Chapters The night was late and almost finished, but it wasn't cold. Canterlot nights were never cold. They were always just right. No pony ever noticed though, especially not the pony running from half the royal guard that night. Three months. For three months whispers have been circulating around the less posh districts of the city. A pony, faster and stronger than anypony should be, beating down other ponies left and right. The most amazing thing was that no pony has even seen his face or even knows his name. They said he springs from the shadows and dissipates like fog just as quickly. 'Until now,' thought the young guard captain, 'now we've got the bastard.'
Shining Armor was specifically told by Princess Celestia, "Vigilantism shall not be tolerated, especially not in Canterlot." Shining thought the situation couldn't have been serious enough to warrant his transfer from the Crystal Empire back to Canterlot. Shining didn't realize how difficult it was going to be to catch him. He had dozens of undercover guards combing the streets for information. After a while Armor thought they were never going to find him, that it was pointless to waste so much time and effort searching for one pony. Every time they got close he just barely slipped away. One guard even lodged a spear into his back and it didn't slow him down. This time Shining was more determined to succeed than ever before.
Two guards spotted him fleeing the scene of a mugging and soon after about seven were trying to chase him down into a trap. They were going to box him in a try to take him alive. Each night they waited in the districts where he was most commonly spotted and they would wait for an opportunity. Some of the guards fired bolts of magic to steer him in the right direction as Shining Armor waited with a few dozen other guards. They saw him turn the corner and Armor shouted "Freeze!" Almost without hesitation the pony ran into the closest alley. Armor and the others gave chase. The alley looked like a dead end. Suddenly, the pony leaped onto the right wall, then pushed off to even higher on the left wall, and again and again, then back flipped onto the roof of the right building.
Armor and the other unicorns teleported up, and the pegasi also closed in. As soon as he got up there, Armor saw the pony taking down his guards. It looked liked mostly quick hooves to their throats, but also under the legs and on the lower backs. Anywhere the armor didn't cover. He was so fast, ducking the magic, dodging charging pegasi, and hitting them each in just the right spot, but sometimes that wasn't enough. They were the Royal Guards after all, and when they saw an opening they took it. After he struck a guard across the face another came up and hit him hard in the back. The pony staggered, but he quickly recovered. They were all down by the time Shining Armor began to charge. The pony then got on his fore legs and bucked Armor right in the chest, sending him flying to the edge of the roof.
Saying Armor got the wind knocked out of him was an understatement. He couldn't form a breath for a good few seconds. He leaned up and saw the pony simply walk off the other side of the roof. Shining Armor ran to the edge and looked down, seeing only a couple dumbfounded guards in the alley below. He sat down and breathed deeply. Another guard walked over to him. "Is he gone?" the guard asked.
"Yes," Armor replied. He looked at the moon, which was setting, and the sun's light starting to rise over the eastern horizon. "The Princess is not going to be happy about this."
* * * * *
The night was late as Splitting Saber ran across the rooftops of Canterlot. He thought it was funny how for almost three months he had hardly been using the roads or sidewalks to get around anymore. He stopped on the edge of a building to catch his breath. 'Okay,' he thought, 'ten blocks before having to catch my breath. That's a new record, for me at least, but will it be enough?' He sat down on the edge, his back hooves dangling off the side of the building.
He thought back to why he was doing all this, and how he was even able to do all this. He thought about his family, his mom and dad, and his little sister. Splitting Saber was a part of one of the single richest families in Canterlot. His family had roots stretching all the way back to before the three races even settled in Equestria. It was believed that his family had the purest line of unicorns in all the land. Well, it was believed until Saber was born an earth pony. His mother swore that she had remained faithful to the family, so no pony knew where the gene pool became muddled.
This cast Saber as the black sheep from the get go. He seemed out of place in the family, and in the upper class as a whole, so he tried to overcompensate. He went to parties and on vacations all the time, he bought droves of things he had no real use for, he went to the fancy boarding schools, blew through dozens of relationships with mares (and even the occasional stallion, but those were just experiments to prove something, but he wasn't ever sure of what), and above all be a prick to those who weren't as well off as him, which was basically everypony. Everypony but his sister. Still, he tried so hard to fit every description of the Canterlot pony stereotype.
It was all an attempt to be the pony he thought his parents wanted him to be. In reality they just saw him as a slip up. They were overjoyed when his little sister came out a unicorn. With Saber, they just ignored him mostly. Even his name was a joke. When she was pregnant with him his mother would say that his "horn" made it feel like he was trying to cut his way out with a sword. After he was born they couldn't tell what caused all the pain, but they called him Splitting Saber anyway. That was confusing for him, and he didn't even get his cutie mark until...
Saber fell back as a nearby scream took him away from his thoughts. He sprinted across rooftops until he was looking down at a young mare being mugged. She was being held against an alley wall by a fairly large stallion who, Saber noted, was very ugly. 'Oh good. I thought I wasn't going to get any practice tonight. Although, he doesn't look like he'll be much of a challenge.'
Saber remembered how the Royal Guard had recently started staging crimes like this in an attempt to catch him. He wasn't going to fall for that a third time. The two times he did fall for it were very important learning experiences. First of all he learned that he was fast enough that they still hadn't figured out who he was. Second, he can recover from a spear to the back. It didn't matter now though, as he could tell this wasn't staged.
The stallion looks awful, and the mare isn't very dressed up and fancy while walking around in the middle of the night. Saber waits and watches. If he just steals her money it's not really a concern of his, as he has more important things to be doing. Okay, he didn't. He just wanted a better reason to take down the pony than him stealing a couple bits. If it goes further, he can use the situation as practice for later on. The stallion took the money, then a sickly grin began to spread across his face. 'It's going further,' Saber thought.
Saber jumped down to the alley and dashed towards the stallion. The pony could only react by swinging his foreleg in defense, and Saber was knocked back. However, that hit barely registered. Of all the things he struggled to teach himself over the course of a few months, taking a punch came the most naturally to him. Saber slammed the pony against the wall and quickly snapped his neck. The stallion died, and Saber noticed that the mare had already fled the scene screaming. 'So, I think I've got the quick take-downs mastered.'
"Freeze!" yelled the two Royal Guards standing at the end of the alley. Oh shit. Saber ran through the alley with the guards on his tail. I just had to live in Canterlot, where instead of normal police ponies, we have Royal Guards everywhere. He dashed out into the surprisingly empty street as now about seven guards chased him. The unicorns blasted their magic at him, but missed each time. Saber wasn't even dodging them, which meant they were missing on purpose.
Saber turned a corner and saw dozens of guards waiting for him with their captain shouting at him to freeze. Without even thinking Saber just kept on running and headed into the nearest alley. He ran to what seemed like a dead end. He had to move, and fast, as the guards would be on him in seconds. He jumped on the wall of the right building, then he pushed off it with his back legs. He pushed off the left building, then the right, and again and again until he could push off the left wall enough to backflip onto the right building's rooftop.
At that point pegasi and unicorn guards surrounded him, but the roof was a much more open space than the alley. Here he could fight them off for as long as he needed. He didn't want to kill any of them because they were the good guys. He didn't mind injuring them because they were trying to take him down and frankly, being assholes about it. A pony just doesn't forget a spear to the back. Granted, he was committing murder technically, but they were just criminals. You'd think the Royal Guard would give him a medal or something.
Saber had read books on different fighting styles and techniques and, in an attempt to create the perfect fighting style, just sort of mashed them all together. Anypony who had time to really watch him fight could tell how incredibly sloppy Saber was, but his strength and speed made up for that. After that night three months ag, he also noticed that his reflexes were heightened too. More reading, this time of pony anatomy books that told all about weak points in the body, and Saber was quite the force to be reckoned with. Fortunately for him he had so far only fought ponies who simply couldn't take his onslaught.
