Chapter 14 - Sven's Past (Final)

"Welcome home sugar," Golden Shimmer smiled, opening the door to her cozy apartment for Sven. The brightly lit lamps brought a warm glow to the interior, revealing various pictures of flowers and landscapes. There were three rooms, a bed room, a common room, and a kitchen, fairly large for an apartment. In the common room, there was a small bookshelf, a green couch, a pink throw rug, two lamps, and a coffee table. The two windows allowed the moonlight to wash the interior and the suns rays to warm up the space. Sven smiled mentally at the image, a very cozy place indeed.

"Thanks again for letting me stay. How much do I owe you?" Sven asked, trotting inside and yawning softly. Golden Shimmer giggled at his action before shaking her head.
"You don't owe me anything. I've been in your position before, no home and all and I won't stand to let anypony, especially a handsome stallion like you, go through it," Golden Shimmer spoke firmly, winking at Sven, causing him to blush.
"Well, honestly, I've been wandering around for about more than two years now. I guess I can say this is my first actually home resting place for a night," Sven sighed.
"Really?! Oh now that's just not right!" Golden Shimmer exclaimed, trotting over to her little kitchen and pouring herself a glass of red wine.
"Want some?" she asked, taking a small sip, Sven shook his head.

"Actually if you don't mind, I'd like to go to sleep. Haven't had a good rest since four months ago," Sven yawned, his eyes drooping and his legs becoming slightly wobbly.
"I've only got one bed though. I can ta-" Golden Shimmer began before Sven cut her off.
"Nah, it's fine. I'll take the couch, I'm more used to harder surfaces so I'll be fine," he assured, trotting over to the couch and collapsing, instantly falling asleep. Golden Shimmer smiled at Sven, taking note of all his features.
"I wonder if he's got a marefriend," she thought, finishing her glass of wine before trotting over to her bedroom and falling asleep under the warm cozy covers.

A month had passed since Sven moved in with Golden Shimmer, the stallion helping her at the bar and earning a few bits for himself. One night, the two of them returned to Golden Shimmer's apartment to find that the place had been ransacked.
"Oh no!" Golden Shimmer screamed, running to the rooms to see what was stolen. Sven quickly rushed to the window, spotting a stallion running away.
"G! Get the police! I'm going for the thief!" Sven yelled, leaping out the window and crashing into a pile of cardboard boxes bellow. Quickly recovering, Sven began to chase after the runaway, weaving through the alleyways before cornering him at a dead end.
"Just you and me now buddy," Sven growled, the other stallion looking for a way out. Seeing a quick opening, Sven fired a bolt of his magic and struck the stallion in the head, knocking him out cold. Smiling at his work, he levitated the thief in the air and trotted back to Golden Shimmer, tying the stallion down firmly to a chair in the apartment.

"Aw, thanks sugar, but it looks like he hid the bits well," Golden Shimmer sighed sadly, trotting over to Sven and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Sven's mind however wasn't focused on the lack of bits or the kiss, it was focused on his biggest mistake that day.
"G, I have to leave tonight. And I don't think I'll be coming back," Sven whispered softly. Golden Shimmer looked at Sven incredulously.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused by Sven's statement.
"I have to leave before the police arrive, please. All I'll say is that I was framed. I should've told you this sooner… but I was afraid that you'd throw me out and call the Royal Guards on me," Sven admitted. Golden Shimmer took a step back, worried now.
"You're a convict?" she gasped.
"No… you see, Kozak isn't my real name. It's Sven," Sven sighed. Trotting to the window and opening it again.

I hid some bits beneath the couch, hopefully it'll make up for the lie I lived while staying here. I'm sorry," Sven mused, suddenly feeling a pair of warm hooves wrapping around his waist.
"It's okay darling. I had a hunch that you were hiding something from me but from what I've seen for the past month, you're nothing like the cold killer that everypony describes you as. You're loving, compassionate, caring, courageous, and inspiring. And that's what I love about you," Golden Shimmer smiled warmly, hugging Sven tightly.
"But, I lied… for so long," Sven replied, baffled by the easy forgiveness.
"We all do now and then sugar. You see, I've got a secret too. I'm… part of the Black Wing Recon Squad. I was stationed here in Appleloosa to keep an eye out for you. I haven't reported anything yet but I understand. Your usage of magic on the that stallion over there will cause the Royal Guards to search for you here," Golden Shimmer spoke softly, Sven looking at the mare in shock.

