Actualization

-=::Arc I, Chapter 1::=-

A thick green miasma loomed over the city of Manehattan giving the city a foreboding look. The smoke worked its way through the city and made sure that its presence was known to every little crevice within the ruins. With the whisper of the breeze sweeping the fog across the alleys, it revealed the streets for a moment. Streets that were quiet and barren as they matched the weathered and dull grey look of the derelict buildings around them, for many of their inhabitants had left them long ago to escape the foul air that plagued Manehattan. Under the perpetual twilight that blanketed the city, the great skyscrapers had been aged greatly from the poisonous atmosphere. Many of the buildings had stooped over on an uneven foundation, seemingly leaning against each other for support. As the winds swept through the streets again, distant sounds of twisting metal and crumbling concrete could be heard echoing throughout the green mist.

Above the dead city the sky rumbled loudly. It boomed as thick rain came pouring down from the depths of the gloom further weathering the already ruined city. Lightning streaked across the sky as the sound of thunder rebounded of the walls of the city filling Manehattan with a deafening roar.

But amidst the decaying ruins and the screaming sky, another sound could be heard. Amongst the sounds of the ruins, the sounds of hoofsteps were heard from a distance as a figure was traversing the parlous ruins. Every movement was achieved with little to no effort and every action had reason. But between the ear-splitting cracks of thunder, panting could be heard from beneath the small bandana wrapped around the muzzle of the colt it protected. His long garments flowed in harmony with the winds that swept through the city as did his silvery mane. Between the fine strands of his mane came cold eyes that peered into the distance. They were far and distant, much like the eyes of an observer, but only coldness could be seen in the colt’s eyes. It was a look that came from a deep concentration and dedication to his mission. Anypony knew though that this had good reasoning behind it.

As his hooves splashed in thick puddles of green water, he stopped for a moment to shake the remaining bits of moisture from his coat as he whispered a small enchantment. Beneath the long garments that the pony wore, a small yellow glow winked in and out of existence as the pony finished his spell. A small stream of light traveled up to the bandana and spread out through the fibers as it infused itself with the fabric. The pony fixed the bandana that rested on his muzzle as he inhaled deeply through the mask. Cool crisp air filled the colt’s lungs as he took a breath, and with a sigh of relief, the colt took note of his current surroundings before he started up again.

The colt started down the streets again trying to keep low to avoid most of the miasma that loomed just a couple feet overhead in a much denser concentration. This time the colt found some interesting ways to avoid the small puddles where the miasma had pooled in, nimbly leaping over large pools of noxious water and deftly avoiding pitfalls within the ruins. His eyes scanned the roof tops as his ears pierced through the fog. All the while the pony continued to agilely leap over the puddles as he landed on the front steps of an abandoned apartment complex. Without a second thought the pony grabbed the knob with a hoof as he slammed his body into the door breaking it clear off the rusty hinges that kept it in place. Slowly setting it back within its frame to stop the miasma from seeping in, the pony retreated to the very corners of the room as the rain began to pick up. Carefully the pony removed his bandana and whispered another spell. His bandana glowed briefly the same color of yellow before it finally died out.

With another sigh of relief the pony stuffed the bandana into one of the saddle bags strapped to his side, happy to be out of the dangerous elements. He rummaged around his worn bag for a while before pulling out a tiny piece of white chalk. Moments later through a small tear in the bag, a silver rod rolled out of the saddle bag ringing as it hit the floor along with a host of other objects. This sent shivers down the pony’s spine as he raced to catch the small silvery rod. With one fluid motion he grabbed the rod with a hoof and promptly stuffed it back into his bag leaving the other things scattered across the floor. He then brought the chalk he had taken out earlier up to his face observing it carefully. There wasn’t much left of it, the colt thought to himself. This item was hard to come by so he had to make good use of it. The pony’s face soured though as the wind howled even louder outside rattling the windows a bit. Cursing his luck beneath his breath the pony began to draw a circle on the floor of the apartment. The circle was simple, but the pony made sure to incorporate the flowing lines that spiraled out of oh his detailed drawing.

After finishing the arcane circle, the pony stepped back to double check his work. It was a simple circle designed to channel the natural magic of the world and give it new purpose. The sky darkened as the storm increased in intensity. Cursing yet again the pony whispered again as he revealed a small yellow gem that was hidden beneath his garments. Pressing his hoof against the floor where the circle had been drawn, the yellow gem flickered a bit on the small band of strong cloth it was placed on. Once again a yellow light snaked out of the gem and infused itself with the chalk markings. The white markings slowly began to glow as the lights flowed into it. All the while the lights emanating from the gem began to fade and flicker.

Just a quick look was all the pony needed. Hastily the pony whispered again and let the yellow gem’s glow die out. The winds howled outside as the air began to chill considerably. Biting his lip, the pony stepped into the middle of the arcane circle taking considerable care not to smudge the chalk markings. His legs bent as he knelt down on the ground until he sat squarely in the middle of the circle. He had left a large portion of the circle out so that he could lie comfortably down in the middle. Making sure none of his garments were touching the chalk he whispered yet another enchantment.

”Ignire.”

The pony whispered. He said it slowly and carefully for he did not want to set the entire complex ablaze. Gradually the white chalk glowed orange and red as it began to react with the magic that flowed from the yellow gem just moments before. Slowly it began to glow like hot coals as the runic symbols did as they were intended to do. With a sigh of relief, colt rested his head as a gentle heat began to roll of the circle staving off the bitter cold for the night. His eyes began to droop as the warmth of the circle began to lull him to sleep.

-=::------------------------------------------------------------------::=-

The arcane circle shifted between colors, casting long shadows down the hallways and rooms. And in the darkness, the shadows moved. They glided quietly and effortlessly through the maze of hallways and doors in a delicately balanced dance of darkness and light. The light coming from the circle flickered slightly as the shadows slid into the room. The shadows effortlessly moved though the darkness that the room provided. Making sure to-

*Creeeeeeeeeeeeak*

The floorboard let out an audible moan as the storm raged outside. The colt’s ears were the first to react. They had been quick to scan the room and were observing it carefully long before the colt’s eyes opened. In moments the colt was up and moving with a dagger at his teeth. He observed the shifting shadows carefully with his gaze making sure to note every feature. Another crack of thunder boomed as the building visibly shook and moaned from the relentless onslaught of the storm. Slowly dropping back to the ground he lowered his defenses and sheathed his knife thinking to himself that it must have just been the storm.

