In the morning Obsidian exited the bordello with a white mare with a short electric blue mane.

"Your disguise is a bi loud, don't you think?" Obsidian commented on the mare's look.

"Naw, It’s cool!" she said, the seductive sophisticated mistress being replaced by this brash young hip filly before him.

"If you say so."

The pair were met by a carriage, its door held open by a smartly dressed zebra.

"Walinzi, thank you for meeting us on such short notice," Obsidian greeted the driver.

Walinzi gave the pair a wide, warm, smile. "It be no problem at all Boss." he said, his Trotindad accent thick and smooth. "Where we be headin'?" he asked as he helped the couple into the carriage.

"The Temple of the Eternal Sun, I have somepony I need to meet."

"You got it." He closed and secured the door to the carriage before heading off to the temple.

It didn't take long to arrive, the temple being in the heart of the upper city. Walinzi waited by the carriage as the pair ascended the stairs to the main building of the campus. The building itself was huge and imposing, a monument to the power and influence of Princess Celestia. The perimeter of it consisted of Pegasopolian style columns made of the purest white marble that gleamed in the morning sun. The steps that lead up to the entrance of the building were split around a giant statue of Princess Celestia, carved of the same pure white marble of the columns. Its horn and armor were made of gold and shined brighter than anything else in the dawn's early light.

Obsidian and the mistress were greeted at the top of the stairs by a young unicorn mare in clean white robes. "Good Morning, welcome to the Temple of the Eternal Sun, may I help you with anything?"

"Yes, I'm here to see one of your acolytes, a Miss Spear Point. Is she available?" Obsidian asked.

"I'm sure she is. May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Obsidian Knife, and this is my concubine Show Tune. If it is possible could you provide a private space for this meeting, if it's not too much trouble?" The mare gave 'Show Tune' a politely disgusted look at the mention of the stallion's relationship to his companion.

"Of course not. She will meet you in the library, across the courtyard. That should meet your needs." She gestured to beyond the open air courtyard where many of the Order were going through drills or doing their morning exercise. "I'll go fetch her, good day." She gave a polite bow to Obsidian and trotted off.

The pair set off across the courtyard casually observing the knights and squires sparring with each other. A crowed had gathered around a mare on the ground with a mangled limb, judging by the guilty looking stallion near her he was responsible.. Most of those around her were hospitallers, the medically trained knights of the Order, learning how to properly set a limb, much to the mare's misfortune.

The Order's role in Equestrian society has changed over the years. They started as the loyal Royal Guard of the unicorn empire of old. After the annexation of the empire into the greater Equestrian Empire, the Order found themselves as an army of the people of Canterlot. When the celestial sisters were given power over Equestria, they aligned themselves with the philosophies and teachings of Celestia and became an organization of great charity; they healed the sick, fed the poors, and defended the helpless. Over the years their endeavors turned more political and they became obsessed with maintaining the status quo established by a thousand years of Princess Celestia's sole rule. Members of the Order could be found in nearly every office of government, a healthy majority of Parliament, and most prominently among the Solar Guard, Equestria's primary military force.

Obsidian and 'Show Tune' didn't have to wait long in the spartan library for Spear Point to arrive. She was a pegasus barely out of her teens. She of average height and covered in the traditional armor of the Order of the Eternal Sun; a style similar to the armor worn by the solar guard, except the helmets lacked crests and blue star emblem on the chest was replaced by the symbol of Celestia's sun. Her pelt was a light gray, and the tail behind her was light blond and braided. She was escorted in by another pony in white robes who quickly dismissed himself without a word closing the door behind him, leaving the three in private. Spear had a stoic expression on her thin face. Her body was lean, corded muscles lay underneath her rough dull coat.

