Burning Sins

by Delta0mega

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1: Interloper
Chapter 2: Confrontation
Chapter 3: Consequences [Updated]

Prologue

Author's Note

My Little Pony Mane 6 and Princesses Quotes by Ko Linken.

Elizabeth Schmidt

Nathan Schmidt

Kyanna Whitney

Alexandro Agosti

Anna Whitney

Prologue

Friendship is the true immortal piece of magic that binds us as one. The friendships you forge in life will include your most lowest point in life, and your highest. The ups and downs your friendships encompass will build up your true character and lead you to your destiny and calling in life. No doubt the journeys of friendships are bumpy, but in the end, it will make up who you are in the future and define your personality.

Manchester, England -- 2007

Silence. Among the brisk Spring night in Manchester, England, a dull silence accompanied the occasional nocturnal cooing of an owl or the chirping of crickets. Such peace lulled the notion of sleep to all of the suburban inhabitants of the neighborhood citizens. Rows upon rows of buildings were blacked out, lights flicked off as late-night workers turned in after a hard day at their jobs. To them, it was just another night, another day, coming and going.

Further along the trail of houses lies a path leading into the forest. A single driveway that stretched a quarter of mile inward until it landed upon a house, lonely and old, atop a low hill. A family of one mother and two children, a boy and a girl, lived within this house. The boy, Nathan Schmidt, had just breached the peak of his teenage years in the sweet sixteen mark of age. The girl, Maya Schmidt, was only an adolescent, a child of nine years. As with every house on the block, it, too, was blackened and without light, but unlike the other homes within the suburbs, this one was not quiet or peaceful.

"Oh, little Nathan...~ Where are you...? WHERE ARE YOU?!?!"

A loud crash came from the first story as the teenage boy jerked up from his seated position on the floor. Both he and his sister were in his room, the elder sibling watching Maya doodle and color on the notepads she had splayed out in front of her. Hearing the obvious sound of something being kicked over, the fear of a wrathful parent made him clinch up. Looking back at Maya as the footsteps drew near the staircase leading up to the second story hallway, Nathan scooped her up, covering her mouth as she began to protest. Opening his closet, he knelt down besides the dresser inside and gently stuffed his sister behind it. Before Maya made a noise, her brother put a finger to his lips.

"Mom's angry, Maya. Count to one-hundred, QUIETLY, and don't come out of this closet no matter what you hear."

"B-But-"

*CRASH*

Both children turned to the door as it rattled on its hinges. Something was thrown towards it from outside the room. Turning back to his sister, Nathan placed one of the caps hanging on the dresser on her head.

"You know how mom is when she's like this. You know what to do, sis. Close your eyes and cover your ears. I'll deal with her and come get you, okay...?"

The soft voice of his little sister came out in a slight whimper as another bang shook the door, this time coming from the rasping knocks of the bulldozing mother looking for them.

"Open this door! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!!! NATHAN!!!"

Nathan turned back to Maya, tucking her into the corner and leaning back out of the closet. Grabbing the doors, he gave her a small smile as he gently closed them.

"Trust me..."

Maya sniffled as the closet was left in the pitch blackness, the doors only opened by a crack when they were drawn closed. Nathan, turning away from it, noticed his door was about to come down. One of the hinges was giving away, and it won't be long before his mother broke the door down. Taking a breath, he reached under his bed and grabbed a wiffleball bat. He didn't want to hurt his mother, deranged as she may be, but at the same time, he had to defend himself. The only thing this cushioned bat was capable of was knocking out the older woman if he got a good swing in, but that was difficult when she was always right on top of him. Rubbing his neck, his thumb passed over a few marks, making his cough and clear his throat when touched. Gripping the bat by its handle, he steeled himself as the door finally caved, and his mother, Elizabeth Schmidt, stormed in.

"C'mere, you little scum!!"

Elizabeth was on him immediately, grabbing at his shoulders as he fought against her, shoving her back as she hollered at him.

"You think you can hide from me?! Not only did you lock the door, but you try to HIDE from me?! You're not allowed to do that to your mother! WHERE DID YOU HIDE MY PILLS!?!?!"

Nathan swung for the fences as she dove for him again, cracking her at the ribs and side-stepping her as she collapsed. Backing away from her, she hissed at him as she rose to her feet.

"You! How DARE you hurt your mother!"

"I don't have your pills, mom. You come here every time they go missing and you end up finding them someplace else, usually where YOU left them."

"LIAR!!! I KNOW YOU HAVE MY PILLS!!! WHERE ARE THEY!?!!? WHERE ARE THEY?!!? I NEED MY PILLS!!! WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?"

Nathan cringed as his mother's shrill screech nearly burst his eardrums, swinging once more as she raced towards him. She caught the bat as it neared her chest, striking her son across the cheek and drilling the handle of the bat into this stomach. Beating him down to the floor, Nathan covered up his vitals and his head as Elizabeth continued to pummel him for minutes on end. Soon, the elder woman tired out, so much so that she began to calm herself. Dropping the bat, she spat on her son's side as she stormed past him, leaving the room to search for her medication in the lower floors. Groaning, Nathan pushed himself up, bringing himself to a sit and rubbing his side. His mother really thrashed him hard this time. The bat was cracked to the side and he was sure to get some bruising from those swings. Shaking off the pain, he kicked the bat back underneath his bed and walked towards the closet. Opening it up, he uncovered Maya from her hiding spot, her eyes opening when he did so. She took one look at him and dove for his abdomen, snuggling into his belly as she began to sob lightly. Nathan took a labored breath as he wrapped an arm around her, petting her head as he glanced out the window.

Elizabeth was getting more aggressive. Ever since his father, Michael, walked out on them, she'd all but given up on life. Like any other broken woman, she resorted to medication and drugs to dull the ache of a shattered heart, but it only led her to change and morph into the violent and delusional woman she was tonight. As such, her drug-ridden state wasn't fit to keep the house in shape. She paid the bills, sure, but Nathan was doing most of the chores and housework while she wasted away. He was also the one to teach his sister about the many lessons he's learned, good and bad. She needed to be prepared for the road ahead in life. One day, they would leave this place behind, and Maya needs every lesson she could learn to be ready.

Sighing, Nathan rested himself up against the wall, closing his eyes as he would feel sleep come to him easy, considering some of those blows may have connected with his head. He'd hoped he didn't have a concussion. Right now, the last thing Maya needs is for him to be in a coma. She'd be all alone with their mother. That was something he'll never let happen. He'd sooner run Elizabeth through with something sharp than let her even graze Maya.

With that thought lost in his mind, Nathan felt himself go limp, a hand still on his sister's head as they both fell into the warmth of slumber.

Being loyal to your friends, your family, allows them to assure they will have someone to count on. Don't take that for granted, though. Never ask your friends to lend money or do favors, and start asking how they are, and how well they're coping with their lives. Get to know them! You will never know when they will need a helpful listening friend or brother by their side in times of need. Sometimes, them knowing they have a loyal and faithful companion can avert emotional problems.

"Who's crying?! I can't get any fucking sleep here!!"

Nathan's eyes snapped open as he heard the crying himself, the wails of his little sister coming from a few feet away from him. Seeing the shadow of his mother in the doorway, he sprinted for Maya, covering her with his body and shielding her from the foot coming towards her. Grunting at the kick that dug into his bruised ribs, he grabbed Elizabeth's leg and threw it out from under her. Picking up Maya, the teenager rushed out of the room, narrowly avoiding his mother's deathly grip, and raced downstairs. Slamming the door shut to the stairwell, he placed Maya down and slipped a chair under the door handle, locking Elizabeth upstairs for the time being.

So much for "one day", Elizabeth's tantrums were more fierce than ever. Not even last night did she kick that hard. If she gets a hold of them, god knows what she'll do to Maya.

"You fucking brats! You're locking the door again! Fuck you! Fuck you, you pieces of trash! I am your mother! I took care of you! I own you! I OWN YOU!!!"

Nathan grabbed a bag off the counter as Maya ran after him, afraid of what their mother will do when she gets through the door. Opening the cabinets by the fridge, Nathan began stuffing the sack he had with as much food and water as he could as well as a knife, and the loaded handgun she had on the top shelf, which had a broken lock on it for months. Taking it as well as all the ammunition Elizabeth had stored inside, Nathan tied up the sack, hefted it over his shoulder, and ran for the door. Maya held his hand firmly as they made their escape out the front entrance, racing down the dirt driveway and away from the home. The horrific shrieks of a witch was but an echo now. A horrifying, haunting echo, but a fading noise nonetheless.

Kindness is a language everyone understands. The deaf can see it. The blind can hear it. Those who don't speak your language can feel it. Doing things out of kindness means you do not expect anything in return. You just want to help somebody in need.

Over a week has passed since the two siblings escaped the horror house they used to call home. Escaping the suburbs, they lived within the city, moving alley to alley and working odd jobs under the table to earn their income. It was small, but it was enough to keep them going for the time being. Nathan was doing any and everything in his power to ensure his sister's survival, and also her happiness. He didn't care who he aligned himself with or what purpose he served. He had the means to do anything, even if it was illegal.

They were homeless. That fact kept creeping into Nathan's mind as he sat up against the wall, eyeing each corner of the passageway between roads as Maya slept comfortably against him. Taking a breath, he was half-tempted to fall asleep right there, but he knew he had to keep himself vigilant. An angry mother was the least of his worries out here. Resting the gun on his leg, he stared forward, trying to come up with the next move for tomorrow.

"Stop right here!"

"???"

Nathan looked to the left exit to the alley, seeing a car slow to a halt. Squeezing the hammer of his pistol, he trained the barrel towards the car, watching as the door opened and a girl stepped out. Nathan could make out in the dim light that she was of darker skin complexion, probably Hispanic, and her hair was a deep jet black that reached down to the middle of her back. Her attire sported a striped tank top with a style of sweatpants that appeared skin tight. Seeing her entering the alley, he reinforced his hold on Maya as he watched the girl approach them. She stopped a few feet away, turning on a flashlight and shining it at them. She yipped at the sight of a fully loaded handgun pointed at her forehead, but did only so much as to take a step back before regaining her composure.

"E-Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, but... are you two lost?"

"..."

The girl shifted in place as Nathan didn't trust her, his frown deep and teetering onto a scowl. The girl gulped before ushering to the car.

"I-If you need to rest your head, I'd be happy to bring you back to my place."

"..."

Nathan turned his eyes to the car, then back to the girl. At first, he was going to decline her, obviously not trusting any form of sincerity from her, but a short cough from Maya stopped him. Looking down at her, he could tell she was shivering. The duo had been out in the cold for a long while now, and given a few more days, and they weren't going to make it.

"... Can you feed her...?"

"Pardon?"

"My sister... She's starving..."

The girl turned her gaze to Maya, seeing her cough a few more times before smiling.

"We have some leftovers you're welcome to. My name is Kyanna Whitney, by the way."

"Mm... Nate. My sister's name is Maya."

Kyanna kept her smile as Nathan stood up, carrying Maya in his arms with the pistol still firmly kept in hand. Eyeing Kyanna wearily, he walked after her as she turned and strode towards the car. Keeping Maya as far from Kyanna as possible, he sat in the middle as he buckled the nine year old in, constantly looking over his shoulders at both her and her driver, who he knew for a fact wasn't her father. She must have been rich or something if she was pulling up in a Cadillac with a chaperone. Taking a seat next to Maya and Kyanna, the door was pulled shut and the car was on its way.

"So, why were you two out in the cold? It's supposed to be freezing tonight."

"We ran away from home. It... wasn't a good place. Our mother became disorderly after dad left her. Not sure where he is, exactly, but when mom got too crazy, we had no choice but to leave."

Kyanna nodded, knowing the story.

"I understand what you mean. You aren't the first person I've met who has run away from home. Far from it, in fact."

She held up a hand towards the driver.

"In fact, my mother did the same for Peter up there. Took him in when she found him that very alley I found you in. Though, he was... less armed."

Nathan glanced down at the pistol holstered in his belt, shifting in his seat to keep Maya close.

"Sorry. We haven't run into good people these last couple weeks. A few thugs tried to rob us or take Maya. We managed to get away, and scrape by on the scraps of money they had on them."

"Well, I can surely say that, if things go well, you and your sister won't go hungry anytime soon."

