The Dulling of a Blade

Chapters

Lunar Assassinations
Unpleasant Encounters
Reality: Part 1
Reality: Part 2
Executive Orders
New Beginnings
Preparation
Beginning of the End
The End

Lunar Assassinations

Assassinations in Canterlot were always far more difficult than virtually anywhere else. The whole city and its airspace was heavily guarded, any pony in their right mind always made sure to have their own guards if they could afford it, and with the recent rise in contract killings it was foolish to go anywhere the guards couldn’t go.

Dusk Rider, however, knew Canterlot like the back of her hoof. Her bright blue eyes glistened in the moonlight as she overlooked the barracks of the Royal Equestiran Army. These barracks were meant primarily for trainees and recruits, but senior officers were present there too. One officer in particular, Officer Bulwark, was on Dusk’s list. The pure white dragony ran a blue-tinted hoof through her mane, taking a deep breath. “Right…” She went over her plan in her head again.

Barracks were heavily guarded, but lightly patrolled. Once she was past the perimeter fence it would just be a matter of finding her target, which based on his nightly activities – namely sleeping – would not be hard. She adjusted her black combat suit to ensure it was secure, clipping the blade onto her tail and making sure it peeked just far enough over the edge of its spaded surface to work as efficiently as possible. Finally she made sure her katana was secure at her side, sheathed and meant only as a backup.

With a sigh and a shake of her hips, she spread out her semi-translucent wings and dove off the edge of the cliff she was standing on, her heart already beating a few ticks faster with the adrenaline of starting a mission.

That was an hour ago. Now Dusk’s heart was racing with the feeling of messing up a mission.

She wouldn’t exactly have called it a failure. She had killed her target, and snuck about halfway back before she realized this was the night Luna was visiting the barracks. Her plan meant nothing when there were several dozen more guards all around, protecting the princess from danger – danger like the most wanted pony in Equestria.

Of course, those same guards weren’t exactly prepared to deal with her. Right now they were just chasing her, firing the occasional magic bolt and trying to keep up to stop her. Any projectile was easily avoided, and any attempt to grab her was either met by a stab from her tail or a simple dodge. Dusk’s movement was too quick and her reactions too instinctual to let them catch her.

That is, until a bluish-purple bolt of magic shot out from the side and smashed into the side of her head, sending her reeling back and landing flat on her right flank. She felt her head throbbing, her vision blurred.

“Stand back.” She heard a commanding voice utter. A voice that, while she was not quite familiar with it, was one she could place immediately.

“N…gh…” Dusk jammed her tail into the ground, using it to help lift herself up. As her vision cleared and slowly turned upward, she saw the princess of the night in her own flesh and feathers standing before her. She was dressed in armour, fitting for her royal status, but clearly strong.

“Dusk Rider.” Luna spoke, her voice powerful - though Dusk would call it obnoxious. “The Dracony assassin, if we are not mistaken?”

Dusk’s steely blue eyes stared right back at Luna’s, not intimidated by her glare that would normally make ponies bow in fear.

“Nothing to say?” The princess asked, pulling a gleaming sword out from its sheath at her hip. “We have no qualms with ending your reign of terror right now.”

“Same goes for you.” Dusk replied, her tail whipping back and forth behind her.

“And what, pray tell, does that mean?” Luna’s eyebrow raised, her magic curled around her sword.

The guards around the two had backed off, mainly standing to the side at the princess’s command. “It means I don’t like you. Did you need me to spell it out?”

“Apparently so.” Luna snorted. “We know not what quarrel you have with us, bu-…”

“Drop the ‘we’ please. I’d prefer to be talking to one pony, not you and the one I prefer.”

“…as you wish.” The princess dropped her Royal Canterlot Voice and cleared her throat. “Now, need I even ask why you are here?”

“I already took care of my business, if that’s what you meant.” Dusk wiped her tail along the ground, leaving a small streak of blood.

“…well then.” Luna took a deep breath. “You are under arrest, by the decree of princess-…”

“I’ve heard this before, read me my rights when your head’s rolling on the floor.”

Luna’s posture changed, her wings flapping to limber them up before folding at her sides. “Well I suppose I expected nothing else.” She faced her guards. “Leave us. I will take care of this on my own.”

“B- uh, princess, is that really-…” One guard began.

“Go.” Luna demanded, and the guards slowly dispersed, leaving the two ponies facing each other across a long strip of dirt.

Luna took a deep breath, her sword still gripped in her magic.

“You still wanna do this?” Dusk tilted her head, a bit confused by the princess’s decision as she spread out her wings to make sure the edges were still lined with blades. “I mean, you just got back to Equestria five years ago, I don’t really have that much of a grudge against you, specifically.”

“And who do you have a grudge against?” Luna inquired. “Humour an old alicorn.”

“Your sister. More specifically that sorry excuse for a unicorn that she put in charge, but it was still her.”

“Understandable.” Luna admitted. “But unfortunately this just gives me a greater reason to keep you from leaving.” She raised her sword.

“I’d hate to hurt you…kind of.” Dusk frowned. “I still dunno if you realize what you’re doing. I’ve trained for-“

The Dracony barely even managed to duck as Luna lunged forward, her wings propelling her forward with such speed that Dusk’s eyes hardly followed it. Just in time she brought up one of her wings, using its durable surface to push Luna’s sword away and lashing out with her hind leg to kick her into the air.

“Spry for an old mare…” Dusk remarked under her breath. She dashed forward to avoid any counterattack, looking back up. Luna landed gently on her hooves, immediately galloping forward with her sword poised. Dusk swung her tail through the air, the sharpened blade parrying Luna’s to the side. With no reasonable way to take the opportunity, The Dracony simply struck out with her front hoof, knocking Luna back a few feet.

“So was this some kind of pride thing?” Dusk asked as the princess fired two arcane bolts that were deflected by her tail blade. “Or do you think I’m some kind of training dummy?” She parried another attack by Luna, following up with a powerful shoulder-check that knocked the princess onto her back. She tried to follow that with a quick stab from her tail, but Luna brought her hind legs under Dusk’s stomach and launched her into the air.

“Neither.” Luna growled, her wings flaring out as she propelled herself into the air. Dusk narrowly dodged a sharp swipe from the sword.

Dusk’s tail lashed out, wrapping around the blade of Luna’s weapon. She grimaced as the sharp edge cut into her flesh, but quickly ripped the sword away and tossed it further than Luna’s magic could grasp without concentrating too long to lose focus on the fight. “Elaborate.” Dusk snarled, her body twisting in the air as a hind leg swung towards Luna, slamming directly into her left temple.

A bright flash encompassed Luna’s vision, her mind hazy as she dropped back to the ground, a loud CRACK accompanying the searing pain of a broken wing.

The assassin dropped back down to the ground, a hoof landing on Luna’s chest to keep her pinned down. “You’re not my target.” She growled, her face slowly lowering to Luna’s. Her slitted eyes glared into Luna’s, but the princess showed no fear. “So I’m not going to kill you. But trust me, I wouldn’t feel sorry if I did.” She pushed down for a moment, knocking the breath out of the princess before turning to start walking away.

“Right.”

Luna wheezed, taking a deep breath and slowly straightening herself up. Her wing hung loosely at her side, many of the major bones broken in places that wouldn’t be difficult to heal, but it would be painful.

“Right what?” Dusk kept walking, her black-clad hips gently swaying.

“I don’t believe you could kill me.” She asserted.

“I disagree.”

“Of course you would say that.”

“I kill who I want to kill. It doesn’t matter who it was. If my next contract was against Shining I would do it.”

“…Shining?” Luna tilted her head. “And why would he be such a challenge?”

“….”

“Are you hiding something even more than what you let on, Miss Rider?” Luna asked, a hint of intrigue and several dozen cups of malice in her voice.

“Shining is nothing. Neither are you. You, your sister, his wife, him, all of you – you’re cowards and fools.”

“You call facing the most dangerous mare in Equestria cowardly?”

Dusk stopped, her tail still swishing. “What are you trying to get at, Luna?”

“You don’t hate me. You wouldn’t have the heart to kill me if you weren’t told to. So why did you choose this life, Dusk?”

“Choose?” The Dracony suppressed a laugh, but it came out as an awkward cackle. “I chose this job as much as you chose to eat dirt just now.”

“Then why did you abandon your chance for redemption when Shining Armour offered you a place in the Guard?” Luna responded, her voice flat and serious.

The assassin’s eye twitched, her notched ear wiggling a bit. “I don’t need to talk to you.”

“And yet you still do.”

“I don’t need to answer to you.”

“But you are.”

“I don’t need to answer to anybody.”

“And if I said this was all a dream, and you have no control over what I make you say or do?” Luna’s eyes turned bright white. Her broken wing shimmered and fitted itself back into its proper place, and their surroundings slowly melted away to reveal Dusk’s campground. A small clearing in a forest, with a simple fire pit, tent and a few other amenities.

Dusk looked up at Luna, then around at her camp. “…huh. So what? You know where my camp is. You haven’t done anything about it yet, and you haven’t got the stones to do anything about it now.”

“I asked you a question and you deflected it, Dusk.” Luna slowly walked up to the Dracony, who took a swing at her but the princess’s body simply shimmered and it had no effect. “You don’t want to admit what happened, you don’t want to admit what you’re angry about. The simple fact is that you could be destined for so much more.” She reached out, placing a solid hoof on Dusk’s shoulder. “Your life has been practically wasted up until this point. Your talent is unrivalled by anypony, dare I say anybody in Equestria.”

“My talent,” Dusk said, with venom dripping from her tone. “Isn’t useful for anything else. It’s not good for parties and magic and dancing and flying and weather and whatever the fuck you ponies do.”

A twinge of pity seemed to cross Luna’s face. “It would be a shame if you let your life slip away. Surely living on this camp is not a fun way to live.”

“I’d rather die in that camp than answer to mares like you.”

Luna sighed and breathed deeply, again. “Dusk. May I try something with you?”

“No.”

“It will not hurt. And I will not tell anyone else.”

“No. You think just because you’re in my dream that I’ll suddenly say it’s fine? For all you know I could be dreaming about some random camp I made up. You haven’t got a lick of leverage against me.”

“Perhaps not. But I’m simply…curious.”

“If I were to say yes, what did you want to do?” Dusk cocked an eyebrow.

“I want to look into your memor-“

“No. Fuck yourself.” Dusk snarled, her body crouching low in a combat position despite the fact that Luna held all of the power. “You’re not getting at my memories.”

Luna sighed, her chest heaving and her head gently shaking from side to side. “So be it. But if you ever want to escape the monotony you’ve set upon yourself, you know where to find me.”

“I didn’t want to find you, you delusional bat.” Dusk’s lip curled into a scowl.

“As you say.” Luna nodded, her body slowly shimmering until she vanished completely.

Dusk woke up in a cold sweat. Her eyes shot open and her body leapt up, hunched over like a cat ready to pounce as fresh sweat dripped from her unadorned form. “S…son of a bitch.” Her breathing was heavier than what her hooves felt like, her rump slowly settling back on her bedroll. “Fucking…princess…” She muttered, rubbing a hoof against her head. “Couldn’t even beat me in a dream…” She allowed herself that small victory, a gentle chuckle escaping her.

Slowly the Dracony stretched herself out, her toned muscles tensing and bulging as she let her body limber up. She nudged the tent flap open, her lungs filling with the cool, fresh air of the forest she now called home. A small part of her was egging her to move…her camp wasn’t safe if Luna knew where it was. But she didn’t really care at this point.

She plopped down on a log by her fireplace. The fire was smoldering, albeit only a few scarce embers. She poked it with a stick.

…

Dusk’s eyes scrolled around the clearing, then looked down at the dirt. “I…really fucked things up, didn’t I…?” She asked to nopony in particular, tracing the stick in idle circles in the soil at her hooves. “I had a chance to be normal. Even had a stallion I could call my own…” She continued tracing. “But that…fucking…” Her grip tightened, her arm shaking. “I can’t…serve…under her.” Dusk wasn’t even sure why she was speaking out loud. Maybe it was a way to let off steam, she didn’t know.

“Hrm.” She tapped at the random assortment of lines she had drawn, scuffing over them with a hoof. “Whatever. No going back now.” The assassin stood up from her seat, gripping her suit with her tail and starting to put it on. “Might as well check the boxes…running low on supplies anyway.” She slipped her suit on completely, but paused when she felt something crumpled in one of the pockets on her chest. Fishing it out with a hoof, she unfurled it.

If you ever need help, Canterlot is open to you. Only at night, though. And preferably not in the real world.

--Luna.

At this point, Dusk didn’t even want to question how the note had gotten there. All she cared about was doing her job. Even so…she folded the note neatly into a square and tucked it back into her pocket.

A small smile crossed her lips, before her wings unfurled and she took off into the early dawn sky.

Unpleasant Encounters

“Fuck, dude. You sure about this?” A male voice echoed across the dark walls of the alleyway, the sounds of two sets of four hooves clopping against cobblestone accompanying it.

“Yeah, calm down. And shut up, the cops might hear.” Another voice replied, the hooves coming to a stop. Two stallions stood in the darkest part of the alley, where only the faintest traces of Luna’s moon could even break through.

“…so…where is she?” The other voice asked.

“Hush. I said 10 PM sharp, it’s only 9:57. And we do not say anything about her being late if she is, got it? We need this.”

“B-but…I still really don’t know why we’re doing this. Is the um…problem pony really bad enough for this?” The first voice was a bit shaky.

“Yeah, it is. Besides, the boss is doing this, it’s not our idea.”

A dull fwump came from behind them both, the sound of something landing on the stone. Both stallions turned around, one of them lighting up their horn and the other spreading his wings and covering his face with them.

“Hey, calm down with the fireworks, sparkle-head.” A female voice, one that carried quite a bit of power, spoke. In the dull glow of the unicorn’s horn, a Dracony’s pure white face and multicoloured mane was revealed clearly.

“H-holy fuck, you’re-…” The unicorn started.

“Dusk Rider?” The Pegasus spoke up, taking his wings away from his face and letting himself stare in awe.

Dusk struck a lazy pose, her black-clad body shifting in the twilight. “Yeah, that’d be me. In the flesh and all that.” She wiggled herself a bit, to loosen her muscles that had been sore from flying all the way to Manehatten from Canterlot.

“Uh, wow, well can I just say you look awesome?” The unicorn said with a nervous smile.

Oh, sweet Faust… Dusk thought to herself, realizing that the two were just colts with some kind of grudge against a high school bully. “Right, yeah yeah. What is it you two wanted done? We can talk about our asses later, it’s business right now.”

“Oh, right, um…” The Pegasus fished out a piece of paper and a large bag out of his saddlebags. “Our boss has somepony he wants out of the way.”

Oh. They have a boss. Okay… Dusk sighed and nodded her head, taking the bag and putting it on the ground while she read the note.

Dear Ms. Rider,

I do apologize for sending these two to take care of business that I rightfully should have come to you for on my own. I’m quite busy as of late, and simply could not find the time. I have a job for you, one that I guarantee will pay quite lucratively if you accept. In the bag I have enclosed you have 500 bits. This is likely only a fraction of what you normally receive – but this is just an advance payment, we shall say. Should you decide to take the contract, I will provide much more when it is done. If you do not, you can still take the bits. I know a mare like you needs them.

Without any more stalling, here is who I want you to kill.

Dusk glanced down. Attached to the paper was the image of what seemed to be a Crystal Guard, but she was standing right next to Captain Shining Armour.

This guard was once part of my organization. I’d rather not disclose what she used to do, much less so to disclose what I currently do. I simply want them dead. The envelope has all the information you need on your target. I hope to have it done soon, and perhaps we can work together again some time.

Yours,

Sanctuary.

Dusk read through the letter a few more times, then glanced down at the envelope and the bag of money. Her only real thought was that she’d need to carry that sack of metal all the way to her camp…

“So…uh.” The Pegasus spoke. “You…taking the job, or…?”

The Dracony slowly stood up, taking a deep breath through her nose. She didn’t want to. Everything was telling her this was a trap, and even if it wasn’t, she really didn’t want to go near the Crystal Empire, let alone the palace. “…” She sighed and blinked her eyes a few times. “Yeah. I’ll do it.” She grabbed the bag in her teeth, folded the letter and envelope into her pocket, and flared her wings. Before the two could say anything else, she vaulted into the sky and took off.

“…” The unicorn blinked up at the sky.

“…she’s uh…pretty c-…” the Pegasus began.

“Hot?” The unicorn finished.

“I uh…what?”

“I mean…cool. Yeah.”

“…yeah…”

Fuck.

Dusk clipped the blade onto her tail.

FUCK.

She slipped her suit back on, zipping and clipping it shut where it needed to be.

“FUCK!”

She let the last one escape her audibly, a few birds scattered into the air from the surrounding trees as she stood in the middle of her campground, her chest heaving. “This is a bad idea. I shouldn’t do this. Fuck it, I’ll just take…” She let her eyes drift down to the bag lying on the ground, filled with 500 fresh, shiny bits.

Contrary to what the note had said, 500 bits was only half of what she normally got – not a fraction. If he planned to pay her more than that, she really couldn’t say no. She needed the bits for supplies, which she was extremely low on, and she refused to steal for it.

“Okay…” She closed her eyes, letting her lungs pull in a healthy amount of the cool autumn air, and then slowly breathed it out. “Just…calm down, Dusk. Everything’s fine, and you can do this easy-peasy…”

She wasn’t used to doing things like this.

Hiding her identity, or at least hiding her armaments and walking in public, was something that seemed stupid. Monumentally stupid, in fact. She didn’t have a choice though – the Crystal Empire barely had any place to sneak in, especially in broad daylight. Even so, it gave her an advantage. Guards would be more attentive at night, so during the day she’d have a much better chance of getting close to this guard.

“Heya!”

Dusk’s eyes shot wide open as her vision was suddenly engulfed in pink. It took her a moment to realize that the voice had come from within the wall of pastel fur, and looking up slightly she met the gaze of Pinkie Pie – a mare she only knew by name because of her status. “…er…hey.” Dusk’s identity wasn’t hidden brilliantly. She was wearing a dress, under which she hid her tail, and her eyes were covered by sunglasses. Her suit was underneath the dress as well.

“What’s your name? My name’s Pinkie Pie and to be honest I’m supposed to be helping Cadence and the others get ready for the Crystal Fair AGAIN but I saw you from up on the palace balcony and I was like ohmygosh this pony’s new and she’s not a crystal pony! So obviously I had to come and say hi but I realized I didn’t even know who you were but you look so familiar and wow you’re really short has anypony ever told you that?”

“…I…” Dusk was a bit befuddled, the mare’s long-winded sentence barely even having a pause in it. “Er…my name’s…White Whirl. Nice to meet you.” She held out a hoof, which had a white hoof cup on the bottom to hide her glowing clefts.

Pinkie Pie happily took Dusk’s hoof, shaking it violently to the point Dusk almost threw her. “Great to meet you! I was ju-…”

“PIIIIINKIIIIEE!” A loud voice yelled from far away. Dusk could faintly see a blob of purple standing there, but she couldn’t make out who it was…

In a bright flash of pinkish purple magic, Princess Twilight popped into existence in front of Dusk, standing before Pinkie. “I told you to get the festivities ready! The festival starts in three hours, Pinkie. You need to- who’s this?” Twilight glanced back, slowly turning to face Dusk. Since the Dracony was quite a bit smaller than the average pony, she only reached Twilight’s chin.

Out of the four princesses (that she knew of), Twilight was probably the most tolerable. Cadence was next, followed by Luna – she wouldn’t even consider Celestia worth looking at, however. “Oh, uh…White Whirl, at your service.” Dusk bowed, an action that made her internally wince.

“Oh! Er…sorry you had to see that. We do get a lot of tourists for the festival…” She held out her hoof. “I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Dusk took her hoof and was somewhat relieved that her shake was more polite than Pinkie’s.

“I’d love to stay and chat,” Dusk said. “But I’ve got some ponies to meet. It was lovely to meet you, princess Twilight. I hope we’ll see each other again.” She forced a genuine smile.

“Oh, well alright. Enjoy the festival!” Twilight waved as Dusk walked past them, heading into the city.

