Canterlot Knights

The Golden Goblet was booming as usual. It was very popular with the Royal Guard because it's closer to the castle than the downtown clubs and, of course, Royal Guards only pay half for drinks. Thunder Flames sat at the bar as he'd had commonly done for the past few months, only tonight he was actually waiting for somepony. He downed his hard cider but it didn't help his nerves. His hooves were shaking as he looked around the club for the certain pony. He knew what day it was and what day it would soon be. The pony Thunder was waiting for walked up and sat next to him. "You wanted to see me?" he said.

"Yes but...are you sure it's safe for us here?" Thunder asked nervously.

"Safe for us to meet, but not to talk. After I have a drink we'll go to the alley on the side of the building and talk."

"Not another damn alley. I hate alleys."

"You hate alleys? How can you hate a space between buildings?" the pony asked, laughing.

"I just...I just don't feel comfortable in them. Not since that night..."

"Hey, let me finish my drink first," the pony said as he drained the hard cider the bartender had just given him. The two ponies got up and walked through the dancing crowd to the side exit. When they walked into the alley they didn't notice Splitting Saber. He had been sitting on the roof of the adjacent building, waiting for Thunder to show his face so that they could finally "talk". He didn't expect that Thunder would come out with a mysterious pony, looking more scared than if he saw Saber.

Saber decided to be patient and play it smart. He was curious as to what Thunder wanted to say to this pony. He silently jumped down to the alley below. He landed in the shadows and ducked into a small stairwell that lead to the building's basement. Hiding in that, he was close enough to hear what they were saying.

"Ok, so what did you want to talk to me about?" the unknown pony asked.

"It's about what's coming up. I don't know if I can take part in it."

"Really? Thunder, you know what could happen to all of us if this got out, if anypony has any second thoughts. Even the slightest doubts could lead to all of us being killed. You know that, right?" Saber was intrigued by this.

"I know, I know. It's just that after that one night I've been having all sorts issues. When we...did what we did...I can't sleep at night. I can see the guy's face, even now I can here the filly's screams."

"Calm down. You weren't even the one who killed the filly. I was, and you don't see me crying over it." Saber's heart nearly stopped.

"I know, it's just too much to deal with right now and I just can't be a part of what's coming." Saber was hardly listening at this point. He filled with rage, his mind narrowed, he didn't care about getting information. He'll rush out at them, and maybe Thunder will still be alive by the end of it, but Saber didn't want to stop until the other pony's head was liquid. But something did stop him.

"Look, it wasn't personal for any of us. We were just following orders." Saber stopped himself. His interest wasn't just piqued anymore. His plan has to expand now, there is more to this than three ponies mugging a family. He had to get information, he had to know more. He had to wait.

"I just can't. You have to understand, I just can't."

"I understand. You're different from the others. Your loyalty to us, to me, can not be questioned. It's just that I must convince the others of this. Wait here. All I have to do is send them a message, and wait for a reply."

"I really don't think I should just stay here."

"Calm down Thunder, these messages have to be private. You have nothing to be afraid of." The pony exited the alley as Thunder just stood there, nervous as ever. He knew what could happen to him but he couldn't hold it in any longer. He had to get out.

"You know he's wrong. You should be very afraid right now," Saber said as he grabbed Thunder.

"You."

"Yeah, me. Tell me who was that pony you were just talking to!" Thunder looked at Saber with eyes full of terror. He was shaking violently, so much so that Saber had a hard time holding on to him. Yet, through all this he didn't say a word, just the occasional frightened yelp. "Fine then, who are you working for?!" Thunder started to cry.

"Who wanted my family dead? Tell me!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I killed you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Thunder said, sobbing. That the last thing Saber expected him to say. He was expecting a hardened criminal who could kill without giving a second thought, like in revenge books. He didn't expect a pony who could barely hold himself together because of what he did. Saber let go of him and stepped back as Thunder continued to just stand there and sob.

Saber then noticed that at the end of the alley a couple of unicorns were charging their horns. Without even thinking he dove into the stairwell as concentrated bolts of magic blasted through the alley tearing everything apart, including Thunder. After the magic stopped, Saber came out from the stairwell and wanted to just chase down the attackers, but he realized that Thunder was more important right now. He leaned down to Thunder, who was fading fast.

"I was...such a...fool," he said. He was covered in the blood leaking out of his wounds as a small pool formed beneath him.

"Please, for the love of Celestia tell me something, anything."

"Plan..."

"What plan? What's the plan?" Thunder attempted to say something but blood filled his mouth as he began to cough. "Okay, okay, umm, the two ponies who were with you that night, who are they? Where can I find them?"

"Party...Wonderbolt...R...R-R..."

"Okay, one of them's a Wonderbolt, and his name starts with R? What's the rest damn it, what's the rest?!" Saber yelled angrily at Thunder. Thunder just gave him a sad look, and then he was gone. Saber stood over the now dead Thunder Flames. He didn't really know what to think. Part of him still hated Thunder for what he did, but part of him felt kind of bad that he died. 'Snap out of it, he had it coming,' Saber thought to himself. 'He deserved it. Can't think too deep into this.Can't let it get too complex. He was a bad guy, and he deserved it.'

Saber towered over the corpse. He stared at it's face which still had the former owner's last expression frozen on it. The Royal Guard would soon be there, considering the attack took place next to The Golden Goblet. Saber decided it would be best if he disappeared before they got there. He jumped onto the fire escape of the adjacent building and climbed to the roof. A few blocks over he jumped down to street level and thought that he'd rather walk in the crowd and ponder his thoughts.

'So, one down, two to go. Except it isn't like that anymore. Oh Goddess, why couldn't it be simple? Okay, so there's a plan? Was part of it really killing us? This doesn't make any sense. I need answers and there's only one way to get them. I have to find the next pony. The question is, where do I start? Thunder said something about a Wonderbolt and a party. I only know of a few Wonderbolts, none of which have names that start with an R. I'm going to have to find out their entire roster if I'm going to get anywhere.'

Saber walked by a news stand and noticed a particular magazine on display. It was one of Canterlot's social magazines that keeps everypony informed on what the rich and famous are doing on a daily basis. Saber took it and flipped to the cover story. It said that tomorrow Fancy Pants would be having a party for Princess Twilight and that a good portion of the upper crust will be in attendance, along with the Wonderbolts, who will be performing in less than two weeks at Blue Blood's big party for Twilight. 'Do these ponies honestly do anything other than party? Wait, did I ever do anything other than party? Well my parties were better.' He put the magazine back on the news stand and kept walking.

'So I just have to find a Wonderbolt and talk to them. Although, if Canterlot's own vigilante surprises a Wonderbolt in a dark alley and asks questions about a specific member, the guy I'm looking for may hear about it and get scared. I need the element of surprise if I want to get close. I'll have to go to the party and get answers as casually as possible, but I am technically dead so I shouldn't stay very long.'

Saber stopped at a street corner and thought about everything that happened that night. For the first time since he started his crusade, after seeing Thunder on the ground bleeding and crying, he had mixed feelings about the whole thing. He pushed it out of his mind. He had mission and he was so close that stopping wasn't an option.

"Goddess I really hate alleys."