Shadow Mark

Well this is an authors note im changing the rating to M for gore its lower end M so dont go i wont read it now just cause of that i just dont want someone reporting it because of that. it will still be same type of story critism is still apprieacted welcome wanted so i will be working on my other chapters now

Shadow had been assigned new quarters next to Tenebrae. His companions stayed in a small complex area as big as his quarters yet divided into five rooms a bathroom kitchen and a living room.

He wore the armor of Lunas personal guard. He had the emblem of his squad emblazoned on the front where the neck ended and underbelly began. A cape began from it along his back. It was the blue of Lunas mane. (In Luna eclipsed) It also had a magical enchantment that made it flow like it to.

Waking up to train tactics with Tenebrae and also Tenebrae told Shadow about Luna. He had walked into the command room (the room with the map and stuff like that I forgot the proper term for It.) and said to Shadow. “Today Shadow I will show you and tell you everything I know. I am not supposed to tell you this but you are to be promoted in a year. You will become my senior.”

“A year?” Shadow asked

“Normally it’s seven, though I need to tell you we have been informed that you look like a hero figure to some. The word got out about your record talent and miraculous promotion. Many think Luna even fancy’s you.” Tenebrae said whilst staring at the map of Equestria and the latitude and longitude. Comparing to the sheet of paper he had in his hand.

Shadows eyes grew in surprise “Are these rumors true? Between you and me I don’t want to be a royal, I would if I had the chance to be with Luna, yet I’m fine without it.”

Shaking his mane the general said “Now if I told you what fun would there be in watching how it turns out. Saying yes would be like going HEY SHADOW LUNA LOVES YOU AND SHES GONNA ASK YOU TO MARRY HER QUICK SHES IN HER BEDCHAMBERS. Yet saying no would be like saying PSST Shadow Lunas an assassin and wants to promote you just so she can stab you in the back.”

Shadow chuckled at the joke “We’ll let us work without the rumors.”

“Here…” General Tenebrae Calk tapped his hoof on a location. With further inspection Shadow realized that it was a settlement called Manehatten. “This is where you will be stationed as head of guard until promotion the settlement has only began well settling about a year back so they need a town guard.”

“So you send me as a town guard I thought that was recruits jobs.” Shadow said jokingly yet slightly agitated

“As I said they see you as a hero they have been having bandit problems and if you save a town by coming out of nowhere and slaying the bandits your reputation will improve with the country they will trust you .So if you do something stupid they will still follow you. Yet now if you screw up they will leave your side. If you ever want your respect to grow trust me I will help you.”

“Fine I will gather my friends and we will leave.” Shadow answered now anxious

“Also Shadow be cautious don’t brag or boost be a man for the people from the people not one who just sits around and takes glory for what your team has done I have lost respect because I did this. Also finish it up before the skirmish I want another win.”

Nodding his head Shadow walked out of his room and into his friend’s quarters. “HAUL ASS I WANNA SEE EVERYPONY OUT ON THE COURT YARD IN TWENTY!!”

Cerebrum replied in Latin “Quot vicis have vos ego asinus asinum et conceptum, non dissimulo, me unum ex eis.”

“Non-mecum bene PLACENS” Shadow shouted to him

“Denique.” Cerebrum said

“Ok this is our first actual task. We need to go to a newly settled Town of Manehatten. They have been having problems with bandits and we need to exterminate them. Any questions?”

“Immo quanto nos adepto pensus?” Cerebrum asked

They all laughed at the statement. “Yes but remember I am your boss so I get paid first and will then proceed to pay you. Remember that if your pocket seems a bit light.” Shadow said jokingly

The rest laughed even harder at this comment. “Any more questions…no ok then let us fly.”

After flying for two days straight they arrived landing in the town square and asked around a bit “Hello citizen I am Commander Shadow Mark me and my team here are here to take care of the bandit problem.”

“Really well that’s great but only six of you there have got to be at least forty of them. Anyway they hide in the forest that we use for wood up north.” One citizen pony said

“Forty huh…here take these I’m going alone.” Shadow threw his weapons back to his group. “You needed to train more anyway. Don’t scratch them.” Shadow said walking off towards the forest.

“HE’S GOING ALONE!!” the citizen shouted

“I feel sorry for those bandits we aren’t there to calm him down. I would like to follow just to see the berserker rage he gets.” Straight said

“Fusce a mauris manebo et latronum dismembrentur questus questus ex virgis mauris.” Cerebrum said

“Quit it with the Latin I barely know any seeing how I was training when you taught the rest of us. And now we can’t speak it but we can listen of course besides me I don’t know crap.” Swift said

“Why don’t you quit monolougeing everything Swift.” Crafter said.

