The first thing Celestia asked Skipting when they got back in the van was why he had put a dead body in the back. She felt weird asking such a question, especially at the moment, since she hadn't said anything when the Prince had put the body in the back of her van.

She was saddened to learn of the relationship between Skipting and the dead man. It shook her, listening to his story and hearing him break down. Witnessing such a composed and seemingly unshakeable man being reduced to a shaking, crying, broken mess was unnerving for her.
It made her realize that under that hard, calm exterior and personality, was a man who had been exposed to horrors that no person should have to go through. Blóðþrá even held her brother in her arms, comforting him in their native tongue.

Octavia and the others were elated when Sunset walked through the front door without a scratch on her. That elation quickly died when Vinyl saw that Skipting was bleeding. The girls quickly grabbed the Prince and made him take off his armor and clothes, remove his weapons from his person, and lay down on the couch.

The assassin made no arguments, as he was used to Ayano or one of his mothers fussing over any injuries he received during assignments.

He was even more used to the deadliest of his lovers, who his siblings teasingly called his “Fair Lady,” scolding him for being so careless, particularly when he came back from a hunt wounded and covered in much of his own blood.

She would be even more peeved upon learning that he didn’t drink any Jubelnbräu to help heal his newest wound.

But Skipting did not want the wound Odysseus had given him to heal quickly with the use of the drink. He wanted it to heal naturally. He wanted it to become yet another scar on his damaged body, as a reminder of his old friend.

So he obeyed the girls’ orders and did as he was asked quietly, hissing a bit in pain as the materials of his armor, clothes, and equipment brushed against the wound in his stomach. Once it was all off, leaving him in his undergarments, everyone, save for Blóðþrá, cried out upon seeing the countless scars covering his body.

They had figured Skipting would have quite a bit of scars, considering his occupation, and his time as a soldier in the war he occasionally briefly mentioned, but refused to give further details of.

But nothing like this.

Three massive, jagged scars traced from his left shoulder to the bottom right of his pectoral. They looked to have been somewhat deep, and judging from the numerous wounds Sunset had seen back before she left Equestria, they were possibly caused by either a sword specifically made for causing horrifying injuries, a whip made for the same purpose, or perhaps both.

There were large bite marks on his right shoulder, the left side of his neck and abdomen, his right upper arm, and his left thigh. All of them appeared to have been fairly deep, more so than the healed slash wounds. The Prince had clearly been violently attacked by some large wild animal some time ago.

Countless scars from slashes, stabs, and gunshots littered his body, with some even being dangerously close to vital areas.

As Sunset looked over her cousin’s horrifically scarred form, she noticed something rather odd. There were clean scars on his right arm just below the elbow, and his left leg above the knee. They were clean cuts, almost surgically precise, and went all the way through the limbs.

Amputation marks.

Skipting had apparently had his lower left leg and right arm amputated at some point, and yet, he still had them. Sunset didn’t know much about Changeling biology, so she wasn’t sure whether or not they could regrow limbs.

Her connection to her magic was rather weak in this world, but she could still detect Equestrian magic. Her cousin radiated a massive amount of it. However, a rather large amount of magic was focused on his own body.

For whatever reason, Skipting constantly had an illusion spell cast upon himself.

She knew that maintaining an illusion as strong as the one the Prince was using would require a constant flow of magic and energy, far more than most mages were capable of. So it was quite likely that he was using some sort of enchanted item that would keep up his illusion.

Celestia quickly got to work, taking out disinfectant, rubbing alcohol, cotton pads, gauze, and bandages. The girls had to hold Skipting down as the woman cleaned up the wound on his stomach, but even all six of them working together wasn't enough to effectively keep him still.

So Gilda stepped in and used her greater strength, which surprisingly worked, since the Prince was almost a full foot taller than her, and had what could only be described as near god-like strength.

Eventually, Blóðþrá decided to lend a hand, gently pushing Gilda out of the way—although by "gently" it was actually more like "pushing Gilda aside with enough force to knock her down on her rear"—and adding her own profound strength, which proved to be more than enough to restrain her little brother.

