The Assassin's Song

by Productive faffer

The life of an assassin: questions, the constant threat of death and the fact that you work until your dying breath. However, one refuses to be intimidated by death, refuses to live by the rule of 'killer 'till killed' and above all, he refuses to be denied his answers. His question is as follows: who, or what, is behind his final contract? And just where will it lead him?

27. The end of an era

Chapter twenty seven: The end of an era

Scootaloo wept. And wept. And wept…

She wept for many reasons; her death wasn't what weighed so heavily on her mind, not that her existence had come to an end, but it what came with it that truly broke her; she felt a hole in her chest grow steadily as each realisation hit her: the rest of the Cutie mark crusaders, Rainbowdash, her other friends, the parents she'd always wanted to know more about but now never would, the family she'd never have with Twilight and maybe Blood Moon…her cutie mark.

Perhaps she should have felt selfish, maybe she should have been disappointed with herself for the excess pain in her chest when she realised that she would never see the mark on her flank, that she'd never know what her true talent was, what her destiny would be. That she'd never truly left the ranks of the 'blank flanks.'

How much would she miss? Who would miss her? Would she be remembered by anypony? Why had she died anyway? Was it that mare who'd grabbed her when Blood Moon had showed up? So many questions spun through her mind, so many things she wanted to know, wanted other ponies to know, but now she'd never be able to know, now she'd never be able to tell everypony else. What it had truly meant to have friends like Applebloom and Sweetie-Belle in her life. How much she'd wanted to thank Rainbowdash for taking her under her wing. Everything she'd wanted to do in her life…

Death watched silently. A crying filly. She'd seen this sight too many times to count, but she'd never truly get used to it; not like a soldier, or an old stallion or mare, not like somepony who'd gladly give their life for somepony else or, who wasn't afraid to die because they'd already lived their life. But the filly before her, no older than ten, she hadn't lived her life to any degree of entirety; she'd had just enough to get a taste and want more, but the prospect of life and living had already been stolen from her by some cruel, cruel fate. She watched the filly weep for what must have been hours, the small orange pony sat on her flank, her back arched in defeat, her fore-legs resting on the flat of purgatory while her head remained bowed, her sobs leaking from her maw as tears fell from her face and hit the ground, sending ripples through the floor.

Death waited patiently. The filly would rise and meet her fate when she was ready. Still… She couldn't help but feel slight pity for her; she didn't even have a cutie mark yet. As she sobbed and wept, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath, she seemed to quieten as her strength left her, her resolve for self-pity crumbled as a hard-headed personality and strength shone through, although, it was a very dim light.

The filly looked up at the mare, finding that she was still watching her with an endless patience, and sniffled a few times. More questions suddenly flooded her mind, questions she shouldn't have really cared about at the time, but battered their way into her trail of thought either way; since when was death a mare? Where was her infamous cloak and scythe? Why was it that she was so welcoming rather than repulsive? Why was her presence such a…comfort to her? She felt herself reminded of Blood Moon; a pony who sewed death and reaped it with just as much skill, but somehow she was still seemed…friendly almost. Scootaloo's strength cracked again as the image of the blood red eyed stallion crossed her mind, her gaze going to the floor to hide her tears in their magnitude.

The Pegasus broke down completely when she that realised she didn't want to die.

The dam broke and she fell to the flat where her hooves had rested, covering her face with her fore-legs and shaking with each sob that escaped her. She didn't want to die. It wasn't her time. It wasn't her turn yet. She wasn't ready. She hadn't even learned to fly yet! What kind of Pegasi couldn't fly!? There was so much she had to do yet, so much she wanted to say; to tell Blood Moon how bad she felt for judging him so harshly, to tell Twilight how grateful she was to have agreed to mother her. She looked to the floor and clenched her jaw as her tears poured from her eyes as she remembered her brief time with her family.

Sitting outside with Twilight, the two just hugging.

Laying with Blood Moon when he'd first told her he'd take her in.

The day she'd first met him, how she'd looked up at him with curiosity and fear as 'Dash had held her to her chest.

When Blood Moon had picked her and her friends up from the school, deciding to tell

Cheerilee that she was his daughter. And how almost heartbroken she'd been.

Waiting up for him that night, finding him watching her with the affection in his gaze while she dreamt of him taking her away from the orphanage forever.

The pain cut through her like a hot knife when she realised how she'd left him; she'd told him she hated him, maybe she had at the time, but now that she'd lost him…she felt the hole in her chest grow. She hadn't been able to apologise. Who was she kidding? He hadn't heard her last words, she hadn't been able to hold on long enough. The tears kept falling as her mouth opened to sob, but nothing came out, just a silent scream of frustration and grief as the tears kept falling.

Death lowered her head in pity; it seemed this filly had too much to live for to want to die yet. She had too many ponies, loved ones and friends, too much love to give before she passed away. But it was beyond her now. She wasn't going back.

Only one could go back.

Death moved as silent as a plague, stopping before Scootaloo. The filly looked up, her eyes filled with heart-breaking tears, and found the dead white and endless black mare looking down at her with a kind of empathetic pity in her gaze. The filly did nothing but keep crying, silent now, as the mare reached down and wrapped her fore-leg around her neck, her head going the other side as she embraced her. Scootaloo was confused at first but soon didn't care; she just wanted comfort now. She wept quietly into the mare's shoulder.

Scootaloo didn't stop her crying for a while, not until she'd dried her tear ducts, wept herself raw. Death helped her up and guided her away from the spot she'd been sat upon for the last few hours. She trotted slowly, their steps echoing around them like explosions. They trotted in silence for a while until Scootaloo spoke up.

"Uh, e-excuse me? D-Death, ma'am?" Death looked down at her charge.

"Yes, little one?" Scootaloo looked back up at the aspect of death for a while before she answered; why was she so mesmerised by this mare? How is it that something so ugly and brutal as death could be so…beautiful and perfect? She reminded her of Celestia in the way she held and carried herself; she was motherly, caring and compassionate, but the little filly felt that this mare ousted even the solar princess in that respect. It was a strange sensation, in that she felt as though this mare should be intimidating in her beauty and poise, but she was just so welcoming. Scootaloo realised she'd been silent for the last few minutes and swallowed, looking away from Death.

"W… What's going to happen to me?" Death was silent for a while, prompting Scootaloo to look up. Death had her head cocked slightly, her grey eyes watching Scootaloo with curiosity.

"Strange" she said quietly "a pony of your age has never asked me that before" she murmured. She looked away from Scootaloo and to the sky, prompting Scootaloo to look up with her. The void cast white fog, high above them, forming a dome of obscurity that sounded them on all sides. Death's gaze seemed to scare the fog away before long, and it soon scattered. Above, Scootaloo was met with a sight she would never forget; stars. But like no stars she had ever seen before; they seemed closer than that of the night skies she'd seen in Ponyville, even when looking through Twilight's telescope. It was almost like she could reach out and touch them. There were more of them too, so many more. Their abundance was almost unnatural, too many for even Luna to command. The shined brightly, all of them, some winking down at her, others shining proudly while more still formed images in the skies.

Before Scootaloo could question Death's actions, the mare had spoken.

"That, is what will happen to you" she said quietly. Scootaloo looked at Death for a second, suddenly noticing they had both stopped.

"I… I don't get it. I'll become a star?" Death nodded without looking down from those heavenly skies.

"In a way, yes. Your life may have been short, but it was also good. You stood up in the face of loneliness, searching for a family to love, making friends that accepted you. You, despite any shortcomings" Scoot's wings tingled slightly "have always risen to the challenge, even going on to face your fears. Your life, despite being painfully short-lived, was one of goodness and integrity. For that, you will rest eternally amongst the spirits of those who came before you." Scootaloo looked back to the stars.

"You mean…" Death nodded.

"Yes, everypony to have left Equestria, all good, now rest amongst the stars. You will live in total comfort, never wanting for anything. You will be free to watch those close to you and those who come after. You will meet all who came before you and all to come after" she explained. Scootaloo was quiet for a while, prompting Death to look down at the silent pony. To the aspect of death's slight surprise, she seemed even gloomier.

"So…I'll be able to watch them...but I won't be able to speak with them? Rainbowdash, my friends, Blood Moon and Twilight, I'll just have to watch them?" Death nodded.

"Yes, this is true." Scootaloo looked back at the rippling surface that she was sat on, feeling her pain well up again. She needed to change the subject, move her thoughts away from that…hole in her.

"W…well…I… W-what about the bad ponies" she tried in an attempt to distract herself. Death shrugged slightly.

"To Tartarus with them" she said absently "to writhe in torture for all eternity at the hooves of the devil and the other atrocities that are trapped with him" she explained. It was clear she had no wish to dwell on the subject. "Now, come child, it is time." Scootaloo blinked, her tears blurring her vision slightly, as she stood and followed Death.

"T-time for what?" Death looked down at Scootaloo.

"For your judgment" she answered. Scoots couldn't help but swallow. Death looked back to their path as she continued. "Fear not, you possess the innocence of youth" she assured. The filly nodded and continued to trot with Death in a seemingly random direction.

"So… What's the…the judgment?" Again, Death shrugged.

"Exactly that; you will be judged on your past actions and judged if you are bound for the heavens, or hells" she answered. Scootaloo nodded again.

"Who will…judge me?" Death stopped and Scootaloo came up beside her, watching the blank and empty space before them. Death didn't answer the filly's question for a while; in the end, she simply raised her hoof.

"Him" she answered as a black smoke swirled around with the white fog for a second before it spewed out from the deep mist and formed a towering figure. The figure had no features and very little in the way of features. There were three things to this big, giant thing: he sat at a desk. His body was formed from flickering, flame-like shadows. And his eyes were glowing, flickering, blood red orbs. For a moment, Scootaloo thought Blood Moon had come to save her, to strike a deal with Death or something, but it was soon revealed to be a pointless hope. This figure was not a pony. He had a straight back, his fore-legs more flexible than that of a pony, and he seemed to have claw-like appendages at the ends of his limbs. His mane reached down to his shoulders, flickering and burning constantly, and draped over the black suit that was quickly forming over his burning black body. The stitching and threads soon formed a well-tailored, black suit, a blood red tie around his neck and a shirt as white as the void over his chest. The desk of black fire before him soon settled, forming black wood, polished to such a degree Scootaloo could see herself in its reflection. Her, but not Death.

The figure had completely arrived, his black suit covering his body; leather gloves over his strange claws; the desk, at least fifty stories high, carved from black oak; his black mane flickering like the figure's face; while his evil orbs of blood red watching Scootaloo, staring at her, knowing everything about her.

Faced by this malevolent figure of supreme majesty, Scootaloo had but one thing to say:

"Meep!" The filly darted around Death's legs, hiding behind her, and quivered in fear.

"Scootaloo Skyburner the first. You stand before the Representative. Your judgment is at hand."

'Skyburner the first?' 'At hand?' What's he talking about?'

The 'Representative' had a huge voice. The smallest of breaths followed suit with his one hundred story high stature, shaking the very ground she trotted upon. He had an eternally deep voice, his words coming out in a bellow that echoed through the empty space endlessly.

Meanwhile, Death looked back at Scootaloo, finding her terrified form hidden behind her, and looked back at the Representative.

"She's scared and young, Representative, I shall speak for her." The Representative looked to Death.

"So be it. Make her case."

Death nodded once.

"She was taken from life on the eighth day, of her ninth month on her tenth year. Scootaloo Skyburner the first was once the daughter of Hardwheels Skyburner the second and Driftwind Cloudturner the seventh. She was recently taken under the wing of Rainbowdash Stormbringer the first in a sisterly bond, and adopted by Blood Moon Shadow Weaver the third, whose lover, Twilight Sparkle Starweaver the first, agreed to mother her along with him."

The Representative nodded.

"Blood Moon, indeed? I see… Continue."

Death nodded once.

"She has lead a short life, full of loneliness she has met with courage and hardship she has met with fortitude. She is a natural born…" The next words were blocked to Scootaloo's ears, the Representative and Death's discussion of the cutie mark she didn't have held back from her. She wasn't exactly sure why, but she could only put it down to some kind of mercy; that she wouldn't be teased by what would have been. "…Though, she did realise this" Death finished, her voice coming back. The Representative nodded.

"I see. A pity, that she did not realise her destiny. Continue."

Death nodded once.

"Scootaloo is an honest and brave child. She gained the respect, friendship and love of those around her through honest means, despite ample opportunity for guilt-trip manipulation. Upon finding fear within the darkness, she found courage in those she held closest to her heart. When met with challenge, she rose to it, standing by her friends and loved ones. Though not always the voice of reason, she has always been loyal to those close to her. It is because of these reasons, I deem her fit for an eternity amongst the stars and peace within closure." The Representative nodded his head.

"Agreed." He turned his gaze to Scootaloo, who had left the safety of the protection of Death to watch the two of them talk. "Scootaloo Skyburner the first, by result of your integrity, bravery and honesty, I deem you fit for eternal solaces amongst those who came before you."

Death looked to the left.

The Representative followed her gaze and a deep, rumbling sigh escaped him. A black blaze was burning up the fog of the void, the fires burning up the smog, ashes flitting away as the flames ate up the fog.

"W-what's that" Scootaloo asked as it drew closer to them at an alarming rate. She looked up to find the Representative watching her with an estranged gaze. Scootaloo looked to Death, who was watching her with the same expression. "W-w-why're you looking at me like that" she asked timidly, backing away from them. Death fixed her with another pitying look.

"It seems…somepony isn't ready to give you up just yet" Death told her. Scootaloo looked between Death and the Representative as they flittered away, the mountainous figure behind a desk that dwarfed many of the buildings of Manehatten burning away quickly as Death gave her a small smile. "You're a lucky filly" she said before she was swallowed by her mane and tail, falling into the abyss after the flow they both gave, leaving Scootaloo alone with the black flames but a few paces away. She swallowed lightly before it hit her as she felt her resolve crumble, her fear gripping her as she covered her head with her fore-legs, little good it would do against the raging tidal wave of flame heading towards her.

The black flame met her fur and skin, and… Well, the rest does not bare description.

---

Scootaloo shook. Her body trembled in trauma, her mind numb, her spirit cracked, near broken.

'What just happened to me?'

Scootaloo's senses were blurred and numbed, her mind disorientated while her stomach churned violently, like she was aboard a badly-rocking ship. Her eyes were clamped shut and unfocused, her ears buzzing, but she could feel herself in the fetal position, wrapped up in her fore-hooves, her tail forming part of a small cocoon around her. She could feel the tingling all over her body slowly dispersing, as it did, she made out more details of her surroundings; as the buzzing faded, she discovered that wherever she was seemed silent; as the blurring in her eyes went away, showing the backs of her eyelids, it was revealed that wherever she was seemed pitch black; and thanks to the weird 'pins and needles' feeling leaving her, she figured out she was laying on something soft.

Her throat was dry, her stomach empty and she was in desperately stiff. The combination of sensations prompted her to try and move. She didn't get very far. She groaned lightly, shifting herself slightly, attempting to turn over and get her blood pumping properly.

"Scootaloo?" Said filly heard a familiar voice say her name, though she couldn't place it. She opened her eyes to find a blinding darkness meet them, but she could make out the silhouette of a pony. She heard the sound of a horn sparking to life, so that was RD out, and a grey glow emit from it, so that only left…

"B-Blood Moon" she asked the grey glow, her vision still blurry and unclear, but she could make out the grey stallion sat next to her, sat on the bed she was apparently laying upon, leaning against the wall.

"Are you awake" the dark stallion asked as her vision cleared, slowly but surely, and began to make out more details of the stallion. She shifted, making a small attempt to nod her head.

"Yeah" she managed to mumble out. She could make out the stallion shifting down to her.

"Are you alright?" Her eyes finally cleared and she could now clearly see the assassin, illuminated by a dim, grey light. The assassin. The stallion who she'd met, and quickly grown to love as her father, who'd quickly come to adore her. It had all changed when he'd told her what he did, but her time in the void had shifted her perspective. But right now though, there were other things on her mind.

"W-whaa" she managed to drawl out, wrapping her fore-legs around whatever she could get a hold of. She suspected it to be some awkward grip of his skull or something. "W-what happened, where are we, w…what happened to me?" She heard him take a deep breath, laced with regret, and felt him push her off of him until he shuffled up a little and pulled her in again, careful to be gentle with her sleepy and frail form. He wrapped his hooves around her barrel and pulled her in tight.