She placed a hand on his shoulder as they began to pull into a driveway paved with brick instead of gravel.

"I promise."

Being generous, is giving others a helping hand; using your resources at stake to just help that disadvantaged person. However, we sometimes think twice about helping out due to that person's social status, wealth, etc, and are afraid of being judged by others. Why not help a beggar, just because he is filthy? We were made with two hands for a reason. One to help ourselves, and the other to help others.

"So, our little Kyanna has brought in another lost guest?"

"Oh my. So it would seem."

Nathan looked around the living area as he kept his free hand resting on his pistol. His other arm was used to hold Maya up, the little girl snoozing lightly against his chest as she rested on his forearm. Keeping her secure against him, he eyed the various people around him. Several guards, men and women, stood at the entrances of the room, hands behind their backs and their attire consisting of matching black suits with red collared shirts underneath. Keeping himself firmly in the center of them to create as much distance as possible, he had also made sure to keep space between himself and the family that took the two siblings on the street. Judging from the decor, the guards, and the few people rummaging and working in other areas of the manor, he assumed he had been brought to the house of some sort of high-ranking official.

"No need to be so tight, boy. You can rest easy. I can assure you, you are not the first to stand where you are. Our family has a known history of picking up strays off the street and giving them a temporary home."

Nathan turned back to the family, the father of the three before him sitting in a lavish chair behind an ornate desk. His wife stood beside him, looking almost identical to Kyanna, barring she was more mature.

"Who... are you?"

The man rose an eyebrow, urging Nathan to elaborate his question.

"These guards... This place. It's obvious you're not just another nobody on the block. You're either insanely rich, or insanely influential."

The older gentleman smirked as he sat up in his seat.

"That I am, son. Tell me, the name "Whitney" doesn't ring a bell for you?"

"My sister and I lived in a secluded region of the suburbs. A place where we don't get out too much, given what we had to work with."

"Mm... Understandable. Well, the last name "Whitney" is just a cover. I am Alassandro Agosti. I am the Don, the boss, of the Esecurtori Del Diavolo."

Nathan narrowed his eyes, recognizing that name from the few old magazines and newspapers he had found around his home when cleaning the house.

"The Devil's Enforcers... You're Italian, then?"

Alassandro nodded.

"You're a little far from Italy, aren't you? What's an Italian Mafia doing in Manchester?"

"My boy, the Esecurtori Del Diavolo were one of the biggest crime families and syndicates in northern Italy. Alongside other big families that held dominion over different sections of the country, we ran places like Verona and Florence like a well-oiled machine. However, what many people don't realize is that we ourselves have a lot of rules to follow, laws to enforce in the ways of the family."

Nathan stared at him for a moment, then drifted his eyes to his wife. Seeing his gaze lock onto her, Alassandro lowered his head.

"My relationships, many of them, caused problems for the Esecurtori Del Diavolo. I had to leave a lot of old flings behind, a lot of good women, to keep my position as the heir to the Don. When I eventually did become the Don, I found my wife, lost and alone on the street. I took her in, gave her food and shelter. Some years pass, and we fell in love. Some more years pass, and we had Kyanna."

"And I'm assuming the other families didn't like that?"

"Marriages in mafia families are complicated. I had no choice but to take the Esecurtori Del Diavolo and leave the city of Palermo to another family. From there, we had our own rules, our own policies. One of which is giving street rats like you a chance."

"A chance? For what?"

One of the guards stepped forward, setting down a fresh pair of clothes. It was the uniforms for the Devil's Enforcers, but instead of a red interior coloring, it was blue.

"A new life. My daughter takes after myself, and when she becomes of age, she is going to be taking my place as Don of the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo. I've lived my long years raising her, protecting her, and teaching her. All of which is to prepare her for the day she runs Manchester's own chain of underground businesses. One lesson I have yet to teach her is to be a leader. Now, from here, you have two options."

Alassandro snapped his fingers, waving over two of his guards. They approached Nathan, the female of the duo reaching out for Maya. Reeling her away, he turned back to the Don as he rose his hand.

"Hey, it's okay. They're just taking her to her room. Trust me, a little girl like her shouldn't see what's about to happen here."

Nathan kept his gaze on Alassandro for a moment, then glared at the two guards before him.

"I find a single scratch on her, your boss won't recognize you."

They said nothing as Nathan handed Maya over to them, rolling his shoulder as they marched out of the office. Looking back at Alassandro, he watched as the Don interlocked his fingers.

"As I said, you have two options. The first is to just simply turn around and walk away. There's no drama, no bad blood. Just a simple no, and you and your sister are free to leave. The second is you stay, but at a price."

"I work for you as an Associate?"

"No, my boy. You work for Kyanna as a Soldier. A made man and official member of the family. You earn the money, you take part in interrogations, and you learn to find people and wack them when told to."

Nathan glanced at Kyanna, who was staring towards the table with an unreadable expression. Hearing the doors open, everyone looked to the side door as two of the guards, whom Nathan assumed now were Soldiers of the Don's own, were dragging in a captive. He wasn't a very built man, and was dressed in rags dirtier than Nathan's own. A burlap sack was placed over his head, and a thick rope tied his hands together. Forced to his knees in front of Nathan, the Don ushered to the captive.

"This here is Lenny. He was an Underboss of mine who decided to not only steal from the family, but use his power and my name to force himself on pretty young women. People like him are scum of the scum, lowest of the low. In the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo, we do not kill who we don't have to. We do not torment the people of Manchester who are living their lives outside of our business. We do not rob, torture, or rape the innocent. Any one of those is a great offense to our name and what the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo stands for."

Alassandro stood up, placing his hands behind his back.

"Take your pistol there, son, and prove your loyalty to the family. Do this, and you're in."

Nathan looked up at him in silence, then drew his pistol. Checking the clip, he found there was only one bullet left. Slipping it back in, he stood there for a brief period, his mind slowly going over his options. Out there on the street, Nathan could barely defend himself and Maya. They're too young to be out there as they were. Compared to every criminal on the run, they were practically children, but here... here, there was a chance, but he needed to know for sure.

"If I do this... If I become yours, do you promise to keep Maya safe?"

He looked back up at Alassandro.

"The New Esecurtori Del Diavolo protects the innocent. There's no one out there more pure than her. She didn't deserve this life, and I've been trying to find something better, to keep her sane. I want her to grow up happy, and not constantly fearing if the Boogeyman's going to bust her door down and kick her to the floor."

He walked to the front of the desk, staring the Don in the eye.

"Can you protect her?"

"... On my life, on my name, and on my grave. You have my word as both the Don of the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo, and a married man and father."

"..."

Nathan turned back around, raising his hand up and aiming the pistol at the captive. In one swift squeeze of the trigger, a flash of white flashed from the barrel of the gun, and the former Underboss dropped to his side, a red blotch forming in the sack at the side of his head. Lowering the pistol, Nathan watched as the Soldiers dragged the body out, his face as unreadable as Kyanna's. Alassandro nodded to himself, placing a hand on the fresh pair of clothes and sliding it to the boy.

"Welcome to the family, Nathan."

Sometimes, there are high points, and low points in life. Those points in our lives don't matter. It's all about how we tackle them that matters. It's good to be highly enthusiastic in every situation, good and bad. Even though in a bad situation, it may seem bleak, but there is always a positive side in every situation. Sometimes, we dwell too much on the cons in a bad situation, and we are discouraged. Focusing on the positive side, no matter how small, can help us to be motivated and propelled. When you are positive in every situation, you will be able to find light under every circumstance. If you feel sad, laugh it out, then smile. In a way, laughter is infectious, and can spread to others, too.

"What is this?! What IS this?! What the fuck did I come back to?!"

Nathan held his hands out in front of him as he came out of a local shop in downtown Manchester. Having spent the last few months as the first Soldier for Kyanna, he had been spending time with the Don's daughter, and even grew closer to her mother when the Don himself was away. Her mother, Anna Whitney, was a kind, mature woman. Something you'd see out of those weird anime where the mom is a sweet housewife with a charming appeal. The two of them were great company for Maya, and while Nathan learned to be distrustful of strangers on the street, his cold demeanor would lessen some whenever he saw Kyanna or her mother entertaining his little sister. It humbled him, seeing good people in a life where all you knew was the bad. Over time, he began to look better, eating right and gaining all the weight he should have had back into his body. He had more muscle, he was thicker in all the healthy places. All in all, compared to who he was before, he looked great.

But that didn't mean everything was sunshine and rainbows. Working for the Devil's Enforcers meant doing everything the Don had warned him he would be doing. He was sent out to collect money, interrogate people, and murder whoever he was told to, and he was obviously doing it right, as the other members of the family began to respect and fear him. It's not too often you see a kid who recently turned seventeen be so efficient at a job like this, but Nathan knew this was one of his only good options left. He used to be afraid of the monsters in his closet, but now, he was a monster. Over the days he killed, tormented, and committed rigorous heists, his mind would earn another little crack. A moral conscious split into two with time.

All of that led to now, with Nathan out on a little shopping spree with Kyanna and few of the Don's people. The latter were struggling to place a large piece of exercise equipment into the truck they drove in on, several other weights and tools packed in with it. One of the Associates of Alassandro, one who runs the workout shop Kyanna was buying from, had a bead of sweat run down the side of her face, her expression pertaining a sheepish smile.

"Eheh, the Don's daughter sure does love to keep her body fit."

"Fit? She's an eighteen-year old workout model!"

"Well, she also purchases equipment to keep her breasts firm. Always comes into my store for things like that if it isn't a new treadmill."

"Keep her brea- She has double-d sized boobs that are perkier than my sister's obscene amount of bubbling energy!"

The store owner just laughed as Nathan facepalmed, sighing to himself as he was given a soft pat on the back by the woman.

"Still, good to see Alassandro's giving her good company. I haven't seen Kyanna this happy in a long while. Certainly not since she lost her uncle to those creeps."

Nathan glanced at the woman, then to where she was pointing. On the wall of the building beside them, a series of papers was put up, stamped with big letters above various pictures. They were Wanted Posters, and all from a gang Nathan had not been privy to, yet. Looking at the gang name under the individual members' identities, he rose an eyebrow at the name.

"The Pathogens?"

"A band of nasty folk that have been hounding the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo years before you became a part of their family. Word has it that the Pathogens attempted to rob a bank controlled by the family. It went bad and now they want to get even. They burn down establishments favored by the Don's moll, kill Underbosses like Kyanna's uncle, and go after anyone loosely associated with them. It's best you keep that hood up, and your name on the down low, kid. By now, they definitely know you're with the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo."

"And they'll put a target on me, too..."

"Most likely, so get good with that pistol of yours, and get yourself some new weapons. You'll need it. Till then, I'll leave you with that."

She waved to him as she walked back into her store, leaving him to watch as Kyanna was walking back over to him. Behind her, the truck used to carry the equipment was sounding like it was gonna shit itself from carrying too much weight.

"Jesus Christ, Kyanna. You actually got the whole thing stuffed in the back?!"

"Yup!~ And all it cost us was one of the Soldiers having his arm twisted by the bars!"

"Oh my lord, did you at least apologize to him?"

Kyanna waved him off.

"Yeah, he'll get patched up back at home. Nothing that hasn't happened before."

The two watched the truck pass by, Nathan shaking his head as it turned the corner.

"Don't I know it. Been here for four months, and I know you better than I hate myself."

"Pfft, you don't know me that well."

"I know you're terrible with roleplaying-based arcade games!"

The two turned and walked down the strip of shops and restaurants as they argued, their lighthearted banter drawing grins from the both of them.

"Hey! Lime was pretty cool! I was even the lemon! It matched the colors of our characters! We would be the greatest heroes in all of Yggdrasil!"

"But how the hell was "fruit juice" a superpower?"

"I-... Okay, fair enough."

The two shared a chuckle as they made their way through another shop, this time going for something that was smaller. Kyanna was attempting to find something to fit Nathan. He looked good in the uniform, but every time she got a look at him, she knew that it didn't quite fit him. He was more laid back, more casually serious than any of her father's personnel. A fighter, a killer, but all to protect, not serve. The thought made Kyanna's smile widen. How lucky she was to get a friend out of someone like him. He's been plagued with an awful life, and yet, he isn't melodramatic or resentful. Sure, he's depressed at times because of that trauma, but unlike many, he's working to move past it, to put his history behind him to become something better, and that was as her best right hand.