“Let’s go get some training or Shadow will kill us.” Red Talon said. The citizen standing there was in horror he knew they were just letting their commander die. Should he do something? Well maybe he could take them.

Two hours later

“ANYONE ELSE?!” Shadow shouted at the top of his lungs, he had made an arrangement with the bandits if he could take them all out in 1 on 1 combat they would go away. Although he could not fly use magic or a weapon. Shadow also did not use the shadow. Takes the fun out of it. He said to himself. How many was that twenty thirty forty fifty dang I have terrible memory.  “FINE IF YOU’RE GOING TO PANZY OUT ANY PONY STILL STANDING OR WHO CAN STAND UP YOU CAN TAKE ME ON ALL AT ONCE.”

About ten ponies’ ran out of the bushes and were carrying lances. Chuckling Shadow jumped in the air not flying but gliding seeing that his wings were tied to his back bucked two of them with his hind legs then smashed two more ponies’ heads together. Then just beating the others.

“Ok that’s all of you now pack up your things and go.” Shadow said starting to trot away

“Not so fast you see you have shamed us now you must die.” A bandit said he looked like the leader covered in specs of gold on his armor.

“Pity I didn’t plan on burying fifty bandits tonight. Or even one I still need to go clean the blood of my blade from that dragon.” Shadow said lieing to intimidate them

“Dragon?” The bandits asked fearfully

“But of course what other type of meat do you expect me to eat. Oh well I suppose I can finish the cleaning tomorrow.” He said with a hint of sarcasm

“Don’t let him scare you, kill him!” The leader shouted

Ponies ran from all sides at Shadow. He used the shadow and lunged at one pony smashing his hoof against his jaw smashing it and blood spilling out. With a smirk in his eyes he bucked the pony behind him in the face sending him ten feet in the air and landing with a sickening crunch. Grabbing another pony with his tail and choking him to death then undoing the knots of his wings. Then using them to fly into the air with the other pony still in his tail then dropping him. “ANYONE ELSE HAVE A DEATH WISH!!??” he shouted then he saw a blur shot across the sky into him.  It was Straight.

“I thought you would need these.” He said giving Shadow his weapons and armor. Nodding Shadow put them on and then turned his razor sharp wings toward the Pegasus flying towards him. Flying faster than ever upwards and when they were quite a distance away he turned around and dived. Gaining speed quickly he hit them and extended his wings to the side slicing whatever came into contact in two. Their screams ended as the ground came up to meet them.

Landing again the unicorns shot bolts of magic at him. “Simple...” As they neared them he grabbed them out of course and with each bolt he held the bigger it got then let go of it turned around and bucked it into the face of an unsuspecting pony then his head exploded. “LAST CHANCE!!” He shouted

This only increased their efforts. They did not even hit him he did not need the shadow. He had always disarmed them and killed them with the weapon they were holding.

Arrows began raining from the sky to many to be Straight. Looking up he saw about thirty ponies firing at him. Well that could hurt someone other than me. He thought to himself. Using his magic he created a wall and grabbed all of them and launched them back up towards the archers. They had already begun the second volley which he let hit the ponies around him.

“RALLY WE NEED TO KILL HIM!!” the leader shouted and Shadow shouted back while beating his way through the crowd to get to him. “Shut up you can’t use fifty men to kill one pony.”

“RALL…” the leader began but Shadow had grabbed his tongue using magic and said “I said shut up.” And ripped the leaders tongue out of his mouth smashing the teeth to get out the jaw blood spilling out. “Now I will let the rest of you live if you go away and don’t show your face again.”

Nodding they all lay their weapons down and trotted away as if nothing had happened. As did Shadow trotting slowly returning to his friends. When he got to town a citizen had told him to go to the tavern. “Oh crap...” thought Shadow walking over to the inn and slowly opening the door. They were all there drunk…more or less.

The villagers all noticed the blood stains on his coat and asked him about it. “Oh no I am not hurt I was just getting rid of your bandit problem.  You should not have any more problems with them. How much does a room for the night cost.” Shadow said and then looked over at his friends “Six rooms?”

The inn keeper responded in shock before answering his question. “Truly you killed them all? By yourself? By Celestia here is one on the house. It is a great service you have done for us here. Is there anything else we can do?” He tossed a mug of Ale to Shadow.

