“Umm Rainbow? I don’t think landing in the town square was a good idea…”

Our rather large topaz dragon Sparky was taking a long drink from a nearby fountain while the citizens of Ponyville were freaking out.

“AHH! IT’S GOING TO EAT US!”

“CELESTIA HELP US!”

“WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST!”

“SCREW THAT! IT’S EVERYPONY FOR THEMSELVES!”

“RUN!!”

Wow… it’s like these ponies never saw a 30 foot dragon before.

Ponies locked their doors and retreated to the insides of their houses peering through cracks and closed curtains wondering why the dragon came all this way to drink the town’s water supply.

Once Sparky had his thirst quenched he gave a slight nod and I gave a quick wave, he shot up into the sky and flew towards the mountains.

“AW Shadow, WHY CAN’T WE KEEP HIM!?” Rainbow Dash asked me hoping I might reconsider.

I stepped a few hooves back and I spread my arms open showing her the empty desolate place Ponyville had become.

“Oh…”

-----At the Hideout-----------------------------------

“YOU WHAT!?” the ponies all gathered around Rainbow Dash who told the story of Sparky the dragon and how he was rescued from tyranny.

Meanwhile I was at my desk trying to get some last minute work in, but I was distracted by the ponies’ conversations.

“So then we were like falling, then I did a Sonic Rain-nuke and we found Sparky…” Rainbow started.

“Sparky?” Rarity asked not wanting to know the answer.

“Ya the dragon we named…. Anyways, so we freed him and then we chased….”

What the couple of weeks this has been…
First Je Suis and his high-tech weaponry, then Volcanous… I’m not sure what to think of that pony, what did he mean by “this isn’t all our army… this is only the beginning”?"

The beginning of what? Is it related to that map of Equestria I saw back in Je Suis’s computer room…

What are you planning Balthazar…?

“Then he flew away but besides that everything was…. AWESOME!” Rainbow did her awesome face.

“Rainbow wait a moment… did you say you landed the dragon in Ponyville?” Twilight asked.

“I LIKE THE PART WITH THE SONIC RAIN-NUKE!” Pinkie shouted.

“I’m glad you saved that poor dragon… even if things did get… violent…” Fluttershy commented.

With everyone chatting about today’s events Applejack walked over to my desk, “Wow… the stories Rainbow tells are just something.”

I folded a letter in half and pulled out the seal me and Rainbow had gotten from the Templar captain, “Ya, some story…”

Applejack’s eyes went big for a few seconds realising the whole “dragon” thing really did happen and that Rainbow was not over-exaggerating.

I looked back at the group and I saw Twilight arguing with Rainbow.

“Well we couldn’t just let him leave without getting a drink!” Rainbow shouted.

“WELL Rainbow, you don’t LAND a dragon in the middle of Ponyville! Think about the psychological trauma you and Shadow had put through everypony.”

Their argument was cut off when the doors swung open revealing an ecstatic doctor hauling a cart of mushrooms and mushroom accessories.

“HELLO EVERYBODY! IT’S A ME--.”

We all interrupted him, “MAREIO!”

He started hauling his mushroom cart to the centre of the room where we all assembled around it; piles of different colours of the rainbow (not including purple) littered the cart.

“Mareio… what is--,” I started.

He interrupted me by shouting the one word that made the day unbelievably better.

“LUNCH!”

Cheers and applause came from all around.

I reached over and took a red mushroom but Mareio slapped it out of my hoof and it fell back in the cart.

“Not so fast for you see I’va made SPECIALTY SHROOMS!”

Specialty Shrooms? I hope it wasn’t as “Special” as that yellow one I had back on the blimp…

From a secret compartment on the side of his cart he pulled out a mushroom for each of us, including Ace, Spike, myself, and even one for Mareio.
One by one he handed out the mushrooms individually and we all took some time to gaze upon what we were about to feast on.

Applejack had gotten a red mushroom that strangely looked like an apple, she looked confused if Mareio had tricked her with a real apple.

