Assassin's Creed: Afterlife

Steams whistle as the train halts to a full stop, the valves locking the wheels. The doors of the train opens, a small crowd of  ponies emerge from the train, among them is Ezio and company. Ezio has never been on this particular part of Ponyville where it is very lively. Ponies were avoiding him during his first visit, but they seem to accept him now. He sees so many cheerful ponies, all greeting each other and friendly to one other. The morning sunlight feels great on Ezio's coat, now that he's not wearing anything at all but a bandage wrapped around his abdomen.

"I'll be over at my boutique, dear. I'll try to create this wonderful hoof accessory for you!" Rarity said, reading the codex in a matter of seconds before putting it on top of the robes. "And make your robes shine with delightfulness once again!"

"How long will it take?" Ezio asked.

"Just come over in a few hours!" Rarity said, turning the other direction and walking away. "Ta-ta!"

"Wait!" Ezio said.  "Do you even know how it works?"

"I'll handle it, darling."

Ezio sighs, putting his hoof over his face. He then looks around the lively town, hundreds of ponies minding their own business. He doesn't know where to stay nor how to even start adapting to their culture.

"Where do I stay?" Ezio asked.

"Well... Ya look like you're capable of bringing down apples from trees." Applejack said, examining Ezio. "Mind if I tell ya to stay at Sweet Apple Acres for the time being?"

"Si. That will do, I guess."

"Follow me."

Ezio follows Applejack who's ahead of him through the busy streets of Ponyville. Ponies who walk past Ezio greet him with 'Hi' and 'Hello' instead of calling him a 'drunken wager' or a 'capering crusader'. This brings a calm feeling to Ezio, knowing he can finally put his guard down for the moment. The ground is mostly grass, but a few stone paths are on some certain areas as well, most of the houses look the same, and the ponies seem to be very caring for the surrounding environment of nature. Some of the little ones are wearing costumes, preparing for the Nightmare Night event.

"I see this whole Nightmare Night gimmick is such a big deal to the children." Ezio said.

"Not only foals, Ezio, but also full-grown mares and stallions." Applejack responded.

"You're going to wear an outfit as well?"

"Yup! I'll wear my scarecrow costume and run the apple bob attraction." Applejack answered.

On the distance, they see a red barn surrounded by apple crops. As they approach it, they're exiting Ponyville, walking down on a dirt road towards it. Nearby to the barn is a corn crop, a few barn animals, a dog, a hay cart filled with hay just right in front of the barn, and an elderly light green pony sitting on a wheelchair, snoring loudly. As they arrive the huge colorful barn, passing a wooden sign with an apple carved onto it, hanging on an arbor, Ezio looks up the barn's apple-shaped weather vane, he then looks down at the haystack that happens to be right below it. The barn also seems to be on top of a high hill.

"Wait here." Ezio said, walking past Applejack.

"Ezio, what are you doin'?" Applejack asked, slightly increasing the speed of her walk to catch up with Ezio.

Ezio grabs the barn's window sill, lifting himself up to it. "I need to know around this place better."

"How can ya do that?"

"Watch."

Ezio grabs the ledge and pulls himself up by throwing his left hoof upwards using his strong shoulders, grabbing onto the barn's roof. Ezio scales the barn in less than a minute like a spider, climbing up the barn's cupola in a few seconds flat. Applejack watches from below, worrying for Ezio's safety.

"I think ya need to come down now, Ezio. What you're doing ain't safe!" Applejack shouted, making sure Ezio could hear her from high above the barn.

"Trust me, Applejack. I've been doing this for a lifetime." Ezio carefully lifts himself up the weather vane, balancing on top of the very tip of the heart design. Ezio sees the beautiful entirety of Ponyville and all of its landmarks in such a better view than before. Moving his head from right to left, Ezio scans his sharp eyes across the town, quickly memorizing Ponyville's layout. In the distance, a few strange formation of mountains and hills are also in sight. He could barely see the castle from Canterlot amongst the distant fog.

After doing this stunt, Ezio leaps off the weather vane without hesitation as a nearby passing through eagle screeches. Doing a roll in mid-air, he lands safely on his back into the haystacks. The impact causes straws of hay to fly all over the wind. The light green elderly pony still sleeping soundly in the background.

"What in the hay?!" Applejack trots to the hay cart, checking if Ezio is okay. "Ya okay in there, partner?"

Ezio emerges out of the haystack, carrying three fillies. One of them is an earth pony filly with pale, light grayish olive colored coat with a ribbon on her mane, one is a unicorn filly with a light gray coat with elegant stylish mane, and another with a light brilliant gamboge coat.

"Apple Bloom? Why are you hiding in that hay?!" Applejack asked.

"I lost my wig, Applejack! I figured it might be in there somewhere." Apple Bloom said, still on Ezio's hooves. The little filly also has a southern accent.

"I'm sure it's unlikely to be inside that haycart." Ezio said, putting Apple Bloom and her friends down. "I'll try to find it for you."

"Really, mister? You'll do that?" The light gray filly asked.