The room was quite as only the sounds of the storm filled the room once again. Maybe for one night the colt could sleep easy. Muttering another enchantment, the yellow gem on his leg glowed with life in sync with the circle as the intensity of the arcane increased with its light casting away the shadows. With a content sigh the colt gratefully drifted back into sleep. But amidst the shadows being cast away by the comforting arcane, some remained. The darkness was seemingly being burned away until a looming figure appeared from what was left. And even though the shadows had been burned off of the figure, a dark presence still eclipsed it. Tentatively taking steps like the colt before it, the figure’s shadows were cast off for the light to reveal the hooded figure of another pony.

And just like the shadows that had once concealed him, the cloaked pony drifted closer to the arcane circle and the pony resting within it. The shadow stopped just inches away from the circle, observing it carefully. The colt that lay within the circle was already deep in sleep as the cloaked pony reached out with a hoof. Skillfully keeping his balance, the cloaked pony carefully unbuttoned the relatively empty saddle bag and began to pick things out of it. He picked out a small piece of chalk first. Observing it through his mane the pony delicately placed it within his garments. The pony leaned over the searing hot arcane circle once more as he reached for the bag. Thunder roared outside shook the building slightly causing the cloaked figure to lose his balance and placed his hoof on the ground in the right on top of the sleeping pony’s garments. Quickly hopping back to avoid waking the colt, the cloaked pony stepped back to examine the sleeping figure. All he noticed was that a part of the garments that clothed the equine now rested on the glowing arcane circle.

This set them ablaze.

The sleeping pony’s eyes shot open as he screamed an enchantment. Immediately the arcane circle around him grew cold as the chalk turned to ash and blew away at the slightest breeze. The pony threw his garments to the ground and began to stomp out the small fire with a hoof. The fire had spread to most of the cloak now and had almost reached the saddle bags. Hastily the pony grabbed the saddle bag with his mouth and threw it onto his side. With a sigh of relief he smoldered the last bit of fire with a resounding smack of his hoof. He voiced another spell as the yellow gem on his bracelet illuminated the charred remains of what used to be his cloak. It was half burned and useless now. It would offer him no protection from the elements in this condition. The colt also noticed that the light from his gem was getting noticeably weaker.

Cursing his luck yet again, lighting flashed and filled the room with bright white light. Without hesitation the colt deftly whipped out his blade and held it firmly in his mouth. It was a habit that had developed over the years of wandering the ruins. The colt knew he had not moved to set his garments aflame. He had taken all the necessary precautions while making it. The colt tightened his grip on the weapon in his mouth. He would only need a flash of light to see who his assailant was.

And when the sky lit up, just a quick look was all the pony needed. His heart sank at the sight of the figure. Fear began to slowly creep up on him like a snake ready to bite, but he swatted it away angrily. Upon seeing his assailant he at first gave no outward signs of emotions. Slowly though, a smile adorned his face.

On the opposite end of the room a cloaked figure stood, a deep crimson bandana covering his mouth and his mane concealing his eyes. The pony stood perfectly still as another crack of thunder shook the complex. And although his eyes were covered, coldness could be felt. It was striking as if it held a physical force, and with each passing moment the air only seemed to chill even further.

The colt standing in the middle of the room stammered back as his eyes were locked with the pony just across the room. Something about the pony just felt empty. The icy wind blasted through the rotting boards that covered the windows sending them flying to the ground with a echoing thud. The pony looked up at his new guest making sure to note every detail. Seeing this moment as an opportunity, the colt swung his head full force hurling the dagger straight between the cloaked pony’s eyes.

The dagger flew screaming through the air as the colt used the last amount of energy he had stored up in his gem to enchant the dagger. ”Perforabit!” The colt shouted as a few runic symbols on the dagger briefly lit up. The dagger hit home and passed without any resistance, impacting the wall with a dull thump. It took a moment for it all to sink in. The pony who threw the dagger just stood there, he stood there in shock. Stepping closer he could see that that there were no wounds or cuts on the pony’s face. His mane still was draped over his eyes, swaying in the wind. And then it hit him as he heard a faint whisper behind him and saw the small arcane circle flash in and out of existence from underneath the cloaked figure. Suddenly, the cloaked figure began to fringe at the edges. Slowly the image faded out of existence. The winds blew in from outside sweeping away the ash that remained. The rain continued drowning out all the noises in the ruin. That was when the pony felt something as cold as the air outside press hard against his sides.

Slowly he rotated his head to see that the pony that was only standing in front of him moments ago was now behind him with a firm hoof pressing against him. The pony trembled slightly in fear. He knew that these would be his last moments if he didn’t act quickly. Lighting flashed, illuminating the room once more. Then, only then, did the trembling pony see it.

He saw the eyes of the cloaked pony. They were cold and lifeless as if they had no emotions to protect behind its walls. And to the credit of its owner, the construct bore a striking resemblance to its creator. But for a brief moment, there was something else there. As if for a second a wave of emotions came barreling out to meet the colt’s gaze. But that thought was quickly dispatched as the cloaked pony’s eyes shot up to meet colt’s.

The pony did not say anything. Not a single word. But the colt knew what he wanted.

The colt’s face soured up as he quickly batted the hoof that was pressed against his sides away and rolled backwards. He picked his saddle bag up and flung it over his shoulder as he pulled out another dagger from its depths. Taking a quick look at his runic dagger at the opposite end of the room, he took mental note of his surroundings.

“I will not allow you to take it.” The colt said. There was a burning passion in his eyes as he prepared himself for what may be in store for him.

The figure’s gaze slowly shifted to meet the colt’s glare. His face now wore a mask of sadness. It was not one of pity though, the colt thought to himself, but an expression of regret.

“I-I know what you are up to shadow. D-do not believe that you will throw me off for one second. I have dealt with your kind on many occasions.” the colt said with a bit of uncertainty in his voice. Trembling slightly, he shook his head and took up a defensive stance as the floor creaked from the shift in weight. He tightened his grip on the dagger in his mouth and stared at the assassin with a fire burning in his eyes. “Maybe that is a reason you have come for me? I have defeated so many of you. I think I can take you on.” The colt said between the dagger in his mouth. “Do not think that I will just let you take the weapon for yourself. I am returning it to the ponies of Equestria.”