The pegasus's attention was drawn to Obsidian as his horn glowed and his eyes closed in concentration. Spots around the room began to glow and were drawn to the unicorn. In front of him floated almost a dozen small enchanted crystals that, after a moment, all shattered, each giving off a small blip of light as they did. He set the shards on a nearby table, closed the curtains and lit the candles around the room bathing it in their warm glow. A last pulse of magic dampened the noise of cadences and training that permeated through the door and walls. Obsidian opened his eyes again, horn dormant, and he gave Spear Point a small nod.

The pegasus's face lit up going from stoic serious warrior to jovial filly in the blink of eye. "Uncle!" she cried out as nearly bowled over the stallion with her enthusiastic hug.

Obsidian grinned as he returned the hug. "My girl, you have grown!" he said pushing her away at arm's length. "Last time I saw you, you barely came up to my chest!" He laughed.

"And you haven't changed one bit, how have you been? And who is this?" she asked looking over at 'Show Tune'.

"I've been well, keeping rather busy." He looked over at the unicorn mare. "As for her...Well, we will get to that in a moment." He turned back to the excited pegasus, looking her in the eye. "Remember when I left you here, my last instructions to you?" he asked.

She nodded solemnly, remembering that day eight years ago. "You are here to be tempered, not indoctrinated. Think with your heart, not theirs. You are their tool only so long as you allow it." she recalled. "I have not forgotten Uncle. Just as I have not forgotten that you said you might come for me one day," she smiled at him.

Obsidian sighed and gave his niece a sorrowful look. "I told you that day may never come."

The smile never left her face. "Yet here you are."

"You're right,” the stallion smiled. “I need your help; and I need you away from this place."

Her smile turned to a grin. "Gods, I’ve been itching to leave this place since I set hoof in here!" Her grin turned to a frown as a realization struck her. "They are going to notice when I don’t show up to training this afternoon."

"He is one step ahead of you." The unicorn mare said. Speaking in Spear Point's voice, much to the pegasus's surprise. In a flare of green magic the white unicorn mare became a light gray pegasus, a mirror image of Spear Point down to the scar on her chin to the image of a spear head on her flank.

Spear Point jumped back and flared her wings in shock. Training took over and in a moment she drew one of the two blades at her side, the handle elongated, turning the small blade into a spear that she held at the throat of her doppelganger.

"Fear and surprise make such a delicious combination," the unarmored Spear Point said.

"I should introduce you two," Obsidian said calmly as he gestured to the unarmored mare. "This is the mistress of the Black Street Bordello. A successful businesspony, informant, whore, and, most relevant at the moment, changeling."

"Good to be you." the changeling said to Spear Point, giving her a playful grin.

He gestured to the armored pegasus. "And this is Spear Point, a stray I picked up around, oh, a decade or so ago. She was a feisty little ball of anger and feathers back then. I left her here eight years ago to help focus that anger into something a little more productive." Obsidian looked over at Spear Point. "Seems to have worked well enough."

Spear Point sheathed her weapon slowly, giving the changeling an almost imperceivable nod while keeping a wary eye on her twin. The twin sensed a great deal of apprehension radiating from her. "So this is your plan? Replace me, with her."

"And disguise you as her previous form," he said.

"She doesn't trust this plan, or me for that matter. And is having quite a few doubts about you as well Obsidian," the changeling commented.

Obsidian nodded and addressed Spear Point again. "She is a very trusted, and a very old friend of mine. I've known her much longer than I've known you."

The changeling felt a good deal of her mistrust wane as she gave Obsidian a small nod.

Spear Point looked over at herself and studied the changeling. "Your posture is all wrong, too relaxed, and you sound like you were born with a silver spoon stuck up your ass," she observed in a flat tone.

"I have a spell I need to cast on you that will rectify that, and give me enough of your memories that nopony will suspect a thing," explained the changeling.

Spear Point gave her a curt nod. "Do it." She closed her eyes, bracing for the worst. Bitter fear flowed off of her.

The changeling walked up to the pegasus and put their forehead together. A green glow surrounded their heads as the changeling retrieved the information she needed. Spear Point felt nothing but a strange warm tingling on her skin. After a few minutes the mistress pulled back.

