Shadow confidently set his hoof down on the other side of the train track bridge. He was on the edge of Ponyville. This is where he decided to come first.

The light was fading, giving him the advantage. When he was satisfied, Shadow took another sure step into Ponyville. A den of raiders and thieves, there was no better place to release his wrath upon. No better place to start mending this cursed land.

The first place Shadow saw was an nondescript building with most of the second floor collapsed. The soft glow of a candle was leaking from the busted out window. There were at least two shadows visible on the wall.

Shadow sauntered over to it and slid under the window to listen in.

“Brew’s food stockpile is here.”

“Lets approach from here. Brew has at least two guards in there at all times. We have to be quiet.”

“We need Blue and Sprocket to come back so we can get a final count.”

“We have to move fast. I am starving.”

That was three distinct voices. Shadow surveyed the area. Two ponies slinked into sight. Shadow slipped out from under the window and leaned against the wall by the door. They nodded to him as the walked up to the door. Shadow nodded back and twisted the doorknob to open it for them. They entered without question, assuming he was a friend guarding the door.

“They don’t expect an attack. Changing guards will happen in an hour. At least 4 are changing.”

“Then we strike right after, when they think their pals are still nearby. It will mask our arrival. Can we do it quietly?”

“I think so. If we stick to the shadows. We might have to fire once we are inside. But we don’t have to kill any inside so long as we can swipe what is needed without them noticing.”

“I’d rather take them down a few pegs after stealing our food and killing Quartz, Chain and Burn.”

“Food, then we can strike after a solid meal.”

“Spur? You were upstairs?”

“Yeah. Napping.”

“Then who is guarding the door?”

Shadow pulled out his combat knife with his teeth and drew the revolver. The door swung open with fury and as the first raider stepped out, Shadow plunged the knife into it’s throat. They were bottlenecked in the doorway as their buddy gargled a cough of blood, blocking their way. Shadow blasted four with his revolver.

He slipped to the window and stepped in front of it. He got the drop on another. His sixth shot missed and he barely escaped a volley of steel shot from a 12 gage.

Shadow reloaded and tried to figure out his next move. A grenade was an option, but his stock was limited and he didn’t know were the last raider was.

It didn’t matter as the raider knew where he was and jumped out of the front door. Shadow dove out from the wall as it opened fire. He came out the roll and fired two rounds. The first struck home, the second was wild.

Shadow broke open the revolver. His time practicing his reloading techniques paid off as he kept the live rounds in place, ejecting only the two spent casings. With a fresh reload he slipped into the building. Both floors were clear of raiders. Other than a weak stash of 53 caps, they had nothing special.

Shadow checked their ammo stocks. Nothing of value to him; no 44 Magnum rounds. He shouldn’t be surprised at that, but he was. Not many could handle it’s power. Shadow replaced the rounds he had removed from their slot on the outside of his holster.

Their map was crude, but Shadow saw where Brew was set up. She had a large operation going of thirty or so raiders. She was his next target. Shadow was going to kill fucking every raider in this town. They were the face of evil in this land.

Shadow stepped out of the building and headed deeper into the Ponyville. The map was certainly crude, but it was easy to find Brew’s territory. Shadow slipped into cover and tracked two raiders. He stepped out and fired six rounds at them from his rifle.

One hit and the others were misses. The hit wasn’t enough to knock the raider out and their yells alerted the whole area of his presence. Shadow dashed out from hiding to an alleyway. From there a few twists and turns put him out of their radar.

But he was not clear of Brew’s territory and three stumbled upon Shadow. Shadow’s red jacket was a dead giveaway. Shadow was faster on the draw and emptied his shotgun into them. Overkill.

They couldn't pin down where Shadow was, but it kept him on the run. Shadow had never been alone like this. Even in Filly, his comrades were nearby. Now he was afraid. He was truly alone. Alone. On the run. If they found him, he was going to die. Shadow had no control. And his shots were wild. Without his marksmanship, he was in trouble.

Shadow slammed into a Unicorn, tangling up with her. She wasn’t alone. There was no missing that such a close range. Shadow emptied Mwokozi’s revolver, one shot, one kill. Two went down in flames.