The cloaked pony just signed as he lowered his head to the ground taking up a fighting stance as well, albeit one much looser than the colt. Easing into his stance, the cloaked pony looked almost as ready as the colt if not more so. The colt eyed the assassin carefully as he let go a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. He was nervous for every time he fought a member of their order, he had always survived the encounters he had had so far. That is half the reason he had been sent out by the Princesses to retrieve this relic. A weapon that truly belonged to the citizens Equestia.

The rain poured outside as the two stared at each other. The winds howled and the sky rumbled as the storm blew across the city. The sky opened up in a deafening roar as lighting flashed across the sky filling the room with lights once again. And as the powerful sounds and blinding lights wound down all the colt could see was the assassin standing right in front of him staring him down.

With one fluid motion and a surprising amount of finesse, the cloaked pony spun on his hooves and swung his forelegs dangerously close to the colt. A direct his may have ended the confrontation right there, but that was always the case when fighting them. Seeing an opportunity to strike the pony lunged at the assassin, bringing the dagger close enough to slice of a small portion of the cloaked figure’s mane. The cloaked pony jumped back eyeing the falling highlight as it touched the floorboards. The assassin stood perfectly still, not even taking up a defensive stance. Instead he let the tension slip away and he almost looked relaxed. Lighting flashed once more.

But the colt was ready this time, for when the light receded and the assassin appeared in front of him, the pony flicked his head and brought the dagger down on the cloaked pony’s foreleg.

*Chink*

The grey pony opened his eyes, for he had closed them so he would not get blood in his eyes. But what he saw terrified him even more. The dagger had cut through the rather thin garment that the assassin was wearing revealing a metal plate strapped to his leg with a tough fabric.

The assassin took this opportunity to shove the colt to the far corner of the room. The cloaked pony was roughly the same size as the colt, but with ease he managed to toss the colt far enough to get the colt to lose grip on his weapon. Afterwards the cloaked pony moved closer. Seeing this though, the cold spun back onto his hooves showing an impressive amount of dexterity as well. While the two fought inside, the elements waged an even greater war. Between the clashing of thunder the two exchanged blows, and as lightning streaked through the clouds, knives screamed through the air.

The storm began to die down as only a steady rain came forth from its depths. The two battling inside also began to slow down as the intensity of their fight began to wind down. The two were breathing heavily from the combat, although it seemed that the cloaked pony was a little more fatigued than the colt. Seeing this and a pause in combat, the colt took the opportunity to throw some banter at his opponent.

“Looks as if you are a good match for me assassin.” The colt said slowly taking a deep breath every few words. “I have not fought like this for quite some time. You should-“

”Enough!”

The cloaked pony suddenly screamed cutting of the colt mid-sentence. With a kick from his hooves the pony was off in a flash, in a brisk run towards his opponent. Seeing this the colt drew from his memory to see if it may aid him this time. Remembering his runic dagger he had used earlier he realized that it was only just behind him now when it had been on the opposite corner of the room when the fighting began. Quickly pulling it out of the wall with his mouth he colt threw it with the same amount of strength as the first.

The dagger went flying through the air straight for the pony’s chest. But in an astounding display of evasion, the cloaked pony flipped over onto a fore hoof and swung his hind legs high into the air as he brought the colt down with them punctuating his feat with a familiar thump of the dagger imbedding itself within the walls of the complex.

The colt was defenseless now. He had used up all of his knives during the fight. Now his was on the ground pinned by a firm hoof of the assassin before him. It would only be a matter of time now. For a long time the cloaked pony looked straight into the colt’s eyes, seemingly intent on staring the pony down. The colt clenched his jaw in anger as the assassin just stared at him.

“Do not mock me! Finish the job already. Just know that Equestia will- Ack..!” The colt wheezed as the cloaked pony pressed his hoof down harder on the pony. Leaning in a bit closed he asked the pony a simple question.

“Where is it?” The pony said slowly. His voice came out low and cold, almost like a whisper or a plea for compliance. This frightened the colt a bit. He had known that the members of their order were trained to act as such. But something about this figure bothered him. Every emotion felt real and true, not fake and refined. Seeing as the colt didn’t answer, this only caused the cloaked pony to press down harder.

“You stole it from me.” He said plainly.

“I did not..! Your kind stole it from the ponies of Equestria.” With that last sentence the colt used his hind legs to buck the cloaked pony clear off him. With a slight backwards roll, the colt was back on his hooves in an instant. The cloaked pony did the same as he too got back to his hooves. Wiping his mouth with the cloth covering his fore leg, he stood relaxed and dropped his stance.

The colt was about to attack when the cloaked pony tapped at his own fore leg. At first the colt didn’t get it. I peered over at his opponent’s leg. Nothing seemed out of place and the only thing significant about that leg was the fact that underneath the thin cloth there was metal plating protecting his him. The colt was almost about to ask the cloaked figure what that gesture could of possibly meant when the assassin pointed a hoof at the colt’s own fore leg. The colt eyes suddenly grew wide as he looked at his own leg. With a shocked look on his face he noticed a thin layer of white chalk covering his fore leg and beneath him was an intricate arcane circle with many crossing lines and powerful symbols.  These symbols were ones that the colt knew well.

Jumping up to escape the colt tried to avoid the trap that he had been forced into. The cloaked pony was ready though.

“Inretio!” The cloaked pony cried out. The room was briefly bathed in a brilliant purple light as the arcane circle lit up. The runic symbols on the circle flared as the lines crossing through the circle flared up with just as much intensity and detained the colt from moment. The colt struggled in vain to escape his bounds only to be met by the strong magic that now held him in place.

Slowly approaching the colt, the cloaked pony extended a hoof into the  pony’s saddle bag. To the delight of the colt, as soon as the fore leg of the cloaked pony crossed over the lines of the arcane circle, they lashed out at him in an attempt to detain their creator as well. But to his dismay just as soon as they lashed out, the tethers receded just as soon as they appeared noticing the magical signature of their master.