"You… You were…you…died, Scootaloo, murdered by that mare" he answered. Scootaloo answered him by squirming into his protective hold a little more.

"But…why? What happened, who was that mare?"

"That mare, was a really bad pony. She was a mercenary, like Sand Stalker, only very cruel. She was scared, I had her cornered, so she decided to use you as a shield. I killed her" he told her, not bothering to hold anything back anymore "but she'd already cut you, with a poisoned knife, it seems." Scootaloo nodded slightly and thought about it, breathing in the faint scent that was washed away blood on the stallion embracing her.

"I…I think I remember" she murmured, casting her mind back to an unwelcomed place. She could recall the ponies, or mercenaries, approaching the cottage; she and the rest of the Cutie mark crusaders had been outside, playing, while Fluttershy and Rarity had been finishing up the outdoor chorus for the day, not to mention calling in the three fillies. They had been grabbed quickly, the mare shouting something about 'drawing him out' before Rarity had managed to scream for the others. Sand Stalker, AJ, RD and Twi had soon showed up, Spike having been apparently told to stay inside, and the mercs quickly took the fight to what they must have seen as an easy win. Scootaloo remembered squirming and struggling, trying to escape, but had soon felt a white-hot pain in her side. That must have been the cut Blood Moon mentioned. Apparently, they hadn't counted on Blood Moon turning up so soon. "B-but what happened after" she asked quietly. She heard Blood Moon take another deep breath through his muzzle, laced with shame or sorrow or…something, something else she couldn't place. He released her from the hug and held her away a little, cradling her in his right fore-hoof while his left went to her own. He took her little hoof in his bigger one, and held it to the light. She found a small scar on the flat of her hoof and an identical one on his.

"Scootaloo, before I explain this to you, I want you to know…the only reason I did this, was because of how many ponies were hurt by your passing, and that I didn't make this decision lightly" he uttered quietly, but the still and silent room made his words come out as a rushing wind through a still and tranquil forest "and, that if you weren't so young, I wouldn't have gone through with it." Scootaloo gulped lightly as she turned her hoof a little, looking at her new scar from different angles.

"W…what did you do?" He took another deep breath before he answered.

"I…I shared my blood with you." The filly frowned and looked up at him.

"What does that mean?" His downtrodden face was cast in small shadows, thanks to the glowing in his horn.

"It means…" he sighed, searching for words "Scootaloo, you're like me now." When the revelation hit her ears, her eyes widened in shock, the corners going down in dread as the thoughts of what may come of her hit her, after watching how Blood Moon had gotten over his long life.

"You…you mean I…I'm immortal." He nodded his head.

"Technically." Scoots frowned. How was one immortal yet not immortal?

"Technically?" He nodded once more.

"You… You'll live longer, much longer, than most ponies. One thousand five hundred years at a guess. But, until your 'natural life' expires, in around eighty years or so, you're as un-killable as me." The phrase 'un-killable' made Scootaloo shudder.

"You mean…"

"Like what happened, yes" he answered her unasked question. "That was what I go though, every time I come back." Scootaloo instantly buried her head into his chest, nuzzling and hugging him with all her worth, while her wrapped his fore-legs around her again. She couldn't have imagined that kind of pain before, but going through it again… It didn't bare the thought. "Actually, I'm rather proud of you; when I first went through that, I couldn't move for three days" he told her. Scootaloo smiled slightly.

"That's because you didn't have you to cuddle" she told him. The assassins grunted lightly, prompting the filly in his hooves to look up at him. "What's wrong" she asked him, finding a slightly his slightly pained face. He looked down and smirked slightly.

"Right in the feels" he answered. The small Pegasus giggled and lay her head down on his chest again. Blood Moon was silent for a while, stroking her mane as they took quiet breaths, feeling warmth spread through his chest. Scootaloo's comment meant more to him than she could possibly imagine.

He let her rest in silence for another few minutes, feeling her slightly tensed muscles relax in his grip, her breathing slowing to a state of near deep-sleep, though he knew she was still awake. Something occurred to him.

"Did you see her" Blood Moon asked suddenly, his voice quiet as he relaxed onto his back, Scootaloo still held against his chest. Scoots looked up at him.

"Who?" He didn't say anything for another second; it was difficult through the dim light, but the filly could almost make out a distant gaze in his eyes.

"Death" he replied. The little Pegasus looked down, curling up and snuggling into his chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's alright" she answered half-heartedly, bracing her mind against the memories. She felt it a little odd, that she'd have such awful memories at such a young age. Then again, any and all normalcy in her life had been wiped away when she'd met Blood Moon. "Yeah" she said after a small while "I met her when I first…got…there" she said unsurely. The dark stallion nodded.

"Purgatory? The void." He felt the filly nod. He hummed in thought, Scootaloo feeling him rumble from her vantage point. "Yes. I'm very well versed in that place's…qualities" he mumbled. They were silent again for a few minutes. "Scoots?" She gave a small 'hmm' in response. She was feeling remarkably tired, despite having just woken up. "Was…was she well? Death, I mean." The little pony frowned.

"Yeah, I guess" she said at confused length. Blood Moon nodded again.

"Good" he said simply. Silence took over once more, this one more overwhelming than the others; neither really wanted to talk, just lay with each other and silently bond. They'd both been through something nopony would, should, ever go through and come back from. Blood Moon turned to his side, letting Scootaloo lay on the mattress while he held her against him so she could rest more comfortably.

"Blood Moon" she mumbled out.

"Yes?" She looked up at his face; his eyes were closed, but his face was angled over her, watching over her. His hooves were wrapped around her, keeping her close to him, so close she could feel his heartbeat, while his tail and hind-legs wrapped around her, forming a protective hold all around her. She felt safe in his hold, protected.

"I… I'm sorry about what I said, and how I treated you." She sniffled suddenly as she realised her guilt. "You were so nice to me, and everypony else, but I… I… I'm so sorry" she told him, her voice cracking slightly as she put her face in his chest, realising just how much she wanted him to return her sentiments. She felt him hug her tighter.

"Don't be sorry Scootaloo. You treated me like I'd expect anypony to treat an assassin, to gallop away screaming…" She almost broke down when he outlined it like that. "But, you…you didn't stay gone" he continued, prompting her to pause in her near-tears. "You were well in your rights to scream for somepony, anypony, when you awoke up to see me, but you didn't. You didn't try and escape. You didn't leave me" he said quietly, growing distant towards the end. Scootaloo squeezed his chest in her fore-legs, wrapping him in a much needed hug.

The filly looked up at him again, but in a new light. When they first met, they hadn't anything in common. At the school, they'd discovered a hole they both had in their chests. Over time, they'd come to fill each other's gaps in their hearts, growing closer in an almost unnaturally close bond between the adoptive father and daughter, despite the lack of similarities between the two. Now, however, they were kindred spirits; maybe it was her inexperienced mind, but the filly didn't truly see the implications of her potentially long life, but what she did see, was a very long time with the stallion she embraced now, who held her in return in a way that made her feel safety and love she hadn't felt since the blurred, distant memories of her parents.

They had both suffered the unexplainable pain of coming back from the dead, and now both had a life ahead of them that would inevitably involve the other, now that she was bound to live longer than anypony she knew.

"Blood Moon" she started, her words muffled a little by the stallion's hard chest.

"Yeah" he answered, his own words rumbling through his and her bodies. She looked up at him, prompting him to look down.

"I… Do you still love me?" He watched her for a second, his slightly empty gaze making her heart break a little. Then he smiled and pulled her in again.

"Always" he answered. Scootaloo gave a smile of her own as she returned his hug.

"Blood Moon" she asked again, her head against his chest once more as she mumbled her words out. He hummed in response. "A…am I… Are you… C-can we be a family again?" Blood Moon smirked and chuckled lightly. She looked up at him, wondering what was so funny. "What?" She was a little annoyed that he wasn't taking this seriously.

"Now Scootaloo" he started, his grin still on his face. He rolled onto his back and held her over him, letting her little legs dangle over him a little. "That, was a dumb question" he answered as he pulled her into his chest. Scootaloo squealed and giggled as they embraced again, more than happy to be in each other's loving hold once more. To them both, it felt comfortable, natural, almost like they really were a blood family. Something occurred to Blood Moon at that point. "Besides" he said at length, pulling out of their hug and leaning her against his chest, holding her scarred hoof in his clean one and holding his own scarred hoof up to the dim light that had reignited on his horn "you have my blood flowing through your veins now… You're my daughter now, for better or for worse, and I'll never leave you. I'll never let you go. We're family now" he told her. Scootaloo looked down at his hoof with a slightly curious look in her gaze, holding his big, scuffed and callused hoof in her little, clean and unscathed hoof. They were still very unalike, but she felt that because of this, this scar they shared, this event, even though it had pulled them apart, they would get closer because of it.

Scootaloo frowned suddenly at her newfound wisdom, but didn't question it; she already knew it to be true, given their current position, and was glad of it. They needed each other more than either probably knew. She put her hoof to his, pressing them together, and felt the small ridge in their hooves where the scars lay. She looked up at him and found him watching her, a smile on his face, and felt on of her own grown in return. She turned flung her fore-legs around his neck as she cuddled with him, feeling his own wrap around her once more. The soft, gentle and loving embrace of a father and daughter, who loved each other more than they thought they could.

There was a knock at the door, the two cutting their hug short as they looked at the spot the noise had come from. It was only now that Scootaloo realised they were still at Fluttershy's cottage.

"Hey, she awake" came a familiar, slightly strained voice. The door creaked open to reveal a lit light outside and a cyan mare, her mane and tail a windswept rainbow, her concern filled eyes a shade of dark pink. She pushed through the door and quickly spotted the awake and relatively-well Scootaloo. She instantly smiled and cantered over to them, Blood Moon letting the filly up so she could embrace her adoptive big sister. The orange and blue ponies soon found themselves with their fore-legs around each other's necks, both holding each other tight. Rainbow caught the dark stallion behind her little sister, Blood Moon returning her gaze, and sent a small nod his way. Their reconciliation had been…shaky, to say the least, her broken hoof, now wrapped in white bandages with a splinter around it, courtesy of 'Shy and Sand Stalker; her chipped teeth, Twilight having fixed them for her with her ever impressive array of spells; black eye, left to bruise after some ice had been applied; and his broken muzzle, having been rather sickeningly snapped into place by its owner; not to mention the bite marks in his hoof, all served as a reminder to them of their brief scrap. After a short talk during their wait for Scootaloo to awaken, they found they now shared a different respect. RD lifted Scoots up a little as she gave her a final, loving squeeze before she set her giggling form down and ruffled her mane a little.

"You all good, squirt?" The filly nodded her head once happily.

"Better than good" she answered. The mare giggled adorably, more so given her tough nature, and hoof-bumped the filly before she looked at Blood.

"So, uhh… We ready to go" Rainbow asked the assassin. Scoots raised an eyebrow.

"Go where?" The small Pegasus felt the stallion get up behind her, the lights in the room flicking on with the filly's awareness, and trotting around to her field of vision.

"We're leaving for the time being" he answered swiftly "we were discovered by an…old friend of mine, through means I'm still…unsure about. Anyway, if one foe knows our location, more may too. We've got to leave before somepony else comes after us." Scootaloo nodded a few times as he looked out of a few windows, his paranoia creeping up as his loving rekindling with Scoots ended and he remembered why he'd needed a loving rekindling in the first place.

"Well, everypony is downstairs and waiting for us, we're waiting on you" she said to the pair of them, having plopped down next to the filly and held her to her side with her wing. Said filly looked up at the mare.

"Waiting? What do you mean?" Blood Moon answered.

"You've been asleep for around five hours now. It's two in the morning" he told her. Scootaloo frowned.

"Oh" she answered "so that's why I'm so sleepy" she answered, yawning into her hoof. The assassin smirked and held the door open.

"Well, you would be either way. You've experienced a very demanding…turn of events" he replied as Rainbowdash let Scoots hop off the bed and trot after Blood Moon, the mare following after them. The stallion lead the way downstairs, Scootaloo finding the CMC, Elements of Harmony, Spike (who was in an in-between state of napping and doing a bad job of staying awake) and Sand Stalker sat around the front room, along with four other ponies in weird suits she didn't recognise. Three were stallions, one was a mare, all of them keeping to themselves in a dark corner. "Look who's up" Blood Moon announced, everypony looking up and finding the filly hop off the last step. They all smiled warmly, Sand's more of a small grin, and Scoot's friends trotted up to her and bombarded her with questions. She took no notice, instead she just threw her fore-legs around them, only just realising how much she'd wanted to see them. Sweetie-Belle and Applebloom were taken aback for a second before they returned the hug.

Blood Moon left them to it, looking around the room at the other ponies and one dragon gathered there; some were nervous, others awkward, one had started snoring, some a little wary of him still while the rest just kept to themselves. After a few minutes of questions and assuring she'd tell them later, Scootaloo and the others returned to the group, watching the adults stand and sit in silence. The three fillies didn't understand what was going on, but they got the idea that it had something to do with Blood Moon and the four new ponies, given that everypony but Sand Stalker was avoiding looking at them. The dark stallion turned his head towards one of the many perches in room, finding a fire coloured bird and black mouse watching him. Blood Moon wasn't afraid to say that his relationship with his pets had gotten a little…strained, to say the least, and that his actions the day he'd left for Canterlot hadn't been something they'd forgotten. As it turned out, Twilight had sort of unofficially adopted Hunter while he'd been away, Dusk just sticking around with the phoenix, and they both didn't like him quite as much as they had before all this. Dusk made a point of sitting on his hind-quarters and crossing his front paws, his eyes narrowed at the stallion, while Hunter flapped his wings a few times and fluttered over to him, coming to a stop before him and landing on the corner of the couch before the assassin and looking him in the eye with a lava-freezing glare. Blood Moon raised an eyebrow.

"What? What do you want me to say, huh?" Hunter narrowed his eyes, the assassin reading his facial expression.

You know what I want you to say.

Blood Moon sighed and looked away from his bird, though the word 'his' was a little too presumptuous at the moment.

"You know I am already. Do I really have to say it out loud?"

You're damn right you do.

Blood Moon gave another sigh, this one deeper and a little more reluctant than the other, before he looked up at his bird again.

"Alright then" he started, reaching up and fussing the bird "I'm sorry, okay? What I did was wrong, and I apologise." It was perhaps the most bog-standard, off the rack, standard issue apology ever that Blood Moon given, a very subtle hint of sarcasm in his tone, but it seemed to have pleased Hunter either way, more or less, who rolled his eyes at Blood Moon's words and nuzzled him lightly, the dark stallion returning the favour. Meanwhile, Twilight leaned into Fluttershy.

"What's he apologising to Hunter for" she whispered. Fluttershy leaned back.

"Hunter's very protective of everypony. He knows Blood Moon did something to scare us all and wanted to make sure he was sorry for it" she whispered back. Twilight couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"He really got found his spirit animal in that phoenix, didn't he." Fluttershy simply giggled.

During the two mare's brief conversation, Hunter had returned to his perch on Blood Moon's shoulder, Dusk had sat upon his head, finding it within his limitless mercy to grant the age old assassin forgiveness for leaving him behind, and Blood Moon had taken a breath, looking around at everypony.

"Alright, you all know what to do" he said, his tone not nearly as happy as when he'd spoken with his pets, prompting the gathered ponies to stand in a circle, Twilight waking Spike, the drake grumbling some, while the older ponies stood side by side in Fluttershy's living room. Blood Moon stood between Scootaloo and one of the new ponies, Sand Stalker between them and the other mares, while the little sisters stood next to their respective big sisters, Spike teetering next to Twilight. Blood Moon looked between them and took a breath. This wasn't going to be easy.

He closed his eyes and focused his magic, his horn sparking to life and quickly growing; teleporting oneself, or a small load, was simple enough for a unicorn such as Blood Moon, but transporting such a large amount of ponies would be much more difficult. The problems came in the form of two things: one, he had to keep track of all ponies traveling so they didn't get lost during the teleportation and flung across Equestria, and two, he had to deal with Ember, Twilight, Leaf, Redwave, Candle and Rarity's magic, which may disrupt his own during his casting of the spell. He'd asked them all to push down any magical energies so he could focus, reducing any interference in his search for a clear pathway through the ether of teleportation, but it didn't seem to be making it much easier. After a while, he captured the image of his location in his head and pictured him and his passengers there, in a safe spot for them to appear. With a bright flash, they all felt the gut wrenching feeling and teetered to a stop in a bog.

Immediately, Rarity squealed and hopped atop a rock.

