yo, this story is fast paced do please try to accelerate your brains to keep up
Dying is not a pleasant thing. Some will say it’s peaceful while others say that it’s scary, for me it’s just suspenseful and tiring. As an assassin I am prepared to give my life for the creed and master Desmond at any time. I do not fear it but I did my best to avoid it, unfortunately you can’t run from a brain tumor.
I sighed as I knocked on Master Desmond’s door. “Come in.”
I opened the door and stuck my head in, “Is this a good time? I need to talk to you.”
“It’s fine, what do you need Cody? This isn’t about a vacation again is it? I told you before now that you’re an actual assassin we need your help.”
“Well sir, as you requested I just got a full medical examination.”
“And?”
“And I have a brain tumor. Three days left to live.”
He put down his pen and looked up at me, “I’m sorry, is there anything I can do for you?”
“Well I came to ask a favor, though I know it probably won’t happen. It’s been my dream ever since I can remember.”
“Anything, I would never deny a man his final wish.”
“Well, I was wondering if I could try on your ancestral armor. I know I have no right to ask this but I thought since it was just gathering dust in that old display case-.”
He held up a hand, “I’ll do you one better, you’ll be buried in it. I’ll even include the weapons.”
I was shocked, for Master Desmond to allow such a thing to happen to his family’s armor and weapons would be unbelievable. Sure they were ancient but they were still some of the greatest around.
“Buried, with them? I, I can’t thank you enough Master Desmond.”
He stood up and smiled, “Just call me Desmond. Cody, you were raised as part of the creed; you are the heart and soul of this place. Since the day you were born and Templars killed your parents you have been trained to be an assassin, everyone here knows and loves you as if you were family. It would be an honor for me to let you be buried with those dusty old artifacts.”
I was shocked, I had no clue that anyone really cared for me. Sure I was friends with most everyone in the creed but that was it, just friends. I snapped out of my daze when Desmond hit the intercom button,
“Attention, everyone please report to the ceremony hall.”
When we had gotten there and everyone had arrived and I had given them the news it was met with one reaction: silence. Nobody spoke for the longest time, as if afraid that their words would break the string that was holding them together. Eventually Jacob, my best friend took a deep breath, “What now?”
no one seemed to know the answer, it wasn’t like there was time to actually DO anything. “Well, I expect everyone to leave Saturday open for the funeral. Other than that just carry on normally, he isn’t dead yet so don’t act like it.”
Leave it to Desmond to keep everyone’s head together. The next two days passed with me bounding with energy, unable to stop for the biggest things. I set three new records in the fighting ring and four at the gambling table. It was like I was a star, burning its brightest before it died. The obstacle course was another story; I had already beaten the best time. trololol. The last day, I could feel my head throbbing, my body starting to shut down. Every little move I made sent pain all through my body. The pain killers helped but they didn’t numb the pain, just made me more resilient to it. I was able to hold small conversations and walk but not much else; I even had to get help putting on the robes I was going to be buried in. by lunch I was seeing spots and needed a cane. I couldn’t really do any of my chores so I could only watch as everyone went about their lives. I was barely able to eat a bagel; I slowly stood up and went down to the ceremony hall. When I got there I saw my coffin, it was a magnificent piece of work. More than I deserved really. “Do you like it?”
I turned to see Desmond walking up. “It’s more than I deserve, I don’t understand why you’re going all out. I’m just one kid.”
He nodded and smiled, “True, but this is the first time we’ve had a heads up in a long time. Usually we have to make several coffins in a day, for this we had three.”
“And the robes?”
“Well, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Like you’re going to need it after you die.”
I raised an eyebrow and shook my head, “Well I suppose your instincts are as good as any other reason.”
He nodded and ran a hand over the coffin. We just stood there for a while in silence, conversing without words. This man had practically raised me and now he was giving me a funeral fit for a king. It just didn’t make sense. Somehow nothing felt quite right, maybe it was the walnut pressing on my brain. Maybe I was just scared to die. Either way, it just felt off. I sat down on the coffin and sighed,
“It’s almost time, I can feel it.”
