eyes opened, and Ash involuntarily jumped back in fear.

“Do not fear it.”

The creature stood and examined the horrified Pegasus. After a moment, it began to circle around him. Ash followed it with his eyes, prepared to strike at a moment’s notice.

“It means no harm.”

“How do you know that? And what the fuck is that... thing?!”

“The first of many.”

The freakish monster sniffed the air, and, without warning, bolted off toward the Everfree Forest. Ash scanned the forest around him, fearing its return. “What do you mean, ‘the first of many’? Did you have something to do with this?”

“Yes. It was us whom created the being.”

“You did this!”

“We.”

Ash rubbed his eyes. This is too much.

“You turned it into a monster! You turned ME into a monster! What the fuck are you?!”

There was no response.

“WHO ARE YOU!?” Ash screamed.

The Pegasus stood alone amongst the trees, breathing heavily. An eerie silence followed his outburst. The light was fading as the sun gave of its final rays for the day.

“Why are you doing this to me?” he sobbed.

There was no response.

With a frustrated growl, the grey Pegasus took off. He had things to do.

Dash had arrived at her home in the late hours of the night and, in the exhausted state she was in, had fallen asleep almost immediately. But even sleep held no respite for her, as she was troubled by dreams all night.

The cyan mare had woken to find the sun high in the sky. Nopony from the weather team had come to rouse her from her sleep as they usually did when she slept in.

Maybe one of the girls told them, she thought. It felt good to know there was somepony, or in this case someponies, looking out for her, but it failed to lessen the feelings of lose and depression.

She rolled over in her bed and reached out for the familiar grey shape she was used to being there, but found nothing but cloud. Rainbow realised what she had been doing and shook her head before sitting up.

Why can’t I stop thinking about him? She sighed. Looking up at the sun, she guessed it was just past noon. Despite the late start, she knew it was going to be a long day.

Ash had been watching from a distance. His sharp eyes caught several signs of movement in the cloud house, a light going on, or a shadow passing a window. Somepony was inside, Ash just hoped it would be the one he wanted to see, and not some house sitter.

He waited for the sun’s light to completely disappear before making his move. Taking off, he silently approached his destination. Landing outside he slowly made his way to the front door. He raised a hoof to knock, but hesitated.

Should I really be here? The thought was quickly pushed aside. Of course. She deserves to know. She has to know.

After a quick look over his shoulder to make sure nopony was behind him, he pushed the door open and entered.

Rainbow Dash spent the remainder of the day alone in her home. Fluttershy had come around but Dash had no desire to be around anypony at the time. After reassuring the yellow Pegasus she was fine, Rainbow had finally convinced her to leave.

The night came surprisingly quickly, and the depressed mare had quickly retreated to her bedroom. She lay alone on the bed, willing sleep come, when a noise caught her attention.

Hoofsteps, downstairs. Didn’t Fluttershy get the message before? With an angry grumble she got off the bed and made her way downstairs.

“Fluttershy, I told you before, I’m fine! I don’t need you checking... up...” Rainbow Dash trailed off when she saw a familiar grey Pegasus standing in her living room. His coat was dirty, and his near white mane a tangled mess on his head, but it was unmistakable who it was.

“...Ash?”

Ash took a step towards her. “Rainbow-”

He was cut off when she leapt on him, pulling him into a crushing embrace and rambling. He only caught a few words, like ‘dead’, and ‘worried’.

“Shh. I’m here.”

“I-I thought I w-was never going to s-see you again.” she sobbed.

The cyan mare looked up at him, tears welled in her eyes. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Dash looked into his eyes, but an expression of shock crossed her face and she recoiled slightly.

“Y-your eyes!” she gasped.

“I know.” He felt a tinge of regret as he spoke the words. The violet colour of his eyes were the same as his mother’s, a constant reminder of the mare who had brought him into the world.

She stared for a moment longer before renewing the embrace. “I don’t care. I’m just glad you’re back.”