"I need your armor." She said, her upper Canterlot accent gone, replaced by the more neutral central Equestrian accent that Spear Point had. Her posture changed to match Spear Point's as well,grace replaced with balance, relaxed replaced with ready.

Spear Point surrender her armor and gave the changeling one of her spears. Her bitter fear was replaced by sweet curiosity as she watched her doppelganger don her armor. "Think we could smuggle this one out?" she asked Obsidian holding the remaining weapon.

He just gives her a nod. "Now that she is you, you need to become her." His horn glows again and the spear and its sheath straps itself to the mare. Once it was secured, the magic moved to her short militaristic mane, it became longer and far messier slowing turning from brown to electric blue. Her coat was next, changing from gray to white, rough and unkempt to smooth and cared for. Her muscle tone change from corded to soft adding a little fat to round the mare out from her original lith build. The last detail to change was a cutie mark that changed from a spearhead to the music note that adorned the changeling's flank previously. With final flourish of magic the spear disappeared as well; she could feel it there clinging to her side.

"The illusion will wear off in a few hours, more than enough time to make our exit." He turned to the armored changeling. "Lay low, contact me if you find out anything."

She gave Obsidian a smart salute then a sly grin. "Yes, sir."

"Show Tune, I believe it's time to make our exit." he said as he walked to the door. 'Show Tune' followed silently behind.

Obsidian opened the door back into the courtyard. Waiting for him on the other side was a unicorn stallion in Order armor; but it was decorated by intricate and beautiful filigrees themed around the sun and its princess. He was well past middle age, but his physique dared not betray his age. He wore a smile that did not meet his eyes. next to him was the white robed mare that greeted them earlier.

"Mister Obsidian Knife, Miss Show Tune..." He addressed each of them in turn. "...allow me to introduce myself. I'm Grandmaster Crossguard, head of the Order of the Eternal Sun. May I ask what business you have with young Spear Point here?" He gestured to the to the changeling.

Obsidian smiled. "You may inquire all you want Grandmaster, however it is at Spear Point's discretion to determine if you, and extension the Order, are privileged to the nature of our meeting." His smile morphed into a smirk. "Also, you are going to need to bug the library again, your listening devices met an unfortunate end."

Crossguard's expression fell to a slight frown. The changeling could feel the sour irritation emanating off the stallion. "I do apologize about that, they might have been left over from training exercises in weeks past," he said, ignoring Obsidian's refusal for disclosure. He turned his attention to the changeling. "Spear, return to training." She snapped off a salute and trotted off across the courtyard. "May I escort you out?"

"So, somepony in the Order is out to kill Princess Luna?" The still disguised pegasus asked to the unicorn across from her in his carriage. "I'm can't say I'm that surprised. Opinions of the Princess are not terribly high, especially among the old guard."

"And, what is your opinion?" Obsidian asked.

"I'll admit, I share their love of Princess Celestia," she said timidly. "Her teachings of friendship, love, harmony, and altruism should be taken to heart. That being said, the reforms Princess Luna have put into place since her return do not contradict any of that. The grievances that Order has with Princess Luna has to deal with how one loves or makes friends or how they enjoy themselves."

"What if the decadence that the Princess set out are abused?" Obsidian probed.

It was one of the things the Order harped on. They thought that indulgence in what they called sinful activities, would lead a pony down the road to ruin. Spear Point know this was the exception, not the ruel from her time traveling with Obsidian as a foal. "I'm not saying that there should be orgies in the streets or that ponies should live at the bottom of a bottle. I believe there needs to be a balance."

Obsidian smiled warmly at the pegasus. "I think that's wise."

"We are here Boss." Walinzi called from the front of the carriage.

"Bring us right into the gatehouse, he said he was going to be handing him off on the bridge." Obsidian yelled out to the zebra.

"Where are we?" Spear Point asked.

"Keep calm, we are going to pick up another old friend of mine."