“What does it look like?” Mareio asked.

“An apple…” Applejack replied.

“What does it smell like?”

“Like Apples…”

“What does it taste like?” Mareio said with a small grin.

Applejack bit a small piece of the mush-apple, “Well… its tastes like a…. MUSHROOM!?”

With a satisfied smile Mareio says loudly, “YA-HOO!”

Rarity had gotten a completely white mushroom, she poked it and it sagged.

Mareio enlightened her, “It’s a Marsh-room.”

“Oh, very funny I’m laughing my sides out,” she replied sarcastically taking a bite into the marshmello body.

Rainbow Dash had gotten a rainbow-striped mushroom and she just simply said, “Awesome.”

Mareio came to Fluttershy and held out a hoof to her showing nothing. Fluttershy asked wondering where her special mushroom was, “Um… I don’t see anything…”

“EXACTLY!” Mareio flipped his hoof on top of Flutershy’s and I saw a small imprint on her hoof.

“It’s invisible?” she asked taking a bite into the air around her hoof and then her face lit up with happiness from the taste.

Pinkie had received a very delicious-looking cupcake muffin from Mareio she commented, “This isn’t a mushroom… IT’S A CUPCAKE!”

She bit into the cupcake-shroom and she stopped chewing almost instantly fire shot out from her ears and mouth, we were all shocked and Mareio had a great big smile on his face as he took a bottle of hot sauce out from his doctor’s coat.

“SURPRISE!” shouted Mareio, Pinkie just started laughing and fell to the floor holding her sides from the funny prank Mareio just did.

Who knew Pinkie was such a good sport when pranking?

Mareio placed a golden mushroom in Twilight’s hoof, “This mushroom came from the tree of’a knowledge!”

Twilight with a confused look ate the mushroom and her body gave off a dim yellow light.

“あなたはこれを読んで五分を浪費している!” Twilight said looking puzzled at what she just said in Japonese.

Hang on a second; let me get my mental translator…

…

You’ve got to be joking…

Ace got a mushroom with wings and Spike had gotten a purple one with dragon spikes, he ate it and gave a happy burp from his lunch.

All that was left was my mushroom; it was dark in colour like a shadow but there was something… off with it.

I took a bite and I smiled in delight from the foamy texture of the inside had tasted like a heavenly divine caressing my tastebuds with the gentle touch of the mushroomy texture.

“Mareio… THIS IS THE BEST MUSHROOM EVER!” I shouted in amazement.

“YES SHADOW! This’a mushroom is delicious by how much work I’ve put into making it as you have done too!”

Mareio smiled at me and I smiled at him then with a large thunderous voice he shouted, “GOODNIGHT!”

What…

The room began to spin, I fell to the carpet floor with a thud and the last thing I saw before I blacked out was Dr. Mareio taking a bite out of a Red Hatted Mushroom.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damn it! I knew there was something strange about him!
Well with Dr. Mareio everything he does is strange…

I was floating in an empty colourful void which I assumed was my subconscious.
Then I realised something that I haven’t been experiencing lately…

Peace and Quiet…

There aren’t any nightmares of my failures or any revenge dreams, I’m just… floating… relaxing is more like it.

Oh… so that was his plan all along… clever.

When I regain consciousness I’ll thank Mareio for this chance to finally relax.

As I floated in space for a while longer I saw a deep blue tidal wave rushing towards my space, I couldn’t move or swim away in this state and so I let the wave crash into my body.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*SPLASH*

“Eurgh…” I mumbled feeling something cold and wet splash across my face.

“Do it again he’s waking up!” somepony shouted.

*SPLASH*

“AHHH! I’m awake I’M AWAKE!” I shouted from the cold water drenching my upper hood and I took it off my head.

I looked up and saw Twilight levitating an empty bucket with everypony huddled around me except for Mareio who wasn’t in the room anymore.

“What happened? All I remember was eating that shroom and then all black…” I asked as Applejack helped me to my hooves.

