Vendetta

Chapters

Chapter One: Reflection
Chapter Two: My Inner Turmoil
Chapter Three: Someone I can Trust
Prologue: Loss and Found

Chapter One: Reflection

I lean against a chimney, overlooking Canterlot with an unwavering gaze, or so I like to think. The target was said to be passing on this street in about ten minutes. Letting out a deep breath, I watched the mist disperse in to the chill night air.

Crouching down, I make sure that my blade is in perfect condition. I hadn't failed an assassination yet, and I wouldn't let this be my first failure. I stroke my hoof along the leather bracer, pressing the catch that thrusted the blade out at an alarming speed. Rubbing a cloth along the metal, I'm satisfied that the blade was not chipped or scratched. Forcing my wrist down, the blade goes back in to the sheath hidden in the bracer. Pulling my wrist back, it comes out again. Perfect. I do the same with the other bracer. Satisfied with the state of my weapons, I close my eyes for a moment, letting my thoughts drift back to when I was a child.

Heh. My childhood wasn’t much. Sure, I had loving parents, a roof over my head, and a dream. What more could a little filly want?

I sigh. How did I get here? How did I go from an innocent little filly to a trained assassin? I ask myself every day.

I remember hitting the floor, and freezing. Did whatever was out there hear me? I grabbed my photo from under the pillow, running over to the closet. I tried really hard not to make any sound as I closed the door. I hid underneath a pile of clothes, and listened as the hoofsteps got closer. I peeked out from between the clothes and through the crack in the door. I could see a shadowy figure in a cloak slowly approaching my bed. Seeing it empty, they looked to the left, where I had gotten out. And on the floor they saw my photo, dropped carelessly on the floor as I ran to my closet. They now knew where I was, but I could not care at that point. I watched in horror as the shadowy figure stomped on my photo, shattering the glass and scattering pieces all around my room. Lines of tears were already streaming down my face, making dark spots on the closet's carpet.

They then turned their attention to the closet. I watched them pad ever closer, and could make out the eyes, tinged just about the same colour as mine. Those eyes narrowed - they had found mine. I trembled as they arrived at the door, and reached for the handle.

More thumping from the living room. More of them? I let out an audible sob. But then, the shadowy figure looked to my door and as soon as they appeared, they were gone through my window, the glass from my window mixing with the glass from my shattered dreams. Hoofsteps came towards the closet, purposeful this time, and opened the door. Two beige hooves shuffled through the pile of clothes and picked me up. I squirmed, bit and clawed, crying all the while. They brought me in to the middle of my room, where there more of these strangely clothed people. They all had clothing matching their coat colours, and the one in beige, after putting me down, started speaking. They pulled their hood back, revealing a mare with a poofy mane of pink and indigo hair with startling turquoise eyes. I had stopped squirming at this point, so stunned that I didn't have any tears left.

"You may not know it, but we saved your life today."

That was obvious enough for me, even in my shaky state.

"That one that killed your parents today is an assassin. We do not know who they are, but we are trying our best to track down and kill them. The people you see around you are also assassins. But you don't need to be afraid of us, because we are assassins of the Sanctuary. We don't kill in cold blood - we kill for a purpose."

I was still shaking from the shock of everything, but I kept myself together, and I couldn't really understand what she was saying, but I got the gist of it. You have no family. We are good. They are bad. A pang of sadness, grief and loneliness hit me as I remembered that my parents were dead. Gone, forever.

"We can't leave you here alone, and we can't bring back your family. But what we can offer is a home. A new family, one where you are understood, loved, and put to use. You will be clothed, fed, and given a roof to reside under. What do you say?" She smiled and held out her hoof.

All those things she was offering.. I had them less than ten minutes ago. I could just go to the orphanage; food, clothing, and a roof over my head would all be provided. But there was one thing she was offering that the orphanage wouldn't.

A purpose. Something clicked then. I realized then that I would never join the Wonderbolts. It's strange - I realized all too well when I was in the closet that dreams don't matter. All that matters is the looming shadow of death that will soon come to take you, no matter what you do to stop it. You have to make friends with death, and what a better way to do so than be his servant. I nodded, and she lifted me up and put me in to the arms of a mint green robed unicorn, who for some reason was walking on two legs. I promptly fell asleep in her arms. It's funny how I fell asleep in the arms of an assassin the night my parents were murdered by one.

It's also funny how fast you mature once everything you love is smashed to bits in a matter of minutes.

I woke up the next morning in a soft warm bed. I looked up, expecting to see sun shining in through my window, and my dad coming in to tickle me like he usually did in the morning. Then the events from the night before came rushing in like an overpowering wave of grief and confusion. But the green one was there to comfort me. She said her name was Lyra, and that everything was all right. She brought me to the beige one, who they called Bon Bon.

From that day forth, I was an assassin. They taught me how to protect myself, and how to quickly dispatch of others. Slowly, the person I was before came back, and I like to think I've never changed from that moment on.

