Shadow looked back at Friendship City. He had stayed a few days there after another good week of hunting raiders. He had gutted the city pretty well. Well enough that he was going to do some light exploration as himself and then head back to Trottingham for some rest.

Shadow picked his way though the ruins. Most of the crumbled high rises had either lost their names, or were housing that was never named. It was easy to get lost in between them all, especially since they lacked any street signs.

The sign was long gone, but the pavement held firm. He explored what his eyes had caught sight of. They had dug out the concrete and replaced it with different bricks. A cross with butterflies in it. The door behind it was busted up and the glass blown out. Shadow slipped inside. It was definitely a clinic. But a clinic had less. The half busted directory showed that the entire building was Ministry of Peace. It was probably their central Hub in Manehattan. And inside it had to hold something good.

The lower floors were dedicated to healing. The fifth floor started the administration floors. The lower floors had been picked clean, but the broken staircase preserved the upper levels.

After a hop up a few caved in flights Shadow was at the top. The base had been held together. But that was all that was normal. Outside of a small atrium which held a receptionist desk, it was all clouds. The exterior was steel, but something was so important that it was exclusively for Pegasi.

Shadow hadn’t felt clouds in forever. At least not safely. He rolled around on the floor, letting them embrace him. He stripped out of his armor to let them fully envelope him. Shadow became one with the clouds.

Eventually he snapped out of it and suited up again. But this place was still worth his time. It held secrets after all this time. Before the spells came it held secrets.

The cloud terminals were spotty and they held no useful information. The most sensitive data was easily retrievable with Storm’s hacking program. A copy was still stored on the PipBuck.

And that information almost exclusively was about who was where. The deployment of the Ministry of Peace’s doctors and medics. The main set were deployed to active units who were moving around. Nothing was new about the forts or military sites they were deployed at. Most had been bombed out with the rest of the spells.

Shadow looked over at the decorative double cloud doors. They had held up, and not just their structure, but their beauty. They were locked, and not by a terminal. The doors had a physical key slot. Shadow pulled out the cloud key. He didn’t have to change it’s form. It was like the cloud mechanism conformed to it, recognizing it was cloud.

The doors swung open before Shadow could turn the key. The inside was beautiful. The clouds were colored to create a stunning mosaic. One side held animals of all kids, the other was two regal pegasi with horns, and six others with them. Two Earth Ponies, Two Unicorns, and Two Pegasus Ponies. All of the regular ponies were wearing jeweled necklaces except the Purple Unicorn. She wore a crown.

Shadow knew the Pegasi. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. They were the two most important pegasi during the war. Rainbow Dash was the most important wartime Pegasus in Shadow’s world.

Outside of the mosaics on the walls, the back wall was lined cloud file cabinets. There was a big desk, mostly of clouds. But the top was wood, and there was several other things on and around it. Perches points for bids and an old bed for something small, like a bunny. Fluttershy loved her animals. It only made sense than she would keep some with her while she did the stressful work.

Shadow circled around the desk to sit down while he rifled through it. As he sat down he noticed something in front of a perch. It was a small statuette like the one he found in the Red Racer Factory. Except this time, it was the yellow Pegasus.

This one had “Be Pleasant” on it’s base. Shadow picked it up and felt power wash over him. The power in these little things was impressive. It was certainly more than the average object. They had to be a limited production.

Shadow set it down and opened the central drawer. Right on top was a folded letter, but no envelope. Shadow opened it up and read it.

Fluttershy,

I know Rarity made these for us, and it was sweet, but it is kind of creepy for me. Especially the one of me. Besides, I already am Awesome. I don’t need more. I have sent these to special Ponies in my life. I know you got a set, but I had to send this one to your Manehattan office. I know it will be safe there.

Remember me whenever you look at it. I know its been a while since we have seen each other and even longer since we were all together. You don’t always like what I have to do. I don’t always like it either.

