Chapters The night was dark. Most ponies would've been home by now, but Zesty Gourmand was a mare of action. Somepony of her stature did not get there by waiting. She had just finished evaluating another dreadful restaurant and was finally ready to go home. She clearly had wasted her time again as another second rate restaurant had appeared after "The Tasty Treat." Unlike the latter she decided to grace them with her presense so they could be changed to perfection before it was too late, but alas it was for naught.
"When will these ponies finally realize the true art of a subtle taste?" She scoffed. She turned into a dark cold alley and immediately shivered. There she saw one of Canterlot's undesirable under class ponies, "Ughh! Get away!" Zesty moved vehemently away from the pony and his wretched stench.
"Please, spare a few bits. For my daughter," the unicorn said. He moved to show a cute little pegasus filly. Zesty got a good look at him and his daughter and she didn't like what she saw. His once brown fur was stained with dirt. The filly however looked slightly better kept and less frail. Her light orange fur was only slightly stained and her mane well kept, concerning their situation. She didn't even have a cutie mark, while his was a wrench. It seemed as if her daddy was giving her all of what little he had.
Zesty ran away as she held back bile in her mouth. Once she was finally far enough she stopped to catch her breath. When she was huffing and puffing she heard hoofsteps. "My my my, what do we have here," a voice pondered aloud. This voice was booming, deep, male and thuggish.
"I believe this is the grand Zesty Gourmand! The mare that put us out of business!" A second voiced chimed in. This voice was audibly higher and softer. It was female, but still had the tone of anger underneath.
"Who-who are you?" Zesty stammered. Then the pair stepped out into the relatively brighter part of the alley. Zesty saw a masculine, large, and strong earth pony alongside a smaller unicorn.
"Looks like she doesn't remember us, sis," Said the earth pony.
"It doesn't matter. We remember her, " Said the unicorn. Zesty turned to run away, but the unicorn placed a capri colored barrier in her way. Zesty ran muzzle first into the barrier and the unicorn pulled the barrier back to throw Zesty towards a wall. "Really? That was your escape plan?" The unicorn asked.
"Good one , Cream Chop!" Said the earth pony.
"Thanks, Batter Beat. You can have first swing at her, brother." Cream Chop gave a look to Batter Beat and he nodded in response. He walked towards a disheveled Zesty Gourmand. In her disorientation Zesty threw up a hastily made shield. She wasn't originally good at magic, so combined with how disoriented she was, it was a weak shield. This caused the pair to laugh. Batter Beat simply smacked it with his hoof and slight cracks appeared, so he decided to continue the onslaught. Unbeknownst to Batter Beat, a silent interloper had appeared and was slowly walking towards them. Cream Chop and Zesty Gourmand, however noticed a foreign presence their magic connected to.
"Yo! This doesn't concern you, so you can leave!" Cream Chop said as the figure continued its slow gait towards them. Meanwhile Batter Beat was beating the shield. It was in a dark brown cloak so its features, except for its broad shoulders and it being a biped, were completely unknown to Cream Chop.
"Who is it?" Batter Beat asked. He stopped attacking the barrier in that moment.
"I don't know!" Cream Chop said as she adopted her fighting stance. The creature stood still and stared at her. He was clearly a lot taller than her and Batter Beat, probably about 7 feet tall. Zesty took the opportunity presented to her and reorganized herself. She then renewed her shield barrier into a newer and stronger one.
"You dumb BITCH !" Yelled Batter Beat as he prepared to strike again..... but it never came. "What!?" Batter Beat's hoof was stuck in a hunter green aura. It was then that the battle begun. Batter Beat was thrown to the floor by the aura as the figure started a mad dash towards Cream Chop. She responded by placing her strongest barrier up in front of herself while charging a magic missile. The figure reacted to the barrier by continuing to charge.
Batter Beat got up and prepared to beat this figure when his sister knocked it down. Cream Chop shot the magic missile to its waist and the figure grabbed the magic sphere and threw it back towards the shield with double strength. The shield then shattered and Cream Chop fell due to the explosive power as Batter Beat moved in to protect his sister. The figure stopped running forward as it grabbed an item from its cloak. Batter Beat then saw that it was a blade. He firmly planted himself there as his sister got up.
The figure went back to its walking speed. "You motherbucker! You'll pay for hurting my sister!" Batter Beat Yelled. He charged towards the figure and the figure prepared itself to defend. Batter Beat closed in and hit with a headbutt as Cream Chop stood up. The figure had not expected a headbutt and Batter Beat hit it square in the stomach and the figure fell, dropping its sword..
Batter Beat was disoriented from the hit. Cream Chop always said I should use my head more often. Batter Beat realized another fact at that time. This thing's body is like a rock.
"I got him, Beat," yelled Cream Chop. Her capri magic surrounded the sword and Batter Beat jumped out of the way.