The Unicorn didn’t have to get up. She swung a pipe with circular saw blades attached at Shadow. Shadow had just enough time to roll out of the way, but it was a close call. From his curled up position it was hard to deal a solid strike. Shadow flipped the revolver around and put his anger and fear into a punch to the back of her head. He punched her again as she levitated the weapon up. A third time caused her to waver with it’s hold. A fourth. A fifth. Again. Again. Again. Shadow didn’t stop until his hoof was soaked with blood and other fluids as he crushed the back of her skull.

Shadow didn’t have time to think as others charged his position. He was saved by their lack of subtlety. Shadow played a game of cat and mouse with them. If they were in a restricted area, Shadow beat the shit out of them until they were unrecognizable, working their bodies as he systematically destroyed them. For open targets, he let loose with his rifle. Each time he missed, his anger rose. He was better than them. He should not be missing.

It was light when Shadow finished the last who were chasing him. There still were stationary guards, holding key points. He had to kill them.

Shadow struggled to breath from his hiding spot in a protected doorway. He shakily reloaded his weapons. He had burned through three magazines for his rifle and two on the shotgun. His 44 ammo was down by 18 rounds. For twenty targets, it was unexceptionable. Way to many had been used keeping heads down while he ran.

Shadow finished the last of his water and began to plan. He knew where their food storage was. He knew they were guarding two other buildings. He still had ten or so raiders to go. Shadow guessed where Brew was hiding and chose the other building. Food would be last.

Shadow slipped across the open road and up to the building. He stuck to the wall and slid around the corner. A window on the second floor was open. The building had a few spots for traction and Shadow flipped up to it. No one was in the room, but ponies slept in it.

Shadow eased the door open and listened. The voices were coming from downstairs.

“Draw me!” Kifo Herixleta ordered.

Shadow drew the sword and slipped into the other two empty bedrooms. Now he had to make his way down and to his target. The first step down creaked badly and the raiders reacted. Shadow stepped back up and out of the way. He cut three down and had the fourth against the wall, sword at her throat.

“Your no raider!” She spat. She had to be Brew. Her Cutie Mark had two beer bugs toasting.

“No,” Shadow grinned. “I am blood. I am death. I am your doom.”

Brew laughed heartily. “You? You might have a sword to my throat, but you don’t look like any of that.”

Shadow growled. “I hunted your crew down all night. I alone wiped them out. My hooves are soaked in their blood.”

“Still not scary,” Brew laughed. “I control the food here. Ponies fear me because they can see the scars on my face. The can see my muscles. They see my raw power. They know I have what it takes to make it to run a crew and live comfortably. The others come begging to me for food, bartering what they can for the scraps. They know that if the try and steal it, I kill them.

“You scurried around like a rat, picking my crew off one by one. While I admit, it was impressive that you kept yourself from being cornered they whole time, you are nothing to fear. Even with a blade at my throat. How do you think my face got this scar? An old whelp tried to do the same, but he missed the killing blow, slicing me open across the face. And then I gutted him. And then more ponies feared me and I had control. You will never be able to control ponies. You will have to fight too hard to keep them in control. You will be challenged at every turn.”

Shadow grinned. “It’s a good thing I am not here to control. I am not here to run my own gang or crew. I am here to kill. To quench this land of the evil fire that burns uncontrolled. I am to clean it from the filth. I am to mend it’s brokenness so that a new, unified land can arise.”

Brew rolled her eyes. “Talk all you want. But you have nothing to back it up. Nopony will quake in fear. You won’t last long. They will slowly destroy that idealistic heart of yours until you either die or slink into a gang to be at the bottom and just get by. Probably only being allowed to stay as the fuck bag. Serving only in that capacity. Keep the boss happy or die.”

“I’m a stallion,” Shadow hissed.

“Yeah? I know. That doesn’t mean a thing. That’s all you are good for. That is the only way you will ever make it to old age.”

Shadow let out a savage growl. “I will not submit to any raider. For any reason.”

Sliding the blade into Brew’s neck was dull. There was no joy. There was no feeling of accomplishment. It was empty. Even watching her gurgle and struggle, pinned to the wall by Kifo Herixleta did nothing.