Nathan was looking for his own gift for Kyanna. After spending so much time with her, even for under a year, he had found the girl to be tomboyish, but still into certain cute things. Namely, sentimental items that meant a lot between the giver and receiver. Walking around near the cases holding bracelets, necklaces, etc., Nathan stopped when he found something that was only twenty dollars, but looked and felt like it could have been so much more. Taking it into his hand, he held up before himself. It was a silver wrist bracelet, big enough to comfortably fit around one's wrist, but what caught Nathan's eye was the gem in the center. A perfect piece of solid emerald, a color Kyanna favors.

Without hesitation, Nathan had called one of the staff over and purchased it, keeping it in a small case as he regrouped with Kyanna. She, too, had a small case in her hand, and was surprised to find the same in Nathan's grasp. Trading the gifts, the two opened their respective boxes, and Nathan found his to be of something similar to Kyanna's gift, but as a ring instead of a bracelet, and with a sapphire as the center jewel rather than an emerald.

Nathan took the ring out of its box almost tenderly, slowly turning it in his palm before putting it on. He flexed the fingers on his left hand as he slipped it over his third finger. It felt... good. It was actually comfortable enough that he didn't even feel it was there. Looking over to Kyanna, she was wearing the bracelet on her right arm, her face almost split with an ecstatic grin. Spinning to Nathan, she surprised him with a leaping hug and a very deliberate kiss on his cheek. Standing there, stunned, she giggled and trailed ahead back towards the mansion, the stumped young man blinking after her, noticing she had more than just the ring to give him, as she waved a bag she had in her hands at him with a raspberry being blown his way. His eyebrow twitched in irritation, and he broke into a sprint to chase down the laughing maniac that was now teasing him with a new pair of clothes.

She'd better not have bought him something inappropriate to wear around Maya.

Being brutally honest to your friends doesn't mean you're bad person. You just want them to make the decision that's best for them. Even though your opinions don't always support them, do not be afraid to speak out, and don't make a false self-opinion of yourself just to please them. Your truth is what matters, and it can help those around you make the right decisions for themselves. Nobody wants to see their loved ones happy, then angry at them for helping make a bad decision. It's always better to risk that friendship status for the sake of what's right for them.

It had happened so quickly, so suddenly. By the time Nathan had opened his eyes from his sleep, he barely had enough time to register the sickly feeling in his gut that something was wrong before many other Soldiers in the west wing of the mansion were rushing out of the shared bedroom.

"Who the fuck?!"

"Pathogens! They're in the East Wing! Get the bitch at the main gate!"

"Oh god, the moll is dead!?"

"Protect the Don!"

Nathan jumped from his bed, grabbing his gun off the stand as he ran for the exit. Following the other Soldiers to the end of the wing, he ducked in cover as a hail of bullets greeted them at the foyer. Blind firing at the aggressors, he peered over when it all stopped, seeing the people who came leave just as quickly as they arrived. Watching them go through an upper window on the second story, Nathan turned and rushed for the offices, hearing a commotion from the others gathering there. Pushing his way through, he found the Don, Alassandro holding the body of his moll, his wife. Kyanna was there, too, crying her eyes out as she tried to get her mother to wake up. Seeing them both there, Nathan's empathy returned, his sympathy for their plight not too dissimilar to his own. He lost a father, and felt the burden of leaving a mother behind, but this was more extreme than that. Much, much more.

Kneeling down next to Kyanna, he placed a hand on her shoulder, jumping in surprise when she turned and grappled onto him, clutching his uniform and drenching it with tears and blood. Holding her, he comforted her with as much experienced as he could muster. Alassandro looked up at him, the two sharing a heart-to-heart before he choked out his cries.

"O-Oh my... My Anna... Sweet, innocent Anna... I never thought this would happen. I did everything. I covered every base... Anna..."

"I'm sorry, Alassandro... I wasn't here when I should have been. None of us were... I'm sorry..."

"She didn't do nothing to nobody!! It was us Devil men who were the killers, not her! We were already settling the debt in blood! She didn't have to!"

Nathan's expression fell further as the Don was resorted to nothing but a blubbering mess, his present Underbosses and Consiglieres doing their best to comfort him while Capos and Soldiers surrounded them, some staking out to keep watch for other gang members.

One of the Underbosses, a femme fatale kind of woman, looked up at the group around her as she rubbed Alassandro's back.

"How did this happen? The Pathogens have never attempted a raid on the Whitney Manor before."

"We don't know, ma'am. Our guards outside reported that they didn't come from the main driveway, or any other access points around the brick fences and ledges. One moment it was quiet, then the next-"

"Wait..."

Everyone turned back to Nathan as he looked around.

"Where's Maya?"

The Soldier reporting to the Underboss looked up at one of his partners, then turned to the younger gunman.

"We searched the East Wing after they retreated. All of the rooms were accounted for when we arrived at the Don's bedroom. The Pathogens... They came for her."

"What? Why?"

"You tell me, kid. Seems like they have it out for you, especially."

Kyanna looked up at the Soldier, tears still brimming in her eyes as Nathan's body went stock still at the fact that Maya was taken.

"But... they couldn't know. They couldn't possibly know he was with us, nor Maya."

Nathan's eyes turned to the floor, seeing something glistening from under Anna's corpse. Taking it and uncovering it, he found it to be gold chain, broken and unusable, with a name engraved onto the flat end. A name that made his blood run cold. Slowly curling his fingers over the chain, he let out a breath.

"I know who did this..."

Everyone turned to him, even Alassandro, but Nathan kept his gaze to the piece of jewelry in his grip.

"I don't know how she convinced the Pathogens to help her. I don't even know how she figured it out. Maybe... Maybe she saw me with Kyanna at some point and figured it out, but... No..."

He shook his head.

"No... This was all my fault... I should have done more than just run away. She was a loose end, and now she has Maya with god knows how many Pathogens with her."

"Nathan, what are you talking about? Who has your sister...?"

The young man glanced at Kyanna before turning his gaze back to the Don, then down to Anna. The peaceful slumber she appeared to be in was marred by the blood that stained her clothes. Reaching over, he placed his hand on her heart, paying his respects before turning back to his boss.

"Don Alassandro, I... I'm responsible for the worst possible thing that can happen to your family. Your wife, your moll, is dead because I didn't take the right choice as far as I should have. I'm... I'm not deserving to be a part of this family, but with your permission, as one final service to the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo, I'm going to finish this."

Alassandro was silent for a moment, still hugging the body of his deceased wife. After gulping down the lump in his throat, he pointed at his daughter's Soldier.

"You make them suffer...! You hear me!? You make them regret the day they crossed the Devil's Enforcers! I want these bastards hit tonight, and I don't care if it's the milk man or the fucking pope! Whoever it is who sent them, I want the fucker DEAD!!!"

"Understood... and... I'm sorry... I am... so, so sorry..."

Alassandro sniffed as he lowered his hand.

"Son, this ain't on you. You're a damn stupid shit if you think you don't belong here! My wife loved you! She loved your sister! Whether you come back or not, you're a part of this family! If you have to leave with her, though... I ain't going to stop you. This had gone too far. I knew it wasn't a good idea for us to be pushing on the Pathogens. They owned the Northern Quarter and Spinningfields! I knew so why the FUCK didn't I pull out?!"

Nathan watched as the man returned to a rageful, sorrow-driven mess, his Underbosses keeping him stable. Nathan took Kyanna by the shoulders, pushing her from his chest and sitting himself in front of her.

"Kyanna, I gotta go. You gotta stay here..."

He took off the blazer of the uniform, setting it in her lap. Picking up the present he got for her, he placed it on top, his hand resting on both.

"You need to be here for your father, as much as you think that ain't enough for him. He needs you, just as my sister needs me, now..."

He brought the same hand up to her cheek, pressing his forehead to hers as she continued to cry.

"Hey... Thanks for giving us a better life for as long as it lasted. I gotta admit, I didn't expect to fall in love with a mafia boss' daughter."

He chuckled to himself as Kyanna snapped her attention to him, her eyes wide at the confession. Leaning back, Nathan laughed at her face.

"Ah, didn't see that one coming, didja? Take care of yourself, Kyanna. Maybe, somewhere down the line, we'll meet again. If not then, probably in the next li- Mmph--!!"

Nathan was taken aback when he felt a weight press on him, his lips caught in another as Kyanna attached herself to him. A few Soldiers and Associates whistled and muttered to each other at the spectacle, Alassandro himself momentarily holding it together to give a small smile towards them. Breaking the kiss, Kyanna wiped some of the tears away as she hugged the blazer and bracelet to her chest.

"We will... In either scenario, we will. Be well, Nathan, and save your sister. I'll take care of my father."

Nathan opened his mouth, then closed it, blinking to himself at his first kiss. Kyanna giggled as the moment turned comedic for her and a few Soldiers, reaching out and patting him on the cheek. Shaking himself out of the stupor, he looked back down at her, seeing her teary smile. Staring into her eyes for a brief period, he eventually narrowed his own and nodded, standing up and walking back into the foyer. Retreating to his shared room, Nathan quickly shed the uniform of the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo, dropping it onto his bed as he opened the closet. Digging out his old shoes, and the second half of Kyanna's gift to him, he began to change, dressing himself in a fresh pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, and a brand new, unmarked and unstained blue hoodie. Grabbing his backpack and his weapons, he moved towards the door as he put on the former, stopping only to glance at himself in a passing mirror. Examining himself, he found that his face was marred with scars and grief, a look he'd earned during his various shootouts and bad jobs under the Don's rule. Taking a breath, he grabbed the hem of the hood and brought it over his head, shadowing it from the rest of the outside world. Lowering his arms, he glared into the mirror, anger and hatred present in his eyes while he clenched his fist.

Time to go...

Feeling remorseful for the things you've done, the ways you've wronged your friends and family is normal. However, it always better to let it go. Vengeance is always a fool's game. A labyrinth with no exit. A maze with no prize. Showing remorse for the things you do means you are sincere and treasure that which you have. Constantly reminding yourself of the hurt you caused will turn you bitter and hateful, and you will distance yourself from those who love you, harming your friendships. Punishing yourself is not going to make anything better for you or those around you. What's done is done. You can only choose what you can do to move on for the better.

This was it. Back here once again. After all these months... It felt like years since he ran from here, and now it was what it really was. A disgusting open graveyard of bastard men who helped take his sister from good people, murder an innocent woman stuck with the wrong crowd. Just as he had promised, they were all dead, suffering until the very end. Nathan remembered how he killed each and every one of them. A dozen had stood in his way when he returned to his old home. A dozen that had the upper hand on him almost immediately. They had shot his pistol out of his hands, shattering it to pieces with a well-placed high caliber shot. He was left with nothing but a knife, and many makeshift weapons he used to stab, slice, or beat into their bodies till there was no life left in them.

All that led to this. Standing in front of his house, he stared up at the imposing presence of it, how something that should be welcoming was beckoning him with malicious intent. Looking down at the open front door, he slowly walked inside, his shoes thumping against the floorboard as he made his way to the living room, then towards the kitchen. A manic giggling could be heard coming from the backyard, the slider broken, yet open. Holding the tire iron he snatched from one of the Pathogen thugs in his hand, he progressed to the back of his house and out into the backyard. The crazed muttering of his mother's voice drew him closer to a table set up in the middle of the clearing. Only a few trees obscured it from view, but it wasn't long till he bypassed them, and settled onto the image that would forever haunt him.

His sister. Dear, little Maya... She was dead. Her body was propped up in a seat, fresh and dry blood trickling down her face. Her expression was one of dulled horror, but it didn't seem to matter, as the woman sitting next her was talking to her as if she was still alive.

Elizabeth, his mother, was nothing like she was before. What was once a skinny, abusive woman was now a feeble skeleton of what that person was. Not only that, but her entire body looked to be sleep deprived, completely devoid of sustenance besides whatever drug she pumped into her body. She had all but lost it, her mind trapping her in a delusion as she rambled on to her dead daughter. In that moment, seeing this scene, piled onto everything he had done for his sister; all the death, all the crime, all the love, hate, grief, friendships, and sins... For it all to mean nothing in the end, something just... snapped.

Nathan's face turned stone cold, no expression visible as he dropped the tire iron, the thunk of metal on dirt catching his crazed mother's attention.

