Capture

March 27, home of Twilight Sparkle

Temperature: -42 degrees fahrenheit

Time: 12:38 P.M.

A knock on Twilight Sparkle’s door made her jump a little as she sat down to read her book. Twilight sighed and walked over to the door.

“Who is it?” Twilight asked cheerily as she opened the door. Her question was soon answered as the door revealed Shadow Rider, bags filled with miscellaneous items in it around his neck. Twilight stared at Shadow, a slightly horrified look on her face.

“Surprised?” Shadow asked, a smirk on his face as he stood in the doorway.

“You... You! You’re the one that assaulted Luna!” Twilight said as she back away from the door.

“Yes, I may have taken some actions that I regret, but they were necessary. Now, listen to me, I need you to -” Shadow started to say, but was interrupted by Twilight.

“No! I will not do anything for you! Get out!” Twilight yelled, throwing the book she was about to read at Shadow with magic. The book flew through the air and hit Shadow in the face, the book landing on the floor with a thud.

“Ow! Damn it, listen to me!” Shadow yelled, putting a hoof against his closed eye.

“No! Go, get out of my house!” Twilight backed up against the wall and continued to throw books at him, Shadow managing to block some of them with his hoof before they made contact with him.

“QUIT IT!!” Shadow yelled at the top of his lungs. Twilight stopped throwing books and stared angrily at Shadow. She had a book ready at her side, her horn and the book glowing with a purple aura. Shadow took the book on top of his head and threw it on the ground, landing with a puff of dust in the pile of books at his hooves.

“All I want is one favor, I’ll be out of your mane after that.” Shadow said, his hoof still raised in case Twilight decided to hurl one last book at him. Twilight hesitated to answer, afraid of what his favor might be.

“Fine. Make any sudden movements, though, you know what’s coming.” Twilight said, bouncing the book up and down in the air.

“Good. Now, tell me if I’m mistaken, but you are the unicorn that gave your friend a set of temporary wings about a year back, are you not?” Shadow asked as he set down the bags he was carrying on the floor.

“Yes, that would be me, what of it?” Twilight asked. The confused look on her face grew even more so at the sight of what was in the bags. Bones, muscle tissue, feathers, and other odd things spilt onto the floor as Shadow tipped them over.

“I just need you to give me wings.” Shadow said, looking back up at Twilight.

“And why would I do that?” Twilight asked.

“Unless you want me to waste an hour explaining why-”

“I’ve got all the time in the world. Shoot.” Twilight said. Shadow stared angrily at Twilight for a second and he sighed.

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“And if you want the winter to keep going, be my guest. But if you want to stop all the suffering that is going on, you will help me.” Shadow said as he wrapped up his explanation. Twilight sat in thought for a second and looked at Shadow.

“Do you really think it’ll work?” Twilight asked, setting down the book.

“There’s no use in not trying.” Shadow said. Twilight paused for a second again and walked over to the pile of things that Shadow had in his bags, inspecting them to see if everything was there.

“Alright then, let’s get started.” Twilight said, looking back up at Shadow with a determined smirk on her face. Shadow nodded and he waited for Twilight to start the spell. Twilight’s horn glowed intensely, multiple layers of magical aura forming around her horn. Shadow was slowly lifted into the air, looking around worriedly as he wondered if this was supposed to be happening. Twilight showed signs of physical strain, closing her eyes and concentrating on the complicated spell she was performing.

The items that Shadow had brought were absorbed into two magical streams that started to twirl around him. The streams made a cocoon around Shadow, the worried look on his face growing even more so as they closed around his face. The streams encased him completely, a glowing blue cocoon of magic surrounding him. The magical streams around Shadow glowed with a majestic purple aura as the metallic blue ribbons of magic around him continued to levitate Shadow in the air. A dark blue sphere released from Twilight’s horn, floating in the air as it headed for the cocoon that contained Shadow. It stopped in between Twilight and Shadow, stationary in the air, Twilight still concentrating on the spell. The sphere sparked violently and erupted, a bright flash coming from the sphere. Twilight was flung backwards, landing in the pile of books she had thrown at Shadow.

