The Shadow of Equestria
Chapter 17
Reunion
Two days later
"I still can't believe Darkwing transferred me out to this town in the middle of nowhere." said a certain sickly green pony.
"Don't let that get you down Spectre." replied another pony. "Living out here ain't so bad once you get used to it. I mean, he had to have a reason to put out here?"
"It wasn't my fault, I couldn't do a thing about it." replied Poison Spectre. "Whatever had shown up scared the living day lights out of him. Whatever Celestia sent after him must have been pretty strong. If he expected me to turn and fight whatever managed to take Zhane back to the castle then he is sadly mistaken."
"Speaking of that friend of yours, have you heard the news lately?" asked the other pony.
"No, why?"
"There's several reports that a large creature walked into Sunpeak Village and completely wreaked the place. When the news interviewed the survivors, they described the creature as large, hairless, Diamond Dog that ruthlessly torn through the town's guards and held a majority of the foals hostage. It's rumored that Celestia sent in a special group to retrieve the foals and kill the creature. When the group came back, they only arrived with the foals. There was no mention of the creature or if it was slain."
"What's the point in telling me that Red. Even if that was Zhane, I would have no way of tracking him. Not unless somepony knew where he was."
"If Darkwing has already heard of this, he's probably already working on finding Zhane. All we have to do is wait and hope that Darkwing is actually going to do something."
"Wait?" replied Spectre. "All I've been doing is waiting. I'm going to go insane staying here, especially with that damned Pinkie Pie always going on about giving me a welcome to Ponyville party. No matter how many time I tell her, she insists that I have one. I don't understand what she wants from me. Does she want my money? Maybe she's actually trying to drive me crazy or maybe she's an evil witch waiting till I'm at my weakest so she can suck out my soul."
"I think you need to calm down." said Red as he leaned back in his chair. "You're overreacting."
"Overreacting? I'll show you overreacting you piece of..."
There was a loud knock at the door. Red took this opportunity to move away from the fuming mare to answer the door.
"I swear to Celestia, if that's Pinkie Pie, make her leave!" yelled Spectre as Red approached the door.
Rolling his eyes, he opened the door to see the local mailmare Ditzy Doo, delivering the morning mail.
"Good morning Ditzy." said Red. "Whatcha got for me?"
"I got a couple of letter for you Mister Red." said Ditzy as she dug around in her mailbag until three letters were removed and handed to Red.
"Thank you Ditzy, you have a good day."
"You too Mister Red." said Ditzy as she took to the sky to continue her route. Red closed the door and returned to the table and started to look through the mail.
"Junk." he said as he tossed the letter aside and moved to the next one.
"Bill." he said as he pushed the letter off the table. "Don't have to worry about those."
Red looked at the last one and pushed the letter across the table.
"This one's for you Spectre. It's from Canterlot."
Spectre looked down at the letter and proceeded to open it and read aloud.
To Poison Spectre.
In light of recent events, it has been decided that the search for Zhane Black has been continued. The news reports say the last known sighting was at Sunpeak Village but we have managed to track him down even further. One of our Trackers have found a slight trace of Dark Magic moving towards the BadLands. We are 100% sure that this signature is indeed Zhane Black. So, I have decided to send you and Red to intercept him at the Grand Gate of the BadLands and bring him back with you.
I know that you failed in your previous mission of protecting Zhane and was punished accordingly. However, you were the only pony able to get close to him during his time in Canterlot and in Ponyville. So I have decided that you will carry out this mission. Once he has been brought back to Ponyville, write back immediately and we will go from there. I might even consider reinstating you as an enforcer.
Remember, failure is not an option
Sincerely,
Darkwing
As Spectre finished reading the letter she slammed her hoof on the table.
"First he takes away my position as Enforcer, then he sends me here, now he wants me to go find Zhane. I'd give him a piece of my mind and my foot if I could put my two bits in."
"Calm down Spectre." said Red. "If we can find Zhane and bring him back, your spot as an Enforcer will be renewed. I know how Darkwing works, I've been in the Black Hooves before he became leader. I've seen him do some cruel things but he is forgiving and very generous from time to time."
Poison Spectre shook her head.
"Whatever, let's just get this over with. I want to find Zhane and give him a piece of my mind."
"Seems to me that somepony's got some feelings for a certain human." said Red under his breath.
"What did you say?!" yelled Poison Spectre.
"I said I'll go pack some essentials."
"How much farther!" I screamed in annoyance. Umbra had been leading me in one direction for a good two days. "It feels like you're just leading me in circles."
"The BadLands are not far from here. I'd say another hour or two before we get there. We'll deal with getting in once we get there."
"Wait." I said. "What do you mean by deal with getting in? Is it heavily guarded?"
"No." replied Umbra. "The area leading into the BadLands has always been known as the Grand Gate. Because of it being the only way in and out of the BadLands, unless you feel like scaling a large mountain or two, the local population decided that it would be best is they closed the land off. So they built a massive black gate out of the most abundant natural resource, Obsidian."
"So, it's just a giant gate. Wow, you had me pretty intimidated for a while." I joked.
"It's not the gate that's the problem, it's the things guarding it."