The carriage pulled up through the gatehouse and through the double cold iron gates. A squad of Dusk Guards followed the carriage in, and another squad stood about midway across bridge led by Warden. The carriage stopped and a unicorn in Dusk Guard armor approached the door and opened it. His horn glowed and scanned both occupants. Spear Point's image shifted and faded for a short time before it returned to its disguised state, much to the displeasure of Spear.

"Sir, one of the occupants is magically disguised!" the unicorn called out to the troops on the prison side of the carriage.

"Is it the navy unicorn?" Warden's voice called back.

"No sir, it's his companion. Gray pegasus, with a weapon."

"It's fine, proceed."

The unicorn backed off and a short time later up walked Warden, Feather, and three other guards surrounding Sextant. Sextant was hobbled in cold iron manacles, on his snout was a cold iron muzzle, and around his horn was a cold iron suppression ring. The elderly unicorn looked every bit of the mad warlock at his reputation claimed him to be.

Sextant himself was rather upset with the treatment, after his capture he made it a point to be as cooperative as possible to the authorities. Was it too much to hope for

to be treated with some dignity? A rough shove from behind told him 'yes'.

"Warden, you brought me a present!" Obsidian said cheerfully.

"Obsidian, I took the liberty of informing Princess Luna of what you requested of me. She was not happy," Warden said, his tone neutral.

"Did you inform Princess Celestia as well?"

"It was on Princess Luna's authority that he's being released, if Her Majesty feels that Princess Celestia should know, then Her Majesty can inform Princess Celestia herself." Warden turned to Feather. "Get the prisoner out of those restraints and get them on their way."

"Yes sir!" she enthusiastically said as she started undoing his shackles.

"Remember what I said Obsidian,” Warden warned before walking back to the prison, leaving his subordinates to finish the release.

Once all of Sextant's restraints were removed he smiled at Feather. "Feather my dear, you have been a been a most graceish jailer, and I thank you for that."

Feather returned the smile and gave him a brief nod before helping the elderly unicorn into the carriage. She handed up a set of saddlebags to him. "Here is everything you asked for, also I threw in a bit of my mother's fruitcake as well, I know how much you love it! Now, take care, and be good!" she said before closing the carriage door.

"Fruitcake?" Obsidian asked as the unicorn sat down next to him.

"Complement somepony's baking once, and you will never go hungry again."

"Is it any good?" Spear Point asked, curious about their new passenger, as well as the fruitcake.

“Let me put it this way: it’s the last time I’m ever going to be polite about somepony’s cooking again,” Sextant grumbled out. “By the way I don’t believe we have been introduced. My name is Sextant.”

“Spear Point.” The mare replied as the carriage started to move off the bridge and out of the gate house.

“Good to meet you, or it will be once that illusion dissipates.”

“She’s going to have to keep it a bit longer I’m afraid, we have one more stop to make. We have to pick up your bodyguard,” Obsidian explained.

“She’s not it?”

“No, I have a more...imposing mare in mind.” Obsidian grinned.

“Well, color me intrigued.”

The trip from the prison to the Night Quarter was not a short one, between the distance involved and the mid-afternoon traffic made for a rather sluggish pace. Well away from high society of the Upper City, the Night Quarter was where the artisans, merchants, laborers, the lower class, made their home. The name comes from the large population of bat ponies, that, and still do, populate the Quarter. It recent years it has become known for its nightlife; all due to Princess Luna's lifting of many restrictions in the nearly hundred year since her return. Alcohol, recreational drugs, and prostitution all became legal again, even if in limited form, under Princess Luna's current reign. The nobles and high society of Canterlot looked down on these reforms; they viewed them as the undoing of nearly a thousand years of morality and order to the whims of hedonism. The working class embraced them, glad to do openly what most of the population had already been doing in the shadows. Yet with all the progress that has been made, there were still some forms of entertainment that were still strictly illegal.

Walinzi pulled the cart down a secluded alleyway, stopping in front of a nondescript door.