The sword went straight to the figure as it yelled, "Fuck!" The voice of the figure was raspy and noticeably male. He then grabbed a dagger from his cloak and hit the sword to his right and towards the wall. Batter Beat returned to the fray with a plank of wood in his mouth and proceeded to swing at the figure.
Batter Beat was untrained, so dodging should not have been a problem for the figure, but Cream Chop brought back the sword to continue attacking.
Things aren't looking good for me. Maybe I should stop playing around and kill them already? The figure nodded to itself and a puff of hunter green smoke appeared around him.
"What the fuck?" Batter Beat yelled. The figure was no longer there.
"Where did he go!?" Cream Chop shouted.
"I thought you said you had him!?" Batter Beat yelled at his sister. She glared at her brother as she brought the sword to her brother's back.
"I did! If you hadn't gotten in the way, then he would be dead! This is all your fa-" Cream Chop was interrupted by a gash appearing on her neck. She dropped the sword and fell to the floor grasping her throat. The figure then appeared from the shadows holding a bloody dagger.
"Cream Chop! You'll pay for this!" Batter Beat grabbed the figure's sword and charged at him.
"Pathetic." The figure said as he held up his hand out. Zesty Gourmand had been watching this entire time and noticed the figure had a goldenrod hand with claws. A hunter green aura appeared around his hand and Batter Beat stopped.
Batter Beat then twitched as he knelt down and dropped the sword, seemingly against his own will. "What did you do to me? You're a-a fucking monster," Batter Beat was visibly trembling. The figure walk up and grabbed his sword.
"Not many can resist when I dominate their minds. Consider yourself lucky to be able to talk." The figure turned to Batter Beat's front hoof and raised his sword.
"No, please stop! I'll do any- AHHHH!" Batter Beat was in excruciating pain. He looked at his leg and saw the figure cut off half it. The figure raised his sword once more. "Please, have mercy!" Batter Beat cried out as tears started to fall.
"The evil don't deserve any mercy." The figure quickly lowered his sword and Death came for the brother like his sister. The figure walked towards Zesty Gourmand and she started to cry out.
"Please don't kill me! I promise I'll change! I'll give those other restaurants a chance!" Zesty Gourmand continued to cry. The figure placed his hand on the barrier and it shattered, eliciting a loud sob from Zesty. The figure then proceeded to lower himself to meet eye to eye to her.
"Remember that the events that transpired tonight could have been avoided. Do not travel down the path of evil as you have seen where it leads." The figure then turned and walked away. Zesty waited until he was out of sight and sprinted towards Canterlot Guard Station. Zesty would go on to report this in great detail. Especially the figure's mask. It was made of steel and was gray, as if the metal had lost its original luster. It had only one eyehole on the right and three slits for a mouth. It was a detail that she would never forget.
...
The figure walked through alley after alley, avoiding the main roads until he saw a Stallion and his filly huddled together. He looked at them and the filly began to cry. "You can take me, but don't hurt her!" The stallion whimpered. The figure continued to stare as he grabbed something from his cloak.
"Daddy, What's he gonna do to us?" The filly cried.
"Hush, child. I love you and nothing is going to hurt you." The stallion gripped his daughter tight and they both closed their eyes. They heard a soft chink and opened their eyes. The figure left them a sack and had disappeared. The stallion checked inside and saw that it was filled with bits. "Honey?"
"Yes, poppa?"
"Don't ever judge a book by its cover."
...
Sirens wailed as several guards reviewed the crime scene. "This is the fifth and sixth dead victims in a month!" Yelled the detective.
"Relax. We get paid for results not complaints." Said his partner. Then the partner walked towards the bodies. "Let's see. Lacerations to the throats, heavy magic usage, one of them is missing a hoof, which is over there, and- are you writing this down, Silver Shield?"
"Oops, my bad, Blue Badge." Silver Shield said causing Blue Badge to grunt. "You know, this case is getting too big for us alone. We're gonna have to tell the commissioner to get outside sources for help."
"Two bodies ago, I would have disagreed, but now, I think so too." Blue Badge said. Blue Badge knew what this meant. Prince Shining Armor would have to contacted.
"Now, let's go see our victim's victim and hear what happened."
Author's Note
Hey, look guys, I'm not dead! Anyway, I thought up this story and I needed to write it. I'm not sure if there are similar stories out there, but I tried my best on this, so if you see any errors then point them out in the comments below. I don't know if I'll continue writing this, so I'll see how it does first. Anyway, the song I give this chapter is:
I chose this song as A. It sounds amazing and B. The chorus fits "The Figure's" message well: "You should've known the price of evil and it hurts to know that you belong here."
