Assassination

Prologue:

    Rain poured down on the city of Los Pegasus. A hooded stallion stepped out of the alley and looked down the empty cobblestone streets. The stallion galloped towards the tavern and quickly ducked inside. Tables were arrayed in one half of the room, and on the other side of a wide aisle was a bar, on the other side of the room was a staircase up to the second floor, where the rooms were. The stallion walked over to the bar and called over the bartender.

    “I’ll take the second strongest mead you have,” said the stallion. The bartender went into the backroom and came back a moment later with a pint of mead in a tall wooden flagon. The bartender set it down in front of the stallion and began washing down the counter.

    “I ain’t never seen you ‘round here before, what business do ya’ll have in Los Pegasus?” said the bartender with an accent that suggests that he was raised in Dodge City. The stallion took a sip of his drink and set it down before replying.

    “I’m looking for information. I was told this was the place I could get it,” said the gruff voice of the stallion.

    “You got that right. What sort of information ya’ll looking for?” said the bartender, leaning in closer.

    “I’m looking for someone. Probably got a room here two days ago. Doesn't come down for meals,” said the stallion, taking a long draft of mead.

    “I know who your talkin’ ‘bout, but its goin’ ta cost ya’,” said the bartender. The stallion slid two bits across the counter.

    “He’s here, but I seem to be forgetin’ what room he’s in,” said the bartender, testing the reality of the bits. The stallion slid three more bits over the counter.

    “He’s in room four, but I can’t give you the key, and that drink is goin’ ta cost ya’ five bits,” said the bartender, reaching out to the stallion’s coin purse. The stallion raised his hoof to the bartender’s neck and extended his hoof-blades. The bartender dropped to the floor like a ragdoll. The stallion reached over the counter and grabbed the key off its ring. He got up and walked over to the stairs.

    “What are you looking at?” he shouted at the other patrons and they went back to their conversations. The stallion climbed the stairs and opened the door to room four. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but after a minute he could make out a shape eating something from a bowl, the bowl had what appeared to be something that sparkled, but it could have been the little bit of light reflecting off of something.

    “So you got my note?” said a deep voice from the figure across the room. A loud crunch sounded as he ate another of the items in the bowl.

    “Yes, my association and I are willing to accept your contracts,” said the stallion.

    “Good, and remember, all four of them, and the others. Here is the amulet,” the figure threw a necklace at the stallion, but the stallion caught it, “Remember, it will only activate after they are all dead.” The stallion turned around and left the room. But he reentered a moment later.

    “Is this the only-” he stopped, the window was open, he lit a candle but the figure was gone. In the middle of the room lay the bowl, sparkling blue.

    “But why would he want them dead?” thought the stallion. He left the room and slipped out the window on the other side of the hall. He ran across the rooftops till he reached the train station. He jumped inside just as the train departed.

    The stallion left the train as it rolled into the station in the badlands. The pony police were waiting at the station to catch him. He jumped onto a ledge overlooking the station. He turned around and pushed a rock on the wall. A secret passage opened in the rock, and the stallion entered. The door closed behind him, but the passage was still light because of the torches on the wall. The stallion pushed back his hood, revealing deep blue eyes, a black mane and black hair. He walked down the hall and threw his cloak into one of the adjoining passageways, landing neatly on a hook. The cloak gone revealed black robes with a blue insignia on the front. He reached the end of the passage and entered a large open cavern.

    “Welcome back, Balisong,” said one of the other ponies in the room, “How’d it go?”

    “Well, Bowie, let me put it this way,” said Balisong, “Assemble the team, we have a job to do."

     A little while later, Balisong stood before his team. Bowie, the planner; Athame, the unicorn; Lockback, the cannon-fodder; Ulu, the seducing female earth pony; and himself, the ring leader.

     "Why'd you bring us here, boss?" asked Lockback.

     "We have a job to do," answered Balisong, "to kill the princess and the final wielders of the elements of harmony." The team smiled and rubbed their hooves together, anticipating the reward.