Shadow was prone, behind the anti-machine rifle. Above and around him was an intricately laid out system of branches to simulate a bush. It was effective cover unless you got within 100 yards. Even then it was going to be difficult to spot him. If the Hellhounds got within that distance, they did something wrong.

Behind him a few yards was an anxious Knight Yellow Quartz, spotting for him. Somewhere else was Star Paladin Wading Blade. He had placed them here before the morning light cracked and then went his own way. Shadow just focused on his job. The Star Paladin was better off being in another location. It would help them look stronger and cause more confusion if they hit the group from two separate locations.

Outside of the patch of trees behind Shadow, there wasn’t much else for cover in the flat terrain. A tree here or there, but that was all. Yellow Quartz was concerned about not seeing the Star Paladin.

Shadow was tracking the lead group of Hellhounds. 10 by his count. A good two miles out from their position. But a bit north of them was another group about the same size and to their west was a third. Three groups of Hellhounds tactically fanned out. It spelled only ill news.

Worse yet, they couldn’t identify their leader. Shuck is what Warding Blade had called him. And he used a rifle. But about a third of the Hellhounds were carrying guns. Armor was hit or miss with them, but a lot had open face helmets.

“Closing on a mile,” Yellow Quartz told Shadow quietly. “No wind. Not even a breeze.”

Shadow didn’t respond as he kept them in his sights. He watched as they slowed down a bit under 1600 meters. They other groups stopped too. Shadow took in a deep breath as he realized what they were doing. They were sniffing. There was no wind to carry their scent, but these beasts had smelled them.

There was only one thing to do. Shadow set his mouth to the bit and fired at the Hellhound that he had the sights on. The half inch bullet slammed dead center into the body. It was easy to hit them at this distance.

Shadow rotated the bolt and got a new bullet in the chamber. They figured out where it came from. He could probably get two, maybe three shots off before they would be on the run.

They stopped, conflicted, as a set of rockets came out of nowhere and slammed into a single Hellhound. Shadow fired again, and again, and again. There was more bullets spewing from the same area as the rockets had come from. Out in the open with no pony or turret visible.

Shadow put one last round down at the beasts and pushed the rifle forward. He crawled out of the cover and reloaded the rifle.

“They are digging,” Yellow Quartz said nervously.

“It’s tough ground,” Shadow said. “Hard to dig. It will take them time.”

A bullet blasted a hole in the tree next to Yellow Quartz, forcing her to duck out of instinct.

“Right,” Shadow said rolling his eyes as he stood up and tossed the rifle on his back.

Shadow glanced around, tracking the groups one last time to decide their exit strategy. The Star Paladin had stopped firing any weapons and the group in the west was going to cut them off from their meeting point. They were on their own.

“Let’s go,” Shadow said running to the east.

“The regroup-”

“Is to our southwest and compromised,” Shadow said, cutting her off. “We will have to make do. For now, south?”

Shadow pulled ahead to lead them towards the small ancient town that was to their southeast. It was little more than rubble. However, it was one place they could get cover and the most logical place that Warding Blade would go.

They were making good headway. Every so often a bullet would get close enough to hear, but nothing to worry about. Shadow looked back as Yellow Quartz yelled in terror. The ground was giving way beneath her. She pawed her way out in time as the claws came out, followed by a head.

Shadow bumped his shotgun and let all 10 rounds slam into the head. He had set its pattern to a slug, Tri-Ball, and then 00 buck. It was a nasty combination that was designed to take down heavy body armor and strong beasts like a Hellhound. At the very least it would cause massive internal damage just from the sheer force involved.

The headless Hellhound slid back into his hole as Shadow expertly swapped out magazines. He made sure he stashed the shotgun magazine back into a saddlebag. He couldn’t afford to lose a single one.

Shadow heard Knight Yellow Quartz unleash fury behind him. He picked up his situational awareness as if he was flying. It was the only way to survive the hunters becoming the hunted.

Yellow Quartz was pumping the chest of a Hellhound full of copper jacketed lead. It swung its razor claws at her and Shadow blew the paw apart with three shotgun rounds. But it still slammed into her back with terrifying force, forcing her to buckle a bit. Her bags were shredded and the paw was left with half barely hanging on. There was most likely more damage than just shredded bags. But her helmet was on so she could grimace all she wanted and Shadow would be unable to read any of it.

The thing still towered over Yellow Quartz as it howled in pain. Two more tunneled up around them. Shadow put twenty rounds in it’s hind leg to cripple it so he could deal with the new ones. He was panicking a bit.

Yellow Quartz proved why she was out here. She unleashed half a magazine into the head of one. Plenty of the rounds found the beast’s eyes and the treasure that lay behind their sockets.

Shadow put six 12 gage rounds into the other’s legs and they he got them running again. It wasn’t for long. A stream of bullets cut them off and three more popped up in front of them.

Yellow Quartz had already turned to lay down fire upon the armed ones. Shadow charged straight in. He grabbed the Zebra combat bayonet. It’s 16 inches was going to do serious damage to the beasts.

Shadow slid beneath the middle Hellhound’s legs as it swiped at him. He slit the left ankle’s tendon and then flipped around, slitting the other one down to the bone. Shadow chose his next target by picked the one that the Hellhound didn’t fall into.