It was a new day. Shining Armor had woken up groggily as the previous night had been his to help Flurry Heart sleep and that was no simple task. He looked around and noticed something. Or rather the lack of something. Cadence wasn't here. She's probably just with Flurry. He thought. He rose from his bed and trudged onto the bathroom. Sparing you the details, he walked out with renewed energy. He did have an important appointment today.
Shining Armor travelled through his castle and reached his destination: the kitchen. There he saw his favorite cook. He was a gray stallion with a slightly lighter gray mane and blue eyes. "Hey there, Iron Ladle! What's for breakfast today?" Prince Armor asked.
"Oh! Prince Armor! What do you wish to eat today?" Iron Ladle bowed. Shining Armor frowned at this.
"Ladle, I told you that you can cook whatever you're comfortable with. Also, that you can drop the whole 'Prince Armor' thing. Just call me Shining." Iron Ladle got up while flustered.
"Sorry Pri- Shining!" Iron Ladle said. Iron Ladle was one of Shining Armor's oldest friends and, unlike most of his staff, was a pegasus from Cloudsdale. Shining Armor rolled his eyes at his friend's antics and started to walk away.
"Just suprise me," Shining Armor said. With that he left and noticed the Crystal Empire's main mailmare there in his throneroom. She was clearly sweating and panting.
"Prince Armor, you have urgent news!" The mailmare proceeded to do a quick bow and handed him the letter.
Shining Armor looked over the letter with curiosity. Canterlot PD's commissioner sent me a letter. This must be urgent. Shining Armor looked at the mailmare and said, "You're dismissed." The mailmare nodded and proceeded to run to her next destination. How is it that she is always speeding, but always late?
"He better not be over exaggerating again," Shining Armor grumbled.
"What was that, Shining?" Cadence said as she walked into the throneroom with Flurry Heart in tow.
"Yeah Dad! What was it?" Flurry Heart said. Shining Armor looked towards his little filly. She was roughly as old as when the CMC had gotten their cutie marks. She had yet to get hers.
"Oh, it's nothing my little Heart. It's probably just the commissioner just exaggerating again." Shining Armor said. His wife then walked up to him and she inspected it.
"I don't know, Shining, it could be important." Cadence had a scowl on her face as she said this.
"Yeah, like how last time he was missing a suit of armor, but it was just in his laundry?" Shining retorted.
"You know that that armor was his Grandfather's," Cadence shot back.
"Yes, but this could still be as 'important.'" Shining Armor even accentuated his point with his hooves. It was in this moment that Flurry Heart rose as a voice of reason to her parents.
"Why don't you just read it?" Flurry asked with her still innocent eyes. Her parents faces turned red and Shining ripped the letter.
Shining then read it aloud:
"Dear Prince Armor,
We require your assistance at Canterlot for a recent string of murders, each showing a pension for ferocity, have been taking place here. Right now the body count is at six in three and a half weeks. This is a matter that must be dealt with quickly. Inside I have given you two train tickets for you to take to Canterlot. Please take the most trustworthy pony you know to help you. You'll need them to watch your back.
Signed,
Commissioner Lance."
"What's murder?" Flurry Heart asked.
"It's like forcing someone to sleep-" Cadence said.
"Like you do to me?" Flurry's eyes full of curiosity.
"No. When somepony forces another to sleep permanently." Cadence said while staring at the floor.
"WHAT!? But then their life will pass them by!" Flurry Heart's waving her hooves frantically. "Murder must be evil!"
"It is." Shining said with a somber expression. "I'm going to help stop them. No innocent pony should ever have that happen to them."
Cadence simply nodded and went to prepare Shining Armor's saddlebags. Flurry Heart's face went back to her previously happy tone. "Good luck, daddy! Come back soon, okay?"
"Of course, my little Heart." He gave his daughter a quick peck on the forehead. "Be good while I'm gone." Flurry Heart nodded and smiled as Cadence came back.
"Come back safe, my love." Cadence walked up to Shining Armor and kissed him. Flurry Heart, of course, gagged at this and they had a quick laugh.
Shining Armor walked out of the castle and towards the barracks. He was greeted by many of his subjects slong the way, but never strayed from his goal. Upon arrival he began his search until he found the stallion. He was an orange pegasus with a spiky blue mane. "Flash Sentry!"
The stallion saluted his prince and said, "Your majesty!"
"At ease." The pegasus relaxed his position and Shining Armor continued. "You are to accompany to Canterlot for a secret mission."
"When is the dispatch time?" Flash Sentry asked.
"Now. It is of the utmost importance as speed is of the essence. Prepare your saddlebags."
"At once sir!" Flash Sentry turned around and began to fill his saddlebags with rations and necessities. Shining Armor was still in the room and noticed when Flash Sentry placed a picture of Twilight, Shining Armor's little sister.
"Done?" Shining Armor asked the private.
"Yes!" Flash Sentry exclaimed while he had a beat red face. Shining Armor was laughing internally at his embarrassment, but couldn't show. He had to remain professional.