“This be the place boss,” the zebra said unhooking himself from the carriage. “She is fighting here tonight.”

“Thank you Walinzi. Will you mind the carriage?” Obsidian asked as he stepped out. Followed shortly after by Sextant and Spear Point, whose illusions were recast.

“Of course sir.”

Obsidian opened the door the led the group down the narrow stairway that it revealed. At the bottom of the flight was a rather large earth pony stallion standing guard in front of an entrance. He gave the group descending the stairs a look that said ‘Fuck off.’ The three were unaffected by the earth pony's deminear.

“May we enter?” asked Obsidian standing in front of the, so far, silent earth pony.

“Password?” he grumbles out.

Obsidian levitated a small sack of coins to the stallion's outstretched hoof. He opens the sack and peeks inside, hefting it to appraise the approximate value held within.

“Close enough.” He opens the door into what could only be described as a mob scene.

Nearly two hundred ponies of every walk of life were crammed into the building's basement around a boxing ring, everypony screaming and cheering for their favorite fighter. In the ring itself were two bloody and battered earth pony mares recuperating from their last round. In the red corner was a young, buff, looking orange mare with a lighter orange mane tied back into a bun. Blood was being wiped from her snout, and jelly was being applied to a gash over her right eyebrow. In the opposite corner was another large mare, only this one was older. Her beige coat was stained by blood flowing from a cut on her lip, and her short dark green mane was matted with sweat and wild. But the most striking feature of the mare were the long and numerous scars that ran up the right side of her body and face, their distribution random.

Spear Point was excited to be here, it had been quite some time since she had been to a social gathering any more rowdy than a birthday party, or what passed for one amongst the Order. She wanted to cheer on the fighters right along with everypony else, and maybe see about buying the orange fighter a drink after the match.

Sextant eyed the large noisy crowd with with a great deal of distaste. It was dark, save for the spotlights on the ring, smoky, smelly, and so loud he couldn't hear himself think. He was already missing his cozy cell.

“You two, go get a drink.” Obsidian yelled over the noise of the crowd nodding to the relatively empty bar. “I’ll take care of this.” With that he pushed his way into the crowd working himself ringside.

Sextant turns to the filly next to him. “Are you you even old enough to drink?” he yelled over and eruption of cheering.

“No.” She answered before trotting off to the bar. Sextan rolled his eyes and followed her.

The bells rang and the two fighters squared off again, trading blows. Blood and sweat painted the floor of the ring, much the the crowd's delight. Obsidian made his way to the scarred mare’s corner and waited for the round to end. The orange mare appeared to be to be faster, dodging quite a few blows from the scarred fighter; but every punch that did land was jarring, breaking any rhythm that the younger mare had going. The scarred mare was slower, but was a far more defencive fighter, looking for opportunity to strike, and shaking off every hit she received as if they were light slaps.

The bell rang and the round ended, both mare returned to their respective corners. The scarred mare was surprised to see Obsidian standing next to her trainer, but expressed it as little more than a halfhearted grunt, and sat down to let her trainer clean her up.

Obsidian leaned into the ring close enough to the mare to not to be overheard by nearby ponies. "Stop playing with her and finish this, I got a job for you." He disappeared into the crowd and left the mare to her fight.

The bell sounded and it was a different mare that entered that ring. Gone was the weariness brought on by the five previous rounds. Her posture was stiffer and her eyes more alert. In a moment it was over. The orange mare opened with a quick right hook, that her opponent easily ducked under, using speed not yet seen in this match. The scarred mare shot back with her own left hook that connected solidly on the side of the orange mare's head. It was like a switch was turned off,

disconnecting her from the waking world. Her body went ridged and fell over, limbs sticking out, her eyes rolled into the back of her head. All clear signs she just suffered a concussion.

The referee counted down the knock out. The crowd cheering or expressing sorrow, depending on where their bets were hedged. The mare stayed down, medical ponies entering the ring after the count was complete to attend to the comatose fighter. An announcer entered the ring and held up the scarred mare's hoof.