Shadow flipped the blade and jumped into the beast so that as he blocked the beast impaled it’s own paw on the blade. It’s howl was a sweat note in Shadow’s ear. Since his back was to the beast, Shadow used the band to flip the combat knife out and drive it into the beast’s chest. It was a great strike with a lot of power, but the blade only sunk in half way. That was the terrifying power of the Hellhound.

In his spin out to break contact, Shadow got a good slash at the beast’s throat. Yellow Quartz had the other one bearing down on her while she kept the two with guns busy. Shadow tackled it. It was on the small size, only eight times his size, but it was an effective strategy as he latched onto it’s head.

Yellow Quartz checked her six as Shadow viciously drove the combat knife in and out of the Hellhound’s eyes. Shadow held on as the beast toppled. He expertly slipped off as it landed and rolled to stand beside her.

“Go for the legs!” Shadow ordered. “Cripple them. It is a waist of ammo otherwise. Our small caliber is fucking trash.”

Knight Yellow Quartz nodded as a round exploded against her head. Her helmet did it’s job, but it still had to hurt. Shadow unloaded the last in his magazine at the two rifles and heads poking above the ground in their tunnels. Yellow Quartz finished her magazine as he reloaded and then they moved out while she changed magazines.

They had more time in between interruptions, but the Hellhounds were not giving up. The less they showed up, the more concerned Shadow was. They were reacting to where they popped up, making Shadow concerned that they were being herded.

Two exploded out from behind them and then another three to their left. They shifted to go right as two more popped up. Both had rifles.

“Barkin’ Saw shoot pony!” One yelled as he unloaded on them in a sweep.

Shadow grunted as the air was forced out of his lungs. Lead was slamming into his armored vest. At least that’s all Shadow believed they hit. The gun jammed as it honed in on Shadow’s head.

Shadow forced himself through the pain and fired three erratic shots. They missed anything vital as they claimed flesh. But they slammed into the head none the less. Barkin’ Saw slid down into the tunnel he had popped out of. At the very least, he was going to be deaf for life.

The other one in front of them also slid down into his tunnel as he bled out from the eyes. Yellow Quartz had drilled several bursts into each eye. They had the others on top of them. Shadow ripped into one’s knee with the shotgun. Yellow Quartz was keeping them at bay by peppering their faces with 5.56 rounds.

Shadow took the opportunity to dart in with Kifo Herixleta. In a few seconds each one was missing at least one foot. Shadow hopped up onto the back of the biggest one and sunk the blade into the skull, silencing it. There was a group of three more approaching. He was staring them down, daring them to try their luck among the howls of their drying comrades. Yellow Quartz caught his eye and turned around. She had just reloaded while he sliced their legs. She was ready to put them down if the came any closer.

They wised up and dug themselves into a retreat. Shadow jumped off the back of the carcass and led Knight Yellow Quartz on their way.

“I know where I am going,” Shadow said before she could ask. “Trust me.”

Shadow darted in and around some shrubs and clumps of trees. He was taking them east. For the most part, they had been driven south by the Hellhounds. Shadow found his target and moved straight for a solo tree. It was large, old by the time the war had started.

Shadow slid up to it’s tick trunk and hopped up onto a big root.

“We need to find the Star Paladin,” Yellow Quartz panted.

“He is right there,” Shadow said. “Trotting over to us.”

The air shimmered and the Star Paladin emerged from his cover as he trotted over to them.

“Good eye,” Star Paladin Wading Blade said to Shadow. “I am surprised you could see me, but then again, you are Mtoaji.”

Shadow shrugged and then grimaced. “Once you get used to it, you can tell.”

“You took bullets,” Warding Blade said concerned.

“We both did,” Shadow stated. “But its all been on the armor. I don’t know if Yellow Quartz’s armor was pieced by their claws or not.”

“Can you both move?” Warding Blade asked, ignoring specifics.

“Yes,” Yellow Quartz replied. “I can.”

“Me too,” Shadow nodded. “I have been through worse. I won’t stress myself too far.”

“I am so glad you shot when you did. They had picked up on my scent. I was in trouble. But you distracted them and we disrupted them badly. You killed that first one. I am sure of that.”

"I know I can claim two kills,” Yellow Quartz said. “And together we crippled five. I know Mtoaji had to hit double digits.”

Shadow knew his count. “I killed five, solo. And then another six were permanently crippled by me, alone. Many of those cripples might bleed out.”

Several howls pierced the finally quiet landscape.

“I didn’t get Shuck, did you?” The Star Paladin asked.

“Not that we know of,” Knight Yellow Quartz sighed. “But they had us on the run and almost boxed in a few times.”

Warding Blade peered around the tree. “They are about 2000 meters out. Only ten or so. But I see Shuck finally. He has a pistol. A 44 revolver. I guess he gave up his rifle.”

Shadow peered out. Without a helmet or spotter scope he wouldn’t see much. It was flat, so he could see them. But that was all.

“So we cut them down down a good third,” Yellow Quartz said as she took a look. “I see Shuck. Too bad we missed him.”

“I chose another over him,” Star Paladin Warding Blade said annoyed.