Reaching into the saddle bag of the colt, the cloaked pony retrieved a silvery rod from within its depths. In the bright lights of the circle, the pony finally pulled back the hood he wore to reveal a dark purple spiked mane with a vibrant yellow and blue streak though it. Moving his mane to observe the rod, he did a small gasp when he suddenly realized what the object was.

“Starmetal… That must mean…” The pony whispered as he pulled his hood back on.

“-That it is in fact Princess Celestia of Equestria’s one and only enchanted blade. It is infused with her magic as she carved those runes in herself. May the Princess herself banish you to the sun if you take that away from us you traitor.” The colt interrupted.

The words struck the cloaked pony with unbridled fury, but he paid them no heed. It was just useless badgering to him. Instead He held the rod in his mouth as he closed his eyes in concentration. The runes flashed a familiar white for a moment, but only a moment before dying down again. In frustration the cloaked pony tried once more, but to his dismay the rod’s magical runes died down at the moment they noticed who was wielding them. With a sigh of defeat the pony placed it in one of the pouches strapped to his legs. And even with the weapon in place, the pony took extra care to make sure it stayed safe. So much so that he fiddled around with the straps on the pouch until they were just right.

Seeing how distraught the cloaked pony was, the ensnared colt took this opportunity to throw more banter at the pony.

“Ha! There are only a few who are able to wield a weapon like that. You must have her permission and enough magical potential to use it.” The colt said dejectedly. “And it looks like you have neither. How do you expect to-“

“Inretio!” The cloaked pony roared angrily interrupting the colt mid-sentence. Rolling up his cloak’s sleeve, the pony revealed a deep red gem that had been laid upon a similar fabric to the colt’s. Albeit his was a much darker shade to match his cloak.

The red gem flashed brightly and with a superb display of magical energy, arcane magic came bursting forth pouring power into the snaring arcane circle. The purple and red colors danced and mingled until they combined to form a more sinister combination of both colors. Only when he uttered another word prompting his magic to stop, did the gems magic cease flowing turning a much dark shade of crimson. With just as much intensity as the magic just displayed, the tethers that had been restraining the colt increased in strength until the colt was brought to his knees. He strained to stand back up pouring his remaining energy into at least moving. The ropes that held him down were too strong. They made sure to keep the colt down as more and more started to appear holding the colt down with even more strength.

“I have accomplished my mission. I have no need to stay and pester you.” The cloaked pony said walking towards the door that was placed right behind the trapped colt. The colt knew what kind of gem the pony had used and how it worked. He could already feel its after effects as the circle was already starting to weaken as the colt could now move his legs a bit. Not by much, but just a bit. He was running out of time. If he didn’t act quickly the assassin would escape and his mission would be lost. In the swirling lights of the magic emanating from the circle, the restrained pony noticed that his yellow gem had let out a spark or two and regained some of its color back. Smiling to himself the colt knew what he must do. In another burst of strength, the colt reached out with a fore hoof and grabbed a leg of the cloaked pony.

With a small shout the colt said with as much strength he could muster;

“Redire!”

Suddenly a small rune at the base of the dagger’s handle flared up and removed itself from the wall, spinning towards the colts hoof just as he had commanded it to do. To the colt’s credit though, the cloaked pony’s leg was right in between his hoof and the flying dagger. With a satisfying slice and a painful scream from the assassin, the dagger planted itself a considerable depth into the pony’s leg. The rune died down as the colt’s yellow gem turned a dark yellow and died out.

With ireful anger, the cloaked pony jerked his leg away from the colt and used his teeth to promptly pull the dagger out and throw it out of the window and clear out of sight. The colt, satisfied with his work, pulled his arm back exhaling slipping into deep though as he began the process of forming an escape plan all the while tethers began the process of detaining his leg once more.

But the cloaked pony had other ideas. To the disbelief of the colt, the pony pulled out a familiar piece of chalk that he had acquired earlier and began to chalk out an entirely new ring of runic symbols to the already active circle. Seeing this, the colt began to panic. He did not recognize any of the patterns that the pony was drawing in. If he had known any better he would have thought that the cloaked pony was trying to destabilize the circle.

“W-What are you doing? You are ruining the flow of the magic! W-Who knows what may happen?” The colt stammered out. “You might light the building on fire. You might change the purpose of the energy. You might even kill me!”

The cloaked pony was kneeling on the ground as he finished off the last bit of the chalk, not even completing a full circle. Standing up and dusting himself off as he spoke.

“It may do anyone of those things. But I am not willing to kill you.” This surprised the colt as he blinked in confusion. From what he knew, his kind were always willing to make a final blow to their opponents. At least that is what he had been told. This pony was something different though. Every assumption he had made so far had either been right, or been proven horribly wrong. The colt looked up into the pony’s eyes and in turn the pony looked down at the colt. All the colt could feel was an intense feeling of remorse and regret. But on the outside he could see nothing. The pony’s expression was as cold and lifeless as when they had first crossed paths. The colt was intrigued at this and peered deeper into the pony’s eyes. The assassin, however, did not feel the same way as he turned his head and broke eye contact.

“These symbols will not kill you.” The cloaked pony said as his head snapped back and a look of anger adorned his face.

“But only just.”

The cloaked pony turned around to walk, leaving a small trail of blood as he limped across the floor towards a nearby window. The pony could barely walk a few feet before having to stop and care to his wound. Ripping off a piece of his cloak, the pony wrapped it tightly around the gash all the while mentally scolding himself for not doing so sooner. The colt saw this and once again deemed the moment another perfect time to comment.

“How do you expect to escape now? You can barely walk yourself. You are as immobilized as I am.” The colt said as the binds that held him down started to weaken and small flames began to form around the circle. Destabilizing the magic may be the mistake the colt was waiting for the pony to make. Feeling the change in his binds, the colt slowly began to rise to his hooves just as the cloaked pony made it to the window. Then the pony hopped up and propped open the window as he slowly began to take of his tattered cloak. The colt had just now gotten to his hooves just in time to see the now uncloaked pony take off his garments.

