White Shadows

“Oh good, you have the crown?” asked one of the royal guards, as we docked.

I nodded quickly, and the massive double doors bellowed steam as the gears opened it. Diamond and I walked inside, the crown tucked in a solid metal box under Diamonds wing.

The Canterlot castle was not new to me. I had been here as a colt, as an adult, and now as an adventurer. While it had changed over time, I knew the hallways and guards well. Since I had served my mandatory two years guard tour, I even knew a couple on a first name basis. The place moaned with steam, and pistons creaked at every corner. It made me wary, seeing as how I just saw how bad magic steam can go, if you aren’t careful.

I turned into the hallway leading up to Celestia’s chambers, and I walked up to the soldier standing in front of the door.

“I’m here to see Princess Celestia.” I said, and the soldier stood aside.

I walked up to the massive door, and I knocked.

“Come in!” Said a cheery voice.

Diamond stood by my side, and I opened the door. Celestia and Luna were sitting in their chairs talking to a handful of well-dressed ponies, probably nobles.

“Ah, here is Shadow himself!” said Celestia, and all the nobles turned to me.

“You have a dirty commoner such as this to collect artifacts? Why not send a royal squad?” asked one of the nobles.

“Because I can do their job better, for cheaper.” I said, and Celestia smiled.

“That is true, as much as I hate to say.” Said Celestia, and Luna laughed.

“When we were on the moon, thee enjoyed exploring thy caverns. Does thou do such?” asked Luna, and Diamond grimaced.

“Damn, that’s archaic.” Said Diamond, and I nudged her.

“Not anymore, your highness. Hung up the towel on exploring caves, unless for artifacts or other such things,.” I said, and Luna cocked and eyebrow.

“Hung up the towel? A new jargon, we presume.” Said Luna, and I nodded.

“It means to stop, or to quit, your highness.” I said, and Celestia stood up, walking over to me.

“Do you have it?” She asked, and Diamond adjusted her wing so that it stuck out.

Celestia smiled, and levitated it out of under Diamond’s wing. She opened it promptly, and an even wider smile grew on Celestia’s face.

“Sister, we have mother’s crown.” Said Celestia, and Luna sprang from her seat.

“Really? What does thee look like?” asked Luna, as she ran to Celestia’s side.

I waited patiently for the two to finish gazing at the crown, when Diamond nudged me.

“I have another contract I have to do soon. I guess this is where we split paths.” She whispered.

“Well, thanks for the help.” I replied, when Celestia handed the crown to Luna.

“As I promised, you will have a collection of 10,000 pieces each.” Said Celestia, motioning to a couple of guards.
They handed up big brown bags, and I smiled.

“Thank you, princess.” I said, and Diamond nodded gratefully.

“Goodbye, Shadow. Safe travels.” Said Celestia, and Luna waved at me.

I quickly walked out of the door, and over to the blimp landing pad, climbing into my small ship. The blimp took off, and I steered it north, towards my home in the deep mountains separating Griffon lands from Equestria, and Equine.

As soon as I finished adjusting, I went over into my cabin. The enchanted purple fire glowed bright, but I threw in a couple logs just to be sure. I turned to my small pet, a conjured Balefire phoenix, made entirely of enchanted purple fire.

“I’m guessing you’re hungry, aren’t you?” I asked.

The bird nodded, and I pulled out a loaf of bread. I threw it promptly into the birds flame cover, and it went from a light purple, to a solid orange. I went back to the open front of the blimp, and leaned on the steering wheel.

“I wonder what adventures await us next, Dante…” I muttered, talking absently to my phoenix.

“CAWWW!” it screeched, and I smiled.

“I know, you want to go home, but there is so much to do.” I said, and I heard Dante grumble.

I sighed, and pulled out a small map, pushing it down on the desk before the wheel. I looked at all the fables, and realized there were only two left that I hadn’t collected, both of which were in the mystical lands of the Zebras. I ran my hoof over the paper, and tapped it twice.

“Dante, I know where we’re going next.” I said, smiling to myself.

“CAAAW!” screeched Dante, and I turned to him.

“I know, but I need your help. Besides, I’ll feed you extra.” I said, and Dante quieted down.

I turned the blimp towards the south, and pushed down on the throttle. The steam propellers launched me forwards, and I went back to the captain’s chair, slowly sitting down. I sighed, and fell asleep.

“CAAAAAWWWW!” screeched Dante, and I jerked awake, my eyes bulging outwards.

I sighed, and gave an angry look at the bird. It withdrawed, and I stood up, walking over to the balcony. I was over grassy savannahs, and I saw a few small villages in the distance.

“Damn, how long have I been out?” I asked myself quietly.

I returned to the cabin, and put a few logs in the fire. The smell of steam was more apparent now, and I could actually focus. I started to make a pot of hot coffee, and then went over to trying to navigate the savannahs. I was about 20 miles away from my first destination, so I decided to get ready quick.

Taking a quick steam shower, and pulling on a dark trench coat along with the accompanying gas mask, I was ready to go within ten minutes. My coffee was hot, my knife was sharp, and I was about to make another find.

“I’ll be back soon, Dante.” I said, as I dropped the anchor over the side of the blimps balcony.

“Squaw!” the bird replied, and I slid down the rope.