They stayed there for a few minutes enjoying the moment, then Dash broke the silence. “What happened to you? Princess Celestia told me that you... died.”

Ash felt hatred toward the name. He took a deep breath before answering.

“Celestia... Celestia tried to have me killed.” She gasped at the revelation, but Ash continued before she could talk. “A while after I woke up, I started hearing things. A voice. It told me to run, that I was in danger, then Celestia came in.

“She had two guards with her. Unicorns. She said she was ‘sorry it had to come to this, but it is necessary’ then left. The guards... they were going to kill me. I didn’t have a choice! I had to do something or die!” he couldn’t contain himself any longer. Tears began to stream down his face.

He looked up at Rainbow, who only looked confused. “Ash, what are you saying?”

“I killed them, Rainbow. I killed both of them.”

A/N: Not happy with the scene with the rabbit, so expect that bit to be subject to change. Thanks to those who've been reading! Rember to comment/rate/track. MLP:FiM is property of Hasbro, and all characters are property of their respective owners.

Chapter 5

A unicorn trotted through the empty streets. It was night, and the sun had surrendered the sky to the moon. The residents of Ponyville had no reason to be outside so late, and remained in their homes, content to sleep the hours of darkness away in preparation for the day tomorrow.

But the unicorn had other plans. He moved silently between buildings, pausing every so often to let her horn glow in the darkness. She continued her activity without any sign of boredom.

The unicorn mare approached the edge of the town, towards the path that lead to the Everfree Forest. She stopped once again, and her horn glowed a yellow-orange colour, the light illuminating her dark coat and mane.

The light ceased and a look of concern crossed her face. Her horn began to glow again, and she closed her eyes tightly. A minute passed before the mare moved again. The orange light faded and she looked up toward the forest. A grin crossed her face.

“Gotcha.”

Rainbow Dash listened, silent and wide eyed, as Ash recounted the events of the previous night. He spoke of the events in the hospital, his flight and fight in the streets of Canterlot, and the short journey back to Ponyville. He decided to leave out the incident with the rabbit, as he didn’t wish to scare her any further.

“I’m a killer. A fucking monster.” He said solemnly, meaning ever word. Images of the bodies crossed his mind, giving each word even more weight.

“Don’t say that!” responded Rainbow, “We can still work this out! Twilight could do something! You know how good she is with magic! I... just... just don’t give up now.”

Ash opened his mouth to tell her how hopeless it was, but stopped himself. She’s been through enough already.

“...Alright.”

Dash seemed convinced enough with the answer. Ash trotted to one of the cloud house’s windows and looked up at the moon. He frowned when he realised he had been there longer than he thought. “I need to go. They’ll be looking for me.”

“Already!? But you’ve only been here a few hours!”

“And that was too long. I’m sorry, Dash, I really am, but I need to keep moving. I took a huge risk just to see you again, and I’m glad I did, but I can’t push my luck.” Ash approached her, “I’m dangerous. I’m a danger to myself, and a danger to you, and I will not see you hurt because of me.”

Rainbow Dash looked up at him with pleading eyes. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You-”

“Danger approaches.”

Dash looked up at the grey Pegasus. “Ash? Are you ok?”

“I think they’ve found me.”

The Eclipse unicorn tested the cloud cautiously with a hoof. Once she was satisfied the spell would allow the fluffy white surface to support her weight, she stepped out of the chariot, her colleague in tow.

The magical energy she had detected earlier in the night had been a match for the energy found in the Redflower parks, and that found at the crime scene in Canterlot. It was easy to guess where the target had gone. In fact, it had seemed like a very stupid move.

After a few minutes suiting up in her black armour, and quick word with her superiors using a mind link spell, she and her companions had been cleared to engage. The two Eclipse unicorns and two Royal Pegasi Guards had approached the cloud house silently, circling it several times to get a good look, then landing.

The Eclipse mare and the stallion behind her walked up to the front door. The murmur of voices inside touched her ears.

“Remember” she whispered, “Watch out for Loyalty.”

