The Assassins' Ascent

AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry this took so long, I've been getting lazy recently. Go ahead and correct me if there are any grammar mistakes, I don't re-read my stories. Also, I could use a pre-reader, up to the job? If so, PM me.

"Shh, we don't want to wake him up yet."

Ezio opened his eyes slowly, he was being dragged by a few guards, and saw he was in a hallway with cobblestone walls that was filled with moss. There was no sunlight, only the light of torches. To his left were prisoner cells, the prisoners didn't look like they were ready to kill, they all looked sad.

"He's awake! Quick, knock him out!"

Ezio ducked and avoided the incoming hoof, dodging it by an inch. He escaped the grasp of the guard, turned to face them, and raised his fists. They stepped out of the way, revealing a unicorn. The unicorn closed his eyes and concentrated, his horn began to glow a blue light, then it shot Ezio, he stood there, unable to move. Ezio was only able to let out grunts of anger. The guards began laughing at the immobile human. The unicorn let out a "Ahem" before the guards continued to drag Ezio to his cell. They threw him in the cell, accompanied by a pegasus hiding himself in the shadows. Ezio was able to move again, he held the bars and cursed at the guards in Italian. The pegasus took notice of Ezio while he was brushing the dust off of himself. "Well I'll be a Manticore's uncle... Lyra was right!" The pegasus said in a old and raspy voice. "All this time... Nopony would listen to her! Well look who's laughin' now!" The pegasus let out a hearty, old laugh, followed by a few coughs.

"Who are you?" Ezio asked the shadowy figure.

"I," he said while stepping out of the shadows, "Am Harp, and Lyra's grandfather." Harp was a dark green pegasus, with crimson red eyes, a black mane and tail, and a grey beard. Harp took pride in the last word he said, grandfather.

"Who is this, Lyra?" Ezio asked yet another question.

"Well I'm glad you asked!" Harp was clearly happy someone asked about his granddaughter. "Ya see, Lyra is a musician. Well, she only plays the lyre." Ezio nodded. "She had a dream about a human, she didn't know 'bout them at first, ya see. Then she looked through every possible book she could find, until she found it, 'humans'. She read more and more, becoming more interested in them, then she did research. And I was happy enough to help her, oh the adventures we had!" Harp let out another laugh.

"How long have you been in here?"

Harp put a hoof on his chin and thought about it. "Now that I think about it... quite a while."

Ezio resisted the urge to face palm, "When EXACTLY did you arrive here?"

"Oh, about... ten or eight years. If I'm counting correctly."

Ezio made a quick decision. "Harp, how would you like to see her again?"

Harp's left ear flickered, then slowly turned his head towards Ezio. "You'd do that... for me? What's yer name?"

"Call me Ezio, but we have to wait until the heat dies down, we do not want to get caught, now do we?" Ezio said while turning to see a guard pass by their cell. He made sure no guards were around, he then turned to Harp. "Here is the plan..."

"No! I shall not allow it!"

"You have to understand, it's the only way he can escape without bringing harm upon the others!"

"-grumbling- Very well then, on one condition!"

"Yes?"

"He must NOT harm the princess! I shall be watching your every move..."

"Of course, master."

"Do not mess this up! Everything is going according to plan..."

"Princess, are you absolutely CERTAIN that was necessary." Twilight asked Celestia, who happened to bring them to her private chambers so they could discuss the matter at hand privately. The chamber was decorated with flags, books, a single large table, a few windows, and a fireplace. Each flag was red, and had a single picture of the sun. In the center of the room was a globe, showing all locations of where ponies all over Equestria had settled.

"Yes Twilight, I am very certain. If this doesn't convince you, how about I tell you what happened last time?"

"Last time?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes last time, did you not hear me the first time during the..." Celestia stopped there, it wasn't natural for her to harm ponies, or living beings more or less. Fluttershy immediately shook her head gently, not wanting to hear the rest. "Well, what happened last time is that a human who called himself... Al- Alt-, I'm sorry we are going to have to search in my library. Follow me." An explosion was heard in the distance, "Change of plans, the library will have to wait!" Celestia and the mane six charged out of the room and a group of guards stood there. "Princess, the human has escaped!"

"What? How?"

"He had a hidden blade!"

"Where is he now?"

"He is currently-" The guard was interrupted by the doors slamming open further down the hallway, dust was everywhere. Once the dust cleared Ezio stood in the middle of the wreckage. He spotted the group and began running in the opposite direction of them.