It was damn hot out on the ground. Heat rose from the barren plains where I had landed, and the only source of shade was a small opening into the underground. I could bet 100 pieces that that’s where the artifact was. Hopefully, nopony else was going to try and intervene, like the griffons did.

I walked down to the cavern, my eyes adjusting to the darkness.

Oh what I would do to have a steam gun.

I took a deep breath, and walked into the small cavern. It was dark and damp, water drops the only sound besides my breathing. I slowly walked in, silently walking through the cave. The whole place looked the same on the inside as it had for the past 50 yards, and I was getting weary. I might not be able to find my way back. There was something sucking my strength in these caverns, which I was not surprised to see. I had come across my fair share of Vampirism spells in my time as an explorer, and had learned to deal with them.

I trudged on, each step getting more painful. It wasn’t until I came across a split in the paths, that it became easier to walk. I brushed off the feeling of fatigue, and continued down the path that I chose with my gut. That tunnel continued on until there was another split, this time with 4 paths. I did the same thing I did last path, and continued til there was an 8 split path. By now I was getting worried that there was obviously a trap at the end of one of these, and getting shanked was not on the top of my priorities today.

Finally, after the eightfold path, I came to a chamber full of candles. There was a single zebra sitting in the middle of the altar, obviously doing some type of ritual. I saw a golden looking object embedded with rubies and saphires. Oh, how tempting was it to just waltz right on over and take the totem, but I knew better.

I slowly walked over to the wall, and used the darkness as cover. The zebra sighed loudly, and turned her head to me.

“Just because I cannot hear you, does not mean I cannot ask who.” Said the zebra.
I groaned.

“For Celestia’s sakes, please, stop rhyming? There is no need for such nonsense.” I said, coming out of the shadows.

“It is just like our kind, for words to bind. What brings you here, for you are too near.” Said the Zebra.

“I’m here for that artifact you have in front of you.” I muttered, angry that the zebra had not stopped rhyming.

“You come too late, for it is somepony else’s fate.” Said the Zebra, turning back to her altar.

“I’ve had about enough of your riddle talk.” I said, walking over to the pedestal of which the totem was on.

I was thrown backwards, and the zebra had stood up. Her eyes were glowing green, and a weird outline of magic was where a horn should have been.

“You dare disobey my law?” asked the zebra, her voice sounding as if it was in G-minor.

“Hell yes, I do!” I shouted, and the Zebra grinned.

“Then you shall be cursed. For deliberately defying the queen of those who change!” Shouted the Zebra, and I was thrown against the wall, hard enough that it smashed my gas mask.

I stood up, blood dripping out of my mouth. I was hit in the face with such a force that it probably knocked a tooth or two out. I hit the other wall, and was hit in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. Suddenly, the Zebra had gotten taller, her eyes still glowing green. She put her hoof on my chest, and I felt a burning pain go through my body.

“You shall be trusted with a burden, that will destroy you and torment you until the day you die!” shouted the Zebra, her hoof glowing green.

Pain flashed through my body, and I screamed in agony. I felt my heart pump faster, my blood pounding through my veins. My eyes felt as if they were going to explode, and my chest as if it was going to pop. Suddenly, the pain dispersed all at once, and I stood up. The totem was gone, and all the candles had been blown out. The sound of rumbling made me realize that the tunnel was coming down, and I didn’t have much time. There was an alternate opening at the end of the room I was in, and I ran for it, until I heard a little sound.

“Meep!” was all I heard.
I turned for a moment, to see a brown colored Pegasus filly, crouched underneath a small hole in the wall. Her eyes, which were a color of rose, were filled with fear. She looked at me, longing for me to help her. I wouldn’t have much time if I did, because the cavern was already coming down.

I made the split second to grab her, and I ran towards the opening. It was raining hard outside, and my blimp was being tossed heavily.

“Damn it!” I shouted, realizing that there was no possible way to keep it from crashing
.
Suddenly, a thunderbolt hit the blimp, lighting it up in flames. It ripped from its anchor, and flew straight towards us. I shielded the Pegasus with my body, and she started to scream. Flames licked my backside as the blimp hit the ground, and a massive explosion erupted. Steam was steadily coming off the ground where the blimp had crashed, and the fire was spreading fast.

“Don’t worry, you’re gonna be okay.” I said, and the Pegasus just nodded
.
I looked at the massive blimp carcass, and sighed, seeing Dante’s perch slowly burning in the fire.

Dante…

“Dante! Get these flames extinguished!” I shouted, and suddenly, a mass of purple fire flew out of the fire.

It swished around the flames on the ground, sucking all the oxygen out of the air, making sure that the flames were put out. I sighed loudly, and Dante flew over, his flames dim.

“Oh, Dante…” I said, and he cawed weakly.

I patted him on the head, and he rested on my arm. The small filly Pegasus had stopped crying, and was looking intently at the bird. She reached out to touch it, and Dante pulled away.

“It’s okay Dante, she won’t hurt you.” I said, and Dante leaned slowly over to the pegasus’s grasp.

She looked extremely familiar. Like somepony I knew from a book. Her gray hair, her red eyes. Just like Daring Do.

Oh shit.

I had seen my share of magic, but creating a pony out of thin air? Impossible, and illegal. Something else had to be going on here.

Suddenly, I heard another explosion, and a massive lightning bolt struck the blimp again, this time sending pieces of shrapnel straight at me.

Right into my left eye, as a matter of fact.