The stallion nodded, the helmet concealing any expression on his face. He positioned himself by the entrance, facing away from it.

The mare nodded, and he bucked the door.

The attention of both pegasi was immediately drawn the door, which had been smashed inward. A pair of unicorns rushed in, both covered in black armour and helmets that covered even their eyes with black reflective goggles. A symbol of a black and white sun and moon was displayed proudly on each shoulder.

“There it is!” a mare’s voice shouted, “Torch it!”

The horns of the unicorns flashed a bright orange colour and suddenly appeared to ignite. Rainbow guessed what was about to happen, and didn’t find much appeal in the outcome. She defiantly placed herself between Ash and the two intruders.

The flames on the unicorn mare’s horn faltered for a moment. “Get out of the way, kid. This isn’t your fight!”

Dash felt a building hatred toward these two. “You have the nerve to come into MY house, and threaten MY fiancé, and you tell me this isn’t MY FIGHT?!” her voice rose in volume as she spoke.

The mare sneered at her, but the gesture was hidden by the helmet. “You’re obstructing justice, kid. I can put you away for a long time for that.”

Ash’s concern about her grew. He felt extremely uncomfortable with having her in such a dangerous position. “Dash-”

“Good luck with that! I’m and element bearer, bitch!”

The mare uttered a short bark of laughter. “You think your title gives you immunity from the law?”

“Rainbow!” Ash hissed, but he was ignored. His gaze drifted between the bickering mares, but then landed on the stallion. What’s he doing?  He tensed his muscles, preparing for the inevitable.

“So what? You’re a cop now?”

The black clad stallion looked back and forth between the arguing pair. Mares, he thought with a sigh.

“A cop? Ha! I’m more than just a cop! I’m Eclipse! The Princess’s-”

“Enough of this!” the stallion snapped, “We have a job to do!”

His horn glowed brightly and Rainbow was surrounded by an orange aura before being roughly tossed aside. Ash had been waiting for this moment and pushed his wings back as he dove forward. He lunged forward at an incredible speed, but the Eclipse had expected an attack.

The mare and the stallion both jumped aside in different directions. The mare landed on her feet, ready for action, but the stallion wasn’t so lucky. Ash’s wing clipped him as he jumped, knocking the stallion to the soft floor and leaving him with a large bruise on his shoulder.

Ash recovered quickly and launched himself at the mare. He threw his hind legs toward her in an attempted buck, but she danced aside and his hooves only met air. He pressed the attack and swung a wing out at her, following up with a swift punch, but she dodged both attacks with ease.

She’s fucking playing with me!

“Do not underestimate your opponents.”

As much as he hated the presence in his head, he took the advice into account. She was clearly more dangerous than she looked. With a quick breath, he launched himself into another assault.

Rainbow pushed herself up to a stand as Ash attacked. She watched him charge forward at a speed she never knew he was capable of, and saw the intruders leap out of the way. The grey Pegasus leapt at the mare and struck at her furiously, but she avoided each one of his strikes with ease. A closer examination of her movements suggested that she was actually enjoying his attempts to hit her.

A light caught her eye and her gaze switched from the fight to the stallion. He was still on the ground, but his horn glowed brightly, and flames grew around it. She realised what was about to happen and opened her mouth to warn Ash, but the stallion beat her to it.

“Down in front!”

The mare immediately understood and leapt aside, rolling on the ground before coming to a halt several meters away. At the sound of the stallion’s voice, Ash realised his folly. He turned to face the stallion and but was greeted by flame.

The fire bolted forward faster than an arrow from a bow. On impact the flame coursed over the startled pegasus’ body like water. The bright flame enveloped its target, covering every surface on his body. It would have been a beautiful sight had it not been a living, breathing pony under the flame.

Then there was the scream, or more of a set of bloodcurdling shrieks of agony.

Rainbow was frozen on the spot, eyes wide as she stared in horror at her burning fiancé, and the smell of burning meat filling her nostrils. She felt an ache in her chest and a lump in her throat as she realised he was going to die.

