A Fallen Angel

Chapters

Hospitalized
With Friends
Finally Knowing
Moving
Losing Closure
From the Horses Mouth
Arrival
Choices
The Princesses Secret
Whither Do We Fly?
One Rotten Seed
With Friends
A Fallen Angel
Getting to know Angel
Training
A Bonding Experience
The Mission
Changes
The Harsh Punishment
Cause and Effect
A Wonderful Eve

Hospitalized

Train was drunk. Again.

That meant that Criss was nowhere to be found.

Again.

"Where the hay is that fucking flank-munch?!"

Criss flinched at those words. Drunk or not, it was his father, and those words hurt. He wasn't a stupid colt, though. He made no noise, nor did he move.

He had to suppress a whimper as his "dad" stormed past the sink cupboard he was hiding in. One of the negatives of being a pegasus child in a non-cloud house, every fiber of his being wanted to get out of that small space, ASAP. But Criss had learned at a very early age: Don't dare get into eyesight when Train was drunk, and don't ever leave.

Getting into eyesight meant that his father, being older and faster, would easily outrun him. Leaving, although safer in the short run, would inevitably end in some "helpful" pony thinking he was lost and escorting him home.

Not being able to be recognized by the facial disfiguring had been demeaning enough.

Having to tell ponies he'd fallen off the porch hurt more-so.

Criss was not a stupid pony; he'd grown up fast, and grown up strong. Only a foal, he had to deal with fighting at school and his drunken b- father, and taking both verbal and physical beatings while young had given him a very thick skin, quick mind, and a very needed skill: the want and need to always, above anything else, survive.

"Ah, damn it all."

Criss almost let his guard down enough to sigh. Almost. Criss had learned.

"Where the hay are the garbage bags?"

Oh.

Oh no.

Oohh...crap.

Criss looked in-between his legs and saw the one thing he wished had been anywhere else in the house.

A small yellow box.

With a very foreboding "Garbage bags." written on it in large print.

Criss started tearing up.

This is still salvagable... Right? His brain held no response.

"Oh yeah, under the sink..."

Nononononononononononononono-

The thought was cut off by a new feeling: Blinding light, glaring into his dialated pupils. Criss squinted at the light, trying to pull away from it. But he knew only one thing was going to come now.

"I. Found. You. You. Li'l. Shit."

Fucking l-

Any further thought was cut off by a sudden blow to both sides of the head; One side was his fathers drunken hoof, the other was his head impacting on the drain hard enough to dent it. His vision went red and clouded. Feeling himself being dragged out of the sink-cupboard, Criss's brain went into safety mode as he curled up into the foetal position, fell unconscious.

And took every blow his drunken father had to land on him.

Criss woke up in the hospital. In pain.

A lot of pain.

"...Oh. My everything."

Trying to force his eyes open resulted in him slamming them shut as he found a large lamp shining into his face. He could feel a mask strapped tight over his face.

K, so oxygen mask.... What was that for again? ...Can't remember. Damn, what was I doing?

Criss's memories rushed back like a tidal wave. Oh, yeah.

Trying to lift his head, he felt several things. Pain, a tube in the side of his head, pain, and a hoof on his wrist.

And pain. Had he mentioned pain?

Criss realised the hoof couldn't be his father's: it wasn't holding his arm down. Train did that to make sure Criss couldn't yank away from him, raising awkward questions if anypony else was in the room.

Tube in the side of the head...... That meant it was a.... Concussion, right?

Criss's thoughts were fuzzy. That was probably really bad.

"So, you've been awake five minutes and haven't currently panicked." The voice at the side of his bed said. The voice sounded muffled, like Criss was listening through a pillow. He couldn't see who the voice belonged to: the lamp shining into his face blocked him from seeing into the darkness around his bed.

"What?"

The voice barrelled on, as if it hadn't heard him. "That either means that A: you're in a lot of pain, and drugged up pretty heavily. Your pupils aren't dialated, though. So that's not it. B: You've been in a lot of falls around your house..."

A small silence filled the room quickly, leaving only the whirring and beeping of medical machines. Criss swallowed nervously.

"Alright, so at least your brain's going through it's normal nerve reactions, so no brain damage." The voice continued. "Psychology 101 could tell me you haven't been in that many falls. I'd say you've been in none. So, C: you've been in a school fight and got your flank kicked, and you're dad brought you here, worried about you. He is crying after all..."

That bast- was typical.

Still, it pissed Criss off.

The voice was good at this psychology stuff, though, because it said "So, that was fake crying. I knew I wasn't getting rusty."

Another silence.

"D: Your father beats you. Regularly."

Criss realised what this was about now. He winced, trying to pull away from the hoof.

"Good to know. Listen, kid..." The voice came into view, showing somepony Criss didn't recognise. At all. Not even the uniform matched up to anything he'd seen. It was a rather contrast unicorn, with an orange shaggy mane, short stubble, and a light blue coat. "I know your father beats you. But I won't tell anypony unless you speak up. If I press charges, and you don't want to, it'll just be a waste of my time"

"Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm with a... sort of... well, a..." The pony fumbled with his words for a bit. "An 'Equestrian rights' group. Sort of. At any rate, we've had repeated reports of you, specifically, falling down stairs, tripping off balconies, just being a suicidal clutz, really, and coming to the hospital with serious injury. I'm hear to help you, kid."

"Kid." That word pissed Criss off.

It was his father's pet name for him.

"Look, Criss, if you don't do something, we will be forced to."

Criss swallowed. B- Jerk or not, he didn't want to force harm on his father.

Not to mention, he'd find out. He always did.

"...I can see what's going to need to happen."

"Don't! Don't do anything!"

He was forced to watch as the strange pony left the room.

About thirty seconds later, a nurse came in.

"Hey, Criss. How're you doing?" He noticed she, too, sounded muffled.

"I'm fine." Criss said sulkily.

"Criss? Can you say something for me?"

"I said I'm fine." Is she hard of hearing?

"You sure you can't say anything?"

Criss's nostrils flared. "Yeah, I can! I'm talking to you right now!"

"Ok, I'll just get some data, then."

The nurse looked over at the machines. Once she seemed to have gathered what she needed, she pressed a button on one of them that was hooked up to a tube that lead into his arm. A small whirring, accompanied by the sound of depressurization came from the machine.

Sleep came quick.

With Friends

"Sir, I know he's just a project to you, but see reason. He's just a child. He hasn't had any kind family nearby since his mother went into the hospital."

"Listen, Corporal, I understand his situation is pitiable, but he is just a project. Remember that. Emotional attatchment will make this even more complicated than it needs to be. We have a mission, we need to buckle down and do it. No complaints."

"Bu-"

"No complaints."

...

"Yes sir."

Criss woke again, this time to see one of his onl- his best friend sitting next to his bed, shaking his head.Watching the brown stallion kind of made Criss's eyes widen with worry; his black mane was cut close to his head, so Criss could see his eyes were shut. Sitting next to him was his sister; Criss's only other friend, and Criss's first and only special somepony.

Marshall only let them date because he himself believed that some romance, even at a young age, was healthy. and Criss wouldn't hurt her. Even if he did, Criss was easy to find. She had a brown coat too, and a black mane. In fact, there was so little difference between them, they could be twins. Except she was still a filly, and he was damn-near an adult. There were two real differences: Whereas he had dull green eyes, she had the most beautiful shade of neon pink eyes. And while Marshall took after his father, and was an earth-pony, his sister took on his mother's side of being a pegasus.

Thankfully, Criss seemed to have recovered his voice.

"Hey, Marshall. Hey, Krystal."

Marshall's head snapped up and instantly he lept to Criss' side. First thing that was evident was he hadn't shaved lately: there was a thick dark fuzz growing around his muzzle.

Grasping his hoof tightly, Marshall whispered. "Hey Criss."

Wow... Three voice cracks? In two words? Pretty decent, must be bad. Criss put on a small smile. "What's the damage? Give it to me straight, Doc."

Criss' meager attempt at humor paid off with a little laugh. "It ain't good, man. You had a concussion. Bad, possibility of brain damage." Ouch. "They didn't know if you'd pull through without, so they operated pretty damn quick."

Wow...

"Moving on to the bone damage, you had a broken rib. Was too close to puncturing a lung for comfort, so they operated on that, too. Your wings... Well, you won't fly for a couple weeks. Maybe more. Almost died from blood loss. Guess he started ripping out feathers to try to wake you when you fainted."

Whoa, hold up. "I did NOT faint."

Marshall shook his head. "Sorry, man, you kinda did. Anyway, pulled damn near all your bloodies."

Thats why my wings feel so numb....Then again, my EVERYTHING feels numb. A shock of realisation occured to Criss. He was pulling my flight feathers...

Marshall broke into his train of thought. "He didn't get your pinfeathers." Thank Celestia for little miracles "You're lucky your adrenaline thickened your blood, or you'da died right then and there, man."

So...No worse than usual. "Got a mirror?"

A nervous chuckle rose from Marshall. "Fucking hell. You almost die and leave me here, and you wanna know what you look like? You never change."

"Gotta protect the looks, they're the only advantage I have on him."

"Heh, guess your right." Marshall chuckled "At any rate, I don't, and the nearest one is in the bathroom. And no-" he said, pushing Criss back down. "You can't walk. He curb-stomped the shit outta your hind-quarters." That mother- that...that... "But your looks are still good."

...Good. Got that up on him.

Speaking of looks... "What's wrong with Kryssy?"

Marshall glanced over at his sister. "She fell asleep crying."

Wow. Guilt tripped when I wasn't even awake.

"Sorry, du-"

Marshall quickly cut criss off. "No. Don't you fucking dare take blame. For anything."

Damn. That was harsh, even for Marshall. "Dude, it's alr-"

"No, it ain't alright." He probably wasn't shouting for his sisters sake. Didn't keep him from raising his voice. "I just spent the last eight days praying, on your bedside, to Celestia and Luna both, for hope that you'd make it through alive. You spent them on the edge of death. You were in a coma for 3 months. You weren't supposed to wake up. Dude, they were about to turn off your life support. Krys came to say goodbye. Don't. You. Fucking. Dare. Brush. This. Off."

...Hold up, "3 months?"

"Yeah. You were out cold."

Luna... "Look, don't shut me up, this time, 'kay?" After Marshall nodded, Criss continued. "I am sorry, okay? I don't want to put you through this stress." Marshall went to go outburst again, but Criss interrupted. "You promised. I ain't done talking." Marshall may be brash, but he never went against his word. "I do put you through this stress, because I don't do anything about the way he treats me."

"I know, but I can't let you think it's your fault he beat you..."

"I don't. I know it's his. But it's my fault I don't say anything, and I hurt both you and Kryssy."

Speaking of which... "If you guys were gonna say goodbye, I better let Kryssy know I'm alive, right?"

Marshall nodded. "Yeah. Far be it from me to stop you from talking to your filly."

It was cool that Marshall didn't freak when he found out Criss and Krys were dating. He'd actually been pretty supportive. Criss smiled at Marshall's excuse. "Now we get to spend more time hanging, right?" Marshall probably wanted Criss to be happy against his father's will.

Someponies might disagree with Criss and Krystal's relation so young, even if they were almost teens, but Marshall took care of that damn quick. He might be practical, but he wasn't ignorant. He knew they were young. He hardly let them go out without him being there, too, which had been irritating sometimes; It meant the two pegasi were grounded. It had also turned their "dates" into more of "friendly outtings".

The first time Criss asked Krystal on anything that resembled a date, Marshall pulled him aside and said "Listen, I know you're young, and you'll rush things. Just one word of warning. Hurt her, or go to quickly, or... y'know... do 'it' before you're both of age, or when she's not ready, and I'll be your next worry. And I'll be much bigger than your train-manager father."

That had instilled the fear of Celestia in Criss. His father was terrifying. He swore he'd never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, (Etc.) in a million years, hurt Marshall's sister.

"I know man, just gotta be careful, is all. She's my only family."

That wasn't true, but Criss wasn't gonna bring up the fact that Marshall had bounced his father right out the front door the first time he tried to lay hands on Krystal. Literally. Bounced. Three or four times, too.

He had been letting his father beat him, as long as he didn't set a hoof on Krystal. From what Criss had heard from the two siblings, Marshall had heard his father come storming up to his door, just to hear him walk past and head to his sisters door. The pony barely had the door open before Marshall was behind him. "What the fuck do you fucking think you're fucking doing?" Marshall said.

Marshall may play it up a bit, but his sister had told Criss exactly what happened. Marshall had been livid. "Minding my own damn business, and last time I checked, I was your father. Not the other way around." Marshall watched for three seconds as his "father" turned around and faced his sister, to see her looking, not at his father, but at him. Appearently with a look of, as Marshall had put it, "How could you let him?"

His father's mistake was lifting the hoof he was going to hit Krys with within hoofs-reach of Marshall.

Marshall had grabbed his father from behind and whirled him into the doorframe.

Hard.

Like, "You can see his face in the cracks." hard.

...Speaking of hospitals...

Criss was brought back to his own thoughts by Marshall releasing his hoof and going to wake Krystal. Now that he wasn't talking or remembering, and he didn't have a lamp shining in his face (probably to check for brain damage. Criss thought), he had a good opportunity to look at the room he was in.

First thing that hit him: Wow, single room intensive care? Damn...

A small room, as far as bedrooms went, but pretty damn big for hospital rooms.

How the hell did I get here? The b- John would never spend this much in hospital care...

That's when he remembered the strange pony in a suit that had came into his room, and pretty much interrogated him.

Gotta Remember: need to question Marshall again. Soon as I got a chance.

The thought was gone about as quick as his breath as he got crushed in a smothering hug.

"Oh, Celestia, thank you..." He felt the fur on his back get wet as Krys cried into it.

Whoa, that's new... Wasn't the first time he'd been hospitalized. What the hay? Then something Marshall said

finally ran through his ignorant brain. "Eight days?" he asked Marshall.

Marshall simply nodded. "Damn..." Well, that explained a lot. More than a lot, actually. "Hey, Krys, it's okay, I'm alive."

"You mule..." That made even Marshall raise his eyebrows. She wasn't the type for insulting, even if it was mild. "Do you even realise that I sat at the edge of the bed, your bed, for the past week? Just be quiet and accept the hug.."

"...Ok." S'long as she's not mad.

She smiled happily and continued to sit there for a few minutes. Or hours. Or days. Doesn't matter, Criss thought. I'm here, so is she, and nothing can pull us apart.

Or so he thought. "Hey kid."

Really? Did that b- Did Train not have enough sense to fuck off? Train Crossing was standing in the rooms doorway. Criss felt Krystals' hug tighten possessively. No complaints here. Thank Celestia Marshall was there. He cleared his throat. Any foal could have got the message, but Criss's father was special, so for added effect, he got up and cracked his hoof joints. "I think you'd better leave."

"You can't stop me from seeing my son-"

Anything else that could have been said was cut off from a hoof grasping his shoulder. Thankfully, it wasn't Marshall's. Not that Criss doubted Marshalls strength, he just knew his fathers. Even though he got most of his strength from liquid courage, he worked pulling trains all day. His father was nasty strong. The hoof holding his shoulder was the nurses. "Excuse me, sir? You've been asked to leave."

....He wasn't stupid enough to fight a mare where she worked, right?

Train shrugged the hoof off with a growl. "Fine."

Damn, I'm probably gonna go home just to check back into the hospital, after this.

That didn't matter though. Krystal hadn't let go the entire time, and Marshall was still in-between Criss and Train-flank-f......Train. All in all, one of the better days Criss had in his life.

Shame nothing perfect lasts.

Finally Knowing

"Hey Marshall?" Criss whispered.

After recieving no response, he looked at the watch on Marshall's wrist. 3:24 AM... He'd kill me if I woke him. I really shouldn't.

He had to wait until he was sure Krystal was truly asleep. Couldn't risk her hearing something he didn't want her to hear. Yet.

"Hey. PSST! Marshall!" Criss murmured, barely louder than a whisper.

Good ideas never stayed long.

"Marshall?"

"Mmh?"

Good, now get repetative till he's awake. "Marshall."

"Ugh... Yeah?"

Nope, still groggy. "Marshall."

"Damnit, Criss, what do you want?"

...Close enough... "I have a question I need you to answer."

"...Ugh..." Marshall lifted his head off the side of the bed. "...M'kay, shoot."

"Not that I'm complaining, but I know my father, he'd never do this. Who the hay put me in intensive care, single room service?"

Silence. Not the good, contemplative kind. The kind that said "I know something you don't, and your not gonna like it, nyah-nyah."

"Marc?"

Criss called him be his nickname, it usually worked to get him talking. Sure enough, "There were some goons in suits. Said they were with a company called E-Gen." That sounded too familiar... "Asked us questions, mostly if Train beats you." Now I remember, E-gen was on that uniform. Criss flinched as he thought Marshall might have broke. Marshall read him like a book. "Dude, trust me more. Neither me nor Krys'd talk. 'Least not without consent from you."

Criss let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

Only to get it kicked in the chest.

"So once they couldn't get us to lock up Train, they started negotiating a price for you. They eventually settled on one thing..."

Oh, Marshall. Don't put this on me, man. Marshall had a keen nack for just saying things as they were. Hence his greatly fine tuned love life of zero mares.

Marshall blundered on. "They decided that they could cure your mom, but in return Train had to give you up." Criss saw him wince. "Train naturally didn't even blink."

'Course not. Get rid of the one thing that he hated, and get back the one thing he loved? No, he wouldn't let a little thing like morals concern him. Criss swallowed, and took his fear with it. Other ponies first, Criss. "Does Krystal know?"

Marshall shook his head. 'Course she wouldn't, what brother would let his sister know she'd lose her special somepony, even if he survived? That question had been rhetorical even before he'd asked it.

"Nah, she had to go to the bathroom before the negotiating started." Marshall said.

"Do you have any idea where I'll be going?" Criss asked. Another head shake.

Well... let's look at the facts... Fact number 1: Criss could hardly move. They wouldn't move him till he could walk properly. Or at least use crutches. A wheelchair was sort of out of the question; broken wings didn't have a place for chairs. 2: His father'd be gone. Maybe permanently. 3: He had no idea if he'd see Marshal or Krystal again. He might, he may not. 4: He had no idea if he would be going to a better or worse place... Odds were, it'd be better, but there's still a chance-

"I dunno what they were, so I tried to look 'em up in some of the old books 'round the school." Criss'd forgotten he'd been in the room with someone, and Marshall's voice made him jump. "Appearrently, they were some sorta genetic-modification group for 'the advancement and equality of ponies.' The rest of it's all kinda hush-hush. Nopony knows much about 'em, even though they've been around since about 20 years after the founding of Equestria. They don't even know where the station was built... Only they're Luna's idea, and she has Celestia's consent. Though, Celestia's not very pleased about them."

Well, that proved a few things. If it had been around for that long, it couldn't be doing anything bad. But Luna was in charge, and Celestia didn't like it. That wasn't good. Maybe not bad, but not good. The twins were polar-opposites, after all.

On a side note, if it was a scientific plant, and well classified, Criss wasn't going for a "fun and games" visit. He'd probably be a guinea pig. Whether he was A guinea pig or THE guinea pig was irrelevant: Criss'd be tested on. But why here? Why Manehatten's slums? Why not a Canterlot Royalty? Surely they'd want to be a bit more?

This had four painfully obvious answers. A: It was probably dangerous. B: Criss'd be noticed less if he dissappeared and reappeared somewhere else. C: Nopony who hadn't met him would know they were losing anything worthwhile. D: They'd earn more by showing they could change some twirp into a god, rather than turn an alicorn into... More of an alicorn? I dunno... I'm too tired. I don't want to deal with this now.

"Thanks for being honest."

"It's what I'm here for, man."

Fury.

Purly unrestrained, unbridled fury.

He was just to stupid to learn.

"Train."

"Hey, kid."

"Don't call me kid."

"I'm your dad, I'll call you what I want, brat."

"No, your not my father. Not my 'dad'." Chris spat. "You sold me. I'm not yours anymore."

It looked like Criss got to him there. He couldn't hurt him. Whether Criss agreed or not in the long run, what John did made sure he wasn't his "dad" anymore. Just his genetic parent.

"I'll still kick your flank for being a fucking smart-mule."

For the first time in a long time, Criss looked him in the eye and felt no fear. Since he'd been sold, there'd been two guards with suits that said "E-gen Sec" on them outside his door. "I. Dare. You." Each word came out as a seperate sentance.

Train looked furious, and was just about to snap when one of the guards came inside to see what was going on, and didn't like what he saw.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you, once, to leave."

"Go screw yourself, I'm not done here-"

"If you weren't before, you are now." The guard said matter-of-factly

Can't be to bad if they don't want me hurt by anything. Criss thought. 'Course, they could just be trying to get me to heal faster...

Lots had changed since Criss was sold. Guards had been posted in front of his door, nurses checked up on him constantly. But most importantly, he couldn't fear the pony that could no longer hurt him, and Krystal hadn't left his side. Though she hadn't taken it to well when Marshall tried to explain it to her.

Criss winced at the memory.

"What do you mean, 'He got sold'?!" There was Marshall's brash streak. There had been quiet murmuring, assumedly Marshall trying to explain it to her. Criss had listened while Krystal cried, then he flinched when she swore bloody murder on Train. And then, most importantly, above all else, her last words, which he had to strain to hear. "I'm not leaving his side. Even if..." Her voice had gotten too low to hear, but Criss heard enough. She would stay. By his side. No matter what.

What made it better was that Marshall hadn't tried to stop her. He went to her school and brought her all her homework, which she did on his bedside. She had been great. As Marshall had put it: "Yeah, she's being a real champ. I'm just worried about her trying to stand up to those guards when they come to take you out." To tell the truth, Criss shared that worry. He didn't want Krys to actually hurt herself over him. Though he would ask (and somepony higher up) if she could stay with him.

He knew what the answer would be, of course.

"Hey, Krys?"

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor, 'kay?" Criss waited until she nodded before he continued "If you can't come with me, and if you can't find me, just promise you'll wait for me, 'kay?" Criss stopped, swallowing several times before he could talk again. Damnit, I don't wanna cry now. "I promise you that I will search for you. Even if I do get totally brainwashed, I will always search for you. If they try and stop me I'll kick their flanks. I can deal with being taken away, but not if it meant I'd never see you again. Even if I get taken to Vanhoover, or far from Equestria, to the land of griffons, or dragons, I'd come back if I knew you were here. Waiting.

"Not that I don't want you to be happy, do what you need to be happy. Just... don't forget me. I know it sounds foalish, and you'd never forget me, but time does thing to a pony's beliefs. But just remember, unless I die," (She flinched at that) "I will never give up on you."

Criss was awfully confused, because instead of making her happy, she started crying. Which wasn't good, because

Marshall just came out of the bathroom. Walking in while stressed to see your sister crying is never a good thing, but he handled it "like a champ". He walked over to his sisters side.

"Hey, sis, what's up?"

"D-did you... *hic*..." Great, I gave her hiccups... "...Did you kn-know your friend was such a hopeless romantic?"

Huh?

This caused Marshall to glance at Criss, raising an eyebrow. Only one though, so that was good. Two when his sister was crying meant somepony was getting anything from a lost friendship to getting the crap beat out of them. Though he wouldn't beat a handicapped person.

I think.

"Nah, had no idea."

"W-well he is..."

"Go into the bathroom and clean up."

After she left, Marshall turned to bro-hoof Criss. "Nice, dude."

Criss confusingly returned the hoof. "Marshall, gotta question."

"Yo?"

"What's a romantic?"

Moving

"It's not that bad..." Criss said with what he hoped sounded like enthusiasm.

"Don't lie, you hate it." Krystal said, her voice already taking on a dissapointed tone.

"I...yeah, I do hate it." Better to just agree, right?

Marshall scowled. "Oh, buck up. It's just hospital food."

The three of the ponies had been sitting around Criss's bed while he tried to drink lunch. His jaw had lost quite a few teeth, and although he could talk, It'd be a while till his adult teeth grew in. Another couple of weeks, actually. So it was a liquid diet until then.

"C'mon, Crissy." Did Marshall call me "Crissy"? He was looking to get bit. Teeth or no. "Tell ya what, you eat this, and don't complain," That last part had been said looking into Criss eyes. The trust here kills me. "...and I'll buy you a coffee. One of those cappuccino's you like."

"Deal." Criss put shame on world record eaters. Lunch lasted mere milliseconds infront of him. He loved those cappucino's.

Marshall slowly picked his jaw off the floor. "Um... wow. Guess I'll be right back then."

A silence slowly fell over the room as Criss tried to find something to talk about.

"Y'know what sucks?" Criss asked.

"Vacuums?"

"Wow, y'know, you should get a comedians Cutie Mark." Criss's voice was so slathered in sarcasm a deaf pony could have heard it.

"Ok, ok..." She struck up an Equipean accent "Do be a good sport and tell, Criss. What, exactly, do you think, in particular, 'sucks?'"

Wow, she is laying it on thick. Criss rolled his eyes "Anyway...Not being able to go anywhere. Like, even if I could walk around the hospital." Criss let out a huge sigh. "But I can't, till I heal, and when I heal then..." his voice trailed off.

"...I never thought of that. That does suck." Krystal actually sounded like she was being serious. For once.

"Yeah, if on-" the rest of his sentance got cut off as Marshall came back into the room. How'd he do that so fast? "'Kay, so all they got was the crudy decaf stuff, but I figured your probably not in it for the caffeine, and I got you one too, sis."

"Cool" Criss said, reaching out for his coffee.

"Thanks, Marsh." The one nickname Marshall would kill Criss for saying. He might even kill him for thinking it.

"Sir. I know I'm a lower rank than you, but you have to listen."

"You have five minutes, Corporal. During that time you can speak freely. Starting now."

"Yes, General. I think you should let him heal completely before letting him out of the hospital."

"Why's that?"

"I think that if we gave him a chance to walk around a bit before taking him, he may get a sense of closure. If we take him than he'll want to come back to find those things he wanted to say goodbye to."

"You think too much, and yet too little, Corporal. If he doesn't get a sense of closure, he'll run. And although he doesn't have anywhere to go, he will have nothing to lose. We can't afford to lose him, Corporal. We've searched too long."

"Yes sir." Another sigh "I suppose he'll be taken clean away from his friends, then, too?"

"He won't even know his name."

"I know. It just seems cruel to-"

"Listen, Corporal. If you keep thinking about him as a pony, you're going to screw this up. He's an it. A means to an end. Think of him as an it, not a pony. If it helps, think of him as your enemy. We're doing this for the princess."

"....Ok."

"That's 'Yes, Sir.'; Your five minutes is up."

"Yes, Sir."

"I mean, even a room with a window'd be better." Criss said.

"Well, your last serious surgury was last week..." Marshall trailed off. "I'll be right back."

They had just finished explaining the conversation they had while he was gone.

Criss winced as the door shut: it seemed louder than it was supposed to. "Did I make him mad?"

"No, that just meant the pony he wanted to talk to was outside. It's a sort of a nice and not rude way to gain somepony's attention. One of his odd habits."

An awkward silence filled the room as Criss looked for something to talk about.

"So, what am I missing in school?"

Oh, Celestia, take back my words. "Oh, it's really cool stuff. We're learning new maths! Like, we're learning Pegathoryean's theorum; it's a neat way to help figure out the hypoteneuse side of the legs of a triangle, although the theorum can be manipulated to find the sides of one of the other legs by reversing the theorum, and subtracting instead of adding. We're also learning about history and, more specifically, the Lunar Revolution, and which clans helped Luna and who helped Celestia. Did you know the first clan to join Luna was a clan called Killer clan? They sound pretty cool. And the Dash clan joined Celestia first, too. Guess that's why Rainbow got the element of loyalty, huh? And then, in equine studies..."

Best to just tune her out, right?

Marshall came back, accompanied by a pair of nurses, one of them a stallion (A stallion nurse? What?) and a...a... "What is that?" Criss asked.

"It's called a gurney" Marshall said. "They use it to transfer handicapped ponies from one bed to the other, and because you don't need intensive care anymore, we can move you to a room with a window.

"...I...you..." Damnit, why am I choking up? The answer was blatantly obvious, making it all the more irritating to Criss. He swallowed, trying to get the newfound lump out of his throat. "You did that for me?"