"Eeeeeewwww" she groaned, trying her best to stay atop her perch "a little warning next time" she asked. Blood Moon wasn't hearing it; instead he held his slightly sore head as it throbbed from the concentration he'd just exerted. He didn't like transporting such large groups, that was what trains were for, but it had to be done he guessed, if he wanted to keep them safe. That, and there weren't any trains around here.

A wave of nausea hit him and his balance escaped him for a second; two ponies went to his aid, Twilight and Ember. It was at that point one of the assassin's more 'overbearing' problems came to light when the two mares noticed each other's advance and backed off, unsure of how to proceed. Ember recognised Twilight from contract descriptions, namely the one where she'd been hired to kill her brother, the mare abandoning the contract when she realised why the client wanted it done, said clientele being the son of a certain should-be-dead aristocrat. Twilight, however, didn't know the mare before her, the leather clad unicorn having kept to herself throughout her short stay at Fluttershy's place, but recognised the look on her face, not to mention her attempt to help Blood Moon.

In the end, it was Sand Stalker who helped his friend up again, the stallion having enough experience with mares to know a silent standoff over a stallion. He put his hoof under the assassin's fore-leg and raised him to a steadier posture. Blood Moon thanked him as Dusk gave him a pint-sized head massage while Hunter blew some cold air his way with a few flaps of his wings. The assassin trotted towards the small, burnt down remnants of a shack.

"Ju' what are we doin' here anywho" Applejack asked as she looked around, her sister held close to her. Applebloom wasn't complaining.

"This is where we're holding up for the time being" the assassin answered, hopping over some deadwood and into the 'inside' of the shack. AJ frowned, looking around at everypony, specifically Rarity. The white mare seemed horrified.

"Now hold yer horses there partner, ah may not be the prissiest o' mares, but ah sure as hay don't think ah could stay out here, never mind the girls" the apple bucker told him, cantering after him.

"Agreed" Rarity added "never mind all this…filthy mud and bog water everywhere, but Sweetie-Belle is going to catch a death of cold." As if to drive the point home, the filly sneezed.

"They've got a point boss, not even me or Leaf could survive out here for too long" Ember said as the dark stallion kicked a few bits of charred wood around, muttering something about a door moving.

"We're not staying out here" he called back absently as he retraced his steps.

"Then where are we staying, it's too late out to linger" Twilight said as she started shivering, Spike cuddling next to her for both safety and warmth. They all heard the phoenix caw lightly, his wing pointed at something they couldn't see, the dark stallion giving a small 'aha' and heard metallic clunking from his position.

"We're staying here" he answered, prompting the ponies and dragon to follow his voice. The found him stood before a black iron hatch, the door open and laying on its roof, the pony wide square open before Blood Moon. Rarity had hitched a ride on AJ and hopped from her back onto the wood that wasn't much better than the mud outside. She looked down into a pitch black abyss.

"Errr, if I may darling… Well, what exactly, is here?" Blood Moon shrugged.

"My old home" he answered before he leapt down, Hunter fluttering off his shoulder before flying down to him. Everypony looked between each other with confusion and caution in their gazes before Twilight looked back to the hole. She shrugged and took a hesitant step towards the hatch and took a deep breath, as though she were about to perform a high dive, and hopped down. There was the sound of rushing wind for a second before she felt herself caught by the stallion below, Blood Moon helping her to her hooves and looking back up the hatch. "Come on, we ain't got all day" he called up.

Up top, everypony looked between each other again. Spike hurried after his big sister, slightly worried for her, and leapt down with the grace of a rock, the dark stallion catching him and passing him to Twi, whom he held onto like a rock in the sea in this dark, unfamiliar place. Scootaloo trotted easily up to the hole and jumped down, Rainbowdash following her soon after, Sand Stalker going after her while everypony else stayed still. The Shadow Weavers waited for the ponies before them to jump down, so they could make sure nothing that may be hiding in this bog took them from behind, while AJ, Rare, 'Shy, Pinkie and the other fillies remained still. The pink pony, still quiet after Pinkamena coming out, moved slowly for the hatch and looked down it. Her mane and tail had regained their 'poof' but her colours were still dull. She looked back at her friends and gave a dull shrug before she hopped down, Blood catching her and helping her to her hooves. AJ didn't really know why she was so nervous, it probably had something to do with how Blood Moon had left the other day, but she knew for sure she didn't trust him yet. She took a deep breath to strengthen her resolve and turned to Rarity.

"Yew go on sugarcube, ah'll look afta the girls" she assured. Rarity nodded and bid Sweetie-Belle go to her before she stood at the side of the hatch. She swallowed once before she leapt down, the stallion down there catching her in his fore-legs and letting her steady before he placed her on her hooves. Applejack looked down at the fillies at her hooves, finding them looking up at her, and smiled weakly. She picked them up and put them on her back, trotting to the edge of the hatch. She hopped down and landed in the fore-hooves of Blood Moon, the stallion setting her down. He looked up the hatch and called to the ponies still up there, before he looked back to the ponies already gathered in the large, black-bricked room they were all in; it was a perfect square, big enough to comfortably house at least twenty ponies with room to lounge, but was completely unfurnished; they stood on plain, black flagstones, the room illuminated by the sconce on each wall, four candles on each keeping the room well lit. There was a door on each wall, all identical except for the N, E, S and W atop them all. Blood Moon caught the mare in leather and let the stallions land by themselves.

He looked around before shrugging.

"Welcome to casa de Luna Sangue" he introduced. He pointed to the door marked 'N'.

"Armoury" he looked at the fillies "off limits." He pointed to the door marked 'E'. "Main house." He pointed to the door marked 'S'. "Training hall and gym." He pointed to the door marked 'W'. "Food storage, kitchens and dining room. Make yourselves at home" he said as he meandered into the main house. Everypony blinked at his bluntness, though they guesses they shouldn't really be surprised anymore, and went about their ways. The leather clad ponies followed Blood Moon into the main house, Sand Stalker slipped into the gym while everypony else decided to stick together. Finding themselves left to their own devices, the mares found themselves at loose ends.

"Soooo… What do we do now" Rainbow asked, kept to her hooves thanks to the relatively small room as they all looked around.

"I say we explore" Pinkie suggested with gusto, reliving no small amount of the ponies in the room with her sudden Pinkie-ness.

"I'm afraid not Pinkie" Twilight said from the side-lines. The pink mare paused mid-air and deflated slightly as she returned to the ground.

"Awwww" she moaned as she fell gently "why not?" Twilight's argument was to point at Spike, who'd curled up at her hooves and gone back to sleep after trying to stay up too long. This prompted both 'd'awww's from the gathered ponies and a glance at the fillies; Scootaloo was wrapped up in her tail on Rainbow's back, Sweetie-Belle was snuggling up with Rarity's tail, who was glad her hind-quarters were facing a wall, while Applebloom was being cradled in AJ's fore-hoof.

"We've gotta get the little ones to bed" Twilight finished, nailing it home for them.

"Be that as it may, darling, we don't actually know where the sleeping quarters to this place are" Rarity reminded her friend, speaking quietly after realising that her little sister was asleep on her back. Twilight blinked as she remembered too.

"Well…guess we get to do a little exploring after all" the purple mare agreed, prompting an excited 'squee' from Pinkie. They all trotted for the door Blood Moon and the leather-clad ponies had gone through, and found themselves in-

"Oh my" said a Rarity with sparkling eyes. Everypony filed in slowly, their eyes widening and their maws opening in slight shock. They hadn't been quite sure what to expect, but it sure as hay hadn't been this.

They'd trotted into a dimly lit family room, the blazing fire in the hearth illuminating the room with flickering oranges and reds; the walls were more of the black brick, but were barely visible behind everything upon them; the room was about the size of the main library at the Golden oaks, but laid out differently, more rectangular than circular, the furniture placement creating small segments for different activates; towards the centre, there was a long, four-seated couch, white that was made dark by the lighting, and a few big arm-chairs scattered around it, three in all. They were all placed facing the roaring fire and the big table in the middle, black oak wood, close enough so the occupants wouldn't have to raise their voices to talk, but far enough away to give them some space. On the far side of the room was a small library; the far wall was completely covered by the numerous shelves on the wall, only broken by the door the shelves were built around. In this light Twilight couldn't be sure, but it almost looked like all the books over there were stories. There was a cosy looking alcove at one side made by an outcrop of wall and the shelves of books. There was a comfy looking beanbag in the small hidey-hole for readers, and a more conventional two-seated sofa close-by it. Opposite the fireplace, encased by the outcrops of wall creating the reading alcove, was the liquor cabinets, the small refrigerator and a phonograph, playing soft and relaxing saxophone, all lit by a baby blue light from above that didn't interfere with the other lighting around the room. To the left of the ponies, housed by the other outcrop of wall encasing the tiny bar space, was another door, this one unmarked. The door the Elements of Harmony had trotted from was beside another alcove to the left of them, the door being in the centre of the wall, this alcove filled with nothing but plump cushions and pillows, perhaps a spot where ponies would sit and rest on more intimate nights, while the other side of the entrance was a simple wall with another door on the wall coming off of it. Twilight took a second to look over the things on the walls; there were no small amount of paintings, some oil, some pastel, some paint and others interesting pieces of less conventional art, one in particular being a stunning image of a sunset, in remarkable detail, all made by a piece of folded and creased cloth, creating a black and white sun. There were also a few ornaments scattered around, some perfectly sculpted clay owls and big-cats of prey, a few small wood-carved boats of astounding detail and what appeared to be sculpted, three dimensional cutie marks; she could tell, because one was a stone-carved blood-red ouroboros, a grey-bladed sword stabbing through the loop. Next to it was what appeared to be Celestia's cutie mark and Luna's beside that. Twilight couldn't help but frown at what appeared to be empty spots. The group of mares trotted further into the room, their hooves sinking into the warm and plush black carpet, feeling the warmth of the blaze melt the coldness from outside. It was, put simply, luxury in its purest form.

Fluttershy, the last one in, closed the door behind her and came up next to Twilight.

"Oh my" she breathed quietly, not wishing to break the peaceful atmosphere.

"What d' ya'll say ta jus' sleepin' in here" AJ asked in a similarly low octave.

"If the living room is like this, think of just how cosy the bedrooms could be" Rarity retorted. None of them could really think of an argument for that. They decided to try the door closest to them, pulling the door open and trotting through the on the right. Luck apparently favoured them as they stepped into a big, beautiful bedroom that Twilight was fairly sure Rarity was getting a little aroused over.

The candles had flickered to life without need for aid, revealing the room to them in a nice, dim glow of friendly fire. The black carpets continued into the bedroom, dark red swirling into an exquisite pattern in the centre, the two colours spiralling around each other like a whirlwind, smaller spirals coming off the main, bigger on in the middle of the carpet, creating the illusion of real motion on the ground that might give somepony motion-sickness if they couldn't feel the rug beneath their hooves. There weren't as many pictures around this time, not to mention any ornaments, and the room was fairly simple in lines of decoration. Instead, this room was fashioned around comfort; the heating in the room seemed just perfect for every mare in the room, not matter their current preferences or body temperatures. Blacks, dark reds and purples were the prominent colour for this room's design, accents of silver and white accompanying them. There was little in the way of furniture, maybe half a dozen wardrobes and chests of drawers along the wall to the right of them, while the semi-circle wall of the room to the left of them was home to all the beds, another six in all. Each bed was built into its own little alcove, formed by the walls either side, and had a pair of dark purple drapes with subtle, silver and white designs on them, flowing and smooth, reaching up the outer edges in flowing waves while the inner patterns were picturesque stars and moons, the silver accents sparkling slightly. The mares took a closer look at the beds, finding them plush and comfortable, the covers and pillows were warm and thick, keeping the cold out and the warm in, and were of black and red, designs similar to that of the drapes across them. Twilight had spotted a door at the far wall from the door she and her friends had entered from and meandered over to it, pushing it open.

'The master bedroom' she concluded with a small grin on her face. It was a deliberately romantic and relaxed setting, soft red lighting and a warm temperature, soft and laid-back music emitting from the phonograph that had started up when she'd opened the door. There was a single, big wardrobe at one side of the relatively large room, more black oak wood, a chest of drawers either side. Twilight could only guess one chest had been for Blood Moon, the simple and likely unused draws made from the same black oak as the closet, a few belts and ties organised atop of it, a quaint hat stand next to it with a black Stetson, a black top hat with a red ribbon around it, a brown wide-brimmed fedora with a darker shade of brown ribbon around it, a bowler hat, a black flat cap and a fez of all things hanging from it. The other seemed made for a lover or partner, judging by the…emptiness of it. Noticing that sort of depressed Twilight.

The purple mare trotted back into the bedroom, finding that her friends had taken her advice about getting some sleep and had all chosen beds, the fillies sharing with their respective big sisters while Twilight watched Spike curl up at the end of her bed, shuffling under the covers. The purple mare smiled warmly at the scene and went to climb into bed, before she remembered something. She trotted to the bed Rainbowdash and Scootaloo were sharing, finding the filly wrapped up in both the covers and the mare holding her. She leaned down to the sleeping filly and spoke softly into her ear.

"Good night Scootaloo" she whispered. She straightened up, not expecting an answer from a sleeping filly, but was caught when two little, orange hooves wrapped around her muzzle.

"Good night, Twilight" Scootaloo replied. Twi smiled lightly and nuzzled her, the filly returning the favour before she fell to sleep in RD's hooves. The sorceress stood up and returned to her own bed, glancing Fluttershy as she went; she leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, or she would have, had the Pegasus not suddenly opened her eyes and put her lips to Twilight's, the pair making out for a second before the yellow mare released the purple one.

"Goon night Twilight" the sleepy Pegasus said as she snuggled back into her pillow, half-hoping her unicorn companion would join her. A little disappointed, she heard Twi step towards her own bed.

"Good night Fluttershy" Twilight replied as she crawled into her claimed bed, instantly drooling over the comfort and relaxation she felt when her back and weary muscles hit the soft mattress. It wasn't long before her eyes closed and she fell to sleep.

However, elsewhere in the assassin's home, sleep was forbidden for the time being.

Blood Moon had lead his small company of assassins through the living room, through the door to the left of the entrance and into his office. The dark stallion lead the leather-clad ponies up a short hall decorated with red wallpaper, a black oak wood rail splitting the centre of the room and leading into black wallpaper below it, sconces flickering with flames in small alcoves along the length of the short hallway; the black carpet was replaced by shining black marble, each step sending a small 'clip-clop' through the room. Every piece of wall that wasn't indented with a flame waving around inside it was home to a gold-framed painting, getting gradually more skilful as they approached Blood Moon's desk.

The first one on was of a sunrise over a grassy meadow. The meadow was still and peaceful, the grass given a waving motion in the image with the brushstrokes, while the sun was a well-captured rendition of the orb of fire, but by no means perfect. That would come later. Opposite the sunrise, was the picture's opposite, a moon-rise, the silver moon rising over the same grassy meadow. The golds and reds were replaced by deep silvers and blacks, the grass given a pretty silver glow over its green, though it wasn't a professional's perfect work; brushstrokes could be seen here and there, colours melded where they shouldn't, that sort of thing.

The next three or so space were filled with these paintings, by no means perfect but kept in a perfect condition, lovingly maintained and preserved; a slightly better image than the last, a slightly more perfect sunset, sunrise, moonset or moonrise. Sometimes the location would be different, sometimes there would be a critter or two frolicking, but the intent was still the same; these were the painter's practice. The artist was slowly getting better at her craft. And Blood Moon had collected and kept every one of them.

By the fourth wall, the images had changed, a different image this time. Now, the picture on the left wall was a melding of both the sun, and moon. The sun setting while the moon rose; the meadows before each side followed suit in lighting, cut perfectly in half, the left half gold, red, orange and bronze, while the right was silver, white, grey and black. Nocturnal and daylight critters flew and frolicked across both sides, an owl fluttering before the sun while a dove flew before the moon. A black cat stalked the grasses of night while a lion stood proud amongst the grass of field. The picture was titled, 'our two sided world.' The opposite wall was home to a portrait, a beautiful black cat stood proud atop a cool rock against a starry, night sky. The cat's black fur was shiny and smooth, her ears pricked to reveal the pink skin within, her golden eyes turned to the side, as though watching something off the canvas. 'The second greatest Hunter' was this picture's name.