I open my eyes, and see the moon much lower in the sky than I would have liked. I strain my ears, and I can hear the sound of hooves clattering off of the cobblestones down the road, growing ever fainter.

"Ah, buck." I spring up and set off along the rooftops, hopping from roof to roof with remarkable speed, aided by my wings. I see my target start to speed up. They must be nearing their destination! I urge myself to go faster, and give one final leap, clearing 2 buildings at once, and land without a sound. It's then out of the corner of my eye I see a dark figure hustling off in to the darkness down a dark alleyway. I look back at the pony I was following, who looks back at me with a quizzical expression.

"Rainbow, what are you doing in Canterlot late at night? And what's with your new getup? Ahh... I see. Haha, you really need to let the whole Wonderbolts thing go, Dash. You're way beyond them! Anyways, I gotta get back to the castle. I'm visiting the princess, and she wanted me to pick up a few books. Alright, seeya around!" The purple unicorn ran off, not giving me any time to explain myself. Well, she did a lot better job of covering me then I would have done anyways. I'm already making my way towards the alleyway I saw the shadow in.

It's at times like this I love my job. Heh, could it be called a job? Whatever - the cold night air, the wind in my face, and the excitement of the hunt is enough to keep me happy. As I leap over the passage, I see the figure huddled in the shadows. Attempting to hide, so that I might pass by? But wait - I can use this. I keep going past the alleyway for a little bit, making sure to be somewhat loud. Then I backtrack, being quiet this time. I'm rewarded with the figure running down the road with the look of frightened prey.

I run silently across the rooftops, and when I'm close enough, I extend my wings, gliding effortlessly to the point just in front of the target. As I touch down, the figure spins around and attempts to run, but at this point, it's over. I'm on them in under a second, my blade extended and poised to pierce the chest cavity. Thrusting upwards, I hold the target for a couple of seconds. The pony slumps down and is still, and I drop them with a satisfying thump.

I clean my blade quickly and run up the wall of a building, landing somewhat gracefully on the roof. It's a little trick I've been trying to learn. Use the momentum of my legs to stick to the wall, and use my wings to get enough lift to have the illusion of running up the wall. It's very intimidating when I'm facing more than one attacker.

I'm running back to the Sanctuary, when my mind strays to my target, and I asked myself the usual questions. Who were they that they knew that I would be going after them? Were they doing something wrong? I was never told who my targets were before hand, as was custom. Sentiments could not come before the Sanctuary. Dropping down to the street level, I open a door to an abandoned house on the outskirts of Canterlot. I walk over to a bookcase hidden near the back of the house. Pushing one of the books in swings open the bookcase to reveal a stairway leading down in to the darkness.
As I swivel the bookcase back in to place, I hear an audible click. I'm now safe. I begin to walk down the winding stairway illuminated by torches. On the left wall, there are occasional holes in the wall where I can see eyes confirming my presence. The Sanctuary is secure - no attack has ever been successful. Well, it's not as if we have that many enemies - most people know of us as a rumour of cloaked figures in the night, and we like to keep it that way.

I reach the bottom of the stairway and walk into the heart of our Sanctuary. To my left and right are pools of bubbling water, fed by an underground spring. Around the pools are a few new to our order; meditation is very important to us, as it meant complete control over our minds, and therefore our bodies.

I walk over the bridge between the pools and in to a large center area, referred to as the Arena. Personally, I don't think it's much of an arena at all, but it serves its purpose. The ground is worn dirt, with a row of benches all around it. There was the armoury nearby, a small wooden structure that housed our weapons that we weren't carrying. The Arena is where we practice our combat skills. I didn't really need the lessons, as I almost never was in combat with more than one person - I got the single assassinations most of the time. The room itself was made of simple grey cobblestone, but it was bathed gold in the light of the numerous torches set in to the walls.

I see that there is a fight in progress in the Arena - most likely just a practise bout. I pick a seat on one of the benches, next to a unicorn in pure white robes. I cast a glance over at her, and she looks back at me with startlingly red eyes shrouded by a mop of blue hair. She smiles, seemingly as if she were mocking me in her mind, and turns her attention back to the fight. A grey robed pony looks accusingly at me with her violet eyes from the other side of the arena, and I can't help but smile myself - why is she looking at me like that?

I disregard the now seemingly fuming pony and try to concentrate on the fight. This seems to be a friendly match, as the two don't seem to be very aggressive in their attacks. The one in the light orange robes takes a lunge, but the other pony in grey robes leaps out of the way and taps the other on the flank with the blocks of wood we used in place of our blades for Arena matches. Two more hits until the match is over.

The orange one glares at the other with emerald green eyes, and feints to the right. The grey one expects it and twirls in the other direction, but the orange one keeps thrusting and scores a hit on her opponent's chin.

