Shadow Colt The Series

I’ve found that this journal yearns for a certain type of story. I’ve got one for it, one that makes me wish I hadn't joined the guard. You don’t realize what you’ve got till it’s gone, you don’t know who your friends are till they're gone. I almost lost two and I still wonder if it’s my fault. We got woken up early as we had to go and inspect the area where two of our scouts were found dead. There wasn’t much abnormal about this; we have scouts go missing at least once a month; they usually get careless and walk into enemy territory. We didn’t think much about it until there was a frantic knock on the door. I went to open it but I was cut off.

“It’s Cadance, let me get it.”

“You got it boss.” he opened the door to a panicked and scared Cadance.

“Hey honey what’s wrong?”

“Don’t go! Have a different group go!”

“This is my job, I have to go.”

“What if you get hurt? What if you die? What will I do?” He embraced her in a hug.

“I will always come back to my Cadance.”

“Cadance if it's any consolation I’ll make sure he comes back unharmed.” yeah I screwed up on this remark.

“Thank you.” They kissed and she walked away saddened. Shining turned around and quickly looked at me with a sad worried face. Did he know it was going to happen? How?

“Are we all ready?” We all said yes and we were off. About an hour or two later we were at the approximate location.

“Shining, want me to get an overhead view?”

“Yeah, go for it.” I went to go just under the canopy of trees but once I made it over the bushes lining the road I knew we were screwed. Hundreds of eyes peered at me, their light green horn showing just above the brush.

“You stopped, what is it?”

“Were F’ing screwed!”

“You’ve got eyes, what do we need to do?”

“Two circles one inside of the other and walk back the way we came.”
“Everyone does what he says!” They formed two circles and we slowly walked. I knew they could see me. I assumed they could see the group but I waited to move from my spot.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ve got their attention you guys get out while I have them!”

“We don’t leave anypony behind!”

“You either leave me behind or were going to have a lot of dead guards.”

“Alright let's get out!”

“We weren’t far into the forest so it didn’t take long for them to get to the edge . When the group made it to the edge they tore through the brush lining the road it was just a black mass headed at the group. But they stopped.

“What the hell is that!” I turned around quickly to be met with a pony similar to the pictures of Shadow only he was wasn’t Shadow

“Rusty!!” Shining yelled from the group. Shadow's journal had writing in it of the day he died. I don't know how Shadow did it but with the way his journal is I’m sure there was some mind play.

“So you’re rusty.” I changed to my dark colors. I don't know why but it felt right.

“And you’re Crimson Shadow.”

“I am you’re the prick that killed your own brother.”

“Yep, I see I need to finish something.” He blew through me pushing me to the side. I almost fell out of the air but caught myself. He was headed straight for shining.

“Shing watch out!!!!” He shot up a shield but it wasn’t strong when Rusty made contact it shattered like glass. He pinned Shining to the ground and the guards that were around shining had been dazed by the shockwave of the shield breaking. I charged Rusty with everything I had, knocking him off of shining and dragging him through the dirt.

“You think you can stop my will! I’ll get you like I did shadow and so many others.”

“I think I got you here!”

“Look around you! I won this, you're no stronger than Shadow, I’ll weaken you like I did him.”

“Have a fun time trying!”

“Look around! No trying is to be done!” I looked over my shoulder he was right he had won those who could get up circled shining while the others laid in agony. I looked back at him. He was gone. It was one of those things so I killed it and ran toward Shining.

“Shining!” there was no response from him but everyone around him looked up my best friend was at his side

“What happened?”

“That prick stabbed him!” I didn't see it but Rusty had gotten shining twice.

“With what he had nothing on him.”

“He dropped it when you hit him, it's whatever this is.” He held up a bright green horn, one of the ones that was found on those beasts.

“Wait where did they all go?”

“Ran off when you killed the one over there.”

“We need to get him back now!”

“You’ll carry him?”

“Yeah.” They hoisted him up onto my back at the disapproving groans of Shining. It took us over two and a half hours to get back. I stayed at the back during the time to watch. When I made it in the Canterlot gates those who were standing took off their hats or looked down while others hugged. We kept going towards the castle the main front guards stood at attention and salute to the fallen a special salute done only when one has passed

“Blue, make sure that Cadance and Twilight know.”

“Taking care of it.” he ran off. I headed over to Dr. Whooves where shining could get help.

“Dr. Whooves!”

“What can I… Holy crap get him in here!” I rushed into the room he went into and put shining on the bed. I was finally able to get a look… Red that was the color everything was red.

“You need to get cleaned up, do that and get back here!” I did as he said, making my way to the showers.

“Musket!” it was Twilight and Cadance
“I’m sorry I'm so sorry I tried believe me.”

“We believe you, we know you wouldn’t just let this happen.” I started to walk away but was stopped

“Wait! What happened?”

“We made it to the spot but it was a setup Rusty had set us up he wanted to kill Shining!”

“Wait, it was Rusty?!”

“Well yes and no it was him who set it up but it was his minions that attacked us”

“Minions?”

I sighed in exhaustion.

“Look, just go shower and get some sleep, we'll talk later.”