The final walls were home to another set of images. The picture to the left wall, was of a dark, stormy night, painted as through from one of the rooftops of old Canterlot, a noir night of shadows, thick clouds in the sky and rain pattering the cobble streets below and the rooftops above. The rain water was flowing and perfectly captured and transferred to canvas, the water flowing from the roofs and spilling into gutters and alleys while the moon gazed down at the scene and cast it in silver and grey. 'The darkness at the end of the light' was its name. The picture across was of a simple bowl of fruit, innocent enough, until one gazed into the shiny, red apple and found the faint reflection of the stallion and mare doing something rather questionable atop a table. This picture was without name, but Blood Moon had personally named his 'Hidden innocence.'

The hall ended and lead into a circular room, a hearth blazing to the left, the white marble mantle housing a pair of black vases full of blood-red roses, another picture above. Everypony but Blood Moon took a second to gaze upon this master piece, framed in solar gold and painted with only the finest tools and paints. It was a family, two teenage ponies, a colt and filly, and two older ponies behind them. The mare of the older two was of sunlit cream fur, well-kept and shining in the portrait, a moon sliver necklace around her neck, the chain holding a familiar ouroboros, a dagger stabbing through. Both snake and blade were the same moon-silver as the chain, though the centre of the curling snake was filled to form the locket the mare wore constantly. Her mane, appearing to be better accustomed to freedom, was wrapped in a pretty braid that hung down her face, a flare flicking out at the end. It held a strange resemblance to that of a paintbrush. Her unicorn horn seemed well-polished while her eyelashes were thick and perfectly full, flickering out at the corners of her eyes. The same cyan eyes were closed to reveal the sunset red of her hair daintily applied to her eyelids, her cheeks blushed lightly as she locked lips with one very lucky stallion. The mare had her head tilted away from the painter, the stallion's towards it; Ember looked to the stallion sitting behind his desk, finding a strange resemblance between them. The dark stallion who could only be Blood Moon was slightly made up, his mane washed and smooth, kept from his face with a piece of red ribbon, the overly-long piece of fabric reaching over his neck as he kissed his wife. Before them, the colt and filly were grinning half bashfully and half amusedly at their parent's antics; the colt, Crimson, was of deep crimson fur, midnight black streaks stretching up his back like flames thanks to a rare but remarkably badassed fur defect, similar to Luna's night-cloud black flank, only a little more extreme here. His mane and tail were similar to that of his father, windswept and free, sunset gold with a streak of blood red running through them both. The filly, her grin slightly less bashful and a little more amused and smart-flank, much like her father, was sat before her mother; she had fur identical to her father's mane, only glossy and well-kept, while her mane and tail were most definitely of her mother; they were a deep sunset red leading to the flaring tips of light gold.

Ember swallowed lightly as she looked away from the picture and back to Blood Moon, finding him watching her. She gave him a weak smile, to which he nodded to in return.

"So, what happened boss" Leaf started, sitting in one of the chairs before the assassin's desk. Blood Moon took a breath as he raised his hoof and fussed Hunter, the bird hopping off his shoulder and settling on a perch hanging from the roof, Dusk reclining into the assassin's mane once more.

"We were compromised" he replied simply. Leaf grunted.

"Yeah, I got that much" he answered as Ember took the other seat, leaving Candle and Redwave to stand. "Who was that stallion?" Candle nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I've never heard of a stallion who goes around in armour like that" the Assassin added. Blood Moon shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

"You wouldn't have. Cadaver and I are old friends" he said with a wry smirk on his face. Ember raised an eyebrow.

"Cadaver?" Blood Moon nodded.

"Yes. The assassin of assassins. He's known for taking jobs that require him to kill other, well established, well skilled assassins and defeating them in open combat. He's good, very good… We've fought before, and he left keepsake that day" he explained, running a hoof down the scar on his face. Ember raised her eyebrow once more.

"It was him who did that to you?" The dark stallion nodded.

"Aye, he did. But I gave as good as I got" he said with a more sincere smirk. "Let's just say, he had to modify his mask some that day" he said with a chuckle.

"When did this all happen" Leaf asked, bringing them back to the point "I've never heard any stories about this."

"You won't have. It all happened around two hundred years ago and it was a very…private affair" he answered with a shrug. Leaf frowned.

"Two hundred years ago? How old is he?"

"Three hundred, at least." Redwave cocked his head.

"And, how does one reach their three hundredth year?" Blood Moon turned his head to the ever ambitious see captain.

"It's long been my theory, he uses Umbra Linguam." Ember seemed confused.

"The shadow language? What's that got to do with anything?" Her face slackened. "H-he's not like you, is he?" Blood Moon raised a hoof to calm her.

"No, I don't know his curse, but immortality is my curse because of my love for those around me, I have to watch them die, get it?" She nodded. "But longevity is a common side effect for those who practice Umbra Linguam; as I've explained before, the magic has its own awareness, right, and wants to survive. To that extent, the unicorn grows more robust and lives longer than most ponies, say around five to maybe six hundred years, maybe more if that mage is strong, that being how Starswirl grew so old" he added, always out to teach ponies of Equestria's rich history "that said, even though I've only fought him three times, he's never actually used his shadow magic. Maybe it's a pride thing…maybe I'm wrong and he's more dangerous than he first seemed, but whatever, I've kicked his flank once, I'll do it again." Ember glared suddenly.

"Kicked his flank! Blood Moon, he nearly killed you!" Blood Moon chuckled.

"Really, Ember? One thousand years of training, and that's how much faith you have in me?" The three other Shadow Weavers raised their eyebrows, but knew they were much better off not questioning the Hunter's past. Ember's glare turned to a badly amused grin.

"You wouldn't have so many scars if you just fought properly" she told him. Blood Moon shrugged.

"If I'd fought to the best of my ability, that fight wouldn't have lasted three seconds and it would have been a very boring night. Not to mention, I wouldn't have found out that the Elements were in danger" he retorted. Ember huffed and dropped the point.

"So, how exactly did the contract go" Candle asked, turning their meeting back to business. Blood Moon nodded.

"Indeed, well said Candle. On that note, how did you two get on" he asked, pulling a magically linked logbook from one of his draws, linked so anything written in this book would appear on its twin at the hideout, and visa-versa. Red spoke up.

"We found Prosperous, we taught her a lesson. She won't be able to look at a stallion the same way again and she'll think thrice before crossing the Weavers again." Red got a few looks from the gathered ponies, Candle especially. Blood Moon sighed slightly, marking down in the book.

Target tracked successfully. Broken through rape.

"I thought we were taught to avoid that" Leaf said quietly. Red didn't back down.

"It's what she deserved" he replied calmly. Ember whipped her head to him.

"Since when do you decide what's coming to who? We're assassins, not-" She was cut off when Blood Moon raised a hoof.

"Please, Ember. Even I've heard one or two of those stories" he told her, killing the argument. He looked back to the youngest pair. "Did you kill her?" Red shook his head silently. The dark stallion nodded his understanding. "Alright, Leaf?" The stoic assassin pulled his dirt from his belt, the paper crumpled slightly.

"Quillrunner's husband, cheating on her. That's him done and her humiliated." Blood Moon nodded and jotted it down.

"Anything else? Quillrunner herself?" Leaf shook his head.

"No, this…Cadaver showed up before I could kill her" he muttered, clenching his fore-leg muscles. He glanced up at Blood Moon. "What about you two? With Loaded, I mean." Ember pouted and crossed her fore-legs.

"HE, wouldn't kill him" she said bitterly, pointing a hoof at Blood Moon. "We had our blades to his throat, and HE wouldn't draw blood. After everything we went through" she grumbled. Blood Moon shrugged.

Target tracked successfully. Broken through intimidation. Personal vendetta posted.

Cliff note: Target home successfully demolished. Moral broken and standing reputation through other nobles and underworld destroyed.

Blood Moon set his quill and log down, petting Hunter softly as he did so, and leant back in his chair. He looked up to find three very unamused faces. Crossing his fore-hooves over his chest as he thought, he looked back at the assassins in his office and sighed to himself.

"Listen, we're all tired. Let's get some sleep and discuss things in the morning. The girls probably took the spare beds but the barracks will be empty; they're no different anymore anyway, just a little less aesthetically appealing." Ember went to argue but he cut her off with another raised hoof to stop her. "We'll talk in the morning, Spark. Let's just get some sleep" he said, Hunter flapping back to his shoulder and riding the assassin leading the four other leather-clad ponies to the barracks.

Upon arriving, Blood Moon took the doorknob in hoof and pulled it open to reveal the sleeping mares, before he set it against the wall besides the doorframe; he pushed it against the wall for a second before it gave way, opening to reveal an empty, basic yet comfortable bedroom. It was a rectangular room, the black carpet reaching the back wall, around fifteen beds going back, arranged into three by five rows. At the bottom of the bed was an oak chest, in which assassins would keep their possessions, and a lamp was fixed to one corner of each bed frame. Asides the beds and chests, the barracks were completely bare. Everypony quickly took to a bed, crawling in as the day's exertions caught up with them. They'd all lazily pulled off their armour and weapons, folding them up and placing them into the chests, their weapons going atop them. Ember stole a kiss goodnight from Blood Moon and lay in the bed opposite his, snuggling under the duvet and soon falling to sleep. Ember had planned to sleep with the dark stallion once more tonight, but apparently that was not to be. So, as Hunter hopped upon the bed knob not claimed by the lamp and Dusk curled up in the assassin's mane, Ember could only fall dejectedly to sleep as she realised that the stallion she loved was loved by another mare. And where there was another mare, there was a decision, and where there was a decision…there was a chance that it may not come down in her favour.

Ember gazed at the already dozing stallion and sighed softly, hoping that throughout whatever may happen tomorrow, nopony would live to regret it.

---

Celestia read the report in her hooves, her eyes slowly growing wider as her grin did the same. She looked over the piece of paper to the guard stood before the door to her chambers; when she'd been woken up by incisive banging on her door, and had promptly promised whoever had disturbed her sleep in would be sent to the moon for a few months, but upon reading this, she was starting to forgive him. The gold-clad stallion was having trouble keeping down his laughs, his eyes watering as he clamped his jaw shut to remain 'stoic' before his ruler. They caught each other's gazes and it just got even harder to not laugh. The guard took a shuddering breath as he pushed down his mirth.

"P-permission to leave, ma'am?" Celestia made the mistake of glancing down at the report again and had to bit her lip so hard she almost drew blood to stop herself from laughing.

"G-granted, soldier" she replied, taking a step back and closing the door. When the tiny 'click' sounded, it may as well have been the starting pistol; both Celestia and her guard completely lost it, the solar princess falling to her flank and laughing said flank off as she held the report to her chest with one hoof, trying to stop her ribs from splitting with the other, and promised to frame the report in her hooves. Maybe get it blown up by the photo developers and hang it from her balcony for all of Equestria to see. Outside, the solar guard simply curled up until he laughed so hard he was silent, his lung begging for air he wasn't about to give them. He stood as he started breathing properly again, holding his ribs as he hobbled back to his post. That was one for the grandkids.

Meanwhile, Celestia had flung herself onto her bed to laugh a little more, maybe to mentally poke fun at the Goldhooves, as she re-read the report. The hoof-writing was a little funky, as though the detective had been laughing himself when he'd been writing it, and judging by the tiny blots of water over the paper, he hadn't done a good job of holding down his mirth. She read the words but it still wasn't really sinking in, the only part she was concerned about was the part she was laughing at: Goldhooves estate demolished. She didn't care about the fatalities, the mercs were nothing but thugs, she didn't care about the culprits, as far as she was concerned she'd kiss them if she could find them, she didn't even care about the fates of the Goldhooves themselves. Sure, they'd all survived, but to the princess of the day, that just made things all the more tantalising, getting to watch as fewer and fewer ponies feared them, as their friends left them to the dogs, as their supporters abandoned them, as everything the corrupt little bastards had done crumbled down around them. She might even order the local newspapers to track everything that happened and reported it all in detail, just so she didn't miss anything. So Equestria wouldn't miss anything.

There was another, much more civilised, knock at Celestia's door, the mare turning to it and calling over:

"It's open!" The gold doors swung open to reveal two mares, of both wing and horn. Cadence and Luna stood side by side, Luna biting her lip as she held her breath, Cadence clamping her maw shut as they trotted inside. They trotted patently to Celestia's bed, hopping up and sitting either side of her. They were silent for a minute before Celestia spoke again. "So… Did you-" That was all she could get in before the three of them burst out laughing again, the three of them losing their balance as they fell to their backs on the bed, Luna blindly grabbed her ears in her hollering, Celestia covered her eyes and Cadence laughed uproariously into her hooves. They were quite the sight, these three wise ponies, and didn't let up in their laughs until it had devolved into giggles and sniggers. They remained on their backs, gazing blindly up at the ceiling, as they tittered and chuckled a little as their laughter died down, for now at least any way. Celestia took a calming breath, pushing her hoof away from her, and closed her eyes to focus. "So…I take it you heard the news" the solar princess started again. Cadence sat up, leaning against Tia's pillows, which said white mare had only just realized that had been made while her back was turned. She really had to get her chamber maids to give her troops some training in silence.

"All of Equestria heard, auntie" Cadence said, her smile still across her lips as she spoke; the princess of love had no love to spare for the Goldhooves, seeing as when the Crystal empire had reclaimed its stability the Goldhooves hadn't waited long to stir things up there either; she'd had just as much trouble with them as Celestia had. Maybe worse, seeing as she hadn't half as much experience as her aunt did when it came to ruling. Luna and Celestia had taken to much more regal postures, Luna relaxing on her front while Celestia sat on her flank.

"So what shall we do" Luna asked, a slightly devious grin on her face. There was only one thing on all of their minds, and it quickly devolved into a game.

"Well, it is our royal duty to see to the wellbeing of all our citizens" Celestia said at sarcastic length. Luna put a grave look on her face.

"Oh, curse our responsibilities" she said sourly.

"Now, now Luna, we must see to all our citizens. It's our duty, as princesses" she reminded her. Cadence watched the two of them, giggling quietly; she had to admit, yesterday had been a little awkward, despite her aunts' reconciliation. Admittedly, the pink Alicorn could understand their attitudes; yes, Luna had accepted her sister's apology but she was still ever so slightly bitter about it, while Celestia was still annoyed that they even had to have their reconciliation in the first place, though her annoyance was aimed at herself rather than her sister now. Though, Cadence had to say, how they were going about their annoyance/bitterness was most amusing.

It had started when they'd returned from lunch yesterday; she and Luna had decided to get back to Killable Combat (Cadence was Tartarus-bent on beating her nocturnal aunt at that infernal game) while Celestia had decided to retire to her room to try and figure out what to do about 'the pictures.' The princess of love wasn't too sure if she wanted to know what 'the pictures' were, but was damn curios. When Celestia had trotted through her door… Well let's just say everything had fallen into place. Cadence knew she'd remember the image till her last day.

"Of course you realise, this means war" had been all Celestia had said when the bucket of mayonnaise teetering atop her door had fallen upon her. Cadence had almost bitten through her lip, trying to hold down her laughter. It hadn't helped when she'd connected the dots, realising what somepony may find a pony covered in mayo looked like. Luna always had, had always had a thing for poetic justice.

Back in the world of reality, Cadence couldn't help but giggle at the memory, still wondering how Celestia planned to retaliate; anypony close to the two princesses knew of their infamous prank wars, in fact, one of Luna's stories the yesterday had been about their first one, the dark stallion putting an end to it when he'd pulled a prank so perfectly brutal and hilarious that all other pranks before and after were forever put to shame, though, Cadence would be forever left in the dark as to what it had been, as Luna had never been able to finish her story about the bandit and pickaxe and the such. She still wondered about that.

Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna had quit stalling with their bad jokes pertaining as to how much they loathed going out to laugh at the Goldhooves, Luna watching her big sister don her armour, shoes and crown as she stood from the bed.

"I doubt they'll be too many ponies at day court anyway, given the circumstances" the solar princess was saying as she placed her crown atop her head and turned back to her niece and sister. "Shall we" she said, turning towards her door. Cadence and Luna soon followed after her, offering no argument.

Their trot through Canterlot palace was masked by the smirks on the faces of the guards and badly contained chuckling from the staff, the princesses' own grins making it no easier on them. Before long, the white, blue and pink Alicorns had all found their way to the entrance hall and were trotting out of the palace. Normally, protocol called for a company of solar and night guards to accompany the princesses, the detachment of Crystal guards with Cadence to escort her, but the three princesses simply had them stay. They wanted at least a little privacy to laugh at these broken nobles.