“What was your count?” Shadow asked, a bit out of breath.

“Nine,” The Star Paladin said flatly. “All kills.”

“They are at 2000 meters?” Shadow clarified.

“Yeah,” Warding Blade said, his voice picking up a bit. “Its a big target and no wind. Can you hit him?”

“Not from prone,” Shadow said as he swung his rifle out and dropped it onto the back of the Star Paladin. The Star Paladin didn’t give it a second thought, but Knight Yellow quartz was appalled.

He was basically standing as he adjusted. Shadow didn’t dilly dally He found Shuck easily. Even at 2000 meters, Shuck’s body fit in his scope. Shadow adjusted up. He was practically guaranteed a hit.

“Get ready to run,” Shadow said. “When I shoot, they will probably become hostile again.”

“We need him down,” Star Paladin Warding Blade stated. “Do it.”

Shadow made his final adjustment and then fired.

Shadow wasn’t ready. He had forgotten about the power. Being prone was one thing. He had learned to flow with the recoil. But he was standing and he was not ready. The rifle was tight into his shoulder but it moved back into him full kicked and Shadow was separated from the rifle as he was violently tossed backwards.

Shadow rolled to a stop in the dust with a groan. It hurt to breath. Shadow was not able to move. He wasn’t able to think clearly.

“Get him on my back!” Warding Blade ordered.

Yellow Quartz got him on his back, the wide guns giving a solid place for him to lay.

“Grab the gun!” Warding Blade followed up before dashing out.

Warding Blade ran. Yellow Quartz followed at a close pace. They never hit any resistance as they raced along. Yellow Quartz hated that she had lost where they were were on the map. She had to rely on the Star Paladin.

Nighttime brought them back to a familiar area. They came upon the Lux and Yellow Quartz understood why the Star Paladin used it. It was a very accessible place. The security was an added bonus.

The guards only let them in once they checked in with Marjoram. The Star Paladin lead them to the casino. When they entered, Marjoram wasn’t there. Star Paladin Warding Blade approached the front desk. Nothing had been told to the front desk. Marjoram came in a second later, through the main doors.

“Star Paladin,” She greeted them. There was no smile on her lips. “Is it over? And him?”

“It is,” Warding Blade stated. “And he took a beating. He was chosen for a reason, and he proved that today.”

“I’m alive,” Shadow groaned. “Just in a lot of pain.”

“Good,” Warding Blade grunted.

“Give me the keys the high roller suite,” Marjoram ordered the front desk attendant. “They need rest. Order whatever you need. Dinner is on me.”

“Thank you,” Warding Blade said. His helmet was still on, so Marjoram couldn’t see him smile.

Marjoram personally lead them to the room and let them in. Knight Yellow Quartz took her helmet off and took the keys with a smile.

“Thanks. We are all a bit battered and worn. Well, at least Mtoaji and I. I don’t know if the Star Paladin took any hits. I don’t think he would tell me if he did.”

“Have a good night. All three of you,” Marjoram smiled as she left.

“Okay,” Shadow groaned before he rolled off.

His hooves didn’t catch him at all. He pushed up onto them, favoring his right foreleg. He couldn’t really put pressure on it. The rifle had destroyed his shoulder. But he didn’t regret it.

“You are in bad shape,” Knight Yellow Quartz said. Her concern was obvious. “You need healing.”

“I just need a potion or two,” Shadow said, trying to reach one in his bag.

“Hmm,” Warding Blade said as he took his helmet off. “I have seen a lot of injuries in my time. But I know that one well enough.”

Warding Blade embraced Shadow around his should and squeezed. Shadow growled in pain and almost passed out as his shoulder was forced back into it’s socket. Shadow stumbled when he was let go, but all four hooves caught him. He was still sore and broken inside.

Shadow smiled at Warding Blade. The smile had a second meaning. The armored leg obviously couldn’t feel his wings as he embraced Shadow and popped his shoulder back in.

“Thanks.”

“Thank you,” Warding Blade said back with a gleam in his eye. “You hit Shuck dead center. I doubt it killed him or will kill him, but it was a solid hit. It will make him think twice.”

“Or put him into a rage,” Shadow replied.

“Not likely,” Warding Blade replied. “I’ve hunted him twice. He has eluded me both times. Not this time. You got him. He will rethink things. He knows it was me and my team.”

“It was a stellar shot,” Yellow Quartz added.

Shadow popped down a health potion.

“We should get you out of your jacket,” Warding Blade said. “I can see the eight bullets stuck in it’s armored padding.”

“No,” Shadow replied. “I’ll keep it on. It will keep things contained. Just some bruising. A broken rib or two. Yellow Quarts took a swipe from a paw. I saw her buckle under it’s weight.”

“It hurts,” Yellow Quartz admitted. “Can you help me out of it?”

Warding Blade helped his knight out of her armor. She had three punctures in her back, along her spine.

“Lay down,” Shadow ordered. “Let me see.”

Yellow Quartz gave him a concerned look but complied.

Shadow chuckled. “You think I came out all this way, was taught what I need to survive, and they didn’t teach me medical care?”

Shadow didn’t give them a chance to respond. His slight touch caused her a lot of pain.