What he saw almost caused him to fall back to the ground. For underneath the cloak the assassin had hidden away a pair of wings. Not wasting another moment, the colt pulled against his magical binds until the very tethers that once kept him in place snapped. A flame came forth form the mismatched runes creating a small wall of flames from the redirected magic channeling from the tethers to the unfinished circle. But this did not stop the colt one bit. Closing his eyes and stomping through the fire, he ran towards the pony in hopes to stop him. But when he reopened his eyes, his assailant had already left. The colt peered out of the window to see that the storm had cleared out a large portion of the miasma that plagued the city. But now much of the dangerous substance was amassed in large pools all around the streets. For a moment the colt though of pursuing is assailant, but that would be impossible in these conditions. Furthermore, he also saw his opponent weaving through the buildings in the distance almost out of sight of the colt.

Cursing his luck one final time, the colt sighed and stamped his hoof on the ground as he returned inside to retrieve his belongings and return home. It was his duty to inform the Princesses of his failure for they would then decide what to do next. It would not be wise to do much else at this point.

-=::------------------------------------------------------------------::=-

The assassin streaked through the skies and darted between the buildings of the city. While he was thankful for the clear skies, he knew that their purity would not last forever. Eventually more of the poisonous smoke would find its way back into the city and the air would once again not be safe for flying. Approaching on of the wider streets in the city the pegasus took the opportunity to wind down after a fight with the colt. Pulling up into a steep almost vertical climb, the pegasus stopped right before the impenetrable cloud layer and flipped over on his back and let his wings go limp against his body. He felt his mane and tail whipping against his body as his bandana held on for dear life. Closing his eyes and counting away, this was one of the only moments where the pegasus could feel relaxed. But that feeling soon ended as he turned over again being beckoned back down to the earth by the gravity that kept him in place. With a powerful flap form his wings he was off again, this time though just a bit faster as he streaked across the sky to his destination.

He took a moment to observe his surroundings as he neared the one of the main parks in the city. Or at least what was left of it. The landscape was covered only be the twisted mass of trees that dotted the landscape. The once beautiful river that curved through the open fields was now an ugly green poisoned by the toxic gasses that the pony could see rolling in again only a few miles out. The park was utterly barren and deserted. No life could sustain itself on its surface. For being one of the lowest points in the entire city, the miasma liked to pool itself there.

The lone pony just smiled to himself though. Easily pitching himself over and turning into a dive, the pegasus carefully landed near of the parks bridges that crossed over the deadly waters making sure to ease himself into the landing considering his injury. The large bridge was mostly composed of stone that, much like the rest of the city, was now crumbling under the weight of its new environment that it was never designed to handle. It too was a victim of a catastrophe that not many had foreseen. Slowly making his way to the underside of the bridge, the pegasus came around to one of the large stone walls that supported the bridge from underneath. The pony cantered up to one of its wall and stood still beneath a small patch of dead grass. To the untrained eye, one would question the relevance of the spot to this pony. But upon closer inspection, one could easily see the markings carved out of the soil much darker than the surrounding soil. Markings which corresponded with similar ones subtly worked into the intricate detailing of the stone work.

Folding his wings back onto his back, the pegasus closed his eyes in concentration as he whispered his enchantment.

“Scio me vis probare, haec saxa ego potest movere.”

Suddenly from the dark red gem that the pony wore on his leg, a bright flash of red light erupted once more from it as a small pair of hoof sized circles underneath the pegasus’s hooves lit up the same vivid color of red. Then on the face of the stone bridge that the pony was standing by, a similar pair of circles appeared on the surface as the large center stone of the bridge began to slowly recede into the ground revealing a passage behind it. The pegasus frowned though as his gem began to flicker. Hastily stepping off of the circles, he broke the flow of the spell leaving only a tiny gap just wide enough for him to slip through. Looking up the pegasus only regretted using so much of his gems energy on that colt. His could not use the ambient magic in the air to recharge itself like the colt’s. No, his worked much differently.

With a small flap of his wing, the cold easily reached that height and slipped in without even a hitch. Landing on his hooves on the inside of the secret passage, the ochre pony winced as he landed on a bit on his bad hoof. Quickly shaking himself off though, he ventured deeper into the passage. Long before he had ever set a hoof in this place, it had once been used to monitor the park and maintain a safe environment for the ponies that came to enjoy the parks natural serenity. But that time had long since passed and now the pegasus used this small room as his home. Pulling a small box of matches from one of his pouches strapped to his legs, the pony delicately pulled a match stick and struck it against the floor illuminating his face for a moment. The pegasus then went to light the small candle on a desk that he had set up. The room was small enough for the candle to light up the entire room. There wasn’t much in to speak about though, the pegasus thought to himself. He had only had the desk on which he put his candle, a chair, and a rough blanket on which he slept on from time to time. On the wall hung his beat saddle bags and an extra garment similar to his cloak.

It wasn’t much, but it was always more compared to what he normally had to deal with. With a discontent sigh the pegasus unstrapped his metal vambraces and his multiple knife holders as he threw it onto his desk. Carefully easing himself into his chair, he rested his bandaged hoof on the table and began to unravel his makeshift dressing. With another hoof the pony pulled out a drawer revealing a thin roll of gauze, some strips of cloth and another gem inlayed in a familiar brown fabric. The pegasus took the emerald gem and placed it on the table next to his vambrace. Then he proceeded to remove the gem he had on his leg. With as much care as he had taken since entering his sanctuary, the pegasus gently slipped the band over his wound. Again wincing from pain as the band slipped over his wound, the pony kept a calm face as he removed the now bloody band and placed it near the other. Then the pegasus slipped on the band with the bright green gem on it and eased it above his wound. He observed the gem under the faint candle light. It shone a bright and cheery green as it sparkled under the little light that illuminated the room. But that would not last very long.

“Per… Curo….” The pegasus said as a slow green light began to flow from the gem. The light cascaded down the pony’s leg as it began to seep into his wounds filling it with a cool feeling that alleviated the pain. He could feel his hunger and thirst slowly increasing as the gem did what it was designed to do. The pegasus relaxed and took a deep breath as he let the magic work its course. A thought meandered by in the pony’s mind as he broke his concentration and let the gem’s radiant light die down. Taking the small piece of cloth he pulled out of the drawer, the pony delicately placed it on his incision and wrapped it tightly with the gauze he had laying on the side. After making sure it was fashioned correctly, the pegasus said another enchantment.

“Percuro et infundere.”