A few hits to their throats, stomachs, leg joints, and old fashioned hooves to the face and most of the guards were down. Saber hit a guard in the face and another almost immediately got him in the back. Even with his strength and speed Saber had significantly less training than the guards, and the only way he could remain uncaptured by them is to strike fast and get out as soon as possible. The young captain ran straight at Saber, and he simply bucked him to the other side of the roof. Once all the guards around him were on the floor, Saber decided it was time to go before more showed up. He walked off the roof and kicked against the wall on his way down. He landed in adjacent alley and didn't stop going.
Saber ran and ran. He went to rooftops, to the street level, back to rooftops, all the way to the other side of the city. He only stopped when he was certain the guards weren't following.'Wow,' he thought, breathing heavily, 'I beat my record.' He collapsed onto his flank, extremely tired. 'I'm getting pretty tired of ponies thinking I'm some sort of "vigilante". Would they think it funny that it's not what I really care about.' His breathing slowed as he began to get his strength back. 'Yeah, I think I'm ready'.
Splitting Saber watched the sun rise over the horizon, and he thought back to what just happened with the guards. "Well," he said aloud, "the princess is not going to be happy about that."
"Do we really have to stay here the full two weeks?" Rainbow Dash asked as she threw her suitcase onto her bed.
"Well, if you really don't want to stay two weeks, then I'm not stopping you from going back to Ponyville," Twilight said, "It's just that the rest of us will be staying the whole time. It's just how Blue Blood (and most Canterlot socialites for that matter), does things. A couple of little parties and get togethers leading up to a big party two weeks from now."
"Why can't he just be normal and throw one party on one day? Why can't he have his party tomorrow or something and not drag it out so long?"
"That's a valid point, but it is kind of a big deal. It's not everyday a normal unicorn gets turned into an alicorn. Now everypony wants get to know me. Funny how they weren't interested when I was just Celestia's student. Anyway, Blue Blood insisted that we stay the full two weeks."
"Besides," Pinkie interjected, "who wants to have just one party when you can have two full weeks of parties?"
"We might as well have fun darling, as Twilight said, this is a very momentous occasion," Rarity said. She was right, Twilight's coronation was a very big deal, but the ceremony was a very formal and short affair. Blue Blood wanted to throw a big celebration for Twilight with all the Princesses there. Twilight was royalty, so she could arrange invitations for each of her friends if they wanted. Rainbow never really liked Canterlot. All the parts she had been to were very uptight and snooty, not really her style, but she thought she might as well stay the full two weeks, for Twilight.
"Well, at least we get to stay in the castle this time, and we don't have to pay to stay in some hotel." Rainbow said. Being friends with a princess has its benefits. Each pony got their own private suite to stay in until the party. During the two weeks they would be in Canterlot many other prominent figures of the upper class would no doubt throw their own parties for the princess.
"I remember when I stayed in Canterlot I received my own suite, but we've never all had our own when we come here," Rarity said. It was true that some of them had stayed in the castle at times, but whenever all six of them had to stay in Canterlot most had to stay in a nearby hotel. They realized how little sense that made considering there were plenty of available rooms and that the whole thing had been merely a formality in the past. Twilight being a princess was able to change this.
Rainbow unpacked her suitcase. It was full of the usual things like a toothbrush and so on. It also had the dress that Rarity made her a while back. It was pretty much the only thing she ever wore to formal events. "So I thought this Blue Blood guy was a jerk. Why is he throwing the princesses such a big party?"
"From what Rarity here has told me about him, ah reckon he's just usin' it as an excuse ta just throw a party fer himself," Applejack said.
"Well, I've met Blue Blood before, and I can't say that's unlikely," Twilight said. Before the mares could continue their conversation, a certain Royal Guard captain entered the room.
"Hey there Twiley, erm...I mean, Princess Twilight."
"Armor!" Twilight ran up and hugged her brother.
"I didn't get a chance to talk to you after the coronation yesterday so I thought I'd drop by now. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"Of course not, we were just talking."
"So I heard you all will be staying the next two weeks for Blue Blood's party." The six mares nodded.
"Hey, haven't you already been staying in Canterlot for a few months now?"
"Yeah but that's all been work related. I haven't gotten any time to myself, and the only time I got to go back to the Crystal Empire was when I had to prepare for the Equestria games test."
"Work huh," Rainbow said, "what would Celestia want you to do that's serious enough to get you away from the Crystal Empire and Cadance?"
"Well, if you haven't already heard, there's some kind of vigilante pony running around Canterlot. He's killed a few ponies. Just criminals so far, but we don't know when he'll start killing other ponies."
"Oh dear!" Fluttershy said in her usual soft tone.
"You see, this is the first time something like this has happened in Canterlot, so Celestia is taking it very seriously."
"Have you been able to tell who the vigilante is?" Twilight asked, now growing concerned for her brother's safety.
"Well, no. After a few encounters with him, we have found out he's an orange stallion, probably an earth pony since he has never been seen flying or using magic, though if you've seen him you wouldn't be so sure."
"What do you mean?"
"He's...different. He's unbelievably fast and very strong. We don't know how though."
"Oh that sounds awful, but couldn't you just look up every orange earth stallion until you found him?" Rarity asked.
"Well, with Canterlot's very large population, that's easier said than done. So I'm stuck in Canterlot until we catch him, but it isn't so bad now since Cadance is here with me."
"Oh, well that's good. Come on, let's talk about something a bit more pleasant." The ponies walked out of the room, as Rainbow finished unpacking so she could join them. She hung up her dress in closet, and thought optimistically to herself, 'Well, you never know. I'll probably have plenty of fun while I'm here.' She ran out of the room to catch up to her friends.
Away from the Castle and across the city, Splitting Saber sat alone at a desk in his basement. He was finishing a sketch that he had been working on, making sure to get every detail exactly right. As he grasped the pencil in his hoof, he drew the face of a pony, a face that he was drawing from memory. A face that was clearly burned into his brain. He finished and held up the piece of paper.
"Okay," he thought out loud, "let's see if we can figure out who you are."
"Okay, so I've heard that you're the pony to talk to if I want to find somepony," Saber said to the sleazy stallion he was dangling off the edge of a very tall building. The stallion was about to cry out for help, but Saber realized this. "If you scream, I'm just going to drop you. I don't see too many pegasi around to catch you." Saber wasn't the type who looked very intimidating so he used his words and the height of the building to compensate.
"Please please, I'll do anything you want, just don't drop me."
"Fair enough. A family was attacked and killed about three months ago. One of the wealthiest families in Canterlot. Do you know any of the guys who did it?"
"I don't know anything about that. I heard about that from the news, that's it."
Saber, now standing on his hind legs, pulled out the sketch he had drawn. "How about him? Do you know who he is?" The stallion hesitated before saying "No. Why would I know who that is? I don't know who that is." 'So that's a yes,' Saber thought. "Okay, you're going to tell me his name and where I can find him, or I drop you."
"Please, I don't know anything." Saber's grip loosened and the stallion slipped a little. "Okay, okay. I know who he is. I know him. I met him a while back, his name's Thunder Flames. He's a pegasus that always hangs out at that one bar, The Golden Goblet."
'The Golden Goblet?' Saber thought. 'That's that club that all the off duty Royal Guards hang out at. So I get to hang out with my favorite ponies in the world. Yay. Why would somepony like Thunder Flames be hanging out at a place like that?'
"Alright, I really appreciate your cooperation...you. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I never learned your name."
"Really? You're dangling me over the side of a building and you haven't bothered to learn my name."
"Well I did learn that you have worked with the mob in the past, have gotten into the drug trade, and you are the primary suspect of two ongoing murder investigations."
"Oh, yeah, there's that."
"Yeah." Saber let go and the stallion fell a few stories to the ground below. There was a short scream from him, a splat, then a much more dramatic scream from a mare he landed next to.
A Few Minutes earlier...
Shining Armor walked down the street accompanied by the six young mares. They walked on mostly unnoticed, except for the occasional citizen who saw Princess Twilight and would bow in respect. "Oh, wow. Everypony's so polite to me now," Twilight said with a hint of nervousness. Rainbow noticed this, and couldn't tell why Twilight said it like that, so she just ignored it.