And there was nothing she could do.

Never before had Ash felt so much pain. His eyes had dried almost instantly and, as the flames burned him, completely give out, blinding him. He could feel every inch of his skin burn and fall away, and every bit of moisture leave his body at an alarming rate. He could barely recognise his own voice as he screamed in agony, but eventually even that gave out. All he could do was endure the pain and wait for death.

But death didn’t come.

The pain began to subside, and, much to Ash’s surprise, his vision returned. When his sight came back he realised what he had previously assumed was his nerves giving out was actually his body healing before his own eyes. The flames vanished and burnt flesh repaired itself. As the pain lessened, Ash became aware of a pounding headache, similar to the one he had during the incident with the rabbit, but to a lesser extent. His thoughts drifted to the voice in his head.

So that’s how it’s been keeping me alive, he grinned, I’m fucking invincible!

“My power is great, but not infinite. Do not grow overconfident.”

Ash’s focus returned to the world, and he beheld the sight of two obviously shocked unicorns, despite their headgear, and an equally shocked Pegasus. The badly burnt Pegasus decided to seize the advantage. He looked toward Rainbow Dash and spoke. “Run.”

As soon as the world left his mouth he made a quick run for the nearest window, his cracked and burnt skin protesting the entire way, and leapt out into the night. The mare fired another bolt of flame, but the shot was rushed and flew a foot over the fleeing pegasus’ head.

Upon the departure of their target, the mare rushed to the door, only to be stopped by the stallion. “Leave him. We’ll wait for backup.”

“Are you kidding? We almost had him! If we just-”

“He’s got away, and neither of us are going after him without backup.”

The mare growled in frustration, but didn’t pursue the matter any further. She examined the room and noticed that the other Pegasus had disappeared. No doubt gone after him.

“Don’t worry” the stallion assured, “He won’t get far.”

The pair made their way back to the chariot. It was going to be a long night.

A/N: Ok, the time between updates will probably get a bit longer, seeing as before I only released a chapter if the one after it was finished in case I fell behind in my writing. Unfortunately that has happened, and there is no pre-prepared chapter.

But anyway, thanks for reading! Remember to rate to increase not only the rating of the story, but the author's self esteem too - Unless you give it less than five stars, but you wouldn't do that... would you?

MLP:FiM belongs to Hasbro.

All characters property of their respective owners.

Chapter 6

The wind stung Ash’s burns as he flew. The wounds healed quickly, but still had a way to go, and to add to the agony, there was an intense pain in his left hind thigh. He glanced back at the metal bolt protruding from his flank. Upon jumping out the window to escape the pair of unicorns who had hunted him down, the grey Pegasus had attracted the attention of a pair of Royal Guards. Both were armed with crossbows, of which they were trained to use.

And they were trained well.

Ash had felt the first bolt fly past his head, and couldn’t help but cry out when the second had struck him. He didn’t waste any time, and gave every ounce of energy available to getting him as far away from his attackers as possible, his wounds burning with every movement. Luckily, the Princess’ assassins hadn’t followed him, for the effort had left him out of breath and turned the joyful act of flying into an unforgiving torture.

His thoughts drifted back to Rainbow Dash. Fear crossed his mind when he realised he hadn’t seen her escape. Is that why they haven’t followed me?

Ash’s fear subsided when he heard a familiar beating of wings behind him. It had to be her, nopony else could have caught up to him that easy, and the guard dog in his head hadn’t sounded the alarm. He turned his head around again and, as expected, spotted a rapidly growing cyan blur. He slowed his pace slightly, easing the strain of his flight. Rainbow caught up to him with ease, leaving a brightly coloured trail in the night sky.

She pulled up alongside him and matched his speed. He looked at her for a moment, waiting for her to speak, but the cerulean mare was busy examining his burns. Her eyes widened when she saw the crossbow bolt protruding from his flank. Rainbow glanced back and forth between the wound and Ash’s face, her own holding an expression of shock.