"Hah...! Haha! Nathan! My boy! My sweet, little baby! You've returned to me, too! Hah-Hah...! You... You and Maya, you almost had me. You kids and your little tricks and games...! I-I thought you had really left me- left me to die alone in this rotten old house! B-But, then I found some new friends! T-They told me I could see you again, that I could find you, and bring us all back together like one big happy family!"

She turned back to Maya's corpse as Nathan once again slowly walked forwards, making his way around the table as she spoke to what was once Maya.

"D-Do you see, Maya? Do you s-see?! I told you he would come home soon! I told you! Now, we're all here, and nothing will ever separate us again!"

She struggled to raise her hands up, her head turning back towards Nathan as he walked towards her, a brick in hand.

"WELCOME HO-"

*CRUNCH-!!!*

Elizabeth's body swung to the side from the impact of the brick as it crashed into the side of her head, the chair collapsing backwards with her as she tumbled to the ground. Standing over her, Nathan began smashing the brick into his mother's head repeatedly, growling louder and louder every time it came down on her skull. He didn't stop. He couldn't stop. The moment every fell apart in his mind, all he could see what a cracked interpretation of reality, reddened by the blood splattering onto his face. Eventually, he did, when everything came back to him, and by the time he was able to grasp reality once more, his mother's head was nothing more than a thick, pinkish paste, a brick embedded into it.

Stepping away from her, Nathan panted the rest of his aggression out, his eyes panning over to the little sister he failed to protect. He had no words, no apologies left to give... He failed the family who took him in. He failed the sister he swore to protect. He couldn't go back, but what was left going forward? Can he just simply walk away from it all now?

Looking back at the corpse he made of Elizabeth, Nathan left their bodies to rot, heading over to the other side of the table and picking up the tire iron. Staring at them as he slung it over his shoulder, he turned and walked away, striding at a slow and defeated pace towards the forest that lied beyond his house. Gradually disappearing as he ventured onward, his dark colored meshed with the shadows of the night, and soon, all that remained was the mess he left behind.

The bad life he lived, and the one he knew would forever haunt him.

Chapter 1: Interloper

San Francisco, North America - 2010

This. Is. It.

Three years. Three goddamn years have passed since Nathan Schmidt left his home, his new family, and everything that was good to him behind. In an act of selfishness, a way to escape the dread that consumed his life from the moment he was born, he took the easy way out and ran. Though, in that time, he didn't simply run away from his problems. He knew they would follow him. If he left things as they were, not only would the very same gang that kidnapped his sister chase him down, but they would continue to pester and abuse the Devil's Enforcers, now that they were in their lowest state with the Don falling into an emotional disaster. The whole thing was screwed, and when Nathan saw his sister in that chair, the back of her head smashed in, he knew he wasn't just going to run away.

The game of vengeance was played for almost half a decade, the various expanded bases and operations of the vicious gang called the Pathogens being his target all across England, and soon, the United States. Months had rolled by before one of them was toppled, then another days after. One by one, they all fell. Member by member, base by base. His anger drove him to do the impossible. His grief always pushed him forward.

It was his fault, after all. His actions and inaction rendered the family he was employed into a vulnerable mess. He came into this profession and he was nothing but a curse to them. Several business ventures were turned into a shootout because of him. The Don's wife was murdered. His sister kidnapped and slaughtered. He should have known things would have turned out this way. He should have known bad things happen in bad business. They would have been better off on the street, but it's too late to take any of that back, now. Maya is dead, and Nathan wants revenge. He's let that genocidal vengeance build inside of him. That desire to kill. That desire to destroy. Three years of it festering in his heart had taken him over, and devoured everything he felt was good in him. It has long since taken him over, but now that he is here, at the last stretch of his vengeful journey, the meaning has changed. How many more lives were destroyed in shootings and firefights with the Pathogens? How many other children lost mother figures or siblings because Nathan got careless and couldn't give a damn about collateral?

He knew he was taking it too far, but it's too late to back out, now. He had set his final trap. By robbing a bank that was being strongarmed by the Pathogens for longer than Nathan's been alive, he's attracted their attention. The loot now sits below him, tethered and wrapped in the middle of an abandoned warehouse. With makeshift explosives, Molotov Cocktails tied to ropes above the floor, and the floor itself lathered in gasoline, Nathan had armed himself, readying the one of many rifles he'd taken off of the corpses of the gang members.

One way or another, this ends, tonight.

Kneeling down behind the thick boards covering the sides of the catwalk he posted himself on, he watched as the doors to the warehouse opened, several members walking in with guns raised and alert. Keeping himself hidden and quiet as they moved along the bottom floor, Nathan waited to see how many there were before making his move. Seeing at least a dozen present, he knew there were going to be more waiting outside. Lighting a match on his boot, he held it over the edge, taking bated breaths as they approached the gift-wrapped pile of earnings. When they all surrounded or got close to it, he let it drop.

The second the fire went up, pandemonium swept through the last bastion of the gang's offensive force. Engulfed by the flames, the ones that had been at the thickest of the gasoline went up instantly, dying with their screams as they collapsed in flailing heaps. Raising his rifle, Nathan aimed for the doors and windows, seeing many more were, indeed, outside. Firing his weapon, he killed one off, startling the rest before another dropped. Now alarmed and aware of his presence, Nathan made his way down the catwalk and stuck the barrel of his rifle through another hole in the boards, taking aim and laying down two others just as they were getting confident. At this point, the team outside were making their way in, heading through entrances that were safer than the ones spewing the deadly flames. As one stepped through, his foot snatched a wire, and a Molotov dropped on top of him, rendering him the same searing, screaming morsel his friends were roasted into. Reloading more cartridges into the rifle, Nathan struck down three more Pathogens before the fire inside began to die away. Some of the men on the other side of the building got the water pump nearby to start working again, and punctured a big enough hole for the unused water to spill into the warehouse floor. Grimacing at his luck, Nathan placed the rifle down and rushed off to the west platform, going into the office side just as some of the gang members saw him.

"Hey! There! He went in there!"

"The doors and windows are barricaded! Some of them are even rigged!"

One of the members stepped forward, dressed differently than the rest. Puffing out a cloud of smoke from the cigarette he had in his lips, he huffed to the setup in front of him.

"Gotta admit, he's as clever as ever, luring us to the gold and lighting the place ablaze."

He took the cigarette out, flicking it into the water.

"Find him. Get in there by any means and snuff him out. The boss'll be happy to hear we finally ended Cerberus."

Ah, yes. Cerberus. Nathan knew that name well. It was his nickname. His calling card, if you will. In Greek lore, that dog was a monstrous beast that oversaw the Underworld. Though he was nominally a "hellhound", Cerberus was not evil. Another working dog, just like him. Kind of poetic for a gang to give him such a name. Nevertheless, this hellhound is finishing his work, and this cute little merry band of thugs isn't going to stop him. Taking up another post inside the center office in the complex floor, he waited to hear the sound of one of the doors or windows being broken in. Nathan was almost about to put an ear to the floor, but jerked back up as one of them was shattered to his far left, an explosion following suit and taking out another four members. A series of curses followed as Nathan crouched to the side of the office near the explosion, drawing his pistol and firing upon the men that came in after the explosion's aftermath settled. The first of them died instantly, while two more choked on their own fluids when the bullets pierced their necks. The elite standing behind them ducked in cover.

"Dammit! Kill him! He's in the center office!!"

Nathan ducked back down and ran to the side. Hiding behind a post that was reinforced with rebar, the bullets did not pass through it. One of the members attempted to rush to another spot for cover, only to be killed the second he settled himself in it by another Molotov hanging above him.

"Get in there, you lazy fucks! Overwhelm and swarm him!"

"Boss! There's traps and fucking bottles everywhere! The whole floor's a killzone!"

"Then find a way around it! Kill that fucking kid and bring me his flayed face!!"

Nathan could hear another window on the other side of the floor being broken into, the explosives set off just as the glass cut into the tripwire. Firing off in that direction, he managed to hit someone in the shoulder before he repositioned himself. That same man open fired on Nathan, forcing him to crawl along the floor to avoid the hail of bullets that sailed towards him. Getting back to a sturdy cover, he snagged a small bag from a nearby desk, taking out another makeshift explosive and pulling its string. Tossing it out into the open, he covered his eyes as the tin can exploded and a thick white powder blinded the Pathogens coming in from that way. Putting on a pair of goggles, Nathan killed off the injured man along with his companion before refocusing on the main entrance to the room. Seeing a small group of what was left coming in, he shimmied over to a barrel of water, tipping it over and sending a small wave towards them. Plugging in the landline phone, he cut the wire attached to the phone itself and tossed it into the water, electrocuting the remaining men save for the elite. Watching his men get fried, he stumbled away, gulping down a lump in his throat before tossing his gun away.

"Fuck this!!"

Nathan could hear him taking off away from the door. Tugging the wire from the water, he waited for the last bit of voltage to discharge before running after the elite. Coming back out on the catwalk, he could see him reaching the stairs and making his way down. Taking one of submachine guns off of a dead Pathogen, he aimed it at the stairs and let loose, a flurry of lead peppering the only way down to the bottom floor. The elite was only so lucky to be hit with just one of the bullets. It penetrated his knee on contact, shattering his knee cap and causing him to double over and fall down the stairs. Groaning and yelling at the pain in his leg and the bruises he got, Nathan strode after him, walking across the catwalk and heading down the steps. The elite looked up at him as he stormed towards him, taking aim for his face.

"W-Wait! Wait! Y-You want Packie, right? That's who you're looking for?"

Nathan rose an eyebrow, lowering his pistol slightly at the name.

"Packie? Who are you talking about?"

"P-Packie. H-His real name is Paxton Mauler. H-He's the last founder of the gang. The last leader we got. It's him you want, right? I can tell you where he is if you let me go!"

Nathan stared at the cowardly elite before aiming at his head again.

"Talk..."

"T-There's a mansion in Pacific Heights. It was owned by a high-end family. We took it over. You can find him there, along with the best of us guarding him. My guess is, you won't get within a mile of him before-"

*BLAM-!!!*

The elite's head fell back as Nathan fired a bullet into his eye, killing him instantly. Lowering his pistol, the hooded Cerberus glanced up at the exit, seeing the sun was about to set. If the leader really was at that mansion, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

A perfect time for a house invasion.

There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn't the end of the world. Letting go means to come to the realization that some people, events, and even mistakes, are a part of your history. They're not a part of your destiny. You'll soon learn that one of the happiest moments of your life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can't change.

There's nothing quite like the salty, misty air of the beachfront. The sour, yet sweet smell of the ocean, the sand covering your toes as you dig your feet under it. Honestly, such a sight and sensation is one thing Nathan grew to appreciate as he crossed from one country to another. It calmed him, in a sense. Helped him simmer down his emotions and take a step back to look at himself, to reflect. Whether it was on the shores of England or on the boat he cruised with to the edges of Florida, he found comfort here most times than none. Now, standing on the cliffs overlooking a near hundred foot drop into the precipice depths of the ocean below, he felt he hadn't appreciated it enough, given the current circumstances.

Sitting on top of an old and classy 1962 Ferrari, Nathan swung his legs back and forth as half the sun was still peeking over the horizon. Watching the waves gently culminate and splash onto the side of the cliffs, he took an uneasy and bated breath.

The last Pathogen was inside the trunk of this car. He was tied by heavy rope and gagged and wrapped with tape to keep him from screaming. He wouldn't be going anywhere, and for the last hour or so, Nathan hadn't heard so much as a peep from him. This was good. It made this moment easier for him to handle. Emotions running high clouded Nathan's judgement, kept him from doing things properly. This last thug was going to die, but he had to focus on the smaller details of it, the process that would drive home the conclusive point Nathan had been drilling and shooting into each of his subordinates. The saga of violence and tragedy was almost over. All that was left was to kill him...

Well, him, his wife and daughter, that is.

Looking into the Ferrari's back seat, Nathan could see two girls bound and gagged, their seatbelts keeping them in place as they tried to struggle. Rolling his eyes, he jumped off the car, using the keys to pop the trunk. Walking over to it, he opened it, seeing Paxton inside. For a moment, the founder of the gang that ruined him squirmed, held firmly by the ropes and his voice but a few muffled swears and slurs. Looking him over, Nathan pursed his lips, remembering a face like that very well.