"Well Twiley, you're a princess now. Everypony's practically required to treat you with the utmost respect."
"I guess it's just something I'll have to get used to."
"Don't worry, after a while you won't even notice it. Cadance and I can hardly walk around the Crystal Empire without it happening and it doesn't bother either of us."
"Speaking of Cadance, I've been meaning to ask you when I'll get to be an aunt," Twilight said, her tone changing from serious to sly.
Shining stopped in his tracks. "Woah woah woah, what?!"
"Yeah Shining," Rainbow said, "when are we going to see some miniature Armors and Cadances running around?"
"Look, girls, Cadance and I have hardly been married for a year. Give us some time, alright?"
"Fine, sorry I asked," Twilight said, laughing.
The light mood was suddenly dampened by the sound of a pony screaming. That very same pony landed right in front of them. Rarity let out a scream, Fluttershy nearly fainted, and Shining Armor looked up to the roof to see an orange pony turning and walking away. "Wait here," he told the mares as he teleported up to the roof. Saber saw this and immediately started bolting away. 'Just my luck,' he thought.
"Come on," Twilight said, "we have to help him!" Twilight and Rainbow Dash both flew up to the roof, where they saw the vigilante pony running from Armor and, by the looks of it, about to get away. "I've got him!" Rainbow yelled. She flew as fast as she could right at Saber, but, misjudging her ability to stop at such a speed and also misjudging Saber's own speed, they were both sent flying several blocks away.
They both landed very hard on a roof and they just lied there for a few seconds. Saber was the first to get up. "Wow, we actually traveled a few blocks. Good hit, okay, that actually really hurt. I think I'll just sit down for a second." He collapsed onto the roof while trying to catch his breath. 'That was a good hit,' he thought. 'Haven't felt something like that since the spear.' Saber remembered the spear very well because it was incredibly painful. He was stabbed by that and after having to run away from the guards following the stabbing he couldn't get up from the ground for an hour. Since Rainbow hit him while going at such incredible speeds he had a similar feeling, just less extreme.
After a few moments of rest both ponies were able to stand on their hooves. "Guess I don't know my own strength," Rainbow Dash said, "So, you're the vigilante pony I've heard so much about?"
"The one and only. I'm guessing by the fact that you only call me 'The Vigilante Pony', the guards still haven't found out who I am yet."
"No, they know exactly who you are, it's just that I haven't met you yet."
"You know, you're a terrible liar. Doesn't matter, I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually. Especially after they give you my description." Saber realized his situation and how dire it was becoming. He then realized that he didn't care either. He just learned the identity of one of the ponies he was searching for and had almost all of his attention on that. Still, there was no harm in trying to act like the dashing rogue from his favorite story books as a colt.
"Does that mean you're going to kill me?"
"What? No, of course not. Other than you hitting me, I have nothing against you. Besides, I would never dream of hurting a lovely young mare such as yourself, miss..."
"Rainbow Dash, and your name?"
"Maybe another time, but for now, I have something I need to do. Good-bye." He turned and started walking, and Rainbow quickly dashed in front of him, blocking his path. "Ha, that's cute. Now if you don't mind, would you please move."
"No." He tried moving to the left, and then to the right, and both times Dash moved to block his path.
"Okay, this isn't funny. Move."
"No."
"I said move."
"I heard you. Then I said no."
"Look, if you don't think I'd hit a mare if I had to, the you are sorely mista-" Rainbow punched him in the face. Again, Saber found himself surprised with how much Rainbow was able to hurt him. "Okay ow." He stepped back a little.
"Okay, that was for being an idiot and thinking I'd be a push-over just because I'm a mare."
"Okay, alright, I'm sorry." Saber punched her and she fell on her back. She then swept her hind legs and they took out his front legs. She then got up and jumped to deliver a hoof to his face, but he rolled out of the way before she landed. He honestly didn't expect her to fight back, but that just might have been due to the earlier hit. Now that he knew she was serious, he started to read her movements and dodge her attacks, although she was till able to land a few good hits on him. Saber might have be fast, but he can't avoid everything.
She hit him in the face and the side, but he managed to duck out of the way of her next strike and land his hoof right in her stomach. He had more power in his strike than she could handle and she fell down, breathing heavily. Saber took this opportunity and disappeared across rooftops and alleys. Seconds later Twilight flew in, followed by Shining Armor teleporting across each roof. "What happened?" Armor asked.
"Well," Rainbow said while getting on her hooves, "we landed here, talked a bit, then we fought, and he got away."
"Wait. You fought him?"
"Yeah. I don't have special training like the Royal Guards but I was able to hold my own."
"Oh...okay...well I'm glad you're alright."
"Are you alright?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah I'm fine, just a little bruised."
"That's good, for all we know you could have been killed." Rainbow didn't think of that very much while the fight was happening. She was even shocked by how quickly she had reacted to the whole thing, and how well she was able to fight him off. Granted, she lost, but it was still an accomplishment. "I just wish I could have helped catch him."
"While you were fighting and talking, did you get a good look at his face?"
"Yeah. Yeah I did."
"Then Rainbow Dash, you might have done more to help catch him than you realize."
Saber found himself in a very familiar situation. He was standing alone in an alley, thinking about the most recent attempt to capture him. Only this time, instead of Royal Guards, he squared off against Rainbow Dash. 'I like her,' he thought, 'I hope I run into her again.'
"Is this him?" the sketch artist asked. Rainbow Dash had just finished describing the pony she had just met (and brawled with) just a few hours ago. Rainbow was with her friends in the Canterlot Royal Guard barracks just outside the castle grounds. Since half the guard is devoted to the city's police work while the other half is simply the castle guard, the barracks doubles as a police headquarters with the first floor devoted to the station while the upper levels serve as the guard's quarters. "Yeah, that's him."
"Alright," Shining Armor said, "let's see if we can get a list of suspects going." He handed the sketch off to another guard. Just as he did that a very tall and muscular guard walked up to the group. "Still hunting that vigilante of yours I see, aren't you Armor?"
"Yes I am, and so is most of the Royal Guard Silver. Oh, girls, this is Lieutenant Silver Night. He is the pony in charge of the castle guard, and second in command to Captain Heavy Duty, the pony who I appointed as my replacement when I moved to the Crystal Empire."
"Yes, but he hasn't been working very much lately, since you're here. I still think we are wasting a lot of rescources on a single pony."
"Well, you haven't had to join in the investigation yet, so I guess we're not too desperate." The two ponies laughed.
"I'm actually here for your sister. I have yet to formally meet our new princess, and I must say it's an honor." He bowed and Twilight blushed. "Thank you so much," she said.
"I was at the coronation, but my duties made it so I was unable to talk to you. Shining Armor speaks very highly of you. I knew you were good with magic, but I never imagined you'd become royalty."
"Yeah...me neither..." Twilight said.
Another pony entered the room. He was older and a bit heavier than Silver or Shining but at the same time he seemed just as strong and muscular as the other two guards. "Is our boy done with the sketch yet?" he asked.
"Yes sir," the artist said as he gave him the picture. "What do you think, Captain?" Silver asked.
"I think he's very pretty, for such a nasty son of a bitch," Heavy Duty joked, "so now we have his physical appearance and a rough description of his face. What we don't have is his cutie mark."
"I was already planning on getting a list of potential suspects going," Shining said.
"Great minds think alike sir, but in all honesty, that's only half of why I came down here."
"Let me guess." Shining motioned towards his sister.
"Am I really getting that predictable?"
"No, it's just that its been happening a lot recently. In fact, that's why Silver is here instead of working like he's supposed to be doing." Silver shrugged, and Heavy introduced himself to Twilight and the girls.
"Hello, I don't believe we've met, but it's an honor meeting you now. I'm Heavy Duty, your brother's replacement." Heavy laughed.