Celestia soon asked Skipting to turn over so she could work on his back. He did so, with the colossal woman in the room replacing her hold on him.

Thankfully, it was all finished after a little while—albeit later than Skipting would have liked—and the assassin put his clothes and armor back on, putting his weapons back where they belonged. Once Blóðþrá had started holding Skipting down, she had told the girls to go sit down on the other couch, asking Sunset to tell them what happened. Needless to say, they were all furious, but relieved that the situation was taken care of.

"I have figured out the identity of Anon-A-Miss," Skipting said, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Really?! Who is it?!" Vinyl exclaimed.

"Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo."

Three young girls sat at a table in the school library, looking at the computer screen in front of them.

"We actually did it," Apple Bloom said. "I'm honestly surprised it even worked, given the account's wallpaper and colors. But… now that we've succeeded, I just feel… empty. We’ve done more harm than good. This wasn't worth it."

"I don't want to do this anymore, girls," Sweetie Belle said. "I don't like what it's done to the school. I mean, we've ruined countless relationships and reputations."

"I agree," Scootaloo said. "But what if someone else decides to continue it? Do what we've been doing?"

“‘Kill one tyrant, and another one will soon take his place, unless you make an example of him,'" Sweetie Belle quoted, remembering a saying she had heard the new student use.

Apple Bloom turned back to the computer, pausing for a few moments to look at the student sitting a few tables away.

The farmgirl shuddered a little, before her eyes widened as the student pulled out his phone and started typing something, most likely a message to his friends, his eyes having watched the three girls the whole time.

A small ding made her jump a little in her seat. There was a new message. But it wasn't sent privately to the Anon-A-Miss account like others did when sending them stuff to post. No, it was public, so everyone in school could see it.

The message was from an account the girls had never seen before, under the username "DarkPrince1844."

The new student immediately came to mind. Skipting Lunam, he had said his name was. A prince from Equestria. The message was, in accordance with the Prince’s status as royalty, and formal manner of speech and demeanor, in a letter format, addressed specifically to Anon-A-Miss.

Dear Anon-A-Miss,

If you are reading this—and I know you are—then you must realize your time is running out. I know who you are, where you are, and where you live. You shall pay for what has been done to Sunset Shimmer, and for the chaos you have created.

You see, you are up against forces your minds cannot fully comprehend. Thirty-eight people have already died at my hands.

Are you familiar with the group known as the “Fortunate Angels,” or as they are known these days, the “Diamond Dogs?” From what I have been told, everyone in Canterlot knows about them. They used to be a kind hearted, charitable organization that would help people in need, organize fundraisers, and provide food for the homeless and the less fortunate. But they were forced to become what they are today by a rather infamous crime family.

The Diamond Dogs were ordered to break into Sunset Shimmer's home and kidnap her. It happened just yesterday. The one who gave the order clearly wanted to have Sunset killed.

So last night, I went to their hideout, killed the seven gang members posted outside the entrance, and confronted the ruffians. I demanded that they return Sunset to me unharmed, let us leave, and never bother us again, in exchange for their lives.

Fifteen of the forty-four members of the Diamond Dogs I confronted wanted desperately to meet my demands, having not wanted the kidnapping to happen in the first place. These fifteen, along with the gang's leader and his brothers, wanted to go back to what they used to be, before they were forcefully turned into monsters. I allowed these eighteen to live, so they could return to what they once were.

Another six members also wanted the same as those eighteen. These six were not at the hideout during my confrontation, as they were spending time with their families.

The other twenty-nine, however, liked their current lives. So I drew my blade and slaughtered them. What is the saying your people use? "Pics or it didn't happen?" Well, I have pictures of the aftermath. I even have a copy of the security footage that captured the event, given to me by the head of the Fortunate Angels.

That should tell you who and what you are dealing with.

I am a soldier. An assassin. A hunter. And you, Anon-A-Miss, as well as all involved, are my prey.

I will have you know that I have a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.