"The winner, by knockout, Keelhaul!" he said in a magically amplified voice.

"What the fuck were thinking in there!" A small, skinny unicorn stallion with a slicked back mane yelled at Keel Haul. "You were to go down in the eighth round. Eighth round! Not fucking knocking one of my best fighters halfway to Cloudsdale in the sixth!"

Keel Haul grinned as she washed her face in the sink of the basement's bathroom. The water in the basin pink with her blood.

"You're lucky you are not one of my fighters, or I'd have you broken and bleeding out in some fucking garbage can right fucking now!" the unicorn growled out.

"Try that and she would break and bloody you herself," said a voice from the entrance of the restroom.

"Yea, and who the fuck are you?" The unicorn turned around to confront whomever it was that thought they could stick their nose into his business.

"Obsidian Knife, and you can tell your employer that is who called off the fight."

The smaller unicorn marched up to Obsidian getting right into his face. "YOU ARE FUC-" His yelling was cut off by something large and solid slamming into him, throwing him into the ground. A large hoof pinned his head to the floor. He tried to ignite his horn but the hoof stepped down harder causing the the downed unicorn to scream.

"Thank you Keel." Obsidian nodded to the mountain of a mare. He knelt down to the unicorn. "Now, tell Speakeasy I'm taking Miss..." A quiet cough from Keel caught Obsidian's attention.

"Miss'ess"

"You're married?" he asked, with a slightly confused look on his face.

She nodded.

Obsidian turned his focus back onto the prostrate unicorn. "Excuse me, I'll be taking Mrs. Keel Haul into my employ. Also, tell him that I might need to call upon some favors he owes me, just keep an ear open. Now, can you be a good boy and tell him that?"

"Go fuck yourself!" the unicorn spat at Obsidian.

"Keel," Obsidian commanded.

Keel Haul pressed down on his head, twisting the hoof back and forth grinding him into the tile of the bathroom floor. He screamed and thrashed trying to get out from under the titan of a mare. After a few moments of this he finally relented.

"Alright! Alright! I'll fucking tell him, just get this cunt off my head!" he yelled.

With that she lifted her hoof off of him, allowing him to sit up and cradle his abused head. She looked over at Obsidian. Most stallions would have a smug look on their face having reminded a little shit like that of his proper place, but Obsidian just looked displeased that the unicorn wasted a good deal of his time. It was something she really admired about him, that he took no pleasure in other ponies misery. Keel Haul on the other hoof was more than happy to show the little upstart how low a rung his ass really sat.

"Double." she said to navy unicorn. As much admiration she held for him, and as much as she enjoyed crushing that little shit's skull; she never does a job for free. With him showing up out of the blue like he did it was either dangerous or started immediately, or both.

"Deal." He walked out of the restroom, leaving her alone with the little shit.

"Fucking cunt," he groaned out as she started to leave.

She bucked him in the chest with her rear hoof sending him end over end into one of the stalls. He landed with his face in the toilet, weaseing to get his breath back. She made her exit, not bothering to even spare him a glance.

The basement was deserted save for few of the shit's lackies that had been bribed to empty out the underground venue and to grab their boss after Obsidian had his chat. The lackies didn't much care for their boss, and some of them even know Obsidian from his various comings and goings within the Canterlot underground. Spear

Point and Sextant sat at a table, each nursing a drink.Spear Point's was a sweet cider, and Sextant had himself a virgin cranberry juice.

Obsidian made introductions shortly after Keel exited the bathroom. "Spear Point, Sextant, might I introduce to you Keelhaul. Keelhaul, this is Spear Point, my niece, though she will look a little different in a few hours, and Sextant, your charge."

"Niece?" The large mare asked.

"Adopted."

Keel nodded. She noticed when she went back to look at the pair at the table their gazes did not meet her's. They were looking at her scars. She was used to the starting after bearing them for over twenty years. Everyone did it, everyone except Obsidian.