"I personally appointed Heavy to be the new captain of the guard here in Canterlot since I'm living in the Crystal Empire now."
"And I thought that I finally got rid of this asshole hogging the limelight, until this guy showed up and Celestia thought we needed all the help we could get in taking him down." Heavy said while waving the sketch around.
"Well," Silver said, "by the looks of it, it won't be long now before we finally catch this guy."
* * * * *
Splitting Saber was sitting in his house, alone as usual. Saber had waited two days since learning Thunder Flames' name. This was it. He trained, learned his limits and pushed them. He could do things that nopony else could, surely they'd be enough. He was so close. Almost three months of training and he had finally gotten a name. All he needed was the name and everything else would follow.
Thunder was one of the three. He would lead Saber to the others, and that would be the end. So why was he waiting so long? Maybe he didn't want it to end. Saber felt like that when this situation ends he'll have to put everything behind him. Saber wondered what it'd be like with his family not in his life at all, even if only in the form of some kind of revenge scheme. He had tried to cut his parents out as much as possible, but they were still always there, and besides, it was his sister he thought about the most.
* * * * *
Splitting Saber was looking at the mirror in his room. His brand new tuxedo fit him perfectly and he always thought he looked good in a tux. He had just recently gotten back from a ski trip in the far north, and barely a few days home he was already going to another party. Although, he wasn't looking forward to it. Fancy Pants was throwing it at his penthouse in the city and his parents were dragging him and his sister along. They said the whole family was invited and Saber was going just as to not "embarrass" them. He grew quite sick of it all sometimes.
Saber walked downstairs and saw his little sister Night Light standing in one of her fancy gowns. She seemed to be waiting for their mother and father. "Hey, there's my girl. What's going on?"
"Just waiting for mom and dad. Oh! Saber! Do you wanna see the new spell I just learned?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Okay, see that painting on the wall?"
"Yeah."
"And do you see that little statue thing?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, stand back." Night Light's horn began to glow, and a spell shot out and onto the portrait. The painting began to give of a bright glow.
"I thought you learned illumination spells awhile ago."
"No, that's not the spell, this is." Her horn glowed again, and the glow coming from the painting condensed into a ball of light, then shot right into the nearby bust, but to what seemed like no effect.
"Wow," Saber said, "I've never seen that before. Those magic lessons are really paying off." Just as he said that the bust began to glow just as the portrait did.
"You see, I've learned how to make a copy of a spell that is affecting an object and apply it to another object. The only problem is the timing. I can't seem to get rid of the delay for the copy to go into affect."
"Well, even with that you're still the best magic user that I know."
"Really? You think so?"
"Obviously."
"I just hope it's enough."
"Are you kidding? You're at the top of your class at that school for gifted ponies, aren't you?"
"Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and yeah I am. I just don't know if that's enough to become Celestia's personal student."
"Personal student? Like that Twilight girl?"
"Twilight Sparkle. She's an inspiration. The first student Celestia's had in decades. I saw her and knew that I wanted to be the next."
"If anypony can do it, it'd definitely be you. You're very serious about magic and very good at it too. Plus it helps that you're a genius."
"Awwww," she said as she hugged her big brother.
"Hey, hey, watch it with the hugs. You know I hate it when things get all...sappy and stuff. Also, about the whole magic thing, don't worry. You got all the potential out of the two of us." he looked over to his parents who were walking down the steps while talking to each other. "Isn't that right mom and dad?"
His mother looked at him. "What? Oh, sure, whatever you say." Saber rolled his eyes. "Are we ready to go?" he asked.
"Yes we're ready," his father said, "Also Saber, we really appreciate you agreeing to come to the party with us. Just try not to make a fool of yourself."
"I'll try my best dad." They got into their carriage outside and it took off. Not too long after, they arrived at Fancy Pants' new penthouse estate. Almost immediately after walking in their parents decided to ditch Saber and Night Light at the buffet table. The two stood there eating while Saber scanned the room.
"Gotta say, not too many good looking mares here."
"Saber, you really need to stop chasing girls and find that special somepony to settle down with."
"Woah, woah, woah. That comment just came right out of left field, don't you think?"
"You brought it up, besides, you should listen to me more often."
"And why should I get dating advice from a twelve year old?"
"Well, we all know I'm way smarter than you."
"The sad part is that you're right, even if I'm almost ten years older than you."
Night Light finished off a plate of Hors d'œuvres. "Don't you want to leave some for everypony else Night? Slow down a bit."
"I'm hungry. Mom and dad made me skip dinner to come to this party."
"Why did they want all of us to come here anyway?"
"We were all invited."
"That was a rhetorical question smarty pants."
"Maybe it has to do with their friends."
"Their friends are making us come here?"
"I think so, they said that they came here to talk to the friends they told me about, and we all had to come."
"I'm amazed. Mostly by the fact that they have friends and also that you're a little filly and they still tell you more than me. It's kind of insulting how much they don't care."
"Don't talk like that Saber, mom and dad love you, no matter what."
Saber smiled. "You are the smartest pony I've ever met, Night, don't ever forget that, but never question me I'm your brother." Night Light laughed but stopped when their parents walked to them. "Come on, we're leaving," their father said.
"You drag us out here and we're not even staying for thirty minutes?"
"Saber! Listen to your father. We are going home." The four got into the elevator and it began it's descent. Saber's mother whispered into his father's ear. "We can't go out the front door," he said.
"Why not?" Saber asked.
"There's paparazzi outside and we would very much like to avoid them."
"Fine then, we could go out the back. I think there's an alley that we can get to the carriage from," Saber suggested. They exited the elevator and walked to the back door. "I don't really see the point of a party that we only stay at for less than an hour." They walked out into the alley. Two ponies started to walk towards them. "Look, guys, I don't know what kind of story you're looking for, but we're kind of in a hurry so can you ple..." The first pony stabbed Saber in the chest. His mother screamed and tried to run back inside, but a third pony emerged from the door and blocked her path.
Saber looked directly into the face of the pony that stabbed him as the knife was pushed further into him. He fell back and against the wall. The two ponies walked toward's Saber's family as his vision began to darken. He saw his father charge the other pony, but the pony struck him with unnatural strength. His father was flung against a wall. Saber just saw Night Light look at him bleeding out from a knife wound and back at the lead pony. Her horn glowed and a beam of energy blasted at the pony. The energy seemed to then leave him and go to Saber then disappear entirely. Since the spell seemed to have no effect he continued on. Night Light screamed, and Saber lost consciousness.
Saber's brain felt like it was screaming. He woke up and could only see white lights. He stumbled off what seemed like a metal slab and tried to get his bearings. He tried to think of what happened and how he got into this situation, but his head hurt too much. He couldn't think straight and only wanted to go home and sleep. He went out the room and saw stairs at the end of the hallway. He went up them, then into a very big room, then out some doors.
He was outside and could think a bit more clearly now. He recognized street names and made his way home. When he got their he burst inside, went upstairs to his room, and collapsed on his bed. The next morning he woke up feeling better than ever. He walked downstairs, made himself breakfast, and got the morning paper. It was then that everything came back to him.
The paper's front page story said that a millionaire was mugged in an alley last night. He was killed, along with his wife, his son Splitting Saber...and his daughter, Night Light. Saber dropped the paper, sat against the door, and cried. He just sat there and cried for hours.
When he was done he got up and bucked the door in anger. It flew across the room. It turns out that all four of the family members died. Saber had been rushed to the hospital and then declared dead soon after. He had been dead for about two hours when he woke up in the hospital morgue. He was able to leave the hospital without getting noticed. So far, the mystery of who stole Splitting Saber's body has yet to be solved.
Over the next few days Saber noticed his amazing new abilities. He was faster and stronger than it was thought a pony could be. He thought back to what happened that night and the spell his sister cast. Turns out her spell did have an effect, and it was enough to wake him up after his supposed death. He also thought about how she talked about a copy spell with a delayed effect. Over the next few months he toyed with the idea that there may be a pony just as strong as him. A pony he happened to be looking for.
