"Thunder, I'm glad you're fine." Luna sighed. I felt her hoof begin to rub my shoulder, and her head leaning on that. I remained indifferent; instead opting to look at my right wing. I could easily see through it, and I could guess what the doctor had the intent to tell me.

"I'm not." I groaned, leaning back in my chair and letting my head hit the wall behind. "I'm probably never gonna fly again, so I guess my freedom's gone."

"Don't worry about it, Thunder." Twilight replied. "A few healing spells, and you'll be right as rain."

"Rain isn't right; it's just God pissing all over everyone." I shot back. "Do you think I'll enjoy any part of being ground-stuck permanently? No. And now that this wing has taken too much crap over this year, it'll most likely never flap again. It's been shot with acid, it's been bound along with the rest of me, it's been thrown into walls, ground along the floor. And now a large tentacled fuck launched a rock and practically hole-punched the thing to the bone. You think my wing's some kind of Nokia phone, that's fine. You think that. It's not. My wings have lasted this long, but now they're practically turning into Liam Neeson's film roles."

"Who're y'all talkin' about?" Applejack interuppted. "Lee-ham Knee-saun?"

"Liam Neeson." Solar corrected, "He's an old actor from Earth, and took part in films like Taken, Taken 2, The A Te-"

"Shut the FUCK up, Solar." I snapped. "I'm not in the bloody mood. This doctor's taking ages, where the hell is he/she?" Suddenly, there was a knock at the waiting room doors, and we all looked over. To my surprise, Nurse Redheart was stood, clipboard in hoof and looking tired as ever.

"I'm here." she groaned as she saw me on the chair with the bandages around my wing-base. "Thunder, what'd you do this time? Fight a dragon?"

"I fled from Terramorphous." I said through gritted teeth. "Can we get on with this? I have to get back home and saw my wings off." Redheart seemed to look quite sympathetic, before she sighed and nodded.

"Very well." muttered the Nurse. As she raised her clipboard, eberypony went quiet. "It looks like you won't be flying for a while-"

"I'm permanently grounded, right?" I cut in.

"Well, yes, unless you take the second option." Redheart flipped the page over. "We're looking for a subject willing to participate in a medical experi-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"You don't want to fly agai-"

"Yes."

"Then why don't yo-"

"No."

"Wh-"

"I SAID NO!" I finally yelled. The room went deathly silent. Finally, I felt Luna tap me on the shoulder.

"Thunder, think about this." she said sternly.

"No." I replied firmly. "I'm not willing to become a bloody test subject for an experiment." My mind flashed back to Portal. "I hate testing."

"Ok, Thunder, what the hell's come over you?" Twilight finally said angrily, standing up. "Ever since you woke up, you've turned into a jerk!"

"Ever since he came here he's been a jerk!" Solar corrected. He stood up as well, attempting to make this more stand-off-ish. "He's been issuing commands, giving us no say!"

"Yeah?" I shot back, standing up right into their faces. "Did those plans work? Yes. Did you speak out? No. I stress the last question and answer, because you didn't."

"Well, that's your opinion." Inferno cut in, entering the fray. "Our opinion is, 'you're an ass'!"

"My opinion is, 'somebody just asked for a Crowbar to the face'." I hissed back. "Are you asking for that? ARE YOU?"

"All of you, calm down." Luna stood up, pushing us apart with magic.

"You calm the fuck down." I AWP-sniped back. "If I hadn't have gone along with your stupid plan to try killing a monster with no weapons, I wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't be arguing right now. But since I did, and I lost a wing, it's your fault. You haven't even lifted a hoof to try repairing the damage. At most you brought me here, where they've done FUCK ALL to help."

"B-but I haven't practiced the wound regeneration spell!" she whimpered, cowering slightly. "I couldn't have helped with the old-era spells I already kne-"

"It was at least worth a bloody shot!" I shouted. "You know what: fuck it. I've lost my job, since I can't fly anymore, I've pissed off a bunch of assholes I called 'friends' at one point, and now I'm teetering on the edge of just leaving and never coming back." I sighed, and went to the door. "If you need me, tough shit, assholes."

With that, I began to walk down the silent corridor. I didn't even look back over my shoulder, I just walked. Where I was going, I didn't know. But one thing was for certain: I wasn't going to live in Ponyville anymore. I began to head home, packed my things, and hefted the Afterburner as I left. Every part of me was saying that somepony needed to die, but I was King of the Hill, Ruler of my Body, and no low-life conscience was ordering me about. As I walked through the town gates, I paused to take one last look at the village.

I'd burned the place to the ground, saved it once or twice, lived there for a year, played Poker there, tried killing myself there, and was almost killed by the townsfolk there. But I wasn't staying. Distant thunder echoed through the night, as the slow pattering of rain started up. The other thing that started up was something I hadn't heard in months.

Thunder...? Sweetie, are you OK?

Thunder?

Are you listening?

Thunder...?

Answer me please...

Please...

I still love you, we can talk this out.

Just answer me.

Please.

It's raining, just come back.

Come back to us.

