Equestrian Legends: An Assassin's Tale... [Book-1]

Celestia closed the door behind herself and assumably went to sleep, after looking out the window again and seeing nothing strange, Altaïr took a deep breath and lied down in his bed, and went to sleep as well.

Even tho everypony had embraced their slumber, Chrysalis was still awake...

How... How did he know it was me? Why did he have to be there right then?... Most importantly... Why did he save me?! As intelligent she was, as much of a challenge it proved to be to anwser these questions... And she knew only Altaïr could tell her the anwser, but in order to ask him, she must get close... But she was approached by her General once again.

"Ah, glory to the hive and you, my queen. How can I serve you?"

"Hmm... I must go back to Canterlot... Do you know the shortest way?"

"Yes my queen..." The General told her the shortest way he knew, and she was ready to go.

"Good... Now stop wasting my time and be on your way..."

"Yes, my queen... This one, will obey..." Chrysalis left the comforts of her home once again, and set off towards Canterlot, like many times before... Yet, this was the first time she meant no harm. She wandered through the night, and at darkbreak she finally arrived.

Good, now let's make sure the guards don't bother me... She disguised herself as a grey coated mare with golden mane, and bubbles as cutiemark, and walked past the guards.

"Good morning miss."

"You too sirs." She replied while walking past them, and headed straight for the castle where she was stopped.

"Halt! Who comes there?!"

"Greetings sirs, I'm here because I want to have an audience with The Assassin." The guards swapped glances.

"Come on, it's your turn to go..."

"No way! It was my turn last time too!" She cleared her throat as the guards argued.

"Ahem, either one of you will go, then I will."

"Fine, but if you get caught, we never saw you."

"Okay..." She walked past them as well, and continued, until she saw a very familliar hallway... The one where she first encountered Altaïr. She wandered a while, but sooner later she came to another hallway, the one in front of the throne room. She walked up to the doors and greeted the guards. "Greetings sirs, may I go in?" The guards nodded and let her in, as she walked in she saw two, all too familiar Alicorns.

"Ah, greetings. What's your name?" Celesia asked, not knowing the true identity of their guest.

"Greetings, royal mayesties... My name is Amethyst Rain."

"And why have you come to us?"

"I would be honored if I could have an audience with The Assassin."

"I see... Why?"

"Oh, he helped me yesterday. I only wish to thank him personally..." The sistsers both grinned and nodded, followed by both of them walking up to her.

"Come this way, I will show you to him." Luna exclaimed, followed by her sisters response.

"Good, then I'll go and talk to Moonlight Comet..." Chrysalis watched her most hated and life long enemies walk past her, and had an undescribable urge to attack them from behind... But she knew it was wiser not to, and followed Luna, until they arrived to the steel doors.

"Blessed morning, Princess Luna." The guards greeted her, and opened the doors. "Is she with you, your highness?" She nodded in response and they walked up to the middle door.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock* "Come in!" A voice yelled through the door, and Luna opened the door.

"Blessed morning, Altaïr. You have a visitor."

"Ah, pleasure to see you again, Luna. Thank you for the information." The seemingly harmless mare walked in, and bowed to him.

"I'll leave you two to talk... I'll be in the library should you seek me." Altaïr nodded in response, and Luna left.

"So, what can I do for you?" The mare grinned and replied.

"Look, I wanted to talk to you again, and this was the only way I could get here."

"Ah, so it's you again, Chrysalis. How come you mean no harm with your presence this time?" Chrysalis dropped her disguise and chuckled.

"Brilliant assumption, Altaïr. I'm sure we both can agree, that your first encounter with my... Kind... And me, was unpleasant for all of those involved..."

"Indeed was... I assume the princesses are not aware of your presence... Forgive me for the wound I left last time, but it was the only way I could make you stop, and unable to fight."

"Oh, I forgave you when you got me out of town..."

"Good, what do you wish to talk about?"

"Nothing much left worth your attention... But be aware, the sisters are hiding something from you... Something you must know about."

"What is it?"

"I'm afraid I do not know... But if it would come to that, you will always be welcome in the hive..."

"Thanks for the offer... I'll keep it in mind." Altaïr saw the sisters wearing full sets of armor, and leading an entire army, and looked at Chrysalis. "Where are they... "

"Going? Simple, to destroy my hive... Look, I put a lot of effort into making it, and I'm no yet ready to make a new one... Please, convince them to change their minds... Yes, I may treat my drones like trash... But they are still living creatures, and your... Friends... Would mercilessly slaughter each and every one of them..."

Altaïr knew full well what the Changelings have done so far... And as much as he wanted to disagree, he knew if he succeeded, he would have a bigger chance to finally make peace between Chrysalis and the sisters... "Okay, I will try..."

Chrysalis grinned in response and charged her teleportaion spell again. "Good, I will go back and prepare the defenses should you fail..." Then she disappeared into thin air once more.

Altaïr walked out onto his balcony and leapt off the edge and landed in a hay stack, and made his way to the sisters. "Celestia, Luna..."

The sisters turned around, surprised by his presence, as they both assumed he would be reading all day. "Hello, Altaïr."

"May I ask what you're planning with this army?"