It was because of this that he had to prepare so much. Saber had read enough revenge stories to know basically what to do. He'd experience a tragic event, vow revenge, train for a while, track down the bad guys one by one, kill them, and come out unscathed but with a jaded darkside that mares go crazy for. Saber expected his revenge plan to go about the same way. He just had to make sure that he was ready, and he had to find the guys. He had books to read up on how to fight and he could always go out and find criminals to practice his "skills" on.
Most nights, usually when he got home after a training session that ended in him running from the Royal Guard, he thought about his sister. That little filly who was always practicing magic, who wanted to learn from Celestia herself. She could have too. Saber thought, 'Why did a filly with so much potential like her have to die, while a spoiled brat who's going nowhere in life get's to live. It's not fair.'
* * * * *
"It's not fair," Saber said aloud. "Okay, no more stalling. Not now. No more stalling."
Act 1: Not Another Damn Alley
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."
Act 1: A Not So "Formal" Affair
Rainbow Dash was anxious, but for a different reason than you'd expect. You'd think she was anxious because she was going to a party with all the Wonderbolts and this was her chance to make an impression with them, but that wasn't the case. Thanks to the Young Flyers competition and her experience at the Wonderbolt Academy, the Wonderbolts knew her and she even became good friends with Spitfire. The reason she was anxious was because of two ponies in particular. Those ponies were Lightning Strike, the former Wonderbolt and current owner of the team who Dash will be meeting for the first time, and of course Soarin.
Over the years Rainbow has developed a liking for Soarin, some would even call it a crush, but she didn't want anypony to know about it. She imagined how much ponies would laugh at her if they knew that she had a...crush...on somepony, even if that pony is a stallion like Soarin. So she hid her affection and tried to be close to him every chance she got, and this party would be a perfect opportunity for that.
While she was in her suite getting ready for the party her mind drifted from topic to topic. She thought about Soarin, then the Wonderbolts, then the party, then Twilight becoming an alicorn, but then she found herself thinking about something else or somepony else. Occasionally she would think about the vigilante she had met three days before. Her stomach was still a little sore from that night. She couldn't help but be intrigued by him, and the fact that he seemed more like a character from an adventure story than a real pony. Her mind would then move again to other things while she put on her formal dress.
"Rainbow Dash, are you ready to go yet?" Twilight asked. She was in a gown as well, a brand new one that was given to her. She was a princess after all, she should have a plethora of gowns and dresses to choose from for events such as these.
"Yeah, I'm ready," she said as she walked out of her room and into the hallway with Twilight. The two walked together on their way to the carriage. "You took a lot longer getting ready than you usually do Rainbow."
"Oh, really?" Even Rainbow Dash herself was surprised by this.
"Well yeah, everypony else is waiting in the carriage already. You took even longer than Rarity did."
"Oh, well...I just want to look good if I'm going to one of Fancy Pants' parties."
"Yeah, but it's not like this is your first Canterlot party. I don't know, but to me it seems like you're trying to look good for somepony in particular."
"What?! You're crazy Twilight. I think this whole alicorn princess thing has gone to your head."
"Maybe...it's just that I know that the Wonderbolts are going to be at the party, and that means Soarin is going to be there." Rainbow Dash, no matter how hard she tried, was never very good at hiding her emotions. Twilight had never mentioned it, but she caught on that Dash just might have been harboring feelings towards the ace flyer.
"What, I...I mean he...oh, please don't tell anypony," Dash pleaded.
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed." Twilight smirked as the two ponies walked out the castle doors and joined their four friends in the large guard-drawn carriage. "My gosh sugar cube, what took ya so long," Applejack asked.
"Sorry, I just lost track of time I guess." The carriage started to move. It pulled out onto to the roads and started towards Fancy Pants' estate.
"I think I know what's going on," Rarity said.
Dash gulped. "You do?"
"Yes. I think somepony wants to make a good first impression on a mister Lightning Strike, hmm?"
Rainbow gave a sigh of relief. For a moment she had forgotten that the owner of the Wonderbolts was going to be attending the party. "Okay, you got me." Rainbow had wanted to meet him ever since at the academy Spitfire had promised to introduce them one day.
"Oh, that's nothing to be ashamed of Rainbow. If your tremendous flying skills haven't guaranteed you a spot on their roster yet, becoming friends with the owner certainly will." Rainbow blushed. Getting to know Lightning Strike wouldn't hurt her position. Since she was just a filly Dash had always known that it was her destiny to become a Wonderbolt and rise above the rest to become the greatest flyer Equestria, no, the world has ever seen. Everyday her goal grew closer and closer, to the point where she could almost just reach out and touch it.
The carriage hit a bump on the road that brought Rainbow back to the conversation. "Ya know, Ah thank Ah almost prefer walkin'," Applejack said, getting annoyed with the bumpiness of the carriage ride.
"I personally prefer this to walking. It's much faster and we don't have to worry about dirtying our hooves on the way to the party," said Rarity.
"Please, if we flew to Fancy Pants' house we'd get there way faster," Rainbow said.
"Not all of us have wings dear."
"Speak for yourself Rare, since ponies seem to be sprouting them now. Isn't that right Twilight?" Rainbow laughed as she gave Twilight a little nudge.
"Oh, I don't know about flying. My wings have been getting really tired every time I try it."
"Oh, well, maybe you just have to get used to them."
"I'm going to have to get used to a lot of things now," Twilight said in a surprisingly solemn tone. All her friends noticed this, but before they could comment the carriage halted and Twilight seemed to return to her cheerful mood. "We're here."
The six got out and saw the familiar sight of Fancy Pants' home. Fancy may own many houses such as his inner-city penthouse or his ski home in the mountains, but he felt it appropriate to have his party at his main home with his lavish garden which was reminiscent of the Canterlot Garden Party, the first time he met Twilight Sparkle.
The house and garden were filled to the brim with the upper crust. Wealthy ponies, politicians, celebrities of all sorts and of course, the Wonderbolts. As the mares entered the house Fancy Pants was actually the first to greet them. "Your majesty, it is so wonderful to see you, and the Elements of Harmony, always a pleasure," he said as he shook their hooves.
"Fancy Pants, darling, if anything the pleasure is ours," Rarity said with a smile. Fancy returned the smile and gave her hoof a kiss.
"Rarity, it's been so long. How have you been?"
"Oh, fabulous as ever, as you can obviously see." The two laughed. The others stood there and feigned chuckles. "Well," Rarity continued, "as you know I live in Ponyville. A town of rural charm and Canterlot elegance, and things have certainly been exciting."
"I've heard stories. Everything from a parasprite attack to an occupation even."
"Well, even without that, life there can be very interesting."
"Come, there are some ponies here that you, and the princess, simply must meet." Fancy Pants took Rarity by the hoof and lead her to a nearby circle of ponies and Twilight followed as well. "Ah might as well join 'em, it's always good ta meet new ponies," Applejack said.
"Let's get this party started!" Pinkie said as she ran off to be Pinkie. Applejack and Fluttershy went to join Rarity and Twilight, and Rainbow went about fulfilling her own agenda for the night. She scanned the crowd for Soarin, and then saw him and Spitfire talking by a table of food. She walked up and they smiled once they noticed her.
"Hey Dash!" Spitfire said.
"Hey, how's it been? No, wait, let me guess. Pretty dull since I finished at the academy, right?"
"Took the words right out of my mouth Dash." Spitfire and Dash had become close at the academy, even if their roles were trainee and drill instructor. After she finished her training at the academy Rainbow had even exchanged a number of letters between Spitfire and her. "You know Dash," Soarin interjected, "after the academy and saving our asses at the Young Flyers competition, I'd say you're definitely at the top of our draft list this year."
"You think so?" Rainbow said, blushing just a tiny bit.