Brew’s words were true. If he was able to instill fear into his enemies, he would win. He would control them. He could kill them with the accuracy he knew had been locked away. Instead he was unchecked rage and pain.

They took so much away from him and his friends. He would not become complacent. He would slaughter them all. He would make this land pay for it’s crimes. But he had to forge all of himself into a sharp point. He was alone and that meant he had to direct himself without any support.

“How?” Shadow asked Kifo Herixleta. “How do I make them fear me. If I wear Mwokozi’s cloak, they can’t see me. It only gives me the element of surprise.”

“But they wont shit their pants,” Kifo Herixleta replied firmly. “Your size is a problem. We must compensate somehow. You have the drive. The right mindset. You did what you were destined to do and are continuing with that destiny. But yes, there must be a better way than running. You need to make them run at the sight of you. To not see your size, but your projection.”

“I still have to interact with settlements,” Shadow advised him. “So I can’t always be that way.”

“How you are now will work fine for civilization,” Kifo Herixleta stated. “I am at a loss. I can train you to fight. Guide your tactics. Be a wise counsel. But I am not all knowing. I am like you. I am not of this place.”

“What would make your quake in fear? If you knew you were being hunted, what would you not want to see?”

“A face,” Kifo Herixleta stated immediately. “Your face must go. So must your bags. You have to remove all symbols, all items of being a pony. Of being tangible. They must believe that you can not die. That you don’t bleed.”

“I need my bags,” Shadow replied. “I will need to reload. If I am attacking a place like this, I can stash some of them. But on the go, I won’t have that choice.”

“We will take it one step at a time,” Kifo Herixleta said softly. “For now, kill the rest of the crew.”

“With pleasure,” Shadow grinned.

Shadow extended his hoof. With a little patience, Kifo Herixleta began to shake and then slipped free from the wall it was buried in and to the band. Brew plopped to the ground like a sack of turnips hitting the ground. Nothing in it holding together as they settled.

Shadow set the blade on fire to remove the blood. It wasn’t the best way to care for the blade. It should be wiped clean and every so often oiled to make it shine. The gems set inside protected it, but it still was the real, proper care that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Shadow wrapped himself in Mwokozi’s cloak. He wasn’t going to mess around. He dispatched the two at their gang’s housing and then the ones in their food depot were easy to cut down. They knew he was there, just not where. They did panic.

Shadow loaded his empty bag with food. He was starving. The only thing here was food and filtered water. The other two buildings held several stashes of caps, and he was able to restock his rifle ammo with decent quality rounds. Their shotgun rounds were too light of shot and worthless.

Shadow moved on to find a spot to hide and satisfy his stomach. He couldn’t risk staying in a place where the raiders came to get their food. As he slipped away, he saw a group slowly approaching the territory. He would kill them after a quick rest.

Shadow’s acrobatic skills were put to the test with all his gear, but he got up into a destroyed roof and was able to slip under the rubble for a safe place to eat and then sleep. He would continue cleansing the village after his body recovered from the rough night.

It was almost dark when he awoke and ate. He had two more meals from the amount he had swiped. Shadow slipped the cloak on and disappeared so he could look out over the village safely.

He had slept through a big fight. Most of it revolved around the now destroyed food vault. Raider gangs had figured out Brew was no longer in control and tried to make their way. He would not be facing hungry raiders. But he could count on them being tired and torn.

Shadow put his bags on and descended. Once on the ground he uncloaked himself. Sounds of victory as a gang toasted their success and freedom tickled his ears. Shadow zeroed in on their position. Kifo Herixleta was right. He needed to fight without his bags. Shadow shifted them off and tucked them away.

The gang was settled in around a fire and not paying too much attention. It was a dozen or so raiders and they had been drinking. Shadow slipped his hat down further and just walked out to them. By the time they realized they had a visitor it was too late.

Shadow used his speed to cut them down. After the first six, four tried to attack him, making them easy prey. Two stumbled off in a vein attempt to escape. Shadow sent Kifo Herixleta spinning through the air. He pinned one to a building through the waist. The hilt stopped the blade from going clean through. The Zebra combat knife took out the other.

