It the misty, cold night in a forest giving it the illusion of peace but past all the twisted brambles and hollow trees, a bounty was about to be collected.
"He ran of this way right?" a feminine voice said with a hint of panic.
"Who the target, or Swift?" a reply came with anger running within the voice.
"But, yeah, he went this way" the two run through the moonlit path of gravel moving under the hoof-steps of the two and assortments of shrubbery being brushed apart by the muscular fore-hoofs of a earth pony.
"He could be anywhere by now" this earth pony, named Talon Mercury who had a few favors in the wright places had found a more "efficient" way to mash the senses out of his opponents and a fighting style he found appealing.
In his possession two gauntlets fitted with steel, griffon like claws with reactive nerves that could be controlled at will.
"Why does he always have to do this?" Claire said with just as much empathy as a lion would have towards a sheep.
Claire herself was actually the most sympathetic towards Swift out of any of his teammates.
Claire a white unicorn mare with a long elegant gray mane covering her red ruby eyes. Claire clutched in her magic her most prized trophy collector a series of seemingly black yew tree planks forming the "String-Puller" as she called it, a powerful crossbow claiming the heads of 299 changeling and 430 ponies if you asked her she could tell you the details of each one.
"He cant have gotten too far" Talon said a reply came with disappointment.
"I know, he's past that opening" Talon was in shock.
"You knew all along?".
"Of course". They proceeded to walk threw the light fulled path in which Swift could be seen in a position a hunter would not normally be found in, but something along the lines of the hunted.
"Another body for the gutter" a harsh voice said aloud.
"Why ? What have you got to ga.." the assassin formally known as Swift was cut off by the force of a blade being placed down the back of his neck.
A crack of lightning broke the tension "is this the best SHE can do,pathetic".
"A death from behind suites a Imbecile like you" the changeling then began to remove his blade from the corpse.
The Changeling said relaxed "he's finally out of my..."
"Gotcha" a quiet voice whispered.
"Wha?" the changing know as solider #1123 was clearly unaware that no blood was spilled but oil and the blade just pierced a packet of that contained, was held underneath Swifts armor in-case of emergency.
Though it would have been hard to see the difference of color with the amount of rain and mud stuck to him from the chase.
"I say about " there was a long pause before Swift spoke again "30 seconds"
The changeling merely laughed "Ha, what makes you so cocky?, I beat you once" he stopped when he realized Swift was counting down "you're serious aren't you?".
"I was wondering when you'd show up" Swift looked upon the white unicorn in front of him "sorry Changeling, 23 seconds" the response from the changeling was one of anger and shock "THIS is your plan?"
"hang on" Swift looked up at Claire "is Talon here?" A sigh was followed by "yes"
Swift with a newborn smirk on his face looked the changeling directly in the eye. "yes THIS, is my plan" Swift putting the emphases on "this" to mock or at least anger the target after he acted like Swift was nothing.
This only caused a uproar of laughter from the changeling.
"You nearly got me , who's this, your marefriend? and Talon, your big brother?"
"You really shouldn't have called her that" Swift said trying to help the changeling.
Swifts coat was quickly drenched in dark thick green blood as he noticed Clairvoyance had hit 1123 in the directly in the forehead from point blank range. Claire sighed as she noticed Swift's eyes wandering "he was right" a cold but elegant voice spoke which then suddenly switched to a more aggressive one "WHAT!?!".
Swift spoke seriously "ah Talon".
only a whimper left the changeling as he saw this.
A few seconds passed before the wounded changeling lost all sense of masculinity by letting out a horrified scream similar to that of a little filly's.
"Well 1123 if I were you I would run" Swift gave a quick thoughtful look to himself.
"yep definitely run" and before he could react a grey blur rush past his vision. That was followed by the sound of flesh and bones being torn to shreds as well as there being a attempt to scream through the blood now blocking the victims throat. A inhumane chuckle could then be heard through the silence of night.then a cocky voice called from where this life was mutilated.
"I told you I could do it!" he then reviled in his metal, griffin like claw that a heart was laying there.
"Is it still beating?" Claire said in a mix or confusion and disgust.
"He just got lucky" Swift remarked.
Talons was proudly displaying his trophy when the groups chatter was interrupted by a scream which Swift could tell it's owner, was a middle aged female Swift needed to know more about her but she was gone in a flash.
"alone?" he asked collecting his thoughts.
"of course" Claire responded
"Age?"
"23"
"Race?"
"Earth"
"Family?"
"Highly unlikely"
"occupation?"
"judging from her cutiemark" there was a pause "Um? apple, apple, apple farmer?"
There was a brief pause before Swift asked the next question.
"In sight?" Claire responded by using her magic to elevate her crossbow to her eye
"Oh, yes" she said with a smile appearing upon her face she then shot a bolt shimmering in the moonlight as it missed the back of the leg but instead leaving a cut along the outside of the leg.
"your aim is off, you feeling okay?" Swift asked concerned to which Claire responded with.
"fine just, feeling merciful" Swift was no longer concerned with the witness but with his close friend. "you know, we could take a break, after this mission of course" Swift had plans to do this sooner but they were all a few bits short of a pouch as Talon put it. Claire sighed clearly depressed and not trying very hard to hide it "you're just going to let her get away?" Swift found a grin start to form upon his face at his friends new found look on the situation and dove into action by chasing down the out of place civilian. before leaving he turned to Talon "you know, changelings have two hearts, right?"
It was a good three minutes following the trail of blood as it turns out her aim wasn't that far off as it must of made a fairly deep cut to spill this much blood. Swift found himself at the door of a small house "but not small enough for one pony" he stated under his breath.