Dusk allowed herself a heavy sigh as she trotted away. Of course, just my luck that the friendship crew is here today. She shook her head, pacing herself through the streets. I’ll just have to hope the others aren’t here…she ran a hoof through her mane, making sure it stayed in its unnatural slicked-back style. “This was a bad idea…” She muttered. “I should’ve waited till nighttime, but this guard doesn’t have a night shift…”

As her thoughts began to wander, so too did her hooves. She paid more attention to her plan than to where she was walking, and ended up bumping into a pony.

“Gah, sorry.” She started to push herself past, her dress sliding up against the stark white fur of the body she had bumped.

“Oh, no problem.”

Dusk’s whole body stopped. She could have sworn her heart skipped several beats as her eyes flashed white for a second.

“Um…you okay?” The voice said, and Dusk felt a hoof on her shoulder.

“…I-I’m fine. Just…a little…faint.” She kept herself turned away, but managed a glance back.

As if her luck couldn’t get any worse, apparently it was just normal for the ruler of the Crystal Empire to go strolling around with no guards. Shining Armour was standing there, his hoof resting on her shoulder and his warm, charismatic smile boring through her even with the quick glance she got.

“You need help? I’d hate for you to fall.” Shining offered, but Dusk quickly shifted forward and slid out from under his hoof.

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” She insisted, trotting off without looking back again. When she was confident that she was out of sight of the stallion, she ducked into an alley and started forcefully ripping her dress off.

“Fuck this. Fuck all of this.” She pulled the torn remains of her dress over her head, dumping it on the ground and stretching herself out. “Not doing it. Not worth it.” She shook her body, tattered bits of fabric falling off her suit to reveal herself fully. Fluffing her mane with her hooves, she forced it back into its normal state and flapped her wings to take off.

Dusk looked down, meeting the gaze of a guard that was standing in the mouth of the alley.

“Oh for fuck’s sake…”

“ASSASSIN!” The guard yelled as loud as he could. Almost immediately a blade shot out from Dusk’s wing and sliced through his throat, but the damage had been done. She could hear the galloping hooves getting closer.

“Damnit…” She flapped her wings harder, sliding her blades back into place and shooting off as fast as she could.

But she wasn’t fast enough. A glowing blue bolt of magic struck her in the wing, sending a wave of pain through her body and making her plummet towards the ground. She tried to correct herself, but she landed hard – and her vision went black.

Dusk had no idea how long she had been out, or how much time had passed since the last time she had woken up…or…had she woken up at all? She had no idea.

Her hooves couldn’t move. She felt they were shackled to the ground, with very little room to pull away. Her hind legs were free, which she imagined was a mistake, but her tail was also shackled to the ground so it wouldn’t help her much. Her wings were bound with tough rope that dug into the semi-translucent flesh and her mouth ached, as if it had a bridle in it at some point.

After taking in her surroundings – there wasn’t much to take in, just grey walls and a window that was barely at ground level – she sat back down and waited. She had little to no idea if she was even in the Crystal Empire now…and she had a pretty good idea of what awaited her if she didn’t escape. Then again, she had done so many times before.

“You have no idea how hard it was to arrange this, Dusk.” It was the same voice from before. Dusk felt her muscles threaten to lock up, but she relaxed them. Looking up, she saw Shining Armour standing in the doorway with no announcement or guards to accompany him.

“Yeah. Well you shouldn’t have gone to the trouble.” Dusk scoffed, her gaze averting itself to the floor.

“Would you prefer they just executed you while you were unconscious?” He asked, shutting the door behind him. “I knew it was you, Dusk. You’re not good at disguises.”

“Could you spare me the nostalgia attempt and tell me what I need to do?” The Dracony shot Shining a glare.

“You don’t need to do anything. I’ve arranged that no one come around this cell for a few hours.” He trotted forward until his face was almost right in front of Dusk’s. “But it’s up to you if you get out or not.”

“You’re married, so I know you don’t want me to suck you off. What’s the charge?”

“All I want to hear is that you won’t do this anymore.”

Dusk had to resist the urge to laugh. “What, are you in talks with Luna or something? This is the second time in two days that somepony’s tried to do this."

“Sorry.” Shining shrugged. “I skipped He stepped past the Dracony. “This isn’t a demand, Dusk. Honestly, I want to let you go anyway. So it’s up to you if I let you go, you get caught again and probably don’t get saved by me, or I let you go and you make a choice to turn yourself around.”

Dusk just rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah, giving me the option to better myself, all that. Got it. I dunno if you’re trying to convince me of something, but it’s not exactly working.” Her eyes darted from side to side, confused and a bit nervous – though the second one was a feeling she had learned to suppress.

“Dusk, would you rather keep living in that camp out in the woods, or live here, in the palace, with me?”

“…wha…but you’re married, what are you-…”

“Not like that, Dusk. Well…not at first.” He sighed and moved away, turning around to look at her.

“Come on. Your two options are to leave without anything, or live here and be safe.” He smiled, that same warm grin that made her eyes quickly avert. “With…maybe a few added benefits.”

“Shut up. Just, shut up.” Dusk’s eyes tried to find anywhere to look besides Shining.

“Dusk, I know Luna already tried to come to you, but she only cares about having your abilities in the Guard. Me…” He leaned in, close enough to risk being bitten or headbutted. “I still care about you, Dusk.”

The Dracony stiffened. Her muscles lurched and tugged at her shackles, the concrete that was holding the metal in cracking at the force of her resistance. “Don’t you fucking dare.” She growled, her teeth gritting.

“Hey, hold on.” Shining’s magic grabbed the shackles, holding them down. “Don’t say no so fast. I know you’ve felt it too.”

“Fuck off, Shining. If you cared you wouldn’t have married a princess who pretty much forces you to love her.”

“I do love Cadence.” Shining asserted. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t l-…”

“Don’t. Don’t even say it. I swear to Faust if you say it…”

Shining held up his hooves. “Fine. I won’t say it.” He ran a hoof through his mane. “Listen. I’m going to let you go. You know I am. But I want you to think about this.” He released her shackles, his magic slowly undoing the locks and letting her move freely. The Dracony immediately stretched out her legs and moved to the opposite side of the room.

“I need my things.”

“I have your things.”

“Give them to me.”

“They’re in the armoury.”

“Then bring them here.”

“I’m bringing you there.”

Dusk took a deep, sharp inhale of breath and gritted her teeth, the upper and lower jaw of the assassin grinding together harshly. “…you know what?” She stepped forward, her face craning at a near ninety-degree angle as she pressed herself chest-to-chest with him. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer. If only to see how you juggle an assassin and your wife at the same time.”

“Part of the agreement is you stop taking contracts.”

“And part of my agreement is that you want me back regardless of what I agree to, and you don’t have any bit of leverage here. You’ll do anything to keep me here. Right?”

“I-…” Shining started to say, but shut his mouth. “Look. I know you’re mad at me, for…some reason, but surely you see that living here would be way better than-…”

“Sorry, no deal.” Dusk snorted, trotting towards the door and letting her tail flick Shining on the chin. “You’re lucky I haven’t been contracted to kill you yet.”

“I don’t think you’d be able to.” Shining replied with a bit of a grin.

“Try me.” Dusk glared him down, her lip curled into a grimace as she trotted out of her cell.

“Where are you going, exactly?” Shining called after her.

“You can keep the stuff. I’ve got spares.” Dusk replied. As her tail vanished around the corner, Shining’s expression shifted.

“Hrmph…harder to crack than I thought…”

Dusk woke up with her face smushed into the pillow she was lying on in her tent.

“…” Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness, before she slowly heaved herself up and let a long, extremely exasperated sigh ripple out of her. “You know, this time it was a low blow.” Dusk snarled into the night, poking her head out of the tent flap. “Trying to use Shining to get to me? In a dream?” She shook her head, stepping out. It was almost pitch black. The only source of light was Dusk’s gently glowing hooves and the slightly red embers of the fire.

“I know you’re listening. And if you’re not, then fuck you anyway.” She kicked at the dirt, her eyes gleaming in the night air. “Makes sense why he was acting so weird. You’ve got no idea how my-…” She cleared her throat. “How Shining acts.”

More silence, and Dusk just stared back at the eerie forest. “Yeah, fine. Don’t say anything…” She scuffed the dirt again. “…if…you’re even listening. And if I’m not…making a fool of myself trying to talk to somepony who isn’t there.”

“…and…if that wasn’t…you.” Dusk’s eyes darted to the ground, the realization creeping in from all sides much like the oppressive darkness. “Even you would know Shining better than that…”

She took a deep breath, scratching at her head with her tail. “Fuck…was I really dreaming about that? What kinda symbolism is that supposed to be?” She whacked her tail against the ground, stirring up dust that she wasn’t able to even see. “FUCK!” She yelled out loud, her voice echoing through the night sky. It was so quiet that the echo was audible to her for several long seconds before dissipating.

She planted her rump in the dirt, followed by her whole body. Her head rested on her hooves. “I hate to say…but she’s right. I fucked up when I didn’t…” She felt a lump in her throat, but with a grimace she swallowed it. “Take the offer…”

…More silence. The only sound Dusk could hear was the constant chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. She allowed her mind to drift, to things that she’d likely never see coming to fruition. Flashing images of her, clad in the armour of the Equestrian Royal Guard, shooting the shit with mares like her in the mess hall. Images of her interacting with the princesses in much friendlier, less venomous ways. Images of herself and Shining…as much as she hated to think of it.

Plp.

The near-silent noise of water hitting the ground below her made her grimace. Rain? She thought to herself, and looked up. As her head tilted back, she felt more liquid roll down her cheeks.

…oh. She felt her lower lip quiver. Oh, fuck off. This isn’t what’s going to make you cry, Dusk…come on, you’ve had worse…

…she heaved a sigh. Fuck it…

And there she lay, hind legs splayed beside her, head resting on her front hooves, with tears running down her cheeks. The gentle whimpers and sobs of a mare who was known for being emotionless and uncaring weren’t to be heard by anyone, and no one would take her tears into account if she went back, anymore.

She was fairly certain it wasn’t Luna that had set up that dream. It was just her mind, telling her she needed to cry for once.

Reality: Part 1

The feeling of fear weighing down on a pony like Light Sel was unbearable. He had no choice, that was what he told himself. He had to take the loan, but now he had no way of paying it back and every day he walked home from work with the constant nagging feeling that it would be the last time he made the trip. He nervously ran a hoof through his mane, the dark streets of Manehatten barely populated at all. Occasionally a pony would walk by, or he’d see somepony sitting in an alley, but nothing else.

“Fuck me…” He muttered to himself, his hoof shaking as he brought it back down to the ground. He could swear he felt like he was being watched, but that was just the nerves getting to him. Within a week he’d have enough money to at least pay back Sanctuary, and while it wouldn’t save him from his rent issues, it would at least keep him out of the group’s bad side.

“I wouldn’t quite use a harsh word like that, kid.” A feminine voice interrupted his thoughts. It came from the alley he just walked past. Every muscle in his body was screaming for him to run, or at least just keep walking, but regardless he overrode them and backed up to peer back into the alley.

A pair of glowing blue eyes peered back at him, the slight glint of teeth a bit below them. He opened his mouth to scream, but the figure lunged, wrapped something around his neck and dragged him into the alley. No one saw anything.

“Come on now.” The mare tossed him to the floor, putting a hoof on his chest. He felt colt metal pressing up against his neck, and his eyes went wide. “Don’t even think about screaming, or I won’t make it painless.”

“Wh-what the f-fuck?!” Light yelped. His horn lit up, illuminating a small part of the alley they were in. He immediately wished he hadn’t.

The mare on top of him was Dusk Rider, a Dracony whose face was plastered on every wanted bulletin in Equestria. Public enemy #1, though many criminals might debate it. “H-holy…s-sweet Celestia…y-you’re…”

“Yeah, I am. Skip the intro honey, I know who I am.” Dusk spoke in a soft tone, but it was neither sympathetic nor overly cruel. Neutral, that was the way to put it.

“Wh-…a-are you…here to…”

“Yeah, your name’s up on my list. I don’t have much of a clue why anypony wants you dead but it doesn’t matter.” Light felt the metal tip of the blade attached to Dusk’s tail sink into the flesh of his neck, making his rate of breathing increase and his eyes widen even further.

“W-wait, don’t!” Light was panicking, but Dusk didn’t press any further.

“Listen, I’ve got a schedule.” Dusk said, pressing just a bit more. He felt blood trickle down his neck. “If you’ve got some final thing to say, just spill it before I spill everything else.”

“P-please…just…I…t-tell Sanctuary I’ll get him the money, okay?” He pleaded, his eyes staring right into Dusk’s.

The Dracony just shrugged. “Kid, I’ve got no idea who it is that wants you gone, all I know is they’re paying me. Nothing personal.”

“N-no, please! I promise, I’ll get the money! I-I’ll…I’ll get you money! M-more than he was going to pay! Please, don’t kill m-…”

Schnk.

Quick and easy. That was the way Dusk handled things. A faint gargle and fumbling of limbs, but then silence. She pulled away from the corpse, a pool of blood slowly forming under the dead pony, before she flapped her wings and took off into the night sky.

“So.” A regal voice echoed through the halls of Canterlot Palace.

“So…” Another one replied. Both were female, though one sounded older.

“Have you gotten through to her, at all?” The first one began.

“Not yet. I only managed to enter her dreams once…but I was observing another.”

“And?”

“Well…I think she feels guilty for leaving her past behind. But she also…doesn’t want to deal with er…” The younger voice trailed off.

Slowly, two sisters rounded the corner. Celestia and Luna, the two co-rulers of Equestria, gently paced through the corridors. “Doesn’t want to deal with what?” Celestia asked.

“Well…you.” Luna replied, sheepishly. “The grudge she holds is deeply ingrained. I don’t think even a personal audience with you would lessen it.”

“…right. And tell me, what do you see in her, sister? So far, you are the only reason I haven’t allowed the guard to simply kill her on sight.” Celestia looked down at her shorter sister, who grimaced slightly.

“Celestia, you need to realize that sometimes a pony is worth saving even if they don’t contribute directly to your benefit. You only wanted to reform Discord because he was powerful, is that not right?”

Celestia just sighed. “Well even if I thought she was worth it, we can’t get through to her. It’s not possible. I am ordering her execution when we find and catch her.”

Luna winced again, her chest fluttering with a twinge of pity. “Sister, please. You thought Dusk was useful, did you not?”

“I did. Until she refused to do as commanded.”

“You did horrible things, Celestia!” Luna had a hint of exasperation in her voice.

“I did what I had to, to ensure their survival-…”

“Stop.” Luna slammed a hoof down, her voice lowering a few levels but also gaining a hint of anger. “I won’t hear the same excuse every time we discuss this, Celestia. You were in the wrong.”

The sun princess frowned. “Well perhaps I was, but the draconies are their own ponies now. There are no restrictions on them.”

“And yet they are still treated as second-class citizens. Sweet ever-loving Faust, sister, you’ve helped yourself to three of them in the past week!”

“They weren’t doing their jobs.”

“Celestia, you can be horribly dense sometimes. Do you not realize that perhaps your Dracony subjects aren’t happy about the status that you unintentionally forced upon them?”

“It is no fault of mine. The Draconies brought this on themselves. Don’t think I have not heard the reports from Tempest Diadem.”

“Wh…Tempest? You mean you haven’t actually seen it for yourself?”

“I trust him.” Celestia said firmly. “And even if I thought he was lying at first, the actions of this…this blade-for-hire just cements it.”

“But you surely can’t believe every word he says without investigating on your own!” Luna retorted, her voice and body language expressing pure shock at her sister’s blasé attitude towards her subjects.

“I would not have appointed him if I did not trust him, Luna. Bellephron and the draconies who inhabited it are his responsibility.” Celestia began to trot away, her point made.

“You…you’ve just…given up all responsibility, haven’t you? I can’t tell if this is just pure ignorance or wilful blindness…” She said, quietly but loud enough for her sister to hear. Celestia paused her stride for a moment, then continued to trot away.

After standing idly in the hall for a few seconds, Luna turned on her heels and began to gallop back to her quarters. If her sister wasn’t willing to speak about it, she’d have to make it happen.

“I bet this is a fucking dream, isn’t it?” Dusk growled, standing at the point she had been instructed in the letter. “Having me wait here so your cake-fat ass can fly in and tell me about friendship or something.” She spoke to the sky, or perhaps to the specific cloud she was staring at, as if it was expected that Luna would spontaneously pop out of it. “Stupid alicorn bitch…” She muttered, idly running her hoof along the sharpened edge of her tail blade.

She had been waiting for two hours – two hours past the time that she was told to be there. At this point she thought it was an attempt to get into her head, and her patience was in fact running thin.

“Mmmkay. I think I’m done.” She stepped forward, the sound of her tail scraping the ground accompanying a light gust of wind that gently made her mane flow and a few leaves blow past her. Spreading her wings, she began to run forward, starting to flap them…

The sound of jingling metal hit her ears.

Her muscles tensed. Her course almost instantly changed direction, her whole body crouching low as she spun herself around. A long metal chain with a heavy metal ball attached on either end very narrowly missed scraping her wings, which she quickly folded to her side. Another one came directly after, and she used her tail to vault herself over it.

Landing back on all fours, she brought her tail over her head, poised like a scorpion’s. Standing before her was a group of ponies – she couldn’t tell if they were guards or just members of the group who had contracted her that didn’t want to pay up.

“You guys made a big mistake. You could’ve had a free assassination there.” She flicked her tail, the gleaming blade sliding forward a bit to make it less for quiet assassinations and more for open combat. “I’m giving you all three seconds to fuck off or you’ll be spilling into the river.”

A few of the ponies – mostly stallions – nervously glanced at the unicorn in front. He also looked rather nervous, but with a nod of his head the rest steeled themselves. “You can’t take all of us, drop the act.” He said firmly.

“Try me.” Dusk’s voice was low and her eyes shot daggers into the head stallion’s.

Silence reigned over the park for a few moments, the gentle blowing of the wind making trees creak and groan. None of the ponies moved, and neither did Dusk.

Suddenly, pain.

Sharp, searing pain shot up Dusk’s spine, her whole body locking up. Her tail lashed back to hit at whatever had attacked her, but it was met with a CLANG of metal hitting metal. She convulsed violently for a few seconds, veins bulging out in her neck and muscles before she collapsed forward.

Her body was throbbing, her vision blurred. The ponies standing across from her didn’t move, but Dusk felt something touching her tail before the metal blade dropped to the ground next to her face. She snarled, her teeth gritting together as an angry grimace crossed her muzzle, but she couldn’t move.

“My most sincere apologies for the shock, Dracony.” A female voice spoke, and a mare she had never seen before stepped forward. It was a royal guard, dressed in full armour and her horn crackling with electricity. Her mane was bright blue and her coat was white. “But the princess did say we didn’t need to be gentle…”

“F…uck…off…” Dusk wheezed, her legs desperately trying to obey her command to stand up, but they couldn’t. She fell again, and the mare raised a hoof clad in a metal boot.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be awake in time for your execution.”

Dusk tried to retort, but the metal-covered hoof slammed down on her temple and stars exploded in front of her eyes.

“…ah. Shit. That was supposed to knock you out. Now I look like an idiot.” She sighed and whipped her hoof into the side of Dusk’s head, everything in Dusk’s vision going black.

Reality: Part 2

Dusk wasn’t sure how she felt. Stupid? No, that wasn’t like her. She felt a bit disappointed in herself, though. Obviously, the Guard wouldn’t have sent a whole bunch of ponies to just stand there and stare in only one direction.

Still, she didn’t feel overly nervous. While her neck was collared, her hooves and wings shackled and she was fairly certain she had a concussion, she had been in worse situations.

“Holy shit, is that Dusk Rider?” A voice called from one of the metal doors she was led past.

“What? Dude, what happened Dusk?” Another voice called.

“Assassin life too much for a dracony?” Another jeered, and was met with hostility.

“Hey, fuck off! She’d kick your ass if she wasn’t chained up.”

“Yeah, if.”

With a roll of her eyes and an extra bit of speed in her step, Dusk ignored them. A few more insults were flung her way, something about ‘mutant’ and other cliché not-as-good-as-a-pony remarks.

A door was pulled open in front of Dusk, and a guard behind her abruptly headbutted her in the back. She yelped slightly, falling forward just past the doorframe. “Hey, watch it.” She snarled, her teeth baring as she craned her neck to look back.

