The five of them stood still in frozen tableau for several minutes, studying each other. Twilight's mind racing, but to no avail. She could not focus upon a course of action. Following the lead of her teachers, she merely stood her ground, regarding the two figures, trying to ignore the crossbows leveled at them.

Finally one of the visitors spoke.

"Oh...oh my, Kodiak, um we didn't think you'd be here as well." came a very low and meek voice.

Surprisingly this was addressed to Twilight.

"Yeah, what she said Kodi!" Celestia let loos a growl, "Not going to introduce my sister and I to your compatriots?"

"I er..." Twilight was at a loss.

"Oh, is that how it is!" the louder of the two assassins was suddenly in her face, magenta eyes glared from a face coated with cyan fur. Rainbow hair peeked out from under the hood of the cloak. "Perhaps he...or rather she decided to conveniently forget her partners!"

"Oh...that couldn't be," said the first, stepping forward, the light revealing a semi pale yellow face, long flowing pink locks pouring from her own hood into the firelight. "I mean, you wouldn't do that would you? We're friends! Dear friends, she'd never forget our names...its...Fluttershy...and uh Rainbow Dash, just in case you did."

Twilight almost had to lean, a feat made difficult by the assassin in front of her. This yellow one, was ever so silent in her speech.

"Don't tell her that! She's the traitor, not us, now everyone knows who we are!" shouted the cyan one, turning to level a glare at her partner who quickly retreated into her cloak. "And you, ditching us like that, some loyal friend you are, sticking with us, form the tart, to the end huh, taking the loot huh, I oughta buck your head inside out and toss you in the fire!"

"Oh don't to that Dashie!" said Fluttershy.

As much cringing and shouting as was going on, the two never wavered in their aim, those crossbows firmly aimed at them. In Twilight's case, the cyan one, Rainbow Dash was uncomfortably close.

Quickly thought Twilight was beginning to get the picture. The one that was roasted alive, he must have been, or she must have been friends with these two, and now they thought she was her, or him, running away with the treasure. These most certainly had to be the changelings, the ones she was assured would be long behind us, if not dead.

"Dear me, please, let us have some peace!" said Celestia. "It is with great pleasure that I..."

She stopped as the point of the cyan ones crossbow now pocked her nose.

"I don't really care who you are," she intoned, "I'll give you a good hint, butt out! This is a private matter between three friends!"

"Oh please Dashie, don't do that!" said Fluttershy.

"Stop calling me Dashie, we had code names for a reason!" came the heated reply.

"But...but I can't remember supercalifragilisticawesomehardcore hunter!" was the whimpering answer.

"That's SuperCaliFragilisticAwesomeHardcore Hunter, sheesh we went over it like a hundred times!"

"Oh, but we might be acting a bit rudely."

"Seriously? We're assassins, who the buck cares!"

"But according to the guild, a courtesy must be offered to the soon to be departed," she replied.

Twilight visibly sweated, growing pale in the face.

"Er...thank you Fluttershy," Twilight whimpered.

"Oh your welcome, I'd hate to come between friends and not follow the rules properly!" she smiled, aiming her crossbow at Twilight. "I promise I'll make sure it doesn't hurt to badly, but the guild does say that suffering must come as a price."

"Whatever, I'm going to get our troubling friend, you all keep right here or else!" a set of wings fanned out from under the cloak, lifting the now revealed pegasus into the air.

Celestia gave a small tut at this realization, having now understood why it was so easy for these assassins to follow them.

"Oh let me help, I would hate to be here all alone."

"Oh for crying out loud, what about them?"

"Them? Oh I think they'll be happy to wait for us, its only polite!"

"Oh sure, and why should they be polite."

"Well, your a sure shoot, and they wouldn't see us out here in the dark of the night, waiting for them to make their move...right? I mean...you know... if they believe us."

"Fine, come on and help me. You all!" she gestured to the trio. "Don't even think about moving!"

With that the two figures faded into the dark, silent like the wind that they most likely had ridden in upon.

"What are we going to do?" whispered Twilight.

"We're going to leave." began Luna when she suddenly froze.

Her eyes were locked to a set of very turquoise eyes were glaring at her, freezing her whole body.

"Don't you dare!" came the suddenly terrifying voice of the meek pegasus, floating before the alicorn. "You even think about leaving and I'll rend you to pieces! Your wings will adorn my mantle and your horn will be the pipe from which I shall smoke your ashes! Bones will break and be gnawed upon, marrow sucked out, and your horse shoes will adorn my door frames, a sign of my fortune and your loss if you even move from this site! Are we clear!"

The last of these words were shouted out loud, gusts of verbal wind blowing through the alicorns mane.