“You fell asleep from Mareio’s mushroom he said it would help you relax, both physically and mentally? I’m not really sure what he ment by that.” Twilight said putting the bucket back in storage.

“Ok then, remind me to thank him later… Anyways how long have I been out for?”

“A few hours the sun’s not goin down soon but it’ll be evening later.” Applejack answered my question as I dusted myself off.

“Um... Shadow… I hope I’m not interrupting but… we all worry that you still need to rest.” Fluttershy said with concern in her eyes.

“Yes, darling you must take some time to just relax you already took down the french Je Suis and then that ruthless Volcanous fellow.” Rarity said with a concerned tone to her voice.

I sighed, “Well at least the targets I could find are gone at least…”

“What do you mean?” asked Rainbow Dash as the ponies all crowded around me to hear my explanation.

“You see, I only had 5 names on that list at the time: Je Suis and Volcanous are dead, but there still is Balthazar who we can’t get to without getting rid of many other ponies including Dave the accountant who is already nearly impossible to find as well as WingBlade, his personal bodyguard/assassin/bootlicker.”

“Well we only need to get a corrupt duke, a mediocre accountant and an even less cool bodyguard. How hard can that be?” Rainbow boasted thinking that we were powerful enough to take them on.

I shook my head, “Balthazar is way too powerful now, and Dave… I don’t know there’s something with that pony that I can’t put my hoof on, all I know is that he shows up and does something I don’t expect a Templar to do and he has as much unbelievable power as the Apple.”

Dave… just who are you?

“What about the bodyguard, I’m sure that she can’t be as elusive as Dave.” Twilight said after pondering the possibilities of finding the targets.

“I was thinking the same thing but just like Dave she wouldn’t be seen freely roaming Equestria. I say that we save this for another day and just relax for the rest of today as well as tomorrow. I’m sure that you all have your own jobs and duties you need to do.” I proposed my idea and many ponies nodded in agreement.

“Now if you’d excuse me I need to go outside for a bit…” I said as I tried to casually move towards the ladder to the roof.

I was stopped by Fluttershy who said assertively, “Shadow you need to rest. Now.”

She moved me to my desk and sat me down I sighed and said, “All right, I’ll try to relax but really all of you should be relaxing too. We need to be our best when we go after any other these 3 dangerous ponies.”

Everyone looked relieved and proceeded to leave the hideout, I waved them goodbye and the door closed with a creak.

I leaned back in my chair and looked up at the ceiling.

Okay… gotta relax… really need to relax now…

"..."

After 2 minutes I stood up from my chair and said aloud to myself, “I’M BORED!”

I rushed out from my chair and headed straight for the roof, as I opened the hatch I saw Ace guarding the exit and he squawked at me.

“Look Ace, I know I need to be relaxing now but free running helps clear my head and it reminds me about the good old days of Ponitaly,” I said my sad tale to Ace as he too remembered the times we went on missions in our home city.

He flew off the building and began to glide around Ponyville enjoying the flight.

Even stone-cold eagles can experience home-sickness, maybe I’ll go back one day…

I looked over the edge of the clock tower and leaped from the top of the tower straight into the bale of hay on the ground.

A better leap of faith can’t be achieved unless I jump from a mountain or a zeppelin… fat chance that’ll happen again.

I stepped out from the hay bale and onto the streets of Ponyville, I dusted myself off from the pieces of hay still sticking to my outfit and made my way to the centre of town.
As I entered the plaza in front of the Mayor’s office I saw two rich smug looking unicorns walking towards my direction.

Great these ponies are from Canterlot, I`m sure they won`t miss a few bits…

As they were of noble class they didn`t step out of the way when I “accidentally” bumped into them and “happened to take their coin-purse.

The opulent unicorn stallion was surprised, “My word! I believe I got touched by a Pegasus… from Ponyville no less!”