"Taking out the Changelings..."

"Luna, you said you will be in the library. This, is by no means one."

"Yes, I did... I'm sorry."

"Why did you lie?"

"Well, I-" Celestia stepped in between them and replied.

"We didn't want you to know about it, because we feared you would choose to join us... And you are in no condition to do so..."

"I see. Let me prove my skills then."

"How would you like to prove?"

"Dismiss your army, give me a map to the Changelings, and let me go alone." The sisters swapped glances in surprise.

"A- Are you sure? I mean... There's a lot of them, a lot..."

"Yes, I am. Just let me go." The sisters sighed and agreed, Luna turned around to adress the troops.

"Hear thy! Hear thy! Thou all shall return to the barracks and continue training!" The troops turned around and marched away, Celestia summoned a map for Altaïr and gave it to him.

"If I don't return in a week, forget about me." The sisters knew what he meant, and they just met him a few days ago, but they didn't want him to die...

"Altaïr... You don't have to do this..." Celestia exclaimed.

"No, I don't have to... I must." And he set off on his way to the hive, his plan was ready, and by dusk, he arrived. As he first looked at the enterance, he saw two guards, nothing else, who he approached.

"Aahh... Fresh food..." One of them stated, only to have a blade pressed against his throat.

"Lead me to your queen, and I'll let you live." Suddenly loud buzzing echoed from behind the guards, and a dozen of reinforcements arrived, including a General.

"Well, well... The Human is here, isn't he? To what end, have you decied to come here, where nopony would come willingly?"

"I seek audience with your queen, lead me to her. She would find the information I carry rather imortant."

"If so, sheath your blade, and follow me..." Altaïr put his blade away, and followed the General to the throne room.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock* "Who is it?!" A familiar voice replied.

"It is I, General Thornwings, my queen. A traveller is seeking your audience."

"Let em in..." The doors opened, and revealed Chrysalis sitting on her throne, surrounded by not yet hatched eggs.

"Ah, it is you Altaïr... Come closer. The rest, dismissed!" The General nodded and backed away. "Good to see you here, and in such little time."

"Look, I know you are their queen, but don't expect me to bow down..."

"Oh, I never did. What news do you bring?"

"You were correct, they did intend to come here, but I told them I'll eliminate your kind myself, so they agreed that I can come alone."

"Good, and what will you do?"

"You try to evacuate your drones and find a new place. I have a week to return, when I do, I will tell them the hive was empty when I arrived."

"A wise plan... But if they find out about your lie..."

"These are your children, I know why you care about them so much, and I'm doing what I must." Chrysalis grinned, as she was now closer to the anwser she was seeking.

"I see, you should stay and rest a while as we move away, if they come, we can say you are a prisoner as well."

"Good, but I should return in 2 days, or else they would get worried, and might come after me."

Hours passed, as Altaïr talked most of the time with Chrysalis, as she prepared her hive to move...

Meanwhile in Canterlot, the sisters grew worried...

One morning, like the day they met Altaïr, the sisters were having breakfast, but Celestia was seem to be worried. "Art thou good, my sister?"

Celestia was continously staring through the window, almost ignoring her sister's question. "Wha? Oh, I'm fine... I just couldn't sleep last night..."

Luna knew she was not telling the truth, as princess of the night, her duty was to make sure nopony is tormented by nightmares, and can sleep properly, and she did her duty every single night so far. "You sure seemed to be troubled..." She replied.

"No, really, I'm fine..." What takes him so long? What if he got trapped, or fell prisoner... Or died... or... No, he wouldn't betray us.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock* "Who is it?!" Luna inquired rather agressively.

"It's me! Moonlight!"

"Come in!" The doors opened and the mare trotted into the room, bowing to the sisters she realized they both seemed to be depressed.

"Wit all respect, you both look rather... ill." The sisters both looked at her, Celestia replied.

"Well, what do YOU suggest?"

"You should ask your doctors, your highness. I'm a researcher, not a healer."

"True, walk with me, I wish to talk with you..." Moonlight nodded, then Celestia looked at her sister. "Will you come too, sister?"

Luna waved a hoof with a frown, telling them to go without her. Celestia and Moonlight left the room, leaving only the guards and Luna inside. Luna took another spoon full of soup, but halfway swallowing it slowly slumped over the desk, the guards rushed up to her to see what happened. "Princess Luna! What happened?! Are you all right?! Princess?!" No response made them assume the worst, and immediately ran after Celestia, hoping her magic could help.

"And what do you think abou-"

"Princess Celestia! You must hurry back! Your sister might be dying!" She galloped back with the guards, while Moonlight brought the doctors to the dining room. The doctors managed to find out the cause, but dreaded explaining it to the sisters...

Celestia walked up to one of them and asked. "So, have you found anything?" The doctors swapped glances, trying to decide which one of them will tell her, when she stomped a hoof on the ground. "HAVE YOU FOUND ANYTHING OR NOT?!" The stomp was strong enough to throw the doctors to the ground, they stood up shaking and one of them replied.

"Your majesty... We know what ills your sister... Sadly, we do."

"Explain!"