"Si. Call me Ezio." Ezio answered. "Can you tell me how the wig looks like?"

"It's kinda tall and it has wavey black and white stripes." The light brilliant gamboge filly explained.

"Can you tell me where you lost it?"

"We were just playing nearby on the trees. Apple Bloom must have dropped it at some point." The light brilliant gamboge filly said. "I'm Scootaloo."

"I'm Sweetie Belle!" The light gray introduced.

"Va bene. Stay with Applejack and grandma over there. I'll find your wig for you." Ezio said.

Ezio walks towards the nearby apple crop, leaving the three with Applejack. Ezio arrives at the Sweet Apple Acres' large apple crop garden. It is huge enough for a little filly to get lost. Looking around, Ezio uses his Eagle Sense, his sight turns bright blue in a flash of white, glowing golden auras appearing on the ground. Ghostly apparitions of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's previous doings are seen, playfully running deeper into the crops. It's literally seeing the past with ALMOST perfect accuracy. Keeping up with the speed of the running apparitions, Ezio trots as he watches a golden vision of Apple Bloom wearing the wig. The apparition trips on a stray pebble, causing the wig to fall off her head without her noticing. The wig rolls into the nearby bushes.

Ezio walks to that particular bush and pushes them aside. He sees the wig completely tattered. He reaches his hoof forward and takes the wig to return it to its rightful owner. As Ezio prepares to leave, he hears a nearby conversation behind one of the trees. Ezio sneaks through the bushes, covering behind one of the trees to eavesdrop on the strangers.

"You sure he's here?"

"He is! I just saw him come to this pathetic farm with another pony!"

"How can you really be sure it's him?"

"I know his face, alright?! Just follow my lead!"

"Fine. What do we do?"

"We'll ambush the barn. Just blow on this whistle to signal the others."

"After he's been dealt with, We'll finish our business with Luna. She'll be here in Ponyville later this midnight. Find a spot that's very difficult to spot by the naked eye, from there, use the crossbow to execute her."

Hearing these words, Ezio frowns. He comes out of hiding and directly confront the two unarmed ponies. They aren't dressed as royal guards at all, but both are wearing a red scarf. They also seem to lack cutie marks.

"I seek after those who plan to murder the Princesses." Ezio said, facing the thugs with bravery.

"It's him! Blow the whistle!" The thug panicked.

Ezio wouldn't allow that on his watch. He makes a quick dash, delivering a huge blow with his bare hooves to the thug's jaw who was just about to blow the whistle. The blow is so immense, his tooth fly out of their sockets, leaving small blood trails as they soar through the air. It was a heck of a shot. The stallion falling over to the dirt in agony. The other thug swings his hoof over at Ezio, untrained on unarmed combat. Ezio deploys an elbow block, launching a straight jab to the thug's noise. Crunching can be heard as blood spews out of the thug's nostrils as a result of Ezio's severe punch.

Painfully losing a pair of teeth wasn't enough to put the stubborn thug who just got his teeth smashed to the verge of surrender as he pounces at Ezio's back, wrapping his hooves around his torso tightly. Ezio quickly launches his head backwards, headbutting the stallion, further damaging his teeth, shattering his jaw bone.

"I will not let you accomplish your plans." Ezio said, looking at the two wounded stallions. One desperately trying to breath through broken nose, other unable to move his shattered jaw. "Go run away and tell your friends never to come back to this barn ever again."

The two thugs run away from Ezio like two babies running away from a monster, holding on their bleeding faces. However, this victory doesn't last long as another stallion arrives, blowing on a whistle. The sound of the whistle reached miles, making a few birds to fly away from their nests. Thousands of hoofsteps running towards the barn can be heard from a distance away, figures of a large group of stallion thugs, all wearing similar scarfs running quickly. Some are unicorns, some are Earth ponies, some are pegasi.

"Damn!" Ezio shouted, fleeing back to the barn.

The pegasi throw spears, the unicorns fire magic, the Earth ponies use blowpipes loaded with poisonous darts. All the projectile narrowly miss Ezio as he continues to trot towards the barn, panting in and out, jumping over bushes and dodging trees. More thugs attempt to suprise Ezio by leaping out of trees, but Ezio's young atheletic body and training allows him slide down to avoid their grasp.

Back at the barn, Applejack and the small young foals wait for Ezio. Applejack scratches her mane, wondering what's taking Ezio so long, adjusting her hat a few inches.

"Where the hay is that darn stallion?" Applejack said. "He's been there for quite a while now."

"Hurry! Get inside the barn! NOW!" Ezio shouted, getting closer to the outside of the huge apple crops.

"Why?!"

"Just go!"

Applejack is confused. That is until she sees the army of thugs coming towards their barn, spears landing right in front of them as some gets embedded into the barn's roof. Ezio tackles Applejack as a spear is falling towards her, just missing her in a few inches. Her hat flies off her head, gliding across the air until a spear impales right through it. Ezio holds Applejack's hoof, escorting her into the barn. The elder green pony and the three fillies follow inside quickly. 20 thugs are making their way towards the barn, fast approaching.

"All of you, go under the haystacks. Whatever you do DO NOT make a sound in case one of them gets in." Ezio commanded. "When I go outside, I want you to block all the doors and windows."

"What are you going to do?" Applejack asked.

"Take them all down."

"Wh-Wha? What is going on?" The elder pony said weakly due to age.

"Don't worry, vecchia signora." Ezio said, facing the barn's exit. "I'll handle this on my own."

Ezio trots outside, leaving his company inside the barn. As he sets his hoof to the outside ground, thugs quickly surround him. The doors of the barn slamming shut with a loud bang.

"He's outnumbered. This is gonna be easy." One of the thugs said.

"We're gonna have fun with your dead lifeless corpse."

The first thug swings his sword for first blood. Ezio dodges it, the shiny tip of the sword merely glancing through his muzzle. Jabbing his hoof upwards, Ezio punches the thug's ribcage as his hooves recover from the swing. The first thug spits blood, falling down the floor and rolling around, desperately trying to breath through punctured lungs. Groaning and moaning painfully like a dying dog he is. Ezio finishes him off with a single power hoof stomp to the throat, destroying his windpipe. The second thug tries the same attempt, however the attack is too sluggish as Ezio catches the thug's hoof, grabbing onto the sword with his left hoof and pushing on the thug's face with his right hoof.

With a bit of pushing and tugging, Ezio frees the sword from the thug's grip (Hooves... how do they work?) then uses it to deflect another attack behind him with literally lightning fast reflexes. Ezio does a deadly sidewise sword blow directly to the thug's face, causing his flesh to peel off like paper, his body turning to the back from the force of the sword's impact, showing his partially skinned face to the other thugs behind him. The thug's left eye slowly slide off its sockets, parts of his muzzle slowly slide off his face and parts of his skeleton can be seen from the straight slash wound across the face before falling forward to the ground. Spinning his sword for momentum, Ezio rolls to dodge an attack of yet another foolish thug, after then he gets up and piercing the sword through the thug's neck. This violent one-pony-vs-army fight goes on for several minutes as Ezio tirelessly fights them all off, killing them one by one like a monster feeding on weak victims.

After several minutes of fighting, with most thugs ending up with either holes on their bodies or dismembered limbs, only one thug remains. Ezio is weakened by fatique

"You... killed..." The thug said, taking a step backwards while saying each words, staring blankly into the morbid redecoration of the barn's beautiful land.

Ezio notices the barn is open, this can't be good news as somepony inside never expected to see something like this. Under the barn's roof stands Applejack, watching on with no expression visible on her face. Her eyes are constricted, her body frozen from severe shock, not allowing her to turn her head away from the unpleasant sight of disfigured corpses and green grass repainted blood red.

Seeing this, Ezio simply has his poker face on while staring back at Applejack.

The final thug flees, hopping over the fence of Sweet Apple Acres.

"Hey!" Ezio shouted.

Ezio runs after the fleeing thug. The thug is an adept freerunner, jumping over large chunks of rocks and rolling over ponies. His skills at freerunning are effecient, but doesn't match up to Ezio. The two play cat-and-mouse until they reach the edge of Ponyville in such a few minutes, jumping over stalls, dodging poles, shoving ponies and scaling houses. Ezio does his best to keep running, but exhaustion got the best of him, forcing him to stop and take a breather by a stall. He finds the thug still running, ruining everypony's day on his path by breaking anything they were carrying.

"Damn!" Ezio shouted, pushing a fruit off the stall.

"I'll get him!" A cyan colored pegasus zooms past him like a speeding bullet, leaving a rainbow trail. The passing velocity causes Ezio to lose his footing, also causing the fruits on the stall to fly everywhere. This pony is none other than Rainbow Dash. Obviously.

Tackling the thug, they crash through a wooden stall as Rainbow Dash holds him tightly, making sure he couldn't escape her hooves. Ezio walks next to her, panting and sweating all over.

"Gracie." Ezio said. "Now let me ask him a few questions."

Ezio kneels next to the thug's head, putting his hoof on his throat. Just a slight pressure, then pop goes his spine.

"Who do you work for?" Ezio asked. "I interrogated one of your friends and they met an unfortunate fate."

"I-I don't know, I swear!" The thug begged. "I only take orders from our commander. I don't know anything about our mission! He just gives us commands and we do them without question!"

"Va bene. Who is your commander?"

"He's name is Ronan the Smart. He's the main strategist for Princess Luna's assassination. He knows exactly where Luna would be standing later this night!" The thug explained. "I don't know why the Great Leader wants the Princesses dead!"

"Who is this leader of yours?" Ezio asked, choking the thug further.

"I... I..." The thug suddenly punches Ezio off him, running away, getting lost into the spectating crowd.

"Hey! He's getting away!" Rainbow Dash said, preparing to re-capture the thug.

"No. Let him go." Ezio said. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah?"

"Teach me how to fly." Ezio said, looking at his folded wings.