Chapter 1: The Beginning

Shaded Comet yawned heavily, turning over on the cloud he was napping on. Burying his head into the soft, fluffy mass, he opened his eyes, wincing at the bright sunlight. Shaking his head, he stood up on the cloud, waking himself up.

He had weather duty again today, under Rainbow Dash, the weather captain for Ponyville. Running his hooves through his teal blue and electric blue mane, he stretched his grey wings. The feathers rustled as he braced himself to take off.

In the corner of his electric blue eyes, he saw a faint streak of colour flash past, lazily painting the sky with the full light spectrum. Rainbow Dash, obviously, he thought to himself. It was suspicious; she was almost never up early. Unless it was an emergency.

Rainbow Dash zoomed past the lone cloud in the section of the sky. Shaded's section, she realised. Should she wake him up kindly, or forcefully? If he wasn't already up, that is. Deciding apon her action, she stealthily flew up to the underside off the cloud.

"Heh, he's not gonna know what hit him!" She giggled to herself, as she prepared to buck the cloud out of existance. Rearing back in the air, her back legs parallel with the cloud, she kicked the mass of water particles as hard as she could.

She was rewarded with a long, drawn out yell as the dark grey pegasus fell through the air where the cloud had previously been. When she saw his face when had he flown up again, she burst into laughter. "Ha ha hah! The look on your face!"

" Ha ha hah! The look on your face!" Rainbow giggled as Shaded glared at her, eerily calm all of a sudden. He was actually laughing inside, Dash had actually caught him by suprise. He actually considered laughing, but he didn't. Nopony had actually ever heard him speak, let alone show any emotion. But Dash had come so close.

And that's why he liked Dash. He felt comfortable around her, more confident about himself. But he still showed no emotions towards her. However, he let himself smile, and tilted his head to the side, as if asking "what"?

Rainbow Dash was immediately disappointed. She wanted to hear his voice, to see him show any emotion. But he never did. But then she saw the smile. That was the closest she, or anypony in fact, had made him speak, to make him show emotion. " YESSSSSSS! I mean... uh... we've been asked to go to the library... We need to leave... like now."

She lowered her head, embarressed. If anypony saw her like this, her reputation would be gone. She shouldn't be celebrating like that! She was Rainbow Dash! The hard-to-get pony of Ponyville! She shouldn't have feelings for Shaded!

Snapping back to reality, she quickly assessed the situation. Shaded Comet wouldn't tell anypony about her outburst, because he never spoke to anypony. And it seemed like nopony else acually heard her, so she was in the clear. For now.

" We need to go get Twilight first though. I don't know why, but Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack have all been asked to go as well. We're taking the train." She explained to him. He nodded, and together they glided towards the library, where everypony was meeting. She looked out of the corner of her magneta eyes, peeking at him. His mane. His tail. His- NO! BAD THOUGHTS!

Shaded saw Rainbow Dash trying to look at him without him noticing as they descended. She really wasn't good at that. She seemed to do it a lot, he noticed. Maybe she has feelings for me too? He thought to himself, refusing to speak, as much as he wanted to. He caught her eye, and he winked. Much to his amusement, she blushed, her normally cyan cheeks turning a light, rosy pink.

When they touched down outside the front door, the blushing had just subsided. He shook his mane, and immediately Rainbow Dash was blushing profusely again. She turned away, and after a while looked back round. This time he didn't stop himself, and he grinned at her. He was definately more comfortable, confident and outgoing around her.

As soon as the traitorous emotions had blossomed, he had locked them deep inside himself yet again, vowing to not let himself do anything stupid. I will not do that again,he simply thought to himself.

Rainbow Dash was now sweating in embaressment. He had winkedat her. Her cheeks got warmer, and a pink glow appeared. Nice going Dash! She kicked herself as they landed, barely making a sound as their hooves kissed the ground. Dash looked at him, hoping he wasn't looking at her. He was shaking his mane. He's so cute!No! NO! NO NO NO! Her blush intensified, and she turned away quickly, hiding her face. When it had dulled slightly, she turned round again.

He was looking at her. And then he grinned. GRINNED! Her brain exploded, and she was narrowly saved by Applejack walking outside. If she hadn't, she thought, I would have kissed him. A colt! Eww!And then her mind was overriden with fantasies.

Shaded greeted Applejack with a nod. "Howdy Shaded! Howdy Rainbow!" Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow?" Rainbow Dash was deep in thought. "Anyhow, ah think Twilight wants too see tha both of ya now." Shaded nodded again, and walked inside, with Rainbow Dash in a trance behind him.

Twilight greeted them, and explained to everypony that Princess Celestia wanted them to go and investigate some missing towns in the farthest reaches of Equestria. But she specifically wanted Shaded Comet to lead the investigations, as he was a Royal Guard Sergeant before he came to Ponyville. The Battle for Canterlot was too much for him, and he retired young, studying about the changling species, and how they coordinated the attack on Canterlot.

He was now an expert on Changlings, and that is why the Princess wanted him to go with them, to see if the attacks were from changlings. Twilight finished explaining, looking expectantly towards Shaded. He returned the look, nodding.

Rainbow Dash was still day dreaming about Shaded Comet when Twilight asked if she had understood everything. She awoke, spluttering. "Yeah yeah Twilight, I heard ya." Twilight rolled her eyes. Few,she talked to herself in her mind, that was close.

Shaded left the library, and collected some notes on changling formations, attack plans and other related things for Twilight to study on the train to Dodge Junction. And his old armour and weapons. Rainbow definately has feelings for me. He took flight, and landed back at the library in, as Rainbow Dash would say it, ten seconds flat.