The people seated on the benches give a nod to the pony in orange; she has won. A score on the head means an instant win in the Arena. I give her a pat on the back as she leaves, and notice that she puts her arm around the pony in grey, who looks up at her with sparkling yellow eyes. They walk off to the bed chambers, as do everyone else. It's time to turn in for the night, as most ponies had contracts to get to tomorrow.

I stand up, and the filly I was sitting beside touches me on the shoulder, and I turn around to look at her. Those red eyes convey a kind of childishness most would deem out of place in an assassin.

"Heya! I'm called Vinyl Scratch, and that filly over there givin' you the funny look is Octavia. She kinda... has a thing for me, if you know what I mean. Don't mind her." She looked at me with a puzzling face. "Why the long face?"

I open my eyes a little bit more. They were almost completely closed at this point, I was numb from exhaustion. "Hey Scratch. I'm Rainbow Dash... and I'm just tired, not depressed. So uhhh... you two.. you know..." I smashed my hooves together rather clumsily. "Together?"

She giggled, trying to cover her face with her hoof. "You really are tired. But no, we aren't 'together', as you might think. I was never one for... fillyfooling, I think they call it. I don't really see much in stuff like love anyways. We don't even have time for stuff like that, huh?" She bumped me with her elbow, and I jolted back awake.

"Uhhh, yeah. Listen, I'm falling asleep on my hooves here - I gotta get to bed. Maybe we can talk later? You seem pretty cool."

The unicorn looked delighted. "Yeah! Sounds great! Seeya later Dashie!" The unicorn bounced off, followed by the grey pony, who looked rather dejected as the trotted off.

I tiredly shuffle my hooves across a bridge leading to the bed chambers, a series of small rooms with beds and chests scattered throughout. I get a couple nods from some of the other assassins as I make my way over to a bed. I quickly unclothe, leaving my sky blue robes and bracers in the chest at the front of the bed. I allow myself a little jump in to the bed, wrapping the blanket around me to make sure that no cold air would get in. The Sanctuary got pretty cold at night.

I had forgotten to ask Bon Bon about my target. It didn't matter.. she's probably asleep anyways. I'll ask her later. Closing my eyes, I take a few deep breaths. Sleeping after a contract is sometimes hard, but we've all grown to live with it. I remind myself that I'm going to a picnic with the girls tomorrow. Wouldn't want to miss that... ugh.

Surveying the room last time, I see the orange and grey pony getting in to beds side by side, as well as Scratch and.. Octavia I think it was. I lay my head back. Seriously, fillyfooling? At least Scratch wasn't that stupid. I mean, if we continued at this rate, the pony race would be extinct in the next century! But whatever - I'll just let these things be. I can't understand these things, and ponies will make their own desicions. I was happy with myself for coming to a conclusion as non-offensive as that. Feeling another wave of exhaustion come at me, I lay back.

Rolling over one last time, I close my eyes and dream of a simpler time, one where there wasn't as much conflict in my life.

Chapter Two: My Inner Turmoil

Groggily rubbing my head, I walk out of the Sanctuary just as the sun is starting to peak up over the horizon. Shaking my head, I jump up in to the air and head off to my cloud castle so as to not arouse suspicion from the girls. Watching the sun make its way slowly higher in the sky, my mind drifts to how connected I am to the Sanctuary. Ever since I was a filly, it has been my true home, not the family cloud castle. It was a lot easier sleeping in the Sanctuary than my old home. I never sleep in my own home anymore - it's a place I try to avoid as much as possible. Now that I think about it, not a lot of assassins slept in their own homes - it feels good to be around ponies who you trust.

I touch down on one of the top-most balconies on the cloud castle and lie down on the edge, looking at the rising sun. Spreading wonderful golds and oranges across the horizon, its light begins to creep over Ponyville, slowly illuminating the waking town. I remember, once again, that I have to go to the picnic with the girls, and let out an unrestrained groan similar to that of an injured animal.

I hated being around them. All my life, they and the assassins were the only things that stayed the same in my life. Of course, they never knew of my involvement with the Sanctuary, or even of its existence. So as time wore on, and as the stories of our triumphs over various evils settled down and were eventually forgotten, so were our friendships. I would say that we found "special somepony's." This would be true. And I would also say that we moved apart.

This would be mostly true. For the special somepony's that my friends found were... each other. And it sickened me. As much as I hated to admit it, it hurt me to see my friends together in... that way, no matter how happy they were. Even to this day I wonder if I'm right in my repulsion from that way of thinking.

Am I? Is it right for a filly to be with another filly, and a colt with a colt? My mind automatically says no, but I push my subconscious and try to approach this with as open a mind as possible. I can reason this out.

If two ponies are happy together, is there any reason why they can't spend their life together? Isn't that that truly the question? What is my problem with that?

After a couple seconds of thought, I realize I have no answer.

I can't call this a resolution, and I don't really feel much better about it, but I can kind of understand the motivation for this kind of thing.