Marshall chuckled dryly. "No, I did it for the other handicapped pony in the one bed intensive care unit." He swallowed his sarcasm. "Of course I did it for you. I don't want you to regret not getting to do anything before you leave."

"Wow... I....Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem. Now let's get you moved to this new room."

Losing Closure

Criss's new room blew his expectations away.

It was great.

Sure, it was a little hospital room with two beds, one window, and only one bathroom for two ponies, but the other bed was empty, so if Marshall and Krystal wanted, they could sleep here for the night, and do what they needed in the morning. It's not like Criss'd be gaining more time with Krystal; she always slept on the chair by his bed, or right next to him in his bed. But it'd be nice for her to sleep by herself, instead of having to sleep in a chair, or on top of somepony's bony arm.

That, and they had a window overlooking a small park. Marshall worried that it might make Criss a bit depressed about not being able to walk, but Criss was content with looking at the statue in the center of the pond. A brave pony in Guard armor with her blade pointed to the hospital. It was a statue of a soldier who'd fought monsters, actual ones, to help two medicinally trained druid-ponies build a house. Right where the hospital was now.

Criss had always headed to that very park whenever Train had done something to him. Now his father had beaten him to near-death, almost broke his friends hearts, and sold him. And Criss couldn't get to his park before he left.

Life sucked.

It wasn't that bad, though. Marshall was looking over the room. "Hey, dude, didn't know if you saw, but there's a hand-mirror on your bedside."

Finally.

Although Criss trusted Marshall's word, he had been a bit sore about not being able to see if he had any scars. Criss picked up the mirror, braced for a scare, and for the first time in a while, had been able to see what he looked like.

Criss gazed at himself. First thing he noticed was the hospital must have shaved his hair down for the surgery. Instead of his black "Emo-cut" he had been teased about at school, he had a shaved head. Great, I look like a jock. If Criss had known about those ponies addicted to drugs, he would've said he looked like that; His wiry, extremely skinny, semi-muscular form had come from many fights, and twice as many "flights".

It didn't help he usually had to wait till he was at Marshalls place to get a good meal. His grey coat didn't have any patches missing like it normally did after a beating, but his wings were torn up badly, and he had a new, hooflong scar running along the right side of his head. Criss winced. Let's just add that to the collection, shall we?

Finally he set his eyes on his favorite feature. He had her eyes. His mom's royal purple eyes. He hadn't been able to see much of her before she had to go into medi-care, but he could remember, possibly his youngest memory, his mother looking into his face with her bright purple eyes.

I miss you, mom.

One of the biggest things that hurt. He hadn't seen his mother since he was three, and he wouldn't get to before he left.

Oh well...

Criss set the mirror down, and tried to smile. He must've done pretty good, because Marshall bought it.

"See? Told ya you were fine."

"You didn't say they shaved my head." Criss retorted.

"Uh... Didn't seem too relavent?" Marshall chuckled nervously. "Hey, in my defence, there were much bigger fish to fry."

Can't argue 'bout that. "I guess..." Criss wasn't letting him off that easy.

Krystal walked in, carrying a small bag. "Hey, guys, I brought lunch. Good news Criss, doctor says you can handle a few solids, so I brought sandwiches."

Criss's stomache rumbled, reminding him how hungry he was. Looks like Marshall was getting off easy. "Oh, good. I'm starving."

They sat down and had a quick lunch. Krystal told Criss what she had to do for school, then Marshall talked about his work. Marshall had to find a job shortly after kicking out his father. He had decided to try and sign up with the Guard, and luckily the pony interviewing him was a sucker for family ponies trying to make ends meet. It helped Marshall convieniantly couldn't find a babysitter, so he had to take his sister to the interview.

It took until Marshall had finished talking that Criss realised he had nothing to contribute to the conversation. He quickly grasped at straws in an attempt to continue conversation. "Hey Marshall, do you know when they're expected to take me to where ever the hay?"

"Nah. Can't expect it'll be that long though. You're healing pretty quick, like you normally do." Marshall gave a half-hearted laugh.

"Yeah." It sucked that his biggest strength was now his greatest weakness. "Got an estimate?"

"Well," Marshall scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Doc says you'll be able to walk with crutches in a couple of weeks, so 'bout half that. Wouldn't be within the next few days, or they woulda thought it pointless to move you."

Unless they were trying to make me feel safer before taking me.

Criss banished the dark thought quickly. "Yeah, makes sense they'd take me before I could run." He briefly wondered if he would have got the room if his wings hadn't been destroyed. 'Course not Criss, you woulda run. It kind of hurt that his brain had turned on him so candidly, but Criss knew it was true.

A new, but still depressing, thought dawned on him. "It really sucks I won't get my Cutie Mark before I leave." Maybe I should of accepted Babs' offer. He would've, but Babs had been kind of harsh and flippant to him before. Not that he could blame her, what with what she had been putting up with. Criss had felt bad for her before the same bullies turned on Krystal.

Criss didn't like hurting ponies, but putting those two in the hospital, even if for only minor injuries, had been satisfactory. To say the least.

It had been the wrong decision, and Criss knew it. Marshall would have done much worse, and it would've kept him from having to spend the next three days with an extremely pissed-off drunk. Ponies hadn't been able to recognise him when he checked into the hospital.

Train had come up with a rather clever excuse; he even used a bit of truth. "He fell off our porch."

The nurses didn't believe that, but his neighbours did: Their house had a rather high porch with no safety rails, and was surrounded by those rocks people put around their house.

Besides, it wasn't a lie. Just not the whole truth. There couldn't be much difference between being shoved and falling.

Criss blinked, coming back to what was happening around him. "...mom. Right? ...Criss?"

Criss glanced about, confused as to where conversation had gone. He fell back onto his titanic vocabulary of extremely eloquent words. "...Whuh?"

Marshall shook his head, sighing, and with infinite patience he started over. "'It does suck that you won't get your Cutie Mark, but you can still do other things. You might be able to look around the hospital.' is what I said." Marshall said, and Krystal put in "Then I said that 'That's right, and that you could do other things. Like, the gurney is too big to go into many places, but if you asked real nicely, you might be able to see your mom.'"

"...Wait, we're in Manehatten Main? And nopony said anything?" Criss felt his anger surge.

"You didn't know? Damn, sorry."

"No, I didn't ask." And, if I'm honest, the statue should've given it away. Criss swallowed, and started over. "You think they'd let me use the gurney?" Criss refused to let his hopes get up before they had a chance to get crushed.

"Well, maybe not." Marshall said. "I doubt they'd want to use a gurney as a mode of transport. However," Criss's ears perked up. However was good. "Your wings are better, and aren't so sensitive to the touch, so you may be able to use a wheelchair."

"Or that." Krystal definitely seemed to think this was a better idea than riding around on a gurney.

Criss had to agree. He had to try. He couldn't let this chance slip through his hooves. "Ok, yeah. Let's see if we can do that."

A little while later, Criss was riding around in a wheelchair, being pushed along by Marshall.

Though the guards hadn't been to happy about Criss being mobile, they were willing to accept that he could go around as long as a guard got to follow him. Criss figured it had been a small price to pay for mobility.

So he was now riding down the Manehatten Main Hospital hallway, looking for a hospital room marked 13-C.

"Wait, there!" Criss exclaimed

"Nope, that's a janitors closet."

They'd been looking for a while.

Half an hour later: "Hey, looky here." Criss glanced up to see Marshall pointing ahead and to the right. Criss followed his line of sight, or rather, point, to see the words he'd been looking for. Sort of. "12-C" was etched onto the wood, and highlighted with black paint.

"So thirteen is..." right around the corner.

Upon entering, Criss was greated to a small surprise. It was a single-bed hospital room. Not an intensive care room, but a room outfitted for just one pony. Then Criss remembered it had been by a company funded by the royal sisters that there was a promise on his mothers health.

However, there was something even better than the surprise.

He saw a familiar shape on the bed, and saw a face that looked like it hadn't aged a day; His mother, lying towards him. Pink mane, and grey body, like his, with her eyes shut peacefully, she looked like she was so fragile, a falling feather could have broken her. She was an earth pony. Criss found it so unfair that his DNA took after so much of the pony who repeatedly tried to end his life.

Marshall rolled Criss right up to the bedside. "Do you want me to leave?" He whispered.

Thanks, Marshall. Criss nodded, not wanting to wake his mother.

After the door slowly closed, and as soon as Criss heard the click of the latch in the frame, he burst into tears. He hadn't seen his mother on the day she left; he'd been at school. He also hadn't been allowed to see her, because "What type o' flank-munchin' mule would wanna see an ugly-fucking mug like yours? Besides, your too much've a brat, you'd pro'lly break her heart, seeing what you turned into."

Ah, those good old memories.

"Mom, it's so great to see you again." Criss murmured into the bedsheet.

Just then something unexpected happened.

His mother opened her eyes.

"H-Hello?" She sounds so sick... "Who're you?"

...Oh, right. You're older now, dude.

"M-Mom? It's me. It's Criss."

"...Criss? My Criss? You're so much older... Why didn't you come visit me?"

Oh, fuck. Now what do you say? "I tried, but..." think, man, think... "..but you were always asleep."

Criss wasn't stupid. He knew he was gonna be taken by E-gen, whatever he did. He knew his mother couldn't do anything to stop it: the adoption papers were already filled. He didn't want to upset his mother in his first moment with her since he started going to school by telling her that his father beat him till he couldn't move, or that the school she carefully picked out for him was fillled with sadistic ponies, or tell her he was leaving.

"Oh... sorry." His mother's voice brought him back to his senses.

"No, don't blame yourself, Ma. You need the sleep." Criss had to restrain his resentment, as he realised that, in his first real moment with his mom, he was lieing to her, and defending a moralless pony.

"You've grown so much..." She reached out to touch him, and felt his stitch. She gasped. "What happened to your head?!"

Use the old trick? May as well... "I fell downstairs."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sweetie..."

"Not your fault, ma. You were in the hospital."

"So.. why are you in a wheel-chair? Same reason?"

"...Yeah..." Criss swallowed, hoping he didn't sound to obvious.

"Sweetie, you were never able to lie to me. I know what happened."

"...You do?" Well, atleast she knew about his father. That was a relie-

"You got into a fight at school, didn't you?"

Criss winced. Of course she doesn't know. "Yeah."

"Cristopher, violence has never been the answer. Didn't I teach you that?"

His heart sank lower.

"Yeah, you did, Mom." Criss felt like crying.

"Well, atleast I taught you something. Try to put it into practice?"

... "I promise, from the moment I leave this room, I will never hurt somepony who doesn't deserve being hurt, or defend somepony who doesn't deserve defending."

"Thanks, squeaky."

"Squeaky." There was a name he hadn't heard in a long time. His mother used it as a pet name for him.

His father used it as psychological torture every time Criss whimpered when he was being beat.

"No problem, Mom." His voice cracked. Damn.

"Hun? What's wrong?"

After a long silence, Criss responded in a shaky voice. "I just never wanted anypony hurt." His eyes started tearing up against his own will.

"Oh, honey." She reached out and grabbed his head, and for what could be the last time in his life, he cried into his mother's coat.

"There, there..." Damnit, why did she have to be so understanding? Why couldn't she make me feel like I'm hated by everypony? Why'd she have to make it that much harder?

"You know I'll always be there for you."

That broke him.

A small hole opened inside him, and he felt it eating through his insides, stopping at his chest.

He stopped crying immediately. Like his tears had just been turned off.

He pulled back from his mothers embrace. Not fast enough to worry. Slowly, even putting a small smile on to pretend he felt better. Criss didn't want any more questions.

"See, don't you feel better?" She smiled. His first time he could remember seeing her smile, and it couldn't be on a worse occasion.

He tried to fake enthusiasm. He forced the sides of his face up further. "Yeah, I feel... Happy."

No lie had ever been more untrue. He didn't feel anything. Only pain and loss.

Medically, he was so depressed, he was 15 inches from a heart attack.

"Well..." He felt himself tearing up as he tried to sever his last connection to his mother. For the second time in his life. "I best be going. I got a friend waiting outside for me."

"Oh, well maybe you can come back..." She glanced at her clock and Criss saw how late it was. Time sure does fly. "...I guess tomorrow. Then you can tell me about your friends, ok?"

"Yeah, sure mom. See you tomorrow." Atleast he'd see her again, then.

Criss pushed himself to the door and knocked. Loudly. He wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. Even infront of a dragon seemed good right now.

The door opened up, and when Criss rolled himself outside he saw an all too familiar unicorn in a suit and tie waiting on the other end. "Hey kid. The papers just got through. You ready to leave?"

"Anywhere else" but here.

From the Horses Mouth

10 inches.

"I can't go and say goodbye to my friends?" Criss asked. He already knew what the answer was going to be.

"No." The E-gen pony said. "I know it sounds unfair. But even your friend, Marshall, understood."

"He knew, and didn't tell me?" Criss was literally in peril of having a heart attack.

"No. We came while you were inside. He fought to come see you before we left. We explained ourselves, and he took it pretty well, actually."

Atleast he didn't betray me. "So explain it to me."

The blue unicorn let out a small sigh. "Alright, fine. If we took you back to the room, with Krystal, she'd fight. She'd probably get herself hurt. And then Marshal would fight because she's fighting. But he'd fight to the death."

That's true.

"Can't I give her some sorta farewell?" Criss's ears couldn't be lower. "She's my... Very special somepony."

"Yeah, here." The unicorn pulled a piece of paper off of the clipboard he had tucked under his arm. "You can write her a letter."

"Oh... I can't write." Criss said dejectedly.

"I'll write it for you, then." The pony caught Criss's eye and smiled.

Criss tried to smile back. "Thanks."

Hey Krys.

Sorry for not being able to say bye. I'm sure Marshall already explained, but they came when I didn't know and took me against my will.

Wish I could have written this myself, but I can't write too well....

Anyway, I was sending this letter because I knew you'd be upset that you didn't get to say "Goodbye". I just wanted you to know two things.

Number one: I will never forget you. Please wait for me.

Number two: I love you. I wish I'd been able to say it to you in person.

I'll try and come for you, no matter what.

Your's Sincerely,

Cristopher Crossing

P.S: Tell Marshall thanks for the visit to my mom, try to explain it to her gently.

The pony then followed it up with a letter that would have made Criss kill him.

Dear Marshall.

We are aware that your friend Cristopther sent a letter to your sister, and we are aware of it's contents. we would like to inform you, and you only that Criss Cross will be undergoing a mind wipe. He will not be able to remember anything. In the off chance he escapes before the mind wipe, he will probably come find you. If he does, he will be too uncontrolable. We will come after him. He will be a danger to any and all around him. Do with the information as you please.

Hoping you are well.

Cpl Time.

Criss was treated to something unusual.

A stretched carriage. For him.

Not exactly "his" of course. Just waiting.

For him.

If he hadn't been so damn shat on in life until that moment, he probably would've grinned.

As it was he just snorted. "Seems a bit excessive for trying to be discreet."

The unicorn that had accompanied him through three floors of the hospital remained just as silent as before.

"Whatever."

Criss had no choice: He climbed into the back of the carriage, and waited while the unicorn walked around the carriage and got in infront of Criss on a couch facing him. There was a small lurch as the carriage pulled away.

As soon as they were out of public eye, the unicorn lifted his sunglasses, and actually started answering Criss's questions. "First; yeah it seems excessive now, but we're going to Canterlot, to the palace. There, Princess Luna will have a look at you, see if your right or not, and than you'll get some sleep.If your lucky , the princess will decide that you are right for the job. If you aren't, she'll decide you aren't. In either case we'll wipe any memory you have and restart your life.

"However, if you are lucky, she'll look over your dossier, enjoy what she sees, and then you'll be taken into E-gen. Believe me, this is better. It may not seem like it now, but you'll enjoy it. I promise. And I never break my promises.

"Second; you can't leave. At all. At least not until the princess' want you to. For one thing, we have legal custody over you, for another, we have both the princess's consent. Also, Celestia will look you over too, to make sure we haven't chosen some heartless wretch.

"Third; E-gen isn't for the medical advancement of pony science. It's for genetic modification. Equestrian Genetic Modification Devision is for creating one pony. One. You got picked. If Luna decides your good for the job, than you'll become her apprentice. Hopefully, you can be genetically modified to be what she wants out of a pony."

The unicorn sighed, the first sign he may actually be equine in the short time Criss knew him. "Either way, you won't remember us. Whether Luna agrees or not, you'll have your mind wiped. You'll be put with a new family, and your whole life will start over. If need be, we'll use the ageing spell on you, so you'll restart your life."

Criss was shocked. Just shocked. From here on out, he'd be reset. Not just reset, but rebooted, reprogrammed, and completely re-engineered. More importantly, everything he had said in his letter had been a lie. "I-" Well, he beat Marshall. Two voice cracks, one word. He started over. "If it didn't matter what fucking happens, because you'll fucking wipe my mind anyway, why the fuck did you choose me?! Why not re-engineer somepony who FUCKING WANTED IT?!"

The unicorn just sighed. "Kid-"

"Don't you dare call me kid. I have a name."

"...Criss, look, the pony we re-engineer will still have his personality. We chose you because you had the personality we thought both princesses would like. That, and we had to take somepony who didn't want to come. I don't know why. I'm not far enough up the chain of command."

Criss didn't care. He wanted to go home. He was only a child. He missed his friends. He wouldn't even mind seeing his father again, he hated this so much. For the second time today he cried. He didn't even try hiding it, he just lay down on the seat of the carriage, folded his hooves around his head,

And cried himself to sleep.

Arrival

Criss quickly woke up, as the entire house was shaking.

His father was coming upstairs to beat him.

Trying to get up quickly, he didn't realise his front hooves were crossed. He tripped, and landed on the floor.

Only, it wasn't his bedroom floor. Come to think of it, it wasn't his bed, either.

"Morning, trippy." An offputting unicorn said in a smug voice "Have a bad dream?"

Right. The events of everything that had happened hit him like a hurricane, as well as the pain of having fallen on his fractured legs and wings. His jaw split open and a wordless howl came out as the pain went to his head.

Thankfully, this managed to kick some sense into the unicorn. He lept up and put a hoof on Criss's chest. "Oh, fuck. Criss, sit still. SOMEPONY!" He roared, and the door flew open. "Get me a medic!" The pony who opened the door nodded. "NOW, SOLDIER!" The unicorn shouted.

This wasn't registering right in his brain. Even if Criss was injured, a medic shouldn't be needed. He lifted his head and went into shock. About half a hoof of bone was sticking out of the side of the side of his leg, and his right hoof was twisted really awkwardly. Naturally, his brain went to doing what brains in shock often do: Think shock thoughts. Wow, that's a lot of bone. Wonder why it doesn't hurt anymore? I wonder, is a ponys right hoof supposed to point at his left leg? Do you think the unicorn will tell me? Speaking of which why hasn't he told me his name? And why'd the carriage stop anyway?...

The soldier came back with two medic-ponies carrying a stretcher. They came inside, put Criss on the stretcher, and started running back towards the- Oh, the palace, that's right too. I wonder if the princess'll see me like this? Or maybe it has it's own hospital. Or maybe...

As it happened, the palace did have it's own hospital-wing incase of siege. That's where he was being taken. The only reason he hadn't been transfered to a gurney was because the wing wasn't far from the landing bay. Made it more convenient for injured, flying ponies. Like the Princesses. Or Criss.

They soon had him in a bed, and a doctor gave him a shot of morphine.

Criss was out cold.

The Corporal felt bad for the little guy.

Yeah, sure, he didn't know why he had thrown himself out of bed, (or chair, as it were) but nopony deserved to have their life taken away just to go through more pain. Yeah, there weren't any guarantees about the kid, but 70% of whether he got chosen rested on Celestia. And she wouldn't throw a child out into the cold. That was why the General had chosen Criss in the first place.

Double looked down at his hoofs. It wasn't fair that Criss was the pony who got picked. There were thousands of other foals who got beat every day.

As the general put it "This is the one pony that we can actually take, Corporal. He isn't violent, and his father beats him. This is the only pony that can get past Celestia's requirement that Luna may still like. He's one-in-a-million."

"Sure does have the worst luck for one-in-a-million..." The Corporal muttered to his hooves.

"Corporal, sir!"

"Yes, private?" Double Time looked over at the young soldier.

"You told me to tell you when he woke, sir."

Pain. Everywhere. And nowhere.

Morphine's one hellova drug.

Am I in the hospital? Was it all fake?

Quickly, Criss sat up to realise that was not within his physical abilities yet. He gasped in pain and set back, shutting his eyes till his headache died away.

Let's try that again. He pushed himself up slowly.

...Damn.

He found himself in a sick bay, not a hospital, looking at either an earth or pegasus pony (His back was away from him) wearing a uniform. Even without the military training, Criss had played enough shooter games with Marshall to know that was a private.

"Hey-" Criss called, but the pony ignorantly turned and trotted away. Earth pony.

Great. As his memories came back, Criss suddenly remembered why he was here. He ripped away his bed covers to see yet another big stitch running down the side of his right leg. Just peachy. He glanced to his left, seeing a note sitting there.

Your leg's been realigned.

Don't move, you'll rip the stitching.

...K.

"Ugh..." Criss groaned as he pulled his covers over him.

"Yeah, that's how I feel just looking at you."

Startled, Criss jumped (as best he could) and glanced about for the source of the voice.

"Over here, kid."

Criss looked to his left to find himself looking at a pony he regrettably recognised. "It's you." He grumbled.

"Great to see you too, kid."

"Quit calling me k-"

"I'm not gunna stop, kid." He put emphasis on the word, just to prove it.

"Then I'm gonna stop talking to you."

"That's fine, I'm here to debrief you. You don't have to talk."

Criss groaned and rolled onto his side, hoping the unicorn would go away. He didn't. "You were supposed to meet the princess today, she'd read your dossier, say 'Yes' or 'No', and we'd be on our way." The unicorn walked around to stand infront of Criss. "However, that's obviously not how it's going to happen. For one thing, you can't walk."

Criss snorted at the obvious, and tried to role onto his other side. He hissed in pain when he realised he was stuck between looking up, or looking at the unicorn. He chose to maintain face where he could, and glared at the ceiling.

"She also read your dossier." Oh? "She thought you sounded like a pony she'd like to meet." That's...Good? Or bad? "She'd like to get to know you."

"Great, cause I need more friends I can't remember." On the other hoof, if he acted badly enough, she may not accept him. At all. He might get sent home.

The unicorn cut that idea short. "She's also aware of your unwillingness to co-operate." Criss sighed. "So as a result, she is willing to spend 'As much time as is necessary for him to act like himself, instead of being stubborn.'" Nothing was going his way.

"Great. So when do I meet her Royal majesty?" Criss spat those last two words with so much acid they could probably go through tungsten.

Regardless, the unicorn acted with complete neutrality. "Right now, she's waiting outside."

Oh. "..I..Um...I'm not ready to meet her just yet." Criss really didn't have the guts to stand up and insult one of the royal sisters. Than again, who would?

"That's a shame, cause she's ready to meet you. Put your best mean face on, kid." the unicorn said with a smirk as he opened the med-bay door.

On the other side was one of the prettiest mares Criss had seen in his short life. Second to Krystal, of course.

Krystal.

Just the thought of a pony he'd probably never see again sent him into tears. But he couldn't hide them. Not without seriously ripping his stitch. He just had to sit there, and either cry facing the princess, or cry at the roof.

"Oh, poorest child. Do you have reason why you cry?"

Criss was to busy swallowing the lump in his throat to talk, so the unicorn answered for him. "He's had kind of a tough time; so far, It hasn't been good. I mean, the first time he's here, and he managed to put a chunk of bone through his leg."

"Oh, I see." Good. She wasn't referring to herself as "We". "Would you like me to come back later, dearest child?"

Why the fuck was everyone being so nice? I don't want anymore friends, I'll just lose them. Nevertheless, Criss would behave himself. To show he was raised properly. By his Mom.

Who he'd never see again.

Criss choked. He couldn't say anything, set into a new batch of tears by this new thought.

"I think that'd be best, princess."

"As is by your wish, dearest Corporal." The princess turned and left, with an air of damnable power, and a thousand years of grace. And it seemed an air of sadness.

Good going, Criss. Your first meeting with a Princess; all you do is burst into tears. And manage to make her sad.

Shut up.

"Why are you being so helpful?" Criss asked the unicorn once he'd swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Kid, I know it seems pointless, but you got my friendship. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure your healthy, and I won't force you into anything-" Hypocrite. "-But I'll make sure that you get into E-gen." Definitly a hypocrite. "Believe me, kid. It's what you want."

Criss snorted. "Yeah, right."

The unicorn shook his head. "You don't have to believe me. It's the truth."

"Whatever. Just leave me alone."

"Ok. And kid? My name's Double."

Double shut the hospital door gently, trying to allow the kid some peace and quiet. He turned slowly to see Princess Luna staring at him from one of the waiting chairs outside the med-bay. "Hello, your Majesty." he said, bowing low.

"Please, save me your graces, Corporal."

"Yes, Princess."

Luna shook her head. "Why was he crying?" She looked heartbroken.

"He's young, Luna." Double began. "His life only just started getting better when we pulled him out of there. Not to make you think that we took him against his will. But the price of getting him out of there was to give the father back his wife."

"So when she was recovering..."

"He had to leave, yes." Double finished for her. "However, I've seen his future. He's a glitch in time. Anything he's around gets changed. That's why we have to put him somewhere else. If he stays there, without the mother, his father kills him, and Marshall avenges him, to have himself killed by the Guard, in which case his sister commits suicide." The princess winced at that.

"If we send him back with his mother he'll go on a date with Krystal, his special somepony, only to have her get shot on his first real date. He'll attack and kill his father when he tries to make fun of him, and commit suicide soon after." The princess gasped. "His best choice is to just go with E-gen."

Double Time wasn't named after a drill, he was named after his ability to exist in the future, and the present. It was just luck of the draw he became the princesses' seer, and joined the Guard.

Luna shook her head. "How can one pony have that much pull on others?"

Double Time stopped her. "He doesn't. But he's a glitch. He's been around those four for too long, they've already changed. Train Crossing wasn't a drunk. Not according to the files we had on him. But Criss changes people. We aren't sure how."

Luna nodded slowly. "I see... What happens if he stays with E-gen?"

"I can't tell you."

That was final.

Double Time had few rules. One, his most important rule: He never threw himself to far into someponys future. It was dangerous. He could get lost in the ever interchanging fates, each one warping as somepony changed their mind, or talked for a second too long.

"Alright. When should I come back and see him?" The princess asked. She looked all the world like a filly who'd been told she couldn't play with her toys.

"Well, my guess is he's sleeping right now. So about 3 hours?"

"3 Hours? It'll be dark, then."

"Then it's a good thing you rule the night, isn't it?"

As a matter of fact, Criss wasn't asleep. Not in the slightest.

He had a doctor casting his leg in plaster.

And Criss wasn't happy.

Not that he had any reason to be, mind. He had just been told the doctor recieved the X-rays from Manehatten, and that there'd need to be three more casts.

Then he'd be put under while the doc re-opened the side of his head to, A: get a chunk of metal away from his brain, B: Remove the side of his skull, and C: fit a metal plate over the hole.

No big problem, but one thing:

There was very little success rate.

Criss wasn't happy. He wasn't mad either.

He was scared. And he really wanted his friends.

As the med-bay door cracked open, Double Time could see Criss getting his leg cast. When he saw the look of fear on Criss' face, he trotted over, set up a stool, sat down and said "Hey, kid, what's the matter?"

Criss opened his mouth to answer, but all that came out was a high pitched moan.

"...Okay, you're not up for taking." The unicorn shifted a bit. "Doc, what's happened?" As the doctor explained the situation, Double started to understand what "eehh-" had meant.

"Whoa, kid, c'mon. It'll be fine."

Criss just looked at him with tearing eyes."I don't want to die." "What?" Double may not be as young as he once was, but that was damn quiet.

Criss' tears started over-flowing "I-I don't wanna die." He whispered. He started full on crying. And talking really fast. "I don't even have my friends anymore. I don't wanna die. Not here, not away from everypony." Criss got a little quieter. "I just wanna go home."