Shadow retrieved Kifo Herixleta first and then the combat knife. Their little group didn’t have much. A spattering of caps and barely any ammunition. Nothing for Shadow to resupply.

Shadow moved onto the next. They were more attentive, but the cloak did it’s job as he silently sliced the heads off the guards. The rest were easy kills as he ran divide and conquer tactics. They had caps and ammunition for him. Shadow ignored the loose stuff, but they had a small crate filled with his rifle’s ammunition, loaded into magazines.

Shadow slipped into another attic and slept till noon. He wanted to hunt them in the light. He was well rewarded. A slaver crew was trying to pay their way through a raider gang’s territory. A good chunk of caps was being exchanged.

Shadow lined the shot up and blew the head off the raider who was doing the exchange. The raiders thought the slaves decided to fight and all hell broke loose. The raiders won, having the stronger position. They relaxed and Shadow made his move, dashing out at them, gunning down the last four with his focus back.

Shadow slowed down to a walk. He adjusted his hat to hide his face before walking over to the slaves.

“Thank you!” A mare said, tears of joy sliding out from her eyes. She was protecting a young colt.

Shadow switched to a raspy voice. “For?”

“Freeing us,” She replied, confused.

Shadow let out a few chuckles. “I didn’t come to do that. I am here to kill. I am here to cleans the wasteland of all impurities. It has had it’s time. It is time for the separation to end. The rift has to be mended. Only blood can do that.”

Her head was removed as Shadow drew his blade. The colt was sliced in half with a simple cross. Shadow walked down the line, cutting them down. They tried to bolt, but chained together they pulled each other in multiple directions, going nowhere.

As Shadow swung at the last one, she dove, barely escaping. Shadow had miscalculated the distance and wasn’t going to do it again. Her horn glowed and she shut her eyes tight. Shadow didn’t hesitate, he knew he had to cut her down before she attacked.

Kifo Herixleta sliced where she was. The chains fell but there was no body. A crack and she appeared behind Shadow. Shadow hadn’t ever seen a unicorns teleport. He whipped around in anger and fired his shotgun twice.

She was fast and her fear focused her magic. It was tough for her to teleport, but each time she was further away until she got around a corner and Shadow completely lost all contact. Even getting up on top of a house yielded nothing.

“She can spread the warning,” Kifo Herixleta said. “Leave her to warn the wasteland that it’s time is up.”

Shadow walked back to the epicenter and gathered the caps and some more food. He was by the town hall and headed inside. It was all clear. There was a basement that was locked. The lock was broken, sealing up the door.

Shadow pulled out his hoof laser cutter and cut the dead bolt. It was dusty and Shadow had to wait until his coughing fit was done to head further in. It was a records room. Birth and death certificate, legal documents, taxes, news, and more.

One of the desks had a project on it. Scattered about was a stack of newspaper clippings and photographs. A mare in a purple and dark blue jump suit, face mask hat and cape. “Mare-Do-Well.” A hero of Ponyville before the war. She disappeared as fast and mysteriously as she came. Whoever was working on this was trying to figure out who she was, in a vein hope of bringing Equestria a superhero as the war began to really hurt Equestria.

Shadow blew the dust off the largest photograph. She was receiving an award for her work.

“Kifo Herixleta,” Shadow asked. “How does this look? Black suit, same hat, face mask with red lenses.”

“The extra large cloak would float in the wind,” Kifo Herixleta commented. “It would hide your gear, while making you look bigger. The red lenses would keep anypony from reading you and unnerve them. You have to get the hoof wraps right. I say a navy blue suit with black cape and hat. The wraps should be a red like your eyes.”

“What should I do about the cape’s clasp?”

“Keep it. M for Mtoaji. But black with red.”

“Yes,” Shadow said piecing it together in his head. “I see it. I can piece this together with relative ease. The hardest thing will be the lenses and the clasp.”

Shadow swept up all the pictures to use them as a reference. He grabbed the documents to erase the information. If somepony connected the two, it could destroy the reputation he was trying to build.

Back on the hunt, the next gang was centered around the giant tree library thing. The multiple stories would make it interesting. The defenses were the immediate concern. They had dug in and put out plenty of whatever they could to make a low wall. Getting near would be impossible. They were tight on their defenses. Something valuable was inside. Something more valuable than territory.