He nodded his head and left. After he left I smiled and looked at the shadows, “Hi Jacob, noisy as ever I see.”
“Wouldn’t you hear it?”
I nodded and smiled. “So, this is it?”
“Eeyup, only seventeen and I kick the bucket. I always thought I’d go out with the Templars, at least a couple dozen.”
“You can’t even beat me, how do you expect to take down a Templar, let alone two dozen?”
we shared a laugh and he helped me to sit on the stairs. “You ever get in bed with Sarah?”
he shook his head, “No man, turns out she plays for the other team.”
“Sarah!? The girl who nearly had to drag me into her room two weeks ago plays for the other team?”
“She did what!? I knew something was off when she kissed Rebecca.”
“Hey, at least you got a show when you got shot down.”
He chuckled, “Ya, I suppose so. So how was she?”
“Well I wouldn’t be able to compare, she was my first.”
He nearly fell over laughing, “Really the white shadow had to wait that long to get some?”
“White shadow?”
“Ya man, that’s what you’re called all over the world. You didn’t think it was odd that you became an assassin at seventeen?”
I shrugged, “I’m just that good I suppose.”
He smiled and looked at the ceiling. We sat there for a few minutes before I couldn’t stay awake anymore, “Jacob, it’s time. Can you help me?”
he nodded and put my arm over his shoulder. When we got there in an impressive feat of strength he pushed the lid off of the coffin and helped me in. “Thank you, I’m sorry I have to leave.” He just shook his head and sat on the edge. I felt my heartbeat slow and closed my eyes. The last thing I heard was Jacob,
“Riposa in pace amico mio. (Rest in peace my friend.)”
Death wasn’t bad, just darkness. Into eternity, it was boring really. At least I was in top shape, no more pain. It was like I was always falling, the bottomless pit. I could have been there for a day or a thousand years, I had no perception of time. Eventually however I saw the light, the ever so iconic light. And I was falling right towards it, well fuck. I fell right over a forest and moved into an eagle dive. I caught a branch and launched forward into a bush. Well this was getting really weird really fast. Where exactly was I? I stepped out of the bush and took a look around, there was a path just visible but I had no clue where it went. Well I had nowhere better to go. As soon as I stepped onto the path I heard a growl, I turned to find a lion with bat wings and a scorpions tail.
“Meep.”
I blasted through the forest like a madman screaming, “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!”
I ran until I remembered that I have weapons. I ran up a tree and vaulted off of it landing on the beast’s back and shove my hook blades into its neck making it collapse. I haven’t been that scared since my first assassination. I was shaking and jittery at every little noise after that until I found a small cottage, about my height. I was about to walk up to it when I heard a voice, “Oh my, are you hurt?”
I turned and saw a yellow pony with wings, a Pegasus maybe? I just cocked my head at it. “Are you okay?”
scumbag brain: talking pony, time to pass out. When I woke up I could feel something cool my head and could hear voices. “Are you sure you don’t have any books on this animal Twilight?”
“I’m afraid not, we may be looking at a new species. A variant of an ape maybe? Do apes live in the everfree?”
“Oh no, they prefer more tropical climates.”
I groaned as I sat up, “Where the hell am I?”
“It can talk!?”
“Of course I can talk you dunce. Now where am I and why can’t I see anything?”
“Umm, you’re in my home and you have a sleeping mask on.”
I slipped the mask off and saw them, the Pegasus from before and a purple unicorn... “BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”
I pointed at them and laughed harder than I had ever laughed before. “What’s so funny?”
“If you can’t keep your sense of humor then death will kill you.”
“What?”
I gasped as I tried to stay up, “I died a while ago, now I’m in some kind of hell.”
The yellow one seemed to look worried, “Y-you died?”
I tapped my head, “From a brain tumor, died at the ripe old age of seventeen.”
The purple one raised an eyebrow, “How long does your species usually live?”
“Well humans, the average is about a century.”
“Humans!?” I nodded.
“Lyra is going to have a field day.”