Double hadn't thought of that. He did the only thing it seemed fitting to do. He leaned over, very gently grabbed Criss's shoulders, and gave him a hug. "Shh... C'mon kid, you know your tougher than that. How many times did you get beaten near to death?"

"Lot's, but I was never awake."

Double swallowed before continuing."C'mon, you'll be fine. Criss-" He pulled himself back to look into his eyes. "You'll be fine. If you want, I'll stay right here. The entire time." A small gesture, but to a very scared somepony who'd never had to actually deal with death, it meant the whole of Equestria.

As Double pulled him back into the embrace, he heard a small voice that made him smile.

"Thanks."

Choices

Criss woke up to see an all too familiar sight:

Somepony kneeling at his bedside.

"You actually stayed."

Double Time's head snapped up, much to Criss's painful memory of Marshall, and he spoke very softly. "Hey bud." "Bud." Criss couldn't decide if it was better or worse than kid. "How're you feeling?"

"Well, for once I haven't woken up in a hospital feeling like I've been attacked by a drunk." Criss said with a nervous chuckle.

Double smiled. "That's good. You feeling pain?"

"I don't feel anything."

"That's morphine for ya'."

They sat in awkward silence for a few more seconds, before they both tried to talk.

"Look, I-" "Listen, kid-" They both stopped, looking at each other before they hastily swapped apologies.

"You go first, kid."

"Okay. I'm greatful that you stayed, even after the operation was done." Even if he wouldn't be able to remember it, it had been nice to have another friend to confide in. "Anyway," Criss wanted to change the subject: he was blushing a bit. He hadn't really felt proper thanking a pony that took his life away. "What were you going to say?"

"Huh?-Oh yeah. Um, I told Luna you were asleep, and to come back in three hours, two and three quart-hours ago." Criss didn't understand what Double had just said. He did understand "She'll be here in fifteen minutes. Actually, closer to ten, now."

Criss looked down at his bed. "Oh. I guess I have to talk to her, don't I?" Double nodded. "Well, may as well get this over with. Can you help me sit up more?"

Double reached down and fiddled with something. He chuckled as, when the bed started moving, Criss damn near jumped a hoof. "Magical beds. One of the bonuses of being in the palace, rather than a hospital."

"Oh." Criss sat fascinated as the bed bent in the middle until he was sitting up straight.

The doors of the hospital-wing cracked open, and Luna peaked her head around the corner. It would have been kind of funny if Criss hadn't been so worried. Upon seeing Criss awake, (and not crying) she pushed the door open the rest of the way and walked up to Criss. Criss realised he had nothing to talk about, and almost immediately started getting flustered. But then his critical mind set in, and realised she'd probably be asking him questions.

Sure enough. "Hello.. Criss?" It was more of a question, so Criss nodded. "Very good. Hello Criss, we haven't had the pleasure to meet you. How do you feel?"

...She was using plurals. His voice came out in a tone just above a murmur. "...Okay." Clearing his throat, Criss tried again. "I'm okay."

"We are very pleased to hear you are okay. The doctor told us about your operation and how scared you were-" (Criss blushed) "-and we were immediatly worried about your safety."

Clearing his throat again, Criss tried to show courage for his friends, and for his mom. Probably why his voice cracked "I'm-" Clearing his throat again "Thank you for your concern."

"Criss, I'm going to be very plain with you right now." This sounded really good, or really bad. "Do you want to actually go to E-gen?"

That caught him off guard. He hadn't expected to have a choice. His natural reaction took over and he said "No, I just want to go home." That is, he would've, but A, it wasn't an option, and B, his mouth decided to take over.

"I don't know."

Luna nodded, a small smile crossing her face. "That's alright."

"I wish I knew more about what was going to happen. But it wouldn't matter anyway, because I'd be losing my memories."

Nodding again, Luna said "That's true. You have our sympathies."

Criss started tearing up. Again. His brain really hated the rest of his body, as it seemed to grow a consciousness of it's own. "To tell the truth, I think I'm mostly worried about losing the memory of Krystal and Marshall." And my mom.

"Shhh... Criss, please, don't cry."

"B-b-but I'm stuck, because I either go to a new home and start a new life, or go to E-gen with no memories." Criss sniffed, and winced as he had a realisation. "And if I went home, my father would probably end up killing me." He wanted to add "My life's so unfair.", but that made him sound weak.

"Sleep, child."

Those last words were like a spell. Maybe they were. Whether they were or not, Criss fell asleep crying into his pillow.

"So, Luna, what do you make of him now?"

"He seems like a scared little pony who doesn't want to be hurt anymore. Nor does he want to forget he was hurt."

They had left once Criss had fallen asleep, and both of them had decided they could use a coffee. Once that had been decided, they had walked into the mess-hall to use one of the coffee vending machines. Now thats where they stood, Double sipping his coffee while Luna decided what she wanted.

"This one looks good..." she murmured as she pushed a button. To Double she said "I'm sure of your decision, but I'm glad he doesn't know what he wants. I think he expected to be dragged off without a choice. I don't think he's ever had a choice in what he did."

"Yes, it's good to know he's thinking both ways." Double said thoughtfully. When Luna asked Criss if he wanted to go or not, Double was sure he'd say "No." or at least, "Not to E-gen." It was surprising when Criss had said he was worried about going home. Maybe being away from his father in general was a good idea. It seemed with Criss a little generosity, and a lot of patience, could go a long way.

"One way to make sure he's not hurt is to give him the training to not be hurt, anymore."

"Still, I'm not sure if he'd be happy going to E-gen or not." Luna said.

Double gazed out the window, into the night sky. "Y'know, Luna, your sky is beautiful."

Luna smiled. "Thank you, Double."

"But in relation to Criss; I think that he wouldn't be happy about going into E-gen. Maybe not angry, or sad. But definitly not happy." Double scratched his stubble. "However, I think he'll be happier in the long run. I refuse to look that far into his future, however."

Luna sighed. "It'd be easier if you did, but I understand."

They were joined by a third guest, not unwelcome in anyway. "Hello, Double. Hello, Luna"

"Hello Sister." "Hello Celestia." was the unified response.

Celestia glanced from one to the other. "Can't sleep? Or haven't tried yet?"

"Haven't tried." Luna answered for both. "Though I'm sure I wouldn't be able to if I did."

Celestia gave Luna a questioning glance. "Oh? Why? What's the matter?"

"The child."

"Oh."

Double stepped aside as Celestia went to aquire her own coffee. Coming back with a third floating cup, she asked both of them. "What is the problem with the child?"

Double answered first this time. "Well, until he got here he was sure he wanted to leave. He told me so himself." Celestia nodded, allowing him to continue. "Once here however, he's seem to have had a change of heart. Not a complete one eighty, or even a quarter turn. He's just not sure anymore. He seems to be worried about losing memories. Once he actually was asked what he wanted, though, he wasn't sure if he didn't want E-gen, either."

Luna joined in. "He is also pretty shaky about going to E-gen, but we both know that there are far worse paths if he chooses otherwise."

Celestia said unhelpfully "I see."

"It'd help if he was older than a foal. Then it wouldn't be so unfair."

Celestia cut her off with a perceptive smile. "That's why I said it had to be a foal. Also, that's why he couldn't want to come. An innocent youth, so you'd know you were ending a life."

So that's why. Double thought. Celestia was teaching them why she had been so hesitant. Her form of torture was guilt-trips. Definitely harsh ones.

Celestia cut through his thoughts like a knife. "Knowing you are ending a life, do you wish to continue?"

Double nodded. "Knowing the alternative leaves me with no other path than that one."

Luna agreed. "I've seen his spirit. It would be better that altered then gone forever."

Celestia sighed. "You realise you get only him, correct? Any others you see, no matter how horrid their lives, will never again get Criss's chance."

Double and Luna nodded simultaneously.

Celestia glanced from one to the other, than smiled. "Good. Now, off to bed."

The Princesses Secret

Of course he knew Celestia liked kids.

Of course he knew she was going to bribe him.

Didn't make him any happier.

"I can't believe I let you do that." Double Time said. "I can't believe you ignored me."

"Of course you let me. You knew he wouldn't agree. I did too, as soon as you didn't stop us."

"So why'd you do it?"

Celestia looked gazed through a large window. "For a sense of closure. Of finality."

"Why should you get one, when he wasn't allowed?" Double knew he'd crossed a line. But he didn't care.

Rather than getting mad, the princess became speachless. "I... I don't know." She glanced dejectedly at her hooves. "I guess I figured myself more deserving than he."

Then something unexpected happened.

Celestia started crying.

"I was unproffesional." She sniffed. "I was trying to make myself happy by making him happy, but instead I just added to his losses." She looked up imploringly into his eyes. "Double, will you forgive me? I've been so selfish."

Double couldn't stay angry at that. Though he truly wanted to: Criss had been in his room all day, crying. "You wouldn't be able to be yourself. He's a glitch. He changes what he's around. Even the most powerful ponies could lose everything around him. But he's locked himself in his room."

Celestia became, if possible, even more sad, though she stopped crying. "I hurt him." she said plainly. "I hurt him because of my selfishness, and now he must feel so broken." Celestia glanced in the direction of Criss's room.

"If you felt that way, you shouldn't have signed the papers before you offered him to be here."

Celestia winced. She had completely forgotten about the fact she signed the papers already. That was truly unfair. Giving him that option was bad enough, but when even if he'd accepted, he would have had to go anyway? That was crueller than beating him. Celestia sighed. "I wonder if he'll forgive me."

"He's more self-destructive than you realise, Celestia. He doesn't blame you, he blames himself. If you apologize, he'll only blame himself more. He could even do himself serious damage."

"So what do you say we do?"

"I think it would be best if he left. Now."

Celestia gasped. Double truly had a sadistic streak. Yet the longer she thought about it, the more she realised that Criss should go, and forget.

After a very long silence, she finally muttered "...Alright."

Double nodded, and than said very quietly "He's not coming back. Not Criss. Maybe somepony with the same name, and coat-colour. But Criss isn't coming back. I'm sorry."

Criss had been crying ever since he got back to his room. The papers were going through the mail, and he had just turned down his last chance out of here.

Why had he been such a foal?

As he lay there sniffing, gazing up through cloudy vision at the painting on the ceiling, he realised that no matter what happened now, it wouldn't matter. He wasn't going to remember his life. Any part of it.

"My life sucks." He muttered.

"No arguements here, kid."

Criss didn't even question how he had gotten through the lock. "...Fuck off, Double. I don't want to talk."

"Alright." Quit being understanding! Scream at me! Shout at me! Hurt me... He wished ponies hadn't given him good memories to forget.

"It's time to go, though. When you're ready."

Criss started crying. Again.

"CELESTIA!"

The alicorn in question flinched. Her sister sounded mad.

That was confirmed when the door slammed open with a bang hard enough to break the mirror beside the door.

"HOW DARE YOU?" It was a good thing the room was relatively sound proofed. She was shouting. And she used the Royal Canterlot Voice often, so she was loud.

"Calm down sister." Celestia said, in a perfectly restrained voice.

"NO!" Oh, boy. "I DIDN'T COMPLAIN WHEN YOU HAD TWILIGHT. HE IS-"

Celestia put a hoof in her mouth. "Shh... You don't want him to hear you." Luna nodded, and Celestia pulled her hoof out of Luna's mouth. Though quieter, she didn't, however, get calmer.

"You got Twilight Sparkle. I didn't complain when I found out. Now I am getting my own apprentice, and you are trying hard to foil my hard work." Luna started tearing up. "Do you not love me, as I love you?"

Even though it was an obvious guilt-trap, Celestia leaped right into it. "Of course I love you sister. And I wanted you to have an apprentice. And I've been doing nothing but sticking my nose in it ever since you decided. I'm sorry you didn't get Twilight."

In her rage, Celestia's compliment was lost on Luna. "Then why did you offer to take him under your wing, as a second apprentice?"

"I didn't offer him apprenticeship."

That caught Luna off guard. "Then what did you offer him?"

"I wanted him to become my child. I felt terribly for him. But he chose not to, because his friends hadn't sacrificed and worried for him to live easily." Celestia smiled. "I know Rainbow Dash, and she sticks by thick and thin. But to choose punishment over pampering simply because you didn't want to break your friends' promise..."

"That takes amazing courage. Even for such a child." Luna snapped out of her daze. "You still tried to take him. " Luna let her sadistic streak win out. "If I weren't your sister, and if you wouldn't be in public eye for a while, you know very well what I would do for your arrogance." Celestia saw her pupils grow thinner, like that of her evil counterpart.

"Yes. I do." Celestia knew Nightmare Moon was still in Luna. No amount of magic could change that. The Elements only routed her senses. "Luna, calm. Please, sister."

Luna blinked rapidly as her pupils widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't do anything, did I?" Luna started looking Celestia over.

Celestia held her sisters' shoulders. "Don't worry, sister. I won't do anything more to impede your apprentice. Do with him what you will."

"Thank you, sister."

Criss and Double were approaching the airstrip, and the readied carriage. With a look of forlorn, Criss looked back upon the palace.

"Can I say goodbye to the Princesses?"

"N-" Double began.

"Yes, you can." Luna said as she and Celestia approached through a side door. "Hello Double."

"Luna. Celestia." Double inclined his head respectfully.

Although Criss had wanted to talk to them before, now that he could, he didn't know what to say.

"Hello Criss." Luna said.

"Hi, Luna." Criss said nervously.

"Hello Cr-" Celestia began. Criss immediately interrupted. "I'm sorry I can't take your offer. I'd stay if I could, you know that, right? I'm so sorry if I hurt your feelings-"

Celestia cut him off by setting a hoof on his shoulder. "No Criss, you wouldn't have been happy here."

Luna had been silently fuming about this. Note to self, first chance I get, see if I can get the General to make him a bit crueller. He's too wimpy. She let her sadistic side control her thoughts for a while. But this wasn't an idle thought. It was a vow. Nightmare Moon and the General had always gotten along nicely.

Criss turned to Luna, and she gazed down into his giant purple eyes.

"Luna, I'm sorry if I frustrated you."

Yes, you did. "It's quite fine, child. I'm sure you'll enjoy where your going. Even if you don't remember any of this, that doesn't mean it didn't happen." And I'll remember your loyalty. Although he had great loyalty to ponies he owed things to, he didn't show much loyalty to just random ponies. In fact, meeting ponies for the first time, he was about half as nervous as Fluttershy. Thankfully, that could be cured by the General.

Although you can't re-engineer a pony's personality, you can, however, change a pony's personality beforehand. That was Nightmare Moon's plan. She wanted an apprentice she had as much in common with as possible. Only, less controlled then her. And creating a genetics plant had been her first plan. She was going to have her apprentice before the Lunar Revolution, but some idiot asked the wrong pony to side with Nightmare Moon, and the pony had ran off to warn Celestia.

It hadn't been easy keeping her plans hidden. First she had to regather her strength. Which hadn't been easy to wait all that while. Then, to make sure Double Time didn't read the wrong future, she had to resort to always be thinking like Luna. Thankfully, her sister and their seer had been completely clueless to Nightmare Moon's plans.

It helped Double Time had morals, or he would've dug too deep into Criss's future, found out about Nightmare Moon, and Celestia would have never let Criss leave. Even though Celestia thought Nightmare Moon was another pony seperate from Luna, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Is something the matter, sister?" Celestia was gazing at her.

"No, nothing at all." Somehow, she had ended up hugging Criss.

"Criss, we'd best get going." Double Time said. Criss released Luna, and nodded to Double Time.

Once Criss was safely inside the carriage, Double Time walked back to Luna. "I'll see you at the Genetics Facility. Celestia, will you be there?"

Luna gazed at Celestia. "No." Celestia said. "I've done enough breathing down my sister's neck. She can do this part be herself."

Luna nodded. "Thank you, sister."

Double Time simply nodded, then walked around to sit beside Criss in the carriage. This one wasn't extended. It wasn't even pulled by pegasi. Nor did the two ponies have armor. It was designed to look like a regular carriage for two normal ponies. The less questions, the better. Luna had thought.

It was helpful that Criss hadn't ever left Manehatten. Even if he wouldn't remember, she still didn't want him knowing where the factory was. Just in case. She turned to the near-by soldier.

"Guard, ready my chariot. We go to the facility."

Whither Do We Fly?

They had been riding around for hours.

"Are we-"

Double stuck his hoof in his mouth. "No, we aren't, and if you start asking that question, I will lose it on you." He pulled his hoof back.

"What are we looking for?"

"Can't tell you. Direct orders."

Criss sighed. He wished he was there already.

Luna, on the other hand, was there.

She walked up to what looked like a big rock, and pressed her horn into the hole. A moment later, there was a small click, and she was teleported inside the monstrous facility. She hadn't thought of it before, but having it underground had been a great idea. Nopony would have thought to look underground for such a large facility. Who would want to build an entire factory underground? Her old workers had definitely disliked the idea. But thousands of years of next to no use had caused it to sink into the dirt.

She chose to build it right beside Canterlot. In the little valley. So it would appear to the sun goddess that ants had defeated her.

Nightmare Moon did so have a sense of humor.

Of course, it being under Ponyville hadn't helped for visiting it. The last time she'd been able to was last Nightmare Night. She had learned, and put an entrance for the factory inside of the Everfree Forest.

Her new plan was to have a house right on top of the factory for her apprentice to live in, and for the "Parents" to have kept an eye on. She already knew who the father would be. She just needed a "good" mother. One who could teach Criss how to fight.

If Rainbow Dash's mother hadn't been such a goody-goody, and been loyal to Celestia, she would use her as Criss's mother.

Ugh. Criss. Such a lacking name. She'd need to change that too. "Criss-Cross" was cute, but she didn't want a "cute" apprentice. Nightmare Moon wanted a warrior.

Upon entering the facility, she was greated by a firm hoofshake by the oddest pony there. He didn't look weird, but a life-time of warfare had granted him the strength to walk on his hind legs, allowing his front two to be used for wielding weapons. He had an olive green coat that matched his uniform, and had a blood red mane that had been cut to a mohawk.

"Hello, Luna."

"Hello General. It's 'Your Majesty'." Nightmare Moon hated the name "Luna". It sounded too nice.

"Absolutely, your Majesty." The General said, bowing low.

"Shall we go to your office?" Nightmare Moon said, pointing to a room with blacked out windows.

"Alright."

As they entered the blacked out room, and shut the door, Nightmare Moon turned to the general.

"It's good to see you, Paen."

"You too, your Majesty."

"I'm not going to screw around." She knew he'd hate it if she did. He admired her straight-forwardness. "The one that could slip past Celestia's and Double Time's gaze is a weakling. I need you to straighten him up. If it came down to it, you could add a bit of my DNA... Whatever it takes."

"Weakling as in actually weak? Or as in strong morals?"

"Both."

Paen winced. He would find a way to please Nightmare Moon. He always did. As per usual: "That won't be necessary. I'll break his personallity. He'll have the personallity of a Killer. Or atleast be easier going with murder. But now," He said as he pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "We haven't seen each other since last Nightmare-night. Would you like a drink?"

"Yes please." She said, and Paen poured two glasses. She swirled her drink with her hoof, a question flitting about in her mind. "How did you survive over a thousand years?"

"The cryo-chambers you had us work on. I had some fine motor-damage, but it's nothing I can't deal with. Part of the reason I avoid walking on my front hooves nowadays." Paen had always been incredibly resourceful.

An idea came to her. "Paen, do you know of anypony who'd make a 'good' mother for my apprentice?"

"Hmm..." At first she thought he hadn't understood the sarcasm. Then he said "My wife would have made an excellent 'mother'. She even wanted a child, but she died. You would have no idea how to bring her back."

Nightmare Moon caught on quickly. "Ah, no. No idea at all. I couldn't bring her back or anything. It's not like I'm that powerful." They both broke off laughing at that. "In all seriousness, I think your wife would be perfect. She still loyal?"

"As far as I know, she died loyal."

"Good. I shall do it before I leave. Now the subject that worries me most. His age."

Leaning forward, Paen rested his head on his hooves."Oh, yes?"

Nightmare Moon nodded. "He is too old to go through have any training, and too young to go to any military school. This leads me to two conclusions. One, we must reset him to a younger age, which will make him take longer, or two, we have to alter his memories."

"We should keep him at his age." Paen said, his voice filled with certainty.

"Really?" Nightmare Moon wasn't as sure.

Paen nodded. "He'll be prepared faster. Plus, teenager's are easier to manipulate. All that contempt."

"I suppose, but-" Paen cut her off mid-sentance. "Remember last time I told you something and you didn't listen? It cost the rebellion."

Nightmare Moon knew there was truth to this. "Alright, we shall do this your way. How do you propose not to age?"

"Easy, you could control the death of ponies; you're the Mistress of Night. You can stop me and my wife from aging. Hell, you could probably hold off my entire clan's aging, but I wouldn't ask that of you. Until he's about fifteen. Then we can age."

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"Thirty-five"

"Mhmm... And your wife?"

"Thirty-three."

"Okay... Alright, it shall be done." Nightmare Moon put on her best Luna voice. Which, because she was Luna, was spot on. "We shall maketh sure you doth have all the appropriate supplies."

Paen roared laughing at that. He enjoyed the suffering of other ponies. Even if it was just Nightmare Moon making fun of her do-good counterpart, he still thought it hilarious.

Plus, there was no gaurantee that if he didn't laugh, he'd live through this visit.

Paen glanced at the security display screen to see a much hated pony of his walking right up to the front doors of the factory. "He's here." He spat through gritted teeth.

"Good. Stay here." Luna rose and left the office to prep for her science experiment.

Double Time didn't like the look of this place.

He had followed Luna's orders directly, and found himself looking at two gigantic steel doors.

"Whoa... Cool!" Criss exclaimed, standing at Double's knee height.

"Yeah... That's one word for it." Double wasn't going to hide his trepidition. He was worried that it was right underneath Ponyville, and the Elements of Harmony. Atleast they'll be able to respond quickly if Nightmare Moon comes back and decides to attack from here. He reasoned. He was about to wonder how to open the doors when they opened by themselves

"Hello!" said a small pony, walking through the new gap in the doors. "You must be Double Time. Umm..." The pony walked up close to Double Time and said "She wants you to say goodbye to Criss, so..."

"Oh." Double had to admit, he wasn't looking forward to this.

He turned to Criss, who was trying to look inside. "Hey, Kid."

Criss turned to face him. "Yeah?"

"This is where you and me split."

"Oh." Criss looked at his hooves. "So I guess I'm going to forget everything, now?"

"Yeah." Double couldn't look straight at Criss, either. "Sorry it didn't work out all fairy-tale like, kid."

Double winced as he saw a tear fall and hit the ground. "No, I already made up my mind to do this by myself." Criss looked up at Double, and, although he was crying, he still smiled. "I'm not gonna get a chance to say this again, so thanks. For helping me. I think it's better this way. And you and Luna and Celestia shouldn't blame yourselves for my life. You guys tried to make it better." Criss gazed at the floor. "I'd say I'll see you around, but even if I do, I won't recognise you."

Double sniffed. And scowled. He hadn't planned to do any crying. "Hey, kid." Criss looked up, and for what may be the last time, Double gazed into Criss's giant purple orbs. "See you around."

Criss choked and ran forward, clutching his friend in his last hug.

Paen damn near vomitted.

This bitch is gunna need a lot of work.

Paen sighed. Atleast he'd have his wife.

But, wow. He knew their short meetings had been all heartfelt and emotional, but he didn't think the Corporal was that weak.

Guess he was wrong.

Huh, Me, wrong? He poured himself another glass of whiskey. That's a first.

"Paen." He heard Nightmare Moon call him through the speaker on his desk. Amazing what ponies had done with magic in the past thousand years. Putting it into boxes must've been hard.

He pushed the big red button. "Yes, your Majesty?"

"Come out to the front; The child is coming in."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Well, time to analyze the new "recruit".

He felt ill already. He wished Nightmare Moon had chosen somepony else. But he realised very few had passed Celestia's requirements. A pony who'd been beaten would love taking their anger out on other ponies. As long as the "Corporal" and the "Princess" hadn't softened him up to much. Or he'd have to toughen him up again.

The hard way.

As he was walking around his desk, he realised that when he was Criss's age, he'd already killed three times, to prove himself to the clan.

The other fourteen times were just for pleasure.

He briefly considered if any of the clan that had disbanded were still in Canterlot. Probably not. They probably all fled when things went to hell.

Cowards.

Although he hadn't been the founder of the clan, because cruelty was worshipped in the Killer clan, he'd been revered as a god.

Yeah, he had got teased when ponies found his name was Paen Killer. Only to find that he really hated being teased.

What to name the kid, though... It didn't matter if he hated or loved the colt. He'd do whatever it took. For the sake of Nightmare Moon, and another chance at the Lunar Revolution.

Some may say he was stuck in the past. They usually got their tongue's cut out. Paen Killer was not about to let it die. Not when they had been so close to defeating Celestia.

He still held the name in his head. The one that had betrayed the entire Lunar Rebellion.

Blueblood.

He'd have that ponies head by the end of the war. Win or lose, he'd get Blueblood. He'd hang his head on the wall.

He already had a plaque hanging over his mantle, with small script that read "The Traitor".

Paen left his office, approaching the small child who was quickly looking around, attempting to take in everything at once.

He's inquisitive. That could be a problem... Unless I can get it under control.

"Sit still, soldier. At attention!" Paen barked, reverting to his old ways.

Criss damn near jumped 3 hooves. Nevertheless, he tried his best to stand up as straight as he could.

He must have done it wrong, because this new pony just sighed and shook his head.

Paen was disgusted. Too scared, too eager to please. He blamed it on Celestia and that emotional Corporal.

"What's your name, soldier?" Paen wasn't going to ease up. He'd get the fear out of him. He'd replace it with the pleasure of killing.

"C-C-C..." Criss trembled off, too nervous to continue.

"'C-C-C'. What's the problem, you thick or something? Spit it out!"

"Criss!" Criss was on the verge of tears. But hadn't he been asking for this only a few hours ago?

"That's 'Criss, Sir!', Mother-fucker!"

Criss tried his hardest to surpress his anger. He'd only been called that by his father. But he promised his mother he wouldn't hurt anypony except those who deserved it.

Then the olive green pony smacked Criss across the face. Hard.

"SAY IT!" Paen shouted in his ear.

"Criss, Sir!" Criss whimpered.

"How old are you, fuck-tard?!"

"Eleven, Sir!"

Criss could here somepony snickering behind him. That made him lose it.

He wasn't going to be a show. Not anymore.

Criss spun and leapt at the young foal who'd brought him in.

He poured all eight years of hate, anger, and pain into every single punch he laid into that poor beast.

He poured out the anger over losing his friends.

He poured out the anger of losing his mother.

And Damn, did it feel good.

Paen just sat back and smiled.

Looks like there's some hope for this pony after all.

One Rotten Seed

Paen sat watching as this colt who'd just been brought in was now killing another pony.

And the pony in question only had to laugh.

Paen felt a warm feeling inside himself as he saw the age old expression creep into the kids eyes.

Pleasure.

This kid was killing somepony, and he enjoyed every second of it.

Soon there was blood pooling around the body.

Criss just kept pounding away.

Slowly Nightmare Moon walked up beside him.

She whispered very cautiously. "What did that poor pony do?"

"Laughed." Paen chuckled out. "I like this kid."

Nightmare Moon's eyes flicked between the grin on Paen's face, and the suppressed but ever yet evident pleasure in the child's eyes.

And smiled to herself.

This is working perfectly.

Eventually the child began to slow, and Paen knew the kid would start regretting it as soon as he realised what he'd done.

Good, I need to pound that regret out of him.

"Your majesty, I request you'll leave. You'll only make it harder if you stay here."

"As you wish, General Killer."

As she disappeared, the child stopped punching completely. Then, as if waking from a daze, noticed where he was.

However, he did something Paen hadn't been expecting.

He started trying to wake the pony he'd just beaten the life out of.

Fuck, this is gonna be hard.

Not that he felt bad. It's just if the kid didn't know what death looked like, he'd take it even harder.

"Kid, what the hell are you doing?"

"H-he won't wake up." Criss started to cry.