Shadow pulled Mwokozi’s cloak out and wrapped himself in it. It was the only way he could get close. The distance was a stones throw, eliminating the effective use of Soarin’s Lightning.

Walking out into the middle of the street towards such heavy defenses was exhilarating. Shadow’s steps became stronger and his heart was filled with righteous judgment. They would never see their death coming. It was all they deserved.

Kifo Herixleta slipped from it’s sheath easily and the first head was sliced off and up. Shadow bucked it across at another guard where it slammed into it’s head. The move caused the spell to momentarily break. The guards had no idea what the blip was other than it was deadly.

They opened up and in their fear, two were opposite of each other and killed themselves. Shadow wasn’t near where their shots were. They quaked in fear, unsure where the entity was.

“Lock the door! Secure the Library! And kill that thing!”

The tree had everything shut up tight. The guards were gutsy and began to patrol, shooting anything they thought might be the creature. Shadow used the chaos to his advantage, slice one and then another. The more they moved, the more they made themselves easy targets.

With the outside cleared, Shadow looked to the top of the tree where a balcony was. The tree make it easy for him to work his acrobatic magic ascending it. At the balcony, he removed the cloak and tucked it away.

Shadow almost drew the revolver but stopped. If it set something on fire, he was in a tree. Trees burned. He didn’t want to set it on fire while he was inside. The shotgun would work and conserve his 44 ammo.

The combat knife made easy work of the old lock on the balcony’s doors. It wasn’t quiet, but Shadow was ready. Shadow blasted apart the two that came up the stairs and then a third that froze out in the open below him. It was amazing that the tree was so hollow and yet alive.

The openness worked both ways. Shadow ended up in a shootout that proved to be a stalemate. Shadow pulled the pin and tossed the first grenade he had chucked since working with Marble Falls. It did it’s job.

Shadow made sure it was all clear before he focused on the object they had been protecting. On a decayed bed, with a star and crescent moon covers, was a figure laying very still. Shadow slowly drew Kifo Herixleta as he stalked closer to the bed.

Shadow pushed the blade forward. When it met resistance, he continued to slowly push the tip in. Shadow hadn’t killed it. He knew two were guarding it when he came in.

The figure jumped off the bed and into the wall with a squeal. A turquoise shield was blocked any attack. The Unicorn was chained with a single cuff at her rear hoof and it was sunk deep into the floor.

“We said no torture,” She growled. He voice was too high pitched to make effective use of the growl. Shadow got a look as to what it must look like to others when he put up a fight.

“We didn’t make that deal,” Shadow stated. “But I am curious. Very curious. I killed them all. Inside and out.”

“That doesn’t sound good for me,” She replied, not lowering the shield.

“Depends,” Shadow replied, relaxing. “On why exactly you were chained up.”

“So you can try and take me to your gang?”

“I don’t have a gang,” Shadow smirked. “I kill raiders. I’ve wiped out half of Ponyville by now.”

“You are the one I’ve been hearing,” She said to herself. “What is it that you want?”

“What is it they wanted?” Shadow asked.

“That doesn’t concern you.”

Shadow took a second to examine the situation. Her shield hadn’t dropped. Her white coat was dirty and her orange main a mess. Her head was looking down. It hadn’t moved, but she wasn’t tense. She was blind, using her ears to predict what was happening.

“You’re blind,” Shadow stated. “That is why you are barely restrained. You can’t get out or use magic that way.”

She dropped her shield, giving up.

“You are right. I can’t see. Well, I can see basic shapes and colors. But I can’t see the lock, or a key. I have the wrong magic for that.”

“And what magic do you have?” Shadow asked cautiously.

She regretted her words. “They were having me enchant jewels. Or trying too. I know glass, not gems. But the fools can’t tell a difference. They see a jewel on my flank, not colored glass.”

“Glass?” Shadow said surprised. “Who needs glass out here?”

“No one,” She sighed. “But I love mosaics and stained glass windows. There were some pretty ones in Trottingham . They had survived all these years. I could tell their design by the colors the lights turned when they shown through.”

“What got you here?”