"Then let's go." Shining Armor turned and the two trotted towards the train station to take the next train to Canterlot.
Author's Note
This chapter was really hard to write. I came to this story with an action paced brain, so I have no idea if I did this well. I wanted this to be lighter than the first chapter as I don't want this story to be continuously dark. Next chapter will be dark I can give you that. As always, tell me what I can fix, what you liked, or just your thoughts. Peace!
Shining Armor and Flash Sentry had a fairly boring trip to Canterlot as Shining Armor contemplated the murders. What kind of a sicko would commit these many murders, and be dumb enough to leave any witnesses. Sure, it is good for us that he did so it should be easy, but why? I'm missing a vital part here. What could be their motive?" Shining Armor had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Flash Sentry's words.
"Prince? Prince? Prince! PRINCE!" Flash Sentry shouted. Many other passengers looked at the two due to this.
"Oh- my bad. What is it Sentry?" Shining Armor's face was slightly red as the others returned to their own devices.
"We're finally here," Flash Sentry said while suppressing his laughter.
"I see. C'mon then," Shining Armor had corrected himself and returned to his professional stance. The two grabbed their things and walked out into Canterlot Station. Once they had set hoof out of the train Commissioner Lance greeted them.
"Mah prince," The commissioner said with his southern twang.
"Rise, Copper Lance. As you can see, my associate-" Flash Sentry nodded when he was addressed "- and I are here to assist you in capturing the murderer." Shining Armor said with a hardened expression and tone.
"Raght. Nice tah meetcha Flash Sentry," Commissioner Lance then hoofshaked him. Flash Sentry nodded to him as he reciprocated the shake. "Quahet one ah see. 'nyway, Ah thought we should start with the most recen' crahme scene and move down from there." Commissioner Lance said.
"Of course. Lead the way," Shining Armor said. Commissioner Lance turned around and led the way. He was an Earth Pony stallion with a copper mane and a brown coat.
Along the way Commissioner Lance used the opportunity to explain some things. "Well, Prince Armor, Ah think Ah should tell ya some things about what the witnesses said."
"I was wondering about that. Proceed," Shining Armor said. This matter was something serious to him and he handled it with a scary level of professionalism.
"Well, we believe him to be a skilled unicorn-" Commissioner Lance said as he was interrupted.
"That's most of Canterlot." Flash Sentry deadpanned.
Commissioner Lance then gave him an odd look. "Well, Ah didn't expect the first words out yer mouth to be disrespectful." Flash Sentry shrunk under his gaze. "Anyway, we believe him tah be a level 7 unicorn-"
Shining Armor stopped dead in his tracks. And said, "What? That's rare. That's the level under mine. How are you sure?"
"He seems tah cast illusion spells of ah high degree. He also seems to have cast an permanent illusion spell on himself to make him about 7 feet tall-" Shining Armor's left eye twitched "- and he was seen to cast invisibility."
"That sure singles him out from the rest of the population," Flash Sentry added.
"It sure does. Anything else?" Shining Armor asked.
"Well he-he... seems to do mind control ponies," Commissioner Lance said with a quiver in his voice.
Shining Armor's face darkened. Memories of Chrysalis and his wedding flooded his mind. "It could be a stray Changeling." Flash recoiled at the venom behind his words. "That could explain the illusion, and his use of dark magic."
"True, but findin' ah Changeling so soon after your weddin' isn't very likely," The Commissioner pointed out, oblivious to Shining Armor.
"Yeah..." Shining Armor looked at nothing in particular and the rest of the walk went in silence, with Flash Sentry occasionally glancing at Shining Armor.
...
"Holy shit!" Flash Sentry exclaimed as he tried to keep his breakfast down. The bodies had been magically preserved in the alley by a powerful ward. There was blood splattered on the floor, a decapitated Earth Pony with a dismembered hoof, and a Unicorn with a slashed throat. Thank goodness they placed an illusion here. He thought.
"Just when I was beginnin' tah like ya again. Anyway, we thought to preserve the crime scene as it could be out of public view with a couple spells," Commissioner Lance explained.
"Interesting. There seems to be evidence of slash wounds on both victims. One had his hoof and head cut off. This displays a certain rage towards this one. The other only had the one slash," Shining Armor mused.
"Maybe she wasn't the target, but just a witness," Flash Sentry added.
"Nah. Zesty Gourmand was in that corner watchin' the whole thing. The perp wasn't gonna kill somepony for witnessing this," Commissioner Lance explained. Shining Armor reacted to this by stopping and staring at him.
His eyebrow twitched as he said, "This would've been useful a while ago."
Commissioner Lance's face reddened. "Mah bad."
"So these two were the main targets. Maybe he's an assassin? The other victims don't really match up," Flash Sentry interjected with his hoof raised.