That day, when he killed all of the thugs that stood between him and his deranged mother, this man was there. Pretty ballsy for a member in the higher chain of command to be on the front line, but Nathan knew that he got away. He ran when the tables turned on his crew. With each one dying at his feet, there was less and less of a chance Paxton was going to kill Nathan that day. He wouldn't be doing it today, either. No, instead, he was going to feel the exact same thing he did when he served his sister up to Elizabeth on a silver platter, not caring that she would be butchered and strung up in a chair like a fucking doll at a child's tea party.

Still, though... Thinking back on everything that happened, Nathan couldn't help but chuckle.

"You know, you're a strange bunch of people. You aren't like the normal twisted gangs of brats and shitheads I've seen over the years. You don't parade yourselves around like compensating jocks. You don't just hustle and murder because you think you can."

Nathan glanced off towards the sunset.

"You've been trying so hard to establish yourselves as your own little rival mafia family. That alone is funny. You try to emulate what many Italian and British families follow without actually understanding what their principles are. The only thing you made was a glass empire that fell and shattered just as easily as a pushing over a house of cards. You lie, you cheat, you steal, and worst of all, you "take" from victims what they can't ever get back."

Nathan clicked his tongue as he pointed at Paxton.

"I'll give you credit, though. No matter what anyone says about you, you're consistent. You're consistent in fucking over anyone you can, but you should have amped up your training regiment for your boys, Packie."

A smirk grew onto Nathan's face as he leaned over the side of the trunk.

"One young man, who hasn't even turned twenty, took on an army that expanded over two whole countries, and won. No wonder the old families in Italy thought you were a fat fucking joke. You were more serious than anyone ever gave you credit for, and for so long, I wanted to put a bullet in your heart for every life you ruined, for every agreement you went back, and every deal you swindled and cheated."

He shrugged as he walked back around to the front of the trunk.

"But, unfortunately, I don't have enough ammo for that. But, that doesn't mean I'm not going to make your death painful."

He took Paxton by his jaw, forcing him to look up at Nathan.

"Now, you get to feel what I did. You get to know what it's like to watch everything and everyone you love be broken or die horribly. You will die, just as I did that day. Left alone as you drift away and drown in selfishness."

Nathan forced him into the trunk, sitting in such an awkward position that he could barely move. Stomping towards the back seats, he ripped open the door and unbuckled Paxton's wife. Dragging her out by her hair, he threw her into the dirt before pulling her around to the back of the car. Going and fetching his daughter as the leader of the Pathogens widened his eyes at his captured beloved, Nathan took his own child and threw her down beside her, now holding a sledgehammer. Seeing Paxton struggle and scream out muffled pleas through his taped mouth, Nathan felt a dull indifference as he approached his wife. Putting the head of the hammer on the back of her left knee, he stomped down on the underside of it with enough force to break the tendons and crack the bone. Going to her right leg and repeating this action, he began to continuously break the poor woman, slowly traveling up her body and cracking through everything in her body that he could break. Her pelvis, her tailbone, several segments of her spine, her ribs. She was still able to move by the time he was done, but she surely wished she couldn't. Every twitch caused excruciating pain.

Paxton was now in full panic mode, trying desperately to shrug off the ropes and take off the tape, but it was no use. He had no choice but to watch as his wife was tortured inhumanely, left to stew in her pain before Nathan rammed the sledgehammer through her torso, squashing her heart like a fruit. Leaving the hammer in the dirt beside her corpse, he walked back to the car, taking out a moderately-sized machete. Approaching his daughter, Nathan brought her up to her knees, then ran her through with the blade, stabbing through her spinal cord and tearing through her flesh as he pulled to and fro, widening the cut into a gruesome linear hole. Ripping the machete out, he stepped on her bottom half, pulling upwards as hard as he could. On the fifth yank, her organs began to give way, and at the thirteenth pull, Nathan had successfully ripped her in half. Somehow, the little girl was still alive, screaming over her gag. Nathan, annoyed by her shrill and nasally voice, rose her up, turned her around, and slammed her into the ground, head first. Her voice came to an abrupt silence as half of her skull violently exploded against a rock.

Paxton, in tears and no longer struggling, gasped for air as he sobbed and cried pathetically through his sticky mask. Nathan, stepping over his daughter, shoved him back into the trunk, grabbing the door.

"Bet that didn't feel very good... did it?"

Nathan gave an uncaring look to the last Pathogen, a ghost of a smile mocking him.

"Good thing for you. I'm not gonna kill you just yet. I'm gonna let you simmer for a moment, let all of what just happened in the last five minutes stew. Meanwhile, I gotta make a call."

He closed the trunk door, huffing as it locked shut.

"Don't have too much fun without me."

He turned away from the car as he heard Paxton shuffling around inside. Taking a phone out from his back pocket, he fished around through the contacts before he settled on a certain "Unknown" number. For a moment, Nathan didn't do anything. He just lingered for a while before glancing up at the sunset. The yellow-orange light from before was now a darker orange with a touch of crimson. Night was but only a few minutes out. Breathing in, he dialed the number, bringing the phone up to his ear.

"Esecurtori Del Diavolo? This is Nathan Schmidt. The Pathogens have been wiped out. Their leaders, their muscle, even their bases in West Virginia, London, and San Francisco have been burned and destroyed..."

He paused for a minute, not hearing a response. Licking his lips, he sniffed up what emotions he was burying as he continued.

"I know I left you behind. I know I abandoned you. I was in a tough spot and I messed up, but I'm hoping by doing this last favor for the family that there will no bad blood between us. It's time we moved on, all of us. These last three years won't be remembered, and the agony of the tragedy that caused all of this can finally fade away. Consider this my send off. Tell Don Alassandro that I'm sorry, and tell Kyanna to always keep that bracelet close, because I'm doing the same with her ring. Goodbye, and good luck."

With that, he hung up before anyone could respond, the call set to record just in case no one was around to hear that. Shutting the phone off, he tosses it over the edge, hearing it crack as it struck one of the rocks in its descent. Rolling his shoulders, he went back to the Ferrari, reaching into the open passenger door and releasing the parking brake. Stepping out as the car rolled forward, it soon met the end of the cliffs and soared down to the ocean. Nathan didn't even watch it fall, choosing instead to gaze at the last remaining moments of the sunset. As the last of the light from the star faded, he could feel a certain weight on his shoulders dissipate. So much so that he was able to relax them, no longer held up with the pride of a Soldier or the tenseness of a killer, but let loose by the conclusion of this chapter of his life. So much regret and emptiness after all of this was said and done. Maya was avenged, and the Pathogens won't ever hurt the Esecurtori Del Diavolo anymore. It felt... satisfying, but at the same time, it left him pondering if killing all of these people was right in the end.

He could sympathize with the wife and child of Paxton. They didn't deserve this, despite him ending them anyways. He won't defend his more hideous actions when going after the Pathogens, but at the same time, where he killed hundreds, thousands more will prosper. Kyanna will grow up in a world without a target on her back from something as petty and low as gangsters, and her mother's name will not be stained with mockery. Alassandro will meet her at the gates, and when Kyanna takes over, Nathan knows she'll do alright.

He won't go back, however. There's too much there that will plaster Nathan to the past. So much that will eat away at him until he starts having suicidal thoughts. He won't do that. He stared at Paxton and made a promise to himself and to Maya to keep on living. It won't be easy. Living never was, but at the same time, he knew he would not find his destiny if he died on these cliffs with Paxton. He can't take throw himself away here when he could finally put up the guns, lay down his fists, and start a new, happier life. He may not be good at anything other than fighting and killing, but someone, somewhere may need that talent. He will live through killing Paxton Mauler. Revenge, this time, has closed the book on what he has experienced, and a new page has begun.

It was time for him to rest, to let go of the grief that burdened him, even if the regret was forever. It may plague him until the end of his days, but he will still carry on knowing he did the right thing in this weird, twisted way.

Turning away from the cliffs, Nathan walked passed the bodies of Paxton's family, leaving them to rot as the sun finally set and he disappeared into the calming night.

Many of us think twice of giving people who had wronged us a second chance, as we cannot let go of the hurt they had caused and are afraid of it reoccurring if we give those chances. However, we can take the bold step, and accept them again. Who knows? They may redeem themselves and achieve great things. After all, broken people are capable of reaching towards stars as bright as the sun, but only if we let go of the past, and look forward to the future. Only then, can we obtain the power to reveal the bright light hidden inside broken people and turn their lives around.

Canterlot, Equestria - 2012

Once upon a time, in the magical lands of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her Unicorn power to raise the sun at dawn while the younger brought out the moon at the beginning of night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their Kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of Ponies. But, as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The Ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger sister refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister used the power of the most powerful artifacts known to Pony kind: the Elements of Harmony. With their power, the elder sister defeated her younger twin and banished her in the moon for a thousand years. From then on, the elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon and harmony has been maintained in Equestria in that time.

However, when those thousand years passed, Nightmare Moon returned and traded places with the elder sister. Locked inside the moon, the elder sister could do nothing as Nightmare Moon ravaged the Kingdom with darkened magic once more, but she did not leave without a failsafe. Her student, who learned the magical power of the bonds she shared with five other Ponies, harnessed the power of the Elements once more, and dispelled the evil and bitterness of Nightmare Moon once and for all, leaving behind the goodness of the younger sister. Returned to the lands, the two sisters reacquainted themselves with the throne together and resumed their co-monarchy.

The student of the elder sister continued her studies into the magic of friendship, and demonstrated its resourceful power in the face of danger and chaos. Old legendary foes crumbled before its indomitable strength and peace once again reigned.

Soon, another joyous occasion would grace Equestria once more. The union of a third Alicorn, one that represented love and companionship, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and a strong and fearless stallion of the elder sister's royal guard, Shining Armor, was to take place in the capital city of Canterlot. However, the greatest threat to Equestria soon revealed itself as deceitful insectoids who devoured the love and happiness of Ponies, rendering them but mere husks. The Changelings, led by Queen Chrysalis, had Canterlot under siege. The student and her friends rushed off to retrieve the Elements, but as they managed to reach and don the artifacts once more, they were overwhelmed and captured.

"You won't get away with this!"

Princess Mi Amore Cadenze stood within the halls of the throne room, trapped and ensnared by the sticky substance of the Changeling adhesive slime. Beside her was a dazed stallion unable to move, and unable to think. He had succumbed to the feeding of these bug creatures for so long that his mind had become delirious. He had believed the Queen that stalked before them was his wife, and that he was to get married after a slight setback delayed the wedding. On the other side of the Princess of Love was a small, bipedal purple Dragon wearing his uniform for the proceedings that were to have taken place. All around them, outside of the throne room's walls, the city of Canterlot was being ravaged. Changelings everywhere hunted down Ponies of various types and classes, sticking them in place and draining them with their innate magic. Their struggling ceased as they felt their emotions wither and die, sapped from them and leaving them to fall into heaps.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza hoped their only chance at stopping this was just outside of this room. The more Ponies these creatures feed on, the less chance they have to-

*SLAM*

Everypony turned to the doorway as that very hope was being dragged in, either by force or by escort. Twilight Sparkle, having endured a bit of roughhousing, was dumped before Queen Chrysalis, the others hanging in the grasps of the others. Chrysalis chuckled to herself before glancing at Cadenza.

"You were saying, dear Princess?"

"My Queen!"

One of the Changelings stepped forward, holding out a small case.

"They had gone in search of these. Very powerful and rare magic is stored within them."

Chrysalis opened the case, raising an eyebrow when she found the six necklaces inside.

"The Elements of Harmony. It serves no purpose to us, but I suppose we cannot allow our food to reacquire them."

She closed the case and sat it on a nearby table, smirking as she shooed away the Changelings within the room.

"Go out and play. There are many other subjects already feeding on the morsels down below. There should still be something left for all of you."

The lot of them bowed before dumping the rest of the mares before their monarch and flying off, diving down to swoop up anything that was ripe for the taking. Chrysalis watched them work before sighing melodramatically.

"Y'know, it's funny, really. Twilight Sparkle over there was suspicious of my behavior all along. It's too bad that the rest of you were too caught up in your wedding preparations to realize those suspicions were correct."

Applejack, an orange Earth Pony farm mare, cast a side glance to Twilight, who struggled to push herself up to her knees.