"Hell, if it was up to us, you'd already be on the team," Spitfire said, "but you have to take into account the coaches, the draft pickers, and of course Lightning gets the final word on the whole thing. Speaking of which, Lightning has been wanting to meet you since the academy and he's somewhere around here. Goddess I swear, he blends in so well with these ponies, but you have to understand he's nothing like these stuck up rich ponies. You'll see, when you talk to him, he doesn't act like he has a giant stick up his ass."
"Spitfire!" Soarin chuckled.
"What, you know I hate these types. They're elitist, snobby, and boring to talk to. Definitely the worst part of the job. You know what I mean, right Dash?"
"I guess so, but that's a bit harsh, don't you think?"
"Well, look at me. I am one of the best flyers on the frickin' Wonderbolts, and I talk to ponies who you can just tell that they think they're better than me just because they have money," Spitfire ranted as she downed a glass of champagne.
"To me, it seems like you're the problem," Soarin said.
"Excuse me?"
"You seem to assume a lot, and that makes you a bit insecure. You also generalize quite a bit. A lot of rich ponies, like Fancy Pants and even Lightning Strike, aren't like that at all."
"Wh-what? Dash, can you believe this?"
"I think Dash may be on my side, since her best friend Twilight Sparkle just joined the ranks of the elitist, the snobby, and the very boring to talk to," Soarin pointed out as he finished his own drink, "also, there's a chance that you might be a little drunk."
"You know, I really hate the fact that you're smarter than me." Spitfire gave Soarin a light hit to his shoulder. Rainbow, not wanting to be left out of the conversation, looked for something to say. "So you guys are performing soon?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"Yeah, we're doing a special show for Blue Blood's party in about a week," Soarin said.
"Cool, I can't wait to see it."
"Okay, enough horsing around," Spitfire giggled as she put down her glass, "let's find Lightning, he wants to meet you."
"Wait, we don't have to bother him now, I've barely gotten to talk to you guys," she said, looking at Soarin.
"No, no, we have all night to talk, Lightning wants to meet you now." Spitfire took Rainbow by the hoof and lead her through the crowd, closely followed by Soarin. 'She's right. Sometime tonight I can probably get Soarin alone to talk to him, or maybe even more.' Rainbow smiled at the thought. 'If I'm going to meet the owner of the Wonderbolts, I want to do it sooner than later.'
* * * * *
Fancy Pants' party was in full swing as Saber snuck in through one of the top floor's windows. He found his tuxedo a bit constricting as he moved. He was surprised that there were honest to Celestia guards at the party. He didn't know, but Shining Armor had assigned those guards to the party, since he himself couldn't attend. He was busy investigating a murder right outside the Golden Goblet and there was a possibility it could be linked with the vigilante.
Saber made his way downstairs and blended into the crowd. He remembered the picture of Lightning Strike from the magazine and he scanned the room for the old pegasus. He spotted him just as some ponies finished talking to him. They left him alone, creating a perfect opportunity for Saber. Saber approached him. He had planned out the whole conversation. He knew exactly what to say and how to say it as to not be suspicious. He had thought of everything to the letter.
"Hi, Mr. Lightning Strike. Big fan, big fan of your work."
"Oh, why thank you, and you are?"
Okay, he hadn't thought of everything. "Umm..." Saber stammered. In all honesty, he had imagined how the conversation would go on his way to the party, he just thought that he would be smart enough to cover everything.
"I'm..."
'Son of a bitch!' he thought, 'Don't just stand there like an idiot, say something!' Saber tried to think of something to say. He looked for a name, any name that would be believable. For a whole day only one thing had stayed clear in his mind, so he used that. "Thunder Flames...my name's Thunder Flames. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just a bit nervous to finally meet you."
"Oh, that's alright," he said. Lightning Strike was a pegasus, tall and lean muscled, even at his age. His mane was white and his coat a green that was on the darker side but no too dark. He was one of the most famous Wonderbolts of all time, beloved by everypony who knew him or knew of him. Post retirement he was successful at starting up several of his own businesses. So successful, in fact, that he was even able to buy the Wonderbolts several years ago, and he has become the team's most involved and most popular owner ever. This was the stallion who could help Saber.
"I know, it's just an honor sir."
"Thunder Flames, that doesn't seem like a very earth pony name. More like pegasus to me."
"Well, my parents weren't expecting an earth pony." The two laughed. "Oh, Mr. Lightning, I actually wanted your help with something."
"Anything for a fan."
"You see, there's this friend of mine from out of town who loves the Wonderbolts, I mean loves them, even more than I do. He knew they would be in Canterlot so he asked me to get the autograph of a particular favorite of his."
"Is that so...and what exactly do you need me for?"
"That's the funny part. I can't seem to remember his name. I know my friend must of told me his name a dozen times, but it's just like me to forget. On top of that, none of my letters to him seem to be getting through to him. I do know that his name probably starts with an R. I saw you and thought, who better to help jog my memory than you."
"Well, I'm flattered that you would turn to me for help, but I'm afraid I can't help you. I don't know of any Wonderbolts whose names start with an R."
"None? Not even one on the team?"
"No, I'm afraid there's not even one currently on the team."
"Then what about former Wonderbolts?" a voice said. The two ponies looked to see that the voice belonged to Rainbow Dash, who was standing with Soarin and Spitfire and had overheard the tail end of the conversation. 'Oh shit,' Saber thought. "There aren't many I can think of," she continued, "In fact, only two come to mind really. Running Cloud was a pretty famous member, but he died decades ago. Then there's Rapidfire."
"My brother's probably the one you're looking for. He actually lives here in Canterlot ever since he retired," Spitfire said. "Oh, I almost forgot. Lightning, this is Rainbow Dash."
"Ah, the young flyer everypony has been talking about, and with good reason I presume."
"Hell yeah, you should have seen her at the academy."
"I've heard about her flying but what I'm really interested in is her attitude. The way she stood her ground against Spitfire here just screams Wonderbolt. If only more young mares had that..." Lightning trailed off.
"So, how exactly can I find your brother?" Saber asked.
"Oh yeah, he has his own place, umm... 134 Alchemy Lane... I think."
"Well, do you think or do you know?" Saber snapped.
"Yeah that's it, jeez, calm down buddy."
"It's just this friend is very dear to me, and I don't want to disappoint him. It's been an honor and a pleasure meeting you sir but..." Saber locked eyes with Rainbow, "I must be going now." Saber exited the room very swiftly. He got his information and didn't want to stay any longer. Added is the fact that guards will most likely be all over him very soon. Rainbow Dash, the mare that Saber had met a few days earlier and had surprised him by punching him in the face, now knew he was there and that he was looking for Rapidfire. 'Well shit,' he thought. Well shit indeed, as it seems time was running out. Although, Saber was so close, so close that he couldn't bring himself to seriously care about these facts. He didn't see a noose tightening around his neck. He saw his goal, and only his goal. He just realized that he had less time to reach it.
"What a strange pony," Soarin said as Saber ran off.
"Hang on," Rainbow Dash said, "I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" Lightning asked.
"Don't worry, I'll only be a little while."
"But we just got over here," Spitfire said.
"I'll be right back, don't worry." Rainbow Dash quickly left the room.
"She's a bit stubborn," Spitfire said.
Lightning smiled. "She does what she wants. I like that."
* * * * *
Rainbow exited Fancy Pants' house and looked around the street for the pony she believed to be Thunder Flames. Rainbow was definitely going to tell the guards or Shining Armor or somepony about what she just learned, it's just that at that moment curiosity had gotten the better of her. The last time she encountered anypony like him was her run in with the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, or Mare-Do-Wells as it turned out. She is still surprised to this day that her friends would be capable of such a cruel joke.
Anyway, Dash hadn't known many ponies who would be crazy enough to do something like that. He seems like a character out of a storybook, but not the kind she read. Rainbow preferred books like Daring Do, explosive adventures full of action, a likeable hero, and one where everypony got out okay. Dash didn't like other stories with revenge or wars. She didn't mind violence, she just didn't like death. It makes everything seem so bleak and sad, like real life. It didn't matter if the stories had happy endings, all stories have happy endings. She just doesn't like stories that are too dark.
