My Friends

Fluttershy awoke normally, looking around the room she had stayed in for almost seven months. The days had passed quickly, her training becoming more brutal by the day, always ending with a hug from her mentor, a bath and sleeping.

Over the months Achilles had taught her how to climb, defend herself from incoming attacks, use a weapon properly on a test dummy, and how to counter incoming attacks, her body had become more muscular, but stayed slim to keep her looking like the mare she was. Her attitude had changed, becoming more assertive and meaningful with her words, although her tone of voice hadn’t grown much louder, she could speak freely without stopping herself or stuttering.

The mare had changed greatly, becoming more and more like an Assassin each day. She could take anything Achilles could throw at her, being hoof to hoof combat with Achilles himself, despite his old age, the stallion could fight like he was young. During the third week of her training, Fluttershy was introduced to fighting, she practiced with Achilles daily and usually was the first to give up or Achilles would stop for her to keep her from crying, which happened almost everyday for the first month of her combat training.

She had even practiced with a hood, like a normal Assassin. Only her hood was made from a potato sack, Achilles hadn’t given her any real hooded suit yet.

She had been introduced to the dual hidden blades, strapping around her two front hooves in a tight fitting bracer. She had learned that the best way to fight was on her hind legs, standing up like a dragon or any other bipedal creature.

The bow and arrow had been one of Fluttershy’s favorite weapons, the mare could hit a target from fifty hooves away on the bullseye. The mare would put the bow, and the ten arrows she kept on her back at all times during training, getting used to the feel of them and the hidden blades.

The flintlock pistol was one of the mare’s least favorite weapons to use, it was loud, heavy and much less accurate than the bow.

“Flutters?” Achilles asked, clapping his hooves in front of the mare’s daydreaming face as she lounged on the couch.

Fluttershy sat up. “Yes?” She asked with a smile.

“Come with me.” He said. “I want to show you something.”

The stallion wobbled off in the kitchen’s direction, Fluttershy followed close behind, ready for the days upcoming workout. Achilles stopped at the record player, turning the crank to start it up.

The mare heard a song she had only heard a few times before, it was different than the one from her first night in the house, but strangely similar.

Achilles stopped at a candle that hung from the wall and pulled it downwards, to the mare’s right, a door in the wall creaked open, revealing a staircase that led down into a dark room.

“Come.” Achilles said, walking down the steps.

Fluttershy followed closely behind, when they got to the bottom of the stairs, Achilles lit a match and lit a candle.

“Close your eyes.” He said.

Fluttershy obliged.

Fluttershy listened to Achilles go around the room, lighting match after match, lighting more candles to illuminate the room.

“Open up.” Achilles said, standing beside Fluttershy.

Fluttershy opened her eyes, revealing a giant room, the walls looked like a candy store for weapons, swords, axes, flintlocks and daggers were arranged on the walls, one wall was like a boutique for Assassin outfits. Fluttershy counted quickly, estimating that there were over ten hooded coats.

But the real prize was in the center of the room. It was a white coat with blue trimming down the front pieces, the hood was also white, the hood had a triangular piece sticking off the front, bearing a sewn in eagle was meant to cover a pony’s eyes and most of their face, leather straps bound the torso of the robes together, serving for weapon sheaths down the middle it was buttoned up, leading down to a red cloth belt that bared the assassin insignia. the pants were black for a few inches then went into worn, brown, leg length boots for her hind legs. The sleeves concealed the right hidden blade, but the right also held the insignia and stood out so anypony could see.

“Try them on.” Achilles said, walking up the stairs to give privacy. “Then come up, I need you to fetch me something in Canterlot.”

A shadow moved through the dark hallways of Canterlot castle, one second it was on the ground, the next it was on the ceiling, climbing overhead of patrolling guards. A door opened, revealing a large beam of light on the landscape, overhead, the shadow was revealed as a disguised Fluttershy.

“...Twilight, I’ve already told you about this.” Rainbow Dash talked into a small device attached to her ear. “She’s not coming back.”

There was a louder voice in the earpiece, but not enough so the hooded mare could hear.

“I didn’t mean to!” Rainbow yelled.

“Are they still arguing about me?” Fluttershy asked herself, climbing down the walls to get a better look.

The hooded mare stuck to the shadows, passing the guards with stealthy perfection.

Rainbow Dash opened a door, lighting the hallway again and quickly shutting it behind her. Fluttershy noticed that there were no guards in this hallway, so she quickly scampered for the door, silently pressing an ear to it.

The mare felt a strand of her mane come from behind her ear, she quickly brought her hoof up and put it back behind. The robe was designed to help hide her mane, but not her tail.

“Where could she have gone?!” Twilight voice asked from behind the door. It seemed like they were face-to-face now. “She couldn’t have gone too far.”

“She disappeared, Twi.” Rainbow said. “I don’t know.”

“Pinkie Pie doesn’t do things like this! She doesn’t run off like Fluttershy!” Twilight shouted.

The door suddenly opened, causing Fluttershy to fall forward into the light of the room.

“Ah think we have bigger problems, girls.” Applejack said, grabbing the mare by the hood and dragging her inside.

“An Assassin, what a nice surprise.” Twilight said, stepping away from Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy stayed face down to hide her identity, the last thing she wanted was for them to know who she was.

“Bring him here.” Rainbow said, stepping closer.

Fluttershy was on her back knees, still facing down, away from their gazes.

“You Assassin’s, always hiding under your hoods, show me your face!” Rainbow Dash said, smashing Fluttershy across the face with a powerful hoof.

Applejack had Fluttershy’s arms behind her back, keeping her up straight.

“No.” Fluttershy said, trying to disguise her voice the best she could.

“Oh, a mare, this should be extra fun.” Applejack said.

“Who do we have toda-”

The rainbow maned pegasus ripped the hood down, holding the familiar mare by the mane tightly, pulling her head back to look into her eyes.

Rainbow Dash had a look of confusion on her face, she drew back from the mare, letting go of her mane, a symphony of gasps echoed through the room.

“Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, “Why would you...”

Dash drew her hoof back and slugged the mare again, causing her to yelp in pain, she could taste the blood coming from her nostrils.

“Fuckin’ traitor.” Rainbow mumbled, hitting her in the stomach.

“You call yourself an Assassin?” Rarity asked, stepping in front of the mare. “You're just a scared mare.” Rarity delivered a kick to Fluttershy’s chest, launching her backwards when Applejack let go.

“Most of you at least put up a fight.” Applejack said, smirking and grabbing the mare from the ground, slamming her head into the stone wall.

Fluttershy’s body hurt. She wasn’t prepared to be discovered and beaten like this, by the ponies who she once called friends. She felt blood seep through her head and through her mane onto the wall, streaking down as she fell against it.

The mare wasn’t ready to fight, as much as she thought she was, she hadn’t been. She felt like she was going into shock from the situation.

“Pathetic.” Rainbow said, kicking her stomach so she was trapped in the corner of the room.

Fluttershy stood up as best as she could, stumbling towards the door in a slow escape.

“You come in here, thinking you can fight?” Twilight laughed, opening the door for the mare. “Go tell your pathetic creed to keep trying, you’ll all die by our hooves.”

Fluttershy stripped the tape off of her wings and flew towards the train station, as much as she hated to, she admitted defeat.