"Shoot... Ah knew somethin' was wrong when y'all came in like ya did. There wasn't a hint of any lyin' when you sent that faker scurryin' outta the room."

"Gh-... Don't be sorry, Applejack. She... She fooled everypony. Even if you had listened to me, it would have only started this all sooner."

"Quite astute of you, Ms. Sparkle. Here I was wondering why Celestia favored you so much."

Chrysalis turned her attention away from the Ponies in the room, her arrogance believing them to no longer be a threat. With that attention off of them, Twilight crawled over to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, grunting at her wounds before she fried the goop holding the pink Alicorn in place with her magic.

"G-Go... My brother. Get to him while you still have the chance."

Cadenza nodded, brushing a bloodied strand of hair from the purple Unicorn's face before rushing towards Shining Armor. Seeing the stallion brought a smile to her face, but it was wiped away when she found him still under the trance of Queen Chrysalis after being sapped of his love for so long. Thinking for a moment on how to free him and curate his condition, Cadenza used the magic she was known for. Her inner power of gifting as well as receiving love was passed onto Shining Armor, replenishing what was stolen from him and allowing him to regain his conscious mind once more. With the green shades fading from his eyes, he was able to blink away the rest of his haze and look around.

"Ugh... Wha-... What the buck...? What happened? Is the ceremony over already?"

Chrysalis let out another abhorrent cackle as she hovered back into the room, tittering as she glared down in amusement at the freed stallion.

"It's ALL over. Your spell is broken! Canterlot is destroyed! The Ponies here are but an appetizer to the buffet your Kingdom will provide..."

She ushered to Princess Celestia above them, who was asleep and in stasis within a strange, green cocoon.

"And your precious Princess will watch every step of the way of our conquest.~"

Shining Armor widened his eyes, turning and gazing down towards Canterlot.

"Oh my Celestia..."

He turned back to Chrysalis, glaring at her as his horn began to ignite. As it did, a sudden headache plagued him, a ceaseless burn of his own mana restraining his magic, and almost forcing him to double over and vomit.

"A-Ah, gods! My magic...! My power is useless now! They've taken too much of my strength and I can't repel this...!"

Cadenza stepped up next to him.

"Maybe not by yourself, but we can. My love magic will refurbish your own, and keep the Changelings from sapping any more of your potential away."

Chrysalis hissed as she crushed the table the Elements were resting upon when landing, the necklaces sliding away from the case as it toppled over. Their bearers eyed them for a moment, but realized they wouldn't get near them with the Queen standing in between. They were at one end of an unstoppable force while Twilight's brother and old foalsitter were on the other. Unable to do much more than watch, Chrysalis stalked towards the pair as Cadenza began to transfer her magical reserves to Shining Armor, who prepared the spell to protect Canterlot all over again. Straining himself, and fighting against the massive headache, more and more of his horn began to light up as Cadenza nuzzled up next to him, her arms linking around his and her muzzle burying itself under his chin. Their two horns touched as the magic they exerted reached its peak, sending out a flash that made Chrysalis stagger back.

"What...? How... How can you have so much left...?"

She jumped as one of the Elements of Harmony floated up into the air, responding to the love magic and flying back towards its bearer. The other Elements followed suit with the tiara of The Element of Magic coming last. Snapping onto their respective hosts, the power of friendship amplified the power of the love magic that was supercharging Shining Armor's spell, shaking the entirety of the throne room. Chrysalis backed up towards the windows, her cries and demands for them to stop ignored as her voice was no longer audible enough for anypony to hear. Opening their eyes as the magic continued to build, the flaring aura surrounding the bride and groom of the Canterlot wedding pushed outwards, bypassing the Elements of Harmony and obtaining a rainbow color. Sweeping towards Chrysalis, it slammed into her body and forced her out of the window. The barrier grabbed onto more Changelings as it not only passed over Canterlot, but expanded to a radius that even reached the neighboring towns and cities near Canterlot Mountain. All of the Changeling's adhesive was burned away in the wave, the insectoids themselves carried off and rocketed straight through the stratosphere. One by one, or in some cases, groups of them were sent out of the Kingdom, never to return.

Slowly, the series of mixed-colored light began to subside, the air around the capital returning to normal as the deafening thunder of war was quelled into silence and peace. Canterlot was in shambles, yes, but the damage was minimal compared to what it would have been. Only a few buildings toppled in the conflict, and even then, everypony was unharmed. Even those who were sapped of their strength were able to rise again, their love replenished and emotions running high.

Cadenza and Shining Armor, the source of the magic, found themselves locked in a tight embrace as the light from within dissipated, their hardship now passed and the day saved from ruination. Quite a way to celebrate their union, they'd say. Both were relieved to find each other unharmed, and it showed as they looked to each other.

Twilight Sparkle was quick to run off to the side of the room, catching Princess Celestia in her magic and lowering her to the floor as the cocoon was destroyed. Setting the Princess of the Sun upright, the taller, more regal Alicorn took a few labored breaths before calming her nerves. Coming out of stasis had shocked her, but did not leave her deterred for long. With her magic stabilizing itself, and her mane resuming its ethereal flow, she was able to get a good grasp on what was around her, and find her student before her. Helped to her feet, the eldest Alicorn of Equestria smiled.

"Don't worry about me, my pupil. I am fine..."

She turned her gaze towards Princess Cadenza and Shining Armor, her smile remaining as Twilight mirrored it, watching her two closest Ponies finally ready to be engaged in wedlock.

"I... believe you have a real wedding to put together."

Ohio, North America - 2012

"Whoa..."

Nathan felt himself stumble a bit as he was hit with some sort of... invisible force. It was like a strong gust of wind had just nearly swept him off his feet while an array of near transparent rainbow colors assaulted his eyes. He scrambled backwards on the small incline in the hillside of the forest he was traveling through, looking around as he waited for more wind currents to come along. None ever did.

What the hell was that? Is there a storm coming? He hadn't heard of any rolling through, but then again, he did decide to settle down in Ohio. After he had dealt with Paxton and his family, he took his first step in a new life to Ohio, a literal rural bar fight of a state, but also calming when you're not standing in the center of the cesspit of a city that is Columbus. Where Nathan lived right now was in a solitary section of Thornville. It was a small neighborly area, a place where he'd meet new people, find a new calling. Hell, he already had a job that paid decent money at Amazon. That aside, he occasionally went into the forest behind his house for some fresh wood for his fireplace. Fallen trees still had good wood to harvest and burn, and during the vicious storms of last Spring, there were still some good ones lying about a mile into the treeline. This was his fourth trip in, and it was only now that he was hit with that sudden wave of harsh, colorful wind.

Sitting himself up against the hillside, Nathan rubbed his eyes, then shook his head. He believed himself crazy, going delirious from a lack of sleep. I mean, shit, he's been up for a good while trying to build the new barn he had out back. He had to pull an all-nighter because he wouldn't have time till next weekend to continue on it. Might as well do all that he could. With it only being two-thirds the way done, Nathan was ready to take a break. He had amassed a good pile of wood already, but this last batch would be it before he clocked out for the night.

Standing up, he walked the rest of the way down, ignoring the oddness he was feeling as well as what had happened in favor of getting this done so he'd be able to sleep. Finding the last section where he found some decent logs, he gathered up another five hefty pieces and piled them into his arms. Turning and moseying back up the hill, his ears began to pick up on something as he was trailing back up the path to his home.

It sounded like... music. Slow, orchestra music. Something akin to a very romantic, wedding-like setting. A jingle that reminded anyone of the comfort of their own music box, but played on a piano.

Nathan blinked as he looked up the hill, noticing that it wasn't going as far up as he'd remembered. Was he always able to get up to the top this fast? Actually, never mind that...

What was that music? Where was it coming from?

Approaching the top of the hill, he found more foliage and trees ahead of him, the leaves and bark looking... different than the trees he left behind. The bark was of different texture, and the patterns on the leaves were all identical and traditional to that seen on a drawing. Stopping by one to examine it, his ears picked up the music again, drawing his attention to his right and pulling him in its direction. He figured that it might have been some pesky runts having a party, but that'd be too simple of an answer. Besides, what "bomb-ass" party has slow wedding music?

"Let's get this party started!!"

Nathan slowed his pace again, raising an eyebrow as the music he'd expected finally rang out through the forest.

Yup, that was definitely the kind of heavy beat he was waiting for. These kids must have put on the slow music first to drive off any adults from pestering them about their heavy metal and hard rock, but this sounded more like upbeat DJ pop than anything. Still, though, might as well tell them to keep it down before some old man comes at them with a shotgun...

Again...

Reaching the edge of the forest as the music was now accompanied by singing, Nathan turned passed several trees that lingered at the edge of the forest, coming around the corner of the treeline to find... find...

"~~~Love is in bloom! A beautiful bride! A handsome groom!~~~"

Nathan stood, dumbfounded by what he was seeing. He didn't know if he had huffed something from the logs he was carrying, or if he was so fucking tired, he was hallucinating what he was seeing, but before him was a large wedding reception filled to the brim with a maximum capacity of Ponies. Unicorns, Pegasi, and just regular horse-like humanoids fluttered about with bodies that men and women would kill for. The heavy beat was coming from a large speaker system on the other side of the clearing. The entire area was some sort of high-class courtyard with shrubbery laced with roses and flowers. Just behind it was the largest structure Nathan had seen in his life. A marble castle that was decked out in ornaments of white, gold, and various shades of pink and purple.

It was as if Nathan had stepped into some fucking fairy tale. What the hell was he even looking at?!

"~~~Two hearts becoming one! A bond that cannot be undone because looove iiiis in blooom...~~~"

Oh my god, they spoke. They spoke American-English! That purple one fucking spoke American!?

At this point, any strength used to carry the logs was lost as Nathan's arms slumped to his side. The wood fell and cluttered together, creating an audible noise loud enough for one of them to hear. A cry of alarm and surprise startled another, then another, and soon, everyone in the party was staring back at the confused former-serial murderer and mafia Soldier. The beat was cut off as the DJ took the needle off the disc, and all that accompanied either side was a stuttering silence. No one made a move, no one spoke a word. One side was confused beyond capacity, and the other was fearful, alert. After what had happened to them, how could they not be. Yet, as they stared at the lone straggler that had come upon them, the only words Nathan could culminate after minutes of trying to wrap his brain around what he was seeing were three, very logical ones.

"What the fuck...?"

Chapter 2: Confrontation

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!"

Nathan widened his eyes as a voice came from his right, his stupor and confusion broken as he found one of the many techno-colored horse people standing right next to him, hands on the barrel of a large cannon mounted on two wheels. Seeing that the large maw of that cannon was locked onto him, and it was only a few feet away, Nathan didn't have the time to react or reach for his own weapon before the cannon unleashed a colorful blast of confetti-riddled horror upon him. The concussive force of the blast was enough to send him flying backwards, but the condensed ball of party favors burrowed into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and no doubt blasting a hole into his center. Clutching his chest as confetti, streamers, and various small party decorations fluttered down around him, Nathan scooted himself backwards as he tried to right himself, his body going into fight or flight whilst old habits and muscle memory kicked in.

A light blue missile was approaching him from above, a rainbow trailing behind it. Scrambling forward to avoid it, he narrowly dodged the body as it kicked up the dirt behind him. Seeing his backpack a few meters away, he crawled for it in hopes to retrieve anything inside that could help him, grabbing it just as that same cyan-colored blur slammed into his back. Yelling out as something wrapped around his midsection, Nathan felt himself being carried upwards. Thinking fast, he reached into the bag and grabbed a pocket knife. Flicking it open, he jammed it into anything he could reach over his shoulder, the blade piercing something organic as a cry of pain came with it. Grunting at the ringing in his ear, he yelped as he descended back to the ground, crashing through a few tables while the blue body tumbled elsewhere. Kicking off the broken pieces of the table, Nathan threw the knife into the crowd, hitting one of those noble-looking Ponies in the arm while the ones in strange golden armor rushed him. Flinching down as a torrent of strange energy went sailing over his own head, Nathan was caught off guard when another one of the Ponies tackled him to the ground. Struggling with a very strong orange mare, Nathan reached to his side into the bag, bringing out a metal bottle he used for water in his travels. Flinging it upwards, his strike was blocked and his arm was forced above his head. Gritting his teeth, he threw his other arm upwards. Punching her in the jaw, Nathan got his legs up and shoved her off of him. Scrambling to his feet, he found himself backing up to the same cannon that hit him before, the concussive force of the blast throwing him forward this time as a searing pain coursed through his spine. At this point, whatever these creatures were saying to him or each other was tuned out. Coupled with the ringing, Nathan knew that his present location wasn't safe. He had to either grab his stuff and leave or stand his ground and fight.