Gotta cut that shit. "Yeah, you fucking pounded the life out of him."

Criss turned to Paen, completely oblivious of the blood dripping off his muzzle. His eyes widened as he realised what Paen had said. "What?"

"You killed that pony, kid." Paen braced for what came next.

Criss started crying. Harder than he had in his life. He'd turned down Princess Celestia, just so he'd break the one and only promise he made to his mother, and become a murderer.

"Nonononononononono... He's just asleep." Criss started shaking the pony under him "C'mon, wake up!" Criss's shakings slowed as the truth got through. "Please wake up." he whispered.

"Oh, for fucks sakes.... Kid, you killed him. He's not waking up. Now, how're you going to deal with his death?"

"I broke my promise to my mother." Criss choked out inbetween sobs.

Paen hauled the kid to his feet. "Shut the fuck up." Criss looked down at his hooves. Paen pulled back, slamming his hoof across Criss's jaw.

Looks like the old fashioned way wins out.

Criss stopped crying. Thank Nightmare Moon.

"I broke my only promise-" *SMACK*

That was a good one. Paen could see his hoof imprinted on the side of this kids face.

"Stop crying. Now." He raised his hoof again as Criss started to choke, but Criss swallowed it. His depression was soon replaced with rage. Who the hell does he think he is? He has to have a lot of guts to hit a murderer.

"I asked you a question. How. Are. You. Going. To. Deal. With. It?" He punctuated each word by jabbing Criss in the chest with his hoof.

"I-I don't know..." Paen cut him off with a harsh slap across the face. "Wrong answer!"

"How am I supposed to-" Lossing his patience, Paen started punching Criss. "That's what I asked you."

"You're a bast-" Criss was cut off by a fist to his muzzle. "What was that? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

Fifteen minutes later, Criss's right eye was swollen shut, and he was missing his front teeth. Again.

"...Fuck you." Criss spat.

"Oh-ho! Grown some guts, then, have you?"

"I don't have to put up with this." He started to turn, and walked towards the door.

"You go out there, I will personally bring you back. And there's no gaurantee whether or not you'll come back alive." To Paen's immense satisfaction, Criss stopped.

"Why are you doing this to me?" He heard Criss whimper.

Paen rolled his eyes. "Because I've been ordered to." He figured now was as good a time as any to sever his connection to the Princess. Maybe the Corporal, too, if he could twist his words just right.

"Who, in Equestria, would order somepony to beat a child?"

Paen already knew what had happened at the castle, thanks to Nightmare Moon's updates.

"Celestia did. She wants me to punish you for turning down her offer. She said I could do anything short of death."

Criss couldn't believe his ears.

Celestia had done this to him?

It makes sense. His fear-filled brain told him. Luna wouldn't do this to you, you didn't do anything to her.

"B-but... why... Why didn't Double tell me?"

Paen laughed. Out loud. Too. Easy.

Finally he straightened, trying to make his laughter seem pointed at the child instead of generalized.

"Isn't it obvious? He knew. I mean, first, he's Celestia's right-hoof man. Second, he can read the future. Of course he knew Celestia set this up. What-" Paen grinned maliciously "-You didn't think they really cared, did you?"

Criss's chest hurt. A lot. He wasn't sure why.

He fell over and grasped his chest, moaning in pain.

He couldn't believe what he just heard.

Paen grinned harder.

Just one more step.

"You'd be lucky if you ever got either of the Princesses forgiveness."

Now that the seed is planted, let it grow.

...At any rate. "Somepony get this kid to the medical wing; he's having a heart attack."

Medics came rushing out, none wanting to get on Paen's bad side. Not that he had a good one. Just a "Not-so-bad" one. He grabbed one of the green garbed ponies. "Listen, Don't treat his face. Or you'll ALL get a visit from me."

He turned to find himself looking at a very pissed off Nightmare Moon.

"I WANTED YOU TO BREAK HIM, NOT KILL HIM!"

Instantly, Paen silenced the princess with a raised hoof. "Shh..." He chided.

Nightmare Moon was confused. But she complied.

He gestured to his office. Once they had gotten inside, he set about explaining himself. "Listen. Don't talk. I've severed his ties. To everypony. His family would never forgive him for murdering anypony. Celestia seems to hate him now. He doesn't trust Double Time. That leaves you. When he wakes, you have to be by his side. You have to forgive him. It'll help if you say your sister wouldn't come to forgive him, and neither did Double Time."

He stopped to sigh. "Then, because I didn't let them fix his face, your going to work some of your magic. If he's looking at his face in a mirror, that'll be better. You're going to heal him. Including that scar on the side of his head." He grinned. "Then, when he gets out, I'll feed him some bullshit line like you told me to ease up on him. Than he'll know your the one and only pony he can look up to. After that, then you can go resurrect my wife, and go back to the castle. I have to get him to like me." That'll be the hardest part. Paen thought. "Then, I'll call you when he's ready to be wiped."

Nightmare Moon nodded. "One word of warning, though, Paen Killer."

Paen flinched at the venom in her voice. There was only one pony he feared at all times. He was sitting across from her. "Yes, your Majesty?"

"Don't you dare give me an order."

"Yes. Absolutely, your Majesty."

Criss woke up to see princess Luna on his bed.

He instantly started crying.

"Oh, Luna, I'm so, so sorry. I killed somepony" He whispered into the bed sheets.

Nightmare Moon mentally congratulated Paen. He'd done a great job.

"There, there, Cristopher." She forced the name out. "Whatever do you mean?"

Criss set a new record in words per minute. "Well, I came in the lab, like you said, and I was looking around, and this pony came up and started shouting at me. I was getting really mad, and then he called me a 'Mother-Fucker', and I was reminded of my father, and he used to call me that, and then somepony laughed at me, so I jumped on him and I started hitting him, and.."

His mouth kept moving, but no noise came out. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I broke the only promise I made to my mom, my father hates me, my friends would never forgive me..." Criss sniffed as he turned away. "And now you hate me, too."

Paen is good. "Criss, I could never, ever hate you. I'm sure that if you hurt a pony, you'd have a very good reason to do it." Criss looked at her, a faint smile on his face, and she saw the damage left by Paen. She tried to act surprised. She gasped. "Who did that to your face?"

"Why, what's wrong?" He lifted a shaky hoof to his face, and felt the bloated patches on his lip and over his eye. Gasping, he looked around for a mirror. He saw one lying by the bed, a purple hoof mirror. Lifting it so he could see himself, and seeing how disfigured he looked, he started crying.

"I-I guess that p-pony did." Criss said in between sobs. Then he remembered what the pony had said. "But Celestia ordered it done to me." Criss turned towards her as she gasped again. "You didn't know?"

"No, however would I know? I can not believe my sister could do that to you. Do you know why?" Luna looked at him, concern etched all over his face.

"The pony said that it was because I disagreed to stay with her."

"She punished you for your courage?" Luna looked furious. "How could she?" That's a good question. Criss thought. "Criss, I am so sorry. I had no idea."

Nightmare Moon was having a little bit of fun. Just a bit. Criss looked at her. "Where is she anyway?"

Nightmare Moon almost bit her lip; this was her chance. "I asked her if she would come to see you, but at the time she seemed angry at the very mention of you. Then I asked Double Time, and all he said was, 'He deserved what he got.'"

Criss looked smashed. Utterly defeated. Luna leaned down. "There, there, Criss. I assure you, if I had known this was going to happen, I would have done something to stop it."

Criss sniffed. "I know you would've, Luna. You're my friend. That's what friends do."

Nightmare Moon almost giggled. Let's add a little something to the mix, shall we?

"I also tried asking your friends."

Criss's ears perked up hopefully. "Yeah?"

Oh, this was going to be sweet.

"Marshall said you weren't his problem anymore." Nightmare Moon bit back a smile as Criss physically flinched. Oh, that got him good. "Krystal couldn't even remember who you were." There. Right there. Oh, that's a sweet-spot. Gotta tell Paen.

Criss choked. He couldn't believe it. My friends. My only friends. They turned their backs on me. Criss tried to cry, but no more tears would come. Then a single thought fired back from his brain. Not your only friends. You've still got Luna.

Criss looked up at the midnight princess. "Luna, you're my friend, right?"

Nightmare Moon was worried he'd seen through her guise. "Of course I am, Criss."

"Good." The short response was filled with so much hatred for countless others, Nightmare Moon had to smirk. Luckily, Criss mistook it as a smile for their new friendship. So he smiled, too.

Nightmare Moon let out a sigh. "Criss, I refuse to lie. You don't look like you with your face so warped. Come here." Luna said.

Criss leaned forward, and Luna put her horn on his head. In the corner of his eye, he could see a faint blue glow. Slowly, vision returned to his injured eye, and he blinked a few times as it adjusted to the light. As the last of the tightness across his face dulled, he grabbed the hand mirror and launched it to right infront of his face.

All cured.

Luna cured me.

Criss cried again.

Nightmare Moon had to deal with a pony who flung himself around her neck. She hated hugs. But she put up with it. For her plan's sake.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"It's what friends do." Nightmare Moon whispered back, with a large grin on her face. No way was this pony's loyalty going to shift.

"Now tell me of what this horrible pony that beat you looks like, and I'll go deal with him."

With Friends

"That was good."

Nightmare Moon gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"Especially throwing in the friends. Hadn't thought of that."

"That's why I'm in charge."

"Indeed it is."

Nightmare Moon and Paen Killer were both in his office, sipping the whiskey they had poured early that day. Normally, if someone had said that to Paen, he would've shown them just how "in charge" they were.

However this was Nightmare Moon.

Whether he was better or not, she could pull a knife on his throat and tell him to lean forward. And he'd lean.

Not that he feared her, that was just her bonus. He simply believed that for Nightmare Moon, Equestria should be hers to rule. He held her in the idealism of god cum pony. If it weren't for Blueblood, we'd have Equestria by now.

"You'll still have to tell him your leaving."

Nightmare Moon nodded. "A while from all this 'hugging' would do me good."

"However-" he saw Nightmare Moon glare at him. "Just a piece of advice, not an order. It'd make it come along much easier if, now that he's your friend, you told him that I wasn't that bad. That I was following orders."

"Are you sure? You seemed to be enjoying that a bit much to be just 'following orders'."

"Maybe, but he won't remember that. Just the verbal and physical abuse. One of the bonuses about it being a child."

"Very well. It shall be done."

"Good. Thank you. And my wife?"

"My Guards are digging up her body right now."

Paen had never thought he would be happy about somepony desecrating his wife's grave. "Thank you, your Majesty."

"It was my promise." she said with a wave of her hoof. "Besides, it'll make this little detour all that much quicker."

Paen nodded. He frowned as his glass ran dry. "I suppose I had best go and see what I can do about Criss..."

"Ugh, that reminds me." Nightmare Moon said. "Try your hardest to see if you can get him a new name. One he familiarises with."

"Any in particular?"

"Yes; anything but Chris, Krys, Criss, or Cris."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"You have to leave?" Criss asked.

"Yes, my friend." Criss smiled. Luna called me friend. "I found that pony you told me about, and spoke to him. He was very upset about being ordered to beat a foal, and told me so. But how can I be mad at somepony who was doing their job?"

Criss shrugged. "I guess I don't know."

"Niether do I," Luna continued. "But I asked him about it, and appearently, he hadn't liked being ordered to do that. I asked him to watch over you while I leave to Canterlot on some business."

Criss glanced around Luna to see the huge pony standing, smiling at him. It was more daunting than friendly, but Criss remembered his manners and smiled back. "See?" Luna asked. "I told you he wasn't that bad." Luna smiled at him. "Why don't you go make friends? He's upset about hitting you."

Criss reluctantly nodded and walked apprehensively up to the towering pony. Even on all fours, the pony was almost three times as tall as him.

"Hey, buddy." The pony's smile shifted to a frown. "Hey, look... Sorry about hitting you earlier. Y'know how when you get a test or something, you have to do it? No matter how much it sucks?" Criss nodded. "This was kinda like that."

Criss wasn't sure he saw the relevancy, but he didn't want to make his last friend mad by not doing what she said. So he asked. "What's your name?"

The pony's answer was rather intimidating. "The name's Paen."

Not wanting to be rude, Criss, still thinking he had to be nice, said "That's cool."

Paen said something that Criss didn't expect. "Yeah, but not as cool as you were the other day."

"Whaddya mean?"

"When you were beating up the pony."

"...You thought that was cool?! I killed that pony!"

"'Luna thought it was ok."

That hit Criss like a brick. He knew she was a bit... outgoing, but... "She actually liked it when I killed?"

Paen grinned. Way too easy. "Yeah. As long as you had a good reason. She thought he deserved it, for making fun of her friend."

Criss knew it was wrong. He knew that he should be disgusted about Luna, and Paen, and, above all else, himself. But he didn't want to lose Luna as a friend. Or Paen, for that matter. He just didn't want to lose any more friends. Plus, if a Princess thought it was okay, was it really all that bad?

"Plus," Paen said. "Didn't you find it a little bit fun?"

Criss knew the answer. The right answer. He also knew the honest answer. They weren't the same. Criss started to cry as he realised what he meant.

Paen had to smother a frustrated sigh. "What's wrong, kid?"

"I'm a monster." Criss whispered to the floor. "I.. I killed somepony."

"That wasn't what I asked." Paen looked him in the eyes "Didn't it feel good?"

"...Yeah."

Paen was sitting in his office. Criss was asleep on the couch.

Paen was really starting to like this kid.

He caught himself. He couldn't actually let himself buy his own lie.

Criss was not his colt.

Just then, Criss shivered.

Paen got up, grabbed his jacket, and draped it over him.

"Sleep tight, kid."

A Fallen Angel

"You're going soft."

"Yeah, I know."

"What am I going to do with you?" Recieving no response, Nightmare Moon continued."Ah, well. Maybe it's for the best."

"At any rate, I managed to get him to admit he liked it. It's not a complete personallity change, but it is enough to modify what we need."

"Good" She said. "That means he's almost ready. When can we wipe him?"

"As soon as I get my wife." Paen said. If Nightmare Moon had been ignorant, she would have thought Paen was using her. But she knew he'd never dare. She knew the only reason he brought her up was because she had needed a mother.

"Yes, I've already resurrected her." Paen straightened up. "She's on her way. She'll be here in a few hours."

"Great. Then lets begin the reset immediately."

"Criss?"

"...Mhmm?"

Criss opened one of his eyes to see princess Luna staring down at him. He didn't wake up feeling cold, for once. He glanced down his shoulder and saw a green coat draped over him. His eyes went wide with fear as he realised that it was Paen's military jacket.

"Ohmigosh, I'm so sorry, Paen. I didn't notice. I must've-"

"It's ok, kid."

Criss locked eyes with Paen and saw no hatred in the orange orbs. That's a relief. Criss had seen what had happened when one of his Clan mates had brushed his military jacket while it was on the back of his chair.

That pony was a screamer.

Criss felt a little sick when he smiled at the memory.

"Anyway, Criss," Luna started again. "We're ready for you to come down to the genetics lab."

"You're ready to change me?" To kill me? Criss wanted to add that last part, but couldn't muster the courage.

"Yes." Luna said. "Just remember. All of this still happened. Just because your losing your memory doesn't mean your losing your life." Being forced to change your personality and being brought up by ponies you never knew in the first place does. Nightmare Moon put in.

"Alright. I guess I'm ready, too. As ready as I'll ever be."

"Okay, kid." Paen walked up. "Just take these, and everything will all be over soon enough."

Criss looked at the two small pills.

Over the teeth,

Through the gums.

Watch out stomache,

New life comes.

Criss was inside come sort of high-tech tube with an oxygen mask on his face.

"You've no idea how long I've waited for this, Paen."

"He's your weapon to bring down Celestia. I imagine well over a thousand years." Paen said.

Nightmare Moon set about checking everything they were about to do to Criss. The first thing Nightmare Moon wanted was to make sure he was invincible. And better than the Elements of Harmony.

She needed him to be an alicorn. She needed limitless, powerful magic. She needed strength. She needed speed. She needed...to focus on one thing. she chided herself.

"He needs to be able to fly faster than that Rainbow Dash. How many wingpower had she?"

"Sixteen point five." Paen answered.

"And how much wingpower does Celestia have?"

"One thousand years ago? Twenty five point eight."

"How many can we give him?"

"Forty is a bit unstable. I recommend thirty five. High enough nopony can best him, low enough it won't cause bodily harm."

"Good. Thirty five wing power." Nightmare Moon decided, turning a little dial on a screen.

"He can't be killable." She sat, thoughtful for a minute.

"Prithee, may I tweak the controls a little, your Majesty?"

Nightmare Moon spun at the voice, and saw the most gorgious and deadly mare in Equestria. More so than even herself. A small pony, with creamy white skin, and a pitch black mane that fell down over her unnaturally red eyes. This pony drew fear from everypony in the room. Except Paen. "You are welcome to, Melody."

"Care to join me, hun?" The new intruder asked her husband.

"I would love to, Melody."

Intertwined like dancers, they played with the controls for the next half hour until they both thought they were perfect.

When Nightmare Moon looked them over she had to agree. Although definitely not Criss anymore, this new pony they whipped up sounded just like a kid they had raised themselves: Sick, sadistic, and extremely powerful. When Nightmare Moon made the effects start to take place on the pony, Nightmare Moon couldn't help but feel a little anxious. She glanced down at where his special talent was supposed to be entered and grinned.

Bringing Overly Malicious Harm to Everypony.

Under Magic:

Type (Element): Pain, Combat, Harm, Malice, Torture.

What surprised Nightmare Moon the most was when she glanced over Criss's new Cutie Mark. She raised an eyebrow, and she glanced at the two ponies smiling at the tube.

Eventually the effects finished, and they sat staring at a quietly fierce pony. He wasn't Criss anymore. At the age of eleven, he was a muscle-bound stallion that put Big-Mac to shame. His coat had been turned black. His mane was ablaze, his eyes akin. His wings, a leathery black, stretched as wide as he was tall. Upon his face, however, he wore an expression of pure malice and hatred. Nightmare Moon noticed his teeth seemed to be like a cats; very sharp and pointy with extremely long fangs. His hoof long black horn looked like a knife; thick and jagged on the back, but thinned to a fine line and curved at the front.

However, this seemed to be only momentary; all colours on his body inverted as the hatred upon his face disappeared. His coat became a shiny white, his eyes became blue. His mane became a light shade of cyan. His wings were white and feathered, and they were slightly larger than before. His teeth, as he drew back in grin, were a perfect line, as if they had been grown with intense medical care. But above all was his horn. It changed from a small, jagged, curved black knife to an imaculately straight one-and-a-half hoof long white lance.

When his personality to be nice combined with the intended malice of the modification, that made him unpredictable.

His body depicted his polar opposites, and he looked like death incarnate.

Nightmare Moon had to admit, the chaos inside this pony made even her tremble.

"Our little Angel." Melody murmured.

"Yes, our Angel." Paen responded.

Nightmare Moon looked over to see the two murderers with their foreheads touching. She was surprised at the sudden emotion from the murderers.

"Our Angel of Death."

That was more like them.

The side of the chamber cracked open after draining, and the pony in the chamber fell to the floor. Criss, or rather, Angel started to wake, and push himself off the floor, to hear a muffled voice say "He's waking! Hit him with the spell, quick!"

Just then, Angel felt himself being shrunk. Not a pleasent feeling.

Then he couldn't remember anymore.

Getting to know Angel

Angel woke in his bed. He rolled over to look at the mirror suspended above him.

What day was it today?

Oh, right. Monday. He had to go to school today.

Back to deal with the stupid Cutie Mark Crusaders, and their pathetic argument with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Angel was not a normal pony. As he angered, he changed. Both inside and out. The faster he angered, the more ferocious he looked, and the faster and easier he was to anger.

Right now, his mane caught fire.

"Right, keep calm, Angel. Don't want to burn the house down." He liked that name. Angel. It was so dreadfully ironic when there was a demon that raged inside him consistently. Of course, not many ponies got hurt when he got mad.

Not that he wasn't dangerous, it was just easy to see if he's in a bad mood. He was actually quite dangerous. The last time he was enraged, he damn near leveled Ponyville.

He had also made Twilight Sparkle very jealous.

The fact that at eleven he could almost level Ponyville had to count for something.

Now he was fifteen. The whole town tried to make sure he was happy. One day they went so far to even put a gag on Pinkie Pie.

Angel liked Pinkie, though. For one thing, she always had a cupcake for him. And she was the only one besides his parents who treated him like a regular pony. Even if he was mad

Angel heard his mother calling from the kitchen. "Angel, your breakfast is almost ready."

"Alright, Mom. Coming."

As far as he was concerned, he had the best parents ever. For one thing, they regarded everything, even murder, with an air of casual nonchalance. And his father always had the best renditions of the Lunar Revolution battles. They both had so much knowledge, Angel wondered why he hadn't gotten homeschooled, instead. He wouldn't have to put up with the schoolyard crap, then.

He walked into the kitchen, dragging his saddlebags. His eyes slowly started to churn out smoke.

His mother never missed a transition "What's wrong, my little Angel?"

"I'm not looking forward to school today, Mom."

His dad's uncanny hearing struck again. He called from the adjacent living room. "What's wrong, Melody?"

"Your son is depressed, and doesn't want to go into school."

His father walked in. Angel had always wondered why both his parents walked on two-legs instead of four. Outside they walked on all fours, just like everyone else.

"Come on, kid." Kid. Despite the meaning as a slanderous and insulting term, for some reason it made Angel feel a sense of familiarity whenever he heard it. "What's up?"

Angel looked imploringly at his father. "Dad, I don't want to go to school. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are both spoiled brats, and I can't stand the fact that Apple Bloom and her friends always fight with them." Angel paused to take a breath, and saw his hooves turn dark. "I just can't stand them. And it doesn't help that Cheerilee doesn't really do much but egg them on anyway."

His father raised a hoof to silence Angel. "Kid, look. You've only got one more week of school. Then it's off to Flight Camp for you to learn how to fly." His father shifted in his seat, pointing a hoof at him. "You can suck it up like a Killer until then."

Angel pouted, but he knew better than to argue. Instead, he did as he felt any Killer should do. Angel sat up straight, looked his father in the eye, and said "Yes, Sir."

"Good pony. Have you got your hat?"

Angel pulled out the tuque in question. "It's always in my bag, Sir." Angel wasn't sure why, but when he called his father "Sir." it always put him in a better mood. But whenever he asked if his father served in the army, Paen always changed the subject.

Angel crammed the hat on top of his mane, making it go askew. Luckily, his father didn't mind Angel having long hair. He always said "You need something to cover your horn."

Few ponies knew that Angel wasn't a pegasus. It was one of the things that made Twilight so jealous of his talent. She didn't know he had a horn.

Two ponies that had known of his horn was the spa sisters. Angel's father said they needed them to know so they could keep it trimmed to below his mane-line. They had both wanted to tell the princesses.

Angel's father must've been a good negotiator, because when he went to talk it over with them, they had perfectly agreed not to tell.

Now that he recalled it, Angel kind of wondered where Aloe had disappeared to for the week after that.

Resigning himself to having to go to school, Angel sat and thought of all the good things that could happen at school. The good news is that this was finally the last year for all five of the troublesome ponies. Then Angel would have the next few years all to himself. Well, him and his other classmates.

Then again, he was kinda dissapointed that he wouldn't be able to see any more Scootaloo. She'd been nice when he first showed up at school. His family was new to Ponyville, after just moving from Cloudsdale. She had shown him around, and even tried to get him into this "Worship Rainbow Dash" thing. She had been kinda hurt when he said he didn't really see what the big deal was about her.

He understood the Elements of Harmony perfectly well, but the ones he could fight, he was stronger than. He wasn't sure about Rainbow Dash and her "Unbeatable" speed. But he had helped her clear clouds one day. Poor pony didn't fly for a week. She just went around for the next week muttering "Three seconds." Maybe Angel wasn't old enough to understand.

Applejack was pretty cool, too. He had impressed her by helping her complete the Applebuck season. Three weeks early. Between him and her, only, they had completed every single field in one day.

His parents weren't really impressed with the fact he hung out with the Elements. Being as how they were the Killer clan, Angel couldn't blame them. He knew he shouldn't be with them.

They'd always be on Celestia's side.

Angel didn't know why, but whenever he thought of the "Good" princess, he felt a huge surge of loathing. He had always liked Luna better.

When he learned that her first and only apprentice had died in a training class gone wrong, Angel had felt bad for her. Poor pony. Her apprentice had been so burnt that they hadn't been able to recognise him.

Angel quickly ate the few pancakes Melody set in front of him. Once he finished wolfing them down, it was time for him to head to the school.

"Bye Angel. Don't get too mad." Melody called to him as he walked out the front door.

"I'll try not to." Angel called back.

Anypony at a third-pony perspective would've thought that the two war-masters had mellowed with "their" new foal.

Melody had her head resting against the door. "When can he begin his initiation kills? I'm sick of him being so nice to other ponies. I want to see him with his first kill."

They'd be wrong.

"Well," Paen sat thoughtfully. "He isn't anything like Criss was. I think he would probably be pleased to kill somepony. He makes threats all the time. Maybe we could get him to start the initiation kills at flight camp."

"He seems violent enough, thank Nightmare Moon. He's our little Angel of Death." Melody said with genuine love for "her" colt.

"Yes, he is.." Paen's voice trailed off. He shook his head. "Nevertheless, I should let Nightmare Moon know how he's doing."

"Alright. It'll be sad to see him leave. We can't go with him, though. Celestia would recognise us."

"No, we can't go with him to the palace. We could, however, go see if we can bring back up the noteriety of Killer clan in Canterlot. Maybe show those Dash's a thing or two about staying loyal to the one true princess."

Paen watched as his loves' red eyes darkened. "Yes, I would dearly love to show those traitorous pegasi true loyalty."

Paen reluctantly left the room. Though he enjoyed it when his wife got malevolent, he had to call Nightmare Moon.

He entered his study and sat down at his desk. He was glad they had been able to make his old office into his new study.

He quickly glanced at his plaque, waiting ever-so-patiently for the head of "The Traitor."

Sighing, Paen reached over and slid his hoof into the groove of the phone.

A few minutes later, he had finally gotten through to the princess.

It's a good thing "Princess" Celestia likes her ponies so much, or these calls would be much harder.

"Hello? Princess Luna?"

A slightly fuzzy reply came through the line. "Yes, speaking. Who is this?"

"Your Majesty. It is doing fine. Wondering when you'll come get it. It's going to fly over summer."

Both him and the princess knew somepony may be listening over the lines. Losing your well thought out revenge plan made ponies a little paranoid.

Thats why they talked in code. "We wonder what your favorite colour is." It was lucky that the Elements had different colour coats.

After a short pause, Paen got a slightly distorted response. "We're glad for it. We think that for one third, our favorite colour is Yellow. Just to prove if it can. The time depends on the pickup."

Paen winced. Though he didn't doubt his sons sadism, he didn't know if Angel could kill Fluttershy. Especially not as an initiation kill. But he'd have to for her to take him as her apprentice. And then there's Melody... "Will help be allowed?"

"No."

Angel felt very much like killing right now.

He was in the middle of the classroom, as usual, between Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara, listening to them throw verbal blows back and forth.

Truth was, he wasn't interested in that.

He was interested in the fact that the pen Diamond Tiara had thrown at Applebloom had hit him instead.

He was interested in the fact that the pen had broken open.

He was interested in the fact that he now was a blue polka-dot pony.

He was interested that his favorite hat was ruined.

Cheerilee must've caught the sight of the fact that Angel's hair had started to smoke, because she finally started to break up the fight. "Girls, stop it. Or you'll both stay after school."

Naturally, a blame game started up. "She started it!" Applebloom shouted, indignently.

"Did not!" Diamond Tiara retorted.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

The entire classroom went quiet as Angel's mane caught fire. Mainly because of his habit of razing things.

Angel quietly stood up. All eyes were on him. He slowly walked over to Diamond Tiara.

Snips started leaning subconsciously towards the door.

Angel, knew he was frightening. He was one of a kind. And he always used it to his melodramatic edge.

As he reached Diamond Tiara's desk, he slammed his hat down on the table, making her jump.