He looked for a way in, then he noticed a voice "oh dear lord Marry what has happened?" Swift taking in the view of the house noticed a open window. He then proceeded to fly up to a tree's out-sticking branch,then processed to climb in through the window as to the dread of the couple sighting him.
"what she saw was the works of me and my" he looked both the mare and stallion over before finishing.
"colleague's, and we work by a saying the less people know, the better" Swift was blatantly lying to intimidate his victims. A panicked voice spoke "we won tell anyon.." The panicked stallion was cut off by a now sinister pegasus
"SHUT UP!, now comes my favorite part" with a abnormally quick movement of his wings he sent his blade out of his belt to place it into his hooves.The gust of wind sent several household objects around the room.
"Now you promise not to tell anypony?"
"of course we do" the stallion said on behalf of both of them.
"well okay fine I guess I, don't have to kill you,". a sigh passed threw the air as a tense silence broke out. Swift stayed blocking the window smiling.
"now I only have to find a way for you to keep your promise" he began to walk slowly towards the two ponies. A maniacal laughter broke out followed by a gasp of breath.
"I have the best idea".the too defenseless ponies now knew he had no intention to leave before making his point. Swift with a single fluent movement he dashed and suddenly stopped his blade spinning in his hoof before asking though it sounded more like a order
"please, open wide". the mare screamed which was exactly what he needed quickly painfully placing the blade onto her tongue not slicing just waiting.
"now, just stay still". several panicked breaths escaped the mares lungs and in a flash he pushed down forcefully down onto the tongue slicing threw it with ease.She had a fast reflex as he practically yelled."Quit, Moving!". The cut was a deep one on second inspection even revealing it had left the bottom of her mouth with a great cut spilling out blood as she screamed. A chuckle filled the air.
"I give you half a minute".Swift said almost psychotically, She began to run for the door screaming at the top of her lungs.She collapsed onto the floor.
"half a minute if she stood still"
"you, you monster!" a voice from the corner of the room whimpered.Swift was now filled with anger "do you not like my style?"
"what style you " the voice began to stutter "you, you, you" it was a while before he finished "you, just, kill"
"and when I have seen" It was strange swift paused "all this darkness, and it will keep visiting me again and again and" Swift was repeating to himself over and over again before saying "I just stopped fighting".
He ending it quickly as he placed the blade through the skull of the stallion.Blood plating onto his crimson coat covering his cutiemark.
"great" Swift said cynically "a stain".
Swift was just about to leave before anyone saw these foolish out of place idiots. But before he heard something that would change everything. You see Swift did work by a saying. No children , no matter the pay no children, no visual, physical or mental harm to children. "Mama?" Swift's heart sank.
"Sir do you know where my mother is" she could have only be 6 years old at the most "sir?"
"She, uh, She's" the sadness filling Swift was unlike any other his life was never glamorous but this was just to much for him
"she's gone kid"
" where too mister?" That voice was the one thing Swift couldn't stand.I have to leave her, no she's to young to fragile.
"Mister are you okay?"
"Yeah kid I'm fine, do you know where your gran lives?"
"Of course I do"
"Then you can lead the way to your sleepover" Swift said with false enthusiasm.
"Oh, I never had a sleepover "
"Well get your stuff, we'll take the secret path" The filly had collected a few items pillows,PJ's and a teddy bear.
"What's her name?" Swift said pointing to the stuffed bear.
"His" she corrected " is Bloomberg"
"well lets go" Swift lead the way through the child's window "hop on" he said prompting the little filly to climb onto his
back and she did so. Then he flew off just to land quickly in the shadows.
"where does your gran live then?" Swift was getting impatient, images of the child's eyes flashing through his mind.
"this was, its the big farm" Swift sighed he knew that house and who lived there. they walked up to the Farm and knocked onto the door. A soft voice came from within "Hello?" the yellow fairly old pony looked down "well what do we have here?"
"its me Granny Smith"
"oh child why are you here so late?"
"for a sleep over, this nice man told me my mother has gone away" the child looked to her right that was once the location of Swift was now nothing but air.
"oh dear me, come in dear"
Swift over heard the conversation and noted how she would grow up without parents. there was nothing he could do. nothing more for the child. a tears built up in his eyes but not allowing any to leave.He walked back to his team mates. thinking the event over and over again in his mind.
"hey Swifty what kept you?" Talon was clearly wound up by Swifts slight detour.
"you gonna answer me?, hello Equestria to Swift?, you in there?"
Talons series of comments were interrupted by Claire's soft voice "what that in your bag?"
Swift just opened his bag and then proceeded to lift the item out with his wings. The item removed was enough to make the silent night some what quieter. Claire was just bowing her head in self shame and disappointment "NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOO!"
Talon was shocked "not your rule?" Swift just looked down with the teddy held tight under his wing "I knew you would man up one day" the caused Claire to shoot Talon a mean look and hit Talon with her crossbow's stock "ARGH, WHAT THE HELL!?" Claire took no notice in Talon's pain "is she .... dead?"
Talons screams stopped as he too awaited for the answer.
"no" Swift quiet voice said barely audible.
"well why the hell are you so sad?" Talon was silenced again this time just by a forceful shove of the crossbow barer.
"is she safe" Claire asked with clear concern.
"as far as I can tell" Swift said mustering all his strength.
"we turning him in then" Swift said as he kicked the now some what rotten corpse of the changeling.
"sure" Talon said as he lifted the corpse upon his back "back to home base we head" Claire said with false hope.