"He could, or maybe the victims are connected in some non-obvious way?" Shining Armor said like a question.
"Well, all the witnesses said that those that were murdered all tried tah attack them before he killed them," Commissioner Lance said to the two. Flash Sentry's facehoof could've probably been heard for miles. "What?"
"It's obvious now!" Shining Armor exclaimed.
"He's a vigilante," Flash Sentry deadpanned. Then he slowly slid his hoof off his face.
"And there's only one way to catch a vigilante: a trap!" Shining Armor said with a smile. "Also tell me everything up front next time." Shining Armor pointed a hoof in his chest.
Commissioner Lance gulped and said, "Sir, yes sir!"
"But how do we do that?" Flash Sentry asked.
Shining Armor put a hoof to his chin and thought. We have no idea how to find him and how he operates. There is a lot of crime in Canterlot, so he decides which crimes to stop, probably. Maybe we can- yes we can. Shining Armor broke into a grin and Flash Sentry grew an uneasy look on his face. Shining Armor then spoke, "How good is your acting?"
Flash Sentry had two words running through his head. Oh crap...
Author's Note
Sorry I'm like 4 days late. I had some personal stuff happen, but it's all good now. At least this one came early in the day, right?
The Figure stood alone on a rooftop waiting with his right hand glowing in his cloak. What will happen today? He thought. Canterlot below him looked beautiful with it's lights. He had yet to meet this city's ssissthi , but maybe that was for the best. Below him he saw two katimai . Their clothes were in a state of disarray as they stopped at a store as they were likely buying food for their masters. "Hmph. Si ornla nurti shala sio ekess qe vi katima. " Then he turned from the pitiful sight. "Ponies." He nearly spat. They were so weak, but he had made a promise to his ankin . He would protect those who were weak against evil.
As he contemplated this he heard a scream. He dropped his listening spell. He turned his head towards the sound's origin. It's a little close to the castle. He thought. "si keefum korth ." He simply stood there. This is risky, but I have to go. He ran towards the end of the roof and jumped. As he was in the air he teleported to a roof above the sound.
He looked down and saw three Unicorns. One was a stallion on the floor bleeding. He had a white coat and a blue mane. Next to him was a mare of brown with a mane of yellow. Opposite of them was a mare holding a bloody dagger and she was laughing. She had a gray coat and an orange mane. He didn't immediately jump down as he could sense powerful magic in the area. He just couldn't tell what kind of magic. The mare with the dagger decided to advance towards the two and the figure kicked himself to into overdrive. He couldn't afford any hesitation, so he jumped down into her path. As he landed all the ponies gasped in shock. The mare with the dagger dropped it and asked, "Who are you?"
The figure fixed his posture and stood up with his back to the pair. "I am-" He began to say,but was then interrupted.
The stallion then said three words, "A big idiot."
Now it was the figure's turn to be shocked. "What?" He asked as he turned towards the pair. He felt the magic he sensed before dissipate. Before him was scores of guards led by a brown Earth Pony with a copper mane. "Coi jahus vi lorit shio korja? Xsiol! " He grumbled loud enough for the white stallion from before to hear. He was surrounded in this alley and he could feel their magic charging up. Vobit, astahii itrewica ve! He thought. He decided to cast a jump spell while his arms were inside his cloak.
"Put your hands up where we can see them!" Said the white stallion. The figure did as he was told, but the stallion noticed a faint hunter green glow around his goldenrod claws. The stallion realized what he was attempting, but it was too late. The stallion managed to grip the figure's cloak, but the figure jumped up over a building. This, however broke his cloak off of him.
The stallion looked up at the figure as he was on the nearby roof. He was illuminated by the moonlight for all the guards to see. He was a wingless goldenrod dragon of 7 feet with silver spikes that ended at his rather short tail. On his head was a steel mask of gray that had lost it's shine, as if burned off. His figure was skinny, but toned muscles still appeared. He was wearing a belt that had a sword and two daggers were attached to his thighs via holsters. The figure turned and ran while they were in shock.
All of the guards apparent were Unicorns or Earth Ponies so none could give chase, except for a certain orange Pegasus with a blue mane. The figure ran at around 20 miles per hour, but Flash's armor delayed him. Flash flew as fast as he could but he could only slightly pass that. The figure's body had a magical glow and slowed down only when jumping to the point that Flash could almost grab his tail. Just when he was this close the figure jumped to the right and Flash flew straight into a chimney hard enough to break it. He flew passed it and nearly fell off, but the figure caught him before he did. Flash dangled as his consciousness faded, so the last thing he saw was the figure saving his life.
...
"Flash Sentry!" Shining Armor shouted as Flash Sentry flew after the figure.
"Rookie!" Commissioner Lance shouted. It was to no avail, he wouldn't listen.
"We have to chase him!" Shining Armor then turned to chase Flash Sentry by means of sidewalk.