Once again the gems light shone its green color letting the aura flow into the fabric and infuse itself with the fibers. Even after he ceased to concentrate on the enchantment at hoof, the pegasus could still feel the lingering magic of the emerald as he slipped it off of his fore leg and returned it to its original place within the drawers of his desk. Placing the remainder of his things into the small drawer, the pony replaced his vambrace and moved it to his other, wounded leg, as he slipped on a spare cloak and knife holders. With a slight tug from his mouth he fastened each one carefully and tightly high on his fore legs to ensure that it would stay on. He then checked the contents of his small leg pouches. On his right was small pile of various chalks that he had collected as well as a small wooden whistle on a thin metal necklace. On his left lay a small compass and, of course, Celestia’s mythical weapon. The pegasus sighed as he breathed easy knowing that these things were still with him. He would need all of these things if he was going to survive out in the ruins.

Placing his ruby band onto his undressed leg, the pegasus stood up as he climbed out of his chair grabbing the garment that hung on the walls. This garment was similar to his cloak in many ways, but it had just as many differences. This particular article was the same shade of dark red as his cloak and still sported a familiar hood. But instead of long sleeves and an open shirt design, this one was closed and had much shorter sleeves that sat close to the pegasus’s body. The back did not flow outwards like his cloak had, although it still covered his flanks and let his tail hang behind him. Grabbing his saddle bags with his teeth, the pony slung the packs over his flanks and strapped them tightly on to his flanks. Normally they would be much heavier than they were now with the amount of supplies he carried with him back and forth through the ruins. But now since his water and food supplies were running low, the pegasus’s saddle bags were almost empty save for a dry water flask. Lastly the pegasus pulled out the small whistle from one of his leg pouches and threw it over his bandana which lay still tied around his neck like a cowpony’s handkerchief.

Now finally dressed up in his new attire, the lone pony made his way back down the hall towards the stone door making sure to extinguish the small wax candle before jumping out through the small gap at the top of the door. Once he had landed outside he noticed that the green mist had already begun to roll into the park. Without wasting time the pegasus stamped his hooves into the ground as he shouted his enchantment. With a brief flash of light, the two pairs of circles lit up with a dull red as the stone began to work its way back up into its original position. The ruby’s light, however, abruptly stopped as it turned a dark shade of maroon. Just as abruptly as the light had stopped, the lights emanating from the two pairs of circles ceased as well as the stone door came to a grinding halt. Luckily for the pegasus though, his gem had just enough magic to close the door fully ensuring an airtight seal.

Not a moment too soon, right when the ochre pegasus took off into the sky did the smoke roll through the park. The pegasus didn’t look back though, he needed to get to his destination quickly. He had used up the last bit of his gems magical reserves to seal his hideaway. He did not have any magic left to enchant the bandana on his muzzle to filter the air he breathed. Quickly darting through the ruins of Manehattan, the pony’s wings beat quickly as he raced the mist through the city. Hastily the pegasus pitched over in a dive as columns of rushing air caused some of the toxic gasses to fly overhead faster than he could fly. Keeping low to the ground, the pony dodged a falling piece of concrete that had fallen from above the cloud layer towards the water laden streets below. The pegasus streaked across the sky as he took a sharp turn onto one of the main streets of the city. All around him large concentrations of the menacing gas were leaking out from the connecting side streets as a giant wave of the green fog came racing down the main street chasing down the pegasus in cold, unbridled fury.

He could see his target now. It was a rather large factory in the distance near the center of the town. Any of the windows that had not been shattered were heavily boarded up and the main entrance was covered in impassible debris. So much so that all of this was all evident and could be seen from a distance. He though knew one of the only ways into the facility. Flapping his wings even harder, the pegasus swung over onto the side of the factory squinting as the wind and his mane whipped at his face. The pony was now very close to his destination now. Reaching up with a hoof, the pegasus grabbed the small wooden whistle in a hoof and placed it in his mouth. With a deep breath he blew as hard as he could into the whistle.

The whistle let out a high pitch screech that pierced that air much like the sound a hawk would make as it announced its presence. Loosening his grip on the whistle and letting it flail behind his head, the pegasus rolled over as he quickly approached a reinforced metal door down a small passage way on the side of the factory. The pony landed on the round with a hard thump that shook the very ground around him. A burning pain shot up his leg, but that would be nothing compared to what he might have to face if he was stuck out here any longer.

The brown pony raced towards the door as he waited nervously in front of it. From out of the corner of his eyes he saw a small bit of movement in one of the windows. The pony looked behind him now to see that the miasma was growing near just a hundred paces out now. The pegasus was very worried now. And even if he didn’t show it, his entire body was coursing with adrenaline as he tried to keep his outward emotions in check. Quickly running up to the door and banging a hoof on it, he clenched his teeth as the smoke grew ever closer. To his relief, a bright green light traced the edges of the large door as it slowly began to open up. Swiftly entering the door just when it was wide enough to enter, he was greeted cheerfully by an alabaster unicorn that smiled at the sight of the pegasus. The colt though only responded by shooting a quick nod at the mare. This drew a little frown from the unicorn, but she dismissed the thought for there were more pressing matters at hoof.

The smoke drew dangerously close now, only less than a hundred paces out. Without much time to spare, the unicorn squeezed her eyes shut in concentration as the door was lined with a familiar green glow. Slowly the door began to ease itself back into place, but not quickly enough the pegasus noticed. At the rate that it was closing at the entire room may be filled with the mist in moments. The pegasus though was not about to let that happen. He had a mission to complete.

Grabbing the handle with his mouth, he fiercely beat his wings as he pulled the door shut just seconds before the howling sounds of wind could be heard from outside. With a well-earned sigh of relief, the pegasus dropped back down onto the ground and lowered his head, ears folded back, as he took a deep breath very worn out from the events that had just taken place. The unicorn took this opportunity to walk up the colt as she spoke up in smooth, feminine tone.

“So Runic, how was your day?” The unicorn said in a sweet voice curiously eyeing the colt with her deep blue eyes. The pegasus didn’t reply though as he closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath. The mare’s expression turned to that of embarrassment as she once again spoke to the colt.

“Sorry… So Scarlet, how was your day?” She said averting her eyes elsewhere to avoid looking at the colt.