“Somepony figured out they could lie and say my Cutie Mark was gems and that I could enchant them. He got a lot for selling me. They moved me in here because I guess it was some Wizard’s place before the war. Useless since I can’t read to learn anything.”

“There isn’t much here anyway,” Shadow stated. “Who kidnapped you?”

“A stallion named Black Jackpot. Most know him as Gambit. He owns a shop in Trottingham and drives a hard bargain. My name is Blooming Glass. What are you going to do to me?”

“I have an idea,” Shadow smiled. “I need something made. Just how good are you with glass?”

“I can do a lot. Including fine and incredibly detailed work, if I can see a large enough picture.”

“How well can it withstand punishment?”

“Those stained glass windows have survived the war and after. I learned from them.”

“Good.”

“Why?”

“Because I need lenses made. Colored lenses.”

“What do they need to fit?”

“A mask I am about to make.”

“Why a mask?”

“Because ponies do not want to see my face. A trade? The lenses and a medallion for your freedom?”

“Yes. I just need a picture for the medallion. A large one. Or something to copy.”

“I have a large enough one,” Shadow replied.

Shadow stepped over to her and used the cloud key to unlock the simple cuff.

“I need glass. Sparkle-Cola glass will work just fine. I will refine and strengthen it on my own. A dozen empty and clean bottles. Pure. Get everything off of it. It is better to have more glass than to have to go find more and halt the process. What color lenses?”

“The outside needs to be bright, glowing red.”

“That will take time. I need Neodymium. Not an easy element to find. At least in large quantities. I can break materials down to get it. Like from magnets. The drives from old terminals use magnets as well. Headphones, microphones, speakers and such use magnets.”

“Have you done this color before?”

“Yes. But you need something different. You need to be able to see out of it like normal. This would blind your eyes unless I put a proper filter on.”

“I will gather the materials,” Shadow said. “I have to clear out the rest of Ponyville anyway.”

“I can’t really see you, but I do not doubt that you can. You have been causing a lot of problems for them the past few days. And you came in through the balcony. I wish I could see enough to climb like that.”

“I will leave the same way,” Shadow said. “That way the door will remain locked. I won’t unlock it for your protection.”

“Two things. The first is that there is only one more group left. I am sure of that. They may all be raiders, but they talk different. Everypony else is dead. They are near Sugarcube Corner. The second is I need some food.”

“Thank you,” Shadow replied.

Shadow unloaded some food for her and left. He would get the materials after he eliminated the last group. It had grown dark. Shadow didn’t need to use Mwokozi’s cloak. They were spread out and stupid. A simple noise drew them out to places where Shadow could jump them with a combat knife.

Sugarcube Corner was an old sweets shop. Shadow found plenty of Sparkle-Cola bottles. And nopony bothered to use soap, so there was plenty of that. The other was harder to gather.

Most of the stuff was small. There was no way to get a lot fast. Shadow pulled the terminal drives he could find. He found a house that had a lot of old speakers and turntables. It was all wrecked and useless so it was left alone. But it was enough for him to get a hold of what he needed.

Shadow left Blooming Glass the materials and went in search of fabric. At least enough for the mask. Shadow located an old boutique. It was stripped pretty well. Shadow combed it over for hidden storage spaces.

Behind a broken and dirty full length mirror was hidden a staircase. Shadow unlocked it an lead into a basement. There was rows upon rows of dresses and designs hung up. Trunks and drawers held even more. They were all special items made for single occasions and friends that were not to be sold.

These dresses told the tale of the designer’s life. Shadow found a locked box and opened it out of curiosity. A locked box in a hidden and locked room made a decent mystery. Newspapers were the first thing there and then beneath it patterns.

As Shadow dusted them off he realized exactly what he had uncovered. Mare-Do-Well’s costume. Or better put, costumes. At least five different ponies wore it. Two unicorns, a pegasus and two earth ponies.

They were expertly made and too big for him. Plus, they were not the color Shadow needed. He grabbed the pegasus set and the patterns. They would be the reference point he needed to copy it.

Shadow found the trunks full of bolts. All the spare cloth a boutique needed was down here. He raided the black and red ones. They were in excellent condition. A sewing machine, needles and thread were easy to find. Shadow carried it all back. It was tough to get it up into the tree, but he did it in one go.