Dazed, she got up and looked back over at him. Shadow was still levitating in the air, his new wings flapping up and down gently. Shadow opened his eyes and observed his newly made wings. They were the same color as his coat, the feathers moving back and forth as Shadow’s wings flapped up and down. Twilight panted, smiling at her work. Shadow stopped flapping his wings and he lowered to the ground.

“Nice work, Twilight. These are perfect.” Shadow said, walking over to her. Twilight nodded happily, still regaining her strength.

“When can I expect to see the winter over?” Twilight asked as Shadow walked over to the door. Shadow retracted his wings and put his cloak over them as he opened the door. He looked up at the sky, the thick layer of clouds above creating a shield against the sun’s light.

“Don’t get your hopes up too much, Twilight Sparkle. We haven’t even started.” Shadow said as he shut the door behind him.

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March 27, Ponyville hotel

Temperature: -45 degrees fahrenheit

Time: 8:03 P.M.

Shadow and Clarity walked in the entrance of the hotel, the bell on the door ringing as they walked in. A bright orange earth pony was sitting behind the reception desk, reading a large book on the desk in front of her. She looked up from the book and waited as Shadow and Clarity walked up to the other side of the desk. Both of their manes were in a different style, Shadow having blue contacts in and Clarity having yellow contacts in, trying to hide their true identities. Wanted posters were hung up all over Ponyville; Dusk, Clarity, and Shadow the stars of all of them. Shadow made holes in his cloak for his wings to fit through, Shadow making sure that they were visible.

“Name, please?” The reception pony asked cheerily, opening the hotel log.

“Mist Roller.” Shadow said, refraining from saying his real name. Clarity nervously glanced at the wanted poster behind the reception desk on the wall, hoping that their disguises would hide them.

“Here you are! Room number eleven, it’s just up the stairs to your left. Here is your key and enjoy your stay!” The reception pony said, handing the key to Shadow. He grabbed it and put it in the pocket of his cloak, nodding in thanks at the reception pony. Shadow and Clarity walked up the stairs and stopped in front of their room. Shadow unlocked the door and they both walked inside. Clarity sighed in relief as she sat down on the bed.

“I thought for sure that she was going to recognize us.” Clarity said, taking the mane band out of her mane and setting it on the nightstand next to the bed. Shadow took his sniper out from under his cloak and propped it against the wall and put his pistol on the table next to the wall. Shadow shook his head, returning his dark blue mane back to it’s normal state. He took out his contacts, his eyes returning to their golden yellow hue. Clarity stared at Shadow as he took off his cloak, his almost-white blue coat seemingly reflecting off of the light from the candle on the nightstand. Clarity sighed and rolled on her back. Shadow shifted his eyes to Clarity as he put his cloak on the chair, Clarity’s dark blue eyes staring at the ceiling. Her long black tail and mane were sprawled across the bed. Her white coat had an orange tint to it, the light of the candle having the same effect against the light as Shadow’s. Something inside Shadow sparked and his wings popped up, Shadow quickly retracting them, his face turning slightly red. Clarity looked at him from the side of her vision, a slight smirk on his face. Shadow walked over to the bed and laid down next to Clarity, moving her mane and tail out of the way.

“I thought you said we were over.” Clarity said with a slight mocking tone in her voice, putting one of her hooves on top of Shadow’s.

“I know I did... but something inside me just can’t live without you.” Shadow said, grabbing Clarity’s hoof. Clarity smiled and put her head against Shadow.

“Do you really think we will be able to do this?”

“Do what?”

“Bring down the Equestrian Saints.” Clarity said. Shadow sighed and paused for a second. There was an extreme risk in the plan that Shadow, Dusk, Clarity, and Specter had come up with. It could go one way or the other, work as they planned or fall apart in the first seconds.

“I want to be honest with you, Clarity, but I can’t guarantee anything. Four ponies to bring down a whole organization, it’s not the best plan, but somepony has to rise against them, and that pony might as well be us.” Shadow said. Clarity sighed and rolled over on top of Shadow, Clarity staring into his eyes.