With a slight tilt of his wings, Ash descended to ground level. His hooves touched the grass with a barely audible thump. As soon as he landed, a lance of pain flared through Ash’s body, and he had to fight to stay upright. The burns were almost completely healed, and fur was returning to the damaged areas. It was strange to watch his body change so rapidly before his eyes.

The crossbow bolt was a different matter. Ash guessed that the metal bolt was preventing the wound from healing. He reached back and grasped the bolt in his teeth, the wound protesting fiercely. He took a moment to brace himself, and then whipped his head back, praying that the tip wasn’t barbed.

Ash couldn’t help but groan loudly at the feeling of the metal ripping out of his flesh. He cast the bolt aside, just as Rainbow landed next to him. “Are you ok?”

He forced a smile. “I’ve been better.”

The grey Pegasus glanced back at the hole the bolt had left. It was gone, some bloodstained fur the only sign it had ever existed. Rainbow spoke.

“What are you going to do now?”

The question caught Ash off guard. He had only planned to far as to speak with Rainbow, and that part had ended disastrously. He fell back on his haunches, looking at the grass, taking a moment to think.

“What did that mare say?”

“Huh?”

“Just before they attacked. She said she was Eclipse, the Princess’ something or other.”

Dash raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Well, what is Eclipse?”

She shrugged.

“The Princess sends them to kill me, not her guards, so they must be important. They must know something.”

Rainbow realised what he was planning. “Wait wait wait. You want to go back to the ponies that just tried to kill you? Are you insane?!”

“They have to know something about me.”

“But they’ll kill you!” she cried.

Ash remained adamant in his decision. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, Dash, but they might. There could be a cure!”

“I am not a disease. There is no cure.”

Ash slammed his hoof into the side of his head, wincing at the sudden impact. “Fuck off!”

Rainbow shrank back from the sudden display. “Is... is it talking to you?”

“Yeah,” Ash sighed, “But just forget about it. I have to find answers.”

Rainbow Dash’s ears drooped, and she looked into his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you again.” Her voice was barely audible, but the statement had a huge impact on Ash, but still wouldn’t change his mind.

“You won’t.”

Dash didn’t respond.

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” He performed the necessary gestures, and although he feeling quite silly doing so, Rainbow visible improved.

Ash looked up at the moon, which rested high in the sky, lazily making its way toward the horizon. It was going to be a long night.

Fluttershy approached Rainbow’s cloud home, constantly checking over her shoulder. She didn’t like being out in the dark, but Rainbow Dash needed a friend, weather the cyan mare knew it or not.

That’s more important than any of my silly fear-

She yelped and sped to a nearby cloud when something brushed past her. Poking her head out of cover, she felt instant relief when she realised that it was merely a bat. She attempted to apologise for getting in its way, but the bat either didn’t hear or didn’t care, and continued on its way.

Summoning her courage she left the cloud and braved the dark night. Soon enough, her efforts were rewarded as her oldest friend’s house came into view.

But Fluttershy’s courage began to drain as she realised something was wrong.

A chariot was parked out the front of the house, and an intimidating looking Royal Guard stood inside. A second guard stood out the roof of the cloud house itself, brandishing a nasty looking crossbow. Fluttershy’s shrank back in fear when a pair of dark clad unicorns exited the building. The intimidating masks they wore were enough to make the remainder of the yellow pegasus’ courage evaporate. She had never liked the guards, as she was a pacifist and opposed to anything involving violence, and there was something about those unicorns that put her off.

But what about Rainbow Dash?

Fluttershy couldn’t leave her there. What if she did something wrong and they were there to arrest her... or worse. She whimpered at the thought. She didn’t want to leave her friend there, but she couldn’t find the courage to face the guards, let alone those unicorns.

Twilight!

Twilight is the Princess’ student. Maybe she knows what’s going on.

Without a second thought, Fluttershy sped off toward the Library as fast as her wings could carry her.

“Backup’s on the way.” The mare said.