The second part was difficult, given the pink mare with the cannon keeps surprising him and blasting him into the dirt. Seeing as he was now in the center of the party, he was completely surrounded. It was like old times, now. Him against the world. He had to fight his way out the conservative and creative way. First things first...

"FIRE IN THE-!!!"

The pink mare was cut off as a fist scraped across her muzzle, throwing her away from the cannon as Nathan took control of it. With the fuse still lit, he used his foot to kick its aim towards the crowd of Ponies. With a dangerous blast of party favors clearing him the first few feet of a path, Nathan found his arms being restrained by those armored Ponies while another was holding a set of cuffs. Kicking his foot forward, he pushed the Pony into the bushes while Nathan headbutted the soldier Pony on his left. With his arm freed, he socked the other one in the jaw, throwing him over his shoulders into another table. Running for his bag, he scooped up his things and made a break for it while the numbers of present guards were low. Jumping over a few shrubs and into the thicket, he made his way around the unknown area as he realized he was lost in an unfamiliar castle. Heading for the only available entry inside, he hopped through a window just as the guards caught up with him. Sprinting through the hallways, he slammed or bypassed several maid and butler Ponies, trying to find his way downwards so he could escape the growing armada of strong-looking stallions and mares. Seeing a door ajar at the end of the corridor, he ripped it open and jumped inside, taking a moment to breathe and nurse his wounds.

Sluggishly kneeling down to sit, Nathan brought his hand up to his chest, coughing slightly as he drenched his hand in red. That cannon really ripped him up, and considering the dampness in his back, he suspected the blast in his back also ripped open another large gash. He needed to stop and think this through. This situation was aberrant at best and completely screwed at worst. He had to get his head on straight and figure out what was happening...

Moments earlier, he was walking through his own property, collecting wood to continue building the barn out behind his house. He had gone through the same path multiple times that day, but just as the sun set, a strange and sudden breeze swept over him, his vision turning some sort of pinkish rainbow in that instant the wind came. Then, the next thing he knew, he was standing in a clearing staring at humanoid Ponies.

Was he tripping on something? Is he in some sort of gang shootout and is just hallucinating?

"Search the area. Find the Changeling and detain it before it gets loose outside of the castle."

Nathan grumbled as he shifted himself to hide behind the door as it swung open. With the guard coming and looking both ways, he turned and walked back out, leaving the door open for Nathan to peek through. Multiple guards were sweeping the halls trying to find him. He couldn't really see all of them, but from the numbers he saw out there already, there was at least two dozen in the hall he was in right now.

"Anything?"

"No. No traces of magic anywhere. The creature must have escaped to the upper levels."

"The maids told us he went this way, though. Think he might have jumped out the window?"

"Yeah, probably. Can never be too sure with these... whatever they are."

"Whatever they are? C'mon, Private. It's obviously a Changeling. Just a straggler who somehow evaded Shining Armor's spell. Didn't do a good job trying to disguise itself."

Nathan rose an eyebrow at the accusation. What the hell is a Changeling? And who is Shining Armor?

Nathan watched them patrol the hallways for a few minutes, attempting to find a pattern in their search. It proved fruitless. Their movements were erratic, completely unpredictable. He'll have no luck finding a way out from the inside of the castle. Pulling himself up, he ignored the protesting pain in his torso as he lumbered for the other end of the room he hid in. Coming to a window, he pursed his lips as he opened it and looked out. The courtyards seemed to be made from the protrusions of the mountain the city was attached to while the ground level was facing towards the multiple districts beyond the castle. Where the hell was he? And how is he gonna get out of the city? Even if he makes it out of the castle, there's no way he'd be able to just climb his way down the mountain without the very high chance of him tripping up on a rock and falling to his death.

Well, first things first, he had to escape this deranged castle. He wasn't safe so long as he stayed here.

Climbing out the window, Nathan ducked down on the other side, keeping a low profile as he moved around the base of the tower he was in. Coming up to a corner, he stopped just before another window, peering through as he heard voices from inside.

"C'mon, girls! He can't have gotten far! He had to have gone this way!"

Nathan cursed as he saw that blue rainbow horse flying about inside. Other Ponies, excluding the pink one he punched in the face, followed after her.

"Now, hold yer horses, Rainbow, we're comin'."

"Are you sure it went this way, Rainbow Dash?"

"Totally. There's no other way out except this hallway, and the front gate is heavily guarded. No way it could get out without flying, and it didn't have any wings."

"It was still disguised, Rainbow. It could easily revert back and use its natural wings to fly away."

"Yeah, well... Shoot! I didn't think of that! I'll head outside to look for it in the air!"

Nathan widened his eyes, pulling back from the window and hugging the wall as this "Rainbow Dash" flew past him, taking off with its stream of colors following behind it. Watching it fly upwards to the top of the castle, Nathan glanced back into the castle as the other Ponies continued on, conversing as they went.

"Well, at least Dash has got surveillance. C'mon, girls. We gotta keep moving."

"Y'all know what that thing was, Twilight? Ah'm assumin' it was just another Changeling, but... Ah never seen one that looked like that before."

The purple Unicorn horse slowed to a stop as she hung her head in thought, her finger coming up to her chin as she pulled some blinds back with a strange, purple aura coming from her horn.

"I'm not sure, Applejack. I was thinking the same thing, but... Princess Celestia seemed to be just as confused as the rest of us when we saw it. I was thinking she'd be a bit more defensive, given what she had went through as opposed to the rest of us, but she looked as if she didn't even know what she was looking at."

"Well, she has been in a Changeling cocoon throughout those dreadful hours earlier today. I'd be anything but out of my mind at the thought of any more of those beasties coming back and covering me with that nasty slime, darling."

Nathan's eyebrows narrowed as he heard more and more about these Changelings. Transforming? Slime? He was perfectly dry all around. He had no slime coming off of him...

Talk about an insult...

"I'm just glad Fluttershy isn't here. After the wedding, she was quick to go back to Ponyville."

"Can't say I blame the girl. Even Ah'm still shakin' from all that hoopla, and even now, it ain't over. The Changelings are still inside the castle, especially after all that."

"At least we only have to worry about one. C'mon, let's keep looking."

The three Ponies looked around the halls as Nathan retreated from the window again, taking a few breaths as he faced forward once more. Crossing over a small junction in the palace yards, he made his way into some sort of large hedge maze. Good and bad for him. He'll get lost in here easily, but at least these armored horses will, too. Placing a hand on his stomach as he could feel the blood leaking from him, the human cleared his throat as he moved on, trying to ignore the pain and stifle the blood loss as much as possible. Passing out here is the worst thing that can happen to him. Who knows what these things will do to him if they got their hands on him? Thankfully, he didn't have to traverse the maze far to reach another exit, and with a stroke of good luck, it was near the main entrance. He kept himself under cover the whole way, as that blue horse was still flying about overhead looking for him. One wrong step and he would be caught in her crosshairs, and considering how fast she was, he didn't want to be thrown into the dirt by her again.

Coming out of the hedge maze to the last corner before the bridge, Nathan peeked around to find the drawbridge was heavily guarded. Several squadrons were posted there, keeping the only way out on lockdown. Cursing under his breath, he rested against the wall, head hung in thought as he tried to come up with another way to escape. With the guards grouped up in his way and several more patrols behind him, he was beyond antsy. Only this last obstacle remained and he was out of the thick of it. In his eagerness to move, he had unknowingly been standing in the open without aerial cover for far too long, and his heart stopped when he heard a tomboyish voice above call him out.

"There he is! He's down there!!"

Nathan's attention shot upwards, the cyan Pegasus pointing down at him from near the top of the castle. The guards standing at the gate all shifted their gazes towards the human, their natural stance turned aggressive as they charged straight for him. When he realized he was about to be assaulted from two different directions, both equally lethal, instinct took over, and he bolted away from the guards and the blue mare back towards the maze. Shoving and tearing down things such as statues, sculptures, and benches to slow his pursuers, he was pleasantly surprised to find even hardened veterans were slightly clumsy. One after another, they either fell, stumbled, or had to go around the fallen ornaments to continue the chase. Thankfully, Nathan managed to put some distance between himself and the guards to be able to lose them around the corner, but the same couldn't be said about the blue Pegasus coming down from above. With a powerful beat of her wings, her large mass rammed into his already-injured back, driving Nathan into the dirt. Growling in a searing writhe of pain, the human felt his body spasm from the collision, momentarily unable to get back up from the strike. The body that tackled him swept itself back into the air, laughing as she pointed down at him.

"Hah! Stupid Changeling! Ain't no way I'm letting some bug playing dress-up outrun me!"

Nathan glared at the Pony when he heard that name, that species. "Changeling". He had no idea what the hell a Changeling was, but apparently, that may be what humans are called in this place, and quite clearly, they're not welcome. The blurry image of the Pony was locked in Nathan's sight as he managed to get himself upright, slowly pushing himself upwards to flee again. However, that hit had taken too much out of him this time. The strain that was shot into his spine wasn't letting his legs work right. Every inch of him from the chest down wanted to shut down, to collapse on the ground and numb the damage. It was so tempting to just slip away into slumber, as the blood loss was making everything turn from blurry to delirious. Hazing lines folded into his vision, his hearing dulled as multiple colored bodies were approaching them. Blinking his eyes in attempt to clear them, he found the colored figures to not only be the guards catching up with them, but those mares he had seen in the hallway before.

"Great job stopping the Changeling, Rainbow Dash! Keep him surrounded as I put a forcefield around him. If he tried to move, try and stop him!"

Nathan widened his eyes as his brain processed that, looking around as a dome of some sort of lavender energy began to encase him from above. Forcing his legs to move, he bucked himself backwards, getting just outside of the shield's radius as it reached the ground. With him still free, the guards advanced on him, intending to tackle and shackle him.

But, somepony else reached him first.

Shining Armor slammed into Nathan's side just as he got back on his feet, shoving him backwards a few feet before catching a sloppy right hook from the human. Bringing his elbow down onto his arm, he had broken the bone in two, forcing it at an unnatural angle. Horrendous cries of agony boomed from the human as he staggered from Shining Armor, grasping his broken arm's bicep. Hearing the revving of energy being collected, he looked back up at the well-dressed stallion, raising up his other hand just as Shining Armor's horn blasted a torrent of lethal magic at the human. The erupting power seared the skin off of Nathan's left forearm, garnering more screams as the guards behind Shining Armor hesitate. A few glanced at each other, the brutality unnerving them. Their orders were to capture the Changeling... right?

Many of the patrons of the wedding caught up with everypony as Shining Armor slashed out Nathan's leg, dropping him to a knee. Princess Cadence gasped as she saw this, her hand coming up to her mouth in horror at what her newlywed husband was doing. Behind her, the Royal Sisters were in shock, stilled by the sight of the broken and bleeding target their guards were dispatched to apprehend. Even the Elements of Harmony didn't know what to think, Twilight Sparkle most of all. She had never seen her brother this... this... angry before. Sure, he was stern and upset with her when he blamed the disguised Chrysalis of being evil, but he would never go out of his way to be so aggressive, even as a guard of Canterlot Castle. He was a protector, a guardian. Not this!

In Shining Armor's mind, there was nothing but static. Static, and the replaying memories of the manipulation and subsequent torture of mind control. No one had ever truly experienced the level of torment the groom had experienced. The way the Changelings burrowed themselves into his mind was like a parasite worming its way into his brain. It trapped him there, in his own conscious, plucking thoughts and feelings away from him like ripping a warm blanket off of him on a cold winter night. The manipulation of Changeling magic wasn't like an instantaneous alteration spell. It was slow, subtle, and painful. Twilight's observations, the headaches he'd received all throughout the wedding preparations was the only evidence that something was wrong. Shining Armor never noticed before, but when total control over his body was achieved, he was imprisoned in hazy nightmares, reliving horrible moments in his life while all the lovely memories faded away. Chrysalis had sapped his love, and would have done the same with his life, had things not turned out as they did. After all, he couldn't have done anything. He couldn't have done his job as a Royal Guard and continue shielding the Ponies. Standing before Chrysalis, he was but a mute zombie, dumbly taking orders from the rancid Queen.