"Wait up!" Commissioner Lance yelled at the prince. They both proceeded to run and the guards there did the same. They had trouble keeping up their speed, due to their armor, however Shining Armor persevered on.
Shining Armor had one thought in his head. Twily will kill me if he gets hurt! This was the thought that propelled him further than the others. Then, as if to spite him, he saw Flash Sentry crash. "NO!" Shining Armor shouted. Time seemed to slow. Flash was spiraling towards the edge, Shining Armor wouldn't reach a range for his telekinesis to work, but then the figure did the unthinkable. He jumped and grabbed Flash Sentry's tail before he could fall, leaving him prone on the roof with his arm out.
Shining Armor saw his opportunity and charged his horn. He reached the two and covered them both in his magic. The figure was finally caught! Meanwhile, the figure had one thought that he expressed, "Xsiol! "
...
Twilight Sparkle was in her room asleep when she awoke. She looked around her room. Wings, check, horn, check, dresser, check, bed check, Spike, check. Huh. Why do I feel like I need to hurt my brother? Whatever, back to sleep. She thought. She then closed her eyes and then slept.
Author's Note
Wow, I'm late again? I need to schedule better... Anyways there are now enough clues for you guys to find out why the Crossover tag is there. So many questions:
Flash Sentry woke up with a start. As he looked around he noticed that he was in a hospital bed,and that he had a raging headache. He brought a hoof to his temple and upon impact the pain worsened exponentially. He gasped out and thought Bad idea! Bad idea! He then lowered his hoof and spoke aloud to himself. "What happened?" He stood up and gray spots filled his vision. "Woah! Take it nice and slow, Flash. You can do this." Slowly, but surely, Flash Sentry got up on his four hooves. Just then a light blue Unicorn stallion with a graying mane of brown walked in.
"Mr. Sentry, you really must sit! It is not good for you to be up so soon," The Unicorn stallion said with a jump. Flash, reluctantly, sat down on the bed. "Alright. You are probably full of questions, but I must give you a basic examination before the doctor gets here. That okay?" Flash Sentry nodded in response. "Good. My name is Nurse Life Support and I am going to check you for a concussion right now." Flash got a good look at the stallion and noticed his wrinkles. The Nurse had soft, hazel eyes and a equally soft smile likely gained through age.
"Okay, but before we start, I have to ask, how long was I out for?" Flash Sentry asked.
"About three days," Nurse Life Support said.
"Oh that's fine. No bi- THREE DAYS!" Flash Sentry's face had shock written all over it.
"Oh dear."
"If Twilight knows she is gonna kill me!"
...
Twilight was currently holding her BBBFF (Big Brother Best Friend Forever) in a magical vice grip on his ear as she lectured him on leaving her out of the loop. "How dare you do this to me again?!"
"A-again?" Shining Armor asked in fear of his sister's superior magical skill display.
"First the wedding and now this! You have been leaving me as a side thought and didn't even tell me of this!" She released him and turned to him, but what got him is that she looked hurt, not mad.
Shining Armor bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry."
"I know you are, but I just feel that we aren't as close as we used to be. I get that siblings detach after time, but I came to terms with that. I just wish that we were a little closer. More accessible to each other." Twilight sighed.
"I get it Twily. I really do. What kind of a BBBFF am I? I couldn't even tell you when your coltfriend joined me on a dangerous mission."
Twilight put a hoof on Shining's shoulder. "First of all, you are an amazing BBBFF and nothing could change that." Shining Armor and Twilight shared a smile and then Twilight blushed while turning. "Secondly, I don't have coltfriend. Flash is merely a stallion and a friend, not a stallion friend, but a friend. So as Princess it is my profession to deal with friends and care for them. As friends. Professionally." Twilight flustered in her speech and trotted at a quicker pace to Flash's room, while Shining Armor snickered behind her.
...Meanwhile in the Figure's cell in the dungeon...
"At ease guards" Princess Celestia said. The guards nodded and opened the cell in the dungeons that held the Figure. Princess Celestia walked in and they locked it behind her. She looked towards the center and saw the Figure, whom donned his cloak and signature steel gray mask. He was at a steel table under the only light in the room. He was in chains attached to the floor with enough leeway to eat and sleep rigidly.
"si tira ti vucot batobot vi wanotreyxkaiv ornla lead vin interrogation ," the Figure said.
"axun, coi ui shocking ," replied Celestia with her stern face.
"You speak Draconic?" The Figure asked.
"You speak common?" Celestia replied back.
"Touché."
"Apparently Prench too."
"Ha ha," The Figure deadpanned.
"Well, from earlier I can tell you know who I am, so why don't we talk about you?"
"I see, straight to the point. Fortunately for you I had no plans of resisting. What would you like to know?"