Letting out a sigh, I think I'm ready for the day's events. Off in the distance, I see a small shape flapping towards the castle. I fly up to meet the timid pegasus, who always preferred not having to go to other ponies' houses.

"Hey Flutters." I give her a smile, which she returns brightly. "How's Pinkie doing?"

The yellow pegasus perked up. "Oh, we're doing fine. Business has been really good at the bakery, and I have heard rumours that..." She leaned in close to my face. I laughed and pushed her away.

"Fluttershy, if this is a secret, there's nopony around to hear it. Speak freely!"

She sighed. "Alright. I have heard that... Princess Celestia has almost pushed through this one new law so... me and Pinkie are going to get married soon! Isn't this just absolutely wonderful?" Fluttershy was beaming, her eyes radiant enough that I thought that they would burn through me.

Swallowing, I was able to squeak, "That's wonderful, Flutters."

Still keeping the same wide smile, Fluttershy led me to the field where we usually had our picnics. The taste of rain was in the air - it seemed that the picnic wouldn't really be a success. There was barely a cloud in sight, but I had a feeling that we would be going to somepony's house.

Upon arrival, only Twilight and Pinkie were there, and they looked up from their conversation to greet us. Pinkie threw her arms over Fluttershy, and I thought that she would squirm and fly away, but she just hugged her back. I felt a brief pang of loneliness, which I quickly pushed away. I didn't have time for sentiments.

Fluttershy and Pinkie seemed to be.. busy, so I went over to talk to Twilight. I approach the purple unicorn, who was staring at the sunrise, an open book in front of her. "Hey Twi." I say, breaking her out of her daydream.

"Oh... hey Dash." She looks down and starts reading from her book.

I scratch my head. "Umm.. somethin' wrong Twilight? You seem to be kinda.."

"Absentminded? Yeah, I guess you could say that. I've been pretty busy lately."

I'm about to reply when Applejack and Rarity walk in to the field, both bearing huge smiles. Twi tells me that we're going to have to continue our conversation later. After greetings, we settle down in a circle and start catching up. I'm thankful that they have grown accustomed to not hearing much from me, as most of my day was occupied by "cloud-kicking" and "practising to join the Wonderbolts".

"So darling, have you heard that Celestia was considering-"

"I KNOW Rarity! It's super duper awesomely wonderfully amazing!" Pinkie Pie was bouncing with enjoyment, while we were all sitting on the grass under a shaded oak tree.
"I'm assuming that you and Applejack have the same plans as me and Pinkie, no?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Darn right! This little hayseed hasn't kept her mouth shut about it since she heard!" Applejack gave Rarity a light punch on the shoulder.

I look up. True to my prediction, a few clouds have rolled in, and they have started to meld together in to a dark, ominous mass that promised a pretty heavy Spring rainstorm. Fluttershy suggests going over to Twilight's library to wait it out, so we make our way over. We get to the tree just in time to escape the torrential downpour.

After we're all inside I open the door one last time. Sticking the front half of my body out, I shake my hoof and yell "CURSE YOU CELESTIAAA!!!!"

I kind of half meant it. Pulling my sodden body inside, I quickly towel off and walk upstairs, where Twilight is waiting for me. The others have sat down in a circle, and were all talking about Celestia knows what.

Twilight was looking out the window, and the lights were off. I reach my hoof to flick the lights on, but Twilight stops me with a "I would prefer them off, thank you."

I look at the back of her head quizzically. "Twi, is something wrong? I mean it. You seem to be acting really weird."

She turns around, seeming to be wrestling with a thought in her head. Giving her head a gentle shake, she looks up at me. "I've been pretty lonely, is all. Spike... passed away last night."

I gasp. "Twilight... how come we didn't know? Is he.."

"He's buried out back. The princess didn't know what it was, and he just got worse and worse. He moved on in his sleep, if you can find some comfort in that." She looked at me in a way that told me that the subject was finished.

I disregarded the look. "Is that why you were delivering books to Celestia so late at night? Man, you must have been burning the midnight oil trying to... find a cure or something."

Twilight looked a little startled, but regained her composure, looking a little bit annoyed. "Uh, yes. She had me running all over Canterlot retrieving books. But what I want to know is..." She took a step closer to me, a malevolent look starting to creep on to her face. "What were you doing last night when I saw you. I know that you weren't practising for the Wonderbolts... you never are." She caught my eye. "I know things, Dash."

I paled. Did she know about the assassins? But that was silly - how could she? Before I have my answer, which probably wasn't going to be that good, Fluttershy came in. "Um, hi Twilight. Me and Pinkie are going to leave now. Hey Dash, you should come with us! Pinkie made a really good batch of cupcakes this morning, and you really need to try one!"

Twilight started to talk, but I cut her off. "That sounds like an awesome idea, Flutters. I'll be right down." Fluttershy walks back down the stairs.

