Making a Living

"So Mr. Nightshade was it I just need you to tell me a little bit about your self so we can get a better idea of what happened last night."  I looked blankly at the pony talking to me and dropped my head to my chest as I started to laugh.

"Um, I'm sorry did I miss something funny that I said?"  He asked me looking very confused.  I looked back up to him and stared blankly behind him to the pony sitting in the shadow's behind him.

"No..."  I said not taking my eye off the pony in the shadow.  "... It's what you are doing that is funny."  He looked at me still confused.  "You have me chained up to a wall and are trying to make small talk with me as you sip on tea.  I just find it quiet funny that you are so calm and don't see me as a threat unlike the one in the corner."  He looked behind him in surprise for he must have not known that there was another stallion in the room.  Although with me mentioning him and that his cover was now blown he walked out into the light and I could see who it was.  He gave me a sly smile for he knew me almost as well ass I knew him.  He was a tall earth pony with a dark gray mane with a white streak in it.  His main body color was a bright shiny black and his cutie mark was an ink quile.

"Sorry to interrupt but you seem to have a most important client of mine and I do believe that you are in grave danger my friend."  He said as he walked over to the table and pored a cup of tea for him self.

"Wait!  You know this changeling and say he his your client?"  He asked now very confused.

"Oh yes I do, for I am the one who employ's him and he is very important to me."  He said in response to the very confused looking stallion at the other side of the table.

"Well mister..."

"Penson White."  He said

"Well then Mr. Penson may I ask what it is that your ... client does for you?"  Asked the stallion with a very curious look on his face and even leaned a little bit closer to him anticipating his response.

"He kill's for me.  He is an assassin and he works for me."  The stallion almost fell backwards at what Penson had said to him.  He then looked at me and I could smell the large amount of fear radiating off of him and I lit my horn with a small spell to pull the fear to me.  His fear hit my horn and then flowed through the rest of my body giving me a worm feeling that filled my insides and gave me renewed energy.  I then gave a sly smile of satisfaction as I was now strong enough to change my form and did so without hesitation.  I turned my self into a small parasprite as it was my favorite disguise to use but then turned back to my true form as I was now free from the chains.  I then walked over to the table and sat down at the end for there was no more chair's that I could use.  Te stallion that was suppose to be interrogating me gulped and pushed his chair back a little bit.

"I'm sorry but would you be as so kind as to pour me a little tea as well?"  I asked trying to be formal or civil which ever it was that the stallion before me tried to call him self.  He nodded and soon gave me a glass of warm tea.  I took a sip and found that with a little pleasure he had snuck some whisky in the tea for him self at some point for I could taste the sweat alcohol.  "So you wanted to know something about me yes?"  The stallion nodded his head and tried to position himself in the chair again.

"Um yes that is if it is ok with you..."  He trailed off for he still felt threatened by me and I could still smell the fear he had for me and was content on letting him deprive me of my favorite meal.  I slammed my hoof on the table and in doing so made the stallion jump out of is skin.

"Oh it is quite fine with me as long as you keep feeding me..." I said trailing off trying to look more menacing than I really was and to my surprise it worked for a large amount of fear was now coming from him.

"Yes um right ... My first question for you is why do you look so different from the changelings we saw in Canterlot during the attack?"  He said and pulled out a note pad to write down everything that I said.

"That is simple.  First off I am from a different hive than that of the one that attacked your little city.  That is why I am purple and my flames are not green like those who attacked as well.  How ever my mane is different for another reason all together.  You see I am an assassin as you already know and am of different class and level than that of a soldier.  The soldiers is small and can fit a helmet very well and naturally grows that way do to blood line, same concept apply's for mine with blood line.    I have the three spike's that look similar to a dragon's but the third comes down and forms a circle then from there two more rows appear, but they are no different from a soldiers.  In my hive and other's as well different mane style's are used to identify a changeling's job in the hive may it be a nurse to a stalker."  He stopped me.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but what do you mean by stalker?"  He asked still writing in his notes and barley lifting his head to make brief eye contact.

"I am of stalker class.  A stalker in my hive is either a spy or an assassin maybe even both.  Is that good enough for you?"  I asked.  He put down his writing and looked at me with a small smile.

"Oh yes this is excellent information for my research you see we had thought that there were more than just one kind of changeling but we had no proof no evidence!  This is great!  Oh and my next question if I might add?"  He asked in a very curious tone.  I decided to save my breath and simply nodded to him.  "In pure curiosity how long have you been an assassin and what is your um record per say?"