But this one is really important. And its with the real military. This time, I am not sure I am coming back. I have a weird feeling about it. But this one might end the war. It’s our last shot. We can stop the Zebras with this attack. Two Toned is there waiting for me. So I have to go. And I will face him and win.

Keep it safe. I already sent the one of me to Scootaloo. You are awesome. Seriously Awesome. Nopony could care for Equestria in this war like you are. You don’t need any more awesomeness.

RBD

Shadow looked at the Statuette. This one had been given to Rainbow Dash. And the same for the one of Rainbow Dash. Both had been hers. That made them extra special to him.

The rest of desk turned up a few caps and nothing more. The cloud computer was full of nothing as well. But Shadow didn’t feel like leaving. Clouds. He missed the clouds.

He stayed. Shadow didn’t need his bedroll. He slept on the comfy clouds. He slept long and hard, safe in their silk embrace.

But the sleep wasn’t restful. Shadow tossed and turned as nightmares rolled through his mind. Waking up was always just out of his grasp as his mind tortured him.

Shadow found himself back ready to kill the Pillars of the Community. But instead of the pegasi he killed, they were his friends. He shot and killed each of his friends, ending with Cardinal Spitfire and then Dream Catcher.

Then he was above the clouds, flying back home. But as the farm came into view, it wasn’t there. The turnip farm was replaced by a carrot farm. Everything else was the same. He panicked and sped off to his sister’s house. It was there, but the flames were spreading. Early Blossom and Cherry Tart were nowhere to be found. And water only spurred the flames on even more.

As Shadow turned around, he was in Rainbow Dash’s cave. As the lights came on, the trash wasn’t there. It was bodies of fillies and colts, with brass lying all around his hooves. As he panicked they all began to bleed out from bullet wounds and Shadow found himself staring at them through the red lenses of Black Widow.

Death, pain, misery. Shadow killed everypony close to him a dozen times as he slept. Each time it was his fault. Each time is was gruesome. He was different versions of himself. Shadow Flare, Command Sergeant Major of Reconnaissance Shadow Flare, Recruit Shadow Flare, Inquisitor in full armor, Mtoaji, and Black Widow.

He pulled the pin on the grenade for Thunder. Slice didn’t leave Rosemary in despair, Shadow snuck into his room and smothered him. Then he tossed him into the recycler while Thunder mourned the sudden, natural death of his friend. Silent wasn’t killed by Steel Rangers, he was killed by Black Widow. Shadow dove off the roof, opening up like he actually did, except it was on a single Black Widow as she drove Kifo Herixleta into Silent. When his bullets hit her, she disappeared in smoke, but left Silent pieced by her sword. Black Widow also kicked down the wall on Slice and ran Storm through.

Nor was the only Inquisitor that Shadow, or Black Widow, didn’t kill. That was one nightmare that played out exactly how it happened. Dahlia clearly killed Nor, and with a smile on her helmetless lips.

Shadow had a headache when he woke up. As he rolled over to grab his canteen, he felt the the sticky. He had been sweating all night as he tossed and turned. And he was now dehydrated because of it.

Shadow got on his way as soon as he could rally himself to be up. It physically wasn’t easy. He was sore as he descended the missing floors. It made it difficult to make the transitions safely and stop himself without getting hurt.

Once on the ground, Shadow made a swift pace west. He missed whole sections of the city as he ran. His mind wasn’t on safety like it needed to be. His distraction kept him in the city. He had circled around a few times. Shadow got to a safe place and hunkered down for the night.

Again, his dreams tormented him. Fire raged and blood flowed as he actually burned the Lux down. Every pony inside had no idea he was there. He just kept swinging his sword and cutting them down. And nopony reacted to it. He was finally left panting inside the casino floor, soaked in blood, as the entire place went up in flames.

The targets at the exposition were not steel or paper. They were live ponies. Ponies from below and pegasi he knew. It didn’t matter. He killed them all perfectly. And the crowd cheered like they did at the exposition.

