It was a show-down.
The Soldier and the 'Ninja', facing off. Daggers flying from both ends, wild west style.

"I'll be blunt..." Sparkle fearlessly spoke up, SOCOM at the ready, "Who are you and what do you stand by?"
The stallion in pajamas gave no answer. But rather, hopped off the carrousel and approached the armed mare with the same bravery she emitted. Causing her magic to grip the gun holster more tightly.
"My identity along with my morals are none of your concern..." He put simply, with a powerful yet uncharacteristic rasp in his voice, "As for you, I advise you leave the premises if you wish to live longer."

"Name. Occupation. Information. Now..."

"*Sigh*... If I must...
Ryan, is the name I go by. I am an assassin trained in the graceful arts of Pinjitsu."
Their unflinching faces stood not even inch away from one another.
"I guard these lands with my blood, body and soul and, for the second time, leave. Lest you want to be met with the action of my warnings." Ryan promised with a clench of the sword within the scabbard.

Staying ignorant to his threat, Sparkle took a step left. To which he mirrored perfectly.
Then one to her right, which he copied again. Still never breaking eye contact.

"You do not want this fight, 'Soldier Sparkle'... Please, heed my words."

"I was assigned this mission by my superiors... I can't and won't back down. Not even for a full grown, self-proclaimed excuse of a 'Ninja'."

"You can insult my profession all you like... But to insult the proud race of ponies along with it is unforgivable...!" He spat.

"The Ninjas way died out a looong time ago, pal. Now move out of my way and you might not have blood all over your favorite pajamas."

The last straw had been drawn.
Ryan delivered a skull denting headbutt causing her to fall backwards in stun. Taking advantage of the moment, he thrusted his head down to his front shoulders between her fore legs and pushed up with a great amount of force, sending Sparkle a few inches off the floor. Before she could even land on two hooves Ryan drove a titanic B-spin kick to her face, bolting Sparkle off to the side and laying sprawled across the grass in pain. Trying to comprehend what the hell just happened to her.
"H-how... did you do that...?" She carefully put herself on her hind hooves.
"With ease."
"Cocky son of a..." Sparkle whipped out her gun and fired without hesitation.
Only to here the metallic twang of bullets bouncing off steel.
In three simple swipes of a sword, he had deflected the shots. From close range. Like it was nothing.
'How in the-...?!'

"C'mon. Fight me seriously. Firearms bore me..." He challenged, sheathing his blade, placing one hoof to his hip and the other outstretched in front of him. Taking a sort of defensive fighting stance.
Sparkle remained quietly angry, yet was inwardly afraid. How can she fight a stallion that was fast enough to react and deflect bullets...!?
She took up her own stance, with her both arms stretched out towards Ryan. Difference being was that her right hoof was half-retracted.
The two circled each other, like tigers in a cage. Staying ready for any sign of hostile movement.
Ryan went first: leaping high into the air and dropped with a gripped kunai in hoof.
Sparkle leaped back to evade but Ryan, anticipating the dodge, bounced straight off the ground and lunging towards her at high speeds, kunai first.
But before any contact was made, Sparkle used her right hoof to divert the blade in hoof and in one motion, elbow barged the shoulder of the arm that carried the weapon. Surprised by this, Ryan placed both hind legs on firm ground to attempt to escape her. This, however, only gave her the upper hand. As one hoof landed, she directed a solid kick to the side of his knee before then applying much more power to her barge and forcing him onto the floor.

Ryan struggled to fend off Sparkles unexpected tack down, throwing aimless punches and moving around like crazy just to try and get her to release her grip. This went on for about 10 seconds before Sparkle pinned down one leg, then another, and another, until he lost some energy and began to slow a bit. Allowing her to completely hold him.

Using magic, she pulled out the SOCOM and pushed it against his head, barely panting, "*Hah!* *Hah!*... Well?? How's that for a fight?"
"Heh heh-! I won't lie... I'm impressed." He grinned slightly under his robed mask, "Out of all my opponents, you're the only one to have successfully overpower me..."
"Hmph... Good. In any case, hired bodyguard or not, you're still a member of the Changling H.O.P.E. And as a soldier of the Princess, I must kill you. So do me a favour and send the people of Tartarus my regards..."

"Yes, yes... I get it. But I am still urging to ask.
Do you really think this battle is over?"

She narrowed her gaze in suspicion, "What are you getting at here...?"
"Oh nothing much..." He replied nonchalantly, "It's just your fighting style... It strikes a heavy cog in my memory. Say, do you happen to know a Changling by the name of 'Saint Berry'?"

"!..." He...He Knows...?!