"You're not a bad stallion Sven, you've just been put into bad situations," Golden Shimmer spoke, the sounds of hoofsteps approaching the door catching both pony's attentions. Gently nudging Sven out the window, Golden Shimmer smiled warmly.
"Go, there's a town called Ponyville. Go there, from what I know, there are no Royal Guards stationed there. Just be careful though," Golden Shimmer whispered softly before planting gently kiss on Sven's lips. Sven blushed lightly and looked at Golden Shimmer.
"I was going to confess my love to you tomorrow but looks like that didn't go as planned," she giggled nervously, "I'll tell the boss that you had a family emergency and had to leave." Sven paused, his brain trying to process all the information that was suddenly thrown at him before smiling.
"Thanks G. Maybe we'll run into each other again sometime, hopefully under better circumstances," Sven smiled, the sound of hooves knocking at the door drawing his attention.

"Definitely, drinks are on me," Golden Shimmer smiled warmly, trotting to the door. A soft breeze blew through her mane. As she opened the door and let the officers into the room to take the stallion away, she knew in the back of her mind that Sven had left. The convict that she fell in love with had fled, running from a crime that he couldn't control and was being framed for. And she had helped him escape. A question ran through her mind: was she an accomplice? Smiling warmly and letting a single tear roll down her cheek, she shook her head and turned around to stare out the empty window at the night sky.
"No, I'm just a friend. A good friend."

"Trottingham… something tells me I made a wrong turn…" Sven grumbled, strolling down the cobblestone streets. A few ponies were up and about despite the fact that Celestia's Sun hadn't even shone a single ray over the hills.
"At least they're hard working," Sven chuckled, waving at a pony who tipped his hat to him. Trotting down the road, he eventually made his way to a small bed and breakfast, the unicorn mare behind the front desk smiling friendly at him.
"Welcome, I haven't seen you around here. New to Trottingham?" the mare asked, using her magic to levitate a guestbook forwards towards Sven. Signing his name as Kozak, Sven pushed the book back towards the mare.
"Kozak? Huh, strange name. But who am I to judge?" the mare smiled, levitating a key towards Sven.
"How long are you planning to stay?" the unicorn asked, curious.
"Not sure, maybe a day or to two to gather more supplies before heading out," Sven replied, checking his room number.

"Supplies? Out on a long journey are we? Hope you don't mind me asking but where are you heading?" the mare asked, letting her co-worker take her post for a while.
"Ponyville, was told that it's a nice place to settle down. Nice and quiet," Sven answered.
"Yeah, I was told it's a good place to go. I'm still saving up to find a nice house to settle down there," the unicorn replied.
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry, where are my manners? My name is Blue Star but my friends just call me Star," the unicorn spoke kindly.
"Kozak, just Kozak," Sven lied through white teeth
"Well, welcome to the Stallion's Resting, I hope you have a good stay for however long you plan to stay," Blue Star smiled, waving goodbye to Sven as the stallion trotted upstairs to his room. After entering his new temporary home, Sven sighed heavily, dropping his saddlebag against a wall and flopping onto a soft, comfy, white bed.

"Guess I better start figuring out where to gather some supplies. With my luck, there's a few Royal Guards here," Sven muttered, turning his eyes towards the open window, listening to the sounds of Trottingham slowly beginning to wake up. Soon the sounds of hooves trotting down the streets and the chatting of ponies slowly began to float into the room. Celestia's sun slowly rose, it's rays falling onto Sven's eyes, causing the stallion to grumble before slowly rising from the bed and make his way to the door.
"Let's get this over with," he sighed, trotting outside. As Sven trotted through the front lobby, he waved to Blue Star, the mare smiling sweetly and waving back as she watched Sven leave. As soon as Sven was outside and the doors were closed, Blue Star pulled out a piece of paper and began writing.
He's here.