Blooming Glass was working hard. She didn’t break her concentration, although she was aware he had come back. Shadow put himself to work. He had expected to free hoof the design. This made it a lot easier. He was able to make it fit well to cover over his armor.

It took Blooming Glass two days to purify the glass, separate the materials so she had the elements to color it and then forge them into the lenses. She held up the sheet to Shadow. On one side it was a bright, glowing red that was intimidating. The other it was clear. There was no indication that the other side was colored.

“Well done,” Shadow praised.

Shadow presented her with the mask.

“This is too simple,” Blooming Glass stated. “You need something to frame these lenses.”

Shadow showed her the original hood.

“This is fabric based for the eyes. It won’t stand up to the ages if worn long and it wont hold real lenses.”

“Alright,” Shadow sighed, frustrated. “I will find frames. In the mean time, can you make this clasp in the black with the red letter.”

Blooming Glass examined the picture. The original was too small for her to use outside of matching the size.

“Yes, I am can. Quite easily. Find me something to frame these lenses while I do that.”

Shadow went back and unlocked the boutique’s basement. There had to be something buried inside. Shadow began to look through any locked trunks. He opened a small box and finally found what he was looking for. Somewhat.

It was an armor design. Whoever the designer was, she made it all. It was just a design. The round helmet was joined with a full face mask with a filter and it looked armored, but it wasn’t. It was all simulated. The entire armor thing was simulated and very lightweight. It is why it fit in such a small case. Shadow grabbed the case and brought it back to the library.

The plates might have been simulated, but the mask’s frame wasn’t. The eyes were not the only thing framed. The mask’s curves and grooves were made out of wire that was covered in stretched, heavy duty cloth. The breathing filter and voice box were connected to the wire, just missing the inside pieces. The whole thing looked like the riot gear’s helmet and mask that Bull had presented to them in Aerial Combat School.

It was what Blooming Glass needed. Shadow covered the tan cloth with black and they fitted the helmet to him. With everything fitted, Blooming Glass began to cut the lenses from the sheet. Installing them was easy. The original had plastic lenses in, but they were secured well inside the frame.

Blooming Glass gave him the finished helmet and the medallion that was used as the pin for the cloak. Once it was all on, Shadow was a fearsome sight. Black with red wrapped hooves, a flowing cloak and wide brimmed hat. The red M stood out perfectly against the black. Shadow had accented the wide brimmed hat with a thin red band. He had used the original hat and just used the black fabric to color it.

“A deal is a deal,” Blooming Glass stated. “Can we make another?”

“Trottingham?” Shadow asked.

“Yes,” She nodded. “I want to go back home to my family. Perhaps you could also take care of Black Jackpot with that mask and suit. He would fear you. Despite your size.”

“I will right that wrong,” Shadow assured her. “I will bring you justice. Tell me, is there houses or something I could buy to keep some of my stuff there?”

“Yes. There is. You don’t have a place to call home?”

“Not near here,” Shadow said through his teeth.

“I may not be able to see you, but I hope you do stay. Either way, I never forget a voice.”

“I was afraid of that,” Shadow sighed.

Kifo Herixleta jumped from it’s sheath at Shadow’s call and he ran her through.

“Why?” She coughed as Shadow kept her in tight.

“I’ll kill him for you. But I am here to cleans the wasteland. No pony or beast can know my name or face. Not even my voice. I bring death to the wasteland so that it may be fixed. The separation must end. The wrongs righted. That is my job.

“If you didn’t know my voice, I probably could let you live. But I need anonymity. I need to be able to resupply and such while I do my job. I will be, and already am, hunted. No one will trade with me in this guise.”

“You bastard,” Blooming Glass coughed as she breathed her last.

Shadow pulled out Kifo Herixleta. He picked up the cloth he had made to keep the blade clean and wiped the blood off. Shadow had made another cloth to keep the blade oiled.

“Now we know where to head next,” Shadow said. “Trottingham. Time to find me a new home to work out of. And kill that bastard. To kidnap and then sell another under false pretenses, that is... murder is better than that.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 104 - Trottingham Estimated time remaining: 9 Hours, 38 Minutes