"Heh heh heh! So you do...! What a surprise..." Sparkle hadn't been aware her reaction gave it away. "That sly old man... He created CQC. Of corse you got your talent from him...! Tsk... to think you actually took me down with your own skill..."

Snapping back to her senses, she shoved the gun harder against his head, shouting,
"How do you know him!?"

"Pray tell, why should I answer to you...?"

BANG!

Ryan's head slumped off to the side. The tension of the moment dying along with him...
The cool, empty quiet only carrying the light, drawn out breaths of the soldier through the air.
"'Cause you're the one with a gun to his head, dumbass..." Sparkle lately replied, getting off of the ninja and trotting onto the carousel with one intention...

P T T

---------<[000.00]>

--

MEMORY

[Colonel S. Berry] 140.88<-----

[Bianca M. D. S. Aveiro] 140.92

[----] ---.--

[----] ---.--

Calling

Berry: Sparkle, you called? Is everything OK?

Sparkle: Yeah, all is going accordingly...

Berry: Ah, good. Glad to hear that you're safe. Have you rescued Tez Ko?

Sparkle: No, not yet. But I need to ask you one thing, just one...

Berry: Well shoot. I'm all ears.

Sparkle: It's just... How do I put this...? I ran into a stallion in pure black robes who claimed to be a 'Ninja'. He carried a katana, some kunai and everything.

Berry: A ninja...?!

Sparkle: Yep. A guy by the name of 'Ryan'. Weird thing was... He also knew who you were. Going as far as to personally refer to you as a 'sly old man'. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two have some kinda history...

Berry: ...

Sparkle: Well? Do you?

Berry: Heh... Ryan, you sneaky sunuvabitch...

Sparkle: Huh? Colonel, what are you-

Berry: We'll talk later, Sparkle. I promise... For now, remember your priorities.

Sparkle: ...

Berry: ...

Sparkle: ... Yes sir...

Call Ended

'What the hell could he be hiding...?' Sparkle wondered, 'Were they enemies, maybe...?'
Either way, she didn't really care all too much.
After that short fight with the Ninja, Sparkle had worked up a big deal of stress. And whenever she was stressed, she smoked. Just something about it that really takes the toll off of things for her...
She dragged the small box out her pocket, snatched a cig', lit it and took in a deep breath of the substance... As she puffed out the rigged smoke into the crisp air of the starry night sky among Lunas moon.
For the first day on an infiltration mission in a base located deep in the Everfree forest, it was still a beautifully picturesque moment to behold.

Still... now was not the time to be admiring the scenery.

Sparkle made her way onwards to the double doors in the clear in front of her.
Then, a flash lit the sky...

Shhhhhing...! KA-chunk!

Ryan stood in front of her while facing away, Sword in hoof as he held a position that suggested that, with one swift and mighty swing... he had struck.

Which would explain why Sparkles horn was on the floor.
The realisation (and pain) had finally set in...

"UUWAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHH!"
She collapsed onto one arm and gritted her teeth as blood began to drip from the stump that was her horn. And for a second, things felt fuzzy.

"This battle was long from over Sparkle..." Ryan ominously stated, giving her a sideways glance. The bullet that had struck his head was lodged in place.
So despite taking a point-blanc gun shot to the face, he lived...?
"B-but... How?! How are you still alive!?"

He sheathed his katana, giving a distant and somewhat melancholy smile under the mask, "... I ask myself the same thing."

"Huh...?"

"You are not the first to try and kill me... And you will not be the last. Foe after foe, intruder or soldier...
I win. I always win.
But that never stops me from fighting on. I fellow my Code to a T. 'To fight the a good, true battle.' and to never lose illegitimately.
Each and every time, I welcome myself to the sweet and loving embrace of death. Only to get pushed away by myself... And I keep asking 'Why? Why must I suffer this curse?'"

As he rambled on, sparkle attempted to grip her SOCOM with her magic. The purple aura flicked upon what she had left before fading out with exhaustion. Some magic was left, but not enough to suffice.

"Over and over, I keep on asking the same damn question... Why can't I die?," For a second, and only a second, his eyes twitched in a sort of sorrow that couldn't be described...
"Then... one day... as I sliced a stallion open from his belly to his neck, I realised... that I'm no pony. I'm less than that. I am a monster..." He lamented with self-hatred.

"Life, for me, was hard enough before that. But after coming to terms with facts, I finally accepted that... Well..."

In a blur of speed, Ryan appeared directly in front of Sparkle to deliver a devastating uppercut to the stomach. Knocking all the air from her lungs with widened eyes that couldn't begin express the amount of pain she was in.

"Tartarus would NEVER take a sick, repulsive monster like ME!"