“You know... we still have some time before it gets too late...” Clarity said. Shadow’s wings popped up again, horizontal with the bed, along with Clarity’s a second later, sticking up in the air. Clarity smirked and sat up, her hind legs on each side of Shadow.

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March 27, Equestrian Saints headquarters

Temperature: -43 degrees

Time: 8:23 P.M.

Persistence sat down behind his desk and put a hoof up to his head. His mind was racing furiously, thinking of how he would be able to continue the Saints without Continuum and Star Gazer. Thinking of it only made him angry, the thought that the same stallion that brought down the Equestrian Spec Ops was in the process of bringing down the Equestrian Saints. Persistence let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair.

“I won’t let him live.. brother. I’ll make sure that he pays for what he did to you.” Persistence said as he stared at the ceiling. There was a knock on the door of Persistence’s office and Persistence leaned forward in his chair.

“Come in.” Persistence said. An Equestrian Saint officer walked into the room and up to Persistence’s desk, a picture levitating in the air in front of him with a magical aura around it and his horn. He put it down on the desk in front of him and Persistence leaned forward to look at it. It was a picture of Shadow and Clarity in their disguises just outside of the hotel in Ponyville.

“Who are these?” Persistence asked, looking up at the officer.

“We’ve gotten reports from the operatives stationed in Ponyville that they are Dead Eye and Clarity. Dead Eye was given wings by the unicorn that lives in the library, Twilight Sparkle, we believe her name is. Would you like us to send in operatives to retrieve them?” The officer asked. Persistence sat in thought for a second.

“Sir?” The officer said.

“Get me a quill and parchment.” Persistence said, a slight smirk on his face.

“May I ask what for?”

“Don’t ask why, just go get it.” The officer nodded and walked out of the room. He came back a second later with ink, a quill, and parchment levitating around him.

“Write down exactly what I say.” Persistence said. The officer nodded and dipped the quill in ink, waiting for Persistence to speak.

“You’re not getting away this time, Dead Eye...” Persistence thought to himself, a slight smirk on his face.

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March 28, Ponyville hotel

Temperature: -40 degrees fahrenheit

Time: 8:08 A.M.

The door burst open, almost sending it off of its hinges as three royal guards ran into the room. Shadow and Clarity jolted awake, quickly siting up in the bed.

“Grab them! Make sure they don’t get away!” One of the royal guards said. One of the royal guards grabbed Shadow as he was running for his pistol on the table, Shadow falling on his face as the royal guard latched onto his hind leg. The other grabbed Clarity and pulled her off the bed, Clarity’s back hoof ramming into the guards face. The royal guard grabbed her front legs and set her down on the ground next to Shadow. They royal guards held them in place as Clarity and Shadow struggled to get out of their grasps. They both stopped as they heard two sets of hoof steps coming up the stairs just outside of the door. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked into the room, glaring at Shadow and Clarity as they walked in front of them. Shadow and Clarity remained silent, watching as the princesses looked down at them. Luna had a cast on her hind leg, Luna staring at Shadow with anger in her eyes.

“Shadow ‘Dead Eye’ Rider and Clarity, we have received a letter that you would be here. Unfortunately, we did not get the name of the sender, but at least we have you in custody. You are both wanted for attempting to terminate the life of my sister. You will be taken to the Canterlot royal garden where you will both be executed.” Celestia said. Shadow yelled in anger and frustration.

“We are trying to help you! Do you think I still take orders from the Spec Ops, rather, the Saints!? They tried to kill me, I am far from being on their side!” He yelled, trying to get loose of the royal guard’s grasp.

“Your actions would prove otherwise. Take them to the garden.” Celestia stepped out of the way of the door and the royal guards dragged Shadow and Clarity away.

“Listen to me, we are not the enemy! Let go of us! Celestia!” Shadow yelled as they exited the hotel. Celestia and Luna followed after them to the carriage awaiting the two princesses outside, Shadow and Clarity being carried by the royal guards off in the distance. The display attracted a lot of attention, the ponies of Ponyville watching as Celestia and Luna got in their carriage. The royal guards pulling the carriage lifted off the ground, heading back for Canterlot. Next Chapter: The Sacrifice of One Estimated time remaining: 36 Minutes