"Scars?" she asked.

Spear Point gave her a smile and a nod. Sextant tried to apologize but a raised hoof by the mare stopped him.

"Keel Haul was not my first name."

"I do apologize for taking so long Walinzi."

"Not a problem boss. I picked up an extra passenger for you while you were away," The zebra said as he opened the door. Lying on the the floor of the carriage was a brown earth pony stallion, tied up and blindfolded. "He paid me to look away, presumably to search through your things. Too bad for him he failed to mention for how long I should look away." The zebra gave Obsidian a wicked grin.

"Who is he?" Spear Point asked.

"Let's find out." Obsidian approached the bound pony. "So, who do you work for?"

The earth pony let out a groan and knocked his head on the floor in frustration. "Princess Celestia, I'm a member of the Solar Guard."

"And why did you try and bribe my friend here?"

"I'm assigned to keep up with your activities, I figured I'd have a look in here after you had been running around town all day picking up your guests, but your driver jumped me after I paid him."

Obsidian chuckled and turned to Walinzi. "How much did he pay you?"

"There was a rather nice hat I had my eye on that I'm now able to afford." His grin never left his face.

Obsidian turned back to the bound pony. "Well, go tell Celestia that if her or the Solar Guard ever do more than observe me or mine at a long, safe, distance, then I will personally make sure that every one of your spies in the Night Quarter is expelled. Is that understood?"

The guard sighed. "I'll let her know."

"Splendid! Keel, if you please." Obsidian stepped back to let the large mare through. She dragged the stallion out of the carriage and in the same motion threw him into one of the alleyway dumpsters. From the smell, it belonged to a neighponese restaurant.

"This is a nice place!" Spear Point commented as she stepped past bellehop, ignoring his offer to help her step down from the carriage. Before her was a moderately sized hotel, every inch of it screaming out luxury and sophistication. The polished black and blue marble facade made it a jewel of the Night Quarter. It was quite a step up from the hard bunk she had to sleep on while she was training with the Order.

Sextant exited the carriage behind her. "I did a job for someone staying here once. Pleasant enough accommodations." He recalled having to stitch up a rather nasty knife wound back in his days of playing doctor. He fondly remembers the patient's wife thanking him personally. For the rest of the night.

“The owner is a personal friend of mine, she keeps table open from me for whenever I’m in the neighborhood.” Obsidian commented.

Keel was unimpressed with the blatant show of wealth.

The four were sat down for dinner at a private table. The wait staff quick and efficient in their duties, interacting as little as possible with their guests to let them conduct their business.

Obsidian said looking around at each of his companions after the main courses arrived. “This morning I uncovered a plot to assassinate Princess Luna.”

“And?” Spear Point asked through a mouthful of garlic bread, not quite understanding how a simple assassination plot would warrant pulling her out of the order. Not that she was complaining.

“I have been charged to root out the conspirators, and I need your help.” Obsidian said as he lit his horn and dissolved the illusion around the pegasus. The dissipation startled the young warrior and had her nearly choking on the bread. After a few coughs to clear her throat she glared at her uncle.

“I believe she had a point.” Sextant spoke up. “Since her return Princess Luna has has earned many enemies from those that believe she is still Nightmare Moon and from those that believe that she is destroying a millennium of peace and harmony. I’d wager she is no stranger to death threats.”

“Unless there is more to it?” Keelhaul interjected.

“There is.” Obsidian answered. “The main conspirator for this plot was the late Captain of the Solar Guard, and member of the Order of the Eternal Sun. According to her the Order called for the assassination.”

“Why?” Spear Point piped up. “This doesn't sound like something the Order would do. They tend to a little more subversive in order to get their…”

A stallion unicorn, one of the servers, burst into the dining room looking panicked. “Mr. Obsidian, there are knights heading this way!” He ran out of the other door into the the kitchens.

“You were saying?” Obsidian gave an amused smiled to his niece.