The Goldhooves estate, or what was left of it, was but a few blocks away from Celestia and Luna's palace, but the crowd outside could easily be seen from their vantage point. The three of them were noticed by no small amount of ponies on the street, thee princesses out for a stroll being so unusual after all, and everypony had either already guessed their intentions or were quickly figuring it out; even the paparazzi seemed to be giving them a break today, the fedora clad mares and stallions already busy with the Goldhooves to care about their rulers coming to see the carnage.

And carnage it was; by the time Celestia, Luna and Cadence had arrived, at least half of Canterlot was there to see their all-time favourite ponies sit in the gutter, trying and failing to go unnoticed by the masses. The three Alicorns made their through the crowd, the gathered ponies looked back and finding them approaching, stepping from their path and letting them past. Tia, Luna and Cadence soon found their way to the front of the crowd and got a good look at the wreckage.

The rear and side walls had somehow remained standing, but pretty much everything else had collapsed in on itself; the front wall was gone, the rooms had fallen into the foyer, and the roof now made up the floor. But none of the three princesses were interested in the estate itself, instead they looked to the small group of ponies surrounded by photographers, medics and journalists. Prosperous was the star of the show, but wouldn't let anypony but her daughter near her, Quillrunner glaring down any reports or medics to try and approach. Quillrunner's husband, Entitled, and their child were sat with her, trying to comfort their mother in law and grandmother respectively. It struck Celestia as a little strange how Prosperous seemed to be glancing at Entitled now and then, but shook it off anyway. Luna noticed the absence of one of the other Goldhooves who normally stayed at the estate, Goldquill, but simply chalked it up as a fatality. The three of them looked around for Loaded, but found that he was nowhere to be seen.

Celestia looked back at the ponies with them, looking for some trace of him but finding nothing nobles and peasants alike, smirking and muttering to one another. No few of them were quiet about it either, throwing insults at the family, telling them how much they deserved it and the such. Celestia looked at her sister and niece, finding them with small smiles on their faces, and had to look back at the Goldhooves to force her own down. When was the last time she'd gloated like this? When she'd rubbed her victory in the faces of her enemies? Not since Equestria's last war with the griffons, at least.

Suddenly, she heard raised voices over the hubbub of the crowds, the three Alicorns glancing around themselves before they saw two stallions appear from the rubble that had once been the estate. One was dirty and looked sore, his sharp suit replaced with off-white bandages that were stained with blood, his eyes holding heavy bags below them while his muscles were badly tensed. The other was relatively clean, his trench coat a little dusty from the debris and his expression angry. Loaded Goldhooves and Skulduggery; apparently they were in the middle of a conversation, a heated one at that.

"And I told you, the next time I work for you is when I play fetch with Cerberus" Skulduggery was shouting. Loaded growled.

"Need I remind you, that you are in no position to argue" the noble shot back. Skull snorted.

"Is that so? Look around yourself Loaded, you're stood in the rubble of what used to be your home. You're wearing bandages after you were stabbed in the ribs. You were barely an inch away from being killed. The Goldhooves are finished" he spat. Skulduggery went to turn away, though got no further when Loaded grabbed his coat's collar.

"Now you listen to me you filthy peasant; I am lord Loaded Goldhooves, and you will do as

you're told! You are under my hoof and all's I need to do is add a little pressure and-" He was cut off when Skulduggery's hoof shot up and grabbed his horn, squeezing it harshly and watching him writhe, angling his grip so Loaded was taken off his fore-hooves.

"I couldn't give a damn who you are, I couldn't give a damn what you have on me and I couldn't give a damn if you think you can scare me. Your name is ruined,your reputation is in tatters and you're about as scary as a fly right now." He applied more pressure to Loaded's horn and threw him to the floor, putting his spare hoof to his throat. "Now, you're under my hoof, and all's I need to do is add a little pressure and you die. I won't bother with ruining you, I'll just end it." He let him go and stood up properly, glaring at him. "I'm nice like that, y' see?" He turned away and trotted towards the crowds. He didn't get very far before a voice stalled his efforts.

"I never thought you one to put on such a show, Skulduggery." He didn't exactly freeze, nor tense, but he did pause. He swallowed lightly and turned back to the spot the voice had come from. He found her tall stature and white coat, confirming his suspicions, and simply grunted.

"Sometimes a spot of mischief requires a little theatricality, princess" he answered as he turned. He found the three princesses watching him, the detective raising an eyebrow at Cadence's presence, and bowed his head slightly. "Princess Luna, Cadence" he greeted. Luna simply returned his nod impartially, having few dealings with the detective, but Cadence gave him a strange, knowing smile. He had one or two suspicions as to where that stemmed from, and could only hope he was wrong. Despite having all three Alicorns watching him, he could still feel the ponies around him, watching him. He felt a little self-conscious, not to mention paranoid. Celestia apparently picked up on it.

"How have you been, detective" she asked as she trotted away from the already gossiping crowds, Luna and Cadence following after them. Luna couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her sister's behaviour, but Cadence could only grin.

"Fine" he answered simply, slightly uneasy around the other two princesses "I can only guess as to why you're here, princess" he mused. Celestia shot him a small grin, watching him from the corner of her eye.

"Maybe, you're the detective" she lightly teased. Her tone made Luna's eyebrow arc again. Skulduggery grunted.

"You came here to laugh at the Goldhooves, perchance" he guesses dryly.

"Ever the intuitive one. Yourself?" Luna noticed that they had been lead around the corner and into another, much quieter street and were being lead around the mountain district by Tia. The morning sun casting a pleasant glow over their chosen path, a pleasant street between two rows of townhouses, fillies and colts playing on the quiet road while the rather royal group of ponies meandered past them.

"Loaded wanted me to track down whoever killed his son and crippled his family. I can only guess you know what my response was" Skulduggery answered with a shrug.

"A little quiet today, Skulduggery" she noted as the ball the foals were playing with rolled over to them, Celestia giving it a light kick back to them. Their little faces gained a smile as they gave a synchronised 'thanks princess!' The solar princess couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm always quiet" he answers. Celestia couldn't help but smirk at his short answers, but felt her concern bubble up all the same.

"Skulduggery, are you alright" she asked carefully. Skull looked up at her with a neutral expression on his face; not outgoing, not shut off. Impossible to read, this stallion.

"I'm fine, Celestia. Why wouldn't I be?" Behind them, Luna frowned and opened her mouth to speak:

"You will address her as princess, detective" is what she would have said if Cadence hadn't turned her head to her, giving her a small look that made her close her mouth. Luna couldn't help but comply, but with this, curiosity rose; why would Cadence be-

'Ohhhhhhhh my…'

Luna swallowed lightly and raised an eyebrow. The question was clear to Cadence, and she simply nodded her head. Her jaw soon unhinged itself as a blush sneaked onto her face while an almost teasing smile found her lips. The mouthed words to each other.

"No way!"

"Way."

Luna, for the second time in a day, had to hold down her laughter. Maybe she should have taken the opportunity to tease big sister, to berate her for dating a 'commoner' like she once had so long ago, but she didn't. Half because she was taking the moral high ground, half because…well…it was just so gosh darn adorable! Yes, she was the younger sister, and yes, Celestia was the one who should have been teasing her about first crushes and the such, but it was the simple fact that she'd had a coltfriend before her, so the metaphorical ball was in her metaphorical court. So, she decided to be a good 'big' sister.

"Oh, Cadence. I just remembered something I need to show you, back at the palace." Celestia glanced back, apparently oblivious or uncaring to her intentions, and gave them an absent look. Cadence, meanwhile, looked at her aunt with wide eyes, making a small whining sound, almost like a puppy not getting its way. Her message was, once again, obvious.

"But I wanna watch the growdups be mushyyy" she silently whined. Luna had to shake her head.

"No, I must show you now" she insisted. Cadence whined once again, this one pleading. Her message was less subtle than the last.

"But aunt Lu-Luuuu!" Luna simply smiled as she put a wing over her back and dragged her away.

"Come now, Cadence. We can't laugh at nobles all day, now, can we?" Cadence's whine was submissive this time, as she hung her head and trotted with the nocturnal princess.

"Yes, I…suppose" she mumbled, sulking after her aunt. Celestia and Skulduggery simply blinked when they trotted hastily away.

"What…was that" Skulduggery asked, well in his rights to be questioning his rulers right now. Celestia wasn't quite sure herself.

"You're the detective" she mumbled. Skulduggery grunted as he shrugged and turned back to their rout. Celestia trotted slowly besides him, enjoying the day she had sculpted for her subjects to enjoy; her sun was a particularly happy shade of gold, the heat it radiated forming small droplets of sweat on everypony outside, but the Pegasi's discrete gusts of winds countered that nicely. The raiser of the sun didn't need to collaborate with the ponies of the sky to make perfect days. She looked back at her top detective and got their conversation back on track, glad that her sister and niece had left them. "Well…I can think of one reason" she answered; she put on a confident tone, but inwardly, it left much to be desired. Skulduggery hummed in thought.

"That was…" the natural response should have been 'mistake' but he knew, even in his limited…well, non-existent experience with mares that that was a lie. "… Just…something that happened. We move on" he said quietly. Celestia nodded slightly.

"Yes…we move on. But, Skulduggery, it was still wrong of me; we both know that that…kind of relationship couldn't work between us" she said, Skulduggery raising a hoof to assure his understanding.

"I know Celestia, it's fine. I understand" he told her. The solar mare sighed lightly.

"I know you do…and that's what annoys me most" she told him. Skulduggery frowned at her words and looked up at her. The sun caught her just…so. He quickly looked back to the ground as he caught her meaning and his blood-flow, calming his nerves and pulse. He took a breath.

"Yes, well. Either way, I should get going…I've a…a case I'm on, I've been putting it off too long" he muttered as he looked back at his ruler, only to find she had gone. One corner of his maw tensed slightly; he didn't blame her, he just wished-

"Ahhh, detective" a voice said from behind Skulduggery. He turned his head and narrowed his

eyes. Four stallions, dark colours, sinister grins, earth ponies, looking confident in their numbers. Thugs.

"What do you want, kid?" The lead pony, black fur, rustic brown mane and tail, snorted.

"You" he spat. Skull raised an eyebrow.

"I'm flattered but my tail don't swing that way" he answered. The thug narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that" he seethed. Skulduggery sighed.

"What do you want" he repeated. He didn't like being snuck up on, and he hated even more that this was in broad daylight. Not to mention, that nopony was around, likely the foals had been called inside thanks to these guys passing by. Another thug narrowed his eyes.

"You. You've insulted Loaded, pissed him off. And, with his current situation, he's gotta send a message, so how's about your mangled body? I'm thinkin' legs broke, horn snapped off and an eye missing. We gotta make sure nopony messes with the boss in the near future." The detective raised an eyebrow.

"What would killing me achieve?" They laughed a little.

"Who said anything about killin' you? Oh, you're gonna wish you were dead, but we won't kill ya. We're nice like that" the lead thug grinned "we're just gonna make sure you're in a LOT of pain, and make sure you can tell ponies who did this to you, that the Goldhooves are not out to pasture." Another thug spoke.

"And who better to beat the shit outta than the stallion who seems to have a lotta fun humiliating Loaded?" Skulduggery grunted; revenge and a message to the masses? No better way to say 'don't buck with us.' Skulduggery simply cracked his neck left and right.

Two thugs charged, one swinging a hoof he ducked under and countered with his own strike while the second took him off his hooves, forcing him to the ground. He recovered quickly and rammed a fore-knee into his scapula, hitting the nerve just right and squirming from beneath him. Being on the floor in a four-on-one fight was a one way ticket on the pain train.

The other two thugs advanced, both at once. Skull's hoof found its home in one's jaw while the other grabbed his other fore-leg, throwing him to one of his friends. The detective found himself in a full neighlson, the other three advancing on him. The back of the older stallion's skull connected with the younger one's muzzle, blood and screams erupting from him. Skull slipped from his hold as his hat fell off, pulling one leg from the hold and stepping to the side as another thug's hoof made connection with his grabber's gut.

Skulduggery threw the now winded pony at his assaulting friend, the other two giving no pause. One threw a strike Skulduggery blocked and countered, while the other's hoof lamped him in the temple, sending him staggering. Another hoof came from nowhere, Skull raising a hoof and blocking only to find another hitting him in the shoulder. The same, dislocated shoulder from his fight with Crag. He growled as the ball and socket joint came lose and another tripped him, throwing him to the ground while another held him down. He looked up to find the four of them stood over him.

"Y'know old stallion, I can see why Loaded wants you dead and buried. I just wish it was us doing it" the lead pony growled. Skulduggery spat in his face. The rustic mane and tailed stallion wiped it spit off his face before he crushed his hoof into Skulduggery's jaw. The world spun for a second, words being spoken muffled and dull until his hearing came back. "-at's it, flip him over. Hold his legs. I'm gonna enjoy this, detective" the lead stallion spat. Skulduggery suddenly noticed he was on his front and his hind legs were being held by one of the thugs; he looked back and down his body to find the black furred stallion turning, raising his hind legs and-

Snap

Skulduggery's eyes widened as his pupils turned to pinpricks, tears welling in his eyes as the scream ripped from his throat. He writhed and struggle and kicked and roared, but none of it helped. The thugs laughed and jeered, spitting on him and beating rocks over his head, blood leaking from his skull and old scar, his coat ripped from his back as they kept pummelling his defenceless form. One ripped hairs from his head while another took a sharp piece of glass discarded on the street and shoved it between his ribs. More blood leaked from him while even more of his bones were broken, bruises were formed and insults were thrown. The detective covered his head and did his best to curl up into a ball, trying to reduce the pain of the abuse as much as he could. It was for nought when somepony bucked him in the stomach, forcing the air from him and leaving him gasping and spluttering. Another strike across his head threw his vision for a second, only for it to come back when a hoof made contact with his face, breaking his snout and probably leaving a shiner.

It all stopped suddenly, and Skulduggery felt hooves on him flipping him onto his back again. His senses were dulled and battered, he couldn't see anything but vague shapes and hear muffled sounds. He felt a hoof on his horn for a second before an indescribable pain rocked his nervous system, another scream of pain scraping from his throat.

"Hey, leave that guy alone" came the voice of a goddess, a true angle amongst ponies, the one pony he would forever owe his life to. The four thugs looked up to find somepony cantering over to them, other ponies watching from the safety of their homes, and hightailed it, galloping for a side street. A pony appeared in Skulduggery's rapidly decreasing field of view, hearing a few words with the vague shapes. "Oh my gosh... Fireberry, I'll stay here with him and Alpine, you go get the guards, quick!" Skulduggery frowned his bloody brow as his vision cleared up enough to make out who was speaking.

'Mountain Dew…huh…' was the last thing he thought before he fell unconscious.

---

It was an appropriately huge turnout. Blood Moon trotted towards the coffin alone, a bouquet of blood red and black roses in his grip. Another funeral. He wondered how many he'd been to in his life. More than he'd like to count. He dropped the flowers before her coffin, a mark of respect and love. It was open casket. She was too beautiful not to deserve it. The dark stallion looked over the side of the oak wood. Her mane and tail had long since grown grey. Her fur was dull. The eyes, closed and peaceful, had turned dull and tired. He sighed. He brushed her mane away from her face and laid one final kiss on her cheek. She'd lived a long life, but he still felt she'd been taken too early. He turned around to find Celestia, Luna and another Alicorn, pink and significantly younger than the other two. Cadence, he geuessed. They each had a flower of their own, the three of them setting them down next to his own. They each took a step back to take their final look at her before they closed the coffin and lowered her into the ground. Blood Moon looked absently at the grave stone.

Twilight Sparkle

The Element of Magic

978 P.N.M-102 R.P.L

Much loved friend, sister, mother and wife.

Once again, the Elements are together.

The assassin looked to the other grave stones; Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbowdash, Rarity, Fluttershy and now, Twilight. It was as her tombstone said; they could finally rest together in harmony.

Blood Moon awoke with a start, Dusk squeaking in displeasure as he was almost flung from his perch. A cold sweat ran down his back while his breathing returned to normal. That dream… he didn't want to see it again. Twilight, dead. The inevitable… Something he couldn't avoid, couldn't fight. Couldn't do anything about.