“I have to come back after a shower.”

“Go get some sleep you need it!”

“I’m not coming back because I want to, I'm coming back because Doc told me to.”

“We’ll tell him what you told us just go get sleep.”

“I haven't told you everything. Look I'm going to get cleaned up then I'll be down there ok!” I left in a hurry. I was ready to get to sleep and they were holding me up. I cleaned up and headed back down there.

“Doc you should see this!”

“Wait, did that get him!”

“Yeah in all the rush I forgot to show you.”

“Danggit kid you should’ve told me!” He ran around the counter and grabbed 3 bottles and a syringe.

“I didn’t know! I had forgotten so much had happened! Look, I'm sorry!”

“Sorry won’t save him kid!” He turned to look at me. He had a concerned face and he started to speak but I cut him off.

“If he needs it you come to me and only me!” He looked confused but understood what I meant after a second.

“I wouldn’t let you.”

“I wasn’t asking!” I left knowing I had made my point. I headed towards the barracks but was stopped by Luna herself! I know she knew about me but I never actually got to see her.

“Musket are you alright?”

“Umm… uh… yeah sure I’m fine”

“You don’t look or sound like it.”

“Well to be honest I'm a little bit nervous.”

“What for?”

“Well im talking to Princess Luna one wrong thing and well id rather not think about it.”

“Don't worry, you're a royal guard if you ever need me. I'm usually around.”

“Nice to know.” I started to walk away but she stopped me again.

“What happened out there?”

“Can we talk more later? I'm tired and just want to sleep.” She sighed but let me go on. I felt bad but I was in pain and severely exhausted.

“Hey Musket, can you grab the ice and bottle of meds over there?”

“When did you start taking medication?” I said as I gave him the meds.

“I’ve had these for a long time. As far as I know they don’t expire. I've never had a use for them but today is a good use.”

“You’re in that much pain?”

“Well pain is an understatement.” He said as he lifted the cover on his leg.

“Why haven't you gone to Doc for that!?”

“He’s busy with shining, I'm not going to interrupt!”

“That might be the best for both doc and shining.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't want to talk about it, I'm going to sleep!”

“Come on man, what's eating at you?”

“Let it go.”

“Man just take your pills and shut up!”

“This is the most I’ve heard you talk since you got here. Whatever's eating at you is big.”

“He’s dying Ace and it's my fault!”

“It’s not your fault this happens he’ll be alright he always is.”

“I bet you said the same thing for Shadow and here we are!” I was facing away from him when I said that but the whole room changed after I said it. The room was dense. I heard him get up and leave audibly limping the whole way. I rolled over to see where he was originally sitting. The ice was still in the bag but the bottle of pills was empty. Did he take them all? I must’ve fallen asleep because I woke up to being yelled at.

“Come on, we have to go!”

“What? What for?”

“Large group of changelings spotted heading here!” I jumped up and put on my armor. I don't even know why they give us this stuff it doesn’t do much.

“Wait, where's Ace?

“We’ll talk later, we don't have time now!” he ran out and I ran out behind him. He was right that there were changelings but not a large group; maybe 20 of them.

“Everyone stand down they won’t fight”

They stopped about twenty feet away from us

“Celestia, we come to make peace. There is a greater enemy among us, one that took our original group of seventy to what you see now.”

“Who attacked you Chrysalis?”

“They looked like us but with bright green horns.”

“That’s what got shining armor.”

“I’m sorry I know he meant a lot to you guys, he was a good fighter.” They acted like shining was dead. Was he? Had I caused him to die? I was broken from my thoughts by a sharp pain in my head i fell forward out of pain i heard commotion from both side but not for long everyone seemed to have calmed down in a few seconds.

“Musket, are you alright!”

“Yeah I'm alright.” I said as I painfully got back on my feet.

“I’m sorry I don't know what caused this outburst. I came to make peace not attack.” my ached like nothing else. My vision was blurry but better than nothing. I felt like i was moving and i must have been.

“Musket, are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yes… no I-I’ll be fine.”

“Get him to doc we can finish without him.”

“I’ll be fine, believe me.”

“That’s not a request Kick, that's an order take Musket to Doc.” Kick helped me along and i got the chance to ask him what happened to Ace.

“What happened to Ace? he wasn't out there with us.”

“Govend found him beneath the center tree in the gardens. He overdosed on some pain meds.” I stopped in my tracks.

“What!”

“Yeah no one knew he was that bad off.”

“I don’t think he was depressed.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yesterday we were talking about shining and I made a comment about shadow. I didn't see him leave but when I looked over he was gone and the bottle of pills was empty.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone we could’ve saved him!”

“Seems like I've had the effect of getting others killed.”

“I don’t know if I want to hear more.”

“The day Shining was hurt. I got so sidetracked with getting him help and following docs orders I forgot to give him the thing that hurt shining. When I did, Doc yelled at me and said I might have gotten Shining killed.”

“Well he’s not dead but he’s not ok.”

“I don’t think I'll make it much farther.”

“What's wrong?”

“I’m nauseous, my head hurts.” I must've collapsed as all I remember was his yelling.