Sven groaned, he had just gotten lost once again on his journey to Ponyville. He was quite upset with himself for not asking for a map or anything to the many trader ponies that he passed. Then again, he had no bits so how could he afford a map anyway? Resting by a shore of a lake, Sven took in his surroundings.
"Hmm… Trees. Seen a lot of these. Where the buck am I anyway?" he grumbled, trying to figure out where he was. A cold breeze blew gently through his coat and he shivered.
"How long has this stupid wind been going?" he muttered to nopony, "with my luck, I'm in the mountains." Spotting an easily climbable tree, Sven began his ascension. As he emerged from the top of the green pines, he glanced around before yelling in frustration.
"OH COME ON!"

Sven groaned, he had began his descent down the mountain range that he had unfortunately found himself on earlier that morning. However, his results were less than stellar with an accidental slip due to loose rocks which resulted in him tumbling down the rocky slopes. As Luna's Moon slowly began to rise, Sven decided that he should camp for the night. Rummaging through his saddlebag, he found two apples, two loaves of bread, and two bottles of water.
"Damn, I've got to find a place to get food," Sven grumbled, taking a small bite out of an apple. Continuing his journey down the mountain slope, he spotted faint lights in the far distance.
"Could that be Ponyville?" he wondered aloud, his stomach grumbling. Glancing down, he chuckled.
"For the sake of my stomach, it better be!"

"Timberwolves… I hate Timberwolves," Sven growled, using his magic to tend to a small wound he received in a minor clash with a lone Timberwolf. Now on ground level, Sven was unable to see how far he was from the assumed Ponyville. The sun was slowly beginning to set and Sven knew he had to find a place to sleep where he'd be safe.
"Well, I could double time my pace… or I could find a tree to sleep in," Sven thought. Glancing around at the trees, Sven noticed how low the branches were. Sighing, he began to break out into a steady gallop.
"This better be the right place, or I'm going to burn this damn forest to the ground," Sven growled, a small branch swiping across his face, cutting his cheek lightly. The thunder of paws striking the earth behind him caught his attention quickly. Glancing behind him, he spotted two Timberwolves chasing after him.
"You're kidding right?!" Sven yelled. As if Princess Celestia was chasing him herself, seven more Timberwolves joined the chase.
"I'm loving this day so much!" the stallion yelled angrily, picking up his pace and racing through the trees.

"Okay Mr. Mouse, just wait here, I'll find your Mrs. Mouse," Fluttershy calming assured, watching as the small grey mouse finally calmed down and nodded in agreement before fidgeting in place. Smiling sweetly, the yellow mare trotted into the Everfree Forest, knowing she had to be brave for her furry friend. Trotting along the beaten paths treaded by Zecora, Fluttershy soon began calling out for the mouse.
"Mrs. Mouse! Mrs. Mouse! Please come out! Mr. Mouse is really sorry he snapped at you! He didn't mean it!" Fluttershy yelled. Her ears picked up the faint sound of hooves pounding against the dirt before a stallion tackled her to the ground. Screaming in fright, Fluttershy instantly began to beat the stallion on the head, trying to get him off her.
"Ow! Hey! HOLD IT!" the stallion yelled, quickly rising to his hooves and grabbing Fluttershy and pulling her along.

"Let me go! Where are you taking me?!" Fluttershy yelled.
"TIMBERWOLVES! CHASING! RUN!" the stallion yelled, weaving Fluttershy and himself between the branches and trees. The roars of Timberwolves soon hit Fluttershy's ears while the stench of their breath began to assault her nose, they were close.
"EEP!" Fluttershy softly yelped, the roars growing louder.
"KEEP RUNNING!" Sven yelled, "BY THE WAY, NAME'S KOZAK. JUST INCASE WE DIE!"
"FLUTTERSHY!" Fluttershy yelled back, adrenaline rushing through her. The snarls and howls of the Timberwolves grew louder and louder, the creatures trying to keep up with the fleeing ponies.
"WHERE ARE WE GOING?!" Fluttershy cried, Sven pausing for a moment.
"I DON'T KNOW BUT ANYWHERE BUT HERE!" he yelled back, suddenly tripping over a rut and throwing Fluttershy into the air.