“They are deep,” Shadow warned. “Very deep. And they are way to close to your spine. You are luck you can walk. Your armor saved you. I need a stitch kit.”

“Yellow Quartz had the medical supplies,” Warding Blade stated.

What was left of her bags was all ammunition.

“Well then, its time for mine. Its thread and a needle, but we need to close those wounds. They are too deep to risk closing on their own. Every time she moves, they open back up. Its not a lot of bleeding, but she will get an infection if its not treated.”

“I agree,” Warding Blade stated.

Shadow pulled out his medical kit. He first hit Yellow Quartz with Med-X before she even knew it was happening. Once she was under it’s influence, he began to stitch them up. It was a simple thing.

“I’m going to bed,” Shadow said to Warding Blade. “Even if I wasn’t injured, I can’t really move her to a bed easily.”

Warding Blade chuckled kindly. “Go, get your rest. I will take care of her. I need rest as well.”

Shadow was setting his gear aside when Warding Blade knocked on his door.

“Come in,” Shadow said.

“I don’t want to take your time, but I am impressed. I don’t even have the account of your battle, but your sniping was spot on. And more impressively, you saw me when I was invisible.”

Shadow chuckled with a tired smile. “The StealthBuck is a great tool, but it shimmers. The Zebra invisibility cloaks are much stronger and more impressive. So, its pretty easy to tell when one is using a StealthBuck. Even at a decent distance. Besides, it was the only way you could be hidden out in the open like you were at the start.”

“Still, I can’t even get most of the Steel Rangers to spot when I am using it. I’ve used them in the halls and they were clueless.”

Shadow almost stated he could tell the three times that Yellow Quartz used her E.F.S., but that would have revealed more than Shadow every wanted revealed.

“I will let you get your rest, but I am sad that you are not one of ours. Still, you make a valuable pony for your home. You are sure to succeed in your mission. I will do whatever I can, anything. You earned that for sure.”

“Thanks,” Shadow smiled as he hit himself with some Med-X. He felt safe to use it while sleeping alongside them.

Shadow was awake for a bit, silently laying in the bed, when the knock came at the door. It was quiet. Shadow was aching a bit, but it wasn’t too bad. Shadow listened in. Marjoram had come to the door. Three Hellhounds were at their gate.

“I’ll go,” Shadow said exiting his room. “I can handle them.”

“What?” Marjoram said shocked.

“They need an alpha,” Shadow stated. “They came from dogs, they still are dogs. I’ll give them their alpha.”

“You won’t go alone,” Warding Blade said. “I will put my armor on.”

“Me too,” Yellow Quartz groaned. “I swore to follow this through and stop their threat.”

Shadow stepped back into his room and belted on his sword, zebra knife, and Mwokozi’s revolver. He was not going to burden himself. He could open up with the blade and the band if he needed to, but that was doubtful.

Shadow was on point as they trotted out to the front gate. They were just standing there. Three giant Hellhounds. None had weapons, but all three had helmets and one was in full armor. Makeshift pieces of metal slammed together, but it did it’s job.

“You ponies are the ponies who attacked us?” The lead one asked. “You ponies killed Shuck?”

“I did,” Shadow stated, taking a step forward. “I shot him.”

“Pony took away our life. Pony took away our friend. Ponies attacked for no reason.”

“You Hellhounds don’t leave us alone,” Shadow stated. “You try to kill any ponies. All ponies deserve to die to you. I have heard you say it before.”

“What? Ponies did bad to us in war. But we didn’t want to kill them. We want our own place. Away from the others who want to hurt you.”

“Then get,” Shadow ordered. “Go.”

“No. Now we want to kill you for taking away Shuck. He was our savior!”

Shadow grinned and tipped his hat down. “You really want to do this?”

“Yes. Pony must pay,” the leader grinned.

“Mtoaji doesn’t want to hurt you,” Shadow smiled back.

Shadow took a sure step forward to give himself room.

“It’s okay,” Shadow told Warding Blade and Yellow Quartz. “I will show them what it means to be Mtoaji.”

Shadow didn’t hesitate after that. He leaped forward. The jump was jarring, but it snapped his mind into fight mode as it carried him into a sprint.

The Hellhound’s claws flashed as it took a swipe. Their size difference worked both ways. The Hellhound was easily ten times his size, but Shadow was a small target for it. Shadow slipped past the claws and struck hard at the inside thigh of the Hellhound. It wasn’t a pressure point, but it was a tender place to be hit.

The Hellhound whipped around, and Shadow slid around out of it’s sight. To him it was a giant bumbling thing and he was the fly. But this fly stung like a wasp.

Shadow bucked him in the outside of the knee, right at the pressure point. The knee buckled involuntarily. Shadow bucked it a second time to make sure it was dead.

The Hellhound howled in rage. It was all Shadow needed. Shadow vaulted up off it’s chest to buck it in the jaw. It clamped shut, biting it’s own tongue.

It stumbled back, tongue bitten off. Shadow was ready. He launched again at it. This time the combat knife was in his mouth and he slammed into it’s chest. The knife sunk all the way in. Shadow flipped in place, hooking his rear hooves around the blade in a motion that used his weight to tear it down.