“Thank you but I need no pay for a good deed. I don’t want to end up a stuck up lord not respecting the lower living style.” Then saying in a mocking voice sticking his snout in the air “Oh my this place is just dreadful. No fine cuisine in sight.” He mock fainted and everypony laughed “And that’s exactly why I enjoy this place. Cheers my friends for another glorious day.”

“CHEERS!” they all shouted. Then the inn keeper asked him a question “What is your name and who are you? The rooms are ten bits each by the way.” (Dangit I got to stop forgetting to describe characters. So just a light brown earth pony with dark brown mane and a mug of ale as his cutie mark.)

“My official title is Commander Shadow Mark of Canterlot Head of the Lunar Dominion. But screw formalities just call me Shadow unless you prefer that crap.” Shadow said

“Truly? You’re the great Shadow Mark?” The inn keeper said mouth agape

“Heard of me?” Shadow said surprised

“But of course through rumor though so if you could tell us the truth of the rumor I’d be much obliged.” The inn keeper said grabbing a mug then starting to clean it with a dirty rag.

“Ask away nothing held back, we’re all friends here. Although I still don’t know your name.” Shadow said finishing the ale in one big swig

“Ha my name is actually Tavern Keep. And I have never had a high ranking official call me his friend. Oh yes the rumors well we all know there is a loyalty test you have to pass to be admitted to the guard. An eventually the times get around. But yours, yours was unbelievable they said two weeks said you were so strong willed that you slept while on fire. Not caring if you stepped on a pressure plate and said you actually escaped from the test.” Tavern Keep said

Shadow laughed at first then said “No what you heard is wrong in its core true yet most of it false. Yes I did escape yes I did beat the record time to crap. And yes I did not care if I was burned. But the time was ten days nine hours not two weeks. Plus it was not willpower that kept me asleep while on fire. You see...” he pointed to his cutie mark “This although faint is what the shadow of the void looks like I can use it for power. Strength, speed, will power, unable to feel pain, no fatigue, and a special sort of vision that shows me where I’ve been as well as where blood has been so if I look at say a knife I would see blood, clean it and to you it would be gone but to me I could see it in a special color and somehow I just know who used it, just I do I can’t explain that part of it.”

“Wow you’re going to turn out a hero of Equestria if you can remain unbragging and have such a power. THREE CHEERS TO SHADOW MARK! THE CHAMPION OF LUNA! LET US HOLD HIS NAME WITH THOSE OF THE HEROS LONG PAST!” Tavern Keep shouted

They all cheered and rejoiced that night well until someone challenged Shadow to a drinking contest Shadow accepted and they sat down at a table and Tavern Keep brought over fifteen mugs of ale. “Fifteen? There are two of us?” Shadow said

“Yes but whoever drinks more of them wins.” The pony challenging him said.

“GO!!” Tavern shouted

Grabbing the first mug Shadow downed it in one swig and looked with a smirk at the other pony who was downing two in the same fashion. “How about this.” Shadow said grabbing three mugs one with magic and the other with his fore hooves. Downing them in a few gulps then slamming them down. To Shadows surprise the other pony had kept up with him. They drank and drank after his seventh glass the other pony won but Tavern Keep played a joke and kept pouring ale in Shadows mug whenever he slammed it down. Shadow was too drunk to notice. So in total he drank about ten and a half glasses he passed out after drinking half of the last one. His friends had done the same at some point so Tavern left them till morning.

“Ergh what happened.” Shadow said getting up from the ground noticing the stain of ale and puke he had been sleeping in. “Dangit I smell like crap.” He said then noticing his friends had woken up and were talking to Tavern about how boring life was.

“Hey time to return to Canterlot guys.” Hey said slowly still part drunk and sleepy trying to hold back pukeing

“Sufficit tibi decorem accepit ibi dormiunt.” Cerebrum said jokingly before walking over and kissing him on the cheek (No he is not gay it is a joke get it sleeping beauty kiss it fits get your mind out of the gutter)

“PUGNUS i would vos si duo ex vobis ipsis si ungulae i me movebant, ita putabaris.” Shadow said

“Fine lets go then.” They said

“Thank you for letting us stay here.” Shadow said tossing sixty bits into Taverns hoofs.

“There is no need for this.” Tavern said

“I don’t want to have any more power than anypony else so please just accept it.”

“fine” Tavern said nodding his head.

They said goodbye walked out and flew off partially carrying Shadow after he kept hitting something. Oh well Shadow thought to himself I have gained respect in one town. Only a…lot to go.