“Make me.” The guard replied, his hoof roughly slamming down, again in the middle of her back. Dusk inhaled sharply.

“You guys are fucking lucky I’m chained up…”

“It’s not really a threat when the chains aren’t coming off until you’re hanging in the courtyard, assassin.”

“Yeah fuck you too.” Dusk remarked, her eyes glaring at the guards until the door shut behind her, a loud CLANG signalling it being fully closed and a lock slid into place.

The Dracony pulled herself up, and looked around. Her room consisted of…nothing. Grey walls, grey door, grey bed that didn’t even have a sheet or a pillow. There was no window, and nothing else but the bed adorned the walls. Her shackles were so heavy that even if a guard were to come in right now, she couldn’t take them.

“…okay…” She felt something swell in her chest, but a hard swallow cleared it. “This is fine…I’m fine.”

Three days went by. Dusk was starting to ache. Her shackles weighed her down, making any sort of training or athletic movement impossible. Obviously, she wasn’t allowed out for any sort of physical activity, so her muscles were beginning to cramp and her body wasn’t happy with its lack of movement at all. The food they served her was sub-par, but really not that different from her normal fare. Mouldy bread, water that probably also had mould in it and was likely taken from the drippings of rainwater off some sweaty stallion’s tail, based on how it tasted.

Dusk wasn’t happy. She never really was, but this was starting to eat at her psyche. When a guard game into the room with two others behind him, she thought for sure it was them coming to bring the news of her execution – but instead, they had just come to mock her. She couldn’t really do anything to protect herself when they pinned her up against the wall, taunting her with remarks about how her great assassin reputation was already dying, and how her life hadn’t amounted to anything in the short time she had lived it.

The abuse from the guards came frequently, but sometimes it was her own fault. When she attempted to crack a joke with them, they’d swing open the door and either tighten her chains to the point they dug into her flesh, or just beat her. She doubted that the warden would care if she told her, so she stayed quiet about it. She had been tortured before.

Three days turned into a week. That week turned into two. By this point, Dusk was starting to lose it. Her muscles practically didn’t even work anymore. She could hardly will herself to stand and do her daily shamble around the 10x10 cell she was trapped in. Every one of her movements was shaky, her eyes now lacking the brilliant lustre they once carried and her body no longer tough enough to take a beating from the guards, so she kept herself silent. She hadn’t spoken in over a week, and her throat felt like sandpaper no matter how much ass-water (as she had taken to calling it in her head) she drank. Not that she got much to begin with.

She kicked a rock. It bounced off the wall, and returned to a similar position in front of her. She kicked it again, and the cycle repeated itself.

Until the door swung open, shocking her. It hadn’t opened in almost four days – food was just passed through a small opening at the bottom.

“Dusk Rider.” A commanding voice spoke, and Dusk’s squinting eyes made out the physique of a stallion in guard armour.

“Y-…” Dusk coughed, not realizing how horrible her throat was. It felt like she had inhaled sand and absorbed it into her pores.

Did a throat have pores?

The sand had created its own pores. I respect the sand more than these things. Dusk thought to herself.

“Your presence has been requested by Princess Luna.” He said. Two guards were already walking forward to pick her up.

“Yeah…” Dusk rasped. “Then why don’t you tell Luna she can kiss my fucking-…”

Dusk was forcefully silenced by the back-hoof of a guard slamming into her face. She fell backwards, feeling moisture brimming in her eyes but refusing to allow them to pour over. “Sh…it…” She coughed again, her head throbbing. The two guards just scowled at her and forced her to her hooves, her legs wobbling and shaking with each step she took.

It was a sorry sight for the prisoners who had seen her the day she walked in. Dusk looked horrible. Already she was slimmer, the lack of proper food and exercise having made her thin and borderline anorexic. Every step made her shake, and each time she was pushed forward it looked like she was going to topple.

“By the sun…” One prisoner whispered. Dusk’s ear twitched.

“Shut it, dude. She can hear you.”

“She…she looks like shit. What’d they do?”

“Doesn’t matter, just keep your head down.”

“Fuck off. Ain’t a guy allowed to feel bad for a mare sometimes?”

“As if you’d care if she came out lookin’ just fine.”

Dusk let a sigh escape her, but even that made her lungs ache. She wondered if her cell had grown black mould at some point…

It took almost an hour for them to reach Luna’s quarters, where she had requested Dusk to be brought. When they did push open the door and lead Dusk in, they had her sit down on the floor. Luna, who was at her desk and writing with a quill, looked up and smiled gently.

“Thank you, lieutenant.” She bowed her head. “Leave us, please.”

“Er…princess, are you certain about that?” The pony at the front of the group glanced at Dusk, who was hunched over and staring daggers at Luna. Her eyes no longer carried the same intimidation that they used to.

“I am most certain, lieutenant. That will be all.”

“…as you wish, ma’am.” The lieutenant and the rest of the guards who had escorted Dusk bowed, and slowly shuffled out of the room. A blue glow gripped the door handle and shut it behind them.

Luna waited until the guards were gone, then turned her chair around and looked down at Dusk. “Here, let me take those.” Her horn lit up, gripping every piece of metal restraining Dusk and removing all of it, leaving the collar for last. When it came off, Dusk reached up and rubbed at her neck, staying completely silent. If this had happened a week and a half ago, Dusk would have immediately jumped on Luna and strangled her until every bone in her neck was broken – but she didn’t have the strength right now.

Without the chains, she almost looked worse. Her body was scraped and bruised, bits of fur missing in the places that the shackles and chains ground against her. One of her wings looked dislocated, and her eyes carried an air of…almost disinterest.

“…so…” Dusk rasped, her voice still unsteady.

“I know you’re probably wondering why I brought you here.”

“Not…really…” She wheezed.

“Goodness, take some water.” Luna levitated a glass over, and Dusk happily drank from it. She barely got any before, and it was usually moldy or tasted like ass. Having fresh, albeit room-temperature water was like a blessing.

“…thanks.” Dusk forced out. Her voice was still quiet, but less sounding like a rake dragging across leaves from two autumns ago.

Luna slowly stood up, pushing the chair to the side and sitting on the floor so she was at the same level as the Dracony. “Dusk, I understand you aren’t the type to want to speak, but it might help you here. I just want to…” She sighed and looked at the floor, then back up. “I want to help you. I really do. I know that you aren’t happy with your current life.”

“What, you mean that cell?”

“Dusk, you’ve been there for two weeks.”

“Two weeks is a lot when you’re treated worse than a dog.”

“Okay, I-…” Luna inhaled deeply, then let it out. “Right. I understand. I really do. But you know what I meant. It’s not like I was the one who sent that team out.”

Dusk rolled her eyes. “Mhm? And who did, then?”

“We don’t know. We just got an anonymous tip that you had been waiting there for two hours.” Luna shrugged. “By the way…what was that about? Are you that confident that we couldn’t catch you, or was it more a case of giving up?”

“A little of both.” Dusk admitted. “I know this is a dream, anyway. You’re trying to oil me up so I’ll just…” she slid one hoof along the other, in an attempt at visualizing what she was saying. “Slliiiiide on back to Canterlot.”

“Dusk, I-…”

“No no, you don’t need to say the rest. ‘I want you to come back, Dusk. I care about you. So does Shining. Buuuuh.’ I get it. Okay?” She waved a hoof. “You’re wasting your time. Take me off this little emotional ride of yours and I’ll be on my way. You can’t get in my head.”

Luna grimaced. She felt that same twinge in her chest again. “Er…Dusk. This isn’t a dream. You’re not-…”

“Okay, yeah. Play it along. Keep going till the execution day, I get it. And then when they’re about to drop me off the platform and I feel the noose around my neck tighten, that’s when you stop everything and give me some speech about where my life’s headed. Cool.”

“Dusk, you need to understand. I’m trying to help.”

“Oh yeah, I know you are. Don’t worry, I got that.” Dusk nodded. “Thanks, and all. But just take me out already. I’ve had enough of you. I’d rather get captured for real.”

“Dusk, I’m trying to tell you…”

“Just fucking give it up, please? It’s cool that you’re persistent and all, but I really just want to wake up and get some work d-…”

Luna abruptly stood up. She reared back and smacked the Dracony right across the cheek, her hearty strike making Dusk reel back and fall on the ground, her cheek stinging. “Is that real enough for you?! Do you feel this is still a dream?!” She let her anger slowly seep out with each heavy breath she took, until her voice returned to normal.

“You’ve uh…” Dusk cleared her throat, rubbing a hook against her cheek. “You’ve got a strong arm there…” Her voice was less annoyed and slightly sullener now, Luna’s painful wake-up call having made her realize where she really was.

“Dusk.” Luna said calmly. “You’re here. You’re captured. You are in serious consideration for execution. The only way that I think I can save you now is to have you speak to my sister.”

“…well that’s not happening.” Dusk grimaced even as the words left her mouth.

“How can you be so bitter, Dusk?” Luna sounded exasperated. “You are staring into the face of death itself and refusing to balk, simply because you hold a grudge.”

“My grudge is justified.”

“Celestia put me on the moon for a thousand years, Dusk. I’m not this bitter. I was at least able to forgive her.”

“It’s easy when you’re immortal. I’ve only got another century in this old thing.”

Luna stepped forward, sitting right in front of Dusk. “Look. I know what my sister did, and I understand your anger. I understand you don’t want to talk to her. But think of the opportunity you’re missing out on. Not only will it save your life, but perhaps it would give you a chance at a new one…”

“I’m…I…” Dusk began, but trailed off. “I can’t…bear to look at her.”

“I know. But listen to me.” Now Luna put a hoof on Dusk’s shoulder. The Dracony winced and started to pull away, but kept herself from doing so. “Celestia doesn’t understand the extent of what she did to you and your Dracony brethren. If you told her, face to face, she might at least feel a bit of remorse.”

Dusk’s face twitched. She hadn’t spoken to Celestia directly in over ten years. “…well you know your sister.” Dusk admitted. “Are you sure this would do anything? If you talking to her doesn’t work, why would she listen to a criminal?”

“It’s worth a try. That’s all I’m trying to say.” Luna shrugged. “I…pulled some strings to get Shining Armour to put in a good word for you, but it hasn’t got her convinced yet.”

The Dracony slowly breathed in, then let it ease out of her nose slowly. “Riiiight.” She suddenly felt a wave of nausea, and nervousness – the second one was luckily hidden by the physical onset of the first. “Oh sweet L-…er…” She blinked up at Luna, then cleared her throat and shook herself. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Oh, wonderful.” Luna let out a deep sigh of relief, her horn slowly lighting up and picking up the collar and chains.

“…damnit, do I have to wear those?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck…”

“…and have the delegates from Saddle Arabia and Griffonstone far apart from each other. We have enough problems with them both as it is, we don’t need one tearing apart the other.”

“Absolutely, princess.” A royal advisor bowed, and hurried out of the throne room.

Princess Celestia eased back in her throne, her eyes turning upwards to stare at the ceiling high above. She had been dealing with official business for hours, and it was nice to have a short reprieve.

The throne room opened, the sound of the grandiose doors swinging outwards making Celestia re-focus on it. She allowed her eyes to focus in, before they blinked themselves multiple times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Her sister, Princess Luna, had just walked in – and was trotting towards the throne with Dusk rider chained and shackled beside her.

“Luna, what is the meaning of- by the sun, is that…”

“It is, sister.” Luna stopped at the base of the throne, and Dusk slowly shuffled up beside her. She had a muzzle over her face, and was glaring at Celestia like a dog protecting her puppies.

Celestia got over her shock as quickly as she could, clearing her throat and sitting upright. “What is the meaning of this?” She asked, in her authoritative tone.”

“Sister, Dusk Rider was captured by our guards two weeks ago. After a bit of discussion with myself, she has decided she has something to say to you.”

“…and you expect me to humour her? Look at the state of her.”

“No, I expect you to listen.” Luna’s horn glowed, and the muzzle dropped from Dusk’s mouth, clattering to the floor.

The Dracony stood there in silence, staring up at Celestia. The regal white alicorn relented, her voice almost tired. “…very well. Speak, Dracony.”

“My name is Dusk Rider, princess.” Dusk asserted, her gaze meeting Celestia’s. “In case you’ve already forgotten.”

“Criminals don’t receive the privilege of being called by name.”

“And tyrants don’t receive the privilege of being recognized as royalty.”

The tension hung in the air like a thick fog, clouding the perception of both mares.

“What is it you want to say, assassin?” Celestia asked.

“I wanted you to understand something.” Dusk stepped forward, her hooves gently clacking against the stairs leading to the throne and her shackles jingling noisily. “Because it’s come to my attention that you don’t fully grasp what my issue is with you.”

“I truly do not, aside from the fact that all criminals hate the ones who enforce their laws.”

“This isn’t about laws, Celestia. I’d be happy to walk myself to the gallows if you admitted what laws you’ve broken.”

“…” Celestia frowned and glared down at Dusk. “Elaborate. I’ll humour you.”

“Luna?” Dusk glanced at the other princess, who stepped forward, her horn gently glowing.

“And what exactly is this?” Celestia asked.

“A simple virtual reality spell.” Luna replied, slowly touching the tip of her horn to her sister’s. “No foul play. But Dusk prepared a…presentation.”

“This is childish.” Celestia scoffed.

In a bright flash, both Celestia and Luna were standing on a dirt road. The street was populated by draconies, much like Dusk, and the houses lining said street made neat rows all the way to the mighty, majestic palace near the center of the urban area. The whole structure was evidently formed out of gems or some sort of shiny material.

“Bellephron.” Dusk said abruptly. A Dracony walked directly through her, as if to make Celestia certain it was an illusion. “Does it look familiar?”

“…no, not particularly.” Celestia replied, looking around. “I…don’t recall ever seeing something like this.”

“No? Well I guess you wouldn’t have. Not before your ponies moved in.” She waved her tail, and the image changed.

It was the same town, same spot, but everything looked different. Draconies were being led down the street in neat, single-file lines, but in the opposite direction from the palace. They were being led out of the city. “Does this perhaps look a bit more familiar?” Dusk pointed up at the palace, which was far less grandiose than before. It looked like a pillar of solid rock, jutting out of the landscape in an ugly fashion.

“Still no. Are you going somewhere with this, Dusk?”

The Dracony waved her tail again, and once more the illusion shifted. Now, the landscape looked nothing like before. The houses that were once lining the streets were no longer there. The draconies were gone, too. The only thing that looked vaguely familiar to them both was the stone pillar of an ancient palace, which was being slowly dismantled by teams of unicorns standing nearby. Wagons trundled past them, carted by pegasi and earth ponies bearing the Equestrian emblem on their armour or clothing.

“This is much more familiar, I’m sure.”

“…yes.” Celestia said with a nod.

“Now, can you tell me, where is this?”

“As you said, Bellephron.”

“And what exactly did your…” Dusk searched for a word that wasn’t blatant profanity. “Workers do here?”

“They were…” Celestia trailed off, glancing to the side at one of the carts, stacked high with rocks that glimmered with precious minerals. “…mining gems.”

Dusk nodded. “And can you tell me where Draconies were made to live while their home was demolished and turned into a wasteland to fuel your need for jewels?” She asked, accusingly.

“That was the decision of the Duke I appointed to the land. Tempest Diadem.”

“Right, right. So you have no idea?”

“…I do not.”

Another wave of Dusk’s tail and the vision changed to something completely different. A Dracony family, sitting in what looked to be a living room. There was a mother, a father, and two foals. One with a dual-coloured mane of blue, and another with a mane that was red and black. The living room looked horribly kept, with wallpaper peeling off the walls, the furniture ready to crumble, and dust covering most things. The two foals were playing on the floor, wrestling or passing a doll back and forth and muttering words too quiet or jumbled to hear.

“Now, I want you to watch this, Celestia. I don’t want you to look away. At all.” Dusk said. Her tone was monotonous. She, despite her demand to Celestia, put a wing just under her eyes.

At the request of the mare she had promised to humour, Celestia let her eyes roll slightly before fixating on the scene in front of her.

The front door swung open, and an Equestrian royal guard stepped inside, followed by two others. They all had the same white coat and bluish-turquoise mane, and of course the golden armour that all Equestrian guards wore.

“Draconies were only permitted to have one child.” Dusk muttered gravely.

The guards stormed forward, the leader speaking in an authoritative voice. “We have received reports that this household has two foals.” He looked down at the two playing on the floor, and scowled. “And we see these reports are true.”

The female dragony – the mother – stood up. “Wait.” She said, stepping in front of the foals. “What are you planning to do? They were twins, they both came into this world at the same time. We had no control over it.” While the mother clearly cared, her eyes were tired. The flesh under her eyes sagged with pure exhaustion, and as much as she tried to seem assertive, her voice was dull.

“One of the foals will be taken and put into an Equestrian orphanage.” The guard leader said bluntly.

“What right do you have to take our foals away from us and give them to somepony else like property?” The mother grimaced, attempting to show anger that was desperate to be let out.

“Our orders come from Duke Tempest. Take it up with him if you have a complaint. Now, move out of the way.”

The mother stood firm, flaring out her greenish-blue wings. Her eyes attempted to stare right into the guard leader’s, but she kept averting her gaze. She began to shrink back at the captain’s own glare. “I…I won’t let you have either of them. We provide for them both on the rations we are given, they both cause no harm!”

“Rules are rules, ma’am. Now move, or we’ll be forced to arrest you.”

“Please, there’s no need for this.” The father stood up, taking his place beside his wife. “We both understand.”

“Night, what are-…” The mother began.

“We’ll get things ready and send one of them to you when the time is right. Is that fair?” The father asked. A hint of hope flickered in the mother’s eyes.

The guard captain squinted…then shook his head. “No. That’s not our protocol. You have five seconds to move out of the way, or we will use force.”

The father attempted to hold his composure. “We won’t let you take one of our children without preparing them for it.”

“They will be cared for.”

“You’re not taking my foals!” The mother yelled, getting increasingly hysterical.

“We will ensure that the one we take will be taken care of.”

“Get out! Get out of our house!” The mother screamed, and at this point the father was trying to calm her down.

“Ma’am, calm down.” The guard captain bristled. The two guards behind him shifted a bit.

“I’m not letting you take either of them! It isn’t right!”

“We’ll be taking them anyway. Please, just- oh forget it.” The guard started to push forward, but the mother suddenly grabbed hold of him.

“GET AWAY!” She screamed, her tail lashing forward and slamming into the guard’s head. It formed a dent in his helmet, knocking it off of his head. Immediately the other two guards leapt on her.

Dusk glanced at Celestia. She was watching with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open. Her ears were pressed against her head.

“Get off of me!” The mother yelled again, her tail trying once more to hit the captain. Instead, she wrapped it around one of the other guards’ throat, squeezing tight – and as a response, the second supporting guard delivered a hard punch to the side of her head. The mare fell limp.

“Fucking…shit.” The captain stood up, straightening himself and dusting off his mane.

“I…I am truly sorry, my wife is-“ The husband tried to speak.

“Both of you. Both of you are under arrest.” The captain growled. “One of you two, grab the red one.” He pointed at the foals, both of whom were more than old enough to realize what was happening. They pressed themselves against the wall, and the red one was grabbed by the guard who had previously had the mother’s tail wrapped around his throat.

The blue foal stood up in shock. When it spoke, it was clear she was female. “W-wait, put him down!” She cried, but the guards all ignored her. The captain heaved the unconscious wife onto his back, while the last remaining guard grabbed hold of the husband and shackled his hooves. He was arguing and struggling as they all left the house.

“H-hey! I said put him down!” The blue filly ran forward, grabbing hold of the last guard to leave, but he knocked her back with a firm kick to the chest. The filly landed on her back, and the door slammed shut.

The vision went black, leaving Celestia and Dusk standing there in a void.

“…sweet merciful Faust…” Celestia muttered under her breath. Dusk could see moisture building in her eyes.

“You’re telling me you didn’t know about any of this?” Dusk asked, turning her whole body to face her.

“…I…” Celestia swallowed, still staring at the scene that no longer existed. “He…he told me…Tempest…told me…everything was…”

“Peachy? Fine? Happy?” Dusk felt a deep, menacing anger welling up, but took a deep breath to suppress it. “Whatever he told you, he was lying. Whatever you think was going on in that town, in any town that draconies lived, it was a lie.”

