Faded Shadows

Chapter 8

"Have no fear, Zhane." declared King Leo. "I'm sure everything can be worked out peacefully."

"You say that." I replied. "But you don't know that."

"Hmmm." said King Leo as he slowly placed one of his claws under his chin. "I know Azure is not one to overreact but considering your past with him..."

The King paused for a moment.

"It's probably best you steer clear of him for now."

"I've got two years of venting." said Azure Phoenix as he dashed down the castle hallways. "Which is something only you can help with, Zhane."

Azure Phoenix flexed his wings allowing a small blue ember to fall from his feathers. He twisted his neck until a satisfying pop sounded through the hallways.

"Leo has some nerve not telling me about his plans." said Phoenix as he approached the throne room doors.

"It's probably a good idea I tell my guards not to let Azure in." King Leo mumbled to himself as he walked to the throne room doors.

"Out of my way." grunted Azure Phoenix as he shouldered his way through the guards as he continued to make his way to the throne room. He rounded a hallway or two and finally reached the door.

King Leo grabbed the throne room door and pulled it open to alert his guards only to see Azure Phoenix to standing there with his wings at the ready.

"Oh." said Leo as he locked eyes with Azure. "I thought you were going somewhere else?"

"Out of my way!" yelled Azure as he tried to force his way into the throne room only to be stopped by the King's massive body.

"Can't do that Azure." said Leo as he looked at the Pegasus nervously.

"Why's that Leo?" asked Azure. "Is there by chance a murderous human who you invited, in there?" he asked sarcastically towards the flustered King.

"Uh..."

The King slammed the door right in Azure's face.

"I KNEW IT!" yelled Azure as he smashed into the door.

"Alright." King Leo said as he looked me dead in the eyes. "Time for you to hide or run."

I began to slowly back away as the door, which was held shut be the King, slowly opened more and more. After several seconds and small, pony head poked through and looked into the room. It immediately locked eyes with me and frowned.

"Found you, Zhane!" exclaimed who I could only assume to be Azure Phoenix.

"I don't think so." I replied as I walked to the door and raised a foot to push the door back into the frame. Azure saw this and ducked his head back before my foot made contact with the wood.

"Ha!" I yelled.

"That probably wasn't a good idea." replied the King as he backed away from the door.

"Why?" I asked.

"I actually liked that door. I had it hand craved just for my throne room."

"What are you talking about..." I said as I trailed off. I had completely forgot about Azure's flames. However, I was reminded when the door in front of me lit up like a torch. The door collapsed and there stood Azure Phoenix.

"You're paying for that one, Azure." said the King. "I liked that one."

"Put a sock in it." replied Azure as he approached me with wings alight. "I'm more interested in knowing why Zhane is free and why he's here?!"

"That first part is none of your business." I said as I stood my ground against the approaching fire hazard.

"I believe it is my business since I helped capture you in the first place." said Azure as he ascended meeting my height.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Afraid I'll pull off another Sunpeak Village?"

"ZHANE!" yelled a voice that rumbled the entire room.

I looked back and saw that the voice originated from Agliss.

"It would be best for you to keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking. You're going to get yourself into trouble."

"Fine, old man." I said with a sigh. "The floor is yours."

Agliss rolled his eyes.

"We're here to help with the war." Agliss said to Azure.

"Why is he free?" asked Azure. "Why wasn't I told about this?"

"We tried contacting you but you never responded to any of our summons." Agliss replied. "Celestia thought that Zhane deserved a second chance."

"I faintly remembering how Discord took that as an opportunity to betray us." replied Azure.

"That will not happen." replied Agliss as he pointed to my little shock collar. "He have him under lock and key."

Azure laughed.

"Like a dog on a leash." he said looking me over.

I clenched my teeth in anger. I hated being called a dog on a leash.

"So if you have a problem with Zhane being here to help then you may take it up with me." said Agliss.

Azure looked over to old man in disbelief but soon accepted the fact that there was nothing he could do. He lowered his wings and dropped to the floor.

"Now." said Agliss. "We'll talk about what we'll do here tomorrow. As of now, I will take Zhane back to his room and I shall go to mine. We will be back here bright and early."

Having no objections, King Leo nodded.

"Please take time to relax. I know the journey here was difficult."

Agliss nodded and looked over to me.

"Let's go, Zhane." he said.

I looked around the room and slowly began to walk to the remains of the once beautiful throne room door. I didn't look back as I walked straight for my room.

Before Agliss walked out of the room, he looked over towards Azure Phoenix.

"Zhane has a soft side." he said. "You just have to give him a chance."

With that, Agliss walked away, leaving King Leo and Azure alone.

"How could I give someone like him a chance?" Azure asked himself.

"Did you that Zhane risked his own safety to make sure that the High Priestess made it home safe?" asked Leo.

"What are you talking about?" replied Azure.

"On the way here, Scarhide attacked the High Priestesses carriage and killed over half of the guards. If it wasn't for Zhane and Agliss, I'm sure that we wouldn't have ever seen our High Priestess ever again."

Azure looked at the King for a moment and sighed.

"Sorry about the door."

"You better be." replied the King.

As I approached my room I felt Agliss put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me around.

"You need to watch what you say, Zhane. He could have easily burnt you to a crisp back there."

I pushed his hand off my shoulder.

"I don't need advice from you." I said as I turned back around and walked straight into my room, slamming the door behind me. I stood by the door and waited till I heard him walk away. With Agliss gone, I was finally alone.

The room itself was dark except for a single lit candle that rested on the desk across from the bed. The bed was a rather nice looking one that sat on an ornate frame. I walked to the desk and grabbed the candle before making my way to the bed. Today had been a long day and I would love nothing more than to go to sleep.

As I approached the bed, I noticed a large lump under the covers. It looked as if someone was sleeping there. Very slowly, I reached for the covers and began to pull them back. I inched the covers closer and closer to the lump until one more inch would reveal what laid underneath. In one swift pull, I yanked the entire cover off the bed to reveal the one underneath. With wide eyes, I backed away from the bed realizing what was laying there.

"Why weren't you there for me, Zhane?" said the thing as it started to shift. "Why weren't you there to protect me? I thought we were friends?"

I backed father away from the bed until I hit the wall. With nowhere left to go, I stood there in fear.

"We were in it together, through the thick and thin." said the thing as it stood and started to walk closer and closer. Slowly, the light of the candle started to reveal the thing. A faded green coat, scars everywhere, wings with frayed feathers. It was Poison Spectre.

"Why did you let me die, Zhane?" she asked as I noticed the blood that covered parts of her body.

"You're not real." I said as I continued to sink further into the wall. "You're dead, there's no way you're real."

"Why did you let me die, Zhane?!" yelled Poison Spectre as her voice increased slightly.

"I didn't let you die!" I replied. "It was Dark Wing's fault you died! He was the one that sent those goons to kill you!"

"Why did you let me die, Zhane?!" said Poison Spectre as she was practically yelling.

"I mourned for you! I avenged you!" I yelled back. "Why are you doing this?" There was no pause from Spectre.

"WHY DID YOU LET ME DIE, ZHANE!" she yelled loud enough for me to drop my candle and cover my ears. Once the candle hit the floor, it went out and left me in complete darkness.