A Hidden War

"So Lunar Shade, what do you think of Ponyville so far?" Twilight asked the the ebony pegasus next to her.

"Hmm....." Shade pondered as they walked towards the market. "From the perspective of an assassin, the buildings don't offer any kind consistent crowding to offer get aways, the streets are too wide, and there are too many open areas."

Twilight folded her ears back at hearing this. "Why think about the environment when you can think about the ponies?" Twilight momentarily stopped talking to Shade as they approached one of the many vendors in the market.

"Miss Twilight Sparkle, it's been a while since we've seen each other." The beige earth pony said behind the counter.

"It certainly has Time Turner. I was wondering if you had that clock I asked for yet."

"Remind me again, it was the Pre-banishment clock with the Princesses, right?"

"That's the one."

"Ah yes. That'll be 150 bits."

As Twilight pulled out a rather large bit purse, Time Turner pulled a very large and ornate clock out from the back of his stall, revealing a rather elegant masterpiece of time. The sides were made out of a deep brown oak, while the glass on the front was frosted, slightly hiding the pulleys inside of the clock. Near the top of the clock, there stood two figures representing the Princesses, one looked as though she was sleeping while the other was standing proudly.

"Here you go Time Turner." Twilight said as she levitated the bag of bits towards the earth pony.

"Thank you Miss Twilight Sparkle, The clock will be delivered to your home shortly."

As the two continued onwards to the next vendor, Twilight tried to restart her conversation with Shade.

"So, Shade, why would you think about your surroundings rather than the ponies?" Twilight asked the pegasus mare, who at the moment was glancing over the various vendors and stalls.

"Hm?"

Twilight sighed as she repeated her question. "I asked why do you think about your surroundings instead of the ponies?"

After hearing Twilights question, Shade furrowed her brow as she thought of a way to phrase her answer. "It's not that I don't think about them, it's just that....:" Shade sighed before continuing. "I make sure to exclude them not on preference, but because of the life I have chosen."

"What do you even mean by that?" Twilight was puzzled by this answer, not just by how it was phrased but by what it meant.

"Say, I build a relationship with a local pony in enemy territory." Shade explained, continuing after watching Twilight nod her head as they approached a familiar apple cart. "At first, the benefits would be plentiful. A place to hide and live, a safe place to plan, and overall the happiness of having a friend. But then say our enemy found out, and the next thing you know..." She quickly extends her left wing forwards, imitating a blade slicing through something. "Only death will remain." Twilight shuddered as Shade folded her wing, the two finally reaching the apple cart.

"That sounds awful."

"What sounds awful Twi?" Twilight slightly recoiled in shock from the intrusion of her friend Applejack.

"Applejack! Don't scare me like that." Twilight told the apple farmer, which just gave her a blank expression for an answer.

"Yer standin' at ma cart, Twi." Twilight blushed slightly at the very obvious fact she had missed, causing Applejack to lightly chuckle. "Jus' like you. Focused more on a conversation than the world round' ya." Applejack then turned to the ebony mare standing right next to Twilight, her eyes narrowing as her mood turned sour while she sized up Shade. "But why with a pony like her, I don't rightly know."

Shade just put on a fake smile as she looked at the apple farmer, a trait she had learned early in her years of being an assassin. "Why Miss Applejack, I though we were friends after I saved you."

" And then ya tried to get ma friend's n' I killed!" She shouted as quietly as possible, although it still caused a few passing ponies to stare. "If we weren't supposed to be trained by you, I woulda kicked ya outa town."

" Oh, so you would expect a bunch of ponies, which have never fought before, to run out a highly agile, dangerous, and alert assassin out of town?" Shade looked at the shocked, and yet confused expression Applejack had on her face as she extend her wing, preening it. "That's what I thought." With a swift swing forward, a barely noticeable silvery shine surrounded her outermost primary, before she folded her wing back against her. "I hope you have a wonderful day, Miss Applejack."

While this was happening, Twilight just stood there with a dumbfounded expression, her competence on the situation having already faded. "W-Well I think we'll be going Applejack. Bye!" Twilight sheepishly grinned as she quickly walked away with Shade, nervously glancing at said pegasus as they walked.

"Hmph. Someponies." Applejack said as she bit into an apple, but was surprised when all she felt was air. Looking down at the fruit of her own labor, she saw that the entire top half had been severed by something very sharp, and very thin. "But.....but how?" She looked around her cart for an explanation until a scowl crossed Applejacks face, her gaze returning to the black pegasus that was walking off.

As Shade and Twilight continued on their trek through the towns market, Twilight couldn't help but feel a little bit on edge due to what had happened. She didn't even know what to say. What would I start with? Lovely weather we're having, and how's the death glares between you and two of my friends been going? Twilight thought to herself as they stopped at various vendors. But finally, Shade was the one to break the ice.

"Your friend seemed to be very aggressive towards me." The ebony assassin said as she idly gazed at the passing ponies.

" W-well what would you expect from her? Just to forgive after that little stunt at your HQ?" the lavender alicorn said, her eyes darting back and forth nervously.

"That is understandable. Hopefully the others aren't as troublesome."

"They really aren't going to be. But Fluttershy might be a bit scared of you."

Shade lightly frowned as her eyes saddened. " I am truly sorry for hurting such a gentle mare. She seems as if she couldn't even hurt a fly."

"She really couldn't. But either than her, only Pinkie Pie seems to be happy about you being here. Well, besides Rarity for obvious reasons." Twilight giggled at the thought of Rarity swooning over Shades robes.

The ebony pegasus chuckled at the mention of Rarity. "She does seem to be the type of mare that's into fashion design."

" It is her profession you know."

The two of them continued to walk and were soon heading towards Sugarcube Corner, that is until Shade heard the faintest of sounds.

"Did you hear something Twilight?"

"No, why?"

Shade swiveled her ears every way she could until her acute hearing picked up on the sound again. But the sound she heard troubled her.

"You know what? I'll explore a bit on my own Twilight. I'll see you at Sugarcube Corner later."

" Um, alright?" Twilight was a bit confused on why Shade wanted to explore the town. I could've just given her an accurate and detailed presentation of the notable places of Ponyville back at the library. She thought to herself as she entered her friends workplace. Oh well. I can just give it to her later.

Shade could now hear the sound more accurately as she neared the alley it was coming from. The very thing she wished she would never hear, but that was a foolish thought. As Shade entered the alley, she shivered as she heard the sound again.

The sound of a foal crying.