He followed through with the uppercut, sending Sparkle through the roof of the carousel and reaching sky high...! Almost 20 meters off the ground!
This strength wasn't from any ordinary Earth pony...

The flying purple mare finally slowed as gravity brought her limp body back down, falling faster and faster.
Ryan, on the other hand, jumped up towards Sparkle. Reading himself to give her a mid-air bicycle kick.
She barely even had a chance to glare at him, as his kick connected with a thunderous BAM! and CRACKK! Sending Sparkle crashing through the doors like a meteorite into a pitch black supply room.

"Uuuuhn..." She fought hard to just stay conscious, because at this point, pain numbed all her senses.
Forcing herself to look up, she saw that Ryan had just landed. And he was approaching, very, very slowly. Possibly to settle in the fear of the situation. If she didn't do something... If she didn't do anything...

She would die.

Sparkles head swayed under the dizziness Ryan set in motion. Fruitlessly trying to shake off the haze.
His strength... His endurance It wasn't normal. It was anything but normal. Sparkle knew that much... But if the so-called ninja was really a gifted or super powered, then Sparkles chances weren't looking very good..
Desperately, she dragged herself to the doors and slammed them shut.
'Come on, come on! Think, Sparkle!' she thought as she screwed her eyes shut, 'There has to be something here that I can use...'
She opened her eyes and adjusted to the darkness, seeing one chance to make it out alive...
It would take some great coordination and probably a stupid amount of luck... But it could work!

!

...

Ryan had reached the doors Sparkle had abruptly shut on him. Pondering the reason to why she did so... To buy time possibly?
Oh well, she only delayed her own execution...

He kicked open, looking into the sea of darkness the room emitted. For a moment, he hesitated. What if she does have something planned...?
Regardless, he marched in a few steps. Only to stop at the sight...
Of a cardboard box.
That confirmed it. She was plotting something, but what?
Staying true to his gut, he scanned the room a bit. A few boxes with old and out dated guns filled most of the room. Other than that, there was no sign of Sparkle. He trotted around to inspect the boxes, until he heard something shift behind him.

Turing around sharply, he found...
Nothing. The aforementioned box had stayed perfectly still.
But... One corner of his clouded mind couldn't help but think, 'Did that box move?'
At any first glance, the answer would be an obvious no.
Still...! Ryans suspicion just couldn't let go.

But it was a trap...! And he knew it!

...

Was it...?

To ease his inner-doubt, Ryan snagged a FAMAS (just to be extra safe) from one of the supply crates and approached the box with cautious pace to his trot.
The entire journey, one half of himself was constantly nagging in his ear, saying,
'This is a idiotic! Of course she wouldn't be hiding in there, it's too obvious...! She has to be somewhere else...'

Even if that voice was right, it simply would not matter. He had a sword, inhuman like speed and power, and a gun for safe measure. Plus he had heavily limited Sparkles magic capabilities AND that kick was guaranteed to at least break a rib or two.
If anything, he had no right so be afraid.
'So way the hell do I still fear her??'

He held the box under point blanc range, readying his aim...
"See you in hell, Twilight..."

BRAAATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT!

Several upon several upon several holes punctured the cardboards exterior. Several bullets, way out of the league of a flimsy old box. Several death, sentences that could take a hundred lives over. Several shots, that all could kill with certainty.

The deed was more than done.

Ryan breathed a sigh of newly released fatigue... as he kicked the box over to finally reveal the corpse of no pony...
"Huh!!-"

The doors sssSSLAMED shut, allowing the dark veil of the room to completely blind the Ninjas vision!
"I knew it!" He shouted as he drew his sword; helplessly searching the space around him, "Come, you coward! Come here and face me properly!!"

"Your tone is off..."

"Huh?"

"Could it be... fear?" Ryan noticed a dim light emanating smoke in the corner of his eye. "Come and get me."

"Humph! You think I have anything to fear from YOU?!" He screamed, flustered by anger.
Sword in hoof, he charged head first towards the light in the dark and, with one big swing, hit nothing.
That lit cigarette was merely propped up to deceive him.

His heart sank further when he hear a pin hit the floor and something small thudded in front of him...
A flashbang.

BAM!

An intense light drowned the room for no longer than a split second.
Ryan fell back, grunting in pain and clamping his eyes shut. With his vision only now just adjusting to the dark, to say he was blinded was more than an understatement.

"Gah! Urrgh!! Son of a-! Dammit!"

"What happened to your language?" Sparkle asked cooly, hold a gun from the shadows to the unseeing ninja. "My turn."

"Hah!... Hah!... I... I cannot lie Sparkle..." Ryan panted through the sting, clutching his katana.
"You're pretty good."