The stallion’s wife who was also a unicorn looked at me with disgust, “I do say darling, I think Ponyville has set the standards… at a bare minimum…”

Oh… first I was being nice about taking a only a few bits but now…

They turned their heads and went *hmph*, they were so busy being uptight and snooty that they didn’t realise me sneak up behind them and completely empty their pockets of bits.

I went around to a dark alleyway and opened the bags of money.

100…200… WHOA! THEY GOT 500 bits here!

Pleased with my pickpocketing success I headed towards the marketplace of Ponyville.
On the way I kept pondering about how much money I had and what I was going to do with it.

We don’t really need anything at the guild since we usually find or make our own materials.

Maybe I should do what Le Duck had done and give back to the town.
Ya… I think that would be best, considering how much danger I put through everypony.

I stopped at a store called “Repair’s for You” I looked at my money pouch and thought why not.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thank you again kind sir! And please, come back anytime!” the owner of the shop waved to me as I left his store after investing 300 bits.

It feels good to give now I need to…

I looked over down the street towards an alley and I saw a gray pegasus pony with tears in her eyes being harassed by 3 other ponies covered in tattered brown robes, there was a green one, a small purple pony and a dark yellow pony with a cast on his head, he was also a unicron.

Wait aren’t those the bandits I beat up a few weeks ago?
That yellow one I think was the one I knocked out with that streetlamp.
Maybe I should do an even more aggressive entrance since my leg isn’t broken this time.

I saw a nearby building and I began to run up it and scale the wall, while keeping an ear on what the confrontation was below.

“Please, leave me and the mail alone!” sobbed the gray Pegasus.

“Ooh… did I make the baby cry?” the purple bandit said while ripping a letter.

“Please Stop!” shouted the Pegasus as she saw the mail getting destroyed.

The green bandit stepped on a shredded letter and squished it into the ground with his hoof.

“Sorry girl, but no one is gonna save you. We’re in the middle of a dark alley and nobody’s gonna hear you scream.” The green bandit said with a sadistic smile.

*HEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP MEEEEEEEE!” shouted the Pegasus as loud as possible hoping somepony would hear her.

“Sorry, but it’s not like someone is just gonna fall from the sky—,” the dark yellow pony started to say until…

*OOMF!*

I landed right on his head with my hooves where I had previously jumped from the top of the roof. I heard a distinct snap coming from his horn as I stepped up from his unconscious body.

The other bandits looked at me and fear filled their faces as they remembered who I was, “OH CRAP! QUICK GET HIM WHILE I GET MY THING READY!” the green pony shouted to the purple pony.

The purple pony nodded and pulled out a small dagger from his satchel and ran towards me rather quickly but it wasn’t something I couldn’t handle.

Just as he lunged at me trying to cut into my gray fur, I grabbed his arm and took the dagger from his hoof. I swung his robe around him and tied him into a burrito shape; I placed the dagger through the cloth so he couldn’t escape.

Standing up he realised what I was about to do, “NO DON’T DO IT!” he pleaded but it was too late. I kicked him and he rolled out of the alley, getting hurt everytime he rolled on a rock.

“Hold it right there!”

I turned around and I saw the green pony pointing a gun towards the gray Pegasus as she cowered in fear.

“Don’t you move a muscle or this pretty little thing is going to have her brains splattered all over the floor…” the green pony said seriously with hate in his voice.

“SHADOW!”

I looked behind me and I saw Cheerlie at the entrance to the alley, she dropped a bunch of textbooks and she looked mortified at the scene in front of her.

I promised her, “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine…”

I looked to the ground in front of me and I saw an intact letter I bent over to pick it up.

“Hey hey! What are you doing!” the green bandit shouted at me.

As I picked up the letter I secretly slid a throwing knife underneath it so it couldn’t be seen.

“You know what? I hate you more hooded freak! Have fun in hell!” the green bandit laughed as he pointed the gun towards me.

In an instant I whipped the throwing knife which was concealed by the letter on the underside; it flew straight at the barrel of the gun and stuck in there. The green bandit pulled the trigger just as the knife entered.