"Eep!" Fluttershy screamed before crashing into the ground. The Timberwolves had gained considerable ground as Sven recovered and grabbed Fluttershy.
"Can you run?" he asked worriedly. Struggling to stand, Fluttershy winced as a sharp pain shot through her right front hoof.
"I think I sprained my hoof," she cried. In a flash, Sven quickly picked the pegasus up with his magic, continuing his run and waving himself and the mare between the branches and trees.
"There's a hole there!" Fluttershy yelled, "We can hide there!" Searching quickly, Sven found said safe haven and dove towards the open entrance, bouncing down a rocky slope before landing on his head, unaware of Fluttershy's landing.

Fluttershy had landed a few feet in front of Sven, slowly rising to her hooves. Glancing around, she discovered that the hole had lead them to a cave, the Timberwolves howling outside.
"Kozak? Kozak?!" the pegasus yelled, searching for the stallion before spotting him unconscious.
"Oh no!" Fluttershy cried, limping over to Sven. Checking his pulse, she heaved a sigh of relief, he was alive at least. Before she had a chance to continue checking to see if he was alright or check for any other injury, a heavy blow to the back of her head knocked her out.

"Hit her again, maybe she'll tell the truth," a ruff voice muttered. The sound of a hoof striking a pony followed by a mare crying out in pain reached Sven's ears.
"Please! I told you everything! Just let me go! I don't know what's going on!" Fluttershy's voice pleaded. Sven slowly opened his eyes, finding himself chained to rocky ground. Fluttershy was tied to a chair, blood, bruises and light cuts scattered across her body. Struggling against the chains, Sven began to draw attention. A stallion with sharp grey eyes, a short dark brown mane and a light brown coat soon approached Sven.
"Well, somepony's awake finally. I was afraid that by the time you came to, your dear friend here would be dead," the stallion spoke, his voice calm and warm but laced with coldness. Sven growled, struggling against the chains even harder, emitting chuckles from four other ponies

"And who the hell are you?" Sven spat.
"Us? We're simple ponies like you. Though we've been quite interested in you. However, you spared us the effort and came to us before we had to come to you," the same stallion spoke.
"I don't understand. Who are you?" Sven growled, his eyes focused on Fluttershy. Another stallion struck Fluttershy again, emitting a growl from Sven and a whimper from Fluttershy.
"We are Stalkers, I'm sure you've been briefed on us before," the stallion chuckled, grabbing Fluttershy's face roughly and squeezing tightly.
"I've heard of you. No affiliation to the Royal Throne and no judiciary boundaries," Sven spoke, almost sounding like he was praising the group.

"So you have heard of us. Nonetheless, we're more of an outcast group, shunned by our own organization for our… less than protocol approaches towards our missions," the stallion chuckled.
"Please… let me go…" Fluttershy whimpered.
"Oh I'm sorry dear, you see, we're not after you, we're after your friend here. Eliminate her," the stallion in front of Sven spoke casually. The stallion holding Fluttershy's head grinned before turning to her. A bright flash suddenly caught the Stalker's attention before Sven punched the Stalker who held Fluttershy in the face. Staggering back, the Stalker noticed that Sven had freed himself from his chains and now stood between Fluttershy and the rest of the Stalkers.
"Fluttershy, I'm getting you out of here," Sven growled, his horn glowing brightly. Before the mare had a chance to protest, a bright light engulfed her. As the light faded, she was gone.