I have a simple offer: Surrender immediately, come to me, confess your sins, repent, and delete the account, and I shall be merciful. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. Refuse, continue to post, or try to hide, and I will look for you, I will find you, and you will be punished.

Sincerely,

Prince Skipting Frodo Lafrenière-Ryōshi-Lunam of Equestria, son of Princess Nightmare Moon, Diarch of the Night, Ruler of Equestria, and Queen Chrysalis, Sacred Mother of the Changeling Swarm

The girls' eyes widened as they read the letter. They started shaking slightly. The sound of a chair being dragged across the carpet made them look to the source. The student who had been watching them was standing up. His eyes locked onto the three girls as he began to walk towards them.

They looked up at him once he was standing in front of them, his hazel eyes staring at them from beneath his hood.

He was an unusual student, always hiding his face beneath a hood and a cloth mask. He spoke with a formal tone, and never raised his voice, even in situations where even the calmest person, like Miss Zecora Younger or Bon Bon, or the friendliest person, like Miss Cheerilee Connely or Ditzy Doo, could become a whirlwind of noise and anger.

He always wore his signature hooded black leather jacket. It had a rather interesting design on the back, consisting of a human body hung upside down from a tree by its ankles, the head pierced through the left eye by an arrow, with two people in cloaks and forest camouflage armed with bows perched amidst the branches of the tree, looking down at a group of people.

No one knew what the design was supposed to mean—if it meant anything—nor did anyone have any idea whether it was some sort of reference to something.

Quite a few people were confused as to why the staff allowed him to wear a jacket with such a disturbing design. But when students asked Principal Soleil and Vice Principal Mond about it, they said it was a very important part of his culture and personality, a culture they themselves had great respect for and close connections to.

However, the most interesting—and confusing—thing about him was that no one actually knew his real name. He never told it to anyone.

The staff clearly knew it, but instead, they referred to him by another name. The group of students who were close friends of his from their hometown always used this name. Even his own siblings and cousins called him by the other name.

On the occasions he removed his jacket—which were extremely rare—one could see the strange tattoos and markings that covered his arms. The most notable of his markings were the strange, black, tendril-like lines that covered almost the entirety of his left arm and hand.

On the occasions he did lower his hood, one could see his reddish-brown shoulder-length hair, with a wide black streak down the center that went from the tips of his bangs to the back end of his hair.

That, combined with the occasionally mischievous glint in his eyes, and his signature predatory grin that could be seen even under his mask, had led many to refer to him by the name the staff and his close friends used.

"H-Hey, Jackal," Apple Bloom greeted nervously.

"Good morning, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo. How are you today?" Jackal greeted formally.

"Um, we're fine," they replied.

"Splendid."

“What about you? How are you?” Sweetie Belle said.

“I am well. Dear Violenza and I had a wonderful time last night.”

"Did you want something?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes, in fact," he said. "I apologize for my eavesdropping, but I couldn't help but listen to your conversation."

He grabbed one of the chairs and sat down, clasping his hands together.

"Are any of you aware that Rarity was attacked last night?" he asked.

Only Sweetie Belle nodded, sadness on her face.

"What do you mean, 'attacked?'" Apple Bloom asked.

"A group of armed men was in Rarity’s home. They were apparently there to watch her,” he explained. “The new student, Prince Skipting Lunam, Sunset Shimmer, Gilda King, and Principal Celestia Soleil entered the house after His Highness killed the two men out in front. Upon entering the house, Gilda killed all of the men inside, before they all went upstairs to Rarity’s room, where they confronted her.

"However, another person showed up, a young man who has a very personal vendetta against Rarity. He cut off her right hand."

Jackal stood up and looked at the computer screen.

"But that doesn't really matter to you. It doesn't really matter too much to the situation the three of you have put yourselves in."

The girls froze, realizing they hadn't logged out of the account or closed the website. They could see movement under his cloth mask. He was grinning that signature predatory grin of his, his eyes flashing with a mischievous glint.

"They're in here, Your Highness!" he called.