Celestia pondered for a second. "I had heard of you from the witnesses, so I can tell what your motives are, so I would really like to know more about your life and how you acquired that motive, but we should start with a simpler question. What is your name?"
"If I have ever had a name I do not know it. I have constantly only been referred to as Silit ."
"I may know Draconic, but I am a bit rusty, care for a translation?" Celestia asked.
"In your tongue, the word would translate to slave," The Figure said.
"What? How could you not have a name? If you did have an owner how did they not name you?" Celestia maintained her stern look, but confusion crept in it.
"I have been a slave since my hatchling years and in the plantation I worked in they referred to me only as silit 15B, but unless 15B counts as a name to ponies then I am nameless."
"This simply won't do. I need to be able to refer to you somehow. How would you feel if I gave you one?"
The figure cocked his head slightly left. "You would name me? Sure."
"How about..." Celestia looked him over and noticed his goldenrod scales. "Golden Edge?"
The newly named Golden Edge put a claw to his chin. "A pony name? I don't think it would work."
"Right, my bad. How about just Edge?"
"Warmer, but I am not feeling it. How about I tell you more about me before you try to name me."
"Okay. What was the plantation like?"
"Seriously?" He deadpanned, but Celestia's stern face stayed. "Fine. As with most things there were good and bad parts to it. Our master was harsh, but the lashings hardened my scales for future tribulations. It also taught me the importance of hard work. If we weren't adequate, then we received lashings. Life was bad, but tolerable to a degree as I did have a girl whom I loved. We laughed together and we promised each other that we would get out of that place together and we did. When the minotaur raiders destroyed everything. They killed most of us, but they left 6 of us alive. Including her and I. In the raiders' group they noticed my race and tried to make me a warrior."
"Wait a second, your race?" Celestia said. "Sorry, I don't know much about Dragons."
"Of course, but I am not a Dragon, but a Draconian. Specifically an Aurak Draconian. We are a race characterized by our lankiness, out height, our winglessness, and our proficiency in-" The Figure raised his claws and they were enrapt in a hunter green aura as his chains opened and closed back up "- magic."
"Interesting," Celestia said. "Please continue."
"Well, the raiders came when I was 8, but I stayed there until 19. I was trained by a cruel and vicious master who praised finesse and brutality. Choosing when to strike, but when attacking going for vitals with strength."
"That explains your murders."
The figure grew offended under his mask, but did not show it otherwise. "One night my love came to me sobbing and she had told me my master had raped her, so I held her that night and she made me promise to protect her from them. I challenged him to the terms that if I won she and I would be freed and if I loss I would die and he would no longer have to train me. I managed to beat him using my magic slightly to mind controll his moves to miss and for him to be hit. He still managed to wound me though. Before you ask, mind control is a special power my kind are quick to pick up. I had defeated him and won my freedom in Minotaur tradition. My mistake was leaving him alive. When I wasn't looking he stabbed her in the gut and I killed him in rage. As I held her dying form she made me take a new promise in light of my broken one: To protect others who can't do it themselves. So I travelled far and wide doing as she told me. I did so for 12 years, perfecting my skills, and here we are today."
"Thank you for telling me, that was most likely a difficult to share," Celestia said as she stood up. "I thought up a name for you. It's Duulo. "
"May I ask a question?" Duulo asked.
"Of course."
"What fate awaits me?"
"You are Duulo now, you can make your own fate." Celestia walked out and told the guards to keep the door open and to unchain him. They did so hesitantly, but when they did Duulo stayed inside in his seat. Celestia looked back and saw him stand. He approached her while staying inside the cell.
"I choose to accept my punishment for killing those ponies." Then Duulo walked back inside and took off his cloak and mask and Celestia saw his face for the first time. He had a hunter green eye and his second eye had a gash over it, rendering it blind and white, which crossed his nose and rested under his left, and working eye. "This was who I was, now, I am Duulo and ready to look towards the future, even if it turns out short."
Twilight Sparkle trotted into Flash Sentry's room with Shining Armor in tow. Upon seeing each other their faces both lit up.
"Twilight!" Flash exclaimed as Twilight hugged him. Shining Armor responded by grunting, which created a blush on the pair.
"Real professional, Twily," Shining Armor chuckled out.
"Right. It is so good to see you Mr. Sentry," Twilight reached out in the most awkward hoofshake in Equestrian history. Given the circumstances, Flash reacted appropriately, by shutting down all functions momentarily. His functions only rebooted when Shining Armor bursted out laughing. Twilight then asked, "What's so funny?"
"Yeah, what's so funny?" Flash repeated.
Shining Armor wiped his brow and said, "Oh nothing. You two are too cute." This elicited more blushing and laughs. After a good awkward minute, Twilight spoke up.
"Flash, are you okay? I was so worried when I heard. Do you remember anything?" Probed Twilight.