"Deathroot extract..." Celestia took a few steps back, trying to coprehend what she heard... Barely able to do so.

"I thought those have been destroyed long ago..." The only way to save anypony poisoned by it, is simple. By sacrificing another life in exchange... But *Equestria** needs both of us, and I can't just point at a citizen and declare them as the sacrifice...*

In the meantime, Altaïr was preparing to leave the hives...

It's about time to leave, they should be fine on their own now. On his way to the exit he was stopped by one of the drones.

"Excuse me sir, but I suppose you are the Human who helped us..."

"Yes, what do you want?"

"I wish to go with you, no matter where or when."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I'm tired of the life the hive has to offer... I want to break free..."

Understandable, the desire for freedom is always strong... "Fine, but you should disguise yourself as a Human, so the sisters won't be suspicious of you."

The Changeling transformed into a Human with similar robes to Altaïr. "Good enough?" Altaïr nodded in response.

"Good enough, let's go..." Altaïr took a few steps, when he heard a loud. *Crack* He turned around and saw the Changeling holding his horn in his hand.

"Now I'll be stuck in this body forever, but I'll be less suspicious."

"Ready to go now? We have to hurry..."

"As you wish, Master."

"Master? What are you talking about?"

"You are my new leader, and I will obey your commands..."

"Don't tell me you want to be an Assassin too..."

"Oh, but I do..."

"Great.... Just move already, we'll talk on the way." After an hour of walking, Altaïr broke the silence.

"So, what is your name?"

"Darkwing, Master..." Altaïr facepalmed.

I'm not yet a Mentor... But since I'm the only Assassin here, and his teacher I suppose I have to take on the rank... "Just call me Mentor, instead of master."

"Yes, Mentor..."

"You have a lot to learn... A lot indeed... Here, have this until we get you one." Altaïr unsheathed his shortsword and gave it to him.

Hmm, the Mentor seems to trust me already... Otherwise he wouldn't have given me his blade... "Thank you, Mentor."

"You should try to walk on your legs... Like I do..." Darkwing stood up, for the first time on his Hind Legs... "Good, now walk like that until we get there, and you'll get used to it."

"Yes Mentor." They continued on their way, until they ran into a rogue guard, a traitor...

"What are you two doing here?!" He inquired.

"I should be the one asking why are you not in Canterlot doing your duty."

"Well... I..." Altaïr unsheathed his longsword and held it to his throat.

"Anwser now, or I'll take your life." The guard looked at Darkwing and fainted. "Darkwing, go search for vines. We will take him back to the sisters so they can judge over him."

"With all respect, why do we need the vines?"

"To tie him up, to prevent escaping. Now go and get them."

"Will you not search too Mentor?"

"I'll keep watch over him."

"I shall return in an hour then..." Darkwing left seeking vines as requested, and an hour later he returned with enough.

"These will do, good job." The tied the guard up, and Altaïr gave the guard's spear to Darkwing, who gave his shortsword back. They dragged him all the way back to Canterlot, when the guards stopped them.

"Halt! Assassin, what's the meaning of this? Who is the other Human?"

"We found a traitor, and he's my student, I take responsibily for his actions."

"If so, move on... And welcome back, the sisters must be eager to see you back."

"Then I won't keep them waiting..." The continued to drag him all the way to the throne room. When they opened the door they saw Celestia sitting on her throne, tears in her eyes and Luna nowhere to be found.

"Oh... Welcome back Altaïr... Who's your friend here?"

"A fellow Human. He must have came here the way I have." If I tell her he's a Changeling, she might have him killed...

"I see... And what has this poor soul done to be dragged into my sight?"

"He betrayed you and went rogue. We retrieved him for your judgement... May I ask why are your eyes tearing?"

"My sister... She was poisoned... And the only way to save her is to take a life..." Altaïr looked at their prisoner with a grin, who was already conscious at the time.

"Then I have a perfect suggestion who it shall be..."

"Only this once, I must approve..." Celestia replied. A guard walked up to Altaïr and adressed him.

"Sir, the sacrifice must be near the poisoned victim for it to work. Please follow me." Altaïr and Darkwing dragged their prisoner to the room Luna was dying in. After opening the door the guard introduced them. "Princess Luna, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, and his student have returned, and brought the solution to your problem with them."

"Good." *Cough* "Let... Them in." The two threw the body into the room, and the doctors left, so did the guard who lead them there.

"Princess Luna, this traitor must be killed for his actions, which will also hopefuly save you." Altaïr exclaimed, and took the spear from Darkwing. *Splat* *Muffled Scream* *Grunt* And gave the spear back, the traitor laid dead on the floor, heart impaled... Shortly after, green smoke rose from the corpse, and began filling Luna's lungs, and a minute later she was healthy again. She got out of her bed and took a deep breath.

"Ah, better than ever... You both have my gratitude. May I know your name as well, student?"

"Darkwing, your majesty." Luna grinned and looked at Altaïr.

"Promising one, I must admit..."

"I agree... But he has a lot to learn..." If only you knew where he's from... Luna walked away and Altaïr looked at his student. "It seems you have earned her approval... Don't lose it, or else it may take your life with itself."

*Gulp*