Shadow caught himself in a hoofstand and expertly let himself down as the chest cavity began to drip blood onto his head. Shadow picked up the blade with his mouth as the stunned Hellhound stepped back a few paces, looking dumbly at his chest.

Shadow grinned with it in his mouth. “So, either of you want a taste of my blade? I’ll whip your asses one at a time or both of you together if you want.”

“Pony... pony crazy!” One stuttered in exclamation.

“Stay away from pony land,” Shadow spat. “Every time you guys move out towards our land, we have to be ready for you to attack. I’m the best of the best, but the others will still make short work of you. Because you threaten our homes. Unless you come in peace, expect to find only lead. And even then, there is plenty of land away from pony kind.”

“Pony crazy. What do other ponies say?”

“You know where we live,” Warding Blade asserted. “And your kind has gone on rampages before. You have killed for fun. We respond the way we do for a reason. Live where you will not disturb us! And if you move, go clear around us!”

“Now,” Warding Blade said getting reasonable. “I know the area around Trottingham is big. Come to us with a white flag displayed to talk of ways you can move. We will let you through if you need to. But we must do so delicately because of your past.”

“Bah!” The other Hellhound spat. “We don’t believe you. We leave now.”

Shadow watched them walk away, keeping composed until they were gone. He wiped his knife clean on the hide of the dead Hellhound.

“Ever tan Hellhound hide?” Shadow asked.

“What?” Warding Blade stuttered.

“Just wondering,” Shadow replied. “I don’t have time, but it might make decent leather armor.”

“As far as I am aware, nopony has ever done that. That is a disgusting idea.”

“I have seen worse,” Shadow stated with a shrug. “Ponies do weird shit to ‘live’.”

“I need sleep,” Shadow said.

They were let back into the gate and Marjoram was right there. She had been spying on things from behind the gate. She didn’t have to say anything to express how impressed she was, but she did.

“I am truly in your debt. All three of you. Mtoaji, that is begrudgingly. But I saw you skill. It is impressive. You should hunt Black Widow.”

“Why?” Shadow yawned. “What is the point?”

“To remove that threat!”

“Is she really a threat? Not to me from what I hear. I am not hunting her for you. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“Either way,” Marjoram said changing subjects. “I know you all need rest. So rest up. Food is on us. And I will gladly give you each 100 chips to play at our tables. I know you didn’t bring a lot with you since you were on a job, but I would really love for you to enjoy our tables. Even you Mtoaji.”

Shadow chuckled with a sly smile. “I’ll see you at the Baccarat table later tonight. And I will play all of your games before I get there. To prove I don’t make my own luck, I just enjoy the gifts it gives me.”

Shadow crashed on his bed. He just dropped his stuff at the foot of the bed after drinking another potion. He didn’t waste any energy.

Shadow emerged for dinner. He was still sore, but he wasn’t fighting holes. Only broken ribs and major bruising. That he could handle much easier. That could be patched faster than bullet holes with health potions.

“Perfect timing,” Warding Blade smiled. “Food just came. Simple salads, but food.”

“Thanks,” Shadow smiled as he sat down to join them. “Food is exactly what I need to heal.”

“So,” Warding Blade said as Shadow finished. “Be Mtoaji? What does it mean to be Mtoaji?”

“Oh,” Shadow said, stalling. “Well, long ago, the ancient sages foresaw the need that would be me. I don’t know when, only that they heard the whispers of what would be to come. Mtoaji serves as a name for me as I do what I need to do to protect my home.

“Equestria is big. Huge. Do you really think that there is just the Griffins, Dragons, Zebras, and the three pony kinds? The world is much bigger. Not all ponies lived in Equestria.”

“So, did they foresee the war?” Yellow Quartz asked.

“No idea,” Shadow replied. “I can tell you that part of the prophecy was also for at least one other. The sages only listened and recorded. They couldn’t predict things perfectly. It took another to realize the prophecy was for me.

“As to the war, if a cleansing rain were to come in a month, and you knew it, would the other Steel Rangers listen? No, because they can’t image what a rain that cleansed the land of all the chemicals and magic fallout would be. What it would mean for Equestria to sprout green and flowers.

“So even if a sage warned of the war, both sides never would have believed it. No one was ready for it. None of them had every seen a war like it was. A war like that wasn’t conceivable. So what could they really do?”

“Fair point,” Warding Blade replied. “But nothing to help you find what you need?”

“No,” Shadow sighed. “So much has changed. Finding anything is impossible. And we only had limited information on Equestria. Now most of that information is useless.”

“You have to have a stripe or two,” Yellow Quartz said.

“No,” Shadow smiled.

“What is the prophecy?” Warding Blade asked. “If you don’t mind. Maybe it can help me figure out what you need.”

Shadow heard Kifo Herixleta yelling warnings in his mind, but he ignored some of them. “I can tell you the part that has been spoken for at least one other.”

Shadow took a deep breath in. “Black and white, day and night, your two colors will be such a sight. The split is a sign, that is to be a guideline. One white and black, blessed for life while on the attack. The three pieces of the puzzle, oh so subtle. Speed. Power. Agility.”

“Interesting,” Warding Blade grunted.

“I know of another who had the same thing spoken about him,” Shadow reminded them. But my cutie mark is three arrowheads. Speed, Power, and Agility. You have seen all three displayed. Especially this morning.”