"SEIZE HIM!" Celestia shout echoed throughout the entire castle.

Earlier...

"Are you sure this'll work?" Harp asked unsurely about Ezio's plan.

Ezio was busy trying to pick the lock from the cell with his hidden blade, (which they happened to not know about.) "I did this before, I am uncertain it will work for this lock," A sudden click came from the door, Ezio looked back at Harp with a sly grin.

"Alright, alright, let's git goin'." Harp pushed Ezio through the cell door. Ezio stopped him and searched for guards. He pulled Harp closer for a whisper, "Always look for trouble BEFORE breaking out." Harp nodded slowly. Ezio looked around again, inspecting the ground. "The next patrol will be here in a minute, let's move!" Harp gave Ezio a strange look, then shrugged and followed him.

(Play This)
Ezio and Harp turned around a corner, sneaking throughout the hallway. A single barrel stood in their path, Ezio curiously approached it and found a note.

Thought you might need this. -Dust.

Ezio removed the note from it's place and revealed a vial, holding a blue liquid substance. The vial read, "Paralysis." And six darts rested beside it. Ezio stuffed the vial into one of his pouches and grabbed the darts as well. "Ya sure you should be acceptin' gifts from strangers?"

"It's the only way we can proceed without harming any guards, this doesn't mean I trust him." Ezio continued down the hallway. He stopped Harp and signaled him to look behind the corner, Harp saw two guards speaking to each other. "There's two guards over there." He whispered to Ezio. Ezio nodded and inserted a dart into his hidden gun, aimed cautiously so he wouldn't miss, then fired.

"Hey, did you hear that?" One of them spoke.

"Whuzza buncha cupcakes..." The other one said then fell, snoring. Guard number one began galloping towards a door, "Not so fast." Ezio fired another dart, the guard slowed down, trotted in a circle, then passed out. As they passed by the guards hoof steps were heard from behind. "We need to leave, right now!" Ezio shouted in a whisper. The quickly snuck to the door without alarming any guards, opened it, and quickly closed it shut. They looked at each other then began to chuckle. "Ahem." They looked to where the sound came from, five guards stood there, angry. "Let me take care of this." Ezio said, running full speed at the guards. Harp stood in awe as he watched the assassin knock out the guards in under fifteen seconds. A pile of unconscious stallions layer there, "How did you learn how to fight like that?" Harp asked.

"Training when you are still young gives you much skill as you age." Ezio replied, gesturing Harp to follow.

(Stop Music)

They continued their journey through a marble white hallway, it seemed all that there ever is in this castle are hallways. After about five minutes of sneaking, shouting was heard from behind them. They found the bodies. Their sneaking was now replaced with running. Ezio stopped by a door with a sign labeled, "Hangar."

"What are you doing? We gotta get get outta here!" Harp exclaimed. Ezio pointed at the sign, Harp looked back at him. "What about you? Only a pegasus can fly out that way."

"Do not worry about me, I'll be fine. You must leave now, find Lyra." Harp nodded and burst through the door. Ezio looked at him, running at the opening of freedom. Harp jumped, spread his wings, and began flying towards Ponyville. He waved goodbye to Ezio before proceeding. "Halt!" a shout came from behind. Ezio had no choice but to enter the hangar, and slam the door, barricading it with crates. The guards banged their hooves on the door, "Give up! There's nowhere to run!" The guard was right, there was no escape. Ezio noticed a crack in the wall, he scratched it and light emitted from it. A way out. Ezio placed a bomb in the crack then lit it, he ran and jumped away from the explosion to reduce self damage. He jumped through the dust and into a room. A room filled with guards. They all stood there staring at him, "Block the exit!" one of them shouted. The guards huddled around the door, keeping the assassin from escaping. Ezio threw one of his weaker explosive bombs at them, to reduce damage and death. All the guards flew away from the door and Ezio charged through it. Dust from the weak explosion made it hard to see anything, once it cleared, his eyes widened to what he saw down the hallway. He immediately began sprinting the other way. "SEIZE HIM!" He heard Celestia's voice boom through the castle.