*BANG*

Cheerlie shielded her eyes afraid that the bandit shot me, she nervously opened them and saw that the bandit’s gun was completely blown apart and his hoof was charred from the resulting small explosion.

That's why you don't mess with my town.

Now with the enemies all incapacitated I held out a hoof to the cross-eyed Pegasus who was shocked by what happened.

“Are you ok Miss...?” I asked her as I helped her up to her hooves.

“Derpy! That’s my name! I’m the mail-mare of Ponyville … at least I was…” she notice the piles of destroyed letters on the ground and her cross-eyed expression changing to an unbelievably sad look.

Hmm… AHA!

“Derpy why don’t you take these letters to the Repair’s for You store. Just tell them Shadow sent you and they will fix those letters up in a second!”

“Wow! Thank you so much! I’m going to tell everypony about you!” she said excitingly as she shoved the ruined letters into her bags and skipped into town.

It feels good to help… wait… EVERPONY!?

A second later I heard a loud voice saying, “THE SHADOW OF PONYVILLE SAVED ME!”

I face hoofed and Cheerlie noticed and asked, “What’s wrong? I thought you would be glad to hear praise from the ponies.”

“Well you see it’s complicated… I’m…” I said trying to hide my Assassin origins.

“You’re what?”

“I’m… actually very shy around ponies and I’m not cut out to be a celebrity…” I lied, partially.

“Well, I need to be going back to the school, it was nice seeing you again,” she started to walk off but I interrupted her.

“Wait, I’m heading that way too, would you like me to help carry the books?” I asked her, trying to work my Ponitalian charm.

“Okay, I could use the help and the company would be nice…” she said unloading more than half her book bags onto my shoulders.

OH DEAR CELESTIA THESE ARE HEAVY!
Not as heavy as the tax reports I’ll have to do soon…

We walked off towards the school talking about what happened during the past week.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And then Sweetie Bell said, “But aren’t those two things different?” Hahaha!” we both laughed.

“What about you Shadow? I haven’t seen you this past week and a half…”

“Well you see I went traveling to Gerpony with Twilight and her friends so we could study their culture and do something about a friendship report or something like that. I would’ve brought some Gerponian cuisine back with me but Spike ate it all.”

“Gerpony? Wasn’t that the place that was going to go to war until that nuke exploded?” Cheerlie asked, trying to figure out if I had something to do with it.

“Well you see I’ve…”

“ALLO SHADOW!” a booming voice shouted from behind us.

I curved my head and I saw Dr. Mareio waving at me from his mushroom stand with a crowd of customers surrounding him.

“Mareio! Thank you for that mushroom it really helped my rest issue,” I hugged Mareio.

“AH Ms. Cheerlie how are you!?” Mareio asked Cheerlie shaking her hoof.

“Oh hi doctor, I’m fine just letting Shadow help me carry my books to the schoolhouse.”

“OOH! HOW ROMANTIC!” Mareio shouted alerting most of the other ponies.

I blushed and I noticed Cheerlie also blushed too.

Mareio pulled me aside and whispered to me, “So I’ve been hearing a lot about “The Shadow of Ponyville” trying to follow in your uncle’s footsteps hmm?”

“Really? How many ponies know?” I asked, he just pointed to his crowd and motioned me to listen.

“Yo did you hear about the Shadow of Ponyville?”

“I’ve heard but I think he’s just a myth like the Red Fox.”

“Still, I’m glad he’s helping out Ponyville just like the Mare-do-well.”

“MY WALLET IS MISSING!” shouted a Canterlot unicorn.

Mareio pulled me back, “You see Shadow, YOU’RE A HERO!”

“SHHH! We can’t let anyone know that the Assassins are here, or else they would come here and burn this place down like they did to Ponitaly. Would you want that?” I whispered rather coldly to Mareio to get him to shut up.

The Shadow of Ponyville…
Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
I'm helping ponies and my identity itself hasn't been compromised.

I just hope this doesn’t come to bite my ass later…