I nod to Twilight, and start towards the door. She doesn't say anything. Something strange has just been put between us, a wall made of a substance known only to her.

Rarity and Applejack have already left, and I walk out the door with Pinkie and Fluttershy. The entire town seems to have been thrown in to a bucket of water and strewn carelessly aside. I make an excuse about feeling a little bit sick, and fly off in the direction of my cloud castle. Once the two ponies are out of sight, I make my way to the Sanctuary - I heard this morning that Bon Bon wanted to see me about another contract.

The sun is still ascending to its usual place in the sky, but the Spring environment does nothing to brighten my dark thoughts.

How much does Twilight know?

***
I take a street approach to the Sanctuary. I always like to hear the rumours going on in the streets; most of it was half-truth and I felt a smug satisfaction knowing that I normally knew the whole truth.

Today ponies were talking about an unknown stallion being found dead on the streets on Canterlot, with one stab wound in his chest. The authorities have yet to find the killer, but they have assured the public that they will go to whatever lengths to find the assassin. With a small chuckle, I reach the house.

Once back in the Sanctuary, I head over to one of the rooms in the back, where Bon Bon is waiting for me. But I'm not interested in her presence - more the white unicorn lounging asleep on the bench beside the wall. Cocking an eyebrow at Bon Bon, I express my opinion on the filly's attendance. "What's she doing here..."

She laughs. "I knew you wouldn't like this, but this is a two-pony contract."

It's my turn to laugh this time. "I talked to her earlier - I don't really mind. She's cool." I cast another glance at the unicorn, who is just starting to wake up. "So, uhh... what kind of contract is this?"

"I have already filled in Scratch. She can-"
The unicorn snapped out of her catatonic state and looked right at me. "Yep! I'll be tellin' ya once we're on our way - it's just a spying kinda thing. Go get ready, and I'll meet ya outside." And with that, she trotted out of the room. I smirk at Bon Bon, who didn't look very amused at this point.

She gives me a weak smile. "Good luck. You'll need it. She's very... enthusiastic."

Nodding to her, I make a quick stop at my chest, pick up my supplies, and slip them on as I make my way outside. The sun is just starting to make its descent, and the shadows that the buildings cast are elongating. This is my favourite time of day - where the darkness is trying to hide me from any that might be looking for me.

Looking around, I see Vinyl waving at me. I put my forehoof on my face. She really needed to get better at being covert - luckily nopony is around to see us. I beckon her and start to walk down the road, but she stops me. "Aren't ya gonna go by roof? It's way quicker, and I can keep up with your wings, trust me."

I sigh. "I like being unseen. I would go by roof, and I bet you could keep up with me, but I don't really want to attract attention, seeing as we're about to go spy on somepony."

"Come on... nopony is around to see us anyways. It's a hot Saturday afternoon, and everypony will be at the park or at home. We'll avoid the parks! Come on!" She holds out her hoof, and a hook flies out and latches on to a chimney on one of the nearby buildings. All of the non-winged assassins are equipped with a sharpened grappling hoof that takes the place of their second blade, but can stilled be used for combat. She runs up the wall and lands on the roof. "You coming?"

I don't mention to her that we'll be running on ponies' houses, but follow her anyways. We set off along the rooftops, and I realize that almost nopony is on the streets, just as Scratch said. She has a nack for these kinds of things, I guess. We make quick time, and she keeps up with me just fine, much to my surprise. After a while, I signal for her to move slower, and we start walking side by side.

"So.. where are we going?" I ask.

"Eh, it's not that much farther. We're supposed to be getting intelligence on the rogue assassin that killed a couple us a few nights ago." She swallowed. "They just killed the sentries and left. As if to tell us that we weren't safe. I... haven't really slept well since then. But here's the thing, Dash. I've heard ponies talk about where you came from, and this is apparently the same pony..." She looked me dead in the eyes. "that killed your parents."

My stomach dropped. "Do we know anything about them?" I said simply.

"Nothing. Only that we'll be spying on one of their contacts, who is supposedly one of us. We need to find out who they are and dispose of them 'as necessary'. Bon Bon didn't tell you that this was also to be an assassination."

I laugh. "That's because you interrupted her!"

"Yeah, I'm real twitchy around the Sanctuary. It feels really tense to me. And it doesn't help that Octavia is following me like some kind of stalker-pony. She got across at some point that we were... more than friends, and she just follows me around now. I've tried telling her to stop, but... I don't know." She looked like she was about to say more, but stopped herself. "We're here, I think."

We had stopped at a dock hugging the edge of a large lake on the outskirts of Canterlot. The sun was almost set, and oranges and reds blazed across the soon to be night sky and imposed the look of burnished copper on the surface of the lake. I always enjoyed the sunset.

"I love the sunset." I look over in surprise at Vinyl, who was sharing the same expression that I had a couple seconds ago.