"You ruined my coat." Angel whispered. Enough anger seeped into him to turn his coat black. "You ruined my hat."

"I-I-I'm sorry!" She whimpered into the top of the desk, not having enough guts to look him in the eye.

Angel threw on his saddlebags and walked out of the classroom.

Angel still hadn't calmed down by the time he reached Mane street. And it showed.

Nopony was in the streets.

Except Pinkie. "Hey, Angel!" Where'd she come from? "I felt my tail twitch, then my mane got itchy." Huh? "And I knew tail-twitch and mane-itch meant somepony needed a cupcake." No seriously, what? "And then I looked out the front door and saw nopony in the streets, which meant something scared them away. And since Scootaloo wasn't tight-rope walking, and there wasn't some weird gossip going around about a cloaked pony, I figured that must mean you were angry, and ponies were staying out of your way, and...Hey, where's your hat?"

"Oh, uh... Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom were fighting and Diamond Tiara threw a pen, but it hit me, and broke, and now-" he said as his coat faded back to white. "-you can see I've got big pen blotches all over my coat, and my hat is completely ruined, but it's still at school."

"Oh, that sucks. You definitely need a cupcake. And a hug! Than again, who doesn't need a hug?" She thankfully dropped the sentance there. However, this did allow her to crush Angel's lungs.

Though Angel liked Pinkie, he didn't like hugging other ponies. Except his mom. But Angel put up with it. Hitting an Element of Harmony didn't go over too well.

Finally Pinkie let Angel go. "So, if you're ditching school, where are you going now?"

"Home." Angel said. Most ponies would find it weird that an adult was letting a colt ditch school, but most of the ponies in Ponyville found that there were chaotic consequences to forcing an angry Angel into something he didn't want to do.

"Oh, ok. Do you want me to walk you there?"

Angel thought about what his parents might do to the over-excitable, pink party pony. He grinned to himself.

His better judgement won out in the end. "Nah, I should be fine."

"Okie-dokie-lokie." Pinkie said over her shoulder as she trotted off.

Paen opened his front door to see his son sitting there.

"Angel, what are you doing home so early? And why is there ink on your coat?"

Hastily, Angel re-hashed the entire thing with his father.

"Hmm... Well, we'll have to go buy you a new hat." his father said, letting Angel into the house. "I have something else I want to talk to you about." Paen said.

This sounded important. "Yeah, Dad? What is it?"

"Can you tell me the most important Killer ritual?"

"Yeah, the three intiation kills." Angel said hesitantly.

"Good. Your mother and I both think it's about time you started them."

Angel blanked. "You want me to kill somepony?"

"Yes. Three someponies, if possible."

"Uh.... Ok, if you want me too, I guess." Although Angel had made threats, he was a little anxious to actually having to do it. "Can I pick who?"

"Yes, but you have to wait until the school year is over. And you have to do it discreetly."

"Ok." Angel was a little disappointed at his father misplacing his anxiety as enthusiasm.

"Do you want to go find another hat?"

"Yeah, sure, Dad." Anxious or not, Angel was pleased his father trusted him with one of the hardest Killer traditions all by himself.

"Okay, let's go."

Training

Angel was very happy.

His new hat was being made by Rarity. Angel had to hoof it to her; she was good with fabrics.

His new hat was going to be white. It also had a self-cleaning enchantment, so it would never get stained. However, at the first detection of heat, it would change to a heavy black. So if Angel got angry, the hat would change with his mane. And it was fire-proof.

Angel was very surprised when his father had been willing to hand over the 150 bits for the very-special gift.

"Lovely. And it'll be done next week." Rarity called to their retreating figures.

As they left, his dad turned to him. "Think of it as an initiation gift."

Angel was still pretty nervous about having to do it, but he didn't want to disappoint his father. Especially not after this new treat.

Angel thought that because murder was a huge deal in Equestria, he'd best plan ahead. And who better to plan with then the person who wanted him to do it? He waited till they had stopped before talking.

"So, uh... Dad?" Angel began nervously.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Uh, if you were in my hooves, what would you do?"

Paen was kind of confused. "What?"

"What I mean, is... Like... Who would you... y'know. Kill?"

Paen was worried about Angel's nervousness. I thought I stomped out all of "Criss." "If I were in your hooves, I would wait until Flight Camp. Then, you could probably get rid of somepony be tossing them off a cloud."

Angel was confused, but to Paen's pleasure, he was getting more involved in the conversation. "How am I supposed to kill a pegasus by throwing them off a cloud?"

"Well, if it were me, I'd make sure they can't scream, then get rid of their wings. Then just toss them off."

Fifteen minutes ago, Angel would be surprised at just how interesting he found this topic. "So, like, cut them off? Or just break them?"

"Often, you don't need to be that violent. Remember, Pegasi can't fly without pin-feathers."

Angel looked at his father with a small grin, and Paen thought he saw a flash of his mother's red in his pupils. "Thats right too. I had forgotten. So, I could pull a pegasi's pin-feathers, and give 'em a push?"

Paen chuckled inwardly. Damn, this pony is sick. He mentally patted himself on the shoulder. He had done a good job squashing the mercy in this kid. "Yeah, pretty much."

The conversation dropped as a group of ponies walked past. Angel started to look at his hooves nervously before he finally asked Paen a question.

"Hey Dad?"

"What?"

Angel looked up at him with an already half-defeated look. "I know you just spent a lot of money on my hat, but could I get one more thing?"

"What is it?"

"Could I get a pet?"

"You want a pet?" Paen's smile started to fade. He was having a bad feeling about this idea.

"Yeah, but not something wimpy. I was thinking more like a... I dunno, a predatory bird?"

"Oh, yeah?" Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Yeah." Angel instantly perked up. "I heard about this bird, it's called a... fellon? I think... Anyway, I went to the library to find out about it, and appearently, it actually hunts when you tell it to. There's a sport based around it."

"Oh, you mean a falcon?"

"Yeah, a falcon!" Angel sat up, renewed enthusiasm brightening his eyes. "And I thought it'd be great, since we were talking about pegasi and how to off them anyway, because according to the kids at school, one of them was actually fast enough to outrun Rainbow Dash."

"Hmm..." That got Paen's attention. Not that it was faster than Rainbow. That was highly unlikely. But because Angel had been thinking of how to kill a pegasus. And that his son had realised that if it could outrun Rainbow, no other pegasi could outrun the falcon.

"Alright, Angel. I'll think about it." Atleast he's getting one for the right reasons.

Angel almost squealed. "Thanks, Dad!"

Paen had to admit it. Although he wasn't Criss's father, he still felt as though he had always been Angel's. He enjoyed it when Angel called him "Dad." Though he had almost killed Angel as a foal, he enjoyed raising the young colt.

"We'd best head home. If you're going to think about joining Killer clan, you need to know how to fight. More serious stuff then what I've been showing you. Armed combat."

Angel nodded before he stood, all anxiety, all Criss-ness gone, and fell into step behind his father. Back to his house, and Angel's life.

"No, no, no. You're doing it all wrong." Paen said. "Duck first, then attack. Always worry about yourself first."

He and Angel had been practising with traditional Lunar Revolution knives since three in the morning. Even though Angel had gotten up that late on a school day, Paen knew he wouldn't feel it. Angel had unnatural endurance for his age, being able to go weeks without food and months without sleep, and still be more physically fit than Paen himself.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't be sorry. A Killer is never sorry. If somepony complains that you hit them, hit them harder to make them shut-up."

"Yes, Sir." Angel replied.

They set up again. Angel slid his hoof into the hoofring of the knife, angling his ankle so the knife couldn't role around. He stood in one corner of the large square ring, Paen in the other. At the count of three, they both began circling each other.

Duck first, then attack. Duck first, then attack... Angel kept repeating that thought to himself. Paen knew he would be, so he feint swiped to have Angel attack.

However, Angel was a quick learner, and one not to be foaled so easily. Although he ducked for the jab, instead of going for Paen's ribs, which were being subtly guarded, he instead kicked Paen in the back of the leg. With a small cry of surprise, Paen went down.

Angel knew it wasn't going to be that easy; that his father wouldn't stop until Angel had him at a point where if Paen moved, Angel could kill him. Using a short burst of speed with assistance of his wings, Angel crossed the ring to behind Paen.

Paen slowly stood up, looking around for Angel. Suddenly he felt the force of a small chariot smashing into his back, and he fell forward to find a hoof flying straight for his face. The combined force of him falling forward and the miniature anvil smashing into his jaw flipped him 360 degrees through the air and left him in a crippled lump on the ring.

Paen felt a small knife being brought up to his neck, accompanied by a white pony's small grin. "You lose, Dad."

"Sure do, kid." Paen spat out a tooth. Though defeated, he couldn't be happier. "Call your mom, and get her to bring out the med kit."

"I can't believe you, Paen." Melody chided as she slowly bandaged his head.

"What? You wanted me to toughen him up." Paen defended himself.

"You two trained. Without me." She sounded purely corrosive.

"...Oh." Paen said slowly. He didn't know if his wife was above marital murder.

"While you are incapacitated, I shall show your son the more subtle ways of killing." Melody began. She herself preffered the quick and quiet of assassination to the violence and sheer brutality of hoof-to-hoof. "Then, when you are healthy, if I am still enraged, we shall both take the field, and show him which tricks to use when fighting your polar opposite combat field."

Paen quickly deduced what she meant. He spoke with a tiny grin. "You want us to fight? Each other?"

"If I'm in a bad enough mood; to the death, yes." Melody said simply.

Paen knew he was strong. He still didn't doubt his wife could defeat him. Or kill him, for that matter. He cleared his throat. "Well, I hope you find humor in your son." Paen chuckled nervously. "Just remember, you may not have much pull with the rest of the Killer clan if you decide to kill me."

"Oh, I've already planned it out."

Angel was sitting in his room.

I just beat my father in hoof to hoof.

Normally, most ponies would be worried for their father. Angel, however, knew that they had both willingly submitted to any injury once they entered the ring. If Angel had been walking out like that and complained, Paen would have put him back in the ring for another hour, just for insulting Killer honor.

Suddenly, Angel heard Melody's voice from the kitchen. "Angel, can you come here?"

"Yeah, sure, Mom." Angel called.

He walked out to see his mother glaring a hole into the floor. "W-What's wrong?" Angel knew she was the only pony who could scare him. Not even Paen could. When she wanted, she looked more furocious than Angel could.

"Hmm?" Melody glanced up, and instantly calmed down. "Oh, nothing. Me and your father got into a bit of a fight."

"He alright?" Angel started checking for bloodstains.

"Oh, I didn't do anything he won't recover from." Melody straightened up. "I heard that you two started training without me."

"Oh." So this is what it's about. "Yeah, we did. S-" Angel caught himself. He couldn't be sorry. Not if he wanted to be a Killer.

His mother must've understood, because although she noticed, she didn't pry. "I was wondering if you'd like to learn the more subtle ways of combat."

"What, like incapacitation?" Angel asked, confused. He'd gone over all sorts of fighting styles with his father.

"No, dear. Like assassination."

"Yeah! That'd be way-awesome!" Angel was practically bouncing out of his skin.

Melody sighed. "First thing you're going to need to do, is be more quiet."

"Oh, yeah. Ok." Angel stopped bouncing on his hooves and instead sat on the floor.

"Now, this isn't something you can learn in a ring. We need a more practical approach."

Melody walked into his father's room for a minute. She came back out, smiling. "Pack a few things, we're going on a little vacation."

"What about school?" Angel asked, confused.

"Well, if you'd rather attend school than learn about assassination, then..."

There was no need to say anymore. Within ten seconds Angel was back in the kitchen with his saddlebags, both hastily packed with anything he might need.

Angel was so excited, but his Mom had told him he needed to be quiet if he wanted to assassinate. So he tried his best to sit still. He settled on looking out the train window, but only grew more questioning as he saw new and different landmarks.

Finally, he had to ask. "Where are we going?" He was gambling on the bet that it was okay to ask questions. She hadn't told him he couldn't.

"I've asked your father if we could go to a different city to practice your assassination skills. We can't learn in the ring. You need to learn by doing it. Like I did."

"So... Where are we going?"

"I figured Vanhoover was a good enough place to start. It's filled with ponies nopony would notice went missing."

Angel realised what she was saying with a start. "But I can't do my initiation kills 'till holidays start!"

Melody sighed. "I know that. These won't count as initiation kills. You need to do a sort of ritual for those. You start the ritual on your first kill, and seal the ritual on your third. It's a way for the Killers to get crueller. They actually do seem to get some sort of energy from it; I've seen the nicest ponies come out crueller than ever after their initiation kills."

"So why are we doing this in Vanhoover, exactly?"

"Because it's so far north, it's almost always blizzarding." Melody explained. "We won't be easy to be seen. Then if you're good at it, we'll continue through when the blizzard lifts up, so you can get a bit better on how to sneak up on somepony on a clear night."

"Oh, ok." Angel said. He fell back into silence.

After a while, Angel figured he had probably best get some sleep.

He walked across the small booth they were alone in and sat next to his Mom.

Melody was quiet surprised when he lay down on the chair and put his head in her lap.

Despite being a trained assassin, she still felt the tug of motherly affection as Angel curled up on her lap and went to sleep.

Melody quickly recalled the song she had sung to her sister as a lullaby when they were young, and started singing it to Angel.

"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed..."

"Angel. Aaaangeeeel?" Melody sang. "Wake up. We're just about there."

Angel slowly pulled his head off his mother's lap. "Huh?" He looked out the window to see it was, indeed, very blizzardy in Vanhoover: Looking out the window, he could see maybe 3 hooves away from the train before his sight was covered in snow.

As they pulled up to the train station, he glanced over at his mother. "It looks cold outside."

"Not for pegasi. They have thick fur so they can deal with the low temperature high altitude air. At an extreme, you'll need a jacket."

"Oh. Ok." Angel had flown around, but he'd never gone to any amazing heights. His parents didn't have a problem with it, but he'd only ever been able to get 100 or so yards off the ground before a "helpful" adult saw him and brought him back down to ground level.

"C'mon, Angel."

Angel turned and walked out of the train at his mother's side. He was surprised to find that he didn't feel how cold it was at all. Not that he thought his mom had lied, he just found it hard to believe when looking into the blizzard from a warm train booth.

"I told you you'd be fine." Melody was looking at him. "We need to find somewhere to stay for the night."

"But we only just got here." Angel protested. He had wanted to look around a bit.

"Firstly," His mother began, looking at him sternly. "We're here for training. Not a visit. Secondly," Her expression softened a bit. "If we go looking around now, we may not be able to check into a hotel later at night. If we check into a hotel now, we can look around without worrying about having to find one later."

"Alright."

An hour and a half of searching, they finally came across a reasonal hotel. Even if Melody had wanted to find a hotel first, they had gotten so lost in the blizzard they ended up just going up and down the streets. What with the blizzard, she hadn't been able to just fly up and spot a hotel, either.

Angel was getting tired of searching. As they reached the hotel's doors, he said "Finally." with a sigh.

Melody had to force more patience into him. He'd get them both killed if he was this brash.

After their brief talk with an overly excited hotel clerk, they both headed up the stairs to their room.

"Ah, here it is." Melody put the key into the door marked 10-A. Upon entering, she felt a small comfort in the fact that this hotel room matched the hotels she had stayed at while doing missions for the Killers. More specifically, doing missions for Paen.

She was upset when her son turned his nose up at it. "Kinda... Dingy, don't you think?"

Melody let out an imdignant sigh. "Angel, to be an assassin is more than just killing. You have to be able to put up with indecent lodging. A true assassin would be greatful for having a bed at all. Let alone a pillow and blanket to go with it. And above all else, you specifically need. More. Patience. If you can't realize when a kill is too far away, or too aware, or how to wait in general, you're going to get us both killed. We may as well just go home now."

Angel winced as a claw of guilt fastened itself around his chest. He realised he'd been being stubborn, and maybe a bit stuck up, but he hadn't thought his mother would be disappointed in him. It felt worse than if she had just hit him.

"I'm sorry." Whether Killers apologized or not, Angel felt he needed to apologize to his mom. He had been complaining about everything since they had gotten off the train. It must have hurt Melody. She'd been looking forward to this.

Melody nodded at Angel. "Atleast you can realise when your in the wrong. Lets go find something to eat, and then I can see if I can teach you."

Angel and Melody were sitting inside a small diner, eating very little. More had actually been spent on drinks than food.

Melody looked at Angel. She had been wondering if it was worth the risk to try and teach him how to be stealthy. Sure, teaching him a skill to better himself would always be better, but if he got them both killed, it would just be better to pack up.

She eventually decided to teach him the same way she learned. She'd first put him in back alleys, and if he didn't botch that too badly, she would teach him how to kill in the street.

"Well, Angel? You sure you want to do this?" She was pleased to see Angel shake his head up and down so fast, she almost feared it'd pop off. "Then lets go."

They both got up to leave, and Melody payed for their dinner, which still lay untouched on the table.

"This way." Melody called as soon as they were outside. Angel turned and followed her down a backstreet, and down another, and another until they were effectively lost in the maze of back alleys and side streets.

Finally his mother stopped and halted him. "Now, Angel do you know where we are?"

Angel realized with a lurch he hadn't been paying attention to the turns they made. He shook his head before fixing his gaze on his hooves. "No." He muttered.

"That's quite fine." Melody said. "As long as you can find out how. Do you know how you could find your way back downtown from here?"

Angel thought about it for a minute. "I suppose you could probably see the lights through the blizzard."

Melody nodded. "That's one way. Also, if you had your general sense of direction, you could fly up until you were over the rooftops, and then just head north. If you knew your directions, you'd know you had been heading south."

She knelt down so she was eye to eye with Angel. "Just remember: If you get a kill wrong, that doesn't matter. Learning how to kill is only a quarter of the work. A large chunk of it is planning what to do if something goes wrong. Don't ever expect things to go as you planned. That way, nothing will surprise you."

Melody personally thought Angel was lucky to have a teacher: She had learned this growing up in the slums of Canterlot. She had been drafted into a gang when they learned of how good she was, and she had kept the talent until she bumped into Paen on one of his missions.

He had appearently heard of the "Red-Eyed Banshee" and had been looking for her just a few weeks before. He asked her to come along on his mission, and between the two of them, those forty-some Guards never stood a chance.

"Alright, so what do I do if things don't go to plan?" Angel asked.

Melody was glad he was inquisitive. It was a good trait to have. "If things don't go flawlessly, improvise. And remember, the world is a playground; everything is a toy or building block just waiting to be manipulated."

Angel snorted. "How can I manipulate Equestria?"

Melody grinned. She decided a more practical approach was needed. "Angel, I want you to chase and incapacitate me. I won't use my wings."

Angel thought this was unfair. "Are you sure?" He wasn't sure how fast she could run, but he knew he could fly faster.

Melody simply nodded and said "Ready?"

Angel looked at her and, seeing the grin on her face, smiled back and said. "Ready."

"3...2...1.. Go!" And Melody did. She took off galloping like Windigo's were on her heels.

Angel was caught off guard, allowing Melody to pull an easy lead. Instantly upset with himself, he started flying as fast as he could in the narrow street-cum-wind tunnels.

He had easily caught up with Melody, and even reached out to tackle her when she turned a quick right and went through a crack just small enough for her to squeeze past. Angel quickly realized that he would have to crawl through after her. He landed swiftly, and started pushing through the crack as fast as possible.

Once he'd gotten to the other side, he caught a glimpse of Melody heading down a back alley. Instantly Angel was back up and flying. He came down the alley, and saw her galloping. With speed that came naturally to Angel, he whipped around the corner, determined to get to her before she disappeared again. As soon as she heard the flapping of his wings, she quickly pulled a left into a market.

Angel realised he would have to land and chase her on hoof. He flew until he was a mere yard away from the doors of the market before he tucked his wings. He landed on the ground, gritting his teeth as the sudden decrease of speed jarred his shoulders, and started galloping as fast as he could.

Melody was only a few hooves infront of him. Angel was impressed: She wasn't even out of breath. Suddenly, as she passed a basket stall, Melody did something unexpected. She pulled a small knife, cutting the support facing Angel. He suddenly had to deal with a dozen or so baskets falling towards him.

Angel quickly unfurled his wings as best he could indoors, and gave a meagre half-flap to gain more speed. He missed the basket-avalanche by mere hairs, but didn't let himself get distracted. He had a "target".

Angel took off down the corridor his mother had ran around. He just managed to see her tail flip around a corner. He rounded it as fast as possible, climbing the stairs around the corner. He saw Melody go through a stain glass window. He ran forward and jumped, eager to spread his wings. As he fell through the sky, he looked down the street to see his mother galloping as fast as she could. He turned in the sky and followed her.

He caught up to her rather easily. But when he went to tackle her again, she stopped and ducked. Angel, not expecting this, went soaring over her. He turned around to see her climb a fire escape. Cursing himself for not being more aware, he flew upward as fast as he could.

Beating her to the top of the fire escape in half a second, he looked over the edge. His mother was running straight at him, and she had nowhere to turn. Angel felt the corners of his mouth turn up in a huge grin. He leaned against the fall-guard, giving himself what felt like a well-deserved break.

Suddenly he heard his mother call. "Another lesson for you: Never stop chasing your quarry. Chase them 'till they drop,or until they're in your hooves."

As Angel looked back over the edge, he saw Melody run as fast as she could to the edge of the fire escape. Putting her fore hooves, and then her hind hooves onto the rail, she pushed off the iron, leaping the gap to the other side of the street, climbing up onto the roof and running off again.

Angel swore at his luck. He jumped up and soared across the street, having to land now that the high speed wind was freely blowing across the roofs. Angel's hooves were getting tired; He had never ran this far for so long. He wouldn't stop to complain, however. He knew his mother would be even more disappointed if he quit.

Quickly catching up to his mother, he tried to put on an extra burst of speed. He watched with slight irritation as his mother lept off the side of the building. Leaning over the ledge, he saw her land on top of another stall before getting up, brushing herself off, flashing a grin at Angel and running back down the street.

Angel wasn't going to give up that easy. He threw himself off the edge of the building, waiting until he was only four yards from the ground to snap open his wings, recruiting his weight into momentum. He took off after his mother, pumping his wings furiously.

As he rounded a corner, he saw his mother talking to a group of stallions. He watched, baffled, as Melody pointed and said "There, that's him! That's the one that's following me!" She fell back behind the stallions as they turned and started to surround him.

Angel flashed his mother a confused look. She mouthed the words "Deal with it." and Angel nodded, quickly turning his attention to the four ponies around him.

The ring was where Angel ruled. He dispatched the approaching stallion with a quick and simple jab to the throat.

One of the stallions' buddies tried to exact vengence, but Angel grabbed his hoof and thrust his weight into the red stallion's elbow. He grinned as a loud pop filled the sky, quickly followed by an ear splitting howl. Damn, this dude's a screamer. Gotta shut him up before he draws more attention. Angel thrust his hoof into the pony's jugular, and winced as he heard a small crunch. He hadn't wanted to kill anypony in this fight.

Any thoughts of morals went out the window as the blonde stallion pulled a knife from his jacket. Angel looked to his mother, who simply nodded. Angel took that as all the permission he needed. Though it seemed the other two were learning: they both attacked simultaneously.

Angel jumped back, narrowly missing the knife by a hairs-breadth. As he leaped backward, he felt a blow to the back of his skull as the black stallion's hoof connected with his head. Forgot about him, didn't you? Angel thought. He mentally chided himself.

As the black pony threw another punch, Angel lept to the side, his wings adding to his speed, giving him free reign over the pony's arm. This time, he had a bit more than breaking it in mind.

Holding the hoof still, he slammed into the bone instead of the elbow, and was rewarded with the feeling of having bone shatter under his hoof. The black pony started shock-babbling. Angel couldn't let himself get distracted; the blonde stallion was coming at him, and he still had his knife.

Working quickly, Angel pulled the black stallion's arm forward before twisting it downward. As he was treated to the sound of flesh ripping, he glanced down and saw half an inch of bone sticking out. A good thing too: the pony with a knife was just a tails-length away.

Ignoring the screaming, Angel pulled the arm upward and forward, slamming the makeshift dagger into the other pony's ribs. Not letting himself stop while this pony was armed, he ripped the knife out of his hoof. He then finished with two quick jabs to the blond coated stallions' neck before whirling the knife into the black stallion, watching as he went down gurgling.

Angel turned on his mother. He tried to remain calm. "That was completely unfair." he snarled.

"Tell that to the pony who does the same thing. Be glad I didn't keep running." Melody said.

Angel didn't know what irritated him more. The fact that he had just had his mother turn four stallions on him, or that he knew she was correct. Eventually, he reasoned that she was trying to teach him, not kill him. "Alright." he sighed. "I'll grant that you were trying to teach me."

Melody felt irritated that he was chiding her, but she let it go. For now. "I hope you also realised what I was teaching you during the chase."

Angel thought carefully before answering. Though his father would have accepted a quick one word answer, Melody would always want full length answers. "You taught me that anything that could be an obstacle for me can also be an obstacle for my enemies."

Melody raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"And you taught me to always expect my target to enlist in the help of others."

"And?"

Angel thought extremely hard, but couldn't come up with anything else. "I don't know, Mom. Sorry." He hated disappointing his parents.

His mothers face creased as she frowned, her mane flowing softly infront of her eyes as she shook her head. "I thought I made that obvious? You need more patience. I showed you that when you lost yours."

Angel couldn't remember losing his patience and went to say so, but Melody put up her hoof. "You shouldn't have expected me to run blindly up that fire escape. You shouldn't have given the chase up as won. You should have followed until I was actually under your hooves."

Melody sighed, and as usual, Angel felt guilt as disappointment flooded her eyes. "I thought you'd be more sensible than that. Don't assume you've won until you have. You showed that with the stallions, why didn't you put that much attention into my lessons? Do they not have as much weight?"

Angel knew she was guilt tripping him. He lost his temper again, letting out a low growl. "Well, if I fail your lesson, then either we restart, or I can't be an assassin. If I failed that fight, I would have died."

Melody glowered. "It wouldn't have come to that. You know I would have intervened. Though if it would make you take them more seriously, I could arrange to kill you if you fail a lesson."

Melody sighed, and a tiny bit of humor returned to her eyes. "Still, you managed to keep up with me easily enough, and you took out these four." She looked at the fallen ponies. "Though you may not believe it, sometimes fighting a Guard-pony is easier. The Guards all recieve the same training. They all fight the same. These street ponies." She pointed at the last living one. "They don't obey rules, or honor. They'll do anything it takes to kill you. A guard will attempt to arrest you. Ponies like these will hold you down and beat you until you can't move."

Angel trotted over to the last pony. He reached down and snapped his neck. Melody looked at him with an a questioning glance. Angel anxiously explained. "We don't want him telling anypony who actually could do something."

Melody nodded. "I know. I was just surprised at your critical thinking. I thought you were pure soldier. Looks like there may be assassin left in you yet."

Angel smiled at the hidden compliment. "Thanks."

Melody glanced around. "We had best leave before somepony looks down this street."

Angel turned with his mother and walked back down the street toward the hotel, feeling pleased he may have finally gained his mother confidence.

A Bonding Experience

Angel woke to the feeling of his mother's breath. He cracked open one eye to find himself looking into Melody's eyes. He gazed deep into the blood-red jewels, an almost hypnotic calm overcoming him.

"Hey, sweetie." His mother whispered.

"Hi, Mom." Angel murmured back. He rose from his side of the bed and stretched before wandering into the kitchen to find some breakfast. The only thing he could find was some cereal, so he quickly poured himself a bowl. "Do you want something to eat?" He called.

"No, I don't. Don't eat to much: we're going out again. You don't want to be bloated."

Angel glanced down at the heaping bowl of cereal he had just poured. "Of course I won't." Damn. Angel quickly dumped back over half of it into the box.

Melody came into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water. "I figured we may as well start training manipulation, today. The blizzard is supposed to let up. You won't be able to go murdering willy-nilly." Melody said with a smile.

She then took on a very serious look. "On another note, I want you to realise if somepony notices you walking up to them, they don't have any reason to fear you. If you're noticed, just play innocent. If you need to, forget the kill. Better to do that then alert Guards."