He shook his head, chasing away his thoughts on his dream, curios as to its meaning, if it were something obvious staring him in the face or something more complex, hidden away. Looking around, he found that he was alone, asides Hunter and Dusk, the phoenix recognising his master's distress and nuzzling him lightly. Blood Moon returned the gesture, glad that his bird was there, and slowly figured out that Ember, Leaf, Red and Candle had apparently woken up already and gone to breakfast. Starswirl's beard, that would be awkward; four assassins meeting with the Elements of Harmony, the Cutie mark crusaders, Spike and Sand Stalker. It wasn't likely to be the dinner party of the century.

He stood from his bed, making it with his magic, and awaited Hunter to hop to his shoulder before he turned and trotted for the door, pushing through it and stepping into the living room; it was empty too, nopony but himself and his pets enjoying his primary living space. He hadn't designed it, not a chance in Tartarus he could achieve something like this, but Rising Sunset had. Before she'd come along and added her 'mare's touch' to the place it had been about as exciting and captivating as the entrance hall. Well, what he called the entrance hall, his family had just called it the 'Square' because that's what it was. A square.

Hunter noticed the tears welling in Blood Moon's eyes and nuzzled him again, the assassin almost breaking down at the thought of such a simple concept. A few droplets fell from his face, running down his scar and pattering onto the carpet. Blood Moon sighed a deep sigh and straightened up, deciding he needed food to stop dwelling on his memories. He made his way to the Square and pushed through the door, trotting silently to the door marked 'W', he pushed through into the kitchens, before turning to the empty doorway and finding the still and awkward-

'Wait, what?'

Conversation was in full swing, small groups of ponies having formed and taken to conversing about different things.

"How in the hay did this happen" the assassin asked himself. Twilight was talking with, of all ponies, Falling Leaf about something, Redwave seemed to be regaling the fillies, Spike and Pinkie Pie about his tales of the ocean, sword fighting poses no extra charge, Ember Spark was talking to Applejack about something while Rainbowdash, Rarity, Sand Stalker and Candle Light were conversing about what could only be the Shadow Weavers. Fluttershy was simply keeping to herself, uncomfortable around so many new ponies. The dark stallion lingered in the doorway.

"I-I don't believe it. You can use magic" Twilight was saying to the stoic assassin. He nodded once.

"I can" he answered. Twilight blinked a few times.

"But-you-how…c-can I ask you a couple of questions" she asked, more begged. Leaf's eyes glanced at Blood Moon, who smirked in agreement, and the earth pony shrugged.

"Sure." Twilight quickly pulled a notebook from somewhere, probably the ether.

"Well, for one, how is that even possible? I know all ponies have their own forms of magic, an earth pony's strength and the Pegasi's cloud-walking ability for example, but only unicorns can actually actively perform it, y'know, for levitation like you did" she says, referring to Leaf grabbing the toast he was eating from the toaster with his magic.

"It's not easy" he admitted "I can only suppose you know how magic works" he said. Twilight nodded.

"Of course I do; pretty much any unicorn can use telekinesis, that being one of the most basic spells, but all other spells, teleportation, Rarity's gem-detecting spell, Blood Moon's Umbra Linguam and most any other spell the unicorn can perform revolves around their talent. Mine, being magic, means I can use just about any kind of spell" she said with no small amount of pride "and Blood Moon is an assassin, so anything to do with subterfuge and combat would come naturally, that, and he's had a long time to practise" she added. "But what's that got to do with you using magic?"

"It doesn't, I was just wondering if you knew anything about magic" he shrugged. Twilight glared at him. "Anyway, you know how unicorns conduct magic?" She nodded.

"Yeah, through the Alicorn of their horns." He nodded.

"And earth ponies can't conduct magic actively because…"

"They don't have Alicorn in their bodies" she finished. He nodded once more.

"Indeed." He waited a single second before Twilight paled slightly.

"Y-you mean…"

"Yes. When I was first inducted into the Weavers, I was taken into one of the sub levels. There, I was given an operation. They took the horn of a dead unicorn, made an indent in my skull and fitted the horn into said hole. So now, I guess you could say I have a somewhat hidden weapon" he told her. Twilight swallowed lightly.

"And…and this happens to every non-unicorn to be...inducted, into the…what did you call them, the Shadow Weavers?" He nodded.

"Yes, that's our collective name, and no, only earth ponies. You see, a Pegasi's wings-"

"The bones are made from Alicorn" Twilight cut in "so, what you're saying…the Pegasi use their wings to conduct magic" she concluded. He nodded. "That's… That's…"

"A disgusting crap on our way of life, somepony's evil attempt at playing Father Time?"

"Genius! I know that unicorns using magic is the way Equestria needs to be to remain peaceful and balanced, but, from a scientific point of view, it's amazing. And conducting magic through a Pegasi's wings, I'd never have thought of that." She looked over at Candle Light. "Is it hard?" The young stallion blinked and blushed lightly.

"E-excuse me?"

"Conducting magic through your wings, is it difficult?" He blinked once more as his blush receded with his knowledge, glancing at Leaf before he answered.

"Kinda. I guess you could say it's easy enough getting the magic to the Alicorn, but actually performing the spells isn't as simple, as the bone isn't exposed to the elements. Because of that, I have to channel the magic through my wings, while concentrating the spell itself away from my wings so it doesn't damage them. Get it?" Twilight nodded a few times thoughtfully, nibbling on the back of her pencil absently.

"What I wouldn't give to perform some tests" she mumbled. Candle paled slightly, Twi catching it and laughing hastily. "No, just kidding, I don't actually want to run any tests on you...unless you're up for it" she tried. Candle swallowed lightly.

"You can take that as a 'no' Twilight" Sand Stalker told her, re-engaging his conversation with the Tiger-orange stallion.

"So, who came up with it" Twilight asked Leaf, turning back to him.

"The Weaver" he answered simply, still half-annoyed, half-impressed with this mare, both because he'd thought she'd freak out with his information.

"The Weaver" Twilight repeated with a frown. Leaf nodded.

"Yes, our leader. Our…mysterious leader at that" he mumbled. Blood Moon lost interest in their conversation, and looked around the table; Redwave was exiting the kids and Pinkie with a tale as to how he went up against the vicious scourge of the seven seas, Hoofbeard, the two of them duelling an epic duel on the high seas. It amused Blood Moon to no end to watch him prance about with a wooden spoon in hoof, holding it as though he were fighting off hordes of enemies. Perhaps the best part was that Pinkie wore the exact same expression of awe as the fillies and Spike. Candle Light's conversation with Sand, RD and Rarity was probably least interesting, basic questions about who the Shadow Weavers were. The kind of information gathering Blood Moon expected from Sand Stalker, always knowing those around him, always knowing potential foes. AJ and Ember were having a strange conversation about the two knowing each other, the apple bucker and the assassin apparently discussing something about seeing each other long ago. Blood Moon would have listened in, had Ember not noticed him.

"Hey, look who's up" she said over the over conversations. Everypony's eyes went to Blood Moon. If it hadn't been awkward before, it was now. When he'd gotten back and…revived Scootaloo, he'd kept to himself. He'd taken her to the bedroom and shut himself in, nopony having either the nerve or incentive to come visit, asides Rainbowdash, who's fear, if she had any, was trumped by her concern for her little sister. As such, Blood Moon hadn't the chance to say…anything, really, his 'talk' with Hunter being the closest thing he had to any kind of apology.

Either way, the silence said it all. The assassins weren't happy with him for the contract, the Elements just plain didn't like him anymore, Sand Stalker's only opinion was that of looking after his niece while Spike and the other two fillies didn't know what to think anymore. Without saying a word, his horn flared as a cup of coffee floated over to him with a plate of toast and an apple, the dark stallion turning and trotting out as the fridge door opened itself and a chunk of cheddar flew out for Dusk while Hunter was perfectly capable of finding his own food. Blood Moon trotted into the Square and leapt up to the hatch and outside, the iron door opening at his whim before he took a seat on the hard ground, leaning his back against one of the burnt corner beams of the shack and relaxing into thought. His eyes vacantly scanned the horizon for anything interesting, nothing but bog and swamp meeting his eyes.

"Why is it you're so obsessed with building inside mines?"

'The foundations are already there and it's easy enough to make a home out of a hole in the ground.' He took a sip from his beverage as Hunter took flight, circling the air and searched for prey. 'What do you want?'

"What, I can't pass the time?"

'Not at my expense.'

"You're boring, at least let me poke fun at you."

'You do realise the last time I saw you I promised I'd shove your head up your ass.'

"You do realise that you're threatening a voice in your head with violence."

'I have my ways… Now what do you want?'

"To talk, you do realise that you're the literally ONLY pony I can talk with."

'And?'

"Well, the only pony I can talk with is the pony I'm meant to be sending insane. You do realise, I have no purpose because of you, right?"

'Black Star, I couldn't give less of a damn if you're meaningless or not, because that's always how I've seen you. You. Have. No. Purpose. And I really wish you'd stop talking to me.'

"Do you really wish that Blood Moon, really? That the only pony, entity really, that is guaranteed to be with you forever would stop talking to you. To lose that reassuring fact that, when everypony else is dead, you won't be so alone. That, inside this broken head of yours isn't just darkness and memories, but some actual company? Do you really want to lose that?"

Blood Moon paused, his answer of 'yes' on the tip of his tongue before his mind failed him.

"I thought as much."

'You've been practicing, haven't you.'

"Practicing what" a voice asked. Blood Moon blinked when he noticed he'd said that last thing aloud, looking around for the voice's owner. He looked back to find Ember Spark and Twilight.

'Sweet Celestia, have mercy.'

Blood Moon swallowed slightly at the sight of the two mares, stood side by side though not too close to each other. They were fixing him with pointed looks, not glares but by no means a soft look.

"Something the matter" he asked as he trotted towards the edge of the small island the burnt shack stood upon, surrounded by aforementioned bog water and swampland. He heard Twilight and Ember come up behind him.

"We need to talk" Twilight told the back of his head. Blood Moon's gaze went to the bird in the sky, Hunter calling before he went into a steep dive and sunk his talons into something that was now having a very bad day.

"About" he asked in return. They didn't answer him. Instead they gave him the ol' silent treatment; Blood Moon wasn't intimidated by silence, in fact, he was a little disappointed with Ember, thinking she could make him squirm with silence. Silence was the music of a true assassin. Blood Moon turned to them either way, and was met with two narrowed gazes. He narrowed his own eyes in return. If they wanted to have words with him, fine, but he wasn't about to curl up and let it happen. He was an assassin, and ponies didn't simply 'berate' an assassin. This would be no normal relationship discussion.

"Me and Ember were talking when you left" Twilight told him "after last night when you doubled over…" she trailed off, her point made.

'How long have I been up here..?'

"And we want to ask you something Moon" Ember told him simply. Blood Moon raised an eyebrow.

"Get on with it then. If you think by dragging this out you're going to scare me, you've both got another thing coming." Both mares blinked at his words, not to mention his tone; they hadn't expected such aggression. Both mares swallowed slightly.

"W-what happened when you were gone? With Ember, I mean" Twilight asked. Blood Moon's eyes went to her.

"We kissed, made out, had sex. She admitted to loving me" he answered plainly. Ember narrowed her eyes a little more.

"You said you love me too" she reminded him. The dark stallion turned his gaze to her.

"I did" he confirmed.

"Then why didn't you say so" Twilight asked. Blood Moon narrowed his eyes once more; he could see what they were doing here, ganging up on him, alternating between speaker to make sure he remembered he wasn't alone with either one of them, trying to force him into a corner. They wanted him to slip up somehow.

"Love is a dangerous word" he answered. They were silent in their stand off for a second. The stallion broke the silence. "What do you want? I'm getting tired of dancing around the point here" he told them. Both mares glared as they took a step forward.

"You, Blood Moon. We've discussed this, and we've come to a conclusion. This herd you and Twilight have going on wouldn't work for me" Ember told him "I'm selfish like that" she added almost spitefully.

"So, you have a choice" Twilight told him "it's either Ember, or me and Fluttershy." Blood Moon snorted; so this was it. No discussions, no sensible meeting, just an on the spot decision. Well, if that's how they wanted to play it…

"So that's it, huh" he asked as he cocked his head "you want me to make a decision between two mares, who can't possibly love me anymore, or my student, the mare I've taught most of her life, my protégé?" He shook his head. "Y'know, I've a rule of sorts when somepony makes me chose between themselves and somepony else, it's 'whoever isn't making me choose.' But here, we have a problem: you're both trying to make me choose between you. So I choose neither" he glared. Twilight blinked in shock while Ember grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes to mask her heartbreak.

"W-what do you mean" the purple mare asked. The dark mare growled.

"I'll tell you what he means, he means he's a coward; he refuses to choose between us because-"

"The next time you call somepony a coward, Ember, make sure they're not me" Blood Moon growled in a sinister voice "you two are the ones who thought it would be a good idea to have all the important conversations without me, and before you try and say this is a cop out, let me ask you something; what is my curse?" Ember frowned.

"You're curse" she repeated, looking down in thought before she tutted "oh, here we go; the big speech about 'it's my curse to watch everypony around me die, so the last thing I want to do is hurt anypony close to me.' Sweet Celestia, what kind of assassin are you? At least have the balls to make a decision between two mares." Blood Moon narrowed his eyes again for a second; then, the earth at Ember's hooves exploded upwards. Spikes of rock shot upwards, surrounding her, enclosing her legs and poking at her stomach, one in particular reaching up to just below her neck. Twilight gasped and scrambled away from Ember, the grey mare remaining stock still in fear of being impaled. Blood Moon took a single step forwards and put his face into Ember's.

"You know, Ember, for all my gentlecoltly qualities, I am quite unstable and have killed for lesser reasons than somepony pissing me off." He snarled. "Yes, we're having some relationship issues, but let me assure you, I am no normal stallion and I'm not one to take shit from anypony. Now this probably makes me a bad pony, but I've never claimed to be anything otherwise." The stone spikes retracted into the ground. "I suggest you be more careful with your words" he told her. She bared her teeth in anger.

"You piece of dirt. I don't think I've met anypony quite so hypocritical as you; you betray Twilight three times and you've left me hanging for a real return to my sentiments for days now, or is that it, I was just sex with you! Somepony to buck and chuck when you're at a low point! And despite all this we've tried to be patient with you, but the moment we ask you to at least choose between us, you tell us neither are good enough for you anymore!" Blood Moon remained silent throughout her rant. "Well so be it! Why don't you just go fuck the corpse of you wife!" Twilight gasped, Equestria stood still and something inside Blood Moon himself snapped.

"Blood Moon, cool it, she didn't mean it."

It was no good, it wasn't enough; he'd already lunged forward and slammed Ember to the ground, straddling her as he beat his hooves into her face until she was nothing but a bloody and bruised pulp.

"YOU. DON'T. SAY. ANYTHING ABOUT HER" he roared as hoof met face time after time until he dug his appendage into the ground besides her head and ripped out another spike of stone; he held it in two hooves and thrust it down at her, Ember grabbing his fore-legs in her own to keep the spike away from her. Silent rage was nothing compared to this; his expression was enraged, his eyes had gone bloodshot and his face was contorted in anger, his teeth bared, a manic look in his eyes and a growl ripping from his face in place of breaths.

None too soon, the other three assassins clambered out of the hole in the ground, due to the sound of raised voices and attempted murder, and quickly flung themselves at the dark stallion. Candle and Red took him by the fore-legs while Leaf grabbed his neck in a chokehold. Blood Moon couldn't think of how to escape this hold in his angered state, flailing and kicking to try and get to his prey; Dusk had scampered off his head and retreated to the safety of Twilight's mane while Hunter returned from his hunt and perched on Twilight's shoulder, watching their master rage around in the grip of three assassins while he tried to murder the other.

"GET THE BUCK OFFA ME! SHE-" he whipped his left fore-leg from Redwave's hold and cracked his knee into his face "SHE INSULTED MY WIFE" he roared, striking Candle in the face and reaching back with both hooves and throwing Leaf off of him; he rolled onto the back of his neck and fore-hooves before he pushed and leapt gracefully to his all-fours and lunged at Ember once more. He was stopped mid-air by somepony grabbing his hind legs and holding on for dear life. He growled and snorted and roared in anger, likely scaring off a few of the native nasties around here, and flung his improvised weapon at Ember. It was aimed dead for her fore-head, but was intercepted by a mustard yellow hoof. Sand Stalker snapped his stone spike in two as he stood between Blood Moon and Ember. Blood Moon growled as he looked down his body to find out what was holding him down; it was Twilight, holding both his hind-legs with her fore-legs, her eyes leaking tears slightly as she fought to keep Blood Moon from killing Ember in what she could only guess to be the most gruesome way known to pony. He slowly calmed and his rage induced rampage came to an unfulfilled end as he relaxed onto the ground with a truly vile look on his face. After a few minutes, Twilight finally released him, letting him up; he turned his gaze to the ponies to have come up due to the sounds of bloody murder and evil. The Elements of Harmony, Spike and the little ones had joined them, finding Blood Moon attempting to rip out Ember's spine and shove it down her oesophagus.