Shadow was frustrated and groggy in the morning. His head still hurt since he had sweat out most of his fluids overnight. Nightmares were not something Shadow was used to. And he never sweat during the night.

The road in the morning was hazy and quickly heated up. Shadow almost ran into a Steel Ranger patrol. Only their blundering sounds stopped him as his foggy head heard them in time. Barely.

Shadow began to track the patrol. He wasn’t on a time scale. They quickly moved through the city outskirts. They instinctively knew the trouble spots and how to avoid them as they headed out. Shadow had to put down two separate ghouls because he went where the Steel Rangers avoided.

They led him to an outpost. It reminded him of the Fillydelphia Contingent’s bunker. He didn’t have much information about it though. He didn’t have much information about the Manehatten Steel Rangers either.

Shadow posted up in a nearby six story building. Part of the outside had crumbled and he was easily able to set up a sniper nest that was well hidden. Especially when the Zebra Cloak was applied.

Not much was happening. The area was well secured by their defenses, which included turrets. Several buildings had been demolished for construction material and to remove blind spots.

The day passed quickly as Shadow tracked their moves. He wasn’t planning anything other than tracking them. It was difficult to tell if it was a base for the whole contingent, or a outpost.

Several times Shadow tracked what was certainly a very important Steel Ranger. He looked like the Steel Ranger on the old recruitment posters. A perfect copy, down to the armored tail and the big headlamp on the helmet. His armor was old, first generation old. It wasn’t polished like many of the other Steel Rangers. But it was still in great condition.

The Steel Rangers were known to carry heavy weapons on their battle saddles, but he took it to the extreme. His left had a box missile launcher, common enough. But the right had a grenade machine gun. Very few of the Trottingham Steel Rangers carried one in every day use, if at all. Both was overkill.

The night was rough. Shadow thrashed a bit as his dreams were once again torturous. Murder and mayhem caused by him and Black Widow. Often enough he was fighting Black Widow.

The morning was a welcome break from the nightmares. But it didn’t end there. He was distracted as he looked down the scope of Soarin’s Lightning. Shadow caught himself spacing out multiple times throughout the day.

The same thing happened as the light went down. Shadow didn’t know where the dream ended and reality began. He laid there in his spot staring at Black Widow and her unblinking red eyes. She was standing in the recess of the doorway, just visible in the low light. How long it was, he had no idea. It didn’t matter if it was a dream or a hallucination, he wasn’t rested in the morning.

Shadow ate and crawled back to the rifle. He almost gave up and moved when a disturbance caught his sight. A family moved through the ruins, approaching the outpost. The little filly had fully saddle bags, but the rest of the family didn’t.

She was there to join the Steel Rangers. The waited by the guard for a Paladin to come out from the main building to meet. They talked for a good while and then he talked with her for a while.

She was probably cute for a filly, but Shadow didn’t know what that meant anymore. Her coat was soft pink and her mane was a nice yellow pastel. He couldn’t see her cutie mark with what she was wearing. It was poor and ugly, but as bad as it was, the initiate robes she would be getting were worse.

The family separated and began their journey back while she continued with the Paladin. Shadow felt a blood lust snap. He had an opportunity to stop this filly from becoming the evil that was the Steel Ranger. A chance to stop her from becoming a soldier they would have to kill later. She would become a Pegasus killer.

Shadow set his mouth on the bit and focused the crosshair more. It was a simple shot from the short distance he was at. He had time as they walked to the main building, but they were at an angle that reduced their profile.

They stopped and She turned her head towards her parents. She called out and the Ranger turned to talk to her. She looked at him and Shadow settled his crosshair on her head. The gun lit up as he pulled the trigger.

Soarin’s Lightning blasted through the area with the sound of thunder. A great flash cracked as the round connected home with conductive steel. The Paladin behind her was thrown back, armor rended open from the center mass shot. His body flashed a few times as the electricity bounced around the electronics of his suit. Half of the trademarked Cutie Mark was burned on the visible armor.