“That…it…i-it can’t…” Celestia started stammering. It was the first time Dusk had seen the princess at a loss for words, though she had only spoken to her this directly a few times.

The Dracony stepped forward, now face-to-chest with the princess and looking up at her. “So, do you maybe get an idea of why I couldn’t stand to serve under you, princess?” She asked, her teeth bared. “I don’t care if you didn’t know about this, you’re still the one in charge.”

“…” Celestia still stared straight ahead. Finally she shook her head, her eyes blinking and refocusing on Dusk. “Y…you…I…that…was that…”

“That was me.” Dusk flicked her tail again. The image reappeared, showing the Dracony filly curled up on the floor and sobbing. “My brother, my father, my mother? I never saw them again.” She said matter-of-factly. “Never knew them properly. I was six.”

Celestia was breathing heavily. “Then…h-how did you…when Shining found you, you were…”

“A street rat, yeah.”

“But…y-you were already an adult, how did you…”

“I found my own way. They came to get me the next day – it wasn’t any rush for them, just another useless Dracony filly. I was already gone, though. I went to live with my friends in a house a few blocks down. They never even bothered to look for me. I lived there for a while until my friend and her mother were taken by the guards too. Tempest liked Dracony mares.” Dusk glared up at Celestia, whose eyes continued to widen.

The Dracony pushed away, trotting in the opposite direction. Slowly the vision faded, bringing them back to the throne room. Celestia was still sitting down.

“So, I dunno if this means anything to you.” Dusk turned back to Celestia once she was at the base of the stairs. “I dunno if you care. You probably don’t.” Dusk shrugged. “But when Shining found me, it was the best time of my life. I had a place to live that wasn’t crawling with bugs. I had food to eat that wasn’t mouldy or weeks old. I had…” Dusk’s throat suddenly choked up, her eyes also filling with liquid that she wouldn’t dare to admit was tears. “I had somepony to care about for the first time in about ten years.”

Celestia gulped, wiping her eyes with one hoof. “Dracony- I mean…Dusk…I had no idea. I swear.”

“And I know this doesn’t pardon me of any crimes. I’ve lost track of how many ponies I’ve killed at this point, honestly.” She shrugged, trying to play it off as neutral uncaringness. “But I dunno. I figured you’d get a kick out of seeing what your little gem-mining business did to me. To all the draconies.” She turned herself back around and started to walk down the glistening walkway of the throne room. “I’ll show myself to my cell. Wake me up when you’ve got everything ready for me.”

Luna glanced between Dusk and Celestia, hoping one of them would say something else.

“Wait.”

Dusk stopped, but didn’t look back.

“I…Dusk, I can’t pardon you of all of your crimes. You truly have done too much to excuse them. But…” She paused, standing up and slowly walking towards the Dracony. “I…could possibly arrange for you to…stay here in Canterlot.”

“…what?” Dusk slowly turned her head, looking over her shoulder.

“It won’t fix what I’ve done, and it won’t fix what you’ve done.” Celestia admitted. “But…well…there is clearly a problem in Bellephron.” The princess paused. “…a problem…that you might want to help us deal with.”

The mare standing before Celestia began to turn herself around. Her shackles jangled with each movement she made. “Seriously? So what’s this going to be, you take me as a government assassin ‘til I’m not useful?”

“I…no.” Celestia forced a bit of a smile, wiping her eye with a wing. “I wronged you. I wronged all of your kind. I truly did. But you…I can hardly blame you for leaving when you were given the chance. I…truly am sorry. I want to make this right. But…I can’t simply get rid of Tempest. At least, not until I know what he’s really like.”

Dusk’s eyes drifted to the floor, then back up to Celestia. “So…what, then? You want me to work for you? Or you want me to kill him? Or what? Could you please just spell it out, Princess? Because I really don’t-…” A lump formed in her throat, but she couldn’t bring herself to swallow it back down. “I really don’t want to be used…again.”

“I can’t simply let you go free. Even if you were absolved of all crimes, ponies would recognize you…and they wouldn’t be as formal as I.”

“So…” Dusk stared up at Celestia. “…you know what? Whatever you want me to do, I’m doing it. But it’s not for you.” She stepped closer again, glaring up at her. “It’s for whatever draconies are still around. I don’t want them to suffer anymore. So tell me what I need to do, and…and…” Dusk started shaking. Her exhaustion was catching up with her, her emotions no longer able to cover for it.

“…and…” Dusk gritted her teeth. “And…I’ll do it.” She finished, her hoof shakily reaching up to wipe her eye. “F-fucking…gods…” She nearly fell forward, the weight of her chains more than she could handle at this point. “Take these…things off…” She wheezed, her body abruptly collapsing and falling flat in front of Celestia. Almost immediately her chains were enveloped in a golden aura, and the weight was lifted from her. The shackles on her wings stayed, though.

Dusk slowly rolled onto her front, her front hooves covering her eyes as she allowed herself to cry for real. “You…didn’t even…f-fucking…know…this whole…damn…time…”

Luna glanced at Celestia with an expression that bore confusion.

Dusk felt a hoof on her mane, gently stroking her head. She didn’t need to look up to know it was Celestia’s, trying to comfort her.

Dusk didn’t know if this was a dream. She was almost certain it wasn’t, though. If it was, it was the most elaborate and unending dream that she had ever experienced. She definitely didn’t want it to end, though…

Executive Orders

Author's Note

This chapter contains a pretty detailed hanging/execution, just in case you want to avoid that.

Executive Orders

Again, Dusk found herself at a loss with how she should feel. On the one hoof, she had just reconciled with one of the ponies she truly despised. On the other, she had just reconciled with the pony that ruined her species’ lives.

She needed time to think things over, but luckily her jail cell made that pretty easy. She supposed it only made sense – couldn’t have her wandering around freely, and the guards obviously didn’t know about their plan yet…

Come to think of it, what was their plan? Celestia had been extremely vague, and Luna had been almost silent the whole time. The only words she had gotten from Luna were “Everything will be okay” before she was sent back to the dungeon.

Now she found herself sitting flat on her rump, once again in chains that were still painfully digging into her skin.

“…fuck.” She muttered, letting herself lie down to ease some of the pressure. Her muscles were still screaming. Her body was telling her to get the damn metal off of her, but she couldn’t. She’d just have to wait. Her eyes drifted shut, and she did just that.

But waiting would apparently be a lot harder than she thought. Her mind was racing at a mile a minute. What the hell was she doing? She was public enemy number one. She had criminal contacts spanning all of Equestria. What exactly could she possibly do to make herself vanish? It wasn’t like she was just some generic pony, draconies were extremely obvious – and one with a face as well-known as hers wouldn’t last very long if she tried to escape her past.

Then her mind wandered to even worse thoughts. Tempest still had a hold on Celestia, that much was obvious. Dusk could tell that the princess had delegated far too much of her power away – she was practically a figurehead at this point. For all Dusk knew, Celestia could be signing a document ordering her execution right now, and her entire talk would have been for nothing.

These fears were irrational. She tried to tell herself that. You saw how she acted, she thought to herself. She meant it. You’ll be fine.

She looked down at her hooves. They were shaking, even though she hadn’t put any weight on them. Gods, why am I shaking? She looked around, trying to avoid thinking about it. Nevermind. Just…get some sleep, and it’ll be fine. Everything’ll be fine…

With her fears at least somewhat abated by her own encouragement, Dusk gently shut her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep – a sleep that would be fraught with nightmares until she was woken.

CLANG.

Dusk’s head shot up, only to give herself whiplash as her shackles yanked it back down. “Fuck!” She hissed, her neck aching from the sudden movement. Her eyes scanned for the source of the noise, but it was just her meal delivery again. It had been slid under the door as always, through the small flap.

“Ugh…” She dragged herself over to the tray, peering down at it. Her eyes, which were dull and aching, lit up at the sight. A fresh salad, with water that actually looked clean for once. “Well thank the sun, I guess…” She let a small smile cross her lips, her teeth gently biting down on the tray so she could drag it over to her bed.

With a bit of effort, she heaved herself up on the cold metal surface, and she reached her hooves down to pick up the tray. She nearly dropped it, but she at least had enough coordination left to put it on her lap.

She couldn’t resist any more, she stuffed her face into the bowl and started to hungrily devour it. While vegetables were bland and boring usually, the satisfying crunch of the lettuce and the sweet, watery flavour of the cucumbers was like heaven after two weeks of eating stale bread.

To anypony looking in from the outside, she would have looked like a pig. But she allowed herself to let go of her normal inhibitions and put on a smile as she dug into the salad – of course, with how fast she was eating it, it was gone within a minute.

Not that she wasn’t grateful. She carefully gripped the cup between two hooves, tilting it back and taking a sip. The water was cool, crisp, and tasted like fine wine compared to what she had been forced to drink before. It did carry an odd aftertaste, but Dusk wasn’t about to complain. She drank it sparingly though, making sure to wet every bit of her mouth before swallowing. Finally her throat felt something cold for once.

After she had drank all of the water, she allowed herself to relax. The weight of her chains felt like much less of a burden now, and she felt re-invigorated. Real food will do that, she thought to herself. She laid her head back against the wall, gently pushing the tray to the side and taking a deep breath.

A gentle nagging feeling was poking at the back of her mind, but she ignored it. The food had helped clear her head. If it wasn’t for the chains, she might have actually tried to exercise a bit to get her muscles working…but as it was, she just got off the bed and started walking around the cell. She still ached, but with extra energy and a meal that didn’t make her stomach feel like it was turning to stone, she had enough vigor to walk, at least.

Dusk was satisfied. She’d wake up in the morning, and she’d probably be called down to the throne room or one of the Princess’s quarters to talk. She needed her rest, though.

After a few laps of her small cell, she heaved herself onto her bed. Pushing the tray onto the floor, she stretched herself out and sighed happily, resting her head on her hooves and shutting her eyes again.

Another loud crash of metal against concrete woke her up. Her eyes shot open, her head slowly lifting from its lying position. The bright light of the hallway seeped in through the open door, prompting Dusk to lift up her hoof to block out the burning light. “Ugh…you could’ve knocked…” She groaned, squinting to get a look at who it was.

A guard stood in the doorway. Dusk could make out a few others shifting around in the hall. “Dusk Rider.” The guard spoke. “Come with us.”

“Yeah, I’m coming…” She rolled off the bed, groaning in slight discomfort as her hooves hit the ground and she nearly fell. Still, she had more energy than usual.

The dracony stepped out with the guards, who rather roughly shoved her forward, forming a protective convoy around her. “Geez…” Dusk rolled her eyes. The extra pep she had from her previous meal made her more able to keep up with their constant pushing. “So, who is it this time? Or is that classified?” Dusk asked. The guards offered no response.

“…kay…” She shrugged and kept walking where they told her to. Twists and turns, past all sorts of different cell doors, but none of the prisoners spoke to her this time. What time was it, anyway? She had no concept of the time of day when there was no window in her cell.

She kept walking along with the guards, until they pushed open a set of double doors in front of her. Again, her eyes were assaulted with bright light – sunlight. Something she hadn’t seen in a few weeks, though technically it had been shimmering through the stained glass windows in the throne room.

“Fucking…could’ve warned me.” She groaned and tried to stretch a hoof up to shield her eyes, but she needed all four to support herself. She could hardly see anything, but she heard an odd amount of voices. An entire crowd, maybe.

The guards still said nothing. As her eyes adjusted to an amount of light she hadn’t seen in weeks, she saw her assumption was correct. A huge crowd of ponies was gathered. A sea of pastel colours and a combination of flapping wings and stomping hooves was standing in front of a wooden stage, one that really didn’t look that glamorous, especially for a Canterlot audience. In fact, it looked dusty – like it hadn’t been used in years, and the surface had only recently been trodden on.

Dusk tilted her head. Something seemed odd about it. “Er, am I supposed to give some kinda public apology?”

“That won’t be needed.” One of the guards said, pushing Dusk towards the steps.

Dusk blinked. At the shove of the guard, she ascended the stairs.

As she reached the top of the stairs, she looked up.

Her muscles went taut.

Her eyes went as wide as the sun shining down on her.

Every fibre of her being wanted to scream.

A guard headbutted her in the rump, knocking her forward onto the stage. The ponies in the crowd had gone quiet, aside from some murmuring and whispering.

She was standing on the stage, but it wasn’t a stage. It was a platform. A platform meant for one thing – one thing that hadn’t been needed in Canterlot for years. Two tall wooden beams suspended a longer beam above the middle of the platform, and from the exact center of that beam hung a rope.

The sight of it made Dusk feel nauseous. Her head spun. Her vision was already blurring. There was no way this was happening.

A purplish-pink magical aura wrapped around the rope and slowly tied it into a knot.

No, it was happening. And she was the only pony on stage, besides…

“…Sh…Sh-…Shin…ing…?” Dusk managed to stammer.

Standing at the other side of the stage was Shining Armour, dressed in his full Royal Guard armour and looking up at the rope as it was tied. He said nothing, even as two guards stepped up behind Dusk and began to move her forward.

“N-…w-…w-…” Dusk couldn’t formulate a sentence. Her face, one that at the very most would express feelings of sadness and on a normal day showed almost no emotion, was frozen in a state of shock and terror. Even as her chains were removed and her hooves were held tightly behind her back, she couldn’t move. She couldn’t work up the strength.

She was forced to stand on her hind legs on a chair. The guards made sure that she couldn’t move, wrapping strong ropes around her hind legs, tying her front legs behind her back and lashing her wings together against them.

“This…th-this…” Dusk mumbled, her words jumbling together into an incoherent mess. “Y-you can- you- Sh-…”

“Citizens of Equestria.”

Shining’s voice brought a complete hush among the crowd.

“I have no doubt that you all know this face.” One of the guards put a hoof under Dusk’s chin, holding up her head for all of the ponies to look upon. “This,” Shining continued. “Is the face of a criminal. A most heinous criminal, who has threatened the security of our land.”

Dusk’s eyes were watering. She couldn’t hold back the tears if she tried. They flowed freely down her cheeks.

“This mare – this evil pony,” Shining kept speaking. “Is a public menace. Arguably the most dangerous pony in all of Equestria.” He looked over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Dusk. His gaze was cold. Dusk couldn’t see a hint of remorse. “This is something that the Equestrian monarchy has not done in over thirty years.” Shining said in a slightly lower, more solemn tone. “Public executions are reserved for only the worst of the worst.”

Every word he said hit Dusk in the harder than the kick of an earth pony.

“You all have come here of your own fruition. This is your last warning to leave if you do not wish to see this.”

The noose was fitted around Dusk’s neck. She felt the rough rope scraping against her throat. Her lungs were working at such a speed she could hardly take in enough air to keep herself conscious.

“Dusk Rider. You are charged with one-hundred-and-forty-six counts of first-degree murder, along with nearly one hundred other criminal charges that are too numerous and varied to list them all in the time we have.” Shining was facing her now, his dark eyes glaring right into hers. She felt like her insides were going to melt just from the stare alone. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Dusk’s words wouldn’t come out. All she could force out was a jumbled mess. “Sh-Shining- b-but- Princess- Tempes- D-Dracony- n…n…”

Shining Armour turned away with a shake of his head. “Then by the decree of the Princesses of Equestria,” He took a breath, closing his eyes for a moment. “You are hereby sentenced to death.”

A shrill scream rippled out of Dusk’s throat, still dry despite the water she had been given. Her howl of desperation made a few ponies in the crowd shift uncomfortably, but they didn’t need to listen to it for long. She felt an impact on the chair through her hooves, and it was knocked out from under her.

The momentary drop had Dusk gasping for air, before the rope went tight around her neck.

She had never felt this before. The sensation of something cutting off her windpipe, that was familiar, although not extremely. What she had never, ever felt before was a level of fear this strong. Her mind was racing so quickly that she couldn’t form a coherent thought. Any noise she tried to make came out as a strangled gargle or just silence. Her limbs flailed as best as they could while they were tied up, her throat feeling like it was burning due to the rope closing tightly around it.

Shining Armour didn’t watch. He simply stood at the side, looking out at the crowd.

Dusk tried to free her hooves. She shook them, rubbed them against her wings, tried to snap the ropes with her tail, but it didn’t do anything. Instinctively she tried to breathe out and replenish her air, but she couldn’t do either. Her eyes, now strained and bloodshot, frantically darted around the stage, but there was nothing to help her. Nopony on stage was looking at her.

The fear was setting in faster than the asphyxiation. I haven’t done anything. She thought. Nothing. My life was a waste. A WASTE! She tried to scream it out loud, but all that came was a painful, strained rasping as her breath leaked out of her lungs. With no oxygen at all, her mind began to wander even more than before. She saw flashes of things from her past – her life literally flashing before her eyes. She saw momentary images of her standing side by side with Shining, saluting a superior officer. She saw images of her standing over a dead body, from an angle that she couldn’t possibly have been able to see. She was looking at herself from an outsider’s perspective – and she looked like a piece of shit.

Her body still thrashed. She still desperately tried to kick herself upwards, her bound hind legs dangling almost a foot from the ground. She rasped and wheezed, her desperation so clear in her eyes that some ponies in the crowd could feel it even from their distance. Her muscles began to lock up, focusing completely on forcing another breath in, but the noose was too tight. There was no possible way for her to breathe. She was dying.

She probably wet herself at some point. She heard a bout of laughter and assumed that’s what it was about. Her jaw moved up and down, like a fish stuck on land and trying to breathe a substance it only ever knew in liquid form. Her stomach was scrunched in to the point her ribs were visible, her neck muscles bulging and throbbing, her eyes wide and feeling like they would pop out of her skull. She tried again to scream, but no words could come out, for no air remained in her system.

Dusk’s body started to spasm. It wasn’t under her control anymore. She tried to fight it, but her muscles weren’t getting any oxygen and neither was her brain. Her eyes began to flutter, her gasping stopped, her body just spasmed and twitched in the air. Her tail, tied to her hooves and flailing desperately, slowly fell limp. The glow in her eyes that once gave way to a flaming inferno of passion and pent-up rage died out. They practically turned grey.

And then she fell still. Her body didn’t move. Her head fell forward, slumped over. Her mind only had one thought.

I…never got to do…anything.

But that was the last thought she had, before her mind shut itself off. Her eyes didn’t even fully close, remaining half-lidded as her lifeless body hung there from the gallows. Saliva dripped from the side of her mouth, onto the dusty wood beneath her.

Shining allowed his head to bow slightly, his teeth gritted. “I’m sorry.” He muttered to himself, before motioning for the guards to take the body down.

New Beginnings

Celestia wasn’t sure what emotion she was feeling.

It wasn’t happiness or relief, that much was certain. She had just been told – by her own sister – that the mare she had been crying with a day ago was dead, and that it was by Luna’s decree that it happened.

“I do not know what to say, sister.” Celestia hung her head slightly. “You tricked her.”

“You don’t grasp the full extent, Celestia.” Luna replied, standing behind her sibling.

“You killed her.”

“It was necessary. And it is not as bad as you think.”

“Luna, I told her I would help her.”

“And I helped her as well.”

Celestia turned around, a fiery anger flaring up in her eyes. “Helped her?!” She ground her teeth together, taking deep, slow breaths. “Luna. You sentenced a mare to death after we promised to help.”

“There was no other way to-…”

“To what?!”

“To convince the public…”

“So you decided it was better for her to die than for her to be thought of as alive by the public?”

“Might I remind you, sister, that you wanted to execute her a few weeks ago.”

“I-…” Celestia bit her tongue, inhaling sharply.

Luna glanced at the door. Come on…she thought to herself. “Celestia, I assure you. This is not as serious as you think.”

“Not as serious? Luna, I just learned that the Duke I appointed to watch over the draconies is a genocidal and racist tyrant, the assassin I’ve despised for almost twenty years is a mare desperately trying to survive in a world that I unintentionally made hostile to her kind, and now I’ve learned that my sister has sentenced that same assassin to death before I could allow her to get her revenge on that same Duke, and far before I could offer her my proper apology.” She glared directly into her sister’s eyes. “How is this not serious to you?”

Luna couldn’t help but smile a little. “You’re beginning to sound like Twilight Sparkle.”