"What're you looking at" he demanded of them all, all of them recoiling slightly at his tone and words. Everypony but Sand Stalker, Twilight, Scootaloo (bless her brave heart) and the assassins swallowed slightly, looking away.

"What happened here" Sand Stalker asked, his hard gaze locked onto Blood Moon. It wasn't lost on anypony that his scimitar was sheathed on his back.

"She insulted his wife" Twilight said quietly. Sand Stalker blinked a few times, looking back at the beaten mare. He snorted suddenly.

"You're a lucky mare" he growled, apparently not impressed with her choice of insult. He picked her up and laid her on his back, trotting back to the hatch and hopping down, though not before he looked at the other ponies and drake gathered up there. "C'mon, this isn't a circus act" he told them as he hopped down "and you two, they're gonna need some…privacy" he told Blood Moon's pets. They followed after him, some more eager than others as Blood Moon turned to the assassins. They watched him carefully, Leaf in specific, the three of them standing in a triangle. Redwave went to talk before Leaf beat him to it.

"She got what was coming to her. Nopony insults a widow's lost one and goes on unscathed" he said definitively. Redwave tensed on corner of his maw before he decided his superior was right. The three of them soon trotted past Blood Moon, back into the assassin's home. Blood Moon took a single, long breath, his eyes still narrowed at the horizon behind where his assassins had just stood. He felt a presence besides him.

"What do you want me to say, Twilight" he asked quietly.

"I-I just wanted to ask you something" she told him.

"You done enough asking" he told her sharply, whipping his head to her. From the look on her face, he could tell that she was scared, but holding firm.

"Just, answer me this" she begged, her eyes full of conflict. He growled and turned away, trotting to the edge of the small island and staring off into the wilderness, where there were no problems, only instinct. None of these 'relationship problems' just kill or be killed. That was something he could work with. While Blood Moon was contemplating galloping off now and living with the wolves, Twilight trotted beside him and stood at his side. "What did you mean" she asked simply. Blood Moon growled and turned to her.

"What did what mean" he demanded. Twilight turned to him so they were looking directly at each other, not three inches between them, though this wasn't so intimate.

"When you said, 'two mares who couldn't possibly love me anymore.'What did you mean?" Blood Moon was silent for a second.

"You and Fluttershy. After what I did, what I said…" Twilight could see the shame hidden behind his snarled lip and evil glare, the disappointment in himself. He shook his head and growled again, that veil of anger coming back thicker and stronger than before. "Don't try and kid yourself Twi, I can see everything about you through your eyes, every instinct, every emotion, every-" he would have said something else if Twilight hadn't moved forwards and pressed her lips to his. There was moisture to their kiss, though it wasn't from their mouths, instead, it was the tear that had leaked from Twilight. She pulled back after a second, leaving the assassin's veil of anger distorted by confusion.

"Well then, you can't see very well" she told him slightly harshly. She sniffled lightly as she tried to fix her glare. "Because if you could see everything about me, then you'd be able to see that I never stopped loving you. That when everypony was scared, I never lost faith in you. That when everypony was trying to figure out what to do about you, I never stopped believing in you, I never forgot what you did for us all. That I…" she looked him up and down for a second before she leaned her head on his chest "that I understand. You need somepony to fight for" she said at length "without me, Scootaloo, Fluttershy, somepony to fight for you're…you're just a lost and broken stallion" she told him. "And I know, I understand and I respect that, you've gone so long alone after finding somepony to love and w…watching her die…" she said slowly "after something like that, it's a miracle you didn't just kill me when we first met" she told him, looking up at him, but not taking her head away from his chest "but you didn't, we met, we spoke, we became friends, we fell in love… If somepony told me, years ago, that someday I'd be in love with an immortal assassin, I'd have laughed them off, but now I'd rather be nowhere else except with you, because I give you a reason to live, a reason to be…" she lowered her gaze and put her face into his chest again, one hoof going around his neck in a weak hug "and I can't stand seeing you without somepony to live for" she told him in a whisper.

She felt the stallion she was holding swallow, a small breath escaping his muzzle. She felt one of his own hooves wrap around her shoulders as his neck lowered to embrace her tighter than he could with just his hooves.

"Twilight" Blood Moon said quietly. The purple unicorn pulled back slightly.

"Yeah" she answered gently. She looked up to find small… She blinked, tears, falling from his eyes. The red orbs were closed and his head was angled down, the small droplets running down his scar and dropping to the ground.

"Why is it that you love me" he asked. Twilight blinked at the question before she put a hoof on his shoulder.

"Because… Well, I don't know" she pulled him in again, wrapping her hooves around him "because nopony else can, I guess" she said with a small smile on her face. Blood Moon huffed.

"W-why is that, Twilight? Why is it that you take the time to understand me, to…figure me out?" Twilight couldn't hold down her small titter.

"Because I love you" she told him. He huffed again.

"You love me because you try to understand me, and you try to understand me because you love me" he murmured. Twilight giggled.

"A continuous loop. Our love's an ouroboros" she said. The assassin blinked a few times.

"That…that…that was beautiful" he mumbled. Twilight couldn't hold down her smile.

"Blood Moon?"

"Hmm?"

"A-are you…okay now?" Blood Moon sighed.

"I…I guess, yeah, I'm better now" he mumbled as he put a hoof of his own over her back, pulling her in.

"Good" she said as she relaxed into his hold. They were silent for a while, relaxed, peaceful, happy together. Then Twilight broke the hug and took a step away. "Because I need to talk to you" she told him. Blood Moon knew what was to come. He let her go and straightened up his expression hardening again, though it was more serious than threatening.

"About" he asked.

"Fleur and Rarity" she told him simply. He huffed slightly and looked away.

"What do you want me to say Twilight? I won't make excuses, I won't try and beg forgiveness and I sure as hay aren't gonna try and explain this away. It happened, there's nothing I can do about it now" he told her. Twilight screwed her face up in frustration and a sudden anger.

"Then why did it happen" she demanded, a warning light flashing in her head; the original plan was to have a quiet and calm conversation, but it appeared that that wasn't to be.

"Because" he started harshly, yet confidently before he faltered when nothing came out of his maw. He growled in frustration. "Because it just did, what do you want me to say? I used Fleur for information at Fancy's place, yeah, I could have done it a different way, and yeah, there were a hundred different ways I could'a got information out of her, but at the time, that was the fastest way to get it out of her without hurting her. And Rarity…I don't know! It was just the moment, she'd just patched me up, and I don't know what came over me! Maybe it was just the atmosphere" he grumbled. He turned back to her. "I don't know what you want me to say Twilight" he repeated "so could you just get on with it and say something!" Twilight stood firm, seeing the shame in his face, knowing she had him. "And don't think you've worked me into a corner here Twi" he told her, pointing a hoof at her "I'm not the kind of stallion who takes anything sitting down" he reminded her. Well, there went that idea, but Twilight stood strong.

"You know what you're problem is Blood Moon?" He snorted.

"I have many problems Twilight, do you want me to make you a list-"

"You've too much pride" she told him. Blood Moon's expression darkened for a second before he grinned.

"Pride, huh? It's always the Celestia damned pride. Do you know how complex a pony's pride is? How complex a thing pride itself is? Time was, my motivations in life were protecting my charge, Celestia and Luna. When I left, it was nothing but pride, the challenge. I didn't need to keep my head above water, one contract and I was set for a decade. Y'know, for a long time, pride was all I had. My pride was the only thing keeping me from just sitting down in a ditch and staying there, letting the world go on without me. The only time I've ever fought for myself, was when I fought for my pride. To know I can't be beat, to know I'm at the top of my game." He laughed harshly, turning his head to the rapidly darkening skies. "And you know what? At this rate, pride will be all I've got period" he said with mirthless laughter in his tone.

"Do you know, if you didn't have so much pride, and you'd just let me say something, maybe your pride wouldn't have to be your only companion" she told him as she squared up to him, something about the stallion's hopeless speech bringing something out in her "all's I want you to do, is apologise, to tell me you're sorry! Why is it you can tell a bird you're sorry, but when it comes to the pony you actually hurt, it's a matter of pride that you don't?!" He snapped his gaze to her.

"Because I don't apologise, to apologise means I regret, I don't regret anything I've done" he roared into her face. Twilight snorted.

"So it's principle now? You can't, no sorry, won't apologise because of some foolish code? Some stupid belief?"

"'Stupid belief'! Before you call it a stupid belief, maybe you should understand the reasoning behind it; do you realise that if I regretted anything I've done, I'd be far more broken than I am now. I'd be a dead stallion trotting" he told her harshly, slamming his hoof to the ground.

"You're impossible! I'm trying to build a bridge between us, and you just won't let me! You know, if you just said I'm sorry I could forgive you so easily. I don't really care why you did anything, I know Rarity won't do anything with you, and I know you won't do anything with Fleur. So why can't you just say it!?"

"You want to hear me say it Twilight? FINE! I'm sorry, I apologise, I shouldn't have slept with Fleur, I shouldn't have kissed Rarity, let's completely forget that they both came onto me, not the other way around! Let's just assume this is all my fault, and just tell ourselves that it was the stallion, the assassin who did wrong, that it's always the bad guy's fault, so let's just pin all the blame on him" he roared before he turned, picked up a stone and flung it into the distance, hoping it killed something on its way. Twilight took this all in as she watched him take a breath, snarling at something and looking back out to the horizon. She trotted hesitantly over to him.

"B…Blood Moon, I-I'm sorry…I…I just…just thought that…" He turned back to her.

"That what? I seduced Fleur in the middle of a contract, that Rarity had nothing to do with the kiss we shared. I'm more loyal than that" he grumbled as he looked back to the horizon.

"I…well… W-was she in heat" she tried.

"Fleur? I don't know, I don't think so. I hope not" he muttered below his breath. Twilight looked at the stones on the ground for answers.

"Well I…well." She sighed. "Blood Moon, I want to make this work-"

"No" he said sharply, raising his hoof "don't, talk to me like some…relationship councillor, Twi, we've been together for just over a week, can't we just let sleeping dogs lie and-"

"No" she told him, just as sharply "I've already told you Blood Moon, I don't want to see you alone, and I don't want to be alone either. I don't want you to leave my life" she said as she hung her head, the implications of what he was saying hitting her "I don't want you to leave me" she said tearfully "I love you" she croaked. Blood Moon turned to her wordlessly and went to speak before she whipped her head up, her eyes narrowed furiously. "Blood Moon, tell me you love me" she said. It wasn't a command, as such, it was an invite. An opportunity.

"I love you" he replied honestly. She took a step towards him.

"Now tell me you're sorry for having sex with Fleur and kissing Rarity, and before you say anything, listen to what I'm saying; I want you to ap-olo-gise to me, not admit regret, not take any hit to the pride, not tell me that it was all your fault, just…tell me you're sorry… As much sense as that may make" she said quietly at the end. Blood Moon swallowed lightly. There was a long pause where nothing was said, Twilight's heart quickly sinking.

"Twilight… I'm sorry…" he said at length. Twilight met his gaze with her own downcast one. They stared into each other's overcast eyes for a few seconds before they fell into another hug, leaning on each other' bodies and wrapping their hooves around one another, almost like they were both suddenly too tired to stand up by themselves. Twilight nuzzled further into his neck.

"Blood Moon, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have assumed, shouldn't have been so foolish as to think, that it was just you who…you know, started it" she mumbled. He nodded wordlessly. She leaned back and took his face in a hoof. "But…can you promise me something?" He didn't say anything.

"Can you please, not have sex with anymore mares, not going fooling around, not go kissing anypony" she asked as they relaxed into each other again. "The whole heat thing…I-I don't like it, but we already discussed that, I know how…strenuous it can get, and I…I trust you not to lie to me" she told him." Blood Moon nodded.

"Alright Twilight, I promise" he assured "just as long as you promise me something too" he said.

"What's going on up here" came a strained and hoarse voice before he could continue. Blood Moon and Twilight looked over to the burnt remains of the shack and found the other Elements of Harmony peeking out, Rainbowdash having spoken.

"Yeah, it was all loud then it wen' all quiet. We got worried" Applejack added. Twilight gave a small smile, but didn't move away from her coltfriend.

"Don't hate me" he whispered into her ear as he pulled back.

"I-is everypony okay" came Fluttershy's timid voice as she peeked her gaze over the side of the burnt shack.

"We're fine Fluttershy" Twilight said as she and Blood Moon turned to them properly, Twilight leaning her head on the stallion's neck. The butter yellow mare smiled warmly as she fluttered out of the shack and stood with her friends.

"Something needs to be said" Blood Moon said as he stood straight. Everypony looked at him, some easier than others.

"What" Applejack asked simply, her head cocked and eyeing him in a way that said that she wasn't sure if she trusted him or not yet. Blood Moon looked between them all.

"Twilight told me that when I left the other day, you were…uneasy" he said slowly. They went to argue, or maybe spitefully confirm his claims, Twilight included, before he raised a hoof to stop them. "But, that's not the point. I understand your reactions." He lowered his head, looking to the ground. "But…I've figured something out, and I've come to a decision" he told them. They all raised an eyebrow, Twilight a little worried. This feeling only worsened when he turned to her. "Twilight, when we first started dating, it was under the pretence that it would be a simple 'you-me' relationship, no complexities with your friends…to that end…" he turned to a suddenly very worried Fluttershy, trotting quietly over to her and stopping before her. "Fluttershy…it's over between us. You're a beautiful and kind mare, but…you deserve somepony warmer than me." Everypony pony felt Fluttershy's heartbreak. There was just too much to be contained by on pony. Rainbowdash's jaw loosened, Applejack couldn't hold back the widening of her eyes, Rarity put a hoof to her mouth, Pinkie gave a quiet, soul-shredding gasp that didn't do her sadness justice while Twilight was a combination of all four.

Something broke inside Fluttershy; it could have been her heart, maybe her soul. Her eyes quickly turned moist as her tears welled up, praying to whoever was listening that she'd heard him wrong, while her heartbeat hammered in her ears, each 'thum-thum' accentuating the crack in it. She tried and failed to form words for a few seconds before she finally remembered to talk.

"Wh…what?" Blood Moon's gaze didn't leave hers.

"It's over Fluttershy. I'm breaking up with you" he repeated. She felt her tears spill down her cheeks.

"Why" she asked in what may as well have been trauma. The assassin bowed his head.

"When I left…Twilight had to remind you why you loved me." The tears flowed in greater abundance as her maw contorted in sobs, her whimper sneaking out. She broke down and looked at the ground in pain. "You deserve a stallion to call your own, not have to share with somepony. And…I don't want some…damn love triangle."

"Because it's too cliché?"

'Not the time Black Star.'

What…what was this…this feeling of pure…hurt. She had been sad before…hurt…but never like this. Never so…crushed. Something snapped. Her eye twitched and she looked up, finding his gaze with her own; her lips curled in a snarl as she took a step towards him. Then she hit him with her secret weapon. She used the stare.

Blood Moon felt it instantly. True…fear, was the only way to describe it. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cower away from this mare. That was, until, what had been drilled into him so long ago finally flared in his mind.

'The stare…'

The stare was a widely undocumented natural magic conveyed by the eyes. It was used to convey intimidation and fear through nothing more than eye contact. Legend told that it was the most powerful of all forms of 'visual magic', capable of countering a Cockatrice or even a Medusa's 'rock glare', or even Death's own 'fatal glance.' As far as Blood Moon's knowledge went, he knew of only a few other ponies who could use the stare; Nocturnal, Celestia and the Greytails. The Greytails were ponies who lived high on the slopes of Equestria's tallest mountain. They were known to wear blindfolds, as their stare was so strong, even a glance could break your psyche. Blood Moon knew this because they had trained him in the stare's use, him, Heartless and Rose Blood that is. Being taught how to use the stare was a long, time consuming process, consisting of meditation and silent contemplation. Blood Moon, thanks to his eye's other ability, had taken to their teachings well, and knew that there was only one thing to counter a stare. Another stare.