Luna nodded, very slowly, and very quietly. As did Celestia, and Twilight. Too afraid to cross the pegasus whom quickly turned back and began to enter the dark of the night.

"Oh...um...please don't leave...okay!" she said before fully vanishing.

It was a few moments silence as Celestia thought, slowly but surely a grin grew upon her face and she leaned over to her sister. Whispering a scheme which also drew a smile from her face.

"Pegasus, both of them...excluding that most recent...feat of fear, we are in luck!" said Celestia.

Twilight merely thought everyone here was insane.

"Celestia...their going to kill me!" she nearly cried out.

"Relax, pegasus are known for loyalty, something we can work in our favor!" she cooed. "Loyalty can be a boon and a weakness, watch and learn Twilight dear."

She cocked her head as Luna whispered.

"Their coming back."

"When I give the signal." Celestia fanned out her wings. "Drop the disguises."

From within the dark, the flapping of wings could be heard, along with the soft grunts and the sound of rope straining.

"I thought you'd said they'd be...oh...my." Twilight froze.

The firelight illuminated the assassins third compatriot, in all her stone glory. Details of armor and a very familiar stetson came to light.

Applejack sat woodenly astride a makeshift board which held her in place. Staring at a fixed point ahead, fore hooves raised almost in salutation. Reflections of light glinted off her face as though she were glass and Twilight nearly shrieked in terror at the site of the once battle hardened mare, now turned to stone.

Any confidence the unicorn had, quickly left her in a rush. Gullible did not seem a trait among these two Pegasi, and they definitely played for keeps.

"And who may I ask is that?" Celestia sat up straighter, wings at the ready.

Twilight realized she had nearly shown recognition to the statue, and played off the shock as to having been caught.

"Time later for that!" grunted Rainbow Dash. Dropping her end of the rope, a yelp rose form Fluttershy as it yanked her down. In a flash the crossbow was back in her hooves, aimed at Twilight.

"First, explanations from Kodi, then ventilation! I'll have you flatter than a piece of paper in ten seconds flat!"

"Ladies! Ladies please!" Celestia through stern glance towards Luna and Twilight to make sure they'd keep silent. "It is rude to have not introduced myself, and of course, my sister! If you'd allow me."

Her wings fanned out, as did Luna. Twilight for her part, took it as a sign and released the disguise spell from the alicorns.

Twilight didn't know what kind of reaction the two would have at the transformation, but the one she got far surpassed any that she was expecting.

"By Faust!" gasped Rainbow Dash, nearly dropping her crossbow.

"Oh...oh my! Oh...oh...I stared at one of them too!" whimpered Fluttershy in fear. "Oh I'm such a loud mouth!"

"A Sunny side up and a Lunatic!"

"Ahem...that's Solarian, and Lunarian thank you very much!" said Celestia with a stern glare.

"Sunny side?" whispered Twilight.

"Later." muttered Luna.

"Yes sir!" the two pegasi chorused loudly in unison.

Slacked jawed, crossbows dangling, and wings limp. From their terrified reactions, Twilight began to suspect that despite all their bragging, the two alicorns were truly something, or rather were hiding many things about themselves and their dimensions reputation.

Celestia smiled, curling her wings back and taking a seat.

"Now, since we've established that, do put away those silly toys and let us be civil."

She gestured impatiently and they hastened to comply.

"But...but how, why? What brings you here?" babbled Rainbow Dash. "If... you don't mind my asking...that is...if its okay with you."

Twilight wanted to giggle at the cyan ones mirror initiation of the yellow ones meekness, but thought better of it. Those bolts could still kill.

"Well, there lies the story!"

Twilight settled back against a convenient log, knowing full well this was going to take awhile.

Celestia spun a tale of pomp and wonder, in some regards similar to what was shared with Applejack, in others, completely fibbing, though altogether both tales were merely made up lies, cleverly disguising the trio.

"So Star Swirl summoned us, why he would I could hardly say, I've never much cared for the dumb beast. Seems he was seeking our support against some problem of his. Of course he'd grown impatient and began making insults, sadly for us, he had made sure to ward the summoning circle, ready to entrap my sister and I, when along comes Kodiak, crossbow at the ready. 'Discord sends his regards' said she before planting a bolt into him. Fortune was truly their for her as she dodged a deadly bolt of fire, roasting a nearby changeling whom we assumed was in allegiance to Star Swirl."

Celestia acknowledged Twilight with an airy wave. Twilight for her part tried to look modest.

"A changeling! Dodging fire!" Rainbow Dash was in Twilight's face again, "And that was the best line you could come up with! Lame!"

"Calm down young pegasi. Naturally we felt we owned some small favor to this young unicorn, I take it she's always been one?"