It. Was. Misery.

And now, here he stands, giving one of her disguised grunts their due retribution for all the pain they'd caused him; for all the pain they'd caused to Canterlot, the Ponies there that he couldn't protect. Going after him and torturing his mind was one thing, but when innocent Ponies and even guards died in the skirmish that came soon after; with families losing their precious ones to something so simple as feeding... Shining Armor could only see red.

Wrapping a string of magic around the disguised Changeling's neck, he pulled on it with all his might, strangling the straggler of the hive as he used another spell to try and rid it of its disguise, to show its true face. He only rose an eyebrow when it failed, his mind coming up with one or more excuses as to why. Perhaps this one was more in tune with his magic. Maybe in his blind rush to destroy this creature, Shining Armor was losing focus in his magic. Honestly, he didn't care. He just wanted this... THING... to suffer like he did.

Kicking the human up in his nose, the bone behind it snapped as he fell onto his back, the string of magic dissolving as Shining Armor got on top of him. Taking it by the blue garbs it wore, he slammed his head down against its face, headbutting it near its left eye. At first, the disguised bug struggled in his grasp, but as he continued to hammer away at its face with his forehead, the combined force of his stronger skull structure as well as the horn on his head beat the thing into submission, and with one less eye to see through. Shining Armor rose his head up to continue the assault, his intent clear as Nathan stared numbly back at him.

"Shiny! Get off him!"

A pair of pink arms grabbed Shining Armor by his left, dragging him back as he threw his head again, barely missing the human as some of the guards came forth. Princess Cadence, along with them, held the senior guard back as others rushed to Nathan, a medic leaning down to examine him.

"Shining Armor! Stop it right now! You got him! He's not hurting anypony anymore!"

"I'm not taking chances! You saw what they do! You've seen what they have done to Canterlot! They deserve to die!!"

"Somepony help me!!"

Several Ponies ducked as Shining Armor's horn blasted more magic in Nathan's direction, the guards surrounding him ducking whilst the medic looming over the body was sweating, examining the damage done to him. Several points of injury was enough to leave a guard bedridden. Hell, he shouldn't have been able to get up from the two blasts of the pink Pony's cannon. He doesn't look strong, but judging from the tightness of his muscle and how they connect to the bone, this Changeling was built to last. Bringing over her medical kit, the medic looked up and brought over a Unicorn, instructing them to perform and reverse spell on the point of injury on Nathan's broken arm.

The human stared upwards at the sky, his mind just barely clinging to consciousness as a concussion was savagely beaten into his face. He gurgled and choked on the blood that rose in his mouth, coughing lightly as the medical Ponies worked. A hideous snap made him flinch as these Ponies had righted his arm, the bone sealing together with just a fracture left behind. His left eyesocket was bloody and caved, the eye itself being in pieces that either lay splattered onto his cheek or drilled deeper into the socket. He could feel the medic poke into it, taking out the bits and pieces of his eye. It... didn't hurt. Not even a little bit... Was... Was this what dying felt like? The fingers of his skinless hand prodded the grass under them. It was warm, and wet, as if he was bleeding himself a pool to float in. His remaining eye dully glanced to his side, seeing several colors wrestling with each other. Purple and pink clashed with white and blue, and multiple other whites were getting in the mix. Were... Were these Ponies fighting each other?

*flash-!*

"!!!"

Nathan felt a jolt of electricity surge through him, pushing his consciousness back to the forefront as he let out a large gasp.

"Oh! OH!!! He's still awake! He's awake! Stop the treatment!"

The medic stood back up, ushering the Unicorn back as Nathan looked around. His heart was beating hard and fast, adreniline giving him the strength to finally move. Grasping the dirt with his fixed arm, he rolled himself to the side, throwing up a small lump of blood and mucus as he pushed himself to his knee. A sting of immense pain coursed through his right leg, the gash that groom Pony made with a knife cutting deep into his knee. Putting his left foot on the ground, he struggled to pull himself up. Hobbling on his left only, he fell against the hedge beside him, breathing hoarsely as he realized his lack of sight in his left eye. Reaching up, he grimaced at the contact, pulling his fingers away as he panted. Oncoming panic was inevitable. His self-imposed mission of escape was creeping back into his head. He had to leave. He had to get out! They've already done this to him! What else will they--?!

"LOOK OUT!!!"

*THWOOOOOO*

A beam of magic the size of Nathan's torso slammed into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and throwing him through the many, many hedges that made up the maze. The powerful and searing hot energy had hit him like a semi-truck, pushing him out of the courtyards and through the castle's outer walls. Falling downwards as the magic subsided, Nathan felt his mind slip once more as he crashed down into the moat. The cold water brought him back for a brief moment, but only just as he drifted downstream. Looking ahead as the current became stronger, Nathan only had time to register the waterfall a foot away from him before he went over. Soaring downwards, the young man turned his gaze up, the ringing in his ears being the only noise he could comprehend as the ground was coming up fast. Several of those white Ponies were flying after him. Even that blue mare from before was speeding towards him at breakneck pace, but it wasn't fast enough. With a loud crash, Nathan felt his back give out as he hit the river below and submerged into the water.

"What were you thinking?!"

Shining Armor reeled back at the harsh roaring of his newlywed's voice. Cadence was positively livid. No, she was more than that. She was downright infuriated.

"I told you was no longer a threat to us! He was just laying there in the grass, completely immobilized! There wasn't even a need to use the shackles anymore from how badly you hurt him!"

"Cadence, honey, please. You know how dangerous they are. How many Ponies have lost their lives to that hive? How many mothers mourn their children, or sons crying over the loss of their parents? Eliminating the threats to Canterlot, even after Chrysalis' defeat, should have been the top priority for the remaining citizens' safety."

"I... Hahhh..."

Cadence wiped a hand down her face, taking a slow breath to calm herself as several guards flew off after the injured Changeling. Twilight even sent Rainbow Dash with them, hoping her speed would be enough to catch up and bring the devastated morsel back for medical attention.

"Shining Armor, I understand completely. You have a duty to protect this Kingdom as Captain of the Royal Guard, but I highly doubt Royal Guard training taught you to do THAT to a supposed threat that isn't even fighting back. Despite everything, we needed to take him into custody for interrogation. What would happen if there are more like him skulking about Canterlot right now? We could have gathered extremely important intelligence not only on them, but on the Changeling hive altogether."

She gave him a heated glare as she pointed to her head.

"Think, Shiny! THINK!!! Now, with your assault on the Changeling, we'll have to expend resources to keep it alive. Medical equipment and medicine we should be using on the brave soldiers and guards who participated in the skirmish on the streets."

Shining Armor remained silent, opening his mouth to say something, only to close it when he had nothing to rebut that. Cadence was right. Shining Armor had taken it one step too far and did more harm than good. He knew he wasn't okay, he wasn't right, but... at this point, he could and couldn't blame himself. The experiences he went through had taken their toll, and while the afterparty settled his nerves slightly, seeing this new Changeling put him in red alert. That alone forced him out of his right mind. Closing his eyes and looking away in shame, Cadence's stern glare melted into concern and pity.

"Maybe we should get you looked at. The castle's psychiatrist can help get you checked out. I doubt you'll be returning to your duties after tonight anyways..."

Both of them glanced towards the Royal Sisters, the elder solar monarch looking off towards the direction the Changeling was shot to in worry while the younger lunar princess was giving him a look of disappointment.

No... No, Shining Armor was indeed not going back on duty anytime soon, and that was evident when the guards and Rainbow Dash returned without the Changeling. Princess Celestia closed her eyes as Luna widened hers, both sharing some odd sense of discomfort as they dismissed the guards and ordered a few to escort Cadence and Shining Armor back inside.

As they went, Shining Armor looked back at the hole in the wall, taking a breath to steady himself as he marched with his fellow guards. His wife stayed by his side, wrapping an arm around his and keeping close to comfort him. As much trouble as he was in, he needed somepony to stay at his side, and Cadence wasn't going to leave him. Not now...

And not ever again.

Princess Luna watched the crowd disperse, a large chunk of them staying near the damaged Captain as they returned to the interior walls of the castle. Still giving him a harsh stare, the Princess of the Night had already begun calculating various punishments for his disrespect and clear disobedience to their orders.

"Such a fool. To go out of his way to strike down a defenseless somepony, even if they are one with the enemy."

Celestia remained still, looking off in the same direction as she kept her eyes closed.

"The fault is not his, Luna. The events of the last few days have taken an extreme toll on everypony. He alone shouldered the greatest pain that came from the Changelings' seduction."

Luna shook her head as she took her place beside her sibling.

"Even so, sister, he should have exercised a modicum of restraint. Executing a small brand of guardsman brutality is one thing, but brazenly disobeying direct orders from on high is a grievous crime."

"I will be lenient. Besides, we have more pressing things to worry about."

Luna glanced up at Celestia, then narrowed her eyes as she stared at the hole in the outer wall.

"Yes. Of all the threats Equestria has seen, I never expected to see this one again."

Celestia opened her eyes, her gaze filled with disdain.

"A creature made of violence and endurance. A survivor with cunning intelligence and adaptability replacing strength, speed, and magic."

"A human..."

Both sisters let that name set in. A human. This name belonged to creatures much like themselves. They're sapient beings who have built whole civilizations in the past generations Ponies have been around. Not once has Equestria seen these great cities of humans, but every generation, a human would cross the veil, and either share their knowledge, or aid in protecting the land from threats too great for Ponykind alone. It all started with the first time Ponies were around. A young "woman" named Megan defeated a great many threats in those times, and as each generation passed, one human would come after her, taking the same dive she did. It seemed this generation was also graced with the presence of a human, but Princess Celestia had not expected to meet them in her own castle, much less after a great battle for the Kingdom had already passed. Thus, she was unprepared for her subjects to mistake the human for a Changeling, and brutally attack him.

This had all gone wrong, and would continue into a slippery slope of consequences if the sisters did not act. Princess Celestia prayed that, even after all those wounds were afflicted to the human's body, they survived the fall to the rivers below. If a human has shown itself now, that would only mean another threat is rearing its ugly head so soon after the last.

One other thought plagued Her Highness' mind as well. Documentation of humans had described them as extremely volatile. Many Ponies look to each other and make choices based upon what this will do the other, but that question is much more loaded when applying those choices to humans. They're not just friends in the making with emotions and beliefs of their own, but they're also a major threat if not handled properly, and judging from the look on her sister's face, both she and Luna were well aware that their subjects' lives are in danger. Not the Kingdom, not their livelihoods, but their very existences could be stuffed out by death if nothing is done. To them, the next course of action was already chosen for them. They needed to find the human, or what remains of him. Alive or dead, in their arms, they would find relief in ensuring they can't hurt anyone.

Though, they would very much prefer alive, as Ponykind has to make amends for a horrendous wrong they've done them tonight...

Rain beat down on Nathan's body like bullets, hitting him like hail and stinging him like needles. The young man was battered and broken, yet alive. His consciousness had faded into slumber, and his exposed injured were soggy and mudded. It was no secret that surviving the ordeal he did was nothing short of a miracle. By all means, he should be dead. Here he is, still bleeding out on the bank of a river, yet he still lives despite the amount of blood he lost and the grotesque maiming of his body. His chest heaved shallow or painfully long breaths, keeping air flowing through him as a wagon was pulling up on a dirt path not far off from the stream. A soft voice gasped as the wagon came to a stop, the wooden basket left behind momentarily whilst footsteps rushed towards him.

Murmurs between the figure and another was indistinguishable in the heavy rain, but one was noticeably soft and the other monotonous.

"We can't just leave him out here... He could die..."

"We don't have the medical supplies to help him..."

"Then we'll get a doctor to help... Big sis can send a letter to Los Pegasus when we get back..."

"I don't think mom and dad will approve..."

"He doesn't have to stay long... Just until he gets back on his feet... Please, Maud..."

A moment of silence passed between the two as they looked down at the human. After a brief period of time, a small bout of air escaped the second figure's nose.

"Help me get him in the wagon, Marble..."

Chapter 3: Consequences [Updated]

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