Canterlot, the capital of the Equestria Empire where every important discovery and important character from history came from, the city which held a rich culture, the city of dreamers and opportunities, now the city of despair.

Since the beginning of the plague Canterlot was doing well but everything changed when the plague claimed it first victim, then Tartarus broke loose. Now Canterlot like any other city in Equestria is divided in two separates parts, a law which was dictated by the Empress herself; everybody knows that she regret that action with all of her heart but the constant pressure and the despair led her to realize such terrible measure to ensure safety to the Empire.

‘’Oh, Celestia your work surely is giving its fruits’’

The building where the owner of the voice said his mock was in ruins, beyond reparable if there is a chance of this entire crisis end; it may had been a terrible fate the division but for him was a new opportunity to try to fulfill what deep inside his heart seeks for but as always before he could even start his search the Defenders of the Faith always came near his Headquarters threaten his hideout to be public, and he knows that if those zealots know about his location he not only would need to move out, also they would an entire battalions of those upset zealots. But he always took advantage of those campaigns, thanks to the incompetence of the Paladin and the other superiors within their ranks; he and his followers filled their pockets with wealth and weaponry; which considered useless and old. So they opted to increase their wealth by selling those weapons to their contacts in the black market.

His ‘business’ was going more successful than the business of any other annoying noble in what remain from the once proud city of Canterlot. Those days of despair called his services often because one noble wanted his competition dead and take the other’s wealth or just for the mere reason of revenge against that person. Still he didn’t care as he was paid correctly or the price would change from money to blood.

And that went through months.

Now he doesn’t have to care about the common worry between the desperate people of Equestria anymore, money. But he wasn’t happy and knew that he would never reach the happiness of what rest of his life; it was a saddening fact which he accepted it and moved on. After all that what life consist on, isn’t it?

The air smelled to death in its worst state, flesh of rotten corpse mostly was that the air consists nowadays in the infected zone, and the scent was too strong even from the balcony where he was watching the ruined city of Canterlot or just a part of it. He recall when this part used to be one of the vital points of economical value for the city even the ruined building where he is standing used to be a bank; but that was the past and the present is what matter and always will no matter what.

The smell of death reminded him the worries which bother his tranquility, the Heralds of the change haven’t made a move at all in all these past months and their inactivity almost made him feel nervous.

Almost.

His guild is not, and never was, in ‘good terms’ with them; to say at least. But since the plague started their activity became less present in the area and he knew that there had to be a good reason of why they stopped and that plan could not be good at all, because everything related to them never is good. Thinking of them and specially her made him grimace a face of disgust, but he knew a way to forget about his problems and cleanse his mind of whatever thought which could trigger bad memories.

From the balcony he walked to the destroyed railing, he didn’t stop and let his body fall; allowing the gravity to do its job, despite the building wasn’t high he still took amusement in the air passing through his entire body; the floor was nearing and he knew that his moment of little pleasure needed to end. His wings flared open; abruptly halting the fall, it hurt him such suddenly stop could be dangerous to anybody but…
Silent Blade is not anybody.

Silent perfectly knew that flying wouldn’t be completely necessary for him to reach high places or just move to a location to other since he was gifted by the outsider himself. Yet flying is a natural action for all Pegasus that cannot avoid doing, the adrenaline, the sound of wings flapping vigorously, the powerful currents of wind trying to stop him was a feeling that couldn’t be replaced for anything.

But as always there are limitations for him, starting with keeping a low profile; he couldn’t risk being spotted neither from above nor below if he wanted to fly in the sky so he could only fly in the streets and between the buildings; if they can be called that. He could easily deal with the Royal Guard, Rescue Guard and the Defenders of the Faith easily but it would be a waste of time and energy; two thing that he appreciates quite a lot.

The countless piles of body bags in the streets wasn’t a sight to be seen by anyone furthermore is a reality that nobody wants to accept because is plain cruel and saddening. Every directing which his eyes moved was greeted by the same rotten objects, corpses and it seemed to don’t meet an end. He could only sigh followed by a shook of his head it.

‘Such a pity’

His wings kept flapping, as his eyes continued to scan his surroundings though as he knew from past flights that there is no much in the infected zone to salvage or to worry except for weepers and zealots. The street where he was flying leaded him to enter the once proud plaza of Canterlot, now it was lifeless like the rest of bodies which rest in the area. Numerous mountains of body bags, the buzzing of insect were replaced the orchestra which used to play in the middle of the square; rats rounded the stone road desecrating the bags which were not correctly sealed. And for Silent all of that was completely normal, each day he saw the same scene over and over again every place he went but the plaza where he is above; had something off.

And he was right, but there wasn’t a something; instead it was somebody the correct word.

‘Maybe is a weeper seeking for food, such a futile act of survival’

He kept flying in circles like a vulture and to his surprise the stranger didn’t notice of his presence despite the sun beams with life and create a shadow of his body on the pavement. Silent with the new information collected made him to discard the option of the stranger being a weeper for the sole reason that they always give a glance or two to the sky when a shadow pass over their heads. The rhythm of his wings slowed down to the pint that he allowed the gravity do its job with the difference that his wings let him to reach the floor in a slow and safe pace, Silent landed a considerable distance from the stranger but his hand was near the shaft of his sword, he couldn’t risk that the stranger could be a madman and attempt against his life, risk which he doesn’t want to take. As he neared he noticed new features like the stranger resulted to be a child; a girl no less.

Despite that still he maintained his hand in the same position; ready to unsheathe the sword and swing to kill no matter whom is the aggressor. The distance reduced and more details he got from her, as the girl was searching between the bags opening letting the putrid and disgusting smell reach his nostrils, he wondered why she was risking her life like that or as she was already infected. The steps continued and Silent noticed the principal feature of her, she was starving.