(Play This Requested Song)
As Ezio ran away from the ponies, he remembered where he first came from, the tower's balcony. "Don't worry princess! I'll catch him!" he heard the cyan pegasus 'Rainbow Dash' echo from behind. He immediately took a left turn and started running towards the larger hallway. The shouting of guards can be heard off in the distance, "Cut him off!" yelled one from behind him. He took a right and a blockade of guards stood in the way, holding spears that came out of nowhere. The spears weren't deadly of course, they were made from magic, designed to paralyze the target. It would sting a little. Ezio chuckled silently, he ran full-speed at the guards and jumped, the spears raised while he fell to the floor and slid under them. They dropped the spears from their mouths and started chasing the assassin. Ahead of him, he saw the wooden door that led to the tower.

A blue light shot over his head, taking a quick look back, he saw two unicorns that were shooting the spell they used on him earlier, the 'Paralyzation' spell. Another blockade of guards appeared, this time they were unicorns with a blue magical barrier. He could see through the barrier, but could not pass it. Several guards from behind managed to catch up. He was surrounded. The barrier had disappeared, Ezio saw his chance, and pulled out a smoke bomb, "Catch." he said while throwing it to a guard. The guard was dumbfounded until it exploded, grey smoke appeared everywhere within the area, and once it cleared, the assassin was ahead of them. "Follow him!" a guard shouted. Ezio ran, turned left, and continued. The guards managed to catch up, and Ezio saw his exit. He stopped, turned to his right, and bursted through the door.

Ezio ascended the spiral stairs with all his energy. "He went in there!" shouted one, "Excellent! He will have no escape!" shouted another. Thirty seconds later he heard the hoofsteps of several guards. He was gasping for air now, the only thing that mattered was escaping, and getting up these damn stairs. Rainbow Dash flew past all the guards in the hallway, flew through the door, and flew above the gaurds on the stairs. When Ezio finally made it to the balcony he grabbed onto the railing and began panting. "Damn I am getting old" he thought. Rainbow Dash made it to the top and saw Ezio at the balcony. "I got you now!" she shouted. "Wait! Ms. Rainbow Dash!" a guard shouted, "We need to capture him!"

"Alright, fine..." she said in disappointment.

"Subdue him." the captain ordered.

"Yes sir!" a guard replied.

The guard closed in on Ezio with a rope. Ezio faked an expression of defeat, and put his hands out. "Smart man..." the guard admitted. Ezio turned around and stood on the railing.

(Stop Current Music and Play This)
"Stay back! Or I will jump!" Ezio threatened them. The guard stopped and looked at his superior, "Are you kidding? GET HIM!" The guard advanced towards Ezio. "Tsk tsk tsk..." Ezio spread his arms and fell backwards. "No!" The captain shouted.

"Alright, I got this!" Rainbow Dash leaped off as well in diving position with her wings folded. Ezio's hood was being filled with wind and eventually fell back. He saw the pegasus tailing him, he spread his arms and legs so he could slow down. Dash flew past him without noticing. She opened her eyes and Ezio wasn't there, she looked above and saw him. She unfolded her wings and slowed down faster than Ezio. They were now side to side with each other. "Wait! I just want to talk to you!" Rainbow Dash said, Ezio ignored her and kept falling. "How are you going to land safely? You need a pegasi's help!" she shouted again. Ezio ignored her again, this time falling faster. The cliff the castle was on, was now behind them. "Need help? Ha!" Ezio shouted. "Why you little!" she shouted back and charged him, they both fell faster when she tackled him. "Let go!" Ezio protested.

"No! You need my help!" she shouted.

"I said. LET. GO!... Merda!(Shit!)" He accidentally elbowed her in the face and knocked her unconscious. He grabbed her and checked his large pouch. Two left. "Figlio di una cagna...(Son of a bitch...)" He grabbed one parachute (keeping it closed) and tied one rope around Rainbow Dash's waist, and the other at her chest, he then dropped the parachute and it opened within two seconds. The unconscious Rainbow Dash was now drifting towards Ponyville. Ezio pulled out his final parachute, opened it, and began descending more slowly.

(Stop music)

He began to approach the tree-line and released the ropes. He fell through a large amount of leaves, until he stopped. A tree branch had caught him, and wasn't going to let go of him. Ezio tried braking the branch, but it didn't.

"What strange creature have I seen, that has arrived on the scene?"

Another authors note: Honestly, I'm kind of disappointed in this chapter. It could've been less rushed, wouldn't you agree? On the bright side, the chapter is FINALLY finished. Nighty-Night.