“Lyra? What’s a Lyra?”
twilight slumped down and rubbed her temples, “She’s the towns resident human expert, we all thought she was crazy.”
I smirked, “Takes crazy to know crazy.”
They chuckled nervously as I noticed all of my weapons were gone, “Where is my stuff!?”
I looked around frantically searching everywhere I could think of.” “We put the sharp stuff away, we weren’t sure if you were friendly.”
I slid out my hidden blades, “If I don’t get those back ASAP then you’ll see exactly how ‘friendly’ I am.”
They jumped back as their eyes shrunk, “Now hold on, no need to get violent.”
“My weapons, NOW!”
they scrambled up the stairs and came back with all of my stuff. “Sorry to snap at you like that, these were my master’s.”
a glint showed in the unicorns eyes, “You had a master? Is that how human socialize?”
I shook my head, “Not really, I was just part of a world that required it. He was more like a father really. They were all my family in one way or another.”
“Who were they?”
“The creed, we all depended on each other. Against those God dammed Templars.”
I was surprised at the hate in my voice, had it always been there? They seemed to be quite nervous as they looked everywhere but me.
“Oh, how rude of me. My name is Cody Creed Assassino. May I ask your names?”
“My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
“Fluttershy”
I nodded and stepped outside, when the two came out I was nowhere to be seen. “Where’d he go? Do humans have magic?”
I jumped off of the cottage and smiled, “No, just skill.”
They eeped and turned towards me, “How did you do that?”
“I have to be fast, it’s a requirement of my profession.” “Which is?”
“Later, now I need to find this Lyra.”
Twilight groaned, “This is not going to be pleasant.”
When we got to the edge of a town we stopped. “Can you get through town without being spotted?”
“You insult me, of course I can.”
I climbed up the first house and all but disappeared as I followed the two mares through town. There was one close call with a blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane but I managed to distract her long enough to escape. We had to go clear across town which led me to ask why we didn’t just go around through the forest. I slipped into the house through the window and slipped into a shadow close to the front door as Twilight or Fluttershy knocked on it. A mint green unicorn with a lyre on her flank opened the door, “Hi girls, what bring you here?”
I couldn’t hear a response but I could hear the unicorn, “Really!? Where is it!?”
I slipped up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, “For the record, I am a boy.”
They jumped and Twilight glared at me, “Will you stop that!?”
I just smirked at her, “I’m in a world of freaking ponies, and I’m going to have as much fun as I can before I die again.”
Lyra just gaped at me for a while before she jumped up, “I knew it!!! Oh I have so many questions!!!”
I raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Sure, but first anywhere I can get some food?”
twilight cocked her head, “What do you eat?”
Lyra jumped at the chance to speak, “Humans are omnivores eating a steady diet of fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, sugar, and meat both dark and white.”
I nodded, “Not bad. But ya, meat?”
they looked around awkwardly. “And there is no meat is there? Great, well that’s just great. Any place I can go to get meat?”
Lyra thought for a moment then smiled, “Well there is the griffon country up north and the dragons live to the west. The sea ponies might welcome you, they are well known for their friendliness and lust for knowledge. However the east would be a bad idea, the changelings live there. I nodded and sighed, “Why is my job never easy?”
“You never said what your job was.”
I smiled at Twilight, “Very perceptive, the answer is in my name. Now I need to gather supplies.”
They cocked their heads. *sigh* “I’m not staying in a place without meat, I may be able to live without it but I don’t plan to. Now where can I steal some supplies?”
“S-steal?” said Fluttershy with obvious hesitation in her voice
I rolled my eyes, “Fine, I’ll start my journey without any food or water. Now Lyra, how can I get to this griffon country?”
she grinned and just about exploded, “I can take you!!!”
I shrugged, “Works for me, how soon can we leave?”
she jumped around me and ran into a room. She burst out of the room carrying several packs, “Right now! Oh, but first we need to stop by Canterlot.”
I nodded and took the packs, “Then let’s leave, I need a steak.”