Rainbow spotted an orange pony walking down the sidewalk, and she took off and landed behind him. She knew what she wanted to ask. "So, is Thunder Flames your real name?"
"Nope." He didn't stop walking.
"Than what is it?"
"Not telling you."
"Why not?"
"I have to generate at least a little bit of mystery for you."
"You know, if I don't find out from you I'll just find out from the Royal Guard after I tell them your cutie mark, which I've clearly seen now." The pony stopped, and turned around to face Dash. She smiled at him, enjoying the moment thoroughly.
"Fine, I guess there's no real point to keeping it a secret, my name is Splitting Saber."
"Hmmm, never heard of you."
"Well, that's not really a surprise."
"I guess your cutie mark makes sense now." Saber looked at his own flank, which had an image of two rapiers crossed in front of a pony on it's hind legs imprinted upon it.
"Oh that, that's just my family's crest, so I don't really pay much mind to it."
"Family's crest huh? How'd you get it?"
"By being an asshole. So that must mean that my special talent is being an asshole and that my destiny is to continue my family line. You can probably tell why I don't pay much mind to it. I'd prefer to make my own destiny, which is actually what I'm going to do now, so please go away." Saber started walking again and Dash followed closely behind.
"Are you going to look for Rapidfire?" Saber stopped.
"You know, you ask a LOT of questions, and it's starting to annoy me. I've got to admit, I kind of liked you better when you were just trying to beat me up."
"You didn't answer my question." Saber experienced a flash of anger, then just gave up and sighed.
"No. I'm going to my house first to get some things, then I'm going to sleep, then I'm going to look for Rapidfire."
"Why are you looking for him? In fact, why are you doing any of this? Why are you going out at night and fighting crime?"
"Because my whole family was murdered in front of me and a spell my sister cast gave me super powers so I trained for a few months then started going after the killers," Saber said very bluntly. Dash was actually surprised that he'd admit to that, assuming he was telling the truth.
"Wow, I expected you to be a bit more... I don't know, defensive about that."
"Well, at this point, I don't really care if you know. Hell, I don't care if everypony in Equestria knew. All I care about is that I've almost got these ponies. Then I'm done. I can just go after that." 'Although,' he thought, 'it may take longer than I originally thought.' Saber had been wondering about who could have "ordered" Thunder Flames and the other two to do such a thing.
"When you find these ponies, are you going to kill them?"
Saber paused. "Yes," he said.
"Is it really worth it?"
"Won't find that out until it's all over." Saber once again began to walk away.
"Hold up, I still have so much I want to know."
"Really? I'm pretty sure I told you everything."
"I doubt that."
"Okay, well, I'm sorry, you seem like a very nice young mare and if things were different I'd definitely talk more but I'm a very busy stallion and also I haven't slept for a few days so I'll be going now." Saber set out for home, leaving behind a very disappointed Rainbow Dash. She knew more about him now, but it actually felt like she knew him even less than before. It was all very strange for her.
She turned around and took to the air on her way to rejoin the party.
* * * * *
Saber arrived at the manor, the exhaustion of the past few days just beginning to creep up on him. Pretty soon he would be in his bed, unable to move at all for a while. He knew what he had to do when he woke up. His mind had become focused in the past few days, but Rainbow Dash hasn't helped. Right at that moment all he wanted to do was sleep.
"So, nice place you've got here," Rainbow said as she landed right behind him.
'Damn it.'
Act 1: The Burning Of The Manor
"What the hell are you doing here?" Saber asked.
"I followed you home," Rainbow said.
"Do you have any idea how creepy that is?"
"Is it creepy?"
"Yes! It's very creepy!"
"Sorry, I was just curious."
"Curious? I already told you everything, so why do you need to know where I live?!" Saber was very fed up. More with himself than anything else. He had been very careless about covering his tracks and it seemed like it was just then catching up to him. It dawned on him that here was a pony who knew his name, what he looked like, and where he lived. He had hoped for at least one night of sleep before he had to move somewhere else.
"Okay," he said, "I have one request..."
"Shoot."
"Can I get one night of sleep before you turn me into the Royal Guard?"
"Why?"
"Well it's a real hobby of mine. Why do you think? I'm really tired, that's why," Saber said as he grew more and more annoyed with the Rainbow colored mare.
"I don't know... maybe if you show me around your mansion here."
"No."
"Oh come on."
"No."
"I'll just let myself in, it's no big deal." She began to walk through the doorway.
"Yeah, it is." Saber struck her in the chest and knocked her back a few feet onto his lawn. "Go home Dash, I'll be gone by morning. You can look around my house then." Rainbow was about to respond but decided not to. She sighed angrily and took off. She purposely flew away slowly, just to piss Saber off.
Saber closed the door to his home and hung his suit jacket on a nearby coat hanger. He was ready for his long awaited night of sleep. He walked through the main corridor and he heard the house settling. His head quickly turned to face the noise, but he relaxed when he realized nothing was there. He walked up the steps and headed into his bedroom.
He stopped in his doorway. He stretched out his forelegs and yawned. He stood there for a moment, then dove to the ground as blasts of magic ripped through the wooden door frame and the nearby wall. Saber stayed flat on the ground, forelegs crossed over his head as everything around him exploded in a fury of light, sound, and heat. His bed caught fire, illuminating the otherwise dark mansion.
The blasts stopped. Now was Saber's chance. He bolted out the door and down the hallway as two unicorns resumed firing upon him. He ran downstairs only to find about a dozen other unicorns waiting for him. "Woah woah woah woah, guys. Wait!" Saber yelled. They hesitated with opening fire. "Can't we talk about this?" They didn't hesitate after that. Saber took cover in the nearby study as the stairs were shredded into a million tiny pieces of wood and marble. 'Nopony can just be reasonable, can they?'
Saber looked over to a nearby piece of wood that was a moment ago a part of the door frame on the floor and grabbed it. He flung it through the air and into the neck of one of the unicorns. The others stood back, shocked and disgusted by the gruesome display as blood squirted from the poor pony's throat. Saber used this to charge and knock down two unicorns and swiftly spin his legs to knock down three more. The others, now back to their senses, put Saber right in their sights and opened fire. He jumped out of the way as their magic shredded the unicorns on the ground. Two were turned into stains on the floor, two others were mortally wounded, one was lucky and wasn't hit bad.
Saber shot out his hoof like a bolt of lightning. It met a young unicorn's face and slammed his head against the wall. That still left five others. Saber dove into the next room as they blasted more magic in his direction. He knew he'd have to put them down for good, or at least for a long while. More bolts whizzed by his ears. They made such a shrill noise as they went by and such a thunderous one as they made contact with the room around him. He looked over to a sword that had hung on the wall for decoration and had since been knocked down. 'That'll do,' he thought.
Saber took the sword and barrel rolled around the floor and beside the unicorns. He slashed upwards, cutting the chest of an older pony. Crimson blood spurted out at Saber as the pony screamed in pain. The two ponies who had attacked Saber upstairs had come down to join the fray. One of them sent a bolt straight through Saber's hind leg. Saber grit his teeth as his leg screamed out for him. 'Don't stop,' he thought, 'take the pain.'
Saber used that pain to fuel his next strike. He slashed the pony with all his might, but something was different this time. The pony fell to the ground but did not bleed. Instead of blood there were shards of gold. The pony was wearing armor underneath his cloak. Saber had seen the plating enough times to recognize it in a heartbeat. At least one of his attackers was an officer of the Canterlot Royal Guard.
Saber spun his hooves and the blade met the neck of another pony. Both the sword and Saber himself were covered in the rich liquid. It was a truly gruesome sight, and it would only get worse. One of the last two ponies tried a fire spell, but just as sparks began to emerge from his horn Saber took a piece of the broken armor and flung it into his eye. This saddened Saber, as he was hoping it would hit his neck and make the whole ordeal much quicker for the pony. Instead he screamed in agony as flames engulfed the staircase and nearby wall.