The doors to the library opened, and six people walked in. Prince Skipting Lunam, Sunset Shimmer, Gilda King, Principal Soleil, Vice Principal Mond, and an absolutely colossal woman in ancient clothing and armor. The two principals had furious expressions on their faces, while Gilda looked ready to kill someone.

The group quickly came to stand in front of the three girls.

Principal Soleil looked at Jackal, her expression turning into a kind, warm look.

"Thank you for your help, Jackal," she said.

"Any time, Miss Soleil," the boy replied with a deep bow. "Dear Violenza will be pleased to hear that Anon-A-Miss has been caught, as will Cayde, Ulfric, and Sully."

The principal turned her attention to Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, her face still kind, but laced with anger.

"We've finally caught you," she said. "What I want to know is why you three decided to do what you did."

Apple Bloom immediately broke down, tears already streaming down her face.

"Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were jealous that their sisters were spending more time with Sunset than them," she confessed.

"They talked to me about it. I told them they should just tell their sisters how they felt. I understood why Applejack was spending more time with Sunset than me. I was glad that my big sister was helping a friend. Sunset had worked hard on our farm for about a week trying to redeem herself and earn Applejack’s trust. I had a pretty good relationship with her. She helped me with homework and some chores, helped around the farm, even helped Granny Smith in the kitchen. Eventually, she became part of the family."

She sniffled a bit, wiping her eyes with a hand.

"I didn't want to take part in the first place. But Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are my best friends, and we do everything together. I just wish we stopped it sooner, but people kept sending us stuff, and we panicked."

"We just wanted our sisters back," Sweetie Belle said.

"Well now you've gone and fucked that up," Gilda growled. "You harmed your sisters."

She grimaced.

"Plus, your idiocy resulted in Rarity being tormented and handicapped. She got her right hand cut off as an act of revenge. Honestly, I don't really give much of a fuck about Marshmallow, since she abandoned my Sunshine, but I still like her. It was disturbing to watch her be tormented, and even more horrifying to watch her tell her tormentor to kill her. The fact that your stupidity led to the decision that resulted in her torment in the first place makes me sick."

Sunset stepped forwards and stood in front of the girls. She looked at them with a kind expression.

"We're sorry," they said.

"You were like family to me," Apple Bloom said. "You were family, and I treated you like dirt. You were like another big sister to me, and I went and took part in a plan to tear apart everything you had worked so hard for."

The fire-haired girl bent down and hugged the trio.

"I forgive you," she said. "You didn't mean for it to go this far, and you wanted to stop it before it got out of control. I'm proud of you for that."

She looked at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

"And while I am upset that you two did this out of jealousy, I do understand your situation. I know what it feels like to have negative emotions cloud your mind and judgement, to have them influence you to make bad decisions."

"As do I," Prince Skipting Lunam said. "Although I do not mean to sound egotistical or insincere… I believe I know better than anyone here the terrible things, the horrors, that can come from letting negative emotions control you."

He stepped past the principals, crouching down so he was eye level with the girls.

"I must admit, I am ashamed I failed to draw the connections between this incident and a similar one back home, until it was almost too late," he said solemnly. "Your actions nearly cost Sunset her life, and most likely would have cost Rarity hers as well, had Sunset not defended her."

"I'm sorry," Apple Bloom said tearfully.

"I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…"

"We didn't want any of this to happen…"

He gently and briefly placed a clawed finger beneath each girl’s chin, making them look at him.

"It's alright," he soothed softly. "What matters is that you repent, and that none of you never wanted to take part in this in the first place. You could not have known what would happen."

He stood up and gently ran a hand through the girl's hair, then turned to the principals.

"Punish them how you see fit, but do not expel them. It isn't completely their fault. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle’s minds were clouded by jealousy, hindering their ability to think rationally and clearly. The hypocrites who dared to send them secrets are to blame as well, as they evidently pressured these girls into continuing to post."

The Rainbooms were shocked by what had just recently occurred at the hospital. The doctors and nurses refused to give them the full details, but when they visited Rarity in her room, she broke down and told them everything.

But mostly, she had repeatedly damned her uncle for manipulating her, saying that he was going to die soon, that he deserved it.