Giving the notes to Twilight, the group departed from the library, walking to the station together. Rainbow looks distracted, maybe I should... No. Not now. Maybe later. When Equestria freezes over. He sighed, startling the group. They very rarely heard Shaded mak a noise that wasn't breathing.

Boarding the train, he sat next to Rainbow Dash, who was staring out the window. She didn't even notice. She was too busy staring, her mouth agape, at the ominous black cloud in the distance. Wait, WHAT!

Shaded had a heart attack. That wasn't a cloud of smoke! It was a changling army! He ran to Rarity, and pushed her towards the window with his head, pointing with his hooves at the cloud, frantically trying to make her see it. Rarity gasped, screamed and fainted.

Holding his ears in pain, Shaded snorted in disbelief. He checked his personal armoury. Two razor sharp blades were melded to a pair of blue gauntlets adorned with his cutie mark, an electric blue fireball with a grey inside. Remembering how he got it, he was filled with nostalgia.

A younger Shaded Comet was in the barracks of the Royal Guards. His new armour heavily contrasted with his manebut at least his blank flank was covered, so he didn't really care. He never really voiced his opinions. He rarely spoke. But, the training he recieved had given him a newfound confidence.

He walked outside, beginning his first night patrol. Everything seemed calm. There was a slight aroma of apples in the breeze. But he could feel building tension. Something is going to happen... He thought to himself, adopting a more agressive stance as he continued.

An unexpected rustle from the bushes behind him alerted him to the presence of another pegasus stallion. This one was jet black, with a red mane and red eyes. His cutie mark was a dagger and a coin purse.

He was a thief. And he was carrying a sack of goods from a nearby shop he had broken into. Shaded narrowed his eyes, and raised his sword. "Stop right there, and put the sack down." He commanded, the anger in his voice all too obvious. The thief put it down, and twirled towards him, a bloodied dagger in his left forehoof.

Shaded blocked the attack, but another thief, obviously working with the first, approached from the side. Joining the fray, thay battled for a few minutes, steel clanging against steel. Shaded saw thesecond thief lower her guard, and took his chance. Blocking the first thief again, he dodged a wild swing from the second thief, an Earth pony, and stabbed her in the gut.

Cleanly pulling it out, he finished the thief with a quick cut to the throat. Blood gushed out of the fatal wound, and she gave out one final, drawn-out breath. Shaded took no notice, and turned towards the first. There was no site of him, until he saw a red mane waving in the wind as he soared away, quickly gaining speed.

The young pegasus swore, and took off after the thief. He was slowly getting away, he noticed. And then a primal voice inside his head egged him on. FASTER! FASTER! FASTER! The air around his wings got hotter, and a sound cone appeared in front of him. He blinked through it, the high speed dragging his skin back. FASTER! HE'S GETTING AWAY!

There was an incredibly loud BOOM! and all the air around him transformed and combusted into a bright blue fireball that resembled a meteor. He grabbed onto the thief and murderer as he roared past, the fire burning his throat and his face as the thief struggled against him, crying out in pain as the fire licked his skin. He dragged him off to the side, the fireball intact, and flew with the no longer struggling thief all the way back to the castle.

Celestia awoke with a start. All she remembered that she was falling asleep, and out of nowhere, an angry voice belonging to the new guard, Shaded Comet, spoke. "Stop right there, and put the sack down." Celestia grew cold, as she looked out of the window, seeing a swordfight between two thieves and Shaded. She was about to call for help, when she saw Shaded dodge the second pony, and stab her in the gut. She winced, watching Shaded finish the thief and murderer; as she had a bloodied dagger, and Shaded had no injuries thus far.

Then, she saw him look around for the first attacker, who was fleeing by air. Celestia judged the distance. Shaded had no chance at catching him. Seeing him take off, she still had doubts over his speed. Until she saw a sound cone forming around him. Her mouth opened in astonishment. And then, a BOOM! erupted around Canterlot, and Shaded was surrounded by a blue fireball that streaked behind him. He quickly tripled his speed, and caught the thief. She grimaced, as she could hear the thiefs screams as Shaded brought him back to the castle.

She went outside, and saw the thief, clearly knocked out, and Shaded Comet, who was dutifully standing beside him, his mane singed, and his face covered in burns. They weren't serious injuries,Celestia noticed, until she saw Shaded trying to speak.

His throat was burned, and the inside of his mouth scorched. His vocal chords were heavily damaged as well, by the looks of it. And then he fainted in pain. Celestia caught him with her magic, and picked up the thief as well. She carried them into the town, and into a hospital.

Two days later, Celestia visited Shaded in the hospital. He was making a recovery quickly, but as the doctor warned, as much as his face would heal, his vocal chords wouldn't. He would find it incredibly painful to speak in excessive amounts.

As he got up, and bowed to her, she noticed that he had a cutie mark. It was an electric blue fireball with a grey inside. It looked like a blue comet. "I cannot thank you enough, Sergeant Comet." The Sergeant part confused him. "Me, a Sergeant? Cough Cough..."

Celestia was in shock, his once deep and melodious voice had been reduced to a raspy, scratchy voice that made her heart ache. "Yes. You have been promoted. Congratulations. It seems you have two prizes today." She replied, still in shock. "Two?" He asked, coughing again afterwards. She pointed at his flank with her horn. "You have a cutie mark, and a magnificent one at that."

Strapping on the rest of his armour, he sighed gently, preparing for battle. There would be blood spilt today.

A/N:

Hey audience! Thank you for reading up to this point. I wanted to make a story background before I began anything amazingly difficult. Sorry about the length, i would have made it longer, but you know the drill. Please review and tell me what you think so far, and if there is anything I can do to improve it, I am open to any and all suggestions. Also, if you want an OC in the story, I am happy to try to put them somewhere.

Thank you

-Jadazzle1994