Angel nodded. Something she had said yesterday brought itself forward from the back of his mind, causing Angel to give his mother a confused look. "I thought you said Guards were easy?"

Melody shook her head. "I said Guards fought the same way, every time. Street ponies, or criminals, they're the ones you should worry about. Guards are just below them. The ponies you took out, they hardly have any skill at all. Just some brave foals with a knife."

"Oh." Angel had thought he'd done well by killing them.

Melody broke his train of thought. "That reminds me, I'll have to teach you what to do when your target runs and leaves you fighting. You took those four out quickly, but I could've left you in the dirt."

Angel sat and wondered for a second. A slow smile spread across his muzzle. "Does that mean I have to spar you?"

Melody nodded. "Yes. But not so much spar as learn to do what you did much quicker."

Angel still grinned. The ring was where he was dominant. It was a second home to him. He couldn't wait till he was in the ring.

Angel wished he was anywhere else but in that ring.

They had pulled the mattress off of the bed, and arranged some pillows around the edges. But it being a cheap hotel, that hadn't done much to soften the pain of being thrown into the ground.

Which Angel had been. Many times.

He quickly pulled himself up off the ground, again, and turned and faced his mother. He understood she was teaching, but did she have to be so brutal?

Melody read him like a picture book. "Yes, I do have to be brutal. I'm trying to show you what your opponent would feel. That way, you know what to do to incapacitate them the proper way, as appropriate to your surroundings at the time."

Angel glowered as she, once again, justified everything she did. But he knew she wasn't lying. She hardly ever lied. Not to him.

Instead, he just dropped to a defensive crouch, and got prepared to familiarize with the floor.

He made one feint left punch to follow up with a right hook. Anypony else he would have contacted with. Technically, he even contacted with Melody; it was just the wrong contact. But she had been at this much longer than him.

When she saw how weak his left jab was, combined with the muscle being recruited to his right side, she rolled into the left jab so when he swung his right hoof, he hit air.

She then grabbed the hoof and pulled him around her, using his momentum with her strength to whirl him into the sofa.

Though there could have been worse places, they had taken the cushions off of the couch to provide more dampening for the ring. Angel was instead treated to a face-full of plywood.

Angel felt blood running down his brow. One quick dab confirmed he had a new, inch and a half long cut down his forehead. He whimpered as he realised he'd have to go back into the ring. He mentally shook himself. "You're a Killer, Angel. Suck it up. Get back in there." It almost sounded like his father was right there.

Angel turned and faced his mother. His nostrils flared as anger flooded his better judgement. He didn't wait for her to get prepared as he dropped into another crouch and started throwing punches like wildfire. He ferocity burned maliciously as she danced around him like he wasn't moving at all. His mane and eyes both caught fire as more anger seeped into him.

Suddenly, he felt his mother kick his hooves out from under him and put him in a hold.

He quickly realized she was pining him to the ground and not actually teaching him. His fury overwhelming him, he turned completely black, trying to buck the cream pony off of him.

Melody leaned in and spoke calmly into his ear "Angel, calm down. You're taking this much too seriously."

Angel slowly started to come back to his senses. He stopped squirming, and, once his mane and eyes had burned out, Melody released him. "I'm sorry..." he trailed off.

Melody looked at him sternly. "Forget your anger. It makes you impatient. You'll have an easier time if you're always focused." Angel started to argue, but Melody cut him off. "I know that your father taught you to use your anger. That's the battlefield. This is a chase. A game of cat and mouse. You need to get your mouse. If your vision is blurred by anger or rage, you'll lose sight of your prey."

Melody sighed before continuing. "We'll practice some meditation skills until I feel you're ready to begin again." She said simply. "No arguments."

Angel and his mother sat on the mattress in a meditative position. "Feel the world around you. Open yourself. See everything." Melody said, trancelike.

Angel tried to relax. He sat on the floor, shut his eyes, and tried to notice as much as he possibly could.

After what seemed like hours, Melody spoke again. "What do you notice?"

Angel tried to think of something. "Uh... The mattress is kinda worn where I'm sitting."

Melody spoke again, a hint of a laughter in her voice. "You know, you don't have to shut your eyes when you meditate."

Angel opened his eyes and saw Melody standing, smiling down at him. She then said "Now, meditate again, and when I return, I shall ask you what you've noticed." She then walked out of the room, and Angel heard the latch shut.

He noticed the back of the lock had been taken out. She locked me in here... He wasn't surprised. Not really. He should've expected that. He should have heard that.

Finalising on the fact that he couldn't get out, (the only windows were in the kitchen and bathroom, and they were both too small.) Angel decided to be a good student and sit, and meditate.

After a very long time, he began to notice a few more things. The edges of the mattress were frayed, lengthwise. That disturbed Angel. He quickly realised that meant the mattress did a lot of "'Back-and-Forth'-ing".

Resisting the urge to throw-up, he backed himself off the mattress, positioning himself against the wall.

He found he could also smell fresh cooking drifting in through the kitchen window. It was so subtle, that at first, he couldn't notice it, but he found if he tried, he could smell the food. As he concentrated on his sense of smell, he found he could make out another scent as well. A bit more bitter than the food. A little more focus was rewarded with the smell of-

"Garbage." Angel spat. His nostrils now completely molested, he quickly tried to focus on something else, but he heard the key in the latch. He waited patiently as his mother opened the door, and came in with lunch.

"Before you can eat, tell me what you saw." Melody said. Angel rehearsed everything he had noticed, being rather put off with the "well-used" bed and the smell of compost.

"That's good." Melody said, making Angel's heart soar. She brought him plummeting down to Equestria by adding "For a thick-headed warrior. Seriously, Angel. You need to be more aware of your surroundings. Being an assassin means you have to be just as good at fleeing as you are at chasing. You'll be killed first time you run into a patrol of pegasi archers. Or, if we were in Canterlot, those new ranged weapons they just brought in."

Angel nodded solemnly. Melody continued. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but you aren't allowed to eat until I think you've become more aware of your surroundings."

He looked at his hooves. "Yes, mom." He said dejectedly.

Melody walked into the kitchen. He heard the fridge door open, followed by a rustling of paper and the sound of the shelves rattling as something heavy was put inside. (probably lunch Angel reasoned) He heard the fridge door shut again. He looked up to see his mother had returned, and was now miming Angel in meditative pose.

He raised a confused eyebrow as he saw her eyes were closed. "Didn't you just say-" Melody quickly cut him off. "Yes, and you, as a beginner, don't want your eyes shut. I have been at this much longer than you, and will notice more with my eyes shut than you will with yours open."

It wasn't an insult. It was the truth, and Angel knew it. He forced himself to relax, resting his back against the wall.

Angel tried looking for new things. He focused on the ceiling fan, the doorframe, anything that he thought might interest his mother.

After a while, or maybe a year, his mother asked him again. This time without opening her eyes. "What have you noticed?"

Angel told her everything he could. From how he found out the room hadn't been dusted for atleast three days to the fact that there was minor water damage, probably from their nextdoor neighbour.

Melody simply said "Good, but you need to be more open. Relax, Angel, this isn't a test. I don't want you to impress me. If your running from a Guard, you don't want them to be impressed by how you did it, you just want to get away."

Angel nodded and tried once again to relax. His mother rose, and sat down next to him.

"Relax, Angel. Feel the breeze as it brushes your fur. Feel the hum of the heater when it ignites. Hear the curtains as the wind blows through them. The world breaths around you, Angel, and just like a breath, it's noticable. You just have to listen."

Angel sat and relaxed. Not half-flanked this time. He gave up on noticing, and just tried to relax.

As he sat, he slowly found he could feel what his mother was talking about. He felt the wind as it blew in and rustled his coat. He could hear his mother's mane rustling as the breeze tossed it around. He saw the millions of cracks along the walls that had been caused when the paint dryed. He could hear his own heartbeat in his ears, as well as the much more calmed heartbeat of his mothers.

Melody spoke, breaking Angel's thoughts. "What have you noticed?"

Angel tried his best to put it into words. "I felt... I heard...." Angel gave up, and looked over at his mother. "I can't explain it. I noticed everything."

Melody nodded. "Good enough, for your age. Now go and have your lunch, and we'll go try some manipulation techniques."

Angel and Melody were walking down the street, picking out targets.

Melody had already given him the task of finding somepony who could be well off, but wouldn't be that hard of a target to chase if things went south. She had wanted to keep expendatures using their bits minimum, so as to make them harder to track.

Angel had been walking along, pointing out potentials. "What about him?"

Melody looked at the well dressed pony, and shook her head. "No. Though he looks wealthy, if you look hard enough, you'll see he hasn't got anywhere to keep any extra money. And we can't sell clothes."

Angel nodded. Looking to his right, he saw somepony else. "Him?"

Melody looked over Angel's shoulder. She shook her head again. "No, he looks like he could run pretty fast. Also, he doesn't have anything valuable on him, except maybe his wallet. Which we won't have time to search for."

Angel fell silent for the next couple blocks, and had almost given up, until he saw a pony sitting on a bench. "There." Angel nodded towards the pony. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He knew they'd have to go after that pony.

Melody glanced over, and saw the perfect target.

A brown earth pony with a white mane sat not too far away. His Cutie Mark was of two cogs. He kept looking at his silver-plated wrist watch as he sat at the carriage stop. He stared through gold glasses, which would be a hinderence when running, and he had dark bags under his eyes, which meant he was fatigued. Angel watched as he pulled a small gold locket out of his jacket, and stared at the picture inside fondly.

Melody nodded. "He looks perfect. Definitly well off, and he won't run very far. Good job." She added, congratulating Angel. He beamed back at her.

"Now we need to kill him without somepony else noticing. Easiest thing to do would be to follow him to where-ever he's going. Which means getting on the same carriage as he." Melody said.

"I doubt we'll arouse suspision if we just go and sit beside him. May even be able to seduce him. Doubt it, with the picture. May be of a wife." Angel knew all this already, but he nodded anyway.

"We can probably get him alone if he's taking a carriage. It'll be going to another stop, which means some walking, and hopefully a few back streets. But if we do this-" Melody stopped Angel, and turned him to face her. 'Listen to what I say. Watch what I do. Try and learn how to manipulate your target. It makes killing them much easier. Also, you'll do the killing. He won't expect it from a colt. He probably won't expect it from me, either, but this is your lesson."

Angel nodded, feeling his chest soar at the fact that she trusted him with the duty of killing him when it was his call. They went and sat down beside the yellow stallion.

He glanced up at them. "Hello." He said. He put on a smile as Melody sat next to him.

"Hello." She said. "My name is Melody."

"Timer." The stallion replied. A frown creased the brown pony's face. "We don't get many pegasi around here. Especially during blizzard season. 'Weather's unflyable. What are you two doing here?"

"To tell the truth, I'm not really sure I know." Melody said with a small giggle. "This is where little Angel wanted to come. I'm not sure why, but when I asked where he wanted to go, he said 'Vanhoover.'"

Timer glanced over Melody to look at Angel. "Hey there, Angel, right?" Playing along, Angel nodded. "So how you liking Vanhoover?"

Angel hated being treated like a child. His face and body made him look three years younger than his age. But he knew to play the role for the act's sake. "Vanhoover's awesome! I mean, it's kinda always blizzardy, but on the days when it's not, everything's always shiny!"

Timer raised his eyebrow. "How long have you two been here for?"

Melody didn't think long enough. "Two weeks." She quickly said.

This made the earth pony more suspicious. "Two weeks in Vanhoover? You guys running from something? Or somepony?"

Silently cursing her brash act, she gave up the friendly act, and tried for something more "guilt tripping". "Well, you see, Angel's father just-" She pretended to cover Angel's ears, but she made sure he could hear what she said "-Died. He was in the Guard, y'know? Dangerous mission gone wrong. Well, you see, if we go back then I'll have to explain. I need time to get ready for the devistation that could bring on little Angel. He and his father were so close..."

Melody uncovered his ears. "But listen to me go on. I didn't mean to put that on you..."

"No, no. It's quite alright. My wife, y'know..." he mouthed the word "Died" "...about a year ago, yesterday. Big house fire. Got my little girl, too. Darned, if she wasn't the cause of my life."

Timer pulled out the locket again. He flipped it open to see a picture of him, and two mares, one in a dress, and one a foal, who looked extremely displeased at having her photo taken. "See, that's them, there." Angel had to suppress a snort. No, really? I thought they were both the stallion! "It was horrible. Darn near went and... y'know... myself. Anyway, it's been a fight everyday without them."

Melody instantly faked sympathy. "Oh, you poor dear. And hear I was rattling on about my own troubles. Atleast I still have Angel."

Timer shook his head. "No, I enjoyed having somepony to talk to."

They were interrupted as the carriage roled up. It was extended to allow for multiple passengers, and like any carriage in Vanhoover, it had a roof, a door, and was magically insulated.

They both entered, and Timer, Melody and a reluctant Angel all sat down on the same seat, with Angel between the two older ponies.

Angel was greatly disappointed to find that Timer wanted to get to know him. "So, Angel, what do you want to do when you grow up?"

Angel may not have wanted to talk, but he knew how to play ball. "I want to be in the Guard, just like my father!" Angel said. "He's on a mission somewhere else right now. Mom won't tell me where." He almost grinned when Timer winced. "But I bet when he comes back he'll have loads of awesome stuff with him. He always does! Like, last time, he brought me a really cool knife. He called it a dirk! Mom said I could have it when I'm older. She doesn't want me to touch sharp things. I told her to trust me more, but she won't. Which sucks."

The stallion looked like half of that didn't register. He nodded anyway. "I see. What does your Mom do for a living?"

Angel looked at him, confusion etched on his face as he tried to find a way to get his mom to answer. He decided to play the stupid foal, demeaning himself more. "Whaddya mean, 'for a living'?"

Melody cut in. "He means a job." She turned to Timer. "I was an assistant librarian in Ponyville. I'm trying to get a job in singing though. What with it being my special talent."

"Why'd you quit being a librarian?"

"Well, it being the Elements of Harmony's favorite town, taxes sky-rocketed. I was actually trying to get to Canterlot from there. But then his father had his 'Big Mission' and we couldn't afford to be there anymore."

Timer looked at his hooves. "I'm so sorry. You've had a ter-" He caught himself, thinking he may say something that might make Angel ask his mom the wrong questions. He settled on "You've both had bad luck."

"It's not that bad. Vanhoover isn't terrible. It's even tolerable, if your a pegasus." Melody suddenly got apologetic. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean it like that-"

Timer cut her off with a shake of his head. "No, it's true. Pegasi don't feel the cold. I can't fight facts. Besides, I kinda feel bad for you guys. Knowing you won't be able to know what it feels like to rid your body of the cold. Nor will you ever be able to wear a warm, soft coat. Well, you probably could, but you'd never be comfortable in one. No, I think your missing out on more than we are. Of course, I'm the only pony who thinks that way."

Melody looked thoughtful. Not acting thoughtful, actually thoughtful. "Y'know, I guess I never will. I hadn't thought of it like that." She smiled at Timer. Thankfully, it was fake. "That's definitely a new way of looking at things."

Timer smiled. He suddenly glanced around, aware of the carriage slowing down. "Oh, this is my stop."

Melody looked around quickly before saying "Oh really? This is our stop, too."

Angel reluctantly followed Timer off the carriage. He accepted Timer's help on the carriage stairs, and turned and watched as he helped Melody down too. The dark Angel inside of him was screaming at Timer. Get your filthy hands off her, you piece of- Angel noticed, however, that when Melody wasn't facing the stallion, she was often rolling her eyes or grimacing.

Atleast we both found something we'll enjoy. Angel reasoned. We both want to see this idiot dead.

Angel walked beside Melody as she let Timer walk them "home." The two of them made small talk, and often exchanged jokes. Angel had to suppress a groan for everyone of Timer's, and whenever his mother told a joke, she'd often have to explain it to him, undermining the humor completely.

Eventually, Melody stopped trying, which made the night even more dull for Angel; her humor provided the only release from this stupid act. He wanted this to be over, but he hadn't found a good time to kill this pony.

Appearently, Melody was having the same thoughts. "Hey, Timer? I know a shortcut back to my house. I'm going to take that instead. Do you want to come?"

Timer instantly nodded. "Yeah, sure. Where's the shortcut?"

Melody turned and pointed at a small bicycle path. "If you follow the bike path, it'll go over a river. My house is just a bit past that."

Angel knew this was her cue to him. Move it or lose it. He considered when he should do it. He knew his mother wouldn't lie about the terrain. She'd probably knew the lay of the land from past missions here. He decided that even if the river was frozen over, there would be tunnels and such near it, allowing for quick dispense of the body.

Timer interrupted his thoughts. "Yeah sure, let's do that."

As they were walking down the bike path, Angel saw a small park off in the distance. He prayed to Luna that there were no ponies hanging around.

"So, Timer?" Melody said, interrupting Angel's thoughts. "What do you do for a living?"

Timer pointed towards a rather tall tower. "See that clock, over there? I keep it running. I'm the only pony who knows how."

Angel winced. If that was true, they'd have to scrap their entire plan.

Melody raised her eyebrow, filled with the same concern. "The only one?"

Timer looked down at his hooves. "Well, sort of. There's only two other ponies who know how. See, my father made the clock. Me and my brothers are the only ones who know how to fix it and run it. His way of making sure we had something to do when we were older."

Melody smiled as relief flooded out her anxiety. Angel almost smiled, too.

As they crested a small hill, Angel saw a group of three ponies that looked like teenagers all hanging around the swingset, a small foal on the swing. The teens had their manes done up at stupid angles, and were tattooed in places they would definitely regret when they were older.

Timer cleared his throat, nodding at the ponies both Melody and Angel had already seen.

"Those guys look like trouble." Timer whispered. "We'd best just avoid them."

Angel frowned. He'd wanted a good fight. He looked imploringly at his mom, who looked sternly back and minutely shook her head. Without taking her gaze off of Angel, she said to Timer "You're probably right. Don't want to start a fight we can avoid."

Timer led the way to the bridge, and Angel watched as the park disappeared from view. He then turned his attention on Melody, who had stopped in the middle of the bridge.

She looked up into the sky, gazing at the giant white orb that had appeared since the blizzard let up. "Don't you think the night sky is beautiful?" She asked.

"Yeah." Timer replied. Angel's hatred for the pony went up hugely; His eyes were definitely on something pale, but it wasn't the moon. Nor was it any more his.

Angel reached into his jacket pocket. As Melody turned towards Timer, a smile playing on her lips, Angel slowly unfolded his knife. As he heard a very satisfying click, he started stalking up carefully behind the pony, making great care not to let his hooves crunch in the snow.

His gaze was fixed on Timer, and he watched as his mother closed her eyes and parted her lips, as if to kiss. Timer smiled, and closed his eyes as well. Melody then smirked, opening her eyes and pulling away quickly. Taking this chance with practiced caution, Angel closed the gap between the earth pony and himself quickly.

Timer opened his eyes at the last possible second, a look of confusion across his face as he saw Melody's grin. "What is it?" He asked. He then felt a sharp pricking sensation on the side of his neck, suddenly feeling very cold. What's going on? Is this a trick? Am I being drugged?

He raised a hoof to his neck and at the feeling of something warm, he pulled his hoof up to his eyes. He gazed down at the red on his hoof. He tried to say something. He found couldn't form words. He looked at Melody, and tried to speak. He tried shouting "What are you doing? I'm bleeding, help me!" But all that came out was a pitiful gargling noise.

His vision blurred and spun as he felt himself being grabbed from behind. He faced the child, his vision clouding. Angel, that was his name. He looked at Angel. Is he going to help me? "You won't ever look at my mother that way again."

Timer looked down to see Angel wielding a blood-stained knife. Things finally clicked into place as he realised what was happening. He fell to the ground where Angel met him, and Timer saw Angel draw the blade up to his throat.

Angel drew the blade across his throat quickly. He looked down at the dead pony, quickly grabbing the watch, locket, and glasses, as well as the pony's wallet which he had noticed sticking out of one of the coat pockets. He then put his hind hoof on Timer's body, and gave him a small shove off the bridge. He was rewarded to the sound of the ice breaking, and when he glanced over the edge, he couldn't see the pony anywhere.

Melody walked up beside him, both looking at the already frozen hole in the ice. "That was perfect. You're a great assassin, you just have to pay more attention to what you're doing."

Angel nodded. He looked at Melody, and saw she was smiling at him. "You're my little Angel of Death."

Angel of Death. Angel smiled as he repeated the name in his mind.

As they turned and walked off the bridge, they saw that the three ponies from before had followed them and were waiting for them to come back over the hill. Angel quickly slipped the knife, still unfolded, into his pocket.

One of them, who Angel assumed by his multiple piercings was their leader, walked up and said "Where's that losa' you was walkin' off wit'?"

Melody smiled. "Oh, do you mean Timer? We killed him and threw him off that bridge back there."

Angel knew this pony would never take that threat seriously. "Yeah, right. And I'm Cap'n Hurricane." The pony grinned maliciously. "Maybe I should teach ya' not to lie."

Angel laughed. He couldn't hold it in any longer. This served only to anger the pierced pony. "What the fuck you laughin' at, kid?"

Angel straightened up, gasping for air. "I'm sorry. I found your stupidity amazing. I can't believe you think he's a "captain", or that you think you could actually teach us anything."

The pierced pony glared at Angel with a grin. "Tough talk for a colt. Take care o' this fucking smart-flanked mule, guys."

Two of the thickest, meanest and dumbest ponies to ever walk Equestria walked forward, each holding a makeshift weapon.

Angel looked at his mother, who simply sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, fine. Go ahead; I won't stop you."

Angel felt a grin creap across his face. "Good."

The first pony dumbly swung a tree limb at Angel, who simply ducked the horizontal blow. The branch went wide and smacked the second pony in the jaw. The second pony didn't even notice it. Angel was amazed as the pony just kept walking. Then he saw both their eyes and how bloodshot they were. He also noticed holes leading down their neck. These guys are some heavy druggies. Angel knew about drugs from his father's stories of Killers who used to take them before fights so they were impervious to pain. The only way they could be stopped was if...they couldn't keep going Angel finished in thought.

The second pony advanced with a chain in his hand. Isn't that a bit cliché? Angel wondered. He jumped to the side as the chain hit the dirt path. Siezing that moment, Angel pulled out his knife and sank it through the chain. He then pinched the pony's pressure point, making him drop the chain and wrapped the end that this brute had been holding around his neck, forcing the pony into a kneeling position.

Angel turned to find himself having to duck again as the branch swung over his head. He took the second that the other stallion was unbalanced to hit him in the gut. Winded, the pony dropped to all fours and dropped his weapon. Angel grabbed the weapon and split it in two, forcing one half through the pony's spine. He smiled as the teenager silently suffered: His lungs were punctured instantly, disabling his ability to scream, but he lived every second of agony before he finally suffocated in his blood.

Holding what was left of the branch, he walked over to the leader of them all. He raised the relatively sharp branch above his head like a javelin, starting as the pink mare from the swingset threw herself infront of the thug. "Don't hurt him! He's just being stupid. Please let him go. He's my brother."

Angel looked ferocious. His coat was black, and his mane and eyes were ablaze. He violently shoved the mare out of his way. "Stupid foal." He muttered.

He knelt down to the pathetic wimp that had fifteen minutes before been King Shit of Turd Island. He brought his fanged grin as close to the pony as possible. "What do you fear most?" He whispered.

The green pony only whimpered. Angel reached over and grabbed his neck. "Do you fear Death?"

The pony quickly nodded. Angel whispered "Do you fear being alone?"

Once again the pony nodded. He then made a grave mistake: He glanced at his sister. Angel instantly dropped him, grabbing the mare who had earlier so bravely defended her brother.

The pierced stallion jumped up and ran at Angel. "DON'T YOU DARE HURT HER, YOU SON OF A B-"

Angel smashed his hoof across the stallion's muzzle, and grinned inwardly as he saw he had shattered his jaw. "Don't insult my parents." Angel said with a chilling calm.

Angel knelt down and brought his sister close up to her brother. "Do you love your brother?" Angel asked. The mare nodded. "Do you think you could live without your brother?" He smiled when she shook her head.

"Would you be able to live if somepony killed your sister?" Angel asked, looking at the pony lying in a pathetic heap on the ground.

The pony glared upward as he looked Angel in the eye. He swallowed his pain long enough to spit "Only long enough to kill the sick pony who murdered her."

Angel took that as all the cue he needed. "Good enough for me." He said with a smile. He then lanced the stick sideways, giving it a new home inside the small mare's head beside him.

"NO!" The pierced pony jumped up and ran at Angel. He, having expected this, kicked the pony's front kneecap, and watched as the weak pony crumpled face-first into the ground.

Angel leaned forward, wrapped his hoof in the pierced ponies mane and hauled him up. He looked the pony in the eye. "Remember my face. I want you to come find me when you think you're ready. I want to break you again. You will always be my bitch, bitch. Now, pay respects to your sister, and kiss the ground at her hooves." He dragged the pony over to his sister, and started slamming his face into the ground.

When the pony was no longer recognisable, Angel walked over to the bound pony who had been forced to watch.

"Do you feel bad for what you've done?" Angel asked.

The pony nodded.

"Will you ever do it again?"

"N-N-N-No." The pony stammered.

"'No sir.'"

Angel got no response from the green pony.

"How old are you?"

"F-fifteen."

"'Fifteen, sir.'" Angel said, jabbing the pony in the chest.

"F-F-Fifteen, s-sir." The pony said to the ground.

Angel grinned. "Well I'm sure you've learned your lesson, haven't you?"

"Y-Yes. Sir."

Angel looked at the chain around his neck. "Well, I'd best get you free then, shouldn't I?"

The small green pony looked at Angel with wide eyes. "Th-Thank you, sir."

The pony watched Angel walk around behind him, and was relieved to hear the small jingle of chains. He started getting confused as they felt tighter. At first, he thought it was his imagination, but he realised soon that they started to suffocate him.

"H-Help! Stop! What are you doing?!" The pony managed to rasp out.

Angel came back around to look at him, an evil grin stretching across from ear to ear. "Y'know, I'm just no good with knots. I guess I'll just leave you here 'till somepony else finds you. Here's hoping they have steel cutters, huh? There's no way they're getting that knife out." He glanced over the pony's shoulder, letting out a low whistle. "Yeah, that's stuck in pretty far."

"You...bastard..." The young pony fell silent for the last time.

"Huh. Really thought you'd last longer."

He turned and walked back over to his mother, who had a small grin on her face.

"What's gotten into you?" Angel asked.

"My Angel of Death."

The Mission

Angel woke with a sigh. Last day.

This was the final day of his "training" before he headed home. Despite wanting to stay, he knew he'd have to go back to school before the end of the year.

He lay in bed, feeling a bit off. He quickly realised something was off. The bed feels lighter... Angel opened his eyes, and couldn't find his mother. Refusing to panic, knowing she could take care of herself, Angel looked for clues as to where she had gone.

He must've been asleep quite a while: He noticed water around the edge of the bathroom mirror, which he figured meant she had had a shower. He followed the light driblets of water to the bedroom, where she must've dried off. He was at a loss for a second, before he noticed patches where the carpet was slightly more depressed. He then watched the patches lead out of the bedroom, knowing they'd lead to the front door.

Sitting back down on the bed, Angel was wondering if she wanted him to wait or follow. He glanced at the bedside table and saw a note he hadn't noticed before. One that would have made the search much easier.

Angel quickly read the note.

Angel, I want you to recap what we have learned. Track me to my current location, then I will show you a target. Note: This is not a test. He is an actual target I have been contracted to track and kill. If you screw up, you may die. Do not come if you aren't ready. At 12:00, I will chase the target myself.

Angel instantly jumped out of bed. No way was he letting a live opportunity like this slip through his hooves. He quickly opened the door and locked it behind him, almost galloping down the steps to the front door of the hotel.

He glanced at the old grandfather clock next to the desk, and quickly questioned the hotel clerk behind the counter. "Is that clock running late today?"

"Nope, just wound it myself. That's the right time. Ten o'clock."

Angel slowed his pace and walked outside. Two hours to find his mother. That he was thankful for. He flashed a glance at the sub-walk-way tunnel map, and made an estimate of how big the city was. Thankfully, it was a clear day, which meant he could fly overhead and look for her. But he abolished that idea. She said he needed to track her, which meant she wouldn't be sitting on a roof somewhere.