"Heh, yeah." We shared a moment of silence, gazing in awe at the sight before us. A few minutes later, I shook to clear my head and reminded Vinyl, "We're on a mission here."

"Oh, that's right!" She moves in to the shadow of a chimney and motions for me to do the same. "Alright. I heard that the targets will be meeting in the warehouse over there. We are not supposed to attack the assassin that is against us, because... you know, they would kill us. We know nothing but that they're a unicorn, so I don't think that would work out too well for us in any case."

"Yeah, I get it." I see a dark shadow moving out of the corner of my eye, and dart in to the warehouse. "Okay, let's move in."

Hopping across the rooftops, we manage to get a good place on top of the warehouse, where we peek through a skylight and try to make out what we can from the conversation below. The newcomer seems to have a sense of urgency about them, and they are constantly checking behind them for followers. The one waiting though has a radiant calm about them, an imposing aura that whispered don't touch me.

They lifted up and arm and beckoned over the newcomer, the color of their hoof obscured by the darkness. I think that their robes were black, rather cliché considering the role they were playing in my life.

The newcomer shuffled over nervously, and the black robed one finally spoke. "What do you have for me?" I recognized the voice from somewhere, but I couldn't place it. There were two factors affecting this. One, I knew everypony in town, and two, they were trying to mask their voice in case anypony was listening. From what I could hear, they could be either a male or female. It was frustrating knowing so little, when the being of so much rested on what I gathered here.

The newcomer, who I noticed now was wearing grey robes, shuffled anxiously, but gulped and gained their composure. "Not much... the guard will be... light tomorrow. I'll see to that. Oh, and you'll like this. I would... look up if I were you."

My stomach lurched. I grabbed Vinyl and pulled her away from the skylight, but I was too late to avoid attracting attention. The black robed one laughed. "Take care of them." And with that, they were gone in to the night.

The grey robed pony looked up, and launched the grappling hook right at my face, which I was still stupidly poking over the edge of the skylight. I moved out of the way right in time to avoid being skewered. I made a split second decision that I would feel quite bad about after. I waited until I heard the sound of the pony zooming up the line, and then kicked the hook off of the ridge it had found purchase on.

I saw the pony hit the ground, and cringed as they went relatively limp, seeming to sway in sub-consciousness. I made to fly down, hoping to give them a quick death, but Vinyl stopped me.

"Wait. I want to talk to her." She grappled down on to one of the boxes in the warehouse, and I followed after. She walked over to the near-still pony, and pulling the pony's hood down, I could barely hear her whisper,

"Octy, why did you do it? What made it worth it?" I think I saw a tear run down her face, but I couldn't be sure in the dark.

Her voice was barely a whisper. "For us." With lighting quick speed she was up on her feet, blade extended, poised to pierce my throat. I moved, but not in time to avoid injury, and a huge pain ripped through my side. I looked down to assess the injury the blade had left, and was met with a large gash that made my head swim to look at. I needed help, and fast.

Vinyl was stunned, and would be unoperational for a few seconds. Those seconds would be crucial to my survival, so it looked like I would be alone for now. I turn around to face Octavia, but the grey pony was already running out of the warehouse. Being in no shape to follow her, I give a sigh of defeat, knowing that we had failed on both objectives of our mission.

Vinyl had snapped out of her trance, seeming to hold in her emotions for now. Looking at the cut in my side, she cringed. "We gotta get you back quick. Does it hurt?"

I laughed bitterly. "Like a paper cut."

"Ooooh. Ow." She took a roll of white bandage out of her robes and started plastering them on to the cut.

"Except way bigger, more painful, and more life-threatening, of course." I winced in pain as she made the final tie around my body.

"Hah. Alright, that will do. Let's get moving so we can get you some proper help. It should take us a few hours to get back to the Sanctuary, and I think it'll hold until then." She put a hoof on my shoulder. "You feelin' okay?"

I blinked to clear my head. "Yeah. I have a feeling that won't be lasting though, so let's get the hay back to the Sanctuary." I take a few tentative steps, but even the small effort required sends a sharp pain up through my entire body. "Ugh. I need you to help me. And the roofs are not an option here."

Vinyl hitched her leg around my forelegs and half led, half dragged me back to the Sanctuary. I was almost unconscious by the time we got there, and I immediately got taken in to a room designated for injured assassins. It was same as all the bedchambers, but with a cabinet stocked with medicines and supplies in the corner.

I had my now bloody bandages replaced with clean ones, but not before they had cleaned my wound. I blacked out from the pain the disinfectant caused, and my unconsciousness eventually melded in to sleep, and then in to my dreams. As my eyes were fluttering closed, I saw a pair of hateful violet eyes peering at me from the door to the room.