The stallion acknowledged her with a grunt.

“So now what? We just wait?”

The stallion nodded.

The mare stomped her hoof on the cloud, the soft surface giving off a slight puff. “You know he’ll be long gone by the time they get here.” She growled.

“And where’s he got to go?” the stallion turned to face his companion, “He’s wounded with nowhere to go, and we’re closing in on him like a noose.”

The mare didn’t respond. The mask covered her face, hiding any expression from her companion, but he could still tell she was extremely irritated.

“He’s also got the mare with him, she’ll slow him down. And who said he’ll run?”

“Of course he will. He knows we’re here for him.”

“And he should have known we would be here. He had to have known we’d look for him here,” the stallion gestured toward the cloud house, “but he still came.”

The mare stayed silent.

The stallion waited a moment to see if she would speak. When it looked like she was done he turned away and moved toward the chariot.

“Why are we doing this?”

The mare’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “What do you mean?”

“This assignment. Why are we after this guy?”

The stallion sighed. “You got the same brief as I did. He killed three guards, and Celestia wants his head.”

“But why? Why send us? You get a rampaging dragon, you send Eclipse. You get a Nightmare Moon terrorist cell, you send Eclipse. This guy just killed a few guards and Celestia sends us to deal with him.”

“Weren’t you paying attention in there? That firebolt should have killed him, yet he still has it in him to escape, and take a fucking crossbow bolt!”

“Celestia’s sent her guards to take down stronger magicians that can do more than that.” The mare retorted, “Remember that dragon Dust took down a couple months ago? The Princess only sent a single squad of Eclipse for it, but she’s got our entire organization after this guy. Doesn’t that seem weird to you?”

The stallion thought for a moment. His companion did have a point. “Yes, it does seem weird, but I only know as much as you do, but I can guess that this Pegasus is more dangerous than we give him credit for.”

It was obvious to him that the mare wasn’t satisfied with the answer, but she held her tongue. He turned and trotted towards the chariot, letting out a loud whistle as he did so. The Pegasus guard on the roof jumped into the air and glided down.

The stallion took a seat in the chariot, and looked back at the mare, who hadn’t moved.  She was snapped out of whatever trance she was in when he called out to her.

“C’mon! We have work to do.”

A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to rate/track/comment!

MLP:FiM belongs to Hasbro.

All characters property of their respective owners.

Chapter 7

Twilight’s ear flicked when she heard a faint knocking noise from downstairs. She almost missed it because of the snores of her baby dragon assistant, who slept peacefully in a padded basket at the foot of her bed.

      Another set of knocks emanated from her front door as she pulled herself out of the comfort of her bed. Who would want to come to the library at this hour? She thought wearily.

      She slowly descended the stairs, still not completely awake. “I’m coming.” She called softy.

      A purple glow enveloped the library door and it creaked open, revealing the butter-yellow Pegasus waiting behind it. She shrank back slightly as light flooded out from the library, hiding behind her long pink mane.

      A confused look crossed Twilight’s face. “Fluttershy? What are you doing here at this hour?”

      “Oh, um, I’m really sorry to bother you, but, um, I just thought that since you were the Princess’ student that you might know, so I came to ask you, but I can go if you don’t want me here, it’s just...” her voice lowered in volume as she spoke, eventually trailing off completely.

      Twilight shot Fluttershy a quizzical look. “Fluttershy, what are you talking about? What do you mean ‘I might know’?”

      “There are Royal Guards at Rainbow’s house, and some unicorns, and I just thought because you were the Princess’ student you might know why. I’m sorry for bothering you, I’ll go home now.”

      Twilight’s frowned slightly. She could only assume that the guards were messengers from the Princess, perhaps bringing information on Ash’s death, but they would almost certainly be pegasi, mainly due to their speed, but also because there were the only of the three pony races that could walk on clouds without magical assistance. “Wait! What do you mean unicorns?”

      Fluttershy shuddered at the thought of the unicorns. Something had just seemed... off about them. “There were two unicorns there with the guards. They looked kind of like guards, but they were wearing black armour and masks that were... scary looking.”

