The Broken One

I heard two shocked gasps in the dark as I slammed the intruder into a wall. His head hit with a hollow thunk and the knife slipped from some kind of mount attached to the pony’s front hoof. I slammed his back into the wall again before I picked him up and slammed him to the floor.

“Jackson”, Shadow asked incredulously. “You’re walking!”

“And kicking ass”, Cindra said wide eyed as she sat in the bed and just stared.

I delivered a heavy kick to the Pegasus’s ribs and sent him spinning out onto the balcony. He opened his wings to try to fly away but I jumped on top of him before he regained his hooves and slammed a fist into the back of his head. He bucked me off of him and turned to face me. I grinned when I spotted the trickle of blood from his lip.

“You done fucked up now”, I grinned as I began to circle him.

He kept his face turned toward me as he began to circle as well. We sized each other up and before he could blink I dashed in and drove my fist into his left eye. I watched a spurt of blood fly through the air as his brow split open. He cried out in pain, spun and bucked me in the chest.

“Fuck”, I grunted as I was lifted from my feet.

I landed on my back and continued rolling, using my momentum to flip back to my feet. I rushed in again and slammed several quick punches to his face and one to his throat. He went down hard but as he got back up he unfurled his wings to try to escape.

“No you don’t”, I shouted as I leapt forward and kicked him in the gut.

His breath rushed out of him and I grabbed his mane. He yelled in pain as I slung him into the railing of the balcony where I heard a sickening crack before he fell to the floor. He opened his wings but I planted a boot on his spine between his wings. I grabbed a wing just shy of the “Shoulder joint” as I call it with each hand and pulled as hard as I could.

“Please stop”, he screamed. “You’re gonna break my wings!”

“No I won’t”, I grinned darkly. I fully intended to make this bastard suffer.

I tightened my grip and pulled even harder relishing the screams and popping sounds as bones were dislocated and ligaments tore. His pitiful screams began to annoy me and with one mighty heave the wings tore from his body as his blood sprayed over my face.

“Oh Celestia”, he screamed. “My wings! My wings!”

“Who sent you”, I bellowed as I threw the ruined lumps of flesh aside.

“Buck you”, he sobbed.

“WHO SENT YOU”, I repeated as I dug one of my hands into his open wounds.

“Prince Blueblood”, he shrieked.

“WHY?!”

“To kill your mates”, he sobbed.

“WHY?!”

“He wanted revenge for the way you disgraced him”, the former Pegasus whimpered. “He said you took his future so he was going to do the same!”

“So you agreed to kill two mares and an unborn foal”, I snarled. “You’re fucking pathetic.”

“Buck you”, he growled through the pain. “Buck your mates and buck your unborn abomination!”

I slammed his face into the floor several times before I lifted him with one hand by his throat. He glared at me through his one good eye and spit in my face. I flinched before slamming my fist into his gut repeatedly. He groaned and lost control of his bladder angering me even further.

“Can you fly”, I grinned evilly as I held him over the balcony railing. “Hundred foot drop from here. Better pray.”

The terror in his eyes made me chuckle as I released my grip. I watched him fall almost in slow motion and could feel his fear. He kicked his hooves frantically and just before he hit the ground he screamed. That sound crept into my brain and echoed for a few seconds as I grinned even wider. I started cackling when his blood pooled beneath him.

“Jackson”, Shadow gasped as she stepped to the balcony. “You just killed him.”

“He shouldn’t have taken this job”, I grinned.

I picked up the pair of wings from the floor and made my way out to the hallway. I shouted for a guard and within seconds a terrified earth pony stared at the severed limbs in my hands. I couldn’t help but wonder how an assassin could get into the castle with guards around.

“Wrap these up in plastic and mail them to Prince Blueblood”, I said quietly.

“Your Highness”, the guard asked hesitantly.

“He sent a Pegasus to kill my mares”, I grinned. “They don’t fly very well without their wings, and a hundred feet is a long way down.”

The guard stared at me in shock before running away. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted my favorite changeling watching me from around the corner. With just a flicker of thought I stood behind her as she glanced around the hallway.

“Boo”, I whispered as I poked her flank.

“OH SHIT”, she screamed and bolted down the hallway.