“We certainly have,” Warding Blade smiled.

“Prophecies are a difficult thing,” Shadow continued. “Scary since they say so much, yet nothing at the same time. Life changes some things. Not everything must come true, but not everything is avoidable. They are best left at a minimum for speaking about.”

“I guess they are,” Warding Blade replied.

Shadow wished he had a suit like last time he was here, but there was no way to fix that. He settled on unwrapping Kifo Herixleta. The sword didn’t protest. He wanted to be unwrapped and trusted the Steel Rangers to not confiscate him.

“That is gold,” Yellow Quartz stuttered when she saw the hilt.

“Yeah,” Shadow grinned as he undid the sheath’s cover and showed more gilding.

“I have seen swords before,” Warding Blade stated. “But that is not a style I have seen.”

Shadow slid most of the blade out to show it off. “It’s a Zebra blade. A rare style. It could easily be older than the war. I am not certain of all the enchantments it holds. It is a blade that gets passed along to the next to fulfill a prophecy.”

“That is beautiful,” Warding Blade stated, enthralled.

“Last time I was here, I had a suit and flashed this baby. It drove them nuts. Normally I keep him wrapped to keep eyes from wandering to dark places.”

“Understandable,” Warding Blade nodded. “Many Steel Rangers wouldn’t like that blade existing outside our vaults. Especially Dahlia. I know you two have had your run in.”

“It’s sad,” Shadow sighed. “Sad when protectors lose their focus for something as stupid as technology.”

“Trottingham has held better to that vision,” Warding Blade said. “But I understand that the others have caused you problems before. And that they have been known to get distracted.”

“Come on,” Shadow smirked. “Let’s hit the floor. I’m going to double those complementary chips in the first five minutes.”

“I will come out on top as well,” Warding Blade grinned. “Of course, I have more than 100 chips on reserve here. I keep a rather lucrative account here. It is a good staging point for me, as I believe you have seen.”

“That it does,” Shadow replied.

“Do you have more caps on you?” Yellow Quartz asked Shadow.

“200,” Shadow replied. “Spare change to cover any unexpected expenses. I won’t tap into them. More importantly, I won’t need to.”

They headed down to the floor and Shadow headed straight to a roulette table. Both Steel Rangers followed him to see how it would play out. The table was crowded. It took a minute for the round to finish and then Shadow put five chips on Red 5.

The other bets were placed and the wheel spun.

11 Black.

Shadow reset with 5 on Red 5. He was distracted from the spin as a burly unicorn walked up to him and invaded his personal space. He was in a very nice suit and obviously from the Lux.

“I am here to watch you play. My name is Black”

“Cool,” Shadow replied. “I know a Black back home. Amazing stallion. He is bigger than you, more imposing too. Still, I totally understand why you are watching me. Enjoy seeing luck favor me. I obviously have no horn to manipulate the games.”

“Red 5,” The attendant declared.

Shadow turned to Yellow Quartz. “And I told you I would double my 100 chips in five minutes.”

Shadow reset Red 5 with 25 chips and the ball went rolling round and round. Shadow closed his eyes as he heard it skip.

“Red 5 again!”

Shadow pulled his chips in, keeping 25 on Red 5. The ball once again on Red 5. The Unicorn glared heavily at Shadow.

“Why don’t you let her spin,” Shadow suggested.

No other bets were placed as the others enjoyed watching the duel of luck. Black spun the wheel and set the ball in motion. It bounced, skipped, and settled on Red 5.

“Luck is mine,” Shadow said, halting a shrug to avoid pain.

“Then you can play another number,” Black stated with a slight grin.

“I can’t,” Shadow sighed. “5 is a special number.”

“Oh?” Black pushed.

Shadow decided to test his luck. The truth wouldn’t hurt. “Five, one for each of my comrades who died in the Equestrian Wasteland. Five, for my younger sister who was murdered, as she was fifth born to my parents. I was fourth. Five is too important of a number to me.”

Shadow put 100 chips on Red 5. The attendant took his spot again and let things roll. 0.

“Luck says to move!” Shadow declared. “There are plenty of other tables to play!”

Shadow didn’t have a chance to take his chips as Black picked them up and organized them in an instant.

“I am here to watch and make sure you play fair. But that doesn’t mean I should not play the normal roll of accompaniment and helped you by holding your chips. Now you can focus on enjoying the games.”

“That is a big help,” Shadow smiled.

They flirted back and forth between tables. Yellow Quartz stuck with Shadow after Warding Blade disappeared. Shadow lost and won until he finally went to the Craps table. There he began to win again. Black was getting frustrated.

Shadow held up the dice. “Take a throw. Its my bet. See if luck favors me.”

Black obliged. He shook the dice well and tossed them carelessly onto the table. They bounced and roll. The first one stopped on a 2 and the second rolled up, almost tipping over but fell back down as a 3. 5. Exactly what Shadow needed.

“Luck does favor you,” Black smiled.

“My jacket I’m wearing, it took all the bullets last time. And then the gun jammed as it was finally pointed at my head. So, luck really does favor me. If I had magic, I would be an even meaner bastard to fight.”

It was still early. Shadow had no idea how many chips he had, but he knew he was up quite a bit.

“Time to hit the card tables,” Shadow declared. “These games of chance are great, but its time to actually think about my bets.”

Shadow found Warding Blade at a Black Jack table and joined him. Warding Blade never acknowledge their existence. He was at spot 3 so Shadow took the middle spot, 2, and Yellow Quartz joined them at spot 1. She had been going up and down all night, breaking even.

“What is that table over there?” Yellow Quartz asked.

“Five card poker,” Shadow stated. “That is the one game I won’t waste my time on. Its tough because while there are two players for the house, you also are playing against other patrons. It is the game of my village, but its not worth playing here. And I have played it here.”

“Your village has an official poker game?” Yellow Quartz asked, confused and excited. Warding Blade’s attention had peaked as well.

Shadow chuckled. “Well, not official. But when you are old enough, you get your chips. We play from time to time. They are worth reputation, not capital. If you have to borrow again, it is know. And if you cheat, you lose it all and you can’t play, and that is a huge hit. And means a boring existence.”

“Now, have you played black jack?” Shadow asked.

“No,” Yellow Quartz said looking at her 5 of Clubs and 7 of Hearts.

“Goal is to get to 21, but without going over. If you have the higher hand that the dealer, you win. You only see one card that the dealer has, and the dealer has to take a card if they have 16 or less. At 17-21 they stay. If you have the higher hand, you win your bet. So bet 1 chip, you get 1. You get 21 and win, you get 2. If you are dealt 21, you get 3 chips for 1 chip. If you tie, no one gains or looses. Aces are worth either 11 or 1, up to you.

“You have 12, so tell the dealer ‘hit’ to get another card. You won’t win with 12.”

“Hit,” Yellow Quartz said. She got a 6.

“I would stay at 18. If you get a 4 or higher, you bust out. And the odds are against you.”

Yellow Quartz nodded and stayed. Shadow looked at his cards. 8 and 8. Shadow tapped the table for a hit. He was given a 5 of hearts and he stayed. Warding Blade played out on his hand. The house flipped over for a 16 and then hit a for a 6 of Spades.

They got their payouts and continued. Yellow Quartz picked it up quickly, but she still lost ground even faster. Shadow was playing conservatively, most of the time. He was enjoying the game. When Yellow Quartz was out, he offered her 200 chips, no catch, but she declined. She just wanted to watch.

Shadow soon got a bit bored and put down 200 for the sake of the house. He was dealt 2 aces. He split his hand, doubling his bet 400. The first card flipped over was a King of Hearts. The second was a Jack of Diamonds. With double on the table, Shadow pulled 1200 from the house. He put 200 down again and lost on a tough hand of 19.

“Sir,” Black said, speaking for the first time in a while. “You have plenty to head to the back. I understand you wanted to play Baccarat.”

“Ah yes,” Shadow grinned. “I have no idea where I stand. So lets head to Baccarat!”

Shadow followed Black back to the private area. He noticed that a good chunk of his chips were gold, not the normal black. He knew they were not going to try and cheat him. It had to denote a higher count like 10 or 25.

Shadow didn’t concern himself with anything as he began to play. He only kept a pile of 25 in front of him, refreshing it after each round. He was playing for longevity, not to gain capital. He had no idea where he was at with his chips. Since it was complementary chips he had started with, it was totally different. He couldn’t lose unless he put chips in.

Shadow knew that Warding Blade had come back to a Baccarat table, but he wasn’t paying attention until he came over with Yellow Quartz in tow. Marjoram was also with them. It looked like she had been playing against Warding Blade. After all, they had a long relationship together.

“Very nice,” Marjoram said to Shadow as he won. “Have you considered raising it to high stakes?”

“Well, I don’t even know where I am at,” Shadow admitted. “I’ve just been enjoying the games. I know I’ve been winning in the long run, but not how much. I didn’t want to bust out early in the evening. So why not? Its getting late. Lets make it interesting.”

Marjoram sat down across from Shadow with a smile. “High stakes usually runs gold chips. Each is worth 100.”

“And how much would I have to start? I know you have been counting, Black.”

“Well, as we switch these final ones out, the count is 243 gold chips and 37 black chips.”

Shadow grinned. “Then we can have some real fun. I have never had this much in play before.”

“Are you serious!” Yellow Quartz interjected. “At least set aside some of it for-”

“Its not about that,” Shadow said cutting her off. “It is about the joy of the game. And having this many caps in play is exhilarating. Even if I look calm, well now the real fun begins.”

“You could buy a minigun and all the ammo you would ever need!”

“I’ve used them before and don’t want one again,” Shadow said annoyed. “I want to play Baccarat! And with the lovely Marjoram.”

Warding Blade chuckled as Yellow Quartz sighed.

“It’s something you may or may not learn,” Warding Blade told Yellow Quartz. “Just enjoy the experience. I know you did. And you know I didn’t cash out. I kept it in my account. Because I want to continue having fun whenever I come back here.”

Shadow lost the first three rounds. But then he pulled out a big win. That was Baccarat. Back and forth as they tested the luck of the cards. If both Shadow and Marjoram could rate their luck factors, they each had to have the same rate.

Their test of luck went back and forth. Shadow had no concept of time, but he knew it was beyond late. And the Steel Rangers were still watching and enjoying. Shadow didn’t know what he had for chips. He only knew he had enough in front of him each time. He was still playing most hands with 25 chips.

“What time is it?” Marjoram asked.

“It is 3:23 am.”

“I don’t think I can continue,” Marjoram smiled at Shadow. “I am tired and getting foggy. I know you have been yawning. Along with your friends.”

Shadow picked up a gold chip. “You do accounts, correct?”

“Yes, we do. No charges or fees.”

“Open one. I don’t care to know where I am at right now. I know I am up a good deal, that is all that matters.”

Shadow smiled warmly at Marjoram. “This has been a real pleasure. I have enjoyed myself this evening. I thank you for the complementary chips and allowing me to play. The best part was by far playing Baccarat. High stakes is addicting.”

“You have proved yourself well today,” Marjoram smiled back. “It has been a pleasure for us as well. I rarely play Baccarat, even less on the high stakes. But it is a big joy for me when I do get to play against a worthy opponent.”

Shadow stood up, not even bothering to look back at the table as he headed for the door. He kept that gold chip with him. He was going to keep it as a souvenir.

“You-”

“No,” Shadow cut Yellow Quartz off. “I don’t care right now. I know I did some damage to them, but I don’t care where the final count is. I enjoyed playing, that was all.”

They got back to their room and Shadow crashed until noon. While he was asleep, a folder was slid under the door containing his account information. Warding Blade had it on the table when Shadow woke up.

“Come,” Warding Blade smiled. “Let’s go down to the restaurant and actually eat. My treat.”

“No,” Shadow softly objected as he looked up from his account record. “My treat. And then I will set up an account for Yellow Quartz. I have more than enough to give her a good boost.”

Shadow heard Kifo Herixleta’s objection, but he pushed it away with a note that they will discuss it as soon as possible. Kifo Herixleta wasn’t happy, but obliged.

When they got to the restaurant, it was crowded as usual with a good group waiting. Shadow approached the Host, ahead of Warding Blade.

“Ah, our high roller,” He smiled. “Just you three?”

“Yes,” Shadow smiled. “How long is the wait?”

“No wait for the high rollers. We have tables in the back for you. Our high roller tables.”

They followed him to a separate section Shadow hadn’t seen before. There was five booths and six tables. All large and able to seat eight or more.

They were seated at a half circular booth. Shadow had to sit on the edge to accommodate Kifo Herixleta. Knight Yellow Quartz scooted into the center, enjoying the fluffy cushion. They ordered from a special menu that they withheld for special ponies.

After they ordered, Shadow excused himself to go to the bathroom. It was empty at the moment so he took the far stall and slid out Kifo Herixleta.

“Look, I don’t care what you think. Sometimes the best way to win is to flank. I set up an account here, I invest a bit here, when I strike, they won’t have a reason to believe its me. That investment secures my innocence.”

Shadow sheathed Kifo Herixleta, did his business and left. Lunch was exceptional. It was the best food Shadow had ever had down below.

After he took Yellow Quartz to open her account. She was only going because Warding Blade made her.

“Yes,” the accountant asked as Shadow approached.

“I have an account here, and I wanted to shift some to open another account for a friend, who is with me.”

“Okay,” The Accountant said. “I do have some stuff for you to sign to finalize your account.”

Shadow took the papers and signed them Mtoaji. It was a simple matter for Yellow Quartz to open an account and then Shadow transferred 20,000 chips into her account. He withdrew 20,000 in caps for himself and got a final receipt.”

“Thats 40,000 caps,” Yellow Quartz said as they headed back to the room. You have at least 20,000 more. You wouldn’t have done more than separate them into thirds. But how much do you have?”

Shadow sighed. “Baccarat can make or break a night for a casino. My account this morning had 123,000 caps in it.”

“Wow,” was all Yellow Quartz could say for a minute. “That must have really hurt their banks.”

“I doubt it,” Shadow replied. “In a month they easily make that. I would say within a week even. Ponies come here to get away from their problems. And they usually lose the games. If a high roller comes in and takes them for a spin like I did last night, it really only shows that they are vulnerable and ponies think they can win big too. They have no problem restricting players or cutting them off.

“They know I wasn’t playing like last time. I was having fun, where last time I was needing caps. Two different play styles. One is aggressive, the other isn’t. They also had eyes on me the whole time. They knew I wasn’t doing anything to play unfair. And they gambled to get me to play Baccarat where last time, I lost.”

Yellow Quartz nodded. She had a lot to learn. Back at the room, they began to make their plan.

“We need to head out in the morning,” Warding Blade told them. “Early start. I am certain that by now, our scouts have found the battle sight and tracked that they took major losses. The only question is if we survived.”

Shadow nodded. “We can make quick time back to the Citadel in the morning. Double time it back. It won’t be hard.” Shadow let a smile crease his lips until it slipped into a grin. “At least, it won’t be a problem for me.”

“I’m down,” Yellow Quartz said.

“Then a good dinner and we will head to bed early,” Warding Blade decreed.

Next Chapter: Chapter 120 - Home Safe Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 21 Minutes