“Luna, how is this amusing to you?!”

There was a knock at the door. Celestia was about to command them to come back later, but Luna opened it regardless. Standing in the doorway was a royal guard, his helmet missing and his mane in shambles. “Y-your royal highness…es.” He corrected himself with the plural as he noticed Celestia and Luna were both present, bowing his head. “We…we have a problem.”

“What is it?” Celestia rubbed a hoof against her forehead, which was throbbing with what she could only assume was a migraine.

“Well…” The guard glanced at Luna, then Celestia. “Today’s execution didn’t go as planned.”

“…what is that supposed to mean?” Celestia asked, not happy with the guard’s vague speech. Only then did she notice that the guard was panting, his body heavily bruised in the places his armour didn’t cover. “What…happened to you? Are we under attack?!” She flared her wings out.

“Not…exactly…” The guard groaned, before flopping forward. Luna just barely caught him with her magic, and gently rested him against the wall. She glanced at her sister.

“We should go.”

Celestia just nodded in agreement, standing up and hurrying out of the room with her sister.

It wasn’t difficult for the two princesses to locate the source of the ‘problem’ that the guard had mentioned. Guards who were running in the same direction, either to assist or to warn the princesses told them where to go.

Soon enough they found themselves in the courtyard. Specifically, the courtyard behind the castle, where the royal gardens were. They saw several limp bodies scattered around the grass. Celestia recognized them all as honour guards – those who were usually entrusted with royal secrets and protection of the most important relics and prisoners. Further ahead they could hear loud thumping and yelps of pain.

Both of the sisters lit up their horns as they ran forward, guards following them.

As if suspended in slow motion, a sharpened sword flew through the air towards them. Luna narrowly dodged it, and it sailed past her head to sink itself into a nearby tree.

Celestia wasn’t stupid, but she was surprised nonetheless at what she saw.

Dusk Rider was standing in the center of a group of guards, holding one in a painful grapple by the neck with her tail firmly wrapped around him. The rest were trying to figure out a way to attack her without having the guard killed.

The Dracony didn’t look the same as when she had been in prison. Her fur was still missing in parts and her body was slimmer, but her muscles were built back up and the fire was present in her eyes once again. Clearly, she was strong enough to overpower the guards again.

“What in Equestria is going on here?!” Celestia growled angrily, stepping forward into Dusk’s view.

The newly-awoken mare looked up from her terrified catch to meet Celestia’s angry gaze. The sun princess watched as Dusk’s eyes went from angry to purely enraged, her hoof twisting around the guard’s neck.

Another guard took this as his chance to strike, but Dusk moved quicker. She swung herself backwards in a reverse somersault, tossing the now unconscious guard’s body over her and slamming it into the advancing guard. Her wings flared out, one of them painfully cracking at the movement but her adrenaline had her ignore the pain. Her body lunged forward, past the guards who tried to stop her – her hooves landed right on one guard’s head to propel herself forward.

Luna barely managed to react in time. Her horn lit up, drawing a sword from one of the fallen guards and holding it in front of her. Dusk used her wings to adjust in mid-air and land in front of the sisters instead.

“What in the world is this?!” Celestia demanded. “You were executed!”

“Apparently not.” Dusk’s eyes seeped with pure rage, glaring daggers into Celestia’s. “One of you had better have an explanation.”

Luna held up a hoof, to tell the advancing guards to stand down. They all reluctantly stood still, watching.

“Dusk, you need to understand that what I did, I did for a reason.” Luna began.

“I’m really not in the mood for you pretending to care about me. Just tell me what you did.” Dusk replied with a twitch.

“…fine.” Luna inhaled deeply. “I knew that even if Celestia and some others would forgive you and understand, the vast majority of ponies would not. Even if we released you with a new name and identity, you would be recognized right away. Your face has been plastered everywhere for years, if you recall.”

“Mhm.” Dusk continued staring.

“So we- er, I had to fake it. The water we gave you a day ago was laced with a magically-delayed healing powder that Shining Armour activated with his magic when you…er…died. You were executed, and everypony besides you, myself, and Shining knows that as the truth.”

Dusk’s guard lowered slightly, but her anger was present still. “Wha…what the fuck is wrong with you?!” She bared her teeth, her tail angrily lashing behind her. “You couldn’t have told me? Would that have killed you? I was fucking terr-…” She bristled, then cleared her throat. “I was worried, you know? Scared, even.” She shook her head. “And what exactly is this going to help, anyway? You said yourself that you’re not releasing me, and if you did, ponies would recognize me regardless. And Draconies aren’t exactly thought of very fondly…”

Luna glanced at Celestia, who seemed to have taken in the information much better than Dusk. She looked calm, at least. “Well, that brings me to the second issue.” She said. “If you’ll come with us…”

“…well I don’t exactly have a choice, do I?”

“You do, it’d just be back in that cell.”

Dusk shivered. “Yeah yeah, I get it. Let’s go. I’m still expecting an apology for this shit, by the way. Making Shining the executioner was on purpose, wasn’t it?”

“We needed your reaction to be genuine.” Luna said solemnly, starting to walk back to the castle with Celestia. The guards went about helping up their fallen comrades, most of whom weren’t dead.

“Genuine my left ass cheek.” Dusk was fuming. If she knew how to use magic she would probably be sparkling with it by now.

The Dracony found herself sitting in a lavish dining room, at a circular table with the two princesses. Luna and Celestia had been having an argument for thirty minutes over the implications of what Luna had done, but seemed to have come to an agreement, and were now speaking to Dusk directly.

“The healing solution will also help bring your muscles back.” Luna said. “But you’ll need to train your body again. You haven’t moved properly in almost three weeks.”

“Yeah, I know.” Dusk replied, crossing her front hooves over her chest and leaning back in her chair.

“But we also can’t have many ponies knowing about you yet. The guards are only somewhat aware. We had them swear to secrecy but they likely talk about it in the barracks.”

Dusk nodded. “So what’re you saying?”

“We need to send you somewhere that you can train yourself back to normality before we send you to…take care of Tempest.”

“…so that’s the plan?” Dusk still put on an angry face, but inside, she was starting to feel happy butterflies. Her tail thumped gently against the floor. “I’m going to be taking care of him?”

“Well, we can’t exactly dethrone him without…opposition.” Celestia spoke. “It’s my fault. I’ve given him too much power. I’ve delegated so much of my own royal authority away that Tempest is practically in charge of his own sovereign nation.”

“…I’ll need my weapons.”

“That time will come.” Luna spoke again. “But we need to make sure you’re ready first. You can’t easily train here in Canterlot, but it’s the best we can offer. Whenever the public cannot enter the palace, we’ll allow you to train with the guards.”

“…seriously?” Dusk tilted her head. “I thought you said you didn’t want more of them finding out.”

“They will find out eventually. The best way to keep your training secret is by mingling with them. Don’t worry, you can train independently. It just has to be at the same time as them. For your safety.”

“You mean for everypony else’s.”

“Well putting it bluntly, yes…”

Dusk pushed her chair back and stretched herself out. While her muscles were firm, her body was still scrawny. “I’m going to need better food if I’m gonna start training again.”

“We will provide that. But remember this.” Celestia leaned forward. “You are still a prisoner. You’ve earned yourself some freedom, but if you try to run when we do decide to send you out, you lose any chance at it again.”

“Celestia…” Luna muttered. The sun princess leaned back again.

“But don’t worry. You won’t be staying in the same cell as before. Your new one will be more spacious, with training equipment and access to the castle upon request.”

The Dracony let a sigh escape her. “Fine then. Take me away.”

Celestia clapped her hooves, and two guards strode in. This time they only placed shackles on her legs before they led her out of the room.

This was better.

It wasn’t a lot better, but it was better.

Dusk found herself in a prison cell with actual fresh air being filtered in through the open window. The walls were still grey, but further apart, and not so claustrophobic. Her bed was still just a metal slab, but it had a sheet and pillow.

The thing that she was happy with the most, however, was the equipment in the corner. A weight bench, treadmill and a training dummy were all there for her to use, and she did use them. After three weeks of inactivity and being weighed down by chains, it felt amazing to be able to use her muscles the way they had been built.

She was provided with the food that she needed, as well. Within a few days she was already feeling better than she had in months.

Whenever she trained in the guard barracks, guards were either visibly nervous or angry. Many did not approve of essentially giving a criminal free access to their equipment and resources for her to work for them. Still, they didn’t want to challenge the princess’s demands, so they simply watched in a mixture of wonder and discomfort when Dusk used her tail to lift 300 pounds of weight every day.

It felt good for Dusk to be able to actually work her body again. When she lived in her camp, she didn’t exactly have the best training equipment, but she could at least exercise. After three weeks without it, it felt amazing.

After a full week of work, she was at least back to a level that she could move comfortably. It would take her another month to get her body back up to full strength, at which point most of the guards and ponies who knew about her in the palace were at the very least tolerable towards her, if not friendly. She had lifted her own spirits a bit as well, though not much higher than her norm had been.

Secretly, she was still angry at the princesses, specifically Luna. It really wouldn’t have been that hard for her to tell me, she thought to herself, lying flat on her back on the weight bench with her hooves pushing a large barbell up and down. Her body was slick with sweat, and her muscles ached, but that just meant it was working. She could’ve at least gave me an inkling. While her annoyance was only minor, it still itched at the back of her mind. She had experienced three nightmares over the last month that were based on her execution.

A deep-rooted fear of Dusk’s was one that many didn’t expect an assassin to have. She was afraid of dying. More specifically, she was afraid of dying without contributing positively to the world. She didn’t feel like she had contributed anything to the world, as it was – only taken away from it. Even before the “fake” execution, Dusk sometimes had nightmares about dying. She often wondered if she might die on one of her missions.

She realized that she hadn’t lifted the barbell in almost two minutes, and some ponies were staring. She sighed, pushed it off her chest and onto the rack, before standing up.

“Hey.” A gruff voice came from behind her. Dusk sighed, turning to face whoever it was.

Standing behind her, or now in front of her, was a dark grey stallion with silver fur. He wasn’t wearing his armour, nor were his two friends on either side of him. Dusk recognized their kind, the same that had been fighting her in the courtyard – in fact, she recognized the very stallion in front of her. Honour guards. She was well aware of their status within the Royal Guard. “Can I help you?” She asked with sweetness more fake than whatever Celestia put in the frosting of her cakes.

“How much longer are you gonna be here?”

“Oh I was just going. I’ve been here for uh…two hours?”

“You know what I meant.”

“Nah, I really don’t.”

“How long are you gonna be in the palace, hybrid?”

Dusk blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I said, how long are you gonna be here?”

“However long I want to be, meathead.”

“The princesses might be fine with whatever mind tricks you’re playing on ‘em, but we’re not. You’re a criminal, and a Dracony. Plus you beat up half my squad.”

“Oof, that second one’s the real nail in the coffin, right?”

“We want you gone, assassin.” One of the stallion’s friends spoke.

“This is between me and your pimp, pretty boy. Shut your muzzle.” Dusk replied, earning a snarl from the one who had spoken up.

Dusk ran a hoof through her mane. “Listen, I don’t want any trouble, but I will say I’ve been dying to practice on a real pony. So unless you want to be floor wax, I’d ask you to leave me alone.” She turned away, and began to walk towards the door. She saw the door itself glow, before slamming shut.

“You’re not going anywhere, unless it’s out of Canterlot.” The grey stallion said.

“Okay, like, I don’t think Luna would be super happy with me if I killed one of their guards while enjoying their hospitality, so don’t make this harder for yourself.” Dusk’s eyes met the stallion’s. He was a few inches taller than her, as were his friends. Take the hint, muscle-for-brains…she thought.

The guard stared at her for a few seconds, before his eye twitched. The door swung back open with a flash of his horn. “Get out.”

“Kinda was my plan already.” Dusk said, turning back around and strutting out the door. “Fucking meathead stallions…”

“Nice try, but I’m not fighting any guards.” Dusk’s voice broke a brief silence in Luna’s quarters bedroom.

“It would not be to the death, of course.” Luna’s voice responded.

“Princess, everything I do is to the death.”

“Well, he knows that.”

“And don’t you think it’s a bad idea, given I’m an assassin who just trained back to full strength after you killed me?” Dusk raised an eyebrow.

“Are you still not over that?”

“I’m not.”

“Why?”

“You literally killed me to preserve your public image.”

“To preserve yours.”

“You mean to end mine.”

“The semantics are unnecessary, Dusk. My sister and I want to make sure you are at peak physical performance, so you’ll be sparring our top soldier.”

“Not doing it.” Dusk crossed her arms.

Luna rolled her eyes. “You’re acting like a filly. “

“You’re acting like a lunatic.”

“You’re sparring with them, and that’s final.”

“I’d sooner spar with Celestia.”

“I will fight you for real if you continue to disagree.”

“You know what?” Dusk stood up. “Fine. I’ll fight ‘em. But don’t act like you think it’d be a fair fight.”

“For which side?” Luna shot Dusk a sly smirk.

“You-…” Dusk gritted her teeth. “I’ll be stretching in the training yard.”

As Dusk left the room, Luna put a hoof to her mouth and giggled.

Sure enough, when Celestia and Luna arrived 20 minutes later, Dusk was on one end of the yard and stretching out. Her wings were spread, her rump pushed out like a cat’s, her hind legs alternating positions as they kicked out, then pulled back in.

She didn’t react when the princesses walked up beside her, observing. Her body rippled with each movement she made, her legs especially, muscles bulging. “I still think this is unnecessary.”

“That does not matter.” Luna said firmly. “We require you to show us that you can still function as you have before.”

“I took out six of your guards after resurrecting from the dead, and you’re asking me if I can perform?”

“Yes.”

“…ah.”

Her opponent didn’t take long to get there, either. As Dusk turned around to prepare, she couldn’t help but look him over. A fairly standard looking soldier, with grey fur and- “Oh for fuck’s sake…”

“Hm?” Luna glanced down at Dusk.

“Really? This was intentional, wasn’t it?”

“What was?” The princess tilted her head.

“This guy. The one who kept talking to me in the training room? For like a week?”

“Ah. I…was not aware of this.” She leaned down, whispering into Dusk’s ear. “Try not to kill him, but he agreed that any injuries he sustains are his responsibility.”

“…you did do this on purpose.”

“Hush.”

Dusk stepped forward into the field. The dirt of the worn-down yard was scuffed up slightly by her hooves, sending small plumes of dust up around them. “Surprised you said yes to this. You seemed like the type to never want to let a Dracony touch you.”

“Only when it’s me forcing them into submission.” The guard replied. He was wearing his armour, but Dusk knew that wouldn’t matter.

“That sounds a bit sexual, but I can tell you haven’t gotten any in a few…ever, so.” Dusk shot him a smirk and the guard’s eye twitched.

Celestia glanced at Luna, who smiled back. “Shall we?”

Celestia nodded.

Luna raised a hoof. “Begin!”

Immediately, the grey, muscular stallion charged forward. Dusk watched him come towards her, then dodged to the side as one would do with a charging bull. As she slid across the dirt the guard abruptly changed direction, launching himself to throw his weight at her. The Dracony leapt backwards to avoid it, narrowly twisting her body in mid-air to avoid a shot of green magic from the guard’s horn.

“You’re fast,” The guard yelled, and Dusk felt a pair of teeth clamp down on her tail. “But you’re too cocky.” He swung his head towards the ground. Dusk adjusted her body’s position so she landed on her shoulder, heaving her rear end above her and using her tail to throw the stallion in turn. His eyes went wide in shock as he was thrown over her, slamming into the ground a small distance away.

Luna spoke up, turning to Celestia, who seemed incredulous at the strength Dusk showed. “Draconies have exceptional physical strength by default. Dusk’s record in the Academy was five-hundred pounds lifted with only her tail, I believe.” Celestia’s jaw remained slightly open, despite the explanation.

“Don’t try and tell me about how to fight.” Dusk dusted herself off and shook her wings, flaring them open as he got back to his hooves.

The guard stood back up, and immediately fired three bolts of green energy at Dusk. Instinctively she raised her tail to block them, but remembered that she didn’t have her tail blade on. She quickly flapped her wings and took off, narrowly avoiding them all. The stallion had no way to physically get to her while she was in the air, so he resorted to firing magic at her. She easily dodged and weaved through them, knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep it up.

“While many Draconies are slow,” Luna began. “Dusk’s training focuses on the muscles needed to react quickly and make tight turns.” She was not an expert in Dracony anatomy or culture – none were, really, but she knew more about Dusk than many.

The stallion’s horn glowed, but nothing came out. At first Dusk thought he had already run out of energy, but he shook his head to the side and she heard a whizzing noise from behind her. Four of the bolts he had fired at her changed course before they had time to dissipate, flying back through the air towards her. She dodged two of them, but one hit her in the stomach. She hissed, breathing through clenched teeth. It had knocked the wind out of her, and out of instinct she raised her hooves to shield herself from the fourth.

THOOM.

The thunderous noise that followed rattled Dusk’s ears, her eyes clenching shut and her body automatically pulling back to the ground. When she opened her eyes, she found the stallion staring incredulously at her. Even Celestia looked a bit surprised, more than she already was.

She glanced down at her hooves. One of them was glowing, and the light slowly died down as she landed. “Oh…right.”

Luna cleared her throat, turning to Celestia again. “Draconies’ bodies are resistant to magic. A unicorn would not be able to grab hold of the Dracony themselves, only perhaps their mane of accessories they might be wearing. Their four hooves are all made of a special, magic-absorbant material akin to a unicorn’s horn…though as far as I know, not many are adept at using magic in the same way. It is significantly harder for them, but extremely useful for a mare like Dusk.”

The stallion growled. “What the hell did you just do?!”

“I…kinda forgot I could do that.” Dusk stood on her hind hooves, a gentle smirk crossing her lips. “Wanna try it again?”

Seeming not to understand what she had done, the guard fired a green beam at her. Dusk brought one hoof up, tilting it to the side so the beam hit it at an angle. Some of its energy was absorbed into its blue surface, while the rest bounced off like rays of light. Dusk’s teeth visibly clenched, her eyes squinting nearly shut. It was not a comfortable feeling.

“I think that is enough.” Luna said suddenly.

The stallion’s horn stopped glowing, and Dusk’s body jolted a bit with a discharge of blue electricity. “Fuck!” She yelped, shaking herself off to rid her muscles of the uncomfortable tingle.

“You fought well, Dusk.” Luna put a hoof on the Dracony’s shoulder. “We don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Please, I wouldn’t-…” Dusk stopped herself. She didn’t really want to keep fighting this meathead, anyway.

“Right, yes. Go back to your room-…er…cell…and wait for us. We will bring you the information you need when we’ve discussed.”

Dusk straightened herself, trotting towards the edge of the training yard where two guards were already waiting to escort her. Honour guards again…pompous pricks. Dusk thought to herself as she was led away.

“Sister.” Celestia said.

“Yes?”

“Does this mean Dusk is immune to magic?”

“No, not entirely. Nopony has gotten to study Draconies in depth, at least not their anatomy. However, we know that their skin is exceptionally tough against the arcane.”

“So…she is immune.” Celestia frowned.

“No. She simply resists it. Did you see how she strained when blocking the beam? A Dracony’s body can only take so much before the magic starts to affect them. So while she can take far more than a pony, she isn’t immune like a…er…” Luna failed to find an example of someone immune to magic, so she just shrugged. “Dusk isn’t immune. But her abilities are extremely useful.

Celestia tapped her chin. “But…can she utilize magic like a unicorn?”

“Certainly not.” Luna shook her head. “The most that a Dracony has ever managed was a rather impressive explosion of arcane energy brought on by several weeks of absorbing it from unicorns who…er…tormented him. It was not controlled, and was simply a discharge of built up energy.”

“So their hides are so tough that the magic can’t escape once it’s absorbed…”

“Right.” Luna nodded. “I would love to see more studies conducted on them, though…”

Celestia blinked, gently lighting up her horn and making a quill and paper appear in front of her. “I do have a pony who would be quite eager to take up the endeavor when this Tempest business is over…”

“…oh.” Luna winced. She knew very well what Celestia meant, and knew Dusk wouldn’t be fond of it.

Preparation

Now it was official.

It was happening. Dusk was part of it. In fact she was the only part of it.