"Of course, er just not so purple...or with the horn...actually I knew you could do magic but I thought...that...well actually this makes sense...who knew, I thought she was a pegasus!" said Dash.

"It...does explain her abilities to hide," whimpered Fluttershy, folding under Luna's glare. "She...he...er..."

"I am a girl."

"Er...she was always top of the class in disguises. Normally we are all pegasi!"

"That is beside the point. So Kodi decides it is in her interest to share with us her reason for being there!"

Twilight had to admire the sleek design of the crossbow. Its pristine latch, the box which held its ammo, resting atop a finely polished teak and mahogany handle. Sharp bolts of deadly steel, its tip again resting on her nose.

"You told them!" fumed Dash, "About our assignment, seriously Kodi!"

"OH and wouldn't you!" snarled Twilight, eyes flicking to both Luna and Celestia.

"...Right...I forgot...um." her glance darted back and forth between the two alicorns as she lapsed into respectful silence.

"Anyway." said Luna, seemingly latching on to Celestia's tale. "We had felt that fortune was owed to this Discord, and it would prove most beneficial to greet and commend him for his fortunate assistance to our plight."

"You...could have waited." whispered Fluttershy.

"I...I wanted to...but."

"We felt it a waste of time to terry, not when there was so much to accomplish." interrupted Luna. "You know that our time is of value, to waste it, is to wrong us."

"Yes sir..."

"Ma'am."

"Yes ma'am!" the near subtle squeak was almost heart wrenching to Twilight who averted her gaze from the whimpering pegasus.

"Maybe..a message could have been left for us?"

"We did leave one, it was on that fools ring."

Celestia gestured to Fluttershy's hoof where it was adorned with that very familiar item.

"Oh, its not a message ring." she said. She flexed her hoof and a gout of flames erupted from it, followed by the shriek of her partner as it enveloped her. "Oh..oh I"m so sorry Rainbow Dash!"

"Well we would like it back, it is most assuredly owed to us for time wasted as is!" Luna caste an icy glance at the pegasus as she extracted a small medical kit, dabbing at the burn wounds that peppered the cyan mare.

"Thanks Fluttershy." growled Dash, wincing at each dab of ointment.

Fluttershy merely kept quiet, hoofing over the ring to Luna who quickly equipped it onto her right hoof. She seemed to have taken note on its activation from Fluttershy, smiling all the while.

"Well now that we've sorted out this confusion," Celestia pointed a hoof at Applejack, "Who is that?"

"Not really sure." said Dash through her bandages.

"Its...puzzling really." Fluttershy agreed. "She came over the corner while we...or rather Dash was looking over your tracks."

"Yeah, like three days back! We came over this hill and this crazy mare begins swinging her blade wildly at us! Wanna know the weird thing?" Dash took on a thoughtful expression. "She had shouted 'The D was right!' before attacking."

"The D...not...not Discord?" Twilight furrowed her brow.

"I know right!" Dash kicked a nearby rock, "How dare that two timing son of a muck eater try to pull a fast one over us! Anyhow she whipped out this sword shouting 'Behold the implement of your doom!'"

"Sword?" said Luna. trying not to snigger

"Well it was a piece of junk really, but we couldn't hurt her."

"Assassins aren't taught how to wound," chimed in Fluttershy. "It was lucky I still had a cockatrice bead, other wise things would have been bad for all three of us."

"Been dragging her about ever since," Dash leveled a lewd smile at the statue, "Got a nice flank if you ask me, bout the only thing other than questioning that makes it worth carrying it around."

"Wise, a very wise solution, she does have quite the toned muscles," noted Luna. "Wiser still to question why this D...if it is Discord, would want to higher a demon hunter to remove you as well. Troubling we say."

"Bet that flank really-"

"Rainbow Dash!" squeaked Fluttershy from behind her mane. "That's too much!"

"Oh fine."

"How did you catch up with us?" queried Twilight.

"Oh it wasn't easy, honestly we got help from a town not far from here!" Dash flexed her forelegs, "Got muscle, that's for sure, but even then, its kind of a burden lugging this thing around...nearly did lose you actually."

"Yes, we really did want to reunite with you!" Fluttershy chimed in.

"Heck ya, uh to share in the reward that is!" coughed Dash. "So came to one of them Gehenna Goats, talked a bit, and had him drop us close enough to get the drop...to invite ourselves into your company!"

"A goat? Here?" said Celestia.

"Sure, Grant, the goat at the town of Twit..." suddenly Dash glared at Twilight, crossbow back in her hooves, Fluttershy doing so as well. "I'm surprised Kodi, didn't want to share that with them? Seeing that you were the one who introduced us to him!"

Author's Note

Whew brains fried I think.