A Fallen Angel

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.