Princess Celestia and Luna had both told her multiple times how this had to go, but she was still worried. Not nervous – nervous was something she tried to avoid, but she didn’t feel…right. After about twenty-two years of running away from this stallion, now she was going to get rid of him.

It felt invigorating, but also…scary. She had no idea what would happen after. Although her confidence in her ability to actually kill Tempest was more than enough to make her certain she could, the idea of ending the illegal assassin life and starting with a new identity was a terrifying thought. She didn’t know if she could fit into pony society anymore. The Princesses had seemed so sure, though… “Your life will begin anew,” Luna had said. “Your days of running and hiding will be over.” Celestia had encouraged her. But she didn’t know if she was ready. Or if she ever would be.

Of course she could run. She could kill the bastard and leave, never letting them catch her again, but…what would she do? The world thought she was dead now, she couldn’t show her face in the criminal world again. She had no other option but to trust the Equestrian royals – two mares that she had previously despised up until about two months ago.

“Dusk?”

Her thoughts were broken as Luna’s voice softly spoke from behind her. She was standing in the doorway. “Are you alright?”

“Huh? Me? Oh…yeah. I’m fine.” Dusk was only now aware that she had been staring out the barred window of her cell for an hour now.

Luna slowly walked up beside Dusk, gazing out the window with her. “Enjoying the night?” She asked with a small grin.

“Yeah, actually…” Dusk rested her chin on her hoof as she stared up at the moon. “It’s…really pretty, to be honest. I can’t exactly stare at the sun like this, heh…”

“I’m flattered.” Luna’s horn lit up, levitating over a pile of fabric and other items and placing it on Dusk’s bed.

“…what’s that?” She glanced at it, out of the corner of her eye.

“Your suit.” Luna nodded. “Your weapons obviously aren’t with it, but I thought you should try it on. We made a few adjustments.”

“…like what?”

“Well, we made sure to add that grappling hook you mentioned.”

“I- really?” Dusk blinked, hopping down from her perch on the windowsill and nosing at the suit.

Luna nodded with a smile. “Certainly. Your equipment is important, I know.”

Dusk looked up at the blue alicorn with a bit of a smile. “Well…thanks.” She neatly tucked the suit into the corner of her bed, then returned to the window. Surprisingly, Luna didn’t leave. Rather, she put her hooves on the windowsill and stood next to Dusk.

“…what’re you doing?” She asked, turning her head to face her.

“I figured you could use a bit of company.”

“I…no, I don’t really…”

“Oh, come now. I know what it’s like to be isolated in such a way.” She turned her gaze back to the moon. “After all, you are looking at what was once my prison.”

Dusk kept staring up at the round white surface, before looking back at Luna. “Er…princess…if you don’t mind me asking. What’s it like?”

“Hm? What’s what like?”

“What’s it like…you know…having to raise the moon every night, knowing you used to…basically live in it?”

“I’ll admit that it does sometimes feel odd. But I have reconciled with my sister. I no longer see it as a prison.”

“…I see.” Dusk turned back to the window.

Luna leaned in a bit. “Is something bothering you, Dusk?”

“Nothing specific.” She traced a hoof along the metal bars blocking the window. “Just…” She sighed softly. “Damnit…I have to admit it. I’m nervous.”

“About going after Tempest?”

“No, that part’s easy.” She affirmed. “But…what comes after that…?”

“We’ll help you start a new life, Dusk.” Luna put a hoof on the Dracony’s shoulder. Faintly, she could feel a trace of muscles twitching. She was shaking.

“Yeah, but…” The shaking became more pronounced. “I…I’ve never…you know…lived in…normal places. Not since I was a filly…and even then it wasn’t anything like ‘normal’ life. How am I going to...fit in?”

Luna slowly let herself smile, gently patting Dusk’s shoulder. “Dusk. I was on the moon for a thousand years. It took me time to get used to royal life again. It won’t be perfect, but you can do it.”

“But…you didn’t have ponies who wanted you dead.”

“Well, perhaps not.” Luna nodded. “But ponies won’t want you dead, either. They want who you were. But that mare is gone now.” She used her hoof to turn Dusk’s gaze to her. “Right?”

Dusk felt like she was being talked to like a filly, but she said nothing. She had never really felt this vulnerable before. “I…yeah…but…”

“Dusk…trust me. It will be fine.” Luna paused. “By the way…I was curious about your name. It doesn’t sound like the sort of thing one would name their foal…no offense. I wouldn’t normally be so interested, but I’ve scoured the Dracony birth records, and there is no mention of any Dusk Rider…”

Immediately Dusk’s shaking stopped, and her muscles went taut. “I need to get to bed.”

“Dusk, I’m only asking-“

“I need to sleep. Got a lot of stuff to do tomorrow. I’m sure you have princess things to do.” She hopped down from the windowsill, striding past Luna and pulling her blankets back with her tail.

“Dusk. You could just say you don’t want to-“

“Please, leave.”

Luna’s eyes lingered on Dusk for a moment, before she sighed and started walking towards the door. “I apologize. It was crude of me to ask such a question without warning.” She gripped the door with her magic, gently closing it behind her. “Goodnight, Dusk.” She said, before it shut completely.

The Princess of the Night lingered at the door, her ear cocked to the side to listen through the bars. She heard the rustling of sheets, the sound of hooves trotting against concrete, and then the sound of a hoof against metal, but in a soft way. She was back at the window, presumably.

Luna simply sighed and trotted away from the door, allowing the guard standing nearby to take his post.

Dusk found herself in a vast swathe of nothing. She was the only thing there. It wasn’t quite pitch black – she could see swirling smoke and odd patterns around her, but nothing else. It was eerily silent, but not entirely so. A dull thrumming filled her ears, and her chest felt heavy.

“Not this again…” She muttered to herself, rubbing her temples with her hooves. “Not…fucking…again.” She tried to think normal thoughts. The cool sound of water trickling down a stream. The gentle chirping of birds. The shimmering image of Luna’s moon…

None of it worked. The thrumming was invasive. It was quiet, but it filled every corner of her mind. “Wake up, you stupid bitch…” She muttered again, though of course she was literally talking to herself. “This isn’t the night for this…I don’t have…fucking…t-time…”

Her body started to quiver. This was a dream, she knew it was. It was a dream she had every night. She almost never dreamt of anything else. This was all it ever consisted of. A painful, heavy, almost judgemental thrumming that made her feel that she was well and truly alone. That ponies only saw her as a pawn. At least…that was what she interpreted it as. She was no psychologist.

“…stop…” She whispered, her eyes clenching shut. She laid herself down on the ground, or at least what this horrid dreamscape had decided was the ground, and put her hooves over her head. Her tail tucked down between her hind legs. “…p-…please…”

This was usually how she spent her nights. Lying on the cold, inky black ground of a world with no surfaces, her mind reeling with the oppressive weight of nothingness. The weight of her own loneliness.

Sometimes this dream got better. On occasion she dreamt of her family. She dreamt of all of them, sitting in this world of blackness together – all terrified, but all embracing each other. When her mind was feeling especially cruel it would have that same scene, but have Dusk wrenched away, watching as her family comforted each other and she was perpetually running to try and get to them.

On most nights, though, it was just this. Her mind didn’t want to let her remember that she once had a future. It didn’t want her to even think she had one now. She was practically certain she didn’t, regardless.

She was about to shut herself down and resign her mind to another eight (or so) hours of torture when she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

Her eyes opened wide, and she glanced back to see Luna standing over her with a warm, almost maternal smile. Describing it as such, even to Dusk, seemed a bit cheesy…but she had actually never felt so happy to see her.

The darkness slowly melted away. The black void was replaced with a moonlit meadow, a wide open field of flowers and grass with fireflies dancing in the light of the moon.

“…is that what you normally dream about?” Luna finally spoke as Dusk stood up.

“I…” Dusk nodded slowly. “Yeah…it’s…basically every night…”

“I’ve never seen anything like it.” She had a look of concern on her face, a look that Dusk appreciated more than the princess would ever know. “Are you alright?”

“I’m used to it.” Dusk said slowly. “It’s fine. You really don’t need to do this. I know there are plenty of ponies you could be helping with their dreams and all.” She walked a bit away, the feeling of plants rubbing against her legs and cool dirt for her hooves to land on was pleasant. A firefly buzzed past her nose, and she suppressed a smile.

Luna stepped forward with her. “You clearly aren’t alright, Dusk.”

“I’m fine.” She ran a hoof across her mane. “I don’t…know many other ways to say it. I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. That dream wasn’t fine.”

“There’s no other word for it.” Dusk bit her lip. “I…fine means that it’s normal. Means that it’s…okay. That I’m fine with it.” She asserted. “I’m used to this. I’m used to the dreams. Sometimes they feel like they last weeks and sometimes they’re a couple minutes long.” She scuffed her hoof into the grass. “I dunno. It’s fine to me.”

Normally Luna only felt a twinge of pity for Dusk, but seeing her dreamscape with no tampering for the short time she did was making her feel a lot more. “It doesn’t need to be that way, though.”

“What, you’re going to come in and fix everything every night? I don’t need it, Luna.”

“Ponies often deny the things they need.”

“I don’t. Okay?” She snorted.

“Why do you always reject help when it is offered to you? Why must you be so stubborn? You’re hurting, Dusk. I know an aching dreamer when I see one.”

“I would have gotten help, Luna. I really would have.” She turned to face Luna. “But in case you forgot, I’m kind of a criminal. When I needed help I was a street urchin that didn’t have a bit to my name. When I was safe in the Guard I was fine. And then, when I needed help again, which was pretty much every day since I left, I knew I couldn’t get it. I’d thrown away my chances at that.”

Luna’s chest ached slightly, even in her ethereal dreamscape form. “You chose to leave for a good reason.”

“I did, but that doesn’t mean it helped me. I couldn’t ask anypony for help after that.” Dusk sat down. “The only ponies that knew me were criminals. The only ponies that knew me that weren’t criminals were guards, and they all hated me.”

“On the contrary Dusk, many of them were quite fond of-“

“Please don’t bullshit me, Princess. None of them liked me. Half hated me because I was a Dracony. The other half just hated me because I was an ass. I’m pretty much a hundred percent of the reason that ponies think Draconies are lawless brutes, and about ninety percent of the reason why they take all the abuse they’re dealt.”

Silence fell over Luna, and Dusk maintained hers. “Why did you ask about my name?” Dusk said, suddenly.

“What?”

“My name. You asked about it.”

“I was curious.”

“That wasn’t a curious question. You already know.”

“I truly don’t.”

“Well then, you’re not going to know.”

Again, Luna went silent.

“…I do appreciate the landscape though.” Dusk looked out around the field she was standing in. Her eyes closed, and a deep breath slowly filled her lungs with the cool night air.

“Hm? Oh, this wasn’t me.”

“What?”

“I didn’t do this. I simply entered your dream.”

Dusk blinked twice. “…yeah…right. Okay.”

“Well, seeing as you’re alright now, I suppose I should get to helping the other ponies in need of my assistance.” Luna turned away, her horn gently glowing. “Good luck, Dusk.”

“Er…I…yeah, I guess that’s…” As Luna disappeared, the world did with her. Flowers shrivelled away, dirt turned to ash and reverted back to the inky blackness that pervaded her senses like thick oil. Her mind was overtaken by the heavy thrumming noise again, her pupils shrinking and her hooves immediately going over her head again.

“No…w-wait…” She whispered into the darkness. “…c-come…back…”

Celestia managed a sigh of relief as she saw the briefing room doors open and Dusk striding in. She wasn’t sure why, but she had been nervous at first about whether or not Dusk would actually attend, given her increased amounts of freedom around the castle grounds.

“Good morning, Dusk.” Celestia bowed her head politely. Dusk only managed a grunt and a minor nod of her own as she hopped up into the chair beside Luna’s.

Two more ponies filed in. The first was Princess Cadence, who certainly did not look happy to see Dusk sitting there, wearing her combat outfit, with no shackles at all.

The next was Shining Armour. Dusk couldn’t say she was surprised, but she didn’t quite feel comfortable with him around. She was glad that he sat a few seats away.

Two honour guards took their posts at the doors, which swung shut. The table they sat at was circular, with Celestia and Luna sitting beside each other, Dusk slightly to the right of them, and Shining and Cadence across from her.

“I know what your first question will inevitably be.” Celestia spoke to Dusk. “Cadence and Shining Armour are here because we feel it is best to have the monarchy completely aware of this.”

“What about the new one?” Dusk asked.

“Princess Twilight is not well versed in official business like this. It might be a bit much for her to handle.”

“Mhm.”

Shining glanced at Cadence, then back at the two princesses.

“Now, you all know why you are here.” Luna’s horn glowed, and the surface of the table began to project images, a collage of Bellephron, both old and new, and several images of Tempest. The smug noble was a white unicorn with a dark grey mane and tail, and piercing blue eyes. His cutie mark was a blue shield with a crack running down the middle. Typically, he was wearing a suit.

“Tempest Diadem.” Luna continued. “Duke of the land of Bellephron, previously known as the Bellephron Empire. The land once was home to the Draconies, like our…” Luna hesitated. “Like Dusk here.”

Cadence couldn’t suppress a snort.

“Over the years, Tempest has overseen the assimilation of Draconies into Equestrian culture.” Luna went on, ignoring Cadence’s disdain. “Celestia appointed him to watch over the Draconies, and to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Unfortunately, it seems he has failed to do so…in a most grievous way.”

More images came up on screen. Tempest lying on a lavish sofa while a Dracony, looking bedraggled and fearful, brought him a platter with food on it. Another with him overlooking Draconies as they toiled in the gemstone mines. And a few others that were too inappropriate to look at for too long.

“Tempest has turned the Draconies into glorified slaves.” Luna said. “However, Celestia granted him a level of power that makes Bellephron nearly its own sovereign territory. We cannot remove him.”

“So…” Cadence spoke up. “You plan to have…” She waved a hoof at Dusk. “Her take care of him?”

“Yes.” Luna replied bluntly. “The Draconies have barely been treated as living creatures, at this stage. It is simply fitting that the most skilled pony for the job is a Dracony.”

Cadence didn’t look convinced.

“Dusk, you’ve studied the maps of Tempest’s compound, yes?” Luna asked directly to her, and the Dracony nodded.

“Mhm.”

“And are you prepared to take on the mission tonight?”

“Mhm.” She nodded.

The princess of love certainly did not look very loving, her eye twitching a bit at Dusk’s blasé attitude. Still, at the gentle touch of her husband’s hoof, she kept her mouth shut.

“Excellent, then.” Celestia raised the projection, now showing multiple different cities and a few documents that were easily readable to those sitting at the table. “Now, there is the issue of who we replace him with. Originally, I had considered putting an old friend of mine in charge, but given that Tempest was once a friend as well…”

“What about Twilight?” Shining spoke up. “It would be a great opportunity for her.”

Celestia shook her head. “Twilight is not yet ready to govern. Especially not in a broken land like Bellephron. No, we need somepony else…”

“Or perhaps we could give the Draconies the option to govern themselves?” Luna suggested.

Another snort came from Cadence, and Dusk’s hoof tapped the table.

“Is there a problem, Cadence?” Dusk asked.

“It’s Princess Cadence.”

“Well, Cadence. Is there a problem?”

“And yes, I do have a problem. I don’t think we should be allowing a contract killer to freely take revenge on a pony she doesn’t like with no consequences – in fact, we’re rewarding her for it. This isn’t right.”

Shining Armour put a hoof on his wife’s shoulder. “Cadence…”

“No, let her talk.” Dusk crossed her hooves in front of her. Her eyes centered on Cadence’s. “It’s all she’s good for.”

“Dusk, please dispense with the insults.” Celestia asserted. “And Cadence, do you perhaps have any better ideas?”

“We could reclaim the land. Make it Equestrian territory and put it back under our control.” Cadence replied, earning a scowl from Dusk. “Or, we could instigate a coup, either with the Draconies or Tempest’s own guards. Or…”

“While those are decent options,” Celestia said. “They won’t deal with the problem. Tempest is extremely manipulative. He needs to be out of the picture.”

“…hm.” Cadence leaned back in her seat.

Dusk simply grumbled under her breath. She had no idea how Shining had ended up with her, or how other ponies saw her as so nice – but she didn’t want to question it at this point.

“Now.” Celestia continued. “Are we all clear on what is being done, and what the response should be?”

“Yes.” Luna nodded.

“Of course.” Shining bowed his head.

“…” Cadence growled softly before nodding. “Yes, Auntie.”

“Good.” Celestia made the projection disappear, and cleared her throat. “Dusk, head to the armoury to retrieve your weapons. Practice with them in the training yard if you need, and meet myself and Luna upon the terrace when the moon is raised.”

Dusk nodded and stood up. As the doors swung open and they began to file out, she started walking down the hall. Her hooves gently clacked against the polished floor, but she heard accompanying sets…

She turned around to see who it was. Shining Armour slowly trotted towards her, a friendly smile attempting to overtake his neutral expression. “Hey.”

“…hey?” Dusk stopped walking, letting him come to her. Dusk’s head only came up to his chin.

“I…have to apologize about the ‘execution’. I’m sorry that was the way we met for the first time in…what, five years?”

“Seven.” Dusk corrected him. Her face gave nothing away, but a faint bit of anger could be seen in her eyes.

Shining nodded. “Right. Seven…”

An awkward silence hung between them both. “I really am sorry.” He said again.

“Mhm.”

“And I know you’re probably angry, not just about that…”

“Yeah, pretty good assumption.”

“But I want you to know I want to help you.”

“That’s the same thing you said when you first met me.”

“It was true then too, wasn’t it?”

“If that’s your idea of helping, I really don’t need it.”

The white unicorn sighed and looked down. “Maybe I messed up, Dusk. But you didn’t exactly make it easy.”

“You offered me a home, why wouldn’t I take it? I’m not a military pony.”

“So what exactly are you going to do when this is done? Stay as a prisoner in the castle?”

“…” Dusk’s eyes gently moved from his face, to his left, and then darted to the other side. “I’m sure I’ll figure something out.”

Shining abruptly leaned down so he was at proper eye level with her. “Dusk, I don’t want to see you go back to the way you’ve been doing things for the last seven years. You’re so much smarter than that.”

“The fuck are you trying to be, my dad?”

“I’m trying to be your friend.”

“Ship’s sailed, Shining. And I hear you get pretty airsick…” Dusk turned her back on him, trotting away without another word.

Beginning of the End

The gentle clicking and zipping sounds coming from Dusk’s room were the only ones audible.

She made her suit tight. She kept her weapons close. Her tail blade had not changed a bit, still clipping the same way onto the base of the spade. Its sharpened edges stuck out of the sides of her tail, the ideal weapon for a Dracony to fight with.

Her wing blades, she felt, weren’t needed. She spent a few minutes out in the training yard, getting herself used to the feel of moving in her suit. The grappling hook on her right hoof added a bit of extra weight, but not a lot – and it would be helpful, she was fairly sure.

A few minutes turned into an hour. She was ready, she knew that. She had done assassinations against nobles like Tempest dozens of times, but this one carried such heavier connotations. She knew she had to make it look like Tempest had disappeared or been kidnapped, not outright assassinated. If the assassination was obvious, ponies would begin to suspect.

To ensure his body wouldn’t be found, Dusk had decided not to eat dinner tonight.

Night was falling. She could see the sun slowly sinking below the horizon, and the moon already making its way to take its place. She stopped and stared up at the towers that Celestia and Luna respectively stood on. Normally, Celestia would be going to bed now. Tonight however, she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to sleep.

Dusk flapped her wings and took off, heading for Celestia’s balcony. She gently alighted on it, a friendly but also professional smile on her face. Think of it as another contract, Dusk. She thought to herself.

Both Celestia and Luna were standing there with neutral expressions.

“Have you prepared?” Celestia spoke first.

“Yes.” Dusk bowed her head in a solemn nod.

“And you are ready to go?” Luna asked.

“I am.”

Luna nodded, and Celestia bowed her head. Luna’s horn lit up gently, levitating over a small pin that she clasped to Dusk’s suit. It had no real markings, just a solid golden circle. “If something goes wrong, smash this on the ground.”

“…what?” Dusk looked down at the pin.

“It’s a distress beacon of sorts. If it is absolutely necessary, use it. But hopefully it will not be necessary.”