“Blow it out of your ass grandpa,” she growled, drawing her spear, the shaft extending to only a short length.

“Do we run or do we fight?” Keel asked, positioning herself near the door to the dining room.

“Fight, Crossguard knows well enough he is not welcome here,” Obsidian replied.

“And if they are knights of the Solar guard?” Sextant asked, calmly sipping at a glass of water.

There was crashing outside as tables were pushed aside in the wake of the advancing knights. The yells of protest and screams coming from the patrons displaced by their advance mixed with the sound of the china breaking.

“Then let them live, if it's the Order, put them down,” Obsidian ordered. He kept close to the elderly unicorn to protect him. Sextant himself merely turned his chair so he could get a better view of the upcoming action.

The door burst open and in walked three Knights of the Order of the Eternal Sun in all their armored and armed glory. The lead Knigh, a unicorn mare with a white coat and a mane of silver, brandished a sword at Obsidian.

“By order of the Princess Celestia, you are under arrest Obsidian Knife!” she yelled. Her attention then turned to the young pegasus, recognising her almost instantly. The knight’s eyes narrowed and her voice rumbled out, “Trator!”

The knight to her left took to the air pointing his spear at Spear Point. The earth pony knight to the right held her axe out threateningly at Keelhaul.

Spear Point knew these ponies. The captain, Silver Edge, was a master swordsmare and one of the most by the book mares she had ever encountered. Pike, the pegasus stallion, was likewise a near master with his own weapon, but unlike Silver he liked to have a good time, even snuck her a few drinks occasionally. The last was Hickory Hard, a tough mare with a heart of gold she wanted to be a hospitaller, but instead she became a knight because her raw strength was valued more by the order than her desire to heal.

Spear Point went after earth pony mare first. No hesitation, no witty remark. just action. She dove under the stallion, changed direction, shot behind the captain and plunged the point of her spear right through the mare’s neck.

The other two knights were shocked, having never seen speed such as that out of her, or any pony for that matter. Still reeling from the shock of the attack they attempted to defend themselves. Silver took a blind swing at Spear Point, but blade cut nothing but air. Spear had already jumped from the mare’s back taking the spear with her with a sickening wet sound, and attacked Pike.

Keel saw an opportunity and charged the captain. Silver tried to swing her sword at the mare but only managed to glance her shoulder before she was tackled to the ground. The wound not even phasing her.

Pike tried to impale the small pegasus as she flew towards him with his spear, but it was knocked harmlessly away from her by her own. The point of her spear bounced back from the parry and lined up perfectly with his eye. Her momentum carried the point home, sending the spear through his head, and out the back of his helmet.

Keel wasted little time wrestling Silver’s limbs into submission, and then slamming her hoof down onto silvers horn, shearing it off. Silver’s body froze, her eyes wide, and her mouth agape. A moment later she started screaming and convulsing, trying to protect the bloody stump where her horn used to be.

Pike slipped from Spear’s spear and fell to the floor with a dull thud and the crash of metal.

Hickory was still upright, clutching at her throat trying to stem the bleeding. Sextant walked over to her are performed an anesthesia spell on her, knocking her unconscious so she may die in peace.

Obsidian used his magic to ease the pain of the disabled unicorn writhing on the ground as he approached.

She looked up at him, pure terror etched onto her face. “We know about you,” Silver croaked out. “We know what you are!”

“Yet you came anyway,” Obsidian said. A hint of sadness in his voice.

“Celestia said you would surrender.” Her voice was shaky. “She said you wouldn't fight.” She started to cry.

“She knows better.” Obsidian turned to Spear Point, his face expressionless. “Finish her.”

Spear Point jabbed her spear into the mare temple, killing her instantly.

Keel got off the mare and clutched her arm where the sword bit into it. “What was she talking about?” She asked Obsidian.

Obsidian didn’t answer. He just charged his horn and in a flash they were gone.

Author's Note

I know it's crap, but its been stuck in my head for far too long. Hopefully the next chapter will take less than six months to write.