"Like what?" I asked.
"I know that the Minotaurs have guards posted on the gates to stop intruders they deem unfit to enter the BadLands. Also, a species of giant worm called a Tatzlwurm also thrive on the outside of the gate. Making entry even harder."
I scoffed the mention of dangerous creatures.
"I think we'll be fine." I said as I continued my trip to the BadLands.
Two Hours Later
"Hey, slow do." said Red as he tried his best to keep up with Poison Spectre. "If we keep this up, my heart's going to give out before we get there."
"I'm not stopping till we find Zhane!" yelled Poison Spectre from the sky. "I'm not losing him again."
"Just slow down, we're pretty close to the Grand Gate." Red said in between raspy pants. "It's just over that hill so we should just take it slow."
"Nope, I'm not stopping."
"For the love of Celestia, you are incredibly hard headed!" yelled Red.
Several Miles Away
After the last few hours of my journey, I marveled at the sight of the large black gate that stood before me.
"Wow." I whistled. "So this is the famous Grand Gate. I thought it would be more intimidating."
"Maybe you should pay attention to the guards instead of your own thoughts." said Umbra.
I shrugged and rolled my eyes as I look up to the top of the large gate. At the top were what I could describe as large, bipedal bulls covered in silver armor. Most of them easily passed me in height, making them look intimidating and formidable. As I waved for the attention of the guards, it only took seconds for them to notice me.
"Halt!" yelled one of the guards. "Who are you and what is your business here."
"My name is Zhane Black and I am seeking temporary asylum in the BadLands!" I yelled back.
"Ha!" laughed the guard. "A puny creature like you wants asylum in the BadLands? You wouldn't last a day in this land. So why don't you run back to your cushioned life and we'll forget this ever happened."
I frowned.
"What will it take for you to let me in?" I asked.
The Minotaur rubbed his chin for a moment as he looked me up and down.
"Well, you don't look like you live with those weak little ponies. Considering all that blood that's on you and your excuse for a weapon, I'd say that you don't live by their laws and ideals either. So I'll tell you what, if you can bring me a tongue from a Tatzlwurrn, I'll let you in. If you fail, you'll die. A win win for me. What do you say?"
"Alright, I'll get the tongue but where will I find a Tatzlwurm?"
"I don't know kid, why don't you ask the one behind ya. He looks real keen on answering your questions."
Alarmed, I turned to see a large worm of reddish tint peering down at me.
"How did this thing get behind me without me noticing?" I asked as the Tatzlwurm readied for attack.
"Hahahaha, have fun kid!" yelled the guard as the worm opened its massive maw revealing a multitude of tentacles that I assumed it used for its tongue.
With a mighty roar, the worm jumped forward to attack.
Nearby
A mighty roar sounded as Poison Spectre lifted her head in concern.
"What was that?"
"Probably just a Tutlzwurm." said Red as he approached the mare. "That just means that we're getting close to the gate."
"But why did it roar like that?" she asked.
"Probably because it's attack some prey."
There was a silence for a few moments before Red spoke again.
"Hey, you don't think that..."
He was cut off by Poison Spectre flying into the air to get a better look the surrounding area.
In the sky, Spectre could see the black gate. Upon closer inspection she could see what looked to be a giant worm that Red called a Tutlzwurm roaring at something. Whatever it roared at, it leaned forward to attack. It opened its terrifyingly large mouth to shallow what looked to be incredibly small prey. However, as the worm lunged at the ground to attack whatever it was trying to eat, a small hole appeared at the back of its head. With the forming of this new hole, the creature doubled over and fell to the ground, revealing the prey it was trying to capture.
"Red!" screamed Spectre. "We need to go!"
With that, Spectre flew towards the now dead creature with Red close behind.
"Hmm." said Zhane. "I was hoping for a tougher challenge." he shrugged and looked at the gate.
"Hey, you gonna let me in or not. I killed the worm for you!"
Without a reply, the gate opened and out walked the guard that had given Zhane the task.
"W-Wow, I didn't expect you to take a whole worm down. I didn't even expect you to live. How did you do that?" asked the guard.
I shrugged.
"That thing was pretty weak compared to the things I've fought before. I was expecting it to be bigger though."
The guard took a moment to look at the body one more time before turning back to Zhane.
"You are welcome inside the BadLands but word of warning, the creatures that inhabit the land are a lot tougher then this Tutlzwurm."
"Whatever." I said as the guard turned to enter the gate again. I began to follow suit.
"Zhane!" I heard in the distance. "Zhaaaaaaaane!"
I sighed.
"What now?" I said as I turned towards the noise. Out in the distance were two small ponies that were closing in fast.
"I wonder who those ponies are?" I asked myself.
"Better yet, how do they know you were going this way." replied Umbra.
As the two ponies got closer and closer, the red and green colors set me off.
"Well I'll be." I began as the two ponies finally approached me. "It's been a long time Poison Spectre." I looked over to the Earth Pony as he finally approached.
"Good to see you too Red."
"I can't believe you escaped Canterlot again." said Spectre. "I'm just glad your fine."
"Same." called out Red as he tried to catch his breath.