Dusk took a moment to run her hoof along the small surface, then nodded. “Trust me. It won’t be.”

“Good.” Luna allowed herself to bow slightly. “We wish you luck, Dusk.”

“Indeed.” Celestia dipped her head. “Return safely.”

Dusk nodded, and turned her back to them both. Her wings stretched out, before she leapt off the edge of the balcony and took flight. After nearly three months of being unable to soar like she used to, it felt heavenly to have the wind whipping past her.

“And be careful…” Luna muttered.

Tempest’s manor was heavily guarded. Dusk hesitated to say it was the most secure place she had ever infiltrated, but she wasn’t quite sure she could give it that distinction.

From the outside, it was a manor. It really didn’t look like anything overly special, rather plain and extravagant at the same time. On all sides, the estate was enclosed by a long fence that crackled with magic supplied by generators that ran off of arcane energy.

Of course, the advantage for Dusk was that Tempest provided the security details of his estate to the Equestrian government, which let her know where everything was and how it worked. While she didn’t usually do this much research into a target, she felt it was necessary.

Along the fence, guards slowly patrolled back and forth. Tempest would never trust Draconies with guarding…she thought to herself. It would have been better if they were Draconies, but that was a tall and nearly impossible order.

Dusk found herself standing in the trees at the far side of the fence, near the back of the actual manor itself. The estate sprawled across a 10 acre plot of land, mainly comprised of grass and gardens, but with a whopping manor near the back. It was almost an oversight to put the actual building near the fence, but Tempest probably thought himself to be safe.

She didn’t see any guards yet. They mainly patrolled around the house itself, not the whole perimeter of the fence. Another minor oversight, but one she could exploit easily. She dashed forward, watching electricity arc from the fence onto her suit. “…this had better work.” She slowly raised her hooves, pressing both of her front ones into the fence.

Dusk felt a surge go through her body, but no pain. She breathed deeply, her muscles tense as she gripped the fence tightly and began to climb. Flying was too much of a risk – it made more noise, and the movement combined with the bright colours of her wings wasn’t worth it. Plus, many nobles and important places had special enchantments to keep pegasi and flying ponies from entering. She continued to climb until she reached the top, then gently swung herself over and landed with a light thump on the other side.

Right…this was the hard part. She knew the layout of the manor, at least the general gist of it, but she didn’t know where he would be. He had sitting rooms, game rooms, leisure rooms that were somehow different from sitting rooms – but she couldn’t just go in and start searching. She knew that he only had one bedroom that he used, and if he wasn’t there now, he would be. The best she could do was to search the windows, but she had a plan in case that failed.

She tilted her right hoof up, and flicked it to the side with a harsh motion. A quiet bang sounded out, and a grappling hook fired from her wrist, fibre wire trailing behind it as it extended outwards, soaring through the air and clanking down onto the ledge of the roof. She gave it a tug to make sure it was secure, then yanked her hoof back. The controls were rudimentary and she knew she couldn’t rely on them, but they worked nicely. The reel attached to her hoof dragged her upwards, her hind legs colliding with the solid wall in front of her and her powerful muscles absorbing most of the impact. She allowed the machine to do the hard work, until she reached the roof and climbed up.

Of course, for some reason she hadn’t considered the possibility that there would be guards on the roof. She was lucky it was only one, but already he had seen her. A sword was drawn from its sheath…only to clatter to the ground. The stallion backed up slightly. “You…”

“Me?” Dusk put a hoof to her chest and glanced around.

“Y-you’re…”

“I’m.”

Dusk dashed forward, utilizing the guard’s shock to her advantage. She slid underneath him, locking her tail around his neck and pulling him with her. She flipped him onto his back, then flipped herself backwards and landed both of her hind hooves right in the middle of his stomach. Not only was the breath knocked out of him, but his armour was dented. She lifted a front hoof and brought it down on his face, knocking him out.

If all of the guards were this incompetent, it would be a cakewalk. Still, she wasn’t going to bank on it. She paused where she stood, ears flicking and twitching from side to side to listen for anypony who might have heard. When no one came, she dragged the guard off to the side and hid him behind one of the small buildings that housed the staircase that led below.

Dusk knew that Tempest’s bedroom was on the top floor. That made it easy. She gently slid her tail into the slot between the door and the wall, jerking it downwards and slicing clean through the bolt. The blade, although it was made of Draconian diamond, was still fragile for cutting through metal. She’d need to be careful with that.

The door slowly swung open and Dusk crept down the stairs. The good thing about Tempest was that he was fairly careless. Guards all over the outside, but almost none on the inside. There were some in the lobby downstairs and a couple on each floor, but Dusk would have to get unlucky to run into one on the way to the bedroom.

As she stepped out into the hallway, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of anger welling up as she saw how lavish it was. Bright, velvet rugs, gorgeous décor and extravagant furnishings were something that Tempest clearly relished in, all at the expense of Draconies who struggled and starved.

Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath to calm herself. You’ve got something to do, you’re not here to get angry at him. You can get angry once you…she bit her mental tongue and started to quietly trot through the hall. Guards, even on carpets like these, were very obvious. Their movements were given away by the armour. She would hear them long before they knew she was around.

However, she didn’t expect any servants to be walking around. She heard a gasp from behind her.

She turned her head slowly, her tail already raised, but what she saw made her drop it almost immediately. Her ears flattened against her head and her jaw dropped, at least a bit.

Standing in front of (or rather, behind) her was a filly. At least, that’s what she looked like to Dusk. She couldn’t have been older than fifteen, and she was wearing a maid outfit with a set of towels gently balanced on her tail, which was raised over her back.

Dusk was shocked. She knew that Tempest used primarily Dracony servants – she knew that he abused those servants, but she never thought that he would use children for his labour.

The filly didn’t speak. Her gentle green eyes matched the two-tone green colours in her mane, and she was staring with a look that mixed fear and awe. “Are…a-are you…” The filly tried to say, but her words caught in her throat. Her voice is so sweet…Dusk thought to herself. She hadn’t heard another Dracony speak in years.

The filly worked up the courage to speak properly. “A-Are you…Dusk Rider…?”

Dusk visibly swallowed. Her eyes must have been as wide as pie plates. “I…” She cleared her throat. “Yeah, I am.” She spoke softly. She didn’t want to frighten the filly, or alert anypony else. She let herself turn around to fully face her.

The reaction of the filly was instant. She dropped the towels she had been carrying, dashed forward…and wrapped her forehooves around Dusk’s chest. Her face pressed into the tough fabric of her suit, and Dusk found her own hoof gently stroking the filly’s mane.

“I-I knew you were okay…my mom said so…”

…sweet Faust, do Draconies know me? Was the first thing Dusk thought.

A million thoughts zoomed through her mind. Did all the Draconies know her? Was she an idol or a demon? Based on this filly’s reaction she assumed the former, but what did the adults really think about her? A criminal, the only Dracony in the public eye, a delinquent who gives all Draconies a bad name.

Then the filly asked a question.

“Are…y-you here to…kill somepony?”

Dusk couldn’t lie to her. She simply nodded. “Yeah. Um…yeah, I am.”

“…is it…master Tempest?”

“…yeah.”

The filly paused, not really sure what to say at first. She looked up at Dusk with eyes that showed admiration, but they were also welling with tears. “P-please, get rid of him…”

Dusk felt a whole range of emotions welling up. Anger was the most prominent. How cruel does a pony have to be, in order to not only enslave ponies, but make foals their servants? It made Dusk feel physically sick. And this filly…she had been robbed of any semblance of a foalhood. She wouldn’t be able to get it back. Dusk’s mind pushed all other emotions away except anger and pity.

“I’m going to get rid of him.” Her voice was low, but as soothing as she could make it. “Don’t worry.” She leaned down and gently nuzzled the filly’s mane. “But I need you to do something…I need you to tell me where he is.”

The filly gulped. “H-he’s in his bedroom. He’s sleeping.”

“Thanks.” Dusk started to walk away, then paused and turned back to the filly. “Hey.” She smiled softly. “What’s your name?”

“I-it’s…” The filly had to think, almost like she hadn’t remembered. “A-Aqua.”

“That’s a great name.” She gently patted the filly’s head, giving her mane a playful ruffle. “Don’t worry Aqua. I’ll make sure he can’t hurt any pony.” She turned and began to speedily walk down the hallway. “Not ever again…”

She was on a mission. Not just for the princesses, not just for herself, but for the Draconies as a whole. She didn’t care if this looked accidental. She didn’t care if there was a whole crew waiting in the bedroom to capture every moment of Tempest’s death. She wanted it to be painful, long, and something really deserving of a stallion like him – and she knew exactly how to make it happen.

A guard appeared out of one of the doors as Dusk turned a corner. He jerked upright as he saw her approaching, drawing his sword from its sheath at his hip and opening his mouth to yell.

Dusk’s movements were quick. She ran forward, jumping up and slamming one of her hind hooves into the guard’s jaw. A loud CRACK reverberated through the hall as she snapped his jaw, but she didn’t stop. Her tail wrapped around is neck, her wings flaring out to keep her in the air as she rolled forward, swinging the guard over her head and crashing him into the ground. He landed head-first, another loud snapping noise echoing with a painful yelp as the stallion’s neck was broken.

She unwrapped her tail, stepping past the guard. She could hear faint, painful breathing, but she didn’t care in the slightest. These guards weren’t innocent. They had been privy to the death and abuse of her species their entire time here, so they deserved none of her mercy.

Finally, she reached the bedroom door. It was fairly obvious – large, ornate wooden doors with golden accents and horribly complex patterns carved into them – patterns she desecrated with the lashings of her tail before pushing on the doors so hard that they both swung into the walls on the inside.

Tempest wasn’t asleep.

She was glad he wasn’t.

The prim and proper stallion was lying in his bed, the blankets pulled up to his waist. In his light green magical grip was a book, his glasses tilted down on his nose so he could recline against his wall of pillows and enjoy his reading. As the doors were thrown open, he rolled his eyes and put the book aside. “Please, guards, I’ve told you countless times to-…”

His expression fell, his glasses nearly dropping off of his face before his hoof caught them. “Who…who in Equestria are-…wait a minute.”

“I’m not waiting for shit.” Dusk kicked one door closed behind her, using her tail to slam the other. “You know who I am. I’m probably the only Dracony who ever made you scared.”

Tempest’s white fur stood on end, his somewhat plump form scrambling off the bed and backing away as Dusk advanced. “You’re…but…you’re dead! You were hanged!”

“Funny, I feel pretty good right now.” Dusk’s words sounded comical, but her face was blank and her eyes bore holes into Tempest’s skull. “Maybe you’re dreaming. Or maybe my execution was a dream…”

“Wh-who sent you?! Who paid you?! I’ll pay you double! Triple!”

“You’re fucking pathetic.” Dusk ran forward, her front hoof pinning Tempest up against the wall. “Big stallion, more than happy to use his power against Draconies who can’t fight back.” She slammed that same hoof into the side of his face, knocking his glasses off and shattering them against the wall. He fell to the ground, where Dusk pinned him under another hoof.

“If I was chained up, you’d be gloating. You’d be talking about how a Dracony can’t do half the things a pony can.” Dusk’s tail gently dragged along Tempest’s leg, drawing blood at the smallest prick. “You think you’re better, and when somepony proves you wrong, you want to make them go away. Right?”

“P-please, whatever they paid you, I’ll raise it! However high you want!”

“No.” Dusk’s answer was final, her tone carrying a level of seriousness that made Tempest clam up. She felt him shaking.

Dusk backed up, lifting off of him. “You know what? I want to hear you talk.” As he staggered to his hooves, she shoved him again. “Talk. Tell me what you’re thinking. Tell me who you think sent me. I know you’re not a weak-willed little shit like you’re acting, so drop it.”

Tempest cleared his throat, picking up his shattered glasses with magic and gently placing them on the table beside his bed. “Alright then.” He straightened up, now backed against the wall again. “I don’t know why I tried it with you. I know that you at least understand some things beyond basic commands.”

“Cut your bullshit.”

“But your language doesn’t exactly fare much better…” He heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Alright. Let me take my best guess. You went to the princesses, pleaded to them, told them your tragic past and won them over with tears as genuine as the act I just put on, and once they believed you, they sent you here to get rid of me because Celestia’s power has been given away so much that she can barely do anything to stop me.” He leaned forward, as if inclining Dusk to respond.

“You got about seventy percent of that right.”

“Mmm. Right, of course. To you, your history is truly tragic. Don’t think I don’t know exactly who you are. I may not care very much about you as individuals, but my clerks are meticulous in their bookkeeping…”

“You know you’re going to die, right?”

“Well, I don’t see what else I can do to stop it besides remind you where your place is, but…” He idly gazed down at his hoof, admiring the polish on it. “Yes.”

“So what’s stopping me from killing you right now?”

“Well, you haven’t done it yet, and it already perplexes me. Why don’t you ask yourself?”

Dusk wasn’t falling for it. She stepped forward, pressing the blade of her tail to his neck. “Anything else, then?”

“Only one thing.” Tempest smirked. “Do you really think your life is going to change?” He winced as the blade pressed in slightly harder. “You’re an assassin, Dusk. Even I can admit that you’re the best at what you do. Everypony knows it…or, well, knew it. It’s true, if you stay in hiding for a few months ponies will forget about you. You might even be able to live a normal life. But the princesses are using you…”

“Shut up.”

“You agree. I know you do. The princesses don’t care about you. They don’t care about your life. They might put you somewhere safe, somewhere you can live comfortably, but one day when they want something done, they want somepony dead, they’ll come back to you. And when they do, and you try to tell them you don’t do that anymore, they’ll remind you that you still never were properly punished for the hundreds of crimes you’ve committed…”

Dusk snarled, pressing the blade in hard enough to draw blood. “It’s not working, buddy. They care about me. And even if they don’t, doing one assassination every little while is way better than this.”

“Your life won’t get any better. Hell, knowing Celestia, she probably plans to execute you for real as soon as you prove this job is done.” Tempest grinned down at Dusk, who momentarily looked like she was seriously considering what he said…but she shook her head.

“You know what?” She looked him right in the eyes. “I don’t give a damn. I couldn’t care even a bit if I was executed tomorrow. You know why?” She forced Tempest up on his hind legs, her front hooves pushing into his shoulders and her tail blade dragging along his neck. “Because I’m not afraid of dying if you’re gone too. As long as I can look back and say that I did something worth doing, I don’t give a fuck.”

Tempest grimaced. “They still don’t care about you.”

“And I don’t care about that.” Dusk’s eyes narrowed slightly. It’s either I let you live and let you torment the Draconies till your sorry ass gets too old to raise a hoof, or I kill you, let the Draconies live in some semblance of peace and security while the two of us rot.”

“…well that’s an eloquent way to put it.”

“You probably think you can scare me with telling me about how I may die. But you can’t scare me.” Dusk’s lip curled into a snarl. “As long as you’re gone, I don’t care if I get struck dead the second I fly near Canterlot. So if you have anything else to say, try me. You’ve got nothing to say that would ever make me even think about letting you live.”

The unicorn started to look a bit more panicked. “You won’t kill me. You would have done it already.”

“Yeah?” Dusk grabbed him by the chest and spun around, throwing him to the ground. “Maybe I don’t want you dead just yet. I want you to suffer at least a fraction of what I felt. Of what we all felt.”

“You won’t!” Tempest growled, his horn lighting up with its bright green light and firing a bolt of energy towards Dusk. The Dracony easily brought her tail up and deflected it, the bolt leaving a scorch mark on the wall.

“I will.” She slammed a hoof down on his chest. The sound of bones cracking was almost as loud as the scream that followed. “But I’m not doing it here. Can’t let ponies know I’m still around, and all.”

Tempest wheezed, clutching his chest with his hooves. “You…you vile mutant! You can’t get out of this manor without alerting the guards!”

“I can do a lot of things without alerting the guards.” Dusk lifted her front hoof, slamming it down on his face. She felt his nose snap under the force.

“Oops. That should’ve knocked you out. Let me try again.” She backed up, bringing both hooves up and slamming them down on Tempest’s groin. The stallion howled in agony, both of his hooves trying to cover his genitals, but she didn’t let him. She swung the flat end of her tail forward, crashing it into Tempest’s already bruised ribs, making him wheeze and choke.

“You know, a lot of my targets I feel bad for.” Dusk remarked, her tail idly sliding behind her as she walked in circles around him. She lifted it up, jamming the sharp, flesh-rending blade through Tempest’s horn, twisting it painfully so the crackling object dislodged itself.

“N-no, please!” Tempest started screaming, his horn crackling and sparking as Dusk started to painfully twist it loose. “S-stop! L-LET GO!” He wailed, his pathetic whining only cementing what Dusk was doing. With an explosion of sparks that barely fazed Dusk, all that was left was a jagged mess. She then smacked him across the face with the flat part of the blade. “Most of them just pissed off the wrong pony. But you, Tempest…” She forcefully stabbed her tail into the unicorn’s shoulder, using it to drag him upright and pin him to the wall. At this point his screams were practically silent, his throat having gone hoarse. “You pissed off the wrong dracony.”

She paused, then shook her head. “Nah. Actually, you didn’t piss me off. You just annoyed me.” She pressed her forehead against his, her eyes drilling into his. “And you know what? I'd probably turn you over to the princesses just to see you rot in jail...but that's too good for you."

“N-no…p-please…” Tempest whimpered, the pain he was feeling making it impossible to do much besides plead. As Dusk’s tail raised, the sight of the sharp blade glinting in the dim light of his bedroom made him scream, but hardly any sound came out.

Dusk didn’t return to the castle until dawn was nearly breaking. For almost three hours she refused to say a word about her mission, only stating that it had been completed, and offering Tempest’s shattered horn as proof. The princesses saw it fit to let her rest, and explain everything later.

The End

It was over.

That was something Dusk had never thought she would tell herself. It was over.

Tempest was gone. Celestia and Luna were in the process of reclaiming Bellephron so it could be turned over to the control of the Draconies. Tempest’s guards were being tried for violations of basic rights, and currently the Guard was still looking for Tempest himself. As far as the public knew, he had disappeared – and around the same time, mysteriously, journalists were releasing stories about what really went on in Bellephron.

After a few hours of resting, Dusk had reported back to the princesses. Both of them were concerned for her.

Luna immediately opened up as soon as Dusk walked into the throne room. “Dusk!” She stood up quickly, then cleared her throat and allowed her voice to lower. “Are you alright? You hardly said a thing when you came back last night.”

“…” Dusk glanced at Luna, then at Celestia. Something funny stirred in her chest, especially as her eyes met Celestia’s. Though she had a kind look on her face, there was something Dusk didn’t like. Though that might have just been her fears getting to her. “…yeah, I’m fine.” She nodded, respectfully bowing to them, but only half-heartedly.

Both princesses managed a small sigh of relief, and even Celestia smiled. “Good.” The sun princess said with a nod. “Now tell us, what happened out there, Dusk?”

Dusk had known the question was coming. She wouldn’t have come to the throne room if she wasn’t prepared to answer it. “Well.” She cleared her throat, and began to recount the events leading up to Tempest’s demise.

She spoke heavily about the cruelty that Draconies endured as a lead-up to her story, talking about how they were slaves, labourers and, heavens forbid, food. She emphasized that Tempest was a cruel, evil stallion with no remorse for what he had done…and then she told them what she did to him. She watched the sisters’ faces, nearly unchanging but still visibly grimacing as she described how she had eaten him.

Luna was the first to recover from the news. She wasn’t particularly shocked, but she was moreso than she would have been if it were anypony else. “I never took you for a predator, Dusk.” Luna said slowly.

“Normally I’m not. But Tempest deserved it.”

“Well…I can’t disagree.”

Celestia spoke next. “You provided us with his horn. That is all we’ll need when the time comes.”

“Time for what?” Dusk asked.

“When we reveal his death. The public may not know Tempest at all, or even know anything about Bellephron, but the news coming out about him will have them confused, nervous, angry, it is hard to say.” She cleared her throat. “Eventually we will come out with a story about his fate. We obviously can’t say it was an assassination.”

Dusk nodded slowly, taking in what their plan was. “Right. And…me?”