The pegasus just continued to take breath as he simply replied; “Fine.” His prompt answer was punctuated by a deep exhale as he started down the dark corridors venturing deeper into the factory. The mare seeing this frowned at the short response of the colt. It was like this every time they spoke together, or when she saw him speak to anyone. He was always calm and cool, stoic and stern, detached and dry. But above all, his voice was hollow. She had noticed this peculiar fact about the colt every time he spoke. The fact that his voice was hollow. Walking a bit closer this time and lighting up the dark hallways with a delicate green emanating from her horn, the mare poked the pegasus in the shoulder as she spoke once more.

“Are you sure? You don’t sound too well.”

Scarlet only ignored the voice of the mare as he continued down the hallways that were intricately woven throughout the factory. He had something important to attend to, and speaking to this mare wasn’t on his priorities list, period. As they continued their walk down the eerily silent pathways deeper into the factory, they came across a set of stairs that led downwards farther into the facility. The pegasus steeled himself as he carefully eased his hoof down onto the stair set. Normally he would glide down the stairs, but with his injured leg, low ceiling, and fatigued body, he wasn’t too sure in his abilities at the moment. The unicorn saw this as she trotted over to the colt and took a good look at his injured leg he kept up off the floor.

“Are you hurt Scarlet?” She asked as she bent down to take a good look at the dressings that were beneath Scarlet’s vambraces. Scarlet though paid no heed to the unicorn as she delicately undid the bindings of his vambrace and slipped it off. Underneath the glow of her horn, the unicorn slowly unraveled the pegasus’s dressings until she revealed a small incision on the back of his leg. The pegasus looked away from the unicorn as she frowned a bit. No sign of embarrassment was shown on his face though. He was instead turning away to look down the hallway. He knew he had to be somewhere, and even though he still had plenty of time to spare, he did not wish to waste any time at all. But not wanting to offend the unicorn mare, Scarlet stood still as she examined the cut.

The mare eyed the cut intently as she swept her mane to the side with a flick of her head revealing a rather large green emerald inlaid on an intricately designed amulet with subtle runes incorporated into its design. Whispering her own special enchantment, the mare used her horn as a tool to guide the subtle luminance of the gems light towards Scarlet’s wound. Upon contact, the tendrils of light gentely wrapped themselves around the pegasus leg as they slowly seeped through his fur filling him with a familiar feeling of refreshing relief. Scarlet let out a relaxed sigh as he slowly let the feeling seep in. Maybe he should of come here sooner rather than try it himself. No matter though, he enjoyed the fact that somepony cared enough to heal his wounds. The mare just smiled warmly as she too took a breath concentrating on the magic at hoof. Not only could she see the relief wash over the pegasus’s feature, but she could feel them too. She took a moment to relish in these emotions as she loved to help those who needed it. .

Scarlet looked down as he felt the familiar prick that always accompanied the spell whenever the mare used her healing magic to help the injured. And although he knew that his wound wasn’t completely healed, just hidden beneath some subtle illusory magic, he knew that her spells would quicken the process and help him deal with the pains. Scarlet bend down and took hold of his vambrace in his teeth as he tightened it around his fore leg resting it back into its original position. Then eyeing the stair set intently, the pegasus began his accent downwards at a much greater ease than he could of formerly achieved without the help of the mare.

This led Scarlet to wonder though. The mare was exceptionally talented in the magics of restoration and illusions, but with every spell she cast on him, he felt a strange pinching sensation in the back of his mind. He pushed the thought away though as they came to the bottom of the stairs entering a long hallway filled with other ponies milling about through the faint torch lit hallways. The hallways were all lit by torches that let out an ethereal green glow cast out by a wispy emerald fire that burned on each one of the torches. The ponies were all wearing a necklace similar to that of the unicorn mare’s with the similarities stretching as far as to the craftsmanship and detailing on the amulet itself.

“I shall be seeing you then Ivory Dawn. I have more pressing matters to attend to.” Scarlet said with a slight nod as he continued past the ward at a brisk pace. Threading through the other ponies, Scarlet almost made it around the corner as he felt a familiar hoof jab at his shoulder. The pegasus craned his head around to see that Ivory had followed him down the hallway again. She gave a pleading look as she spook in a slightly shaky tone that stood out considerably from her soft flowing voice.

“Oh… Where are you going?” Ivory said innocently staring into his eyes as he felt a familiar pinch in the back of his mind.

Scarlet just pushed the mare gently out of the way breaking eye contact as he started down the hallway flaring his wings out in obvious frustration. Ivory shrunk back a bit as the pegasus felt the pinching sensation leave yet again. “I am on my way to meet Auburn and see Red Midnight.” The pegasus said as he started back down the hallway. Opening his wings up and using them to propel himself down the hallway, Scarlet did not want to waste any more time than he needed too. At this rate he would be late, and he knew full well what happened to the ponies that were late to their obligations. Taking a corner, Scarlet pushed through a pair of double doors into an ominously illuminated chamber lit by torches on the wall that burned red hot. Inside was nothing too fancy. Just a generic hallway lined with simple doors and another set of double doors at the opposite end.

Suddenly there was a small green flash of light coming from behind Scarlet. Surprised, the pegasus turned around to see a deep blue pegasus mare fidgeting to remove the all-too-familiar necklace from her own neck. Scarlet trotted over to the pegasus as she put the necklace away in favor of a red leg band.

“Auburn, you know we do not use those gems.” Scarlet said in a hollow tone. The mare just rolled her eyes as Scarlet spoke. She waved her hoof in the air as she slowly hovered over to Scarlet and mock his vocal mannerisms in the most ridiculous ways. The brown pegasus just looked away without pressing the subject as he headed for the end of the hallway with Auburn close behind. Flying lazily on her back, Auburn drifted up next to Scarlet with her fore legs tucked behind her head. “Whatever Scar. It’s not like I’m playing for keeps. I’ll be sure to return it to the Dawns as soon as we are done. Don’t get your feathers in a bunch.” The mare said before slipping back over and landing quietly on her hooves.

A pin drop could be heard in the deafening silence of the crimson halls. Scarlet had grown used to it though. This is how things were always like, and they weren’t about to change anytime soon. Auburn though, had a different idea. Getting a bit antsy from the silence, she spoke up and jabbed the pegasus colt hard on the side.