He glanced down at his hooves, but focussed more keenly on the tracks of hooves. He made out his mother's ever so slightly inwards-pointing hoof prints against all the others. It wasn't that old, maybe a few minutes. Angel turned and followed the hoofprints down the street. His gaze was keenly pressed on the hoofprints; he used his ears to tell when he had to move left or right.

After a few blocks, he saw his worst nightmare: An indoor market. Hoofprints wouldn't be here, and the constant crowds made finding ponies even harder. Angel could only see one exit, though. He flew up and over the market, landing on the other side. Try as he might, he couldn't make out his mother's tracks. The ones left here were older than his mothers, though. Which meant she was waiting somewhere in the market.

Angel instantly brought a mental image of his mother into his mind's-eye, starting to search through the crowd. He, only being a colt, didn't have the advantage of looking over the crowd. Instead, he resigned to combing the entire market, front to back.

He was halfway through when he saw one cream-coloured pony who stood a little different from the crowd around them. He couldn't see if it was his mother: their face was angled toward the floor. But Angel knew it was her. Having almost always walked on her hind-hooves, walking four-on-the-floor always made her a bit unbalanced.

Angel creaped up beside her. "Hello." Melody said. "Glad to see you decided to show up."

Angel nodded. "Wouldn't miss this for Equestria."

Melody smiled. "That's good." She then nodded forward. "That pony, there. The blue one. The one with all the friends. He's the one I need you to assassinate. You can't do it here; too many witnesses. You need to familiarise with him. He's a contract of mine, so if you screw up, it reflects poorly on me."

Angel nodded, then dispersed into the crowd.

Four minutes later found him standing, leaning on the wall, listening in on the conversation this pony was having.

"Oh, man, did you see the way Skates bailed on that last turn? That must've hurt." He heard his target say.

"Yeah man, he'll feel that when he wakes up."

"Why do you guys do that?" A strikingly high pitched voice sprung up. A mare. Angel reasoned.

"Do what, babe?" And my target's marefriend. Angel added with a small smile.

"Go and do stupid tricks like that. You know I hate thinking you'd get hurt."

"Pfft. Whatever. Y'know I'm strong enough to last forever."

"It still makes me sad, knowing you might get hurt."

Instantly Angel formed a plan in his mind. He may have to deal with the mare seperatly, but it'd still work.

He pushed on the biggest, most innocent eyes he could manage, and walked up to the group of ponies. "'Scuse me?" He said in a voice he hoped sounded young. "Has one of you seen Mommy?"

It killed Angel to berate himself like this, but it payed off. "Oh, you poor little thing."

Instantly Angel was face to face with the target's marefriend. "You must be so afraid." She turned back to Angel's target. "Clyde, we have to find this child's mother." It was an order, not a request.

"But...Babe, we were gonna see that movie, remember?"

"You really expect me to leave a lost foal all by himself to go see a movie?!"

Angel saw "Clyde" look at his hooves. He then turned to the surrounding ponies. "'Later, guys. Guess I got something else to do."

Clyde turned back to Angel and the unknown mare with his brow raised. "You sure? This may take a while..."

The mare rounded on Clyde. "How could you even think of leaving him here?!"

"Okay! I'm just making sure." Clyde looked at Angel. "Hey little guy, what's your name?"

"Angel." Angel replied. It took a lot of restraint not to snap at that. He hated it when ponies called him "little".

"Aw... His name's Angel." The mare smiled at him. "Don't worry, Angel. We'll help you find your mommy. What's her name?"

"She's Melody." Angel said, slowly losing his patience.

Clyde started to turn off into the croud. "You coming, babe?" He asked the somewhat dazed mare.

The mare quickly snapped out of her glazed look. "Huh? Oh yeah. Right." She walked alongside Angel as they went moving through the crowd.

They were walking through the crowd, asking if anypony had seen a mare asking around for her child. Angel had to fight the urge to groan: Instead of getting his target out of the crowd, he had gotten Clyde even more into it.

Then Clyde turned to the mare. "Babe, we've asked everypony here." Then in a lower voice he added. "I don't think she's here."

Angel was thankful when the mare said stubbornly. "Then we'll look farther. There's more to Vanhoover than this market."

Clyde sighed, but thankfully didn't argue. As they walked out, Angel saw Melody leaning in the exit.

"Oh, you three are such a great family."

Angel grinned at the hidden compliment. The mare smiled sweetly at Melody. "Oh, no. We aren't his parents. He's lost. We're trying to find his mom."

Melody jaw dropped, her eyes wide. "What's her name? Maybe I can find her?"

The mare smiled at her. "Thanks, but we've already asked everypony in here. We're going to look through Vanhoover."

His mother smiled at that. Or was that a grin? "You're such a nice pony."

Four hours later, Angel regretted ever accepting this mission. "Nice pony" or not.

They had walked through all of Vanhoover. Or as much as they could cover. Angel almost groaned aloud. He had hoped a chance to get rid of his target would arise quickly, but he had had no such luck. Everypony had come out to enjoy the sun. It didn't help that Clyde had stuck to main streets and busses, trying to ask as many ponies as possible. Probably to appease his "babe."

The mare turned to Clyde as they walked down a side street, still heavily crowded with ponies. "Clyde, I don't think we're going to find her. Maybe she left him on purpose."

Angel decided to guilt trip the mare. He couldn't lose a target this far into his contract. "Whaddya mean 'on purpose'? Can't you find her? You said you would." Angel forced himself to tear up, and sniffed. "I'll never find Mommy, will I?"

He was rewarded with the mare being face to face with him, her eyes wide. "Nonono... Don't cry. We'll try again tomorrow. It's just getting late today."

"Seriously, Rose? Can't you just-"

"No. I can't 'just'. He's only a foal. We're taking him back to our house. He can sleep in the guest room."

This made Angel blink. They had a house together? Angel glanced over at the marital ring around Clyde's hoof. Not "special someponies","Beloved's". Probably a new couple.

Clyde sighed. "Fine, he can stay the night with us. Tomorrow we'll go ask the Guards."

Rose beamed at him. "Thank you, Clyde." Then she turned to Angel. "When you get to our house, you're on your best behaviour, ok? No breaking things, or shouting."

Angel nodded with renewed vigor: If he was alone in the house with Clyde, he could off him quietly.

Half an hour later, and Angel couldn't believe his luck. He had gotten himself into his target's house. He had hidden in plain sight, and it had payed off royally.

Clyde was sitting right next to him in the sofa. So close, but yet so far. Angel had decided he would wait until Clyde was asleep before making a move.

Angel was getting the biggest exercise in patience ever. He sat there for another hour before he saw Clyde glancing at him in the corner of his eye.

Deciding to test a theory, Angel yawned, and was rewarded to an ever-so slight smirk from Clyde. Angel realised Clyde must want him in bed as soon as possible, and so he followed that up with "I feel tired."

Instantly, the ever-so-gentle mare was by his side. "I better get you to bed than."

Rose escorted Angel into a room she had cleaned out just for him. If anything, Angel felt bad for hurting the mare more than for killing the stallion. Angel decided to throw in one last guilt trip. For old times sake. "I miss Mom."

Rose leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry, Angel. I'll look extra hard tomorrow. I'll find your mom."

Angel lay there. He counted the seconds as he waited for an appropriate time to go after his prey. 1. 2. 3...

After an arguement that had issued over whether the couple should be helping the kid or not (7304. 7305.), and the couple headed off to bed (14624.), Angel finally rolled off the bed and sneaked over to the door.

Placing an ear against the door, he could make out the soft sound of snoring. Angel slowly reached up and turned the doorhandle.

Once open, he leaned out into the hallway, looking up and down. He saw the door at the end of the hall, which led to the couples bedroom. The soft snoring came from the door's direction.

He was suddenly aware of a new sound, the soft humming of a television. He creaped downstairs, and Angel instantly recognised the long-maned pony as Rose.

Holding his breath as he sneaked past into the kitchen, he slowly started opening the drawers, one at a time. Finding the cutlery drawer, he pulled a bread knife from the drawer, freezing at the sound of hoofsteps.

They were drawing closer. Angel forced his panic down and slid the drawer closed. He needed an escape, but this kitchen only had one exit. Rolling behind the island, he pushed his back against it.

He felt a small saving grace press itself against his back. Opening the cupboard, he tucked himself in and pulled the door shut.

The crushing darkness quickly swallowed him. Slowly but surely, Angel heard hoofsteps growing louder as they got closer.

They stopped just outside of the cupboard he was in. Holding his breath, he sat silently praying while Rose started opening cupboards. Angel sat in the darkness. He heard the fridge door open, and the rattling of shelves as things were being pulled out.

He then heard Rose's hushed voice as she opened the cutlery drawer. "Where in Equestria is the bread knife?"

Angel strained not to curse his luck. Leaning forward and shifting his weight, he graced Luna when he heard the hoofsteps leading away from him, towards the dish-tray he had passed on his way into the kitchen. Pushing the cupboard open with his hoof, Angel set the knife on the floor. He closed the cupboard door, and leaned back into the darkness.

Rose sounded like she was starting to get frustrated. Angel heard the sound of hooves storm around the island, and a sudden sharp yelp against the silence accompanied by Rose's loud whisper. "Ow! What the heck?!"

He heard Rose fumble around on the floor, followed by a whispered cheer and the sound of her muttering. "I found you, you little devil."

Angel listened as she used the bread knife on what was presumably a loaf of bread, and started using the items she had left on the counter.

After what felt like an age, he heard her give a satisfied hum, and she put the items back into the fridge, and trotted away.

Angel pushed the cupboard open. Thank Luna I'm so small. He crawled out of the cupboard, being careful not to bump anything. He peered over the island and saw the knife lying on top of a cutting board.

Being ever so careful so as to not cause any noise, Angel leaned forward and grasped the knife between his teeth before crawling back toward the living room.

Angel peared in to see Rose sitting in the exact same place as before, albiet now a bit more relaxed, and a sandwich on a plate infront of her. Angel creeped around behind her chair and sneaked back upstairs.

Once on the upstairs landing, Angel took great care in moving very slowly down the hall. He knew he couldn't risk anypony, especially not Rose, hearing him.

As he neared the door, he stopped and pointed his ears up sharply. He listened for what felt like hours. The only sound that he could pick up was the sound of Clyde's snoring, and the soft giggling of Rose downstairs now and then. Angel slowly reached up and turned the door handle, taking caution not to let it creak in it's frame.

Finally, Angel was reaching the last leg. He creeped forward, approaching the right side of the bed. He dropped the knife from his teeth to his front right hoof, and stood up on his hind hooves.

Walking up as quietly as possible to the side of the bed, he saw Clyde's mane sticking out from the blanket.

Wanting to be sure this wasn't a trap, Angel pulled down the covers and saw Clyde laying there, smiling in his blissful ignorance. Angel smiled. He's so peacefull...

Angel brought the knife down quickly on the left side of Clyde's throat. The first time woke Clyde, but it was too late: His vocals were already severed. the second time punctured Clyde's windpipe, filling his lungs with blood. The third time.... Well, that was just for fun.

Clyde slowly gurgled in protest as his throat was filled with blood. He rolled over in the bed, letting the blood in his mouth and throat drain out onto the floor. Angel saw his eyes start to water, and Clyde gathered all his last effort to fight the pain and form one last word. "Rose."

Angel grinned. His contract complete, he turned and went to walk away, only to be stunned by a blinding flash of light. As his pupil's dialated, he saw an all too familiar outline, and heard Rose's gasp.

"Angel?!"

Changes

Angel turned and faced Rose, the blooded knife still clutched in his hooves.

"Angel?!"

He quickly drew the knife back, ready to be thrown. The next words that came out of Rose's mouth made him start.

"Finally. I was wondering how long it'd take you."

Angel's hoof faltered. "Huh?"

Rose looked about as confused as he did. "Oh, wait. You mean Melody didn't tell you?" Rose shook her head. "Oh, sweetie, I'm the contractor." She said with a small smile.

Angel was completely flabbergasted. But he knew better than to ask questions. Shrugging, he said simply. "Great. That saves me having to kill you." He turned and buried the knife in Clyde's neck. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I have to make this look like a break in."

Rose looked half-jokingly at Angel. "Then you'd better knock me out."

Angel briefly considered this. Briefly. One quick hoof to her head, and Rose was out cold.

He walked into the bathroom to wash the blood off his hooves. He then came back out and rolled Rose over, to make it look like she had been running.

Walking downstairs, he grabbed the house key out of the bowl next to the door. He walked outside, locking the door behind him before breaking it down. He then placed the key back inside the bowl, and, knowing somepony would now be calling the Guard, proceeded to ransack the place.

A few minutes later, Angel heard the sound of somepony outside. Glancing out the bathroom window, he saw two Guards armed with small swords approaching the broken down door.

Angel had already turned off all the lights. He leaned around the stair-rail, forcing his coat to turn black, and when the Guard ponies got to the base of the stairs, he turned and galloped down the hall.

He jumped through the window, using his wings to soften his fall, and fled the house, being rewarded to the gruff voice of a Guard as he shouted. "Come back here, kid! Don't make us chase you!"

Angel grinned. This was working perfectly. The guards expected he was just some colt in over his head. Angel ran as fast as possible to a small market district, being chased closely by the Guards. Angel pounded speed into his hooves, pulling away. "Stop, foal!"

Angel saw some stupid pony ahead trying to play hero. The pony jumped infront of Angel in a poor attempt to "Clothes-line" him. Angel grabbed the pony's arm and pulled. He flipped the poor soul 180 degrees and slammed him back into the stall he had come from.

Although this drew a crowd, making it harder for the guards, Angel had lost valuable time. He needed to be 30 hooves ahead for his plan to work, and he couldn't let the Guards see his wings. Angel turned and peeled away, as fast as possible. He punished his legs, working them to their limits. He had to get away.

Angel risked a glance over his shoulder, grinning as he turned back. He had gained a good 4 yards. He flung himself around a corner, galloping as fast as equinly possible. Maybe even a little bit inequinly.

Pounding down the pavement, he would have clocked in at around 40 MpH. He galloped down the corner, then slipped into the crack in the wall his mother had shown him before.

Pushing himself through the crack, he slipped into another heavy market. Angel didn't have time to blend with the crowd; the Guards were pushing through the crack, themselves. Instead, Angel ran through the market, focusing on the exit.

He glanced over his shoulder to see the two Guards running after him, but thankfully being blocked by the crowd. "Let us through! We're after a murderer!"

Angel watched the distance between him and the guards as it grew. Seven yards. Eight... Nine.... That's it! Ten! Angel flung himself around the exit and out of sight from the Guards. He spread his wings and started pounding the air around him.

Pulling out into the night sky, he didn't risk going far. He didn't want the Guards seeing him. As Timer had said, there weren't many pegasi in Vanhoover. They didn't like the flying conditions. That made Angel easily trackable.

Angel landed on the marketplace roof to see the Guards run out of the exit.

"Which way did he go?"

"I saw him go right." The stallion's mustached partner replied.

"Good. Split up, he can't have gone far. He's headed for the docks. We'll corner him there."

Angel grinned as he watched the two ponies run from their quarry. He waited till they were well out of sight before he let his coat change back to white. Angel turned towards downtown and, with a thrust of his wings that launched him from the roof, towards Melody.

"You're in the news." Melody said.

Angel shrugged. "Probably."

"You should be pleased. You did a good job. They're looking for a black earth pony."

Angel grinned. Then he remembered something, and quickly confronted his mother. "You could've told me that his marefriend was the contractor. I almost killed her."

Melody just nodded. "If you don't get payed, that's bad. But it's even worse if you can't take any more contracts. If Rose had gotten in the way, I would've hoped you'd kill her. Better to have to make up for lost targets then to get thrown in jail because somepony got in your way."

"She could've helped me!"

Melody glared at him. "If Rose wanted any part in it, she wouldn't have come to me. Never ask your contractors for help. They came to you so you could do what they couldn't."

Angel sighed. "Yes, Mom."

Melody took on a more humorous air. "I'm pleased you were quick witted enough to come up with the "lost foal" act. I couldn't have been more incognito myself. There are benefits to being your age. But don't get absorbed into playing those acts." Her tone turned serious. "If you let them go on for too long, you'll eventually get caught. I'm amazed it worked at your age." Melody retched. "Especially the whole 'Mommy' thing. I thought that was going to blow your cover. Also, don't work with an alias. A small one you always refer to, fine. But making up thirteen different names just makes it harder for you to keep track of. The truth is always easy to prove."

"Yes, Mom." Angel realised he had started to sound like a broken record.

Melody smiled. She stood up from the couch and gave Angel a hug. She murmured. "Angel, you have no idea how proud I am of you. You learned so much in just four days..." She pulled him away and looked him in the eye. "You'll make a master assassin. Better than I. But you mustn't let it slip. It's a trade. A practice. And like any practice, you need to use it to keep it up."

Angel simply nodded. He beamed back at her. It filled him with pride to know that he had made his parent happy. He just wanted them happy. If they were, he was.

Melody sighed. "We had best pack our things. You don't want to fail your grade."

Angel sighed again. "Alright, Mom." He went into the bedroom and pulled out his saddle-bags. After filling them with his stuff, he brought the bags out into the living room.

Melody was already at the door, her own bags packed. "You sure you can go back to being just Angel? Remember, being an assassin is always an act. You can't ever let it show."

Angel sat and thought. He gave it long and thoughtful consideration. Knowing that he could kill them with three hooves around his wings, could he stand sitting next to the CMC and Diamond Tiara without doing something... Malevolent?

Angel finally nodded. "I promise I won't do anything drastic."

Melody smiled. "I appreciate that." She leaned over and gave Angel a kiss on his forehead. "Come on, Angel."

Melody walked out the door, with Angel at her side.

Angel cracked open an eye.

"Angel. Wake up. We're home."

Pulling his head up, Angel looked around grogily. He was inside a train booth. He and his mom had been forced to share with some lovey-dovey couple just married on honeymoon. Angel had held his temper, despite the urge to gag. He promised he would.

Now that he woke, the couple were gone.

"Angel, if you don't wake up quickly, we're going to end up going to Canterlot."

Getting to his hooves, he gave a timid glance at his mother. "Sorry."

Melody just shook her head. "No need to apologise. Ponies need sleep."

Angel and his mother left the train. They started heading towards his house.

"So what do you think, Angel? Should I kill your father?"

Angel blinked, surprised. He proceeded carefully, wording his next sentence with extreme caution. "I think if you did, I'd probably miss having him around."

Melody sighed. "Yes, I probably would too. His arrogance astounds me, though."

Just then, he heard a familiar voice calling him. "Hey Angel!"

Angel glanced toward the voice to find his friends sitting, waving at him. "Can I?" He turned and asked his mother.

Melody sighed. "Go play. No violence, though."

Angel grinned and walked over to his friends.

"Hey, Kyzer. Trix. Trax."

Kyzer was a green maned, gold coated earth-pony who was rather tall for fourteen, with a build that made him look like he was a Guard pony rather than a cook. Kyzer had found that his special talent was baking, which came as a surprise to his friends and family. His family had been in the Guard, and they thought Kyzer would too. But he had promised to join on the Guard as a cook for the soldiers, which had kept his parents appeased. He had been extremely pleased when he had gotten his Cutie Mark, which had been, unsurprisingly, a kaiser bun.

"Where have you been?" Trax asked. Tracy, or Trax, as he was known by everypony, was a nineteen year old earth-pony. He had a brown coat, and a coal-stained black mane. Everypony had thought he'd get a racing Cutie Mark: he always ran track, and almost always got first. But Trax had found that he enjoyed smithing, more.

Years of working in the forge had given Trax a gruff look, and day after day he found himself working in Mr. Smith's forge, helping him complete daily orders. Trax himself had gotten a hammer and anvil cutie mark, which, although it wasn't what his father wanted, his family and friends had been proud of him for getting.

Trixie was Trax's younger sister. She had a short cut, dark brown mane, and a thin, mint green body. She had been nicknamed Trix by Ponyville so she couldn't get confused with "Trixie, The All-Powerful." She was four years younger than Tracy.

Trix had gained her cutie mark three years before Tracy had, at the age of 8. Trix's cutie mark was of a quadruple loop the loop, and she found herself to be so good at acrobatics, both aerial and ground, that she had even gotten compliments from the egotistical Rainbow Dash.

Kyzer started questioning Angel. "Yeah, dude, where'd you go? Everypony kinda went into a panic when you just disappeared. Your dad just said you and Melody went on vacation."

Angel nodded at Kyzer. "That's what happened, man. She took me to go see new things. She didn't want me just learning what school had to teach. She wanted me to learn what she could teach me too."

Trax nodded. Speaking with his slight accent, he said. "Yeah, me and Mum went out to Manehatten last year. It was pretty fun. Where'd you two go off to, then?"

Angel thought for a second. He hadn't had much time to come up with a cover story with his mom, so he stuck to the truth. "Me and Mom went to Vanhoover."

Trix's jaw hit the ground. "Why on earth would you go to Vanhoover? It sucks there. The wind is always unflyable."

Trax looked sternly at his sister. "Maybe it's not all about the weather, huh?" He turned back to Angel. "Sorry about that. Did you find it enjoyable?" He ignored his sister, who had started making fun of the accent she lacked.

Angel nodded. "It was nice. Most of the time we were there it wasn't blizzarding, and when the sun hit the snow and ice, it looked like the entire city was shining. It was kinda pretty. The only reason we left is there was a murder, and Mom wanted us to leave pretty quickly after that. Pretty natural, given the circumstances."

Trax nodded. "Yeah, I didn't get much of that when we were in Manehatten. 'Place is kind of a bore, really."

Angel heard Trixie talking in the back. "Do you realise how boring you are? I mean, seriously, you're a smith. You mold metal into parts for trains an-"

Trax turned to Trix, cutting her off mid-sentance. "Don't you have some clouds to go fly around pointlessly, or something?"

Trix shook her head. "No, the weather ponies had to clear them up today. Duh." She added, pointing skyward with a hoof.

Angel turned to Kyzer, leaving the two to their fight. "What happened while I was gone?

Kyzer turned away from Trix and Trax to answer Angel. "Well, I got a small job helping Pinkie and the Cakes at Cupcake Corner. Nothing big, just a few bits. But if I save up enough, Dad says we can go to Canterlot and pick out something cool."

Angel nodded. "Good job, man." He knew that Kyzer would always be well-off, as long as he stayed in Ponyville.

Angel saw Tracy come back, shaking his head at the ground. "That pony never listens."

Looking for Trix, he only saw a small green blur soaring away. He couldn't help but be curious. "How'd you guys get into such a heavy fight? She didn't even say anything that serious."

Tracy shook his head again. He looked up at Angel. "We got into a pretty big fight while you were gone. It's kinda had some fall-out." He frowned as Angel went to pry. "It's sort of a long story. I don't want to get into it right now."

Angel let the subject go. They fell into an awkward silence. Thankfully, somepony called them.

"Kyzer! Angel! Tracy! There you ponies are."

They glanced over to see Twilight trotting towards them. "Kyzer, Pinkie wants you to help fill a massive order for the Cakes. Tracy, Mr. Smith needs some help. More swords for the Guard."

Twilight waited until they were gone before she rounded on Angel. "Angel. Where were you? You disappeared. Nopony saw you since you stormed out of the classroom."

Angel sighed. "I don't really want to re-hash it; it's a long story. Ask my mom. She'll tell you everything that happened." Appearently what he said stung, because Twilight flinched back.

He knew his mother would be disappointed if he let what she had taught him govern his attitude. "Sorry. I hadn't meant for it to come out so harshly. But I'm tired, and a lot happened on the vacation."

Twilight sat, thoughtful, for a moment, before nodding. "Alright. You can go home. But I want you to tell me later why you made Ms. Cheerilee so worried."

Angel nodded. Atleast he'd have time to figure out a common story with his mom.

Twilight dismissed Angel, who started walking home. He had almost gotten all the way before a shrill, snobby voice caught his ear. "Oh, look. It's the drop-out blank flank."

Angel sighed. Most ponies had sense enough not to irritate him. Then again, most ponies weren't-

"Diamond Tiara." Angel greeted her non-challantly.

"What's the matter, mommy bring you home?" Diamond snickered at her own supposed wit. Silverspoon was, as per usual, right beside her.

Angel was losing his temper quickly. "Good to see you still have your marefriend stuck by your side."

That got her, but only for a second. Diamond Tiara smirked. "Atleast I would have a special somepony. You wouldn't get touched with a ten foot flag pole. You're such a freak."

Angel started to snap. His eyes were smoking. Though Silverspoon was now hiding behind her, Diamond Tiara usually kept pushing buttons until she got the reaction she wanted. He sat, holding his tongue. You promised your mother that-

Diamond Tiara's voice cut through his thoughts like a razor. "Then again, if you're this much of a freak, than imagine what your socially-reclusive parents are like?"

Angel lost it. He knew she had no guts when actually confronted, and he wasn't going to lose face infront of a coward. His hair burst on fire, his eyes deciding to join the party. He stormed over to Diamond Tiara. "Nopony. Makes. Fun. Of. My. Family."

Diamond Tiara was now huddled on the corner of the sidewalk. Silverspoon had ran. Angel leaned down so he was face to face with her. "You don't have the guts to insult anypony. First sign of a fight, you become this." He jabbed his hoof at her. "This insignificant little wimp that I could throw around on a daily basis. I can't stand the sight of you. How your father puts up with you is anypony's guess."

Diamond Tiara's jaw dropped at that. She went to object, but Angel slapped her across the face. "Shut-up. I'm not done talking. You're pathetic to look at: you don't even have a real Cutie Mark. Yeah, you make fun of blank-flanks, but at least the ponies you make fun of get worthwhile talents. Kyzer's a cook. Trix is an acrobat. Trax is a smith. What the fuck are you? Other than nauseating?"

He stood up, snorting as Diamond Tiara started crying. "Oh, boo-hoo. Somepony gives you the facts and you start crying? What's the matter? Didn't like it when the mirror told the truth? You can't even stand up and take this like a pony your father could be proud of. You. Make. Me. Sick."

He turned and walked away leaving Diamond Tiara sitting on the corner of the street, still crying.

As he rounded the corner, he saw Scootaloo shaking her head, staring at the ground. "What?" Angel snapped.

Scootaloo raised her gaze towards him. "I'm all for ponies getting what they deserve, but that was harsh."

Angel just looked at her blankly. "What do you mean?"

Scootaloo looked like Angel had just slapped her. Now there's an idea. "Whaddya mean, 'What do I mean'? Look at her!"

Angel turned and looked and saw a dejected pink pony lying on the side of the street. Silverspoon had gone back and talked to her, but Diamond Tiara just kept poking a hole in the ground.

He turned back to Scootaloo. "Yeah? And? She got everything she was asking for."

Scootaloo let out a poorly suffocated shout of frustration. "You... You... You stupid COLT! Look at her! She's devastated! You destroyed her! Don't you even realise that?!"

Angel just shrugged. "You would have done the same in my position."

Scoots stared at Angel, her jaw wide open. Finally, she snapped, stomping her hoof. "Rrrgh!!!! FINE! If you won't go apologize, I'll go do it for you."

Angel shook his head. "You're going to be lying to her."

Scootaloo stormed past Angel. He heard her hooves stop behind him. What now?

"Oh, yeah, and Angel? Don't hit a mare again."

Angel turned in time to see a hoof flying towards his muzzle. He snatched it out of the air, and decided he had enough. He didn't have to put up with other ponies and their crap. He was a Killer, for Luna's sake.

Slowly, he started to feed his magic with anger. He reached out with the energy, and locked Scootaloo's hoof in place, a coil of magic wrapped around her bone. "Don't. You. Dare. Touch. Me." He whispered. He slowly made the coil start tightening. He was thankful his horn was hidden under his hair.

As she started to yell, he released. A large dose of magic could leave traces, and a particularly smart somepony like Twilight could find out Angel was at least part unicorn.