“As for you,” Luna stood up. Dusk felt her muscles tense slightly – she knew why. Tempest’s mention of how the princesses might just see her as a tool to be used and discarded was buried in her mind, and although she didn’t trust that stallion’s words even as much as she could hear them through the muffled walls of her stomach, she felt fear creeping in. “We have plans to keep you safe.”

The Dracony allowed herself to sigh in relief. “Where?” She asked, making eye contact with Luna.

“Well.” Celestia stood up now, stepping down to Dusk. “As you may know, Equestria has had a number of…ahem…villains attack us.”

“Right.”

“And as you also may know, a few of them have renounced their evil ways and been reformed, so to speak. Among them are Discord, Starlight Glimmer and, most recently, Tempest Shadow…or as her real name would argue, Fizzlepop er…” She glanced at Luna.

“Fizzlepop Berrytwist.” Luna finished.

“Right. Yes.” Celestia nodded.

“So…am I considered at their level, or something?”

“Well, not exactly.” Celestia smiled. “You’ve caused nowhere near as much damage as them, and at no point did you make any attempt to rule Equestria. However, you are still in the process of being reformed…”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are.”

“I feel pretty reformed.”

“Well you need more work. Mainly in dealing with ponies. Making friends. Socializing. You also need a place where nopony will know your…past.”

Dusk couldn’t argue with that. “So, where’s this magical villain rehab centre?”

“Ponyville.” Celestia said.

“Pony…wha?”

“Ponyville.” She repeated, then continued. “Home of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the other Elements of Harmony. The town is secluded, and while it has gotten more popular as of late, it still knows very little about you or who you were.”

“…so…I’m going to some hick town in the countryside?” Dusk asked slowly.

“That’s…one way to put it.” Celestia nodded.

“Huh.” Dusk rubbed her chin with a hoof. “That uh…doesn’t sound too bad, actually. Uh…about the names you mentioned. Did you say Starlight Glimmer…?”

“Yes. A reformed pony who once attempted to-“ Celestia began, but was cut off.

“Yeah, I think…I think I know her.” Dusk glanced at the floor. “Her name is…really familiar actually. And…Tempest Shadow?”

“Formerly the commander of the Storm King’s army. She assisted in the invasion of Canterlot several months ago.”

Dusk nodded. “Deep.”

Luna snickered and stepped forward. “Now, do you have any questions?”

“Just one.” Dusk now looked between them both, her voice dropping its snarky tone. “Are you sure I’ll be normal there?”

“Normal?” Luna tilted her head. “Everypony in Ponyville is always eager to meet new arrivals, but you won’t be seen as that different. After all, Discord and Tempest- er…Fizzle…are enough of an attraction already.”

“Yeah, but, you’re sure none of them know me?”

“Princess Twilight does not even know. Trust us. It will be fine.” Luna leaned herself down slightly so she was at eye level with Dusk. “You will be fine. Twilight Sparkle has simply been told you are a pony who has been sent to learn about friendship with her, who has done wrong in the past. She knows nothing, and neither does anypony else.”

The small Dracony nervously bit her lip. “Yeah…alright.”

“You seem skeptical.” Celestia spoke up.

“I’m just…I dunno. I feel like you’re just buttering me up.”

“Beg your pardon?”

“Like you’re trying to get something out of me. Giving me a life that I’ll probably be happy with just so you can get me to like…I dunno…work for you again.”

Celestia smiled warmly. “While it is true we may possibly find ourselves in need of your help again, you are under no obligation. Your life is your own, now. We just recommend that you stay in Ponyville for a few months. Once Draconies begin to move into Equestrian society more, and the public forgets about the mare you once were…then you’ll be truly safe.”

Dusk took a deep breath. “Alright…well…” She exhaled, glancing briefly at the stone floor before turning her gaze back up at the two monarchs. A gentle smile crossed her lips. “When do I leave?”

Dusk didn’t get the answer to her question for another three days. Those three days were spent mainly in her room. While she had a feeling she wouldn’t need to keep herself combat-ready, she still worked out, particularly to work off the extra plumpness that Tempest’s body had added to her hips. She wanted to make sure she was always in shape.

At the end of that three day waiting period though, she was told it was time to pack up her things. She was given the night to do it, and was told to be ready in the morning.

That night, her mind was racing. Her dreams weren’t coherent. She wasn’t in her normal, horribly confused dreamscape, but she wasn’t in anything else either. Her emotions roiled with anxiety, fear, hope, happiness, sadness and all sorts of other feelings mashed into one seething mass of confusion that she couldn’t break herself out of, and Luna didn’t show up to assist her this time. She was on her own, and all night she was tossing and turning.

The next morning however, none of those emotions were shown. Her mind was still churning, her fears and thoughts forming into a painful cloud of red mist that jabbed her in the back of the head whenever she tried to think of something wholly positive. Even as she loaded her bags…or…her one bag…into the carriage, she had no idea what to think or how to think it.

“Dusk.”

The voice was like music to the confused Dracony’s ears. Dusk turned to see Luna and Celestia standing there, with wide smiles on their faces. “So, this is it…?” Dusk asked.

“It would seem so.” Luna nodded slowly. “This is the end of your life of running and hiding.”

“Even though I’m…still kinda hiding. And running.”

“Perhaps.” Luna giggled and walked forward. “I wish you the best of luck, Dusk.” She reached out and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I truly mean that.”

“As do I.” Celestia said, though without the equivalent gesture.

Dusk let a small laugh out, but it turned into a bit of a choke. “Ha- um…” She cleared her throat. She felt that lump forming in it again, a lump that had been more common lately. “I um…I really appreciate what you’ve both done. For the Draconies. And for me.”

“We could not sit idly by as your species suffered, Dusk.”

“I know, yeah, but…I really didn’t expect all this. I half expected to spent my whole life in that cell.”

“Well…ponies deserve a second chance.” Celestia said. “It’s not like Tempest- er…the other one, Fizzlepop, hasn’t done equal or possibly even worse. You deserve as much of a chance as she does. Perhaps even more.”

Dusk heaved a sigh, looking around her. It was a bright summer’s day. Birds fluttered through the sky above, not a cloud in its vast blue expanse to hide any ounce of Celestia’s sun. “I’m still…fuck it, I can’t work around it. I’m nervous.”

“As any pony would be.” Luna gently rubbed Dusk’s shoulder. “But trust me. Twilight and her friends are the nicest ponies I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

“I feel like that’s an exaggeration, you’re thousands of years old…”

“It isn’t.” Luna shook her head. “You’re right to be nervous. But don’t worry. I’m positive you’ll grow to like it.”

Dusk looked back up at the sky, her mane gently fluttering in the wind. “I guess that’s the best I’m going to get…” She looked up at Luna, then at Celestia. “Thank you. Both of you.” She began to walk towards the carriage.

“Be sure to write.” Celestia said with a warm smile, and Luna nodded in agreement.

The Dracony paused as she put one hoof in the carriage. “…um…” She bit her lip softly, glancing back at both of them. “Yeah. I will.” Slowly she pulled herself into the seat of the carriage, her bag set beside her. The two Pegasus stallions, honour guards once again, began to trot forward, flapping their wings.

She slowly leaned back in the chair as she felt the carriage lift off the ground. As she watched the land grow smaller beneath them, she suppressed a giggle. “I can’t even fucking write…” She laughed into her hoof.

The flight lasted several hours. Dusk kept herself amused by talking to the guards for about ten seconds, but that got boring when they clearly didn’t want to talk to her at all. She ended up sprawling herself out on the seat, letting the gentle breeze and rocking carriage lull her into a state that was something like sleep, but still aware of her surroundings. She couldn’t possibly get to sleep in this state.

She finally felt the carriage start to dip. She felt the rough bumping of the wheels on dirt as the guards came to a halt. They had dropped her just a small distance from the main road to Ponyville. A royal entrance wouldn’t look inconspicuous, but they couldn’t legitimately have her arrive on the train, where there might be ponies who knew her. She hopped out of the carriage, lugging her bag onto her back.

“Thaaaank you, gents.” She smiled up at the two guards, who were only slightly out of breath from their (nearly) non-stop flight. They simply snorted in response, taking off once again and turning back in the direction of Canterlot.

“…geez, not even staying for a rest.” She tried to play off her anxiety with jokes, but in reality, she was terrified. She took a few deep breaths, and slowly started down the road.

The town was quaint. She didn’t know what she had expected, really. Small, but cozy looking houses. Dirt roads that somehow managed to kick up no dust, and felt nice underhoof. The sweet scent of flowers and baked goods wafted through the air…and then she was practically hit in the face with a wall of pink.

“Hi!” A bouncy, boisterous pink earth pony had popped out of nowhere and was now staring at Dusk. Ironically she knew the mare’s name, though only in a dream. “I’m-“

“Pinkie Pie, right?” the Dracony smiled.

“…” Pinkie stopped, staring directly into her eyes. Even she felt a bit intimidated, until the pink ball of candy and fluff bounced into the air with a loud gasp and galloped off down the road.

Dusk blinked a few times. “…guess I messed up her script…”

She continued down the road. A few ponies looked at her oddly, seeing as most of them had likely never laid eyes upon a Dracony before. Dusk smiled at them as she trotted past, but it was difficult to mask her nerves. She suddenly realized she had no idea where she was going, and the guards hadn’t told her. She assumed, however, that she should probably head towards the giant gleaming castle that stuck out of the town like a reflective sore hoof.

On the way there, she couldn’t help but notice how calm the town was. It was nothing like Manehatten, or even Canterlot, with their loud streets and constantly busy ponies. Everyone seemed quite laid back, with ponies sitting around chatting, selling things at stalls or just working. There was a level of calmness that one wouldn’t find in other places. Everypony knew everypony here, clearly, and Dusk was the one who stuck out.

Eventually, she found herself near the entrance to the castle. She had gone past town hall, through the square, past a building that almost stuck out more than the castle with its candy-themed façade, and finally she was here. This, she assumed, was where Princess Twilight lived.

She wasn’t sure how do go about getting in. She wasn’t exactly used to knocking on doors, but that was what she settled on. Her light blue hoof gently rapped against its crystalline surface, and she waited.

She heart the pattering of what sounded like two feet on the other side, and the door opened slowly. A creature poked its head out – it looked like a dragon, just…way smaller. “Er…hello.” Dusk spoke first. The reptilian looked up to meet her eyes.

“Oh, hi there! Are you here to see…oh, wait, you must be the pony that Princess Celestia sent the letter about!” He said.

“Oh, uh…yeah, I guess that’d be me.”

“Here, come inside. I’ll take you to Twilight.” He gestured for Dusk to come in, and she did. The interior of the castle was just as…crystal-y as the outside, though she wasn’t sure what she expected.

She was led up a flight of stairs with very minimal conversation. This is a weird design for a castle, she thought to herself. It’s like a tree with the actual castle at the top.

After a bit of walking through a long corridor, a door was pushed open in front of her. She glanced down at the dragon. He motioned for her to go in. Dusk took a deep breath and gulped, then stepped inside. There was another door slightly down the hall, and as she looked back for the dragon that had been helping her, she realized he had shut the door behind her.

“Okay…you’re meeting royalty. Again. You’ve done it before.” She ran a hoof through her mane. “Fuck me…” She breathed in, and out. In, and out. Deep breaths, Dusk. Make a good first impression.

She reached out to push open the door, but it was gripped with a shimmering purple aura and pulled open for her.

Dusk found herself stepping out into an immaculate, and once more extremely crystalline room. It was set up like a meeting room, with a large round table in the center and six chairs set up around it, carved out of…more crystal. She had the feeling that the ponies at the table were going to be made out of crystals too, but they weren’t.

Princess Twilight was sitting in the seat that matched her cutie mark. Dusk noted that she was about the same size as her, but since she was wearing her crown, it still made the Dracony nervous.

Sitting to her left, or on Dusk’s right, was a unicorn that she was fairly certain she hadn’t seen before. Her coat was a very dark purple, and her mane was a lighter shade of pinkish-purple styled up in a mohawk. The most notable thing about her was that her horn was broken, a shattered base being the only thing that even distinguished her as a unicorn. Her body was slender, and a bit taller than the average pony. Dusk wondered if she was from outside Equestria.

On the other side of the purple alicorn, there sat another unicorn. She was pink, a lighter shade of it than Pinkie Pie. Her mane was purple with a blue streak running through it. Dusk recognized her, but only barely. Her name was Starlight Glimmer. Based on that, she assumed that the other mare was Tempest Shadow – or Fizzlepop Berrytwist, whichever one she went by.

“Hello.”

Dusk was shocked out of her thoughts by Princess Twilight’s voice. It was surprisingly soft, and didn’t carry as much authority as the others she had met. “Oh, uh, hi.” She cleared her throat and respectfully bowed her head.

“You must be the Dracony that Celestia told me about. Come sit down!” Twilight had an extremely happy look on her face, which definitely made Dusk feel better. Starlight had a smile as well, and Tempest (which is what Dusk would think of her as, for now) was staring at the table. Her eyes sometimes darted up to whoever was speaking, but for the most part she stayed neutral.

Dusk slowly stepped forward and sat down at the other end of the table, clearing her throat. “Um…yeah, I’m pretty sure there couldn’t be another one.”

“Perfect!” Twilight clapped her hooves happily, sitting all the way up in her chair. “What’s your name? If you’re going to be staying here we need to get that much done right off the bat!”

“Oh, my name? It’s D…” Dusk paused. Did she really want to keep using that name?

“…D…?” Starlight asked, tilting her head.

“I um…” Dusk’s mind started to race. She had gone by Dusk Rider for years – even before she became part of the guard, but it wasn’t her name. She hesitated to say it wasn’t who she is, but that was the truth. She wasn’t Dusk anymore. That was an old Dracony, one who had nearly soured the name of her entire species.

But at the same time, could she really just change her name like that? Surely she would slip up. She’d call herself by her old name and she’d mess everything up. But…still, it would feel so much better if she just went by…

“Lazuli.” She said finally. She felt like she had just put down a three-hundred pound weight. “Lazuli of the Cutter family.”

“That’s an exotic name.” Twilight said with a smile. “Cutter family? What does that mean?”

“Oh, uh, right…” She cleared her throat. “Draconies have a family name, usually. My father’s family name was Cutter, and it’s the name my mother took.”

“Well, I think it’s a great name.” Twilight nodded. “It’s very, very nice to meet you Lazuli.”

Sweet Faust that feels weird… Dusk- no, Lazuli thought to herself. It was a name she hadn’t been referred to with in…almost 20 years, she had to think. Possibly more. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had been called that. “Er, yeah, you too.”

“I understand you must be nervous, but there’s really no need! You’ll be staying right here in the castle. We have plenty of space, and Fizzle here needs a roommate.” Twilight nudged the darker unicorn with her wing, and Tempest – or Fizzlepop – Gods, there are a lot of name problems here already, she thought to herself – slowly lifted her head.

“I…erm…I do?”

“Of course you do!” Twilight smiled brightly. “You’re always so secluded, you need to get better at opening up.”

Dusk glanced at Fizzle, and Fizzle glanced back. The two of them shared an awkward smile.

“Well I’m sure you want to get yourself settled in. It’s a pleasure to welcome you to our castle, Lazuli.” Twilight politely bowed her head, and Dusk did as well.

“Thank you, princess.” She said in a calm voice. “Erm, so…am I literally going to be roommates with her, or…”

“That was the idea!” Twilight smiled. “That won’t be a problem, will it?”

Again, Dusk looked at Fizzle. The not-so-unicorny unicorn just nodded slowly. “…nah, I don’t think it will.” The Dracony said.

“Oh!” Twilight quickly interjected. “I almost forgot. I’d like you to come back here when it’s convenient for you. I’ve never had the chance to meet a Dracony, it would be amazing if you let me interview you.”

Dusk cleared her throat and swallowed. “Erm…I guess I can do that. Yeah.”

“Perfect!” Twilight clapped her hooves again. “Alright, I’ll let Fizzlepop take you to the room you two will be staying in together.”

I wonder if any of them even have the slightest idea who I am…she thought to herself as she stood up from her seat. Fizzlepop stood up too, slowly walking out of the room with Dusk behind her.

“…” Their walk was silent until the doors closed behind them and they had walked a few feet down the hall. “So…Lazuli, huh?” Fizzle spoke.

“Er…yep, that’s me.” She smiled up at the taller unicorn. “And uh…Fizzlepop? Do you mind if I just call you Fizzle? Your name’s kind of…long.”

“And yours isn’t what I remembered.”

Dusk’s face dropped. “…so…you know me then.”

“How could I not?” Fizzle sounded more amused than anything else, a small smile creeping over her lips. “The Storm King hired you a few times for contracts. And don’t think I didn’t notice how some of our armour went missing…”

“What, are you still on his side?” Dusk snickered.

“But, really.” Fizzle sighed. “You can call me Tempest, if you prefer.”

“Well, I prefer what you prefer.”

“Gosh, what happened to you?” Fizzle glanced down, and Dusk just shot her a beaming grin.

“Just got a bit less murder-y, I guess.”

“Well…I suppose I prefer Fizzle.”

“Then that’s your name, Fizzle.”

“Well…alright then.” The unicorn smiled wider, and kept walking down the hall until she reached a door. She pushed it open with her hoof – Dusk imagined that stub of a horn couldn’t do much except taser ponies – and led Dusk inside.

The room was clearly already set up for two, with two beds and a bathroom attached to it. It was simple, but cozy. Way roomier than Dusk’s last room, as well. Better than anything Dusk had slept in, in fact.

“Wow…this is uh…nice.” Dusk whistled, slowly trotting in a circle around the room.

“I like it.” Fizzle nodded. “It’s quiet, cozy, warm…and uh…” She paused. “At least now I have someone to share it with.”

“Ah, don’t get all sappy with me.” Dusk snickered and bumped up against the unicorn. “Where’s that terrifying indifference I remember?” She teased, but it was in jest. “Honestly though, you seemed to hate me whenever I was on your ship.”

Fizzle shrugged. “You were a bit obnoxious.”

“That’s my specialty.”

“And you did beat up three of my men.”

“They attacked me first!”

“Still…” Fizzle sighed and shook her head. “I…really don’t want to keep remembering the time with the Storm King, though.”

“Oh. Right.” Dusk cleared her throat and walked over to her bed, where she put her bags down on the floor. “I guess there’s no harm in you seeing this stuff.” She pulled out her suit, the black fabric unrolling and letting her tail blade clatter to the floor with it.

Her new roommate looked over at the objects being pulled out of the bag. “…huh. Those don’t even look that different from the last time I saw them.” She trotted over, inspecting them as Dusk transferred them to a box nearby. “I guess you’re not going to be using them anymore, hm?”

“Probably not.” Dusk shook her head. “Actually…yeah, definitely not.” She tossed the tail blade into the box, shutting its lid. “These are going in…there’s a closet here, right? Otherwise my emotional point is lost.”

Fizzle rolled her eyes and shoved the box to the side with her hoof, then kicked it right into the wide open closet. The box slid into the corner. “Don’t worry, I did pretty much the same thing to my armour.”

“It looked good on you.” Dusk commented.

“Yeah, well…I don’t think it did.”

“…right. Sorry.”

The two of them fell into an awkward din as Dusk put away her bag. She didn’t have anything else in there.

There was a knock on the door that broke the silence. Fizzle opened it, revealing the same small dragon that had greeted Dusk at the door. He was holding an envelope, and panting slightly. “Got…a letter.” He wheezed. Fizzle took the envelope from him, glancing down at it and frowning.

“Thank you, Spike.” She said, and shut the door.

“Well that was rude.” Dusk snickered. “You just shut it in his face.”

“I said thank you.”

“What’s the letter?”

“It’s uh…for you.”

Dusk’s expression went from amused to confused. “Me?” She reached out and took the envelope. The front read…

To: Cutter, Lazuli

From: Sanctuary.

The Dracony stared at the envelope for several seconds…before she put it down on the beside table. “I’ll read it later.” She said quickly.

“…you okay?” Fizzle asked.

“I’m fine.”

“…alright, well…you want to go and meet everypony? Knowing this town, Pinkie Pie probably has a party ready for you.”

“Oh yeah, you know, I saw her on the way in…” Dusk and Fizzle’s voices got quieter as they walked back out into the hall and the door shut behind them.

The letter remained on the table.

End.

nu�b(�I