Her words shook the girls.

Rarity was a classy, refined lady with unmatched elegance and grace. She was always generous and kind, wishing the best for others. She almost never spoke ill of others, except for those who really got on her nerves.

To hear her actively, repeatedly damn someone—her uncle, no less—was already heavily unnerving.

But to hear her say that her uncle was going to die—and not even implying that he might die, but saying with absolute confidence that he was going to die, without a doubt—was absolutely terrifying.

When they tried asking her who her uncle was, she didn't respond, only muttering the same thing: "Violenza's coming for you. El Oscurecido's coming for you."

Asking who these "Violenza" and "El Oscurecido" people were didn't get any answers, either. She had said Violenza was El Oscurecido, but that only further confused the girls.

"He wanted revenge," she had murmured. "He and his family were harmed greatly by mine. So he and his sister personally tracked down and killed members of my family and everyone working for them. Three hundred ninety-two pezzi di merda who deserved death, all mercilessly and brutally butchered by a vengeful Spaniard who dwells in the shadows, and a fiery Dragoness with a temper like Hellfire, many of their bodies put on display, sometimes in ironic ways, as a warning to my uncle that the darkness is closing in."

She had eventually asked them to leave, so she could think to herself.

Now, they simply sat in silence around a table at the Sweet Shoppe, thinking about everything that had occurred in the past eight days.

"Girls, we've really fucked up," Rainbow Dash said.

"You got that right, Rainbow," Applejack agreed.

A few minutes of silence passed before Pinkie Pie spoke up.

"Hey, is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?" she said.

"Yeah, it is," Rainbow said. "That's really weird. It feels like someone's messing with the thermostat."

Suddenly, a bright flash of brilliant golden light came out of nowhere, blinding the girls and making them shield their eyes.

"The heck is going on?!" the athlete exclaimed.

The light began to fade, and the girls rubbed their eyes, then opened them. Their jaws dropped and their eyes widened.

Standing in front of them were the spitting images of Principal Soleil and Vice Principal Mond.

Well, almost.

For one thing, the women before them were far taller than the principals, the one who looked like Principal Soleil standing at about nine-foot-seven, and the one who looked like Vice Principal Mond was about nine-foot-two. Both were slender and feminine, but powerful muscles rippled beneath their skin.

The Principal Soleil look-alike had beautiful multi-colored hair like the sky and the Northern Lights, while the Vice Principal's "clone" had brilliant phthalo blue and grayish persian blue hair that was long and wavy, cascading down her shoulders like a beautiful silk-like river. The latter's hair also contained countless little white dots, making it look like the night sky.

Both women wore amazing dresses made of silk that hugged their bodies perfectly, emphasizing and showing off their curves and muscles. The taller woman's dress was pure white and decorated with gold, orange, and yellow sun-like patterns, complimenting her snow-white complexion, and the other's was pure black and decorated with star patterns and constellations, complimenting her darker skin.

The most unnerving thing about the two women standing in front of them were their eyes.

The Vice Principal doppelgänger had moderate cyan eyes with slitted, cat-like pupils, which shone brightly, but held a great and terrible fury.

But the one who looked like Principal Soleil was far more terrifying.

Her eyes were impossibly bright—glowing, even—but were not like normal human eyes, nor were they slitted like the woman next to her. No, the scleras were pure black, as black as the darkest, deepest abyss, and the pupils and irises were pure fire, orange and red and gold, like miniature suns.

They burned with an intense, impossible hatred, unmatched by any being living or dead, in this world or any other. Not even the most rage-filled demon, the most hateful warrior, nor any gods of war, like the Greek Ares—not even Satan himself, nor any incarnation or other version—could come close to even attempting to match the pure, untamed, unimaginable rage contained within those hellish orbs.

"Who… Who are you?" Applejack asked nervously.

The woman glared at her with her burning eyes, her lips pulling back into an animalistic snarl, teeth bared.

She opened her mouth, and the entire building shook as a single word escaped her lips.

"Death."

Author's Note

Well, everyone, here you go. Chapter XI.