There was another option for your flying issue, they just told us.

Come back, they'll explain it to you, every detail, I'll be there every step of the way.

Just reply to me, Thunder.

Thunder...?

The girls are in tears. I'm in tears. Just return.

No. I'm done. Goodbye.

Ignoring the rest of the pleading messages, I finally locked that part of my mind away. No more voices or breaking into my head. Just me, the Afterburner, and 5000 bits I'd saved in a hidden drawer.

"So," said the other guy on the train carriage, "Where are you headed?"

"Anywhere that's not easy to find." I sighed. "You?"

"I'm not specific. I just ride around Equestria, looking for jobs. I think this time I should get some work. Why?" chuckled the stallion, "You a fugitive on the run or something?"

"If that's what you'd call it, yes."

"Good, so am I."

"Nice. Why are you running?"

"Assassination of a Griffonian diplomat using a very well aimed throwing knife. Why are you running?"

"Left Ponyville due to this wing-injury, argued with some 'friends', and left Princess Luna alone. So most likely she has guards posted in places to try finding me."

"Wait, you're Thunder Mustang?" gasped the stallion. His features were obscured, but I could tell he was shocked. "Princess Luna's lover?"

"Was." I corrected. "Well, as I was saying, there'll be guards all over Equestria looking for me. Hopefully they don't stop this train." As though on cue, the train reached it's stop, and the brakes squealed. Stood on the platform was a guard commander, stood sternly on the platform as he gazed upon the train. Immediately, we both ducked down below the table, and I could see the face of my fellow fugitive.

He was a brown unicorn stallion, bald with thin black eyebrows. He was wearing a suit with red tie, and had unnaturally blue eyes. On both hooves he had gloves, blending perfectly with his suit. Inside his jacket, I could see two pistol holsters, both a perfect silvery colour.

"Fourty-seven..." I murmured, before raising my voice to a whisper. "Hopefully he didn't see us, I can't deal with the shit I'd have to put up with if I'm caught."

"I can't put up with the execution." added the stallion, before he extended a hoof. "Name's Slide-Back, Hit-Stallion." Firmly, I shook his hoof.

"Thunder Mustang, soon-to-be killer." I replied. He looked rather tense, then realised what I meant.

"You planning to become an assassin?" he said. His face went stone-cold. "I can give you some pointers, comes with years of bringing down Griffonian Ambassadors and Lords.."

"Thanks, man." I nodded. "First lesson?"

"Don't get caught." he said quietly. Just then, his horn began to glow, and there was the sudden realization that he was creating a disguise for our hiding place. "Simple projection spell. Easiest one to do, for a unicorn. Conceals hiding places easily." As if on cue, the door to the cabin opened. A pair of guards peeked through the gap in the door, spears raised as they squinted around the dark room.

"Faust-damned trains need lights..." one muttered, before turning to his comrade. "Nothing here, Scorch."

"Alright." replied Scorch. "Serrated, did I ever tell you how much it sucks to be pushed down in jobs? One minute, guarding the Princess' chambers. The next, looking for two guys who're probably in the Northern Wastelands by now."

"Yes, many-a-time." sighed Serrated. "Damned infiltrator knocked us out." he said, as the door shut. I felt sorry for the pair, but then Slide spoke.

"Infiltrator? Wow, must have been a good spy then." he whistled.

"Yeah." I replied, because he wouldn't believe me if I told him.

Eventually, after around 9 stops with a 30 minute gap between each, an old stallion gave everypony the word that the train wasn't going to stop for 3 hours, as the train was now headed for Griffonia. We had both come out from under the table, and began to get talking.

"So the pay for your job can reach 100,000 bits per job?" I whistled. "Nice. Griffonia has that good an economy?"

"Yes, but they tend to pay more to ponies, as we're much more skilled and less likely to give details of who hired us." Slide nodded. "Of course, I'm not the finest in the buisness. Highest skilled assassin is Black Blade, and he broke the record for highest-paid kill in history."

"Which was?"

"The knifing in the back of Emperor Blackfeathers XVIII during a public speech. He got about 50,000,000 for it." Slide chuckled. "It was what inspired me to learn about the art of murder. I know that at least 1 person on board every public train, carriage, boat, or airship has ties to the group I trained in."

"Sounds like a big group." I smirked. "How many, besides you, are on this train?"

"1." he replied knowledgeably. "She's two carriages away from us, three away from the train engine, and in cubicle four."

"That's awesome. Two assassins on a train, and I'm speaking with one. Wow." I chuckled. "Is he headed where we're headed?"

"Yes, and it's a she. Up-and-coming hitmare, goes by the name 'Six Shot'. I think she'd visit our cubicle before we visit hers."

"Great." I sighed. "But I still can't believe I'm going to learn the art of murder...professionally."

"Well, we are headed to Crowme, Griffonian capital city and home of the Assassins."

"So...you have a den there or something?" I asked. Slide-Back just laughed.

"You'll see, kid. You'll see."

Author's Note

Yeah, change of tone now. I like serious things nap, k bai.