"Well, that settles the first point of business. Now, moving on. I do believe you have misinterpreted us," the calm Stalker spoke. Sven still stood his ground, holding an aggressive stance.
"You see, we do not wish to kill or harm you. We wish for you to become our new leader," the Stalker spoke.
"What do you mean?" Sven asked, confused but still never dropping his guard for a moment.
"We know all about you Sven," a mare spoke, as she slowly approached Sven, "Your ex-marefriend Vinyl Scratch and her current marefriend and your friend Octavia Phiharmonica. Your sister Silver Flare and your mother Silk Dancer. Even your deceased father who was taken away for experiments by Quill and the authorization of Celestia, Frost. We know about your occupation as a Royal Scout and later being taken away for experiments like your father. You survived and were drafted into Celestia's Black Wing Reconnaissance Squad and your incident with Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings."

"We can go on and on about you and your whereabouts or we can get to the main point. Will you, or will you not, join us as our new leader?" the calm stalker spoke once again. Sven slowly began to lower his defense, his eyes still focused on the six ponies before him.
"What do I have to do?" he asked cautiously.
"Swear an oath that you no longer hold any allegiance towards the Royal Throne and Princess Celestia. You're your own stallion and you'd do anything for your comrades. Simple," the calm stalker replied.
"Something isn't right though, what aren't you telling me?" Sven questioned.
"You'll do assassinations, protection missions, or extortion to whomever pays the most," another Stalker spoke. Sven pondered the thought.
"Think about it, Celestia is essential responsible for everything bad that's happened to you. Your father being taken away, you being taken away, the incident with Chrysalis, even your notoriety," the mare Stalker spoke once again.

"Tell me this, what good has come from Celestia to you?" the calm Stalker spoke. Sven was silent for a moment before finally dropping his guard completely.
"I'm in."

The bright light surrounding Rainbow Dash and Spike faded, the two standing in the same place as they were before. Princess Celestia was standing over the unconscious Twilight.
"How long have we been out?!" Rainbow Dash gasped in worry.
"Only a mere three seconds," Princess Celestia replied, walking back through the portal.
"Go, rest. I fear that more conflicts and trouble will arise. Keep a good watch on Twilight for me," Princess Celestia ordered, the portal closing and her image vanishing. Rainbow Dash turned and looked at Spike, the purple dragon shrugging and returning his attention to Twilight. Sighing, Rainbow Dash placed a gently kiss on Twilight's horn before soaring into the night sky, retiring to her home.

Morning dawned on a shocked Ponyville, the residents still shaken from the events that had occurred last night. The hospital had placed Archimedes in the basement level of the building, his room's walls and door reinforced with steel while two nurses were always present. Sweetie Belle kept her distance from Vex and Aurora, cautious of the two. Zecora stayed inside her hut all morning, brewing new concoctions to help Strings who laid unconscious in her bed. Sven slowly stirred, the smell of muffins wafting in the air. Slowly opening his eyes, he found himself staring at a wooden ceiling, a few birds fluttering outside a circular window above the soft white bed that he laid on.
"I feel like I've woken up here more than once," he muttered, slowly rising to his hooves, noticing the basket full of bloody bandages that rested next to the bed.

"Well at least none of that was mine," Sven chuckled, slowly slipping out of Fluttershy's bed and trotting downstairs.
"Flutters? You here?" he softly called, soon spotting the pegasus asleep on her comfy couch. Smiling at the sight, Sven drew the warm quilt up higher before kissing Fluttershy gently on the lips.
"What should I do now?" he wondered softly, now making his way to the kitchen.
"Breakfast would be a start," he smiled, searching through Fluttershy's fridge for ingredients. Angel Bunny soon bounced into the kitchen, spotting the stallion. Before he had a chance to throw something, he felt a carrot being placed gently into his paws.
"Eat up buddy, I'm making that salad you'd ask for," Sven chuckled, hovering a cookbook over to Angel Bunny. The white rabbit looked at the carrot, then the cookbook, then Sven. Eventually he bounced off, eating his carrot happily.