Scootaloo sat crying, nursing the hoof Angel had been holding. She slowly whispered. "What... happened? What happened to you, Angel?" She pulled away from him and limped around the corner. Angel watched her leave. As she reached the two ponies, he saw Scoots show Silverspoon her hoof, before they both glared back at Angel.

Angel grinned. He put a hoof to his lips, and blew them both a kiss. He turned, ignoring their rather rude gestures, and walked back home.

Angel sat sitting on the front porch of his house. He reached up and knocked twice.

"One minute!" He heard Paen say.

A few seconds later, and his father was at the door. "Hey, kid. What's up?"

Angel just smiled at his father. "I feel great, Dad. Truly great."

Paen smiled. Melody had already been home, and told him what Angel had done during the "Vacation" to Vanhoover. He couldn't be prouder of his son's sadism. It was comparable to his own.

Looking at Angel, he saw that much had changed about this pony. No longer hunched over, Angel stood straight and dominant. He had gained his mother's ability to be scary by walking into a room.

Paen grinned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Angel shook his head. "Nah. I gotta go put my stuff away."

Paen let Angel into the house. Angel promptly went to his room, and started unpacking.

After a small while, he heard the slamming of the front door, accompanied by his mother's voice. "Alden. Goa. Heft. Out here. Now."

She never uses my full name... Angel's heart raced as he started looking for an escape that didn't include his door.

No such luck. He walked to the door, and, very slowly, pushed it open.

As he pushed it open far enough to see his father, Angel was upset to see Paen looking extremely pissed. As he pushed the door farther, Angel saw his mother. The look on her face made him flinch. He started to wish he had written out his will before leaving his room.

"....Yeah, Mom?"

Melody didn't stop looking him in the eyes. Angel felt a chill claw at his heart, and he wanted to look anywhere, anywhere else. But he couldn't look away.

"I just bumped into Scootaloo."

Angel couldn't stand under her gaze anymore. He felt his hooves go out from under him, and fell to the floor.

"Give me one, just one, but one good reason why I shouldn't skin you alive?"

Angel fought extremely hard to break eye contact. He still couldn't. "I don't know..." He whispered.

"I don't know either. I thought I told you to hold your temper? HAVEN'T YOU LEARNED ANYTHING?!"

Angel recoiled as she screamed at him. Her voice reached a volume that pinned his ears to his head.

He tried to crawl backwards as his mother advanced on him, but his fear left him rooted to the spot.

Melody was roaring at him. "I THOUGHT I MADE YOU REALISE YOU COULDN'T DO SHIT LIKE THAT?!"

Angel found he was finally able to break eye contact. He rooted his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry..."

"BECAUSE AN APOLOGY FIXES EVERYTHING."

Angel wished he could die. He quickly took back that wish, knowing it was an all too real possibility. "I... I'm sorry." He whispered. Angel started crying.

Melody stopped shouting, but she hadn't calmed any. She slapped Angel across the face. "Cut the water works. You don't deserve any. You didn't just break my direct order, you also used your magic. Thanks be to Nightmare Moon that Scootaloo had no idea what happened." Her expression, if possible, darkened even more. "You'd better hope, for your life, that Twilight doesn't figure it out."

Angel shrank back from his mother. "I had to do so much apologizing to Filthy Rich. Diamond Tiara has a swollen jaw. Filthy almost pressed charges. Lucky you seem to be so lovable, because Scootaloo came to your defence. You're also lucky that Diamond Tiara told the truth for once."

Angel looked into her eyes again, this time with surprise as well as fear. "Yes. Diamond Tiara said she had been making fun of you, and that she pushed you too hard. Thank Luna for that. When you see her, you can thank her. And apologize. I asked Scootaloo to make sure you did."

She started to turn away from him.

Angel looked at his hooves. He finally mustered enough courage to whisper a question to his hooves. One he only half wanted her to hear. "Why are you so angry? She was insulting the Killers."

In the silence, she had heard him. Melody rounded on him again, her red eyes almost churning out smoke of their own. "'Why am I so angry?' 'Why am I so' FUCKING 'angry?!'" She exploded. "YOU USED YOUR MAGIC, ALDEN! YOUR MAGIC! DO YOU REALISE HOW MUCH YOU RISKED?! I DON'T CARE IF SHE TIED YOU DOWN AND THREATENED YOU WITH A KNIFE! YOU **DON'T* USE YOUR MAGIC!*"

Angel worked up the courage to glance up at her. "I don't want to look at you right now." Melody said simply, shaking her head. "You broke your promise to me. You almost got caught using magic. Scootaloo somehow forgave you. Some B.S. about it 'not being you'. I don't. I thought I had just taught you patience. Appearently not."

Angel looked imploringly at his father, who simply shook his head. "I agree with your mother. You weren't just foalish, Angel. You were stupid. I understand losing your temper, but you've only ever used magic in extreme times of anger. And you couldn't account for it. Tell me, honestly. Was this an accident?"

Angel looked down at his hooves again. After a long silence, he slowly began to shake his head.

Melody glared at him again. "You're grounded. Flat. Be glad this is your first and, you'd better hope, only punishment. You will leave your room to go to school. You will leave school to come home. I will make sure that Cheerilee has tonnes of homework for you, so you won't see your friends outside of class."

She paused to take in a sharp breath. "You will not have any, and I do mean any, time unaccounted for. I know prefectly well how fast you can fly. You will be home 5 minutes after school. I will make sure Rainbow Dash accompanies you. She will be all too willing after what you did to Scootaloo."

Melody paused for another breath before continuing. "If there is a single minute you are unaccounted for, I will personally put you in the ring for an hour. And you can forget about flight school."

Angel jumped at that. Looking up at his mother, he opened his mouth in protest. She slapped his open jaw, this time dislocating it. Angel let out a howl of pain, but Melody spoke over him."No, that's not debatable. You will stay back this year. Maybe if you're good enough, I'll let you go next year. And before you think of anything you'll regret; Your friends and family, as well as the Elements of Harmony, the Weather Ponies, and pretty much all of Ponyville know what you did. You'll get no sympathy from any of them, and they'll all bring you back here if you try to run away." She let out a snort. "Even Fluttershy is pretty pissed with you, right now."

Angel tried to pop his jaw back into place. He whimpered as he heard the sought after small pop. "If you are unaccounted for, for one minute, I will give you far worse than that dislocated jaw. Now, go to your room."

Angel just lay on the floor, shocked still. It was the first time his mother had ever exploded on him.

Melody glanced over her shoulder and saw Angel hadn't moved. "NOW!" She screamed.

Angel recoiled. He got up, slowly, and turned back into his room, nervous about not being able to keep eyes on the trained murderer.

As he walked over to his bed, Angel heard his door slam shut.

Great going, Angel. Now you've done it.

The Harsh Punishment

Angel sat at his desk, correcting math tests.

After the first three weeks, Cheerilee ran out of homework to give him. After the fourth, he had redone all his work until it his entire grade was 100%.

He had never complained about his punishment. He'd seen the logic his mother had punished him for. He had been stupid to use magic. He risked too much. He couldn't let somepony find out he was an alicorn.

He sat at his desk, the final month of the holidays grinding to an end. He was correcting students' work. Ponies that had summer schooling.

Cheerilee had used all the free time that Angel had given her doing whatever the hay she wanted. Right now, if his guess was correct, she was at the spa.

Angel sighed. He moved the corrected math test to the two inch high pile on his right.

He grabbed another one from on top of the three hoof tall stack on his left.

That's a lot of summer-schooled ponies. Angel peered at the paper, and read the name at the top. "'Ticker'?"Angel muttered. He grabbed another test off the top, and saw the school-name on it. "Manehatten..?" Angel grabbed another, only to find this one marked "Cloudsdale Elementary."

He was correcting tests for damn-near all of Equestria. A quick search proved him wrong. He was correcting for all of Equestria.

Angel sighed, suppressing his rage. He was too tired for displays of strength. He looked down at the paper in his hooves. "Sorry, 'Ticker.' But you did pretty bad."

Five hours of tests later, he heard himself being called for supper, with the accompanied sound of his door unlocking.

Angel walked into the kitchen. He sat down at his chair, neither talking to his mother or father.

"Did you wash the floor?"

Angel considered being snide. The floor was shining. His father had watched him do it. He had to; to let him get in and out of his room. He put the idea behind him, and answered with a small "Yes."

Melody then asked "Did you clean the gutters?"

Angel knew she already had the answer. She was just testing his patience. With a small sigh, he just said "Yes."

"How many tests have you marked?"

Angel had the number implanted in his head. It was all he could do, locked in his room, all day, as he was. "One-hundred, twenty four."

"How many do you have left?"

Angel finally let his patience slip a little. "Including the ones from Canterlot? Two-hundred, thirty eight."

Melody nodded. She obviously knew he had been doing more than just Ponyvilles' tests.

Angel considered losing his temper. He chose curiosity instead. "How did you even get your hooves on all those tests?"

Melody kept working at the pot she stood infront of. "Normally, Celestia gets Twilight to help with the correcting. It's not a task, she enjoys it. Twilight sometimes asks for Cheerilee's help if it gets to be too much, but instead sent her batch of the tests our way. If it pleases you, you've done more faster than Cheerilee has."

Angel sighed. He wanted to be free of his grounding, but he knew Ponyville thought he wasn't fit to look at anymore. He didn't know if he'd leave his room once his grounding was up.

If it ever is.

Angel had apologized to Diamond Tiara the day after his grounding. He had been forced to hold his temper as she beat on him, much to the humor of everypony. Scootaloo wouldn't talk to him, for obvious reasons. He hadn't seen his friends since just before the start of holidays. For all he knew, they thought he was dead.

He looked into the meagre bowl of broth his mother poured him. "Thanks." He said sourly.

After finishing his "soup", his mother sent him back to his room, locking the door behind him.

Angel cursed his luck: Having unnatural endurance had been his biggest defeat: He only had to eat once or twice a week to keep his strength. Though he had had his meals extended, only coming every month. Melody made a better warden then a mother.

He went back to his desk, sitting down and letting out a long breath."...'Hundred twenty five..."

Angel woke up at his desk. He must've fallen asleep there.

He forced himself to look to his left, and silently thanked Luna as he saw he had finished the tests. He picked himself off the desk, groaning as his cramps set in. He took them to his door, tying two strings around them before putting them into a small box and kicking them out the newly-installed flap at the bottom of his door.

Angel threw himself at his bed, forgetting his regular exercises for today. He was just too tired.

He hadn't left the house since the beginning of the holidays. His friends had thought he'd been getting unfair punishment.

Angel winced at the memory: He had stolen five minutes to try and talk to Kyzer and Trax.

They hadn't shot him down, like everypony else. They tried talking to him, but Rainbow had swooped down and grabbed Angel before they could get a word out.

That was the worst five hours of his life. By the time he left the ring, his mother had broken his jaw, as well as his right-foreleg, and fractured both his rear kneecaps.

She hadn't been kidding.

She had gotten Nurse Redheart to come to the house for Angel. He shook his head at the thought. How had she gotten so many ponies to help in his punishment?

Angel sighed. He had no way of knowing. He reconciled himself to just thinking about going outside. His room had no windows, and if he hadn't had a white coat, he would have been sure he'd be pale enough now. He wondered how much ammunition Diamond Tiara had on him now.

Angel, anger quickly fueling his strength, punched his bed as a thought occured to him. Filthy Rich. He was willing to bet anything that that pony had funded Angel's torture.

He felt his anger swell inside him. He couldn't bottle it any longer, but he refused to do anything to prolong his punishment. Instead, he rose from his bed, walked up to the nearest wall, and started smashing his head into it.

Angel woke up in his bed. He looked to his right to see Nurse Redheart at his side.

She smiled at him. "What, were you trying to kill yourself? Darn-near succeeded. You gave yourself a pretty bad concusion."

Angel started at her words. She had to have looked at his head. That meant...She saw the horn...

Angel stared, petrified at the nurse. She leaned in and whispered in his ear "Don't worry, I won't tell."

Relieved, Angel tried to smile, but found he lacked the muscle. Startled, he tried saying something, but all that came out was a low, monotone moan.

The nurse's smile faltered, and she left the room. She came back a few seconds later with Melody. "He can't stay in his room any longer. He's been doing his best to keep fit, but he has been working his muscles too hard. He doesn't have any of the proper vitamins. He needs to get some fresh air, Melody."

Melody looked at her, stubbornly shaking her head. "He can't. He's not allowed."

Nurse Redheart ground her teeth audibly. Through them she spat "Fifteen year olds are not supposed to have strokes."

Melody gasped as she got a full grasp on what the nurse was saying.

Nurse Redheart said it anyway, for full effect. "If you make him stay in here any longer, he'll probably die."

Melody looked at her hooves. She walked over to Angel's bedside. He looked at her, seeing what he thought was tears being held back in the bloody red eyes. He must be getting bad at reading pony's. Melody doesn't cry. He mentally chided himself.

After a long silence, Melody finally spoke. "Alright. But he can't go outside like this."

Nurse Redheart shook her head. "No, he can't. He needs to go to a hospital. Atleast then he'll have a window."

Melody nodded. "Alright." She repeated.

Angel tried to lift his hoof to his mom's face. He wanted her to be happy. If she was happy, he was happy. The effort proved to be too much, and he dropped his hoof after only moving it an inch.

Melody noticed, however, and put her hoof on his. She leaned over and hugged Angel, giving him a kiss as she sat there. "I'm so sorry, Angel." She whispered.

Angel tried to shake his head, and, failing at that, made another attempt at talking. All that came out was a small whimper.

Melody choked. She turned and almost galloped out of the room, confusing Angel.

Nurse Redheart sat in the corner of his room, watching Angel stare after Melody, with only his eyes being able to move. He longed to be able to chase after, and tell her it wasn't her fault.

Redheart stood and walked slowly over to Angel. Kneeling down, she said "Don't worry, Angel. We'll get you moving again. I promise."

She picked up a small box from beside the bedside. Opening it revieled it to be a medical kit. Redheart picked up a small syringe from the box, tapping the end on the side of her hoof to get any obstruction out of the way.

Sure that the needle wasn't blocked, she gently pushed the syringe into Angel's fore-front leg before injecting the syringe into his bloodstream.

Angel watched as the room slowly started to spin and get blurry, before his entire world went black.

Cause and Effect

Angel woke in Ponyville's hospital. The first thing he was aware of was a splitting headache. He tried to sit up in his bed, but didn't have the strength.

Instead, he resorted to exploring his room with his eyes.

He didn't find much to look at. A simple hospital room with two beds, only the second was un-occupied. Angel saw a window to his far right, and, straining his vision, he saw that the moon had risen.

Angel heard the sound of voices outside the door. One he recognised as Nurse Redheart, the other was Melody.

Melody sounded irritated. "I don't care what 'complications have arisen', I want to see my son."

Nurse Redheart tried to explain to her. "You don't understand. He's too weak. We can't risk letting anything foreign into that room. He may catch something as small as a cold and die."

Angel wanted to see Melody. He called to her, but all that came out was a low, pathetic moan.

Melody sounded like she was losing her patience. "Listen, you don't understand. It's been three weeks. I want to see him!"

Nurse Redheart cut her off. "As much as I may want, I can't risk you letting an-" she lowered her voice to a low murmer, making Angel strain to hear her."-an alicorn die because you wanted to see him."

Melody gasped. Angel couldn't here anything anymore. He tried to call again. "Muhhh..." He managed.

Melody's voice came back. "Did you hear that?"

Angel hopes jumped. He tried again, trying volume rather than enunciation. "Uuhh!"

Nurse Redheart was the next to speak. "It sounds like Angel."

Melody instantly regained her irritance. "Then let me see him!"

Angel tried one last time "Maa..." he repeated, his voice losing strength.

Melody must have lost her patience at this. Suddenly, he heard the door open, and the next moment, Melody was at his side.

Angel pulled his lips up into a smile. Or the best he could manage. "Muum..."

He started as Melody began to cry. ...She never cries... He thought with more guarantee than he felt.

Clearing her throat, she murmured softly into his bedside. "Oh, Angel. I'm so sorry. I almost killed you."

Angel shook his head as best he could. "Nnnnuh..." He couldn't move his tongue anymore.

Melody nodded. "Yes, I did. I'm so, so sorry."

Angel lay there, wishing he could form whole words. Nurse Redheart came into the room.

"Y'know, Melody, although I really, really shouldn't, I could try and arrange it for you to stay here now that he's awake."

Melody didn't look away from Angel. "Thank you, Ms. Redheart."

Angel woke again, much later. He felt his mother holding his hoof. He tried to lift his neck, but couldn't muster the strength. Angel loathed the feeling. He could feel every muscle in his body turning, begging to be used, but the signals weren't getting to their places.

Angel let out a frustrated moan, accidently waking his mother.

"Hey, Honey." Melody cooed to Angel.

Angel tried to smile. For the first time, he noticed he had an oxygen mask on. He instead tried talking. "Hhe-"

Melody shushed him. "Shh, Angel. You don't need to say anything. Just go back to sleep."

Angel was surprised to find that that had angered him. He didn't want to sleep. He wanted to go outside. He glanced at the window. It was still dark.

Melody traced his gaze. "Appearently, the doctor says until your body gets used to the sun, you're going to be practically nocturnal."

Angel let out a sigh. He looked at Melody. "I'm sorry to have put you through this, Angel."

He shook his head. "Nu... iiis nuh-"

"Yes, it is my fault. I made you stay there. I kept you there since school ended. You did everything you were told, and I just made you do more." Melody began sobbing again.

Using all he could pull from his reserves he lifted his hoof and tried to comfort her.

Melody grabbed his hoof and put it against her cheek. Her eyes overflowed, and a single tear fell onto his hoof.

Angel shook his head. He put all his effort into trying to form words, each one taking about three minutes."Daa....uhh... Dun kr-krah. Puh...lee..."

This achieved the opposite of the wanted effect. Melody winced everytime he had to restart, and no longer being able to hold it, she burst into tears again.

Angel started to tear up, himself. He tried shaking his head. "Nuuhh..." He trailed off.

Melody gazed up at him. "I'm so sorry..."

Angel lay there with his mother on his arm until he fell asleep again.

Angel woke and saw Melody. Or Melody's back. His mom was talking to somepony in the hospital doorway.

"I'm not sure if he's awake. You're welcome to see if he is."

Angel strained his muscles, but he couldn't lift his head. He had to wait as the ponies Melody was talking to came into the room.

"Trasss.... Ky....." Angel couldn't speak any more.

"Hey, Angel." Kyzer said. "How're you feeling?"

Angel tried to answer in words, but all that came out was a low "uuuh." Angel cleared his throat before trying again. "Guu...." He winced. Giving up on words, he just nodded slightly.

Tracy leaned over. "I tried to get Trix to come with us, but she won't leave her room."

Angel strained his muscle to lift his eyebrow. Trax explained. "She's upset about how you ended up here, man. She had been going on pretty harshly about how you hit Diamond Tiara. She felt horrible when you had your stroke."

Angel looked at his hooves. "Su'y."

Trax shook his head. "It was her own fault, man."

It was, indeed. Angel heard a small voice say.

Suddenly, Angel heard another voice he wished he hadn't. A voice that cut through his thoughts.

"So... I guess this means he's awake?"

Diamond Tiara walked over to his bedside. Angel didn't want to see her. He didn't want her insults. He couldn't put up with it.

Instead, Diamond Tiara took one look at him, choked, and quickly trotted away. Filthy Rich walked over to Melody. He leaned down and whispered into her ear. Angel strained his ears to hear. "I'm sorry about all of this. She's been pretty upset about it. She..."

His voice dropped too low for him to hear, but it must have been something big, because Melody was definitly surprised to hear it.

"Oh! I see..." Not much to go off of. Melody looked back Angel. Thankfully, she didn't start crying again.

Angel did his best attempt of a smile at her before looking over at Trax and Kyzer. He saw them slip a "Get-well-soon" card on his bedside. "Th-" Trax cut him off with his hoof, and simply nodded.

Angel lay in the room with his friends and mother. He lay there in suppressing silence until Nurse Redheart came and pressed that oh-so hated little button.

He looked at his mother with an attempt at humor. "Ni'."

A Wonderful Eve

Criss woke as sunlight flooded the hospital wing.

Where am I?

A more disturbing thought:

Who am I?

As the effects of a long, magic induced sleep wore off, he started to remember everything that had happened.

Oh yeah. Right.

"Hey, kid."

Double was sitting on his bed, with his spine turned at an awkward angle so he could look at Criss. For the first time, Criss had been able to see his Cutie Mark. It was a line, with a bunch of branches coming off of the side, the lines only a bit darker blue than Double Time's coat.

"Hey, Double." It sounded so awkward when he called him by his first name.

"So, I got some bad news."

Great.

"Celestia approved your letters, and you're gonna be sent to E-gen."

Well, it was innevitable.

"On the other hoof, Celestia would like to meet you."

Criss blinked.

Double said "She's waiting outside."

He was definitely the most irritating pony ever.

Now wasn't the time to lose his temper. however; Double opened the hospital-wing door to show the grander of the two sisters.

Celestia

Both the curse, and the real thing.

"Your Majesty." Criss bowed as low as he could in bed.

"Please, I'm Celestia. Just Celestia."

"Yes, your M- Celestia." Criss blushed.

"He is quite a cute child, isn't he?" Celestia asked the sister that had creeped up beside her.

"Yes, indeed." Luna reponded.

Criss's coat was a completely different shade.

"T-t-thank you, yo- Celestia."

"I came to ask how you were feeling?" Celestia said, suppressing a chuckle.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Criss said, quickly remembering his manners.

"That's good. I see your wings are growing back in full. It's a shame not everypony can be as peaceable as we wish. That some even enjoy the violence."

"Uh, Yeah." Criss hadn't understood the word in the middle, "Peacable". He was sure it meant something like "nice".

"Can you walk?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. I have a cast on my leg now, though, so I could probably use crutches."

"Good. Would you like to come to our dining hall?" Celestia smiled, gesturing to herself and Luna.

"Wow, really? You'd want to have lunch with me?" That wasn't supposed to be out loud.

Celestia looked slightly confused. "Of course. Why wouldn't I want one of my little ponies to dine with me?"

"Sure, It'd be great to eat with you two!"

"Good. Double?" The blue unicorn raised his head. "See if you can get Criss some crutches."

The first thing Criss noticed was it was a big dining hall. Really big.

There were 5 long tables lying across the room, a large table seated at their end with two thrones, one white marble, one black jet. The marble throne had red pillows, the jet throne had dark blue.

There was a chair set to the left of the white throne, and, surprisingly, a wooden chair that had been set right in between the princesses thrones.

Because the one on Celestia's thrones' left was mounted to the floor, he figured that the princesses had actually set a chair in between them for him to sit in.

For the first time in a long time, Criss felt like he could be a colt again.

As they sat at the large table at the front, Celestia asked Criss "What would you like to eat, little one?"

If at any other time, anypony said that, Criss would've lost all humor and torn heads off.

As it was, he was a little nervous of chosing anything too unfancy for the Royalty.

"Um... Could I have a sunflower sandwich?"

"Of course."

Celestia turned to a waiter "Could you please bring a sunflower sandwich for this child?"

"Certainly, m'lady-"

"Please, it's Celestia."

"-Certainly, Celestia."

The waiter nodded and wandered off. That was cool. Criss thought. "Uhm... C-Could I have a drink of something?"

"Absolutely, what would you like to drink?"

"I don't know... Water?"

Holding a pitcher of water in her magic, and summoning a cup, she poured Criss a glass of water, and handed it to him. Criss wondered how he was going to hold the glass before he saw the grooves in the bottom and sides for hooves to hold onto the cup with.

"Thank you, Celestia."

"Absolutely."

The evening was turning out quite nicely. Criss completely forgot his worries as the food came out. The princesses turned out not to be as prissy as everypony insisted; laughing and joking and often playing small pranks on each other quite often. Guard ponies filtered in and out, getting lunch breaks at different times.

Eventually, it had to end. "Phew, I'm quite full." Celestia said.

Luna agreed with a small giggle. "Yes, I am quite 'stuffed'."

Criss glanced over at Double, who had glasses on and was completely involved in a book he was reading. His salad was untouched beside him.

Celestia must've followed Criss's gaze, for the next thing she said was "Tch. Double. What a waste of good food."

This made him start. "Sorry, Celestia, I wasn't paying much attention to it at all. It's a really good book."

"Pfft. You sound just like Twilight."

Celestia turned back to Criss. "Would you like to sleep in a proper bedroom tonight?"

Criss thought about it for a moment. Only a moment. "Yes, please. That'd be wonderful." Criss suddenly caught what he had said. "N-n-not that the hospital-wing beds are uncomfortable or anything, it's j-"

"I know." Celestia said with a smile, and Criss slowly calmed down.

"Now, would you like a tour of the palace?" Celestia asked.

"Uh, that'd be fun. Yeah, sure." Criss grinned

Celestia smiled. Double, however, had set down his book and was glaring at the back of Celestia's head, "Celestia..." he began, and sounded somewhat chiding.

Celestia seemed not to hear. "Then we adjorn at once." She said, rising from the table.

As they left the dining hall, Criss figured he should ask. "Uh, I think that Double was trying to talk to you."

"Was he?" So she hadn't heard.

"Yeah, he called you."

"Ah, I see. Don't worry, I'll see what he wanted when we come back."

A few hours later Celestia and Luna had shown Criss most of the palace. "And up there is the observatory. It hasn't got a very good telescope, compared to some of the Canterlot observatories, or even the one in Manehatten. But it's our observatory, so it's good for what we use it for."

Luna broke in. "Stargazing, mostly."

Celestia smiled. Criss was happy. For the first time in a while. A very long while. He had no worries at that particular point in time. He was happy.

"Oh, excuse me, Criss, sister; I need to find the little princesses room."

This rose a chuckle in Celestia. "Criss and I shall be in the observatory." She turned quickly to Criss, a look of... was that worry? "Do you mind?"

"No! Not at all!"

"Good, I would hate to have somepony do something they didn't want."

As they entered the observatory, Criss drank in as many sights as he could. Though there wasn't much to see. He saw the black walls of the observatory, with lines of white to make out constellations and such as they would appear in the night sky. Across from them, there were two glass doors leading onto a balcony with a telescope on it. It was rather small for an observatory, but it was rather appropriate for the sister's matching modesty.

"Criss?"

She sounds upset... Oh, no... Did I do something wrong? "Yeah?" Criss asked cautiously.

"I was wondering, you don't want to go to E-gen, and you don't want to lose your memories, but you don't want to head back to your father." Celestia began. "I was considering; would you rather be raised here? At the palace? With Luna and I?" She had spoken that last part with carefully neutrallity.

"Oh!" Criss thought about it: Honestly, that would be great... but..... But if I did, I would be throwing away the reason I'm here in the first place. And my friends would hate me if they had to split themselves from me and lie to other ponies, just so I could become the princesses new best friend.Or new child.

With that he came to one conclusion. And it damn near ripped him apart.

"I would love to." Celestia's smile deepened, making it harder to say the next part. "But I can't."

"Oh." Celestia never stopped smiling, but instead managed to look confused, happy, and serious, all at the same time. "Why can't you?"

"Well... It's just that if I agreed to stay here, with you and Luna, I would be throwing away the thing that brought me here in the first place. Then there's the fact that I asked my friends to never forget me, and I would try to come back to them. I couldn't let them down and give to palace life." No matter how tempting.

"Then there is all that Double Time and Luna and you have done to get me this far into E-gen. I couldn't throw it all in your faces. Maybe not you, specifically, but definitly not theirs." Criss started crying as he realised what he was saying. "S-so, although I would love to stay here, and at any other time I would... I can't. I'm morally obliged to keep going. All the way to E-gen."

"Oh." Celestia stopped and pondered that for a moment. For a child, he has a sense of duty greater than I. "If this is your choice, I shall not force you. It is merely an option."

Criss sniffed, trying to regain face. "I'm sorry. I really, really, really wish I could. But too many have sacrificed too much to get me this far."

Celestia suddenly realised the reason why Double Time chose this pony.

"So be it. But come now, the sun sets; It is time for dinner, and I think I hear my sister."

Sure enough, as they were walking down the stairs, Luna came walking towards them. "Find anything of interest, you two?"

"Yes." Celestia said.