"So what are you two doing all the way out here?" I asked. "Looking for me?"
"Actually yes, we were looking for you." Spectre pulled out the letter and showed it to me. "Darkwing told us to come get you and bring you back. He was very concerned over losing you."
"So much that you lost your position as an Enforcer because I got captured?" I asked.
"Pretty much." she said. "Word got around that Celestia had sent out a special team to capture you and that she sent the same team to Sunpeak village recently to deal with the problem there. If you don't mind me asking, what was on that team?"
"Two humans." I replied bluntly. "And if what I heard was correct, it was two humans that inhabited Equestria a long time ago."
"You mean the humans we know as legend. The valiant warriors who were skilled in both magic and combat?" asked Red who had now regained his composure.
"Exactly, but on top of that, they were also predictable and let's just say that they're now one man short."
"You killed one?" asked Spectre.
"Well, I mortally wounded him. It was the best I could do at the time. I was actually headed into the BadLands to make sure that they wouldn't follow me."
"Well." began Spectre. "That's why we came to find you."
"Darkwing wants you back Zhane." said Red. "He has made it clear that retrieving you in top priority."
"Did he now." I said as I crossed my arms.
"So we came here to take you back to Ponyville." said Spectre.
There was a moment of silence.
"No." I said as I began to walk towards the open gate. However, I was stopped by Poison Spectre who flew in front of my path.
"What do you mean no. We didn't come all the way out here to return empty handed!"
"Let me make this clear to you, to both of you. My alliance no longer lies with Nightmare Moon, nor does it lie with the Black Hooves. I will go my own way wither you like it or not. If you wish to stop me, I welcome you to try but I doubt that will end up well for you."
"But if I don't bring you back then I'll fail another task." said Spectre.
"It wasn't your fault that I got captured Spectre, it was mine. I got careless and underestimated my enemies when they had the clear advantage. The fact that Darkwing would demote you for something that you couldn't control tells me that he doesn't care about you as long as I'm fine."
I paused and started to walk forward.
"I'm going into the BadLands wither Darkwing wants me or not. I guess I'll see you two later."
As I started to walk, I could hear the sound of wings flapping behind me. I look back to see Poison Spectre following me.
"I'm going with you Zhane. I'd rather be by your side then by Darkwing's."
"Are you sure you want to do that Spectre?" said Red. "Once Darkwing finds out that you abandoned the Black Hooves, he won't be very happy."
"I don't care what Darkwing thinks!" she exclaimed. "If he wants Zhane so badly then he can come get him himself. I'm going with Zhane."
Red frowned and let out a sigh.
"Alright, if you want to do that, I won't stop you. I think of something to tell Darkwing." said Red.
Spectre smiled and flew over to Red, giving him a huge bear hug. She let go and flew back over to me.
"Thank you so much Red. I didn't think that you would understand." said Spectre.
Red smiled and looked over to me.
"Zhane, please take care of her. I know there's a reason that she wants to go with you but sadly, I have no idea what that is."
"She'll be fine. Just don't stress out over us, I can handle anything that comes our way." I said confidently.
"Except for a couple of humans." said Umbra.
'Fuck off, I already beat them once. I can do it again if I have to.' I replied in my head.
"Thank you Zhane, that puts my mind somewhat at ease." said Red as he said his goodbyes, turned, and began to walk away.
Once Red was had left, I turned and began to walk to the gate. Spectre followed close behind.
"So exactly what are you walking into the BadLands willingly?" she asked.
"Because it's probably the only place where Celestia won't send soldiers or worse." I said as I rubbed my shoulder remembering the wound I received from Agliss.
"What are you expecting to find out there?"
I simply shrugged.
"I have no idea."
Here's Chapter 17 for everypony. Enjoy!
Alright, I've been receiving a ton of questions lately so I decided to answer a few of them.
Q:
Are you going to continue The Royal Protecter?
A:
Yes, I will eventually continue The Royal Protector. However, it is up to you guys how quickly that sequel comes. There is a poll on my profile that deals with that topic. Go check it out.
Q:
Why haven't we seen the Mane 6 that much in The Shadow of Equestria? I thought Zhane was a villain?
A:
For starters, he is a villain and the reason that the Mane 6 hasn't appeared much in the story is because I have stated many times that this story was to explore some of the different parts of the MLP:FiM world. I didn't want the story to revolve too much around them. However, you'll get your fill of them, don't worry ;)
Q:
According to the prologue of The Shadow of Equestria, it said that the story is being told through the writing of a book. What I don't get is why these other parts about Celestia are in there. I know for a fact Zhane had no idea what they said.
A:
You're right about that but the reason I added those parts in was for the story. It's to help you understand who Agliss and Yamato were and to understand why two humans are randomly popping onto the scene.
Q:
Will there be a sequel for The Shadow of Equestra?
A:
I'm kinda sitting on the fence about that. I know that I'm defiantly going to write a sequel to TRP but a sequel to TSOE is in idea limbo for now. But, if people want it, I will deliver.
Well that was a good majority of the types of questions asked so I believe that I covered a good bit. Remember that this week is a double upload week and to vote at the poll on my profile.
See everypony Thursday!