      The pegasus’ description only confused Twilight further. She had spent much of her life in Canterlot Castle, and was quite familiar with the Royal Guards, both pegasi and unicorns.

      “Was there anything else that seemed... unusual?” the unicorn asked.

      “Well... one of the guards was on Rainbow’s roof, and they both had... crossbows.” She shuddered again. Fluttershy loathed violence, and anything that was associated with it. She couldn’t help but imagine a bolt fired from one of the weapons tearing through the flesh of one of her animal friends.

      “What?!” Twilight’s sudden exclamation made the timid pegasus jump. “I need to write to the Princess about this!”

      The unicorn spun about and galloped deeper into the library to find a quill and paper, leaving a startled pegasus at the door.

      Finding where the Eclipse officers were had been the easy part for Ash. The hard part would getting the information he needed, as they probably didn’t keep it written down. And I don’t think they’ll give in if I ask nicely, He thought, Although, it can’t be harder than convincing Rainbow no to come.

      Prior to leaving to find the guards, Ash insisted that Rainbow stay behind, as she was more vulnerable to their attacks. Naturally, she was opposed to the idea of letting him go alone, and overly confident in her ability to defend herself, but he was quite adamant on the matter. Eventually, overwhelmed by logical points from Ash and frustrated from the argument, she reluctantly gave in.

      Ash immediately felt better knowing that she wouldn’t be putting herself in harm’s way, as her undying loyalty would see to that. She was the only thing he had left, and he didn’t feel comfortable with her throwing her life at what he believed was a lost cause.

      He didn’t tell her that, though. He decided to withhold that truth from her, lest it worry her further. I’m risking my life in hope to find something I don’t believe in, and just to make Dashie feel better. The strange things that love makes us do.

      The Eclipse officers had left Rainbow’s home some time ago, and descended toward a spot just outside of the town. The unicorns dismounted themselves from the chariot, and the pair of guards unhooked themselves. They grabbed their crossbows and checked the weapons over for a minute, before conversing with each other and taking flight into the night sky, each travelling in a different direction.

Must be looking for me. The grey pegasus thought as he watched them. The unicorns, however, did not make any effort to search. They merely waited by the chariot. Ash couldn’t tell if the pair were speaking to one another, due to the masks over their faces.

What are they up to? He continued to watch for a time, but the unicorns remained where they were, occasionally pacing around the chariot. Are they waiting for something? The guards, maybe?

       Ash decided that this would probably be his best chance to strike, and readied himself for the fight ahead.

      A bright flash of green caused Celestia to look up. She sat in her chambers, mulling over several documents on recent events with her sister. The Princess of the sun spotted the cause of the light, a scroll hanging in mid air. It took a few moments before gravity took hold, but by then the Princess’ magical glow had caught it and was floating the parchment toward her.

      Luna cocked an eyebrow at the sudden disturbance. The letter could only have come from one source, the Princess’ personal student, and her next report wasn’t expected for at least another week, possibly more due to the recent events.

      The letter unfurled magically, allowing Celestia to read. A frown slowly grew on her face as she read. Luna grew concerned. “Tia?”

      Celestia sighed, and then passed the letter to her sister. “I was afraid this would happen.”

      The Eclipse unicorns waited patiently by the chariot, their pegasi escorts sent out to watch for any sign of their target. The stallion of the team remained in the chariot, scanning his surroundings constantly, his gaze never remaining on a single spot for more than a few seconds. The mare paced impatiently around the chariot, sometimes pausing to look over her shoulder.

      “ETA?” the stallion asked.

      Her response was short, betraying her impatience. “About an hour.”

      The silence returned.

      The mare looked back toward the stallion, who hadn’t made any effort to continue the conversation. “This is taking too long.” She stated.

      “So you keep saying.” He replied, in a less than enthusiastic tone.