...

!

AUX
[C A L L]
Push select
140.92

Bianca: Sparkle! Are you OK?! I just checked your vitals on the nano system: You're in critical condition!

Sparkle: ...

Bianca: Sparkle? Hello??

BANGBANG!
Shi-Shhinggg!

Sparkle??

BABABANG!
Sh-sh-Shinnng!

Sparkle?!

BANG...! BANG...!
Shhhing! Ka-Chunnng!

SPARRRRRRRRKKKKLLLLEEEEE!

Clic-Click! Click!
...

"Enough!!"

BRA-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

The ninja fired aimlessly into the abyss. Gunshots lighting up the room, chasing the changing images of an elusive Sparkle.
But never ceasing to miss.

Among the bullet hell, the windows broke and midnight light shone down on the area. Letting Ryan see at least a little better.

But during his search for the stealthy soldier, he felt two arms tightly wrap around his waist. And, before he knew what had happened, Sparkle had lifted him off his hooves to then swiftly suplex the unknowing stallion straight onto his head!
The FAMAS he once wielded fell straight of of his grip.

Steadily getting back up, Ryan found himself face to face with the soldier. She took up her fighting stance.

"C'mon...! Let's end this! No Swords, and no guns!" Sparkle challenged. Adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Ryan silently agreed by taking up a stance of his own, slowly approaching Sparkle as she approached him.

Sparkle went for a punch to the head.
He caught her hoof.
She tried hitting his liver.
He caught that one too.

Sparkle struggled fruitlessly to pry her fists from his grip. To which, he only grinned with pride.
"Heh... Just like alllll the rest... Your strength and speed could never compete with-"
"Shut... up!" Sparkle drop kicked him from where she stood, just managing to knock the stallion off her and fumbling onto the floor.

Rage. That was all that could be read from his bloodshot eyes. And with a drastic loss of composure, he dashed at her with full speed. Retaliating with a drop kick of his own that sent Sparkle straight through the doors once more.

She slid too a stop, sprawled on the concrete. If something wasn't broken before, it sure as hell was now.
Sparkle felt herself slipping away into a black out, hanging by a thread onto consciousness.
Peering from where she lay, the Ninja closed the gap between them. His katana ready to kill.

"Well, Sparkle. I can't say this hasn't been fun... For as much as a pain in the flank you are to kill, I'm still happy to say that I faced you. Still... It's a shame you couldn't pull of the task of murdering me...
But, all jokes aside, any last words?"

Sparkle coughed and spluttered before she could ask, "H-how... how do... you know the Colonel?"

"Hm? The Colonel...?"

"Berry..."

His face lit up, "Ahhh! Yes...! Saint Berry! That old stallion and I go back quite a long way...! Well, him and I, met on another battlefield, where we had the fight of a century... And I lost!" He sounded very... giddy to say the least. But his accent was very misleading. It almost sounded... Mexicolt? "Despite every advantage I held over him, that guy just wouldn't go down...! With his cunning and creativity, I fell to his hooves. And it hurt!
Yes... Good times indeed..."

'I knew he wanted to die... but dear lord! How suicidal is this guy?'

"Y'know, that's why I am happy to be facing you. Because you were trained by him... So surely you have a few tricks that he taught you? Right?"

"B-but how-" She stuttered on her words. Ryan continued, ignoring her entirely.

"I'm just dissapointed though... You are smart, I've seen and felt it. Yet, at the end of the day, you still couldn't finish me off. I guess I'm just too strong."
He lifted his katana, ready to deal the final blow.
"Adios... Amiga."

"W-wait...!"

"Eh? What? What do you want now?" He questioned as his sword lowered a bit.

"Y-y-you su-seriously... Didn't notice?"

"Que? What non-sense are you trying to convey this time?"

Sparkle, to his surprise, had a short burst of pained laughter. "I've won...! D-don't you see?"

"See? All I see is how mad you've become."

"Your back... Doesn't it feel... itchy?" Ryan took a moment to think. But then realised that she was right...! Something was stuck to his back and he couldn't reach it!

"Huh?? What the-! What did you do?!" Looking back to Sparkle, he gasped.
In her hoof, she held a detonator. His eyes widened as he recalled the moment she suplexed him. She must've planed a...!

"C4 bomb... I win..."
In her last moments awake, before Ryan could do anything to stop her, she passed out.

Pressing the button...

Author's Note

Sorry if there is any spelling errors in this piece.
I will look over and correct them.
But right now, it is SUPER late. And I am super tired.
Sorry for keeping you guys waiting...

Hope you enjoy this episode.