"I have been an assassin for two years three weeks and five day's.  I have had over three hundred contracts during this time and have completed all of them in some shape or form.  Over all I have killed seven hundred and forty six individuals and have spared three hundreds and two of them for I will not kill until after I talk to my prey.  I do this for two reasons.  First I do not know if the person I am killing is deserving it or if some'ling just wanted to get rid of them.  There for I question them and if they can convince me I will go back and hear the story of the contractor again.   If there is a mistake or a slip in the story that leads me to think they lied to me or portrayed me as a fool I cut their throat.  Second I love to scare my victims and make them beg for mercy but my favorite hing to do is that I record the audio of their death and make sure they confess everything to me so that I may leave it with their body.  However I do not always kill them some times I will just tie them up and leave their confession tape with them after calling the guard's to the location.  Is that the answer that you where looking for?"  I asked looking up at the stallion who I figured to be a researcher of some kind and found is mouth wide a gape but was still writing.  I couldn't help but laugh at this and by doing so he came to.

"Oh um right yes thank you that was um great information but I think that I have overstayed my welcome and will be leaving now if you don't mind."

"Not at all..."  I replayed.  "But I don't know dear Penson here."  The stallion turned just in time to see Penson bring a  large rock down on his head knocking him out cold.

"Ok we can go now take his form so we may leave."  Said Penson

"No it's fine I have some thing's that I need to take care of if you don't mind me saying."  He then bore a sly smile.

"Just don't forget to come by and visit me on Saturday at five pm.  I don't want you being late again because you missed a lot of stuff last time Nightshade."

"Yes sir."  I said in a very joking manner.  We both gave out a little laugh before he turned to me again.

"But Nightshade I do wish for you to be careful for I need you and I am still looking into the thing that you asked of me.     I will tell you what information that I have uncovered then but for now go home and get some rest but don't get caught again please."  He said and I knew that he meant well for I could feel his love for me.  It wasn't a normal love that he had for me it was just in between brotherly love and father son love and the two taste and smell very similar.  I nodded to him and then turned into a parasprite once again and flew out the window into the black of night.

The cool night air felt good against my skin as I flew above the small town of Ponyville.  I looked down as I flew over and was taken back by the view of lights and colors that the night brought with it.  I then landed in a back ally and turned into my usual alter ego.  A black Pegasus with a gray and purple mane and my cutie mare a black stare but outlined in white so it is quiet viable.  Most changelings like to make their alter ego's hard to remember but I say buck that I do what I want.

I then walked into the bar and took the last open seat at the bar.  I motioned for a drink and put seven bits down and was given my favorite drink ... a tequila sunrise.  Some say that it is a drink for female's but I say they are wrong for it is a very good drink and bliss was the one who showed me it.  There was also th-

“Don’t ya get cross with me, mister. I won’t stand for ya yappin’ at such fine customers.”  I turned to see the bartender Lucky yelling at Diflex another changeling that is living in Ponyville.  I have been watching him for a little while in case I may ever need him or just for the knowledge of knowing him.  From what I know he is a heavy drinker and has been here for about four years but that's it.

“Oh, he really wasn't sir. I came in and bothered him first.”  I then turned to notice a pink mare sitting adjacent from Diflex and if my memory is correct she is Berry Punch.

“Didya now? Because, I seem to recall this stallion tellin’ you to shut yer yapper straight to your face ma'am, and I won’t stand for it!”  Lucky was now talking again and was not being any nicer to him.  I felt bad for him because I know he has problem's although I do not know what they are life is hard for him.  I could see that he was now done with the situation and was ready to leave.

  “Alright Lucky, I think it’s about time you ‘shut yer yapper’ as you so eloquently put it.”  He then stood up and left the building.  In doing so Lucky retreated back to the bar while Berry just sat there and gingerly sipped on the glass of vodka that Lucky gave her and I could see that she was deep in thought.  I then returned my attention to my drink and quickly swallowed it and exited the bar my self.  I didn't feel that I was safe there any longer and decided to make sure that something bad wasn't going to happen.  Upon exiting the bar I saw Diflex just entering the shadow's and out of my sight but I also saw three guards walking towards the bar.

"Well aren't you one luck basterd Diflex."  I said and started to fly off towards the home I shared with the twin's from the streets.  I would have brought Green too but he didn't survive his head injury's and died in surgery.  But White just disappeared and not even I was able to find her.  I arrived at my home and knocked on the door before entering for I did not know if Berry and Bliss had company over.  As I reached to open the door it flung open and before me stood a young mare.  She was of a darker blue color and going down her leg's it got darker was almost black at her hoof's.  Her mane and tail was gray and had a few tan streaks in them as well.

"Nightshade!"  She said and quickly pulled me inside and closed the door behind her before hugging me tightly and squeezing all of the air out of my lungs and casing my disguise to fail and me to turn back to normal.

"Oh Nightshade your back we where so worried about you when you came back last week."  Berry had come from down from upstairs and joined her sister in the hug.

"C-can't b-breath..."  I could barely manage to speak those words and was surprised when I did.  They both released me from their grip and let me go.  I then sat down to catch my breath and they both sat down next to me Bliss even rested her head against my side.

"We're sorry Nightshade but we where both just so worried about you because you just went missing one day and now you just show up again out of the blue.  What happened Nightshade?"  Berry looked at me with very concerned eyes and Bliss turned and shared the same expression on her face.

"I made a mistake on my last contract when Penson asked me to kill some'ling that had been giving him trouble.  He has given me missions like this before but this time when I got to the location it wasn't a heavily guarded mansion or giant building.  It was a small little house with a small family.  My target was a father of two and by what I could tell he didn't even do anything wrong ..... However when I went in to question him he was nothing more than a some'ling who had just rubbed Penson the wrong way.  I didn't believe him and stabbed him to speak truthfully but in doing so his two children came in to ask him a question and saw me stab him.  They ran out screaming and so not to draw to much attention I had to hold them all up in the living room.  I sat there for thirty minuets getting the story straight and found that I was in the wrong.  I healed his wounds the best I could and then left.  I then went to the closest bar and drank.  I drank until I passed out and then drank some more in hopes that I would die.  I ended up drinking so much that I couldn't keep up my disguise and was taken to the jail and I've been there for a week and all the time thinking of the things Penson has made me do.  I still can't forget the look that the two fillies had on their face's as they watched me stab their father..."  Both Bliss and Berry then started to try and comfort me but it did them no good for I could no longer be cheered up.  I then walked up to my bed and curled up into a ball deep underneath the covers and started to do something I hadn't done in over two years.  I cry'ed.

I awoke a few hour's later for I could not sleep yet this is normal for me since I didn't take any sleeping medication again.  I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom and almost tripped over Berry and Bliss as they slept on the floor.  This is partly do to us only having the one bed and I got to it before them so they took the spot on the floor where I usually sleep.  However jumping over their sleeping bodies I managed to over shoot the stairs and fall down them hitting every step on the way down.  I When I recovered from the fall I looked to see that Berry and Bliss where still sleeping and so I decided to just give up there and go for a walk.  I didn't bother changing my form for it was far to dark for any'ling to ever tell the difference even from five feet away.  I continued my trek through town and stopped when I got to the library for the light's where still on and I had to be careful to stay in the shadow's.   I then finally made it to my desired location as I slowly entered the under groves of the Everfree Forest.

I looked back and forth as I walked down the path cut through the forest.  I didn't have anywhere I needed to go but simply liked to come to a place that reminds me of the area around my hive.  I don't remember very much about my hive but I do remember that it was consumed by an over grown forest.  The Everfree reminds me so much of my past it brings me fear and joy but I do not know why.  I then took off and flew up to the top of the tree's and sat there looking up into the sky.  Luna's moon was very large and very bright but also engulfed in an array of stars.

"Funny to see you here in a place like this killer..."  I kept my head focused on the moon and didn't care to turn to the voices owner.  I could tell that it was from a female and was not alone for I could hear the buzz of other changelings flying around.  "Hmm did you not hear me whelp?" This time I turned and was caught off guard when I saw four changeling's all of different color and saw that they wore the mark's of a hunter.

"I was wondering how long it would take before they sent bounty hunters."  I said and in response they all laughed.

"You don't get it do you assassin we have been watching you for a long time so we can find your weakness's and we found that you are your own weakness."  Said one of them obviously a male do to the voice but I could not see which one of them said it for the covered their faces.

"Well if you are here to kill me please do so I don't have all night.  Beside's you are late you should have jumped me five weeks ago when you first started to follow me.  By waiting so long I have had the chance to follow you around and find your weakness to me.  I may not know your names but I know your habits.  The four of you where hired by Queen Chrysails and are not to kill me but bring me back to the grouped hive so I may stand on trial for murder, and that one of you is from the red hive.  That you have a personal matter in bringing me back and not wanting me to live for you wish me to die, because I killed Blood Crest.  Your sister..."  With saying that the changeling on the far back then charged me and tried to stab me with a sword.  Although in such a rage his attack's where very easy to dodge and I then tripped him and forced him to the ground.  I help my hoof on the back of his neck and then using both my strength and my magic held him in the light and removed his mask covering his face.  I gave a sly smile as my suspicion's where confirmed when I saw the face of Shard.  I then looked for the other's but could only see their specks fading into the distance.

"You killed her you bastered you killed her in front of the whole council and you even licked her blood from your blade!"

"Is that what you think..."  I said stopping him from speaking again.  "...I have a surprise for you then Shard and you might just rethink your opinion of me.  Why don't we go get a drink and talk..."