“So did you get it? I know I helped you scout the guy out, but I really didn’t see the end of it. A whole patrol of them came around, and this time they were serious Scar. Pegasi, unicorns, and even earth ponies larger than both you and me combined!” Auburn said as she leapt in the air. Scarlet scowled at the eccentric mare as this was always the cast with his partner.

“Auburn, I don’t need any of your excuses at the moment.” Scarlet said flatly.

The mare just let out a grunt of disapproval as she turned away. “It’s not my fault. I asked if you wanted any help. Besides, I saw you fly out just before the smoke rolled in. After that I just head back to base knowing that my partner had half a brain and could get himself back as well.” Auburn said as she turned her head and lifted an eyebrow to face Scarlet who still had his eyes trained on the approaching door. “That is assuming you do have half a brain, right?”

Scarlet speaking in his normal monotonous voice responded simply. “Making assumptions is not a very good practice in our line or work Auburn.” The mare just nodded slightly as they both opened the double doors leading into a large circular room.

“So your saying that you don’t have half a-“

“Greetings Scarlet and Auburn. It is nice to see you two again.” A voice said in a deep, guttural tone. The two hearing their names formally addressed stood at attention as they dropped the conversation as their faces bore a mask of complete and utter commitment.

“And also with you sir.” The two said in the same flat tone. The two looked up in unison as they saw a pure white pegasus stallion step down from a perch situated near the top of the room. His jet black mane and tail barely visible in the torch light. And even though the stallion had an imposing figure, not a single sound could be heard as he used his wings to guide himself to the ground quietly. On the ground, the two got a better look at the stallion. He was almost like a ghost in this low light, and his mane flowed in the slight wind he kicked up almost like shadows themselves as the fell back into place. But what really caught their eyes was the sight of the monstrous, radiantly cut ruby that sat on a thick metal necklace. It glowed slightly, absolutely teeming with potential magical energy practically dwarfing Auburn’s gem which was tiny in comparison, and Scarlet’s gem which did not even hold a charge at the moment.

“Well, out with it!” The stallion said punctuating his sentence with a powerful stomp of his hoof. Startled, the two younger pegasi quickly were snapped out of their blank stares as Auburn jabbed Scarlet in the shoulder. Taking the less than subtle hint in stride, the colt carefully unstrapped the pouch on his fore leg and took the Sun Princesses weapon out with this opposite hoof handing it to the stallion. The stallion was patient with the two younger pegasi. Standing tall and observing the two carefully he outstretched his hoof as he took the weapon from Scarlet with a surprising amount of delicacy. Scarlet and Auburn then slowly backed up allowing their superior to examine the relic.

The stallion eyed the silvery rod intently taking note of every little detail down to the individual tips of each rune carved into the metal. A small smile crept onto his face. With a powerful flap of his wings that sent gusts of air throughout the small room. Their superior, now back in his perch dismissed the two with a hoof as he gave his farewells to the pair.

“Job well done my Midnights. You have served out order well. Get some rest now children, I will call for you again next storm front for your next assignment. You can find your rations in your quarters and I will be sure to acknowledge you at council.” The stallion said from his perch.

“We are pleased to serve Red Midnight and The Order.” The two pegasi said in unison. Then as quickly as she appeared, Auburn left the room motioning a hoof at the emerald necklace that she had with her. The doors closed now that Auburn had left, but Scarlet remained, his striking purple eyes still staring up at the perch of his superior. Red seemed to notice this though as his subsonic voice bounced off the walls.

“What do you need my Midnight? Is there something that old Red can help you with?” He said. Scarlet didn’t respond though. He just stood there with that blank look on his face, but there was something else there too. Red though, noticing no response what-so-ever, peered over the edge of his perch to see Scarlet just staring up at him. “What is it boy? Is there something troubling you?” The stallion said as he climbed out of his perch and flew back down to meet the brown pegasus. Landing next to the colt, Red placed a comforting wing around the colt as he spoke.

“You can tell me Scarlet. I am always here to talk to.” Red said trying to coax a response out of the colt. Scarlet just looked up at him now with a slightly angered face. He held the look for a moment, the piercing emptiness of his eyes slightly unnerving the stallion. The stallion just couldn’t look away. Something about this colt terrified him, but he wasn’t about to admit that fact Instead he just steeled himself as the colt kept their gazes locked in place. Red’s composure was beginning to falter under the agonizing wait he was being put through, the uncertainty of what the colt might ask, and above all the colt’s insensate stare.

“What about my mother?” Scarlet finally said defusing the tension in the room. The stallion just smiled as he gave a firm pat on the back.

“Your mother is fine my Midnight.” Red said gently easing the colt out of his chambers and into the hall. Scarlet had stopped right in front of the door back turned as Red slowly closed both doors with his hooves. Just before they had closed, in the choking silence that filled the hall, Scarlet could still hear the whisperings of his superior.

“-But I wish I could say the same for your father…” And with a sinister smile the stallion slammed the doors shut and the sound of the sliding deadbolt could be heard leaving Scarlet alone in the empty hall with only his thoughts.

-=::--------------------------End of chapter--------------------------::=-

-=::Author's Notes::=-

Sincerest Salutations my dear readers. This would be DarkAudacity speaking.

I seem to be in as much of an odd situation here as our Scarlet here.

Mine though will not be nearly as complicated as his dilemma

...

At least I hope it won't.

What I am looking for dear readers is a person with enough willpower to work with me on a fiction such as this.

Now I'm not going to sugarcoat it any further, so I will come out with it.

--->I need an editor.<---

Now please allow me to clarify.

When I mean editor I do not mean one that will skim through and yell at me for using way too many commas.

While that would be nice, that is not the main thing I am looking for.

What I would love to have more than anything else is someone to bounce ideas off of.

Someone that I can really talk to.

Someone who gets the need for plot, good flow, and world building.

Someone that I can really talk to.

Now that I blew that out of proportions, I still need of an editor to help tame this monster of a fiction with me.

Message me however you like.

You can reach me on;

Deviantart - DarkAudacity.deviantart.com

My Gmail - DarkAudacity@gmail.com

Here onsite - DarkAudacity

Seeing a pattern? Me neither.

Until next time dear readers.

~Dark

Oh yeah.

Oh yeah yeah. 10,000+ words. I just don't know when to stop a chapter do I?