Blood Moon narrowed his eyes and let loose his own stare. He feels the effect immediately; the feelings of fear quickly recced as Fluttershy's own natural, yet untrained stare was quickly overcome by his own, boring into her own mind as her legs began to shake in fear before her eyes rolled back into her skull as she feinted. Blood Moon catches her on his fore-leg, yet soon passes her to Applejack.

"Tell her I'm sorry" he mutters as she takes her still-weeping, unconscious form back to the hatch and hops down it. Nopony could really face him after that, though nothing personal, it was one of any Ponyville's residents cardinal rules: you never make Fluttershy cry. Blood Moon felt a presence behind him.

"Why did you do that" Twilight asked him quietly. He took a long breath.

"Because I've no desire to date two mares at once. Not anymore. You've shown your true nature, your true feelings towards me Twilight. You take the time to understand, you took the time to make a bridge between us, you were stubborn enough to follow it through and you gave me the chance to make amends… You deserve my full loyalty, attention and love…and I can't do that with Fluttershy as well as you. You both deserve a stallion to call your own." Twilight sighed heartily.

"That doesn't mean I like this" she told him. Blood Moon shrugged.

"You're friends Twilight, I refuse to come between you. I'd rather be her friend too but that's her decision now." Twilight sighed once more.

"I hope she's okay" she said quietly. She couldn't say that she liked this, but she couldn't honestly say that she didn't like this either, so to that end she decided to just go with it and see where things went.

"She'll be fine. Just let her rest and think things over…she should figure out why I did that…she's a smart mare" he answered. Twilight nodded as they stood side by side for a little while, until the purple mare shivered.

"Can we go inside now? It's cold" she said with a tremble in her voice. Blood Moon smiled slightly as he moved into her and warmed her fur with his, nuzzling her all the way to the hatch. He waited for her to hop down first before he joined her, the two trotting into the living room together and finding Rarity, Rainbowdash and Pinkie Pie sat around the fire. They looked over and smiled slightly, still unsure of what to make of Blood Moon. The assassin veered off and trotted into the barracks, raising a few eyebrows when he trotted through the secret door.

Inside, he found Ember, being tended to by Falling Leaf, who looked up and nodded silently before he whispered something to Ember. She murmured something back as he stood and left the room. Blood Moon turned to Twilight.

"Give us a second" he asked. Twilight nodded and sat around the hearth with her friends. The dark stallion trotted over to Ember.

"Hey" she said quietly as he sat besides her. He didn't say anything. "Listen, Moon, for what it's worth, I'm sorry for what I said. I…I don't know what came over me" she admitted. Blood Moon looked down at her.

"Thanks, I guess." He made sure not to tell her she was forgiven. Ember picked up on it and turned over in the bed, searching for his hoof with her own and holding it lightly.

"I…take it you and Twilight made up" she said in a low voice.

"Ever astute, Ember" he answered. He looked down at her face and cringed; he'd really done a number on her. He face was swollen, her lips split, her eyes bruised and blackening.

"I got something on my face" Ember asked. The assassins smirked at her bad joke as Blood Moon turned to her properly.

"Here, let me get that" he muttered as he ran his hoof up his horn, a sparkling of magic running up with it as he did; he put his hoof tentatively to her face and pressed down lightly; as he did, the swelling went down with his hoof, her lips reforming as her eye went from bruised-black to her ash-grey fur as her face slowly reformed. Healing the damage you'd done yourself was always easier than trying to heal somepony else's. He pulled his hoof away from her newly repaired face and smiled slightly. "There, as perfect as the day I met you" he said. Ember giggled lightly as she wrapped her fore-legs tiredly around his fore-leg.

"Blood Moon, for what it's worth, I still love you" she told him. Blood Moon sighed as he cuddled her back the best he could.

"I know Ember, but I'm with Twilight now" he reminded her.

"I know, I know" she assured, nodding her head lightly "I…" she sighed, realizing she had no chance with him now, not after what she'd said "I'm sorry Blood Moon. And…I know we can't be anything more but…" She trailed off and he smirked.

"Ember, you'll always be my protégé. And we'll always be friends" he told her. She smiled again as she hugged his fore-leg even tighter.

"Thanks, Blood Moon" she said quietly, pausing for a while "Twilight's a lucky mare" she said quietly. Blood Moon grunted.

"I don't know about that" he chuckled as he stood up "listen, get some rest, you're still gonna be sore for a few hours" he told her "I'll have Leaf on bedside duty and-"

"Blood Moon, could you do me a favour, actually?" He raised an eyebrow. "Could you send Candle instead, it's just, Leaf's bedside manner isn't exactly…comforting" she said. Blood Moon grunted.

"From one stallion to the next, Ember?" She rolled sleepily onto her back.

"Can't a mare keep her options open?"

"Can't a stallion?" She tensed slightly, looking over her shoulder and sending him a glare mixed with a small pout. The dark stallion didn't know where the notion came from, but he got the feeling that if ponies had any kind of offensive hoof gestures, he'd be on the receiving end of one now. He shrugged and trotted out, a smirk on his face. "Just sayin'" he said absently, a small chuckle in his voice. Ember rolled her eyes at him and tried to get back to sleep.

'Well, it seems somepony is living to regret this decision. Me.'

---

Celestia burst through the hospital door.

It annoyed her.

It angered her.

It…it pissed her off.

That he'd been attacked, in broad daylight, in the middle of the street no less was bad enough, but what made matters worse, was that it hadn't been a minute after she'd left him. Not thirty seconds! As soon as she'd turned her back, the thugs, or mercenaries, or muggers, or…whatever the hay they were, had attacked him, beaten him half to death. She'd promised the pony to have had the guts to intervene, Mountain Dew, a hefty reward for saving her friend already, but it still clawed at her;

'Why in Tartarus hadn't anypony else?'

She shook the thoughts from her head as she, Luna and Cadence cantered through the halls of Canterlot hospital, looking for the detective's ward. That she'd only been told, after he'd been operated on annoyed her further still, for reasons that had confused the messenger to tell her; didn't they know what kind of healing magic she could perform? That was one of her strongest forms, damnit. Cadence and Luna had been ultimately quiet throughout their small campaign through the corridors of the hospital; the solar princess could only guess that it had something her worry for Celestia's well being for Cadence, and impartialness for Luna. Either that, or she'd clocked her and Skulduggery's behaviour earlier.

After realising they'd gone in a circle for the third time, Celestia growled at both herself and the architects of this hospital and looked for somepony who may know where her personal detective was being kept. She spied a doctor, or nurse, or it could have been the bucking janitor for all Celestia cared right now, and trotted up to him.

"Excuse me" she asked, always polite with her citizens, though her aggravation was still evident in her voice "but could you help me?" The pony in the white coat turned around and gave a good natured smile before he realised who it was.

"P-princes Celestia" he observed, blinking a few times, bowing hastily "to what do I hold the honour?" The princess of the day had to restrain the eye roll; more than once, Blood Moon had encouraged her to be on a more, 'social' standing with her citizens, and it was now she saw why: everypony kept cowering and it was very frustrating.

"I'm looking for a patient here, a detective Skulduggery" she told him. The doctor blinked again, this time in confusion rather than shock, and looked down at the clipboard in his magical grip.

"Skulduggery? He's just down there" he said, pointing at the one corridor they hadn't noticed. Celestia thanked him with a quick nod of her head before she cantered down said hallway and into the ward the doctor had pointed out. Well, it was a private ward, after being operated on so much, he'd been given his own room.

Celestia was suddenly very nervous; she'd never been so anxious since her days as a filly, the first attempt on her life. Blood Moon had taken the thrown dagger right to the chest and she'd thought she'd lost him for a few days. Then he'd come back, a hard yet slightly satisfied look in his eyes. That had been one of the days their bond had strengthened and gotten that much deeper.

Celestia shook the thoughts away, glad she had other things to occupy her thoughts with but not at what they were. She felt Luna and Cadence either side of her, her sister giving her a weak smile while her niece nuzzled her affectionately. Celestia steeled herself before she trotted through the door.

Inside there were two ponies, a stallion and a mare; the stallion was unconscious, laying on the bed, a heart rate monitor hooked up to him while an IV was slowly dripping into his left fore-hoof. The mare was stood next to him, a concerned look on her face as she sighed sadly, before looking up. This pony was at least a little more relaxed around her, simply blinking a few times at the royal convoy visiting the pony on the bed. Sure, the princesses made visits now and then to the sick and elderly, but she hadn't heard anything about this.

"Doctor" Celestia greeted as she stepped inside, trotting quietly to Skulduggery's bedside.

"Princess" the white coat clad mare greeted in return, bowing gently.

There was silence in the room for a while, only the rhythmic 'beep…beep' of the monitor breaking the silence, only calming Celestia a little bit knowing his heart was still beating. Or that the thing was plugged in, whichever you prefer.

"How's he doing" Cadence asked quietly. The nurse sighed once more as she looked back to her patent.

"He's stable, but it doesn't look good; multiple broken bones, internal bleeding, the scar on his head has reopened, the stab wound is infected, his muzzle isn't gonna look the same again…and he'll be trotting with a limp for the rest of his life" she listed. Cadence took a quiet breath, Luna hung her head while something cold stabbed Celestia in her chest.

"Is he stable enough to be moved?" The doctor blinked again.

"Well…I suppose, but he's-"

"Then you may want to stand back" the solar princess advised. The doctor took a few steps towards the princess.

"Princess Celestia, I must protest; not only am I not sure if he is stable enough to be moved, w-"

"I said: stand back" Celestia reminded sharply, making the mare swallow lightly as she did so "he deserves warmer surroundings" she finished quietly. In a flash, Celestia, Skulduggery, the heart rate monitor, IV drip and the detective's hat, which had been sat, battered and dusty on the table by the bed disappeared. Cadence offered a small shrug of apology while Luna teleported away, the pink Alicorn soon following. The both landed in Celestia's bedroom, only instinct and a lucky guess landing them with the princess of the sun and detective, and they both trotted to the bedside.

They watched as Tia sat by the P.I's side, silently, watching him take slowly and sleepy breaths. Their standoff went on for about three minutes before Cadence turned away.

"We'll give you some privacy" she said, trotting for the door. Luna, meanwhile, lingered.

"You really care for him, don't you" she said quietly. Celestia could only offer a faint blush and

shrug at the accusation.

"Guilty as charged" she answered in a mutter. Luna gave a sympathetic sigh and trotted over to her, nuzzling her lovingly. Celestia returned her sentiments thoroughly, feeling strangely…alone, in her time of hardship. "Is this how it felt…when Harrow died?" Luna tensed suddenly, and Celestia fear she'd struck a wrong chord. Then Luna gave a defeated and tired sigh.

"Not quite…I didn't have my sister to lean on" she answered. Celestia herself froze, pulling back slightly and looking her sister in the eye. She sighed in return.

"Then I am…deeply sorry" she told her as they nuzzled once more. They kept it up for a few seconds before Luna pulled back again.

"I'm just across the hall" she reminded her big sister. Celestia nodded her understanding and looked back to Skulduggery.

"Thank you, Lu-Lu" she said quietly. She waited a few seconds before she heard the soft 'click' of the door closing, still watching Skulduggery. "You can open your eyes now Skull, they're gone" she told him. He grunted and opened his eyes, though Celestia could tell it wasn't easy on him.

"Nothing gets past you, eh Celestia?" The princess gave a small huff.

"Heart monitor…it was beeping too fast for you to be unconscious" she answered, settling onto the bed more comfortably "Skulduggery, who did this to you" she asked quietly, her hoof brushing over his matted mane, gazing at him with concern in her gaze. Skullduggery held his eyes to hers for a second before he loosed a breath, looking back to the ceiling.

"Four of them, nondescript stallions, claimed to be sending a message for the Goldhooves: 'we're down but still kicking.' Seems Loaded doesn't want anypony looking at their crippled family and demolished house and seeing them as weak, so he sent these guys after me." He snorted, holding his ribs as they tightened painfully. "Sonofabitch" he growled. Celestia lay a hoof on his fore-head, providing a comforting presence.

"Take it easy" she said gently. He calmed down, his face still tensed in pain.

"Anyway, yeah, only Loaded would look at me and say 'hmm, four stallions kicking him while he's down will make us look real tough'" he grumbled, looking at the ceiling. "Besides that, there's nothing more I can say; these guys have probably already put a lot of distance between us and them, most likely with plans to get out of Equestria. And ain't nothing I say will do anything in court" he grumbled. Celestia looked down at him fondly.

"Look at you, Skull. Always the detective" she said quietly. He chuckled with her.

"Just doin' my job ma'am" he said, causing Celestia to giggle a little more. He seemed to remember something. "Thinking of which, have you seen my hat?" Celestia nodded at the brown, slightly battered fedora hanging from the bed post, Skulduggery following her gaze until it fell upon his headwear, prompting a smile better acquainted to seeing an old friend after a while apart. He looked back to Celestia, her sun catching her fur in that perfect way again. He could tell she was moving forwards, and couldn't do anything to stop it. Not that he would.

A banging on the door stalled their intimacy.

Celestia rolled her eyes impatiently as she looked over at her bedroom door.

"It's open" she called over, her voice and tone patient but her mood anything but. The door creaked open slowly. Celestia frowned, Skulduggery following suit; nopony was there, just a…birthday present? I was white wrapping paper, a gold ribbon around it tied in a neat bow on top. "What the…" was all Celestia could say as her horn sparked to life and the small box floated over to them, the door closing with it. She set it down on her bed and looked at it for a while.

"Happy birthday" Skulduggery guessed, his eyebrow raised. Celestia could only tense one side of her maw in confusion, cocking her head at the strange box. She suddenly noticed the card atop it; it glowed in her golden yellow as her magic took it and plucked it off the box, opening it neatly and raising it to eye level to read it.

On those cold lonely nights, and still eerie days, Pray you keep from the assassin's hard gaze

With a throat in his hooves, and an un-beating heart, The assassin won't rest 'till he's finished his art

With a blood soaken blade at the end of the fight, this killer will stand there with a face shaped from fright.

From dawn and from dusk and from winter and fall, never will you know when the assassin will call.

With a blood soaken blade at the end of the fight, this killer will stand there with a face shaped from fright.From dawn and from dusk and from winter and fall, never will you know when the assassin will call.

The assassin stands over the good colts and mares, listening with pity to their ever hopeful prayers.He'll take out his dagger and aim for the eye, nothing can stop him from making you die.

With a blood soaken blade at the end of the fight, this killer will stand there with a face shaped from fright.From dawn and from dusk and from winter and fall, never will you know when the assassin will call.

The assassin will be there so silent and still, watching and waiting for the moment until. All who he meets will then fall to their knees, then shall he leave to collect on his fees.

With a blood soaken blade at the end of the fight, this killer will stand there with a face shaped from fright.From dawn and from dusk and from winter and fall, never will you know when the assassin will call.

Celestia blinked in confusion. She reread the poem again in her mind, then once out loud for Skulduggery. He followed suit, frowning as his mind went to work.

"A re-working of the Assassin's Song" he murmured. Celestia nodded.

"Yes, it's called the Murder's tune. Time was, if you received this you had a day to either pay your bounty or be killed. But…" she lowered her voice to a whisper "if he really intended to do something…he wouldn't have sent a warning" she murmured to herself. Her interest suddenly picked as to what was in the parcel. Skull caught her gaze.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Celestia glanced at him and shrugged. She took the ribbon in her hoof and pulled it loose, the gold thread coming loose easily, and gripped the lid of the box in her hooves; she took a breath and braced for whatever may jump out at her from this obvious trap, and whipped it off as fast as she could.

They both flinched.

Then blinked when they realised nothing had happened. They both looked back at the box with a raised eyebrow, peering inside. Celestia almost lost her breakfast. It was a head. A badly…severed…head. She heard Skulduggery gulp next to her as the smell of rotted flesh hit him, the flies around it making it no easier to keep her last meal down. She recognized the dead stallion, one of her scouts; he'd been assigned around some bog lands to the east, around fifteen miles from Cadence's old village, though that didn't much help her; Blood Moon could easily hide from her in that kind of environment for the rest of their lives. He'd had stark white fur, his light blue roots coming through, and grey eyes staring wide open at nothingness.

Celestia's eyes widened when she realised what this was.

"Oh my goodness" she breathed, her voice terrified. Skull quickly caught on and looked at her.

"What's the matter, Celestia?" The white mare simply blinked a few times at the box on her bed and the note in her hoof, glancing between them. "Celestia?"

"Skulduggery" she said quickly, her voice still an octave or two below a pitch that wouldn't