The poor excuse of clothes which the girl used to try to maintain warm allowed to his eyes to notice that her ribcage was dangerously unhealthy visible. But the silence was broken when the rats noticed him and ran off squeaking loudly in the process, sound that was noticed by the little girl who as fast as possible she could, did her head turn. Silent saw how weakly her eyes widened and attempted to back away but the corpses prevent her from move anymore.

The two of them kept staring to each other, he tried to keep his focus on the eyes of the girl but the scent of rotten death prove to be difficult to omit, but he never cared about the disease for a simple though complex fact, the Outsider. Or the malevolent how the citizens of Equestria know him.

That’s why everybody related to the Outsider can resist the disease; also that the spawn of the void is slightly responsible for the plague in a way.
‘’Girl you can follow the path of an assassin and survive with the guilt, or you can die but with a pure heart’’

Why did he want to recruit her?
Because when he saw her eyes he saw the spark which is required to be a perfect assassin for the guild, she had the fire of the wish of revenge and the will power to survive expressed in her action of risking her life only for be alive one more day. As he expected the girl nodded and walked to reach his extended hand.

Only after she grabbed his hand did he channeled the magic of the Outsider to get away of the dreadful plaza and be greeted by the interior of the Headquarters, the sight and comfort of his personal office to be precisely.

‘’Welcome back Master’’

Silent was not surprised for the sudden greeting, nay he was accustomed. But it couldn’t be said the same for the newcomer who has hidden behind him, he could only raise an eyebrow for the response of the girl but his focus was mostly on the messenger; because the sole reason of one of his student being inside his personal office waiting for his arrival was that his services were required once more.
The messenger clothed like any member of his guild, the protective goggles, the gas mask and the dark brown coat. But the difference of the messenger was that he was a high ranked student and only they could act as messenger for the risks that involves retrieving the delivered letter and taking it to their master.

‘Who would be this time now?’ That was the question which he always asked himself before receiving the letter and discovering it by himself. ‘Probably somebody from the parliament who is against the idea of complete purge in the infected zones’ The master assassin has been well informed of the political situation in the parliament, his informants kept him always informed of what will or is happening in every part of Equestria. And the actual problem in the parliament is about a drastically measure to try to contain the plague, by killing every single being who reside in the infected zones; as he knows both Empresses would never dare to agreed to such act but the others members of the parliament demand it. So the task would be simple, kill the members who support the Empresses so they would be obliged to accept the demands; and that exactly happened with the quarantines and divisions of every city.

But he couldn’t be sure meanwhile the letter hasn’t been opened, the messenger handed to him the message but Silent stopped in mid-act when he felt his coat being tugged slightly; his gaze went downward and immediately remembered that he brought a future member with him. She still as scared but he knew that with proper training; both physical and psychological she wouldn’t have to care about such things as fear anymore.

‘’Dagger, taker her to Glimmer; she will know the rest’’

The student nodded, from his position he kneeled as his hand went forwards presenting the empty gloved hand to the girl who starred with an uneasy expression said hand. Despite the dangerous appearance the girl’s hand slowly grabbed his hand and almost instantly both of them vanished in the void.

Silent trusted Glimmer with the training of new recruits when he doesn’t have the time to do so; then he will need to worry about getting the uniform and a new bed; in others words is another mouth to be feed. But those are problems for latter time, he needed to read that letter and prepare a plan as ever.

He walked to his desk; the wood is stained but is not rotten neither broken is in good condition, good enough to support the weight of a person. From there he grabbed his personal knife which has multiple purposes but mostly has been opening letters or any other domestic uses, also he relied more his personal sword and his wristbow in combat. He discarded the envelope of the actual letter and began to read.
His eyes moved side to side in a calm rhythm but as he kept reading his pace increased to the point to become erratic, his calmed expression twisted into a uncomfortable one; he just couldn’t believe what the contents of the letters it was too much for him to process accordingly. He stayed there like a statue; he didn’t move an inch of his body, his gaze lost in the void of his thoughts; the airstream passed and took the letter with it. Silent still was trying to process what he just read and didn’t care that letter was leaving him.

‘’Your order has been done…Are you alright master?’’

His trance came to an end thanks to the arrival of his messenger, but to that point he has processed enough the information to at least act accordingly.

‘’Yes, I am’’ Silent shook his head for cleanse his mind again ‘’Bring me all the maps of Canterlot Palace’’

‘’As you wish’’ With a bow of respect he blinked away leaving Silent alone with his thoughts once more. His position was a very difficult one; his emotions has been waxing uncontrollably what he had been asked in that letter was a lot to take in despite him being the master assassin and the terror of all the nobility and gangs across Equestria. Yet he wanted to reject the contract and send a warning to never be asked to do that ever again, though he couldn’t.

It was inexplicable; but he just couldn’t find the force to reject it.

His nostrils filled with air obtaining a better control of himself, his right hand got a strong grip on the shaft of his sword as he unsheathed it with a powerful pull, now outside of his leather place of rest it shined with the light.

Silent brought the sword closer to his face and saw all the little details of his personal sword, how well crafted was, all the words related with honor had been inscribed around the sides of the sword and finally the golden shaft with Celestia’s symbol on it.
Such sword could be given by the Empress herself.

‘’Such an irony and a pity Celestia, with this sword you made oath to only use it to protect the innocents and you from any harm. And this sword will be the chosen one to bring you to the eternal darkness’’

Author's Note

Hi there I apologize for the long wait but this blog has my reasons
I hope that you like the chapter, so don't forget to leave a comment below and give a upvote and fav too; that would help me alot .

Lufe out!