But she wasn’t dead. She had barely avoided the bullet as she dashed back to say one last goodbye. She was tackled by the old Steel Ranger as he used his body to cover her from any more shots. He began to bark orders to the others.

Shadow rolled back, throwing everything together and dashing into the building. The building shook as rockets slammed into it’s face. The ceiling collapsed, forcing Shadow to dive out of the way and then head back towards the room he had come from. That wasn’t an option as the entire area was struck with a heavy burst from that grenade machine gun. It was that poster Steel Ranger, and he could bring a building down on his own.

The force caused a cavity to open up and he dashed down it. Shadow scrambled to get ahead of the Steel Rangers. If they surrounded the building, he was dead. He jumped out of a third story window and fell to the open street below. He landed into a roll and then tumbled to a stop. He survived, but it was rough. He was bruised and battered.

He didn’t have a chance to recovery as a patrol came around and into the street. Shadow dashed away, forcing his body to ignore the pain in his left foreleg. A cracked bone was nothing compared the bullets that had torn up the street he had just occupied.

Shadow used the buildings and took chanced going through them instead of around. Sometimes it worked, other times it caused him to be sighted. He needed a new tactic.

He slid to the backside of a pile of concrete and rebar. Shadow pulled out his med kit and popped a health potion. Once that was done he broke down Soarin’s Lightning and then put on the Zebra Cloak. It made things safer as he headed west, but they were on high alert and every Steel Ranger available was out in the ruins searching for him. Shadow caught sight of some well armed scribes working with knights to find him.

Shadow crammed into a house’s attic and went to sleep. As much as he could get as his own mind tortured him. Storm was in trouble, first from the Manticores, but Shadow killed them. Then he was in the building and Shadow leapt into the darkness to rescue him. As soon as he was inside, the wall behind him was intact and he was forced into a maze to try and make it to Storm. Ghouls popped up at random and Shadow killed them one by own. Each time he almost got to him he was ripped away and something else came up. It was a madhouse of chaos and slaughter as Shadow was sent into an anxiety attack as he slept.

Shadow got on the road again, forgoing breakfast. He made good time until he tripped on a rock and face planted. As he dusted himself off, he saw the silhouette of Dodge City. Shadow had always avoided Dodge City. It had been a rag tag city in the middle of nowhere before the war. During the war it have been revamped as an industrial center. Mostly ammunition if Shadow remembered correctly.

It was still inhabited. Shadow felt his heart burn and he pulled off his gear. He had one sudden desire, to see it burn. Just like the Lux had in his dream. It was something that actually held his attention. He didn’t bother to bring his battle saddle. Just his revolver and Kifo Herixleta.

It was a small city, but they were not ready for Black Widow. She slipped past their guard posts and murdered the guards before disappearing once again.

Cloak off, kill

Cloak on, move

Shadow repeated the process as he dashed back and forth and between buildings. There was no messing around as young and old fell to a burning Kifo Herixleta. There was no mercy and there was no escape. Fire claimed them all.

The buildings were mostly old wood and it didn’t take much to set them aflame with Kifo Herixleta. Shadow stood in the middle of the street, breathing in the crackling air and surveying his work. His heart was pleased, yet his mind saw the faces of the ponies he had cut down.

Shadow drew Kifo Herixleta and drove the blade into the ground in front of him.

“Well?” He asked the blade.

“Well what?” Kifo Herixleta replied.

“Why do I feel like I do? Why am I tortured?”

“I have always seen the fire in my steel, but you saw the ice. I have called for more destruction than you have been willing to do.”

“Okay?” Shadow asked, flustered. “That is fact, but it doesn’t help me.”

“I have no answer,” Kifo Herixleta replied. “I may be magic, I may know things, but I am not all knowing. I am limited, a piece of a soul set into a gem and given a set of prophecies.”

“And what did you tell Mwokozi? Where you more lenient or absolute when you were his blade?”