Flash rubbed his head and thought. "Well, I feel alright, but I can't recall anything other than a chimney. Strange."
"I can explain that. We had finally cornered the killer, but he then jumped on top of a building," Shining Armor explained.
"Who was the culprit?" Twilight asked and turned towards her brother.
"He was some Dragon, never got his name."
"Oh, so he flew up."
"No he jumped up ," Shining corrected.
"What?! No Dragon can jump that high!" Twilight shrieked.
"Well, he used a spell. I noticed him cast it and I thought he was going to attack us so I tried to grab him, but my magic only got his cloak, and that was when he jumped and revealed his figure. For someone of such brutality, I expected him to be less skinny."
"What happened next?" Twilight asked.
"I remember why I remember a chimney now. I flew after him and had to go at max speed. I ended up crashing into a chimney, didn't I?" Flash cringed. Shining nodded and he groaned, "I'm never gonna live that down. Then I fell and... wait, that can't be right."
"What is it?" Twilight asked.
"I remember the killer saving me from the drop, but that can not be correct."
"Well, it did happen. It was the only way I caught him. He grabbed you and traded a clean escape for you," Shining said.
"What!?" Flash Sentry jumped up from the bed and sat upright.
Twilight did a quick double take. "I need to meet him. Now." Twilight turned to leave, but Shining Armor stopped her.
"Twily, he is dangerous, who knows what he will do to you. He can mind control ponies!"
Twilight looked at him with wide eyes. "Please, Shining. This is important." Shining sighed and eventually he gave in. Twilight promptly left the two in the room and asked a nearby guard to lead her to the newest prisoner.
...
Twilight was closing in on the cell when she heard a faint, "This was who I was, now, I am Duulo and ready to look towards the future, even if it turns out short." When she finally closed the gap, she saw Celestia herself give the creature a small nod.
Twilight then called out, "Princess Celestia! I wasn't expecting to see you here."
Celestia turned and chuckled slightly before returning to her base expression. She then said, "Hello Twilight. When I got here neither did he."
"Princess, is that him? The killer?" Twilight asked. She looked at him and noticed how he was slightly shorter than Celestia.
"Yes. His name is Duulo." Celestia stepped aside and gave Twilight room to get closer. She then noticed how scarred his face was.
"Duulo?" Twilight said as a question.
"It is a pleasure to meet another royal." Duulo said as he sat back down and used his magic to chain himself again. Now Twilight and him were at eye level.
"My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle and I want to thank you for saving my friend Flash Sentry. He was the one you saved from falling."
"Yes, the guard," Duulo paused. "Thank you."
"Why are you thanking me?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at his statement.
"Most ponies don't thank me for helping them."
"Why?" Duulo simply gestured at himself as a response. "Right," Twilight said with a blush. "Also, how can you use magic? I thought Dragons didn't have magic."
"Well, they don't."
"Then how do you have magic?"
"Well, for starters, I am not a Dragon, but a Draconian. An Aurak Draconian to be specific, and we are born with magic."
"Oh no, what I said wasn't specist was it?" (Specist- racist, but with species)
"Only a little, the two species look the same anyway," Duulo chuckled at Twilight's blush.
Celestia then interrupted the two with her newly acquired knowledge. "Your trial is starting soon. Twilight, you must get going."
Twilight looked at her old teacher and said, "May I watch the trial? I want to see what happens to him." Celestia nodded and the group left to the court with Duulo sporting new chains.
...
A long and arduos trial full of gray area debates finally had reached a verdict. Princess Celestia rose to the podium and declared it. "The jury has found the defendant guilty of murder, but due to circumstances and witness accounts has been found guilty of aiding the ponies of Canterlot. This, along with his co operation upon capture has been given a lenient sentence of 5 years of exile from Canterlot. Court has now ended." The guards went to take Duulo, whom had no lawyer as he did not request one and plead guilty, making this an easy trial.
The cuffed him and began to walk him out of the city, but Twilight went to him to say one last thing, "For what you did for Flash, you are always welcome in my castle back in Ponyville." Duulo nodded.
When Duulo was led to the edge of the city they returned his things and freed him. Duulo walked out into the road with his head held high. He would travel forwards in life, towards a future where he would keep his promise, and be happy. While walking he put back on his holsters and put his weapons back on. He tied the cloak back on, but didn't put on his hood. He then placed on his last article of clothing: the steel gray mask.
Author's Note
I got inspired to write this as quickly as possible, so today you guys get a two-fer today. Sadly, this is the end, no epilogue, sorry! Tell me what you thought of the ending down below, was it too lenient? Too harsh (not likely)? Was the story good as a whole? Or do you think it sucked? And why. Constructive criticism is appreciated. And for anyone who wants to know, aka no one, I first thought up this story when I listened to:
Any Iron Maiden fans out there? If not here's the A7X cover that I prefer: