Shadow was on his wings, barely above the tree tops of the Hayseed Swamp. He had pushed it on his hooves to arrive as soon as he could. Since the Mare-Do-Well patters had a design for wings, Shadow had made his with them as well. It was easy to keep the fabric tucked in and under, out of sight, like he did with his wings. He was happy he had made the wings. Missions like this required it.

Shadow put the breaks on and slowly glided to a stop. He descended straight down and found a tree to roost in until night. He was light on his bags for the mission, so it was easier to find a half decent spot to rest on until the night.

After dusk, Shadow circled over the Slog like a vulture over the dead. Which wasn’t far off. Not just because they were as good as dead, but because most of them where Ferals.

Shadow bobbed down slowly, getting lower and lower until he touched down on the soft dirt. Shadow drew Kifo Herixleta and iced the blade over. No light to alert the others. A ghoul came over to Shadow and he removed it’s head.

Shadow skipped across the dots of lands, trampling their crops and slicing one Ghoul after another. He stayed in the back, not alerting any non Ferals.

“Hello,” Shadow quietly greeted Steel Wrench.

The Ghoul cocked his head, confused.

“So you don’t remember me,” Shadow continued with a crooked smile under his mask. “I still get to enjoy paying you back for that bite!”

Shadow launched forward, slicing Steel Wench in half, length wise. A good, perfect cut. Steel Wrench turned his head to track Shadow. He looked down, trying to understand why his body wouldn’t turn. He opened his mouth to scream, but he had no air in the bits of his lungs to yell with. Eventually it all gave out and he toppled to the side. It took his body hitting the ground for them to split apart.

Shadow finished up just before dawn and slipped away. Their wails at their ‘misfortune’ kept Shadow awake during the day from his perch. Shadow had gone far enough they wouldn’t find him, but not far enough to escape their cries. Shadow shifted his focus from sleep around noon. They had stopped crying and began screaming. They were arguing. They didn’t know what to do.

Shadow was chomping at the bit to get going. Waiting until dark wasn’t easy. He waited an hour longer to make sure he didn’t jump the gun.

Shadow didn’t circle as high or as long. He dove onto a guard at his station, slicing his head off over on a low pass. Shadow flipped up and dove on another guard. He slid back around to the buildings. Shadow touched down behind them and slid forward to the street. It was quiet. A few lights were on.

Shadow slipped to the target door and slipped inside. He quietly worked his way up to the second floor. There were two doors. The front one was the proper one. And the lights were off.

Shadow slipped inside.

“Took you long enough,” Cloudy Snow whispered. “A week ago Amber was found dead. Lavender Dew didn’t find a cause, only that he died quietly in his sleep… Wait?”

She sat up, looking at Shadow. Her face was a mix of emotions. She didn’t fear him, but was afraid. She still felt she knew him and he was a friend. But she also didn’t recognize what she was looking at.

“Silent?” She asked, hesitantly.

Shadow shook his head. He stepped closer to her and pulled out a piece of paper. She took it and opened it. Cloudy Snow lit a candle to read by.

Cloudy Snow,

If you are reading this, then things went wrong. I didn’t make it. I hope that somepegasus is able to get this to you. If my promise to kill Orange Harvest for a hostile take over can’t be fulfilled, you can head north to a safe place.

Head east to the shore. Then fly as fast as possible north. I suggest flying past Fillydelphia at night. The Disciples are nasty.

In the north you will find Baltimare. You will find Dry Dock City nestled in Horseshoe Bay, near the center. It is founded in old dry docks and uses some of the ships being built in the docks for shelter. There you will find accepting ponies. The Captain is a friend of mine, and a Ghoul. Although, he knows me by another name, Shadow Flare. Below is my symbol, which he will recognize.

The north arm has Fort Strong, avoid it. Be careful of the southern side for Radigators. Most importantly, you must be vigilant to avoid the Super Ponies. They are mutated ponies, dumb and violent, and they can use weapons.

Land in the city center and show them this letter. Governor Silver Sifter and the others will treat you fairly. I hope that your compassion and drive will lead to citizenship, not just residency. They value hard work, and you have farm knowledge from the past few years. Hopefully that will help you. I know you will give them all you can, despite the hardships that come with adjusting to and living in a new place.

Command Sergeant Major of Reconnaissance Shadow Flare

Shadow’s Inquisitor rank symbol was bold and easy to see..

“And you are?” Cloudy Snow asked.

Shadow anticipated the question. He silently reached in his bag and pulled out the PipBuck. He didn’t give it to her, but let her see it just long enough to lead to the idea that he found them together on their bodies.

Cloudy Snow gulped, staring into his glowing eyes. “I will depart in the morning.”

Shadow slowly shook his head and turned his side to show off his guns a bit. She had seen his sword before. She wasn’t acquainted with his guns. The guns were the only safe thing to show her. To protect her from realizing who he now was. She had wings, pegasus wings, and he wasn’t capable of harming her.

She took a sharp breath in and nodded. Cloudy Snow grabbed her saddlebags and tossed some things in it before sliding the window open. She looked back at Shadow’s unblinking eyes and took off to safety before the massacre began.

Shadow drew Kifo Herixleta and stepped out of the room. He opened the door to the room behind Cloudy Snow’s and stepped inside. Shadow cleanly executed the occupant. The top floor was the same. Nopony occupied the bottom floor.

If he was going to do it, Shadow had to get the hard one over with first. He dashed across the street and into the clinic. The beds were empty. He walked upstairs and into the first bedroom. Two were in the bed. One groaned awake as the door opened.

It was Lavender Dew. Her eyes went wide in terror as Shadow sliced her, the other, and the bed in two. Shadow took a deep breath in. The hard part was over. Her reward for her aid was supposed to be a quick, painless death; unaware.

Shadow steeled his heart. Orange Harvest was going to pay. His fear would be just reward. Shadow wasn’t going to clear them all out tonight. No, he was going to let Orange Harvest and his little group live. Live to see the morning and find the others dead. They would find out what it really meant to be hunted.

Shadow worked from house to house, room by room, executing them. The rooms with lights on had more than one ghoul and they were being vigilant to survive the night. For now, Shadow took everypony else out.

Shadow stepped out into the street after the last room was done. He cleaned off Kifo Herixleta, but didn’t sheath it. Shadow still had some guards to take care of. He finished all but two, leaving them to report in the morning that they hadn’t seen or heard anything.

There was still some time, so Shadow headed to the store. The rooms above had been cleared. Shadow lit a candle and sorted through what they had. He grabbed the two radiation meds they had left and then quietly routed through everything else.

It was barren, outside of a pittance of useful ammo and caps. He would only take their caps and anything really necessary. He wanted to travel light, but the Slog would never be stumbled upon. Nopony knew they existed and nopony would come looking for them.

The morning brought screams of terror and a smile on Shadow’s masked face. The screams woke anypony else up and they all rushed out into the center of the streets. Shadow watched from the darkness as they gathered.

The last guards ran up and soon a shouting match ensued. Blame was being spread around, mixed with their fear. They could not deny the clean cut of a precision sword. They were beginning to turn on Orange Harvest. They had no other ideas. Shadow's words burned clear in their minds.

Shadow stepped out from an alley.

“Who are you!” Orange Harvest demanded.

Shadow let his anger rise into laughter. “I am the one to quench this fire. To right the wrongs inflicted. To make the wasteland ready for the day to come when it is no longer separated.”

“By killing ghouls!”

“Now now,” Shadow chided from behind his glowing eyes. “This has nothing to do with being a pony or a ghoul. It has to do with you all, and your choices. And the wrath that you have brought to this place. You broker your word. You lit this place on fire. And I quench the fire.”

“Take him!” A mare said, bucking Orange Harvest toward Shadow.

Shadow drew Kifo Herixleta in one clean move, slicing off Orange Harvest’s head. Shadow kept the sword pointed up and away as he walked past the body.

“What do you want!” One screamed.

Shadow let out a savage growl. “What I want is what is already mine. Your souls. And there is no escape.”

Two pissed themselves right there and one fled. Another tried to point his gun, but Shadow was too close. A simple skip in and he cut him down. The others were right there and Shadow let them suffer less for feeding him Orange Harvest. Their wisdom brought them a reward, just not one they were hoping for.

The runner couldn't escape Shadow. Shadow dove on him from the air, cleanly taking his head off. The body tripped and tumbled for a dozen feet before settling in the water, where it began to taint the decay ridden water with blood. The head came to rest in a pool of water, bobbing carelessly.

Shadow flipped back around. He raided the governor’s office and found a heft stash of caps. By the front gate was mounted one of the heavy machine guns. He grabbed the linked rounds that were in the crate and they clunked into the bag, pulling the bags heavily to one side. Shadow would have to take a second and balance his bags.

Shadow wanted one last thing. And it was in Cloudy Snow’s room. She had the radio. It would go well in his new home. They had to be expensive to buy, if they could be found.

Shadow climbed into the sky and began his trip back to Trottingham. He was safe to be on his wings for a little while. Just until he got out of the swamp.

Next Chapter: Chapter 109 - Final Gambit Estimated time remaining: 8 Hours, 28 Minutes