The group shuddered but moved out the door. We went all the way to the edge of town before Twilight and Fluttershy stopped. “What’s wrong? Not coming with us?”
they shook their heads, “I have to watch the library and spike, not to mention I can’t just leave ponyville. It would cause too many problems.”
“And I can’t leave all my animal friends alone.”
I nodded and picked Lyra up, “Well try to figure out my job then.”
I put Lyra on my back and started jogging towards the city in the distance.
We got there just before nightfall and I put her down just as we entered the city. “How did you run for that long?”
“That was jogging, no big deal.”
She looked at me with wonder in her eyes, “Humans are amazing.”
I pulled my hood over my head and stepped forward into town, “We need a place to stay, should we sleep outside or in an inn?”
she smiled, “There just so happens to be a place we can stay. My friend Fancy Pants has a house inside the city, and if anypony asks you’re a hairless diamond dog.”
I nodded and followed her into the city. We reached a manor in the middle of the city and walked up to the gate and rang the doorbell. “Who is it?”
“Fancy, I have a surprise for you!”
“Lyra? Is that you? You should have told me you were coming over; I would have gotten us tickets to see Octavia.”
“Sorry fancy, it was kind of a last minute thing. Me and my friend here need a place to stay tonight.”
“Of course, anything for you.”
The gates opened and Lyra and I walked up to the doors that opened to show a white stallion with a blue mane, “Ah Lyra, how nice to see, you…”
he looked up at my hooded figure and passed out. “Excitable one, isn’t he?”
Lyra just rolled her eyes and poked him. I picked him up and put him on the couch, this place was at least twice the size of the main base back home. After I put him down and unloaded I slipped under the staircase, “Wake me up tomorrow, I’ll be here.”
“But I have so many questions!” We’ll have plenty of time to talk on the road.”
“But what about Fancy? He’ll want to talk to you to!”
“No problem, we’ll leave around noon. That will give us plenty of time to talk.”
“But so many questions will have to be answered in that time!”
“I don’t plan on giving him my entire life’s story. Just enough to keep him interested.”
“That sounds so cruel though.”
“That’s life, it gives you hope then crushes it under its boot.”
I rolled over on my side and closed my eyes, slipping into a dreamless sleep. I woke up just as Lyra was poked her head into my face. “What are you doing?”
she jumped back, “Oh I’m sorry, you mumble in your sleep and I wanted to know what you were saying.”
I shrugged and stood up cracking my back, “So how is Fancy Schmancy?”
“His name is Fancy Pants, and he’s up to speed.”
I nodded and took a quick look around before stepping out of the shadows. Lyra looked at me funny. “Part of the profession.”
She just shook her head and led me into a kitchen, “Do you eat cereal?”
I shrugged, “No need, I made sure to get breakfast before we got here.”
I pulled some bread and cheese out of my robes and basically swallowed it. “Where did you get those?”
I shrugged, “Stole them at some point, I also got all this.”
I put several medium bags of gold coins on the counter. She just gaped at the cloth bags, “There must be at least two thousand bits in those! How did you manage to get all that without me noticing, you were right next to me the entire time!”
“Years of practice, now you said Fancy had some questions?”
she looked worried as she pointed at the couch I had put him on. I walked over and sat next to him, “Ask away.”
“First off, why do you look like that?”
“You’ll have to be more specific.”
“Your clothes, you look terrifying!”
“Part of the profession.”
“Which is what exactly?”
I scratched my chin then looked directly at him, “Assassin.”
He seemed to drain of color before stuttering out another question, “a-and how did y-you decide upon that profession?”
“Raised as one, never really had a choice. Not that I’m complaining, in fact I love it.”
“What exactly does that entail?”
“Nothing is true, everything is permitted.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means exactly what you think it does. Nothing is true, everything is permitted.”
“Ok? But what do you actually do?”
“Everything, I have ten separate identities around the world, we kill Templars and corrupt people, we steal, and we help.”
“How exactly does any of that help?”
“Think of it as a Robin Hood kind of deal, we kill people that do nothing but hurt others. People who are better off dead, we steal from the rich to give to the poor.”
“Sound quite noble.”