“I was never what I am to you for him. I was a tool. I reminded him to fight and instructed him in advanced forms. But that was all. I never was supposed to be anything more. The symbol of what I was was the most important thing. But I don’t recall much of my time with him. I have a limited memory, one designed to do my duty. Everything else goes away.”

Shadow put his hoof against the hilt and set it aflame while it was still in the ground. He could feel the heat. The more it burned him, the more he put his anger into the flames.

And then his Will shattered and the blade died. Shadow withdrew it and iced it over as he pulled it close. The ice danced and flowed into his favorite pattern.

Shadow sheathed the blade. He had made his choice. He remembered something and he was going to check it out.

He changed out of being Black Widow and began his walk to the Rock of Destiny. It was near Ponyville. DJ Pon3 had said Ponyville had been retaken by raiders. Shadow knew he had to change that.

Unlike the first time, Shadow had Black Widow’s costume to work with. It was where things had started. When he uncloaked the raiders quaked in fear. They missed because they didn’t think they could hit Black Widow. A self fulfilling prophecy of sorts.

Cleansing Ponyville meant he had to spend another night in the ruined town. He didn’t stay in the library. He stayed in the boutique he had found the materials in. In the morning he boarded it back up before he went to the rock.

It was entirely disappointing. He fished around inside to see what other Pegasi had left, but it all felt wrong to him. Nothing he had to give was related to the life he was giving up.

He wasn’t giving up, he was changing. And it wasn’t because the Enclave had banished him. These pegasi had brands. They wore the mark of a Dashite. He still wore his Cutie Mark. Proudly.

Shadow sighed and sat down with his back against the rock. He wasn’t sure what to do. He still had hope of going home. It was wrapped around his neck and tied around his limbs. His necklace was on a tough string. Star Paladin Warding Blade was getting the Unicorns in the Steel Rangers to fix his chain and strengthen it. It would be waiting for him when he got home to Trottingham.

His hope wasn’t gone. He bathed in the clouds because they were his true home. Nightmares or not, he wasted hours in that building and spent the night because he wanted to be surrounded by clouds.

He needed to go home. Real home above the clouds.

Shadow perked up when he remembered something. One of the orbs he had viewed was Rainbow Dash being interrupted at her home. But it wasn’t a traditional sky home. It was a basic shack, the place she could get away from being a Shadowbolt and leading Ministry of Awesome. That shack wasn’t far away. Not if he remembered the view of the landscape correctly.

Shadow began to make his way to the shack. He got there just before dark. It was up on the edge of a cliff. Shadow couldn’t unfurl his wings with the combat suit on, so he chose to climb. It wasn’t difficult of a climb, not after the years he had spent jumping and vaulting.

At the top was the prize. Nothing. Basic wasteland stuff, including a Pegasus skeleton. It wasn’t Rainbow Dash because the wings were too small.

Shadow sat in the doorway, looking out over the wasteland. The land was forsaken. Yet Rainbow Dash and others left the sun and stars to never return because they didn’t believe in the Enclave.

Shadow wasn’t sure if he did anymore. Or better put, if the Enclave was the right choice. They were good at their job, but was it the job that should be done? If it wasn’t it needed to be changed. But he couldn’t change it below. Black Widow’s judgment would have to be taken above.

Shadow recited the prophecy:

“Shadow Flare you will be given, for by a strong desire you shall be driven. 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.

“Thus will be your school, that you should be a tool. To protect what you love, from everypony, even those above. You are a gift to all kind, to be a real mastermind.

“Fate’s eye fell upon your head, even before you had your own bed. To lead your kind to victory, and rewrite history. You will have a duty to impose, beyond your humble abode. A farmer by trade, who shall wield a blade. Your life set to be the link, to save us all from the brink. The change must be forged in blood, or else it will be a dud. You will be sent to start that mend, and bring the separation to an end. Between you and your true heart’s desire is a land full of fire.