I cackled again and left the castle to see if Twilight was still in the smithy. As I turned the corner of the castle I saw her staring dumbfounded at the crushed body on the ground before her with blood splattered across her face.

“Hey Twilight, you okay”, I asked as I got near her.

“What… what happened”, she asked as she trembled.

“Oh, that”, I said with contempt as I looked at the lifeless hunk of flesh on the ground. “He tried to fly without wings.”

“He almost fell on me”, she whispered with wide eyes. “He was screaming when he hit the ground. Oh Celestia, I got his blood in my mouth!”

“You’re okay though, right?”

“I have a dead pony’s blood in my mouth”, she gagged.

“But did you die?”

“What”, she asked in a dazed state.

“Nothing”, I laughed. “Thank you for your help.”

I wiped the blood from her face and hugged her. She halfway registered the hug but meandered off toward Ponyville. I was worried about her, but I figured she would be okay the next day. I was pondering what to do with the body when Silver and a few guards suddenly appeared at my side.

“What happened”, Silver asked as he looked from me to the assassin and back.

“That was a killer sent by Blueblood”, I muttered. “Hey Silver, does anypony here know how to make leather?”

“What?”

“Leather”, I repeated. “Does anypony know how to make it?”

“Th-the b-b-blacksmith”, he stuttered as he began to shake.

“Okay”, I nodded before turning to my Captain of the Guard. “How did an assassin sneak into my bedchambers? Surely somepony would have noticed a strange Pegasus walking through the halls.”

“I was p-posted at the f-front d-d-door all evening, y-your Highness”, he stammered. “Nopony c-came through th-the doors except the f-four of you.”

“Then he flew in”, I mumbled. “I gotta talk to mom. Get ahold of that intruder spell.”

I turned and began to walk back toward the castle but stopped and looked over my shoulder.

“Why is that still laying there”, I asked.

“What should we do with him”, one of the guards asked.

“Put it in the gardening shed for now”, I replied. “I’ll take care of it later, so don’t let anypony in there.”

“Yes, your Highness”, Silver replied and they did my bidding.

I made my way inside and to the throne room. I had no clue why I was there but something told me to go there. As it turned out, there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. I walked to the dais and sat on my throne just existing as I slowly breathed in the light fragrance of lavender.

What happened tonight, I thought to myself.

“I killed a Pegasus”, I answered myself aloud.

Why was he trying to kill Shadow and Cindra?

“Blueblood told him to.”

Why, though?

“I made him look inferior, which he actually is, and physically dragged him from my castle.”

He insulted me, dishonored the title of Prince of Equestria and disrespected my wife. I couldn’t let him get away with that.

“Because I showed everypony how much of a bitch he is he decided to get revenge. He won’t stop with just one attempt. Especially since I mailed his henchpony’s wings back to him.”

What am I gonna do?

“I’ll just kill everypony he sends after us. But why not strike the head from the serpent?”

Maybe I should. But I don’t have proof he’s the one behind it.

“It’s a small matter. After all, I am the Grim Reaper. What could possibly happen to us?”

“Jackson”, Shadow called nervously from the door of the throne room. “Are you okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine”, I replied as I stood from my throne and hurried to her. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”

“How can I possibly sleep after that”, she asked with tears in her eyes. “Jackson, I just watched you kill somepony in cold blood!”

“I killed him to protect my loved ones”, I hissed.

“You tortured him before he died”, she said in a raised voice. “He didn’t have to die, Jackson! You could have turned him over to the guards!”

“I could have”, I replied, “but I didn’t and there’s no way to change it now.”

“Jackson”, she jerked back in shock.

“He was trying to murder a Princess, so he would have died anyways”, I shrugged.

“Jackson, you sh-AAAHHH!”

She clutched her swollen belly and fell to her knees as she screamed in pain. I wrapped my arms around her and poofed into our chambers and shouted for Nurse Redheart. The medical professional appeared instantly, assessed the situation and began barking orders at Cindra. The bug pony zipped away to do as she was told.

“What’s wrong”, I asked nervously.

“She’s going into labor”, Nurse Redheart replied. You’re about to be a father.

“Well, fuck.”