“Depends on how you look at it, to the innocent we are like angels, to the sinful we are demons.”
“That’s quite interesting, do all humans become assassins?”
I shook my head, “No, we are less than one percent of billions of people. We protect them all without them knowing.”
“Amazing, how many assassins are there?”
“One less now.”
“Could you elaborate?”
“Well, I died. After I became worm food I fell through the void and ended up in a forest next to the town where I met Lyra. Hey you got any beer?”
“You drink?”
“Good time as any to start.”
“Why do you say that?”
“World of Technicolor talking animals, wouldn’t you start drinking?”
“Animals?”
“Yup, just dumb livestock. Now they rule a FREAKING country!”
“You said you died?”
“Brain tumor, learned about it three days before it killed me.”
“I’m sorry.”
I sighed and stood up, “Well nothing I can do about it, I can only look towards the future.”
He nodded as Lyra walked into the room with the gold floating in the air. “What the hell!?”
I jumped away from her and pulled my sword from my hip. “Whoa there big guy, put that away.”
“Not until you tell me how you’re doing that!”
“Magic, you haven’t seen magic before?”
“No, but I’ve heard of it.”
I put the sword away and eyed the unicorn. “It was supposed to be a lost art.”
They looked at each other then back to me, “Many more questions have just come into play.”
“Open up, Equestria royal guard!”
I jumped off of the couch and rushed at the door to climb it. Quick work with the hook blade, “Open it.”
The door opened and four ponies in golden armor marched in, “We have a warrant to search your estate, several concerned citizens saw a strange creature enter here last night.”
“By all means, I have nothing to hide.”
They nodded and looked through the house; they spent at least three hours searching the house. After they left I jumped down and grabbed the packs, “Lyra we’re leaving, now.”
“But-“
“But nothing, they’ll be back. Guards are predictable grunts, they still think Fancy has something to hide and will bring more next time.”
The ponies nodded as I grabbed the money and picked up Lyra. I took a quick look before slipping outside. The city was swarming with those guards for some reason making it harder to get out, but still easy. “Alright Lyra, where next?”
“Follow this road until it forks, then take the right path.”
I nodded and kept jogging. We arrived at the fork when the sun was at its peak but stopped just short of a small group of ponies. “Free Skies, there is no way you’re getting away this time.”
“L-leave me alone!”
I felt something move on my back and saw Lyra tremble, “We have to help him Cody.”
I nodded and set the packs on the ground, “Wait here.”
She slipped off of my back and I sped into the bushes. They provided enough cover to hide me as I took the group out one by one. The last guy didn’t even notice until I stepped out to confront him, he was an auburn colored regular pony with a black mane and a coin purse leaking coins on his flank. “Make peace with your god.”
He stood there paralyzed as I walked up to him and slit his throat with the dagger of Brutus. I dumped him in the bushes with the others and checked the pulse of the pony he was beating. The pony was still alive but just barely. I picked him up and started sprinting at full speed, “Wait here Lyra!”
I rushed past her and ran all the way back to Canterlot, “Someone help me!”
I screamed at the top of my lungs making several ponies poke their head out. “This pony is seriously hurt, someone help him!”
a small red filly trotted up to me, “What’s wrong with him?”
I smiled at her and set the stallion down, “He has at least three broken ribs, all on this side. Several bruises and cuts on his face and body, all four of his legs are shattered. And his back, looks like he was a Pegasus once. Now where can I drop him off, I’m losing daylight.”
“I’ll take you!”
“Ruby, no!”
I turned to the motherly mare that was rushing towards us, “You stop her and you kill this stallion, and I don’t think you can deal with that.”
She backed off and let the filly lead me to a hospital where the stallion was taken away. I walked out of the hospital to meet the same guards, “Halt, you are under arrest!”
I sighed, I had played enough Skyrim to know where this was going, “Look, it’s your pony god!”
like idiots they all looked giving me time to hide in a pile of hay. “Where’d he go!? Search everywhere!”
they ran off allowing me to just stroll right out of town and run back to Lyra, “Sorry about that, place was swarming with guards.”