The fire made Saber sweat even more than he had been sweating so far. By this point in time his suit was in tatters, barely recognizable with the tears which showed open wounds, with the stains of blood from both Saber and the other ponies, and at that point with sweat. The last unicorn charged at Saber and he quickly ducked and sent the blade through his stomach. Saber breathed heavily as he just stared at the bodies. He didn't noticed that he let the sword slip from his hoof and fall to the ground. He needed a few moments to access the situation.
"I wouldn't let that sword go so soon friend. You just might need it." Saber slowly turned to see more cloaked ponies standing in his doorway. He was being addressed by the one who was clearly in charge. He was larger than the others and seemed to have a different demeanor about him. Saber could tell that the others were there because somepony told them to be there. They were to do a job and then leave. The leader seemed like he was there with a purpose. A drive. Saber could see it in his eyes, because Saber felt something very similar to it.
"So," Saber said as he gave the pony in shattered gold armor a kick, "the Royal Guard finally caught up with me. To be honest I thought this would go differently. I thought it would be quieter, cleaner, and much less damaging to my house."
"I'm sorry that we didn't meet your expectations," the pony said. A sickly smile spread across his face. The others were scared. They saw the bodies around Sabers feet and felt the nervous sweat roll down their brows. The leader just stood there smiling. "I always hated this place," Saber said. He gave a very deep, very sad sigh. "But I guess it doesn't matter now."
"No, I guess not. If it's any consolation, we're not serving the law and we won't be taking you alive."
"That makes me feel much better. Seriously, I feel all tingly inside now."
"I like you. Your abilities are impressive, even if your methods lack refinement. Tell me, do you have any formal training?"
"Fencing for years, but other than that I'm self taught."
"I can tell. But you do have natural talent, and even some unnatural. I have an eye for talent, and after seeing you fight I'm even more sure of it. I give you this one chance to abandon your foolish crusade and join us. Be something more than what you are now."
"And what is that?"
"A killer, of course."
"Obviously. Also, what crusade?"
"This little revenge tirade that you've been on. It's so petty. Can't you understand that your family died for a good reason. For a good cause." It suddenly hit Saber. His voice, he recognized it. It was the voice from the alley where Thunder Flames died. "If you tell me that reason, I'll join you," Saber said. The pony laughed to himself. "Can you even tell how much insincerity is dripping from your lips right now. You are a terrible liar and it's a shame that it's come to this."
"Yes, a crying shame. So seven on one seems fair enough," Saber said as he picked up his sword. "No, no, no. These stallions are here only to ensure that every inch of this house burns to the ground and that you don't escape. You'll just be fighting me tonight." Saber was worried. He knew his powers had to come from somewhere, and just then he feared that this pony just might be it. For a moment the stood silently staring each other down, neither of them flinching even an inch.
The pony then dashed straight towards Saber and headbutted him. Saber staggered, pain encompassing him as he tried to regain his footing. He felt as if he was spinning in the air and he couldn't stop. He couldn't see for a moment, then his vision returned just as the pony swung his hoof at Saber. He deflected it with his sword and in the process left a deep cut in the pony's front leg. He didn't pay much mind to it.
"Look at that," he said, lifting his leg so that blood dripped on the floor, "Do you have a blade you can lend me, just for today?"
"Sorry, we're all out." Saber slashed at the pony, only to have him duck out of the way and strike Saber in the stomach. The pony then lifted Saber completely off the ground and threw him straight through a burning wall. The wood and plaster splintered and broke as Saber made hard contact with the ground. The pony stepped in and picked up a sword laying on the ground.
"This will do," he said. He swung the sword a few times for practice as Saber slowly got back on his hooves. "If I recall correctly, your father was a collector of swords. Was he not?" Saber spit out a mouthful of blood. "He was." Saber's breathing was heavy. His leg ached from the earlier wound and then this pony headbutted him and threw him through a wall. Saber's abilities didn't help much now. This pony seemed to have been moving faster and hitting harder than even he could. He might have as well not had his powers. Saber stared at the pony with both a deep curiosity and a deep hatred.
"I know what you're thinking, and you know the answer. Yes, I knew your family. Yes, I'm just as strong and fast as you are, probably even more so. And yes, I killed that little bitch sister of yours." He said that to get a reaction from Saber, and he got what he wanted. Saber charged him with all his rage. He slashed violently at the pony, losing all self control. The pony wanted to see just what Saber had in him and he saw it. Saber forced him back into the hallway where two of the other ponies were spreading the fire. They exchanged a look and were about to join the fray when the leader told them not to.
The Saber and the other pony stared each other down with Saber still seething, although he took this moment to catch his breath and try to regain focus. It didn't work, as one arrogant smile from the pony enraged him once more. He charged as the pony had expected and didn't even see him move. The pony ducked under Saber and punched upward, blasting him through the ceiling and onto the next floor. As Saber struggled to get up the pony followed him through the hole his body created and kicked Saber back to the floor. He knocked Saber's sword away and tossed his own aside as well. The pony picked Saber up and threw him across the hall. Saber stood his ground as the pony let loose a flurry of attacks.
Saber had to close his eyes from the pain, as it was more extreme than he had ever felt before. He could feel his ribs break and his skull crack. His skin grew purple where it was hit, his stomach churned as the pony's knee met it, and blood trickled from his mouth. Saber swung at the pony and hit air. 'Clear your head. Remember the books,' Saber thought. He tried to think on his self taught fighting skills but they were no use against the pony. He clearly had more training and the same powers as Saber. He was also relentless in a fight.
The pony took Saber's front right leg and struck him hard at the knee, breaking it with a loud crunch. Saber screamed in pain as he clutched his broken leg. Tears stung his eyes as the pony let him drop to the floor. Saber tried to get away but all he could manage with two and a half working legs was a slow limp. He hadn't noticed how much his hind leg was hurting until now. The pony walked to where he dropped his sword, picked it up, then walked back to Saber. He grabbed Saber by the neck and slammed him against a nearby window as his magic floated the sword around his head.
"Such a shame," the pony said, "even at your angriest you are just pathetic. I told them you could have joined us. It was no secret that you hated your parents just as much as we did. We could have let you in. Could have handled it better than we did. Instead it turns out your sister gave you my powers and the whole thing sent you on this damn foolish crusade." The pony stabbed Saber in the gut. The pain swept through Saber's body as blood began to spill out. "But seeing you know, I should have guessed you would have messed it up. You never seemed to have much potential to begin with." The pony shoved Saber through the window, sword still in his torso.
Saber was only falling from the second floor but the fall seemed like an eternity. He wasn't angry anymore. He wasn't thinking of how he was going to get out of this situation. As he stared at his burning home and he fell so slowly to the ground, only one thought was on his mind. 'I failed.' The pony stood in the window and Saber fall. 'I failed.' Broken glass and blood fell around him in slow motion, almost completely still even. 'I failed.' Saber felt the heat from the fire and the throbbing of his stomach, but he didn't feel it when he hit the ground. 'I failed.'
He knew he was going to die. He could feel life leaving him as he just laid there on the ground motionless. His body was broken as he experienced blinding pain like nothing else he had felt before. He couldn't even move, and he knew it was over. But then something happened. He did move. He went off the ground against his own free will. He didn't stand, he was lifted higher than the ground. He went higher and higher and farther and farther away from the house. The pony watched from the window as he left.
Even if Saber's mouth wasn't full of blood he'd doubt that he could think of anything to say. At first he saw Canterlot moving below him but soon after he just saw colors moving around. The sounds of the city became fainter and fainter over time. Eventually the moving stopped and he heard voices that sounded further away with every passing second. "Rainbow!" one said, "Who is that? Why did you bring him he- oh my goddess."
"Guys, he's hurt really bad and I don't know what to do. You've got to help!"
And then Saber saw, heard, and felt nothing.