Returning to his cooking duties, Sven decided that maybe pasta would be a good choice. Rummaging around the pantry, he eventually found the pots and the noodles required. Sighing, he levitated the pot to the sink, filling it up to the appropriate amount before placing it onto a stove. While waiting for the water to boil, he glanced into the calm liquid, looking at his reflection on the surface.
"Look at you… you've come quite a long way from Canterlot now haven't you?" a voice echoed in his mind.
"Go away already. Can't I ever get a moment to myself?" Sven thought angrily.
"Oh come now lad, you can't say that you haven't. It almost makes ME curious on how your sister and mother would think of the path you've chosen. Heck, I even wonder what Vinyl would think. Octavia knows that you're wanted but she has no clue about the ShadowHawk part I believe," the voice chuckled.

"You don't ever speak of them again! You don't know them," Sven roared mentally.
"Now, now Sven. Think about it this way, you could just happen to be in Canterlot and just happen to stumble upon your old home. Perhaps maybe… today?" the voice chuckled. Sven was prepared to lash back at the comment before his mind suddenly clicked. He felt his rage slowly disperse and a grin slowly spread on his lips.
"That's a good idea actually… And today seems like a good day too," Sven chuckled, putting in the pasta noodles.
"Wait what? You're actually agreeing with me? That's a first," the voice spoke, surprised.
"First time for everything, didn't you teach me that during the years after you were forced into my mind?" Sven chuckled.
"Fair point. You win this round, but don't expect any future victories," the voice laughed, slowly vanishing.

Sven smiled as the voice vanished. Turning off the stove, Sven began to strain the pasta, whistling happily to himself.
"Today's the day then."

"My Queen, what is it that you request of me?" a Changeling asked, bowing deeply towards the queen.
"Prepare your armies, we're going to start moving," Chrysalis ordered, trotting over to a large map of Equestria.
"With the ShadowHawks out of the way, we should have nearly no significant resistance. And then finally, Equestria will be mine!" the Changeling queen shouted, slamming her front hoof down fiercely on the rotting wood table before her.
"What of Sven?" the Changeling asked.
"Sven can't take on entire armies alone. He will fall," Chrysalis assured, the Changeling bowing deeply before trotting off to assemble his commanders.

Chrysalis turned and looked at an old wardrobe in the far corner of the room. Slowly walking over to the two rotting doors, Chrysalis slowly opened them, staring at a small chest inside. The chest was beaten, the metal parts rusted or rusting while the wood was slowly beginning to rot. Carefully, she levitated the chest to the table, brushing aside papers and other materials. Slowly opening the chest, Chrysalis brushed through a few items before she came upon an old photograph. Looking at the picture, she smiled as she glanced over the image. It was a picture of her and her brother standing side by side when they were younger.
"Oh Karthrax, if only you were here… we could finally finish our dream. Our own kingdom, in a land without drought or animals. I will avenge you. And I'll make Celestia pay!"

"Silver," a rough voice grunted from the corner of a dark, dank cave. Silver Wings turned around to meet his brother's gaze.
"Ah, Ruby Hammer, so good of you to join me, have you finished the preparations?" Silver Wings smiled, his brother nodding.
"Once the war begins, we'll make our move. After all, it is just good business isn't it?" Ruby Hammer grinned, slowly reaching behind him. Before he had a chance to move again, three silver feathers impaled themselves into his neck. Shock took over Ruby Hammer's body before he collapsed, gurgling his own blood. Silver Wings smiled.
"Agreed dear brother, it is just good business… to you," Silver Wings chuckled, allowing his wings to slowly regenerate three new feathers before launching two more to the rocky ceiling. Boulders fell on Ruby Hammer's body, obliterating it into a pile of gory parts. Silver Wings trotted towards the cave entrance, his eyes fixated on Celestia's sun.
Silver Wings chuckled, putting his hood back on before taking to the skies.

As he continued to soar through the ocean blue skies and snow white clouds, he laughed loudly, yelling two words before vanishing above the clouds.
"Knight to C3. Your move."

Author's Notes:

Not one of my best but this chapter had been lying unfinished for a while and I just wanted to complete it. By the way, it's 2:07:19a.m. here... I'm out