***
I was being followed by dark shapes in the small hours of the morning, just as the sun was rising. I was trying to lose them in a crowd of even more grey shapes, winding through the streets of Canterlot. As we walked on, the shapes eventually melded in to one dense being. I whirled around to face them, having reached the end of a dark alleyway, and they laughed. Before I knew it, I was on the ground, a knife to my throat.

"It's time to finish what I started."

I looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of the last face I would ever see, the murderer who ruined my life. The sun peeked over the edge of a building, and the assassin's face started to gain some definition. My futile attempts to discern their face were cut short by a mirthless laugh followed by a wall of blackness coming to overtake me.

I had the dream frequently from then on, often waking up in the middle of the night screaming for my parents.

They didn't answer, of course.

Chapter Three: Someone I can Trust

The next morning I'm feeling a little bit better than I was the night before, so I swing my legs over the side of the bed and wobble to a standing position. I grab my stuff from the chair beside the bed and start walking to my normal bed to stash it.

The Sanctuary is abuzz with talk, although most of it is in harsh, tentative whispers. Something big must have happened while I was asleep. I was going to have to ask Bon Bon about it, as she would probably want to see me. It's then I remember the violet eyes that haunted my dreams last night.

Inhaling a quick gasp, I make to pick up my pace, but I'm stopped by a flash of lightning hot pain in my side. I had forgotten that I had been stabbed last night. So, however painfully slow I was, I stashed my gear in my chest and made my way over to Bon Bon's room. However, upon arriving, I was stopped by a distressed -looking Lyra, giving me some not-so-unexpected news.

"Dash... you don't want to go in there." Covering her face with her hoof, she muffled a choked sob. "Bon Bon is gone."

"Lyra... I'm so sorry." Putting my arm around her shoulder, I lead her over to a bench, where she gladly sat down in the peculiar way she always did. Bon Bon had frequently teased her about it.

Wiping her eyes, she looks up at me. "You know?"

"I know who the undercover assassin is, but I got put under before I could tell you. I don't know about Scratch though. I saw her right before I... slept last night, and upon waking I put two and two together and got here as fast as I could." I shrug. "I'm sorry," I say again.

"It's not your fault, Dash. And about Scratch, she was under a lot of emotional stress once she got here, so she went through an experience similar to yours. But... I'd like to know. Who was it?"

"Octavia. She was the one working with the assassin."

Lyra rose to a standing position. "I figured as much. She left early this morning, unannounced. She got out before we could lock down the Sanctuary, before... before anyone knew."

Standing up, I ask her, "Do you mind if I take a look inside?" She gives me a nod of consent, and I give her one last compassionate look and a nod. Walking through the threshold of the door, I see a few of our assassins in the process of preparing Bon Bon's body for moving. A knife is buried in her chest, and I notice a note pinned to it.

"Do you mind if I look at that note really quick?" I ask one of the ponies.

"Oh. Sure, I guess. I didn't see that before."

Walking over to the body, I slide the knife out, averting my eyes from the wound. Slipping the bloody but now dry note off of the knife, I bring it up to my eyes and start reading.

Expect me.

-Your living hell

I had a bad feeling about the next few weeks. Sighing, I give the knife to one of the ponies and put the note in my pocket. I had to talk to Vinyl.

***
I sit with Vinyl on the roof of the Sanctuary, looking over the blinking lights of Canterlot. The stars twinkle above us, casting a pale aura over the surrounding unlit streets. I can see the towering spires of the grand castle in the distance - sentinels, watching over the sleeping city.

After a couple quiet moments, Vinyl looks over at me. "What did you want to talk about, Dash?"

I look down slightly. "I just wanted to know... what was your life before the assassins like?"

Sighing, she leans back against a chimney. "Settle in. This is going to be a pretty long story." I shuffle over and take a seat beside her.

"When I was a filly, I took a passion to music. I tried all the instruments I could get my hands on, but there was nothing I was good at. My parents through all of this were very supportive of me, and worked with me to try and find that one instrument I was good at. But the years passed, and I came out of school. My parents couldn't keep me in the house any more due to lack of money, so I had to move out. I ended up in a single bedroom apartment on the edge of town.

"With no money of my own, I was already in debt from the apartment rent. In a fit of depression, I went to a club, planning on drowning my sorrows, if you know what I mean. Sitting at the bar, the thumping of the bass started to get to me. I started tapping my hooves, and ended up on the dance floor at some point. The night whisked past in a blur.

"In the morning, I awoke pleasantly surprised to find myself sober and not in bed with another pony. I thought for a while after that. Later in the day, I ran out and bought my first soundboard. I spent the next few days at home playing with the thing, and I loved it. I went back to the club and applied for a job, and I got accepted. Everything was going fantastically.

"After a few weeks, I caught up in my rent and was able to start buying some things of my own. One day, I took a trip to my parent's house to tell them about my success. I came through the door, only to find them dead on the floor.
"I fell in to depression for a few weeks after that. My music was mediocre. Ponies stopped coming back to the club. My boss considered firing me. Then one night, after I was done my set, I was taken in to an alleyway by some dark robed ponies. They explained to me that my parents had been killed by the same assassin that I think... killed yours.