“To quench it shall be your new battle cry, and all who oppose must die. They will spill your blood in hate and force you to lay in wait. When it is the time to rise, you will once again see the sky. All that stands in your way, has had it’s time to play.

“Your charge is to cleanse the land, so the Pegasi may stay grand. You are the one foretold, Mtoaji. The Mender.”

Shadow pulled out his PipBuck. He switched it to record.

“To fight or give mercy. What does it mean to forge these links I am called to forge. Cleaning out the Pack is a strong link. They threaten the existence of peace. Dodge City, I knew nothing about them. Gambit needed to go down, but Blooming Glass knew my secret. I spared Strawberry to be my cover, and it worked. Rebel Queen and Mags know my secret too, but I couldn’t kill them to cover myself.

“I will take down the Disciples. They are a clear threat. I will take down Dahlia. Dahlia is a threat to the existence of Pegasi. And she killed Nor.

“As much as I do down here, I must be ready to do above. I don’t know much about the government of the Grand Pegasus Enclave. What price does the safety they speak of come at? And how many in the lower government do whatever they wish, and get away with it. Because the Council doesn’t know?

“Communications have been cut off. The big gangs have fallen, or will fall. I am just one pony, I can’t take down the Steel Rangers. Killing that one the other day brought the entire contingent down on me. That would save a lot of trouble. But perhaps the one who is supposed to use the land I have started to mend will sort them out. I can’t solve everything. I clean it out, not build on top of it.

Shadow took in a few deep breaths and let them out. He pulled both Statuettes out and set them in front of him.

“I found Rainbow Dash as thing fell apart. I needed her help. But the power in this little thing is strong. Addicting. I can do anything with it. But I don’t need to do anything, do I? Not anymore. I have more to me than that.

“Equestria called me here for a reason. And now I have this other Statuette. Be Pleasant. Synonyms for Pleasant are: Agreeable, Friendly, Charming, Cheerful, Sweet, Delightful, Civil, Nice, and Kind.”

Shadow looked back out at the wasteland. Black Widow wasn’t kind. But before he went home, he had two things to wrap up. The Disciples and Dahlia.

“I know deep inside what needs to happen. I have had my time as Black Widow. I have had some real fun taking out the trash as her. She served a purpose, one that I don’t need anymore. At least not below. Both Dahlia and the Disciples have to be taken down as Command Sergeant Major Shadow Flare. The last surviving Inquisitor. But without the armor. I will destroy them without it. Then I will go home. My real home.

“If Black Widow has to go above the clouds, she will. But first I have to go above. And first, I have to chose. Pleasant or Awesome.”

Shadow Flare took a deep breath in and let it out. He touched his necklace through his armor. “Above, I wasn’t known as this ruthless killer. I was skilled, focused, but not ruthless. I was in control. I was kind and pleasant. I am becoming a wasteland pony, no, a nightmare. Worse than a raider. I am something I don’t want to be. I am my dreams.

“The wasteland takes but it never gives.

“I will leave this statuette here. I choose Fluttershy over Rainbow Dash. Pleasant doesn’t mean timid or pushover. But this drives me deeper than any other magic thing I have experienced. Even Kifo Herixleta doesn’t effect me, who I am. But this is too close to my heart.”

Shadow turned around to see where he should leave it. He was in a place that wasn’t easy to get to, but he didn’t want to just leave it. His eye finally caught the glimpse of a floor safe. He crawled over to it and unlocked it. Decayed junk was inside, but it had room for the statuette, so Shadow set it inside.

He felt the power drain from him. And instead of missing it, he felt relieved. He felt, normal. There wasn’t fear in his heart anymore. The pain was there, but he no longer felt on edge.

Shadow closed the safe and locked it. He began to climb down the cliff. It wasn’t too difficult, even in the dark. He needed to leave before he went back for the statuette. Perhaps it would benefit somepony else, later. He just wasn’t that pony. Not at the place he was in life.

Right now, he just needed to be home in Trottingham.

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