She was shivering in a corner hacking something up. “Lyra, are you ok?”
“You killed them.”
“I did.”
“Why? Couldn’t you have just knocked them out?”
“If I did then they would just wake up later and continue hunting the innocent. We assassins are not here to make everyone happy; we’re here to make sure the masses keep their free will.”
“And how would anypony lose their free will?”
“This.” I pulled the apple out of the pouch on my chest, “I was buried with it, this piece of Eden, the voice of god, and it robs people of their free will. It turns them into mindless slaves, willing to kill their families to please the wielder.”
“That’s horrible!”
“These thugs however, used fear and strength.”
She just slumped down, “You still didn’t have to kill them.”
“If you have a better way I’d love to hear it. I’m not saying that this is the best way; I’m saying this is the fastest. We chose the lesser of two evils Lyra, whether you see it or not is not my problem.”
She sighed and wrote something onto a notebook, “Where should we set up camp?”
“You can sleep on my back if you want; I’m getting as far away from that city as possible.”
“Why?”
“I basically insulted the guards, they never even touched me. I got away without a scratch and they hate that.”
I put on all the packs and put Lyra on my back and started out on the right path. I stopped as a town came into view and set up camp for Lyra. After I put her down I slipped into town and looked through it, a medium sized town, not as big as Canterlot but not as small as the town I started out in. the sign at the entrance was too dark to read so I just climbed the town hall and went into another dreamless sleep. I woke up at about six in the morning, “God, I need more sleep.”
“How long did you sleep?”
“Only a couple of-”
I turned to the voice and gulped, “You never saw me.”
“What?”
I shined a flashlight in the Pegasus’ eyes effectively blinding it. I jumped off the building into a pile of hay and ran out of the town before anyone else could see me. I got back to Lyra panting, “That, was, fun.”
“Where were you!?”
“Sleeping, you?”
“I just woke up but you didn’t even leave a note!”
I pulled a scrap of paper off of her horn and gave it to her. “Oh, well then.”
“Where do we go from here?”
“Well we’re going to Hoofington next to restock.”
“That town not a hundred yards away?”
“How did we get here so fast!? It’s normally a two day trip by hoof.”
“I have long legs and a lot of stamina.”
She took some more notes and looked up to me, “Umm, it looks like we’re going to reach the border by the end of the week at this rate so can I ask you something?”
“Sure, my brain is at your disposal.”
“Well, would you consider, staying in Equestria?”
“No.”
“But why not!?”
“Several reasons, the largest being I don’t want to live without meat. Not to mention it’s too peaceful, I won’t fit in as well here as any other place. Just remember how you reacted to those thugs, how you felt when I killed them.”
She nodded and started walking towards town.
“Should I come with you?”
“I, I would like that.”
I packed up and followed the mare into the town making sure to hide my face. We got the supplies easily enough, the shopkeepers were a little jumpy when I came close but didn’t refuse our coin. The trouble didn’t arise until we were about to leave town. “Hey wait up!”
we turned to see the same Pegasus I saw earlier, a mare by the look and sound of it. “I saw you earlier, why did you blind me?”
“So you couldn’t chase me. If I’ve learned one thing in this place it’s that ponies love to chase things.”
“Umm, ok? I just wanted to know what you are?”
I looked at Lyra who nodded, “I am a human.”
“But those are just myth!”
“So was nightmare moon I believe.”
She opened her mouth to respond but stopped short, “Point taken.”
I picked Lyra up and put her on my back, “Where to next Lyra?”
“That way.”
I started jogging the way she pointed but looked back to see the Pegasus following. “Hey Lyra, what are those marks on the rears of everyone I see?”
“Cutie marks? They show up when somepony finds their special talent, mine was playing the lyre.”
“And your name is Lyra?”
“Shut up.”
I smiled and sped up to a run. I ran until the sun rose then slowed down, this was weird. Sure I had good stamina but I shouldn’t be able to run for all night and still be good to go. Might as well chalk it up to magic. I took a breath before smiling and speeding up again, super human stamina is super.