"And the rest is simple. I got recruited in to assassins. I continued my job at the club, and I still work there. If you want, you can drop by sometime. It's a great way to let off steam."

I sat there, stunned. Her story was just as bad as mine. And she was still ready to better the lives of others, as I have never done. I shook my head in amazement.

Vinyl looked at me, confused. "No? Aw, that's a shame. It would have been really fun to-"

"I'll go. I'm just amazed at how kind you're being." I give her a hug. "Thank you."

She returns the hug, a smile on her face. "Anything I can do to help, Dash."

After a few moments, I lift my head up. "Hey Vinyl?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you... have a special somepony? Just so I'm not surprised by a lack of attention when we're at the club."

She laughed nervously. "Hehe... no. I don't see anything in relationships that will eventually just lead to depression. I want companionship. No drama, just somebody who... I don't know, 'gets' me. Is there beside me."

"I know what you mean. I feel the same way."

We both shared a few peaceful minutes of silence, staring at the stars.

***
Scratch and I went to the club frequently for the next few weeks, and once even tried to show me how to use the soundboard. We abandoned that idea after I almost set the thing on fire. On the first few nights, I felt pretty awkward, and just sat along the walls. As time passed though, Vinyl urged me on to the dance floor. Most nights after that, I was parading around the dance floor, doing my imitation of dancing. Tonight though, Vinyl let me up in the booth with her. I don't think I had ever had so much fun in my life.

"Ooh, play that one!" I point my hoof at one of the tracks in the pile of records on the booth.

"That's a tough one." Vinyl rubbed her hooves together and flipped the record on to the player. Giving it a spin, she started turning knobs and pressing unlabeled buttons, flicking switches and pressing even more buttons. My vision swayed. I transcended in to a trance like state, and I started bobbing to the music unconsciously. I shook myself.

"Wow. How do you do that?"

She looked up from the board, still working. "Do what? All this? I guess it just... comes to me."

The night passed by, and Vinyl's shift ended. We filed out with the drunk dancers, and raced down one of the roads to get away from them, laughing all the way. We started making our way back to the Sanctuary, talking about little things, bits of our old life.

A smoke bomb smashes down on the ground in front of me, cutting off my laugh and leaving me gasping for breath. I'm on the ground, getting what little air I can, when the smoke clears, leaving me alone on the sidewalk.

How could it have happened so fast! I smash my hoof on the ground, cracking a pavement stone, and I see a note. This can only be good...

Meet me in the warehouse tomorrow night, and we will negotiate her release.

-A friend

A friend. Hah. That was a laugh. Take the best pony that has ever come in to my life away from me. A friend. This is a new concept to me. Calming myself, I sprint towards the Sanctuary. I have to tell Lyra. I think. And then: Damn, assassins have a thing for notes.

Prologue: Loss and Found

She lay in bed, admiring the signed group photo of the Wonderbolts in her hoof. Touching the signature, she felt a surge of excitement. One day she would join them, and finally be someone. A soft knocking sound came from the entrance to her room. Violet eyes sparkling, she looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway. "Time for bed, sweetie."

The little filly slipped the photo under her pillow. Laying her head down, she let her mother tuck her in. With a soft kiss on the forehead and a whisper goodnight, she was gone.

After a few moments, she opened one eye to make sure her mother was gone. Seeing nopony in sight, she slid the picture back out from under her pillow, admiring it once more. “Follow your dreams - Spitfire”. Following her dreams is what she had been doing her whole life. She had no doubt in her mind what she would be doing when she grew up. As she fantasized about the wonderful performance that would show the Wonderbolts her amazing skills, she thought she saw a shadow creep by her window.

Now, Dash was not easily scared, even at the tender age of only eight. She had conquered her fear of monsters recently, and was ready to show them what she was made of. She put the picture under her pillow once more and slowly rose to her hooves. She would show that monster who was boss.

Approaching the window, she crept in a crouched stance, ready to pounce at any moment. She looked at the glass as if it were about to leap out and devour her at any moment. Upon reaching the glass, she discovered that this was not the case. Satisfied that she had scared the monster away, she padded over to her bed and was about to slide in when she heard a faint thumping noise and froze.

Listening closely, she heard the sounds of metal objects clanking together. Her Dad must have been going for one his midnight snacks, she thought to herself. Content with her reasoning, she got back in to bed, and was almost asleep when she heard a piercing scream. The filly's eyes snapped open, and she listened for more noises. A commotion was audible from the direction of her parent's room. She could hear her mother screaming, and Dash could not help but spring out of her bed, making a rather loud noise upon hitting the floor. A moment of silence followed as she froze. She realized her mother had stopped screaming.

And then came the sounds of hoofsteps coming towards her door.