      “But it’s true! This is disgraceful! I am honestly-”

      She cut herself off and made a swift gesture. Both unicorns froze, listening intently. The mare’s ears twitched. “Did you hear that?”

      The stallion opened his mouth to respond, but the mare cut him off when she caught a flash of movement to her left. She swung around to face her attacker, horn lighting up with magical flames. “HALT!”  She barked.

      A bush rustled.

      “Show yourself! Now!”

      There was a moment of silence, and the mare poised herself to attack, when an owl flew up from the undergrowth, a small rodent hanging limply in its talons. She muttered a curse, and relaxed, soon hearing an all too familiar chuckle from behind her.

      “Jumpy, are we?”

      “Shut up.” She grumbled.

      The stallion laughed again. “You need to relax, you know? You’re getting way to stressed out over this-”

      He screamed mid sentence when something crashed into the chariot at a blinding speed. The chariot was smashed on impact, a large chunk of wood nearly hitting the mare in the head as she ducked for cover. The stallion wasn’t so lucky. he was sent flying across the clearing and into a tree. He hit the trunk with a loud thump and fell to the ground, unconscious.

      The mare jumped to her feet and looked toward the chariot, or what was left. Pieces of wood and metal were scattered across the clearing, and standing in the centre was an ash grey pegasus, his red eyes staring her down.

      A faint chuckle escaped his lips. “A friend taught me that.”

      The mare was quick to react. Her horn ignited and sent a bolt of flame at the attacker, but he had been expecting such a move and evaded the fire with ease. The pegasus surged forward, slamming into the unicorn with his shoulder and sending her sprawling to the ground. She tried to regain her hooves but a swift punch to her gut drove the air from her lungs and sent her back down with several broken ribs.

      The unicorn gasped for air, every breath sending waves of pain through her chest, and her mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood. She felt the mask ripped rudely off her face, pulling painfully at her mane. She looked up at the pegasus, eyes blinded with tears of pain. A pair of red orbs stared back down at her. She fearfully realised that she was at his mercy.

      “I hope you didn’t miss me.” He sneered.

      She didn’t respond with words, instead spitting on him. He frowned.

      “Let’s get straight to it then. I have some questions, and you have some answers.”

      The mare tried to charge up a spell, but the glow from her horn was painfully obvious, eliminating any hope of discretion. A burning pain erupted from one of her hind legs, and a loud snap filled her ears. Her concentration wavered at the sudden pain, cancelling the spell.

“Oh, no you don’t!” the pegasus growled.

      She glared at him, tears now running down her face freely. For a moment she thought she saw a hint of regret in his eyes.

      “Who are you?” he asked.

      “I’m not telling you shit! Just kill me already.” she hissed.

      He uttered a shot bark of laughter. “Kill you? I’m not going to kill you.” A disturbing smile appeared on his face. “Tell me, how precious is you horn to you?”

      Her eyes widened in fear when she realised what he had planned. Her magic was everything to her, it defined her, and she couldn’t imagine how the other ponies could live without such a thing. To be robbed of her magic would be worse than death.

      His smile widened when he saw her reaction. “Now you understand. Now I’ll ask you once more. Who are you?”

      She hesitated. Torn between losing her magic and betraying everything she stood for. He frowned. “Fine, have it your way.”

      He forced her head into the dirt and placed a hoof at the base of her horn, gripping the upper end in his teeth. Slowly, he applied pressure to the appendage, and it began to give. Normal ponies wouldn’t have a chance at breaking the horn off a unicorn’s head, but she had seen what he did to the guards back in Canterlot. This was no normal pony, and any doubt she had that he wouldn’t be able to break it vanished.

      “NO!” she screamed, “Stop! Please! I’ll talk!”

      The pressure on her horn lifted and she found herself looking into those red eyes again.

      “I want to know everything.”

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that. Especially that last scene. Ash is Real charmer, ain't he? Don't forget to rate, track and comment. Especially that last one, it really helps to know what you guys think.

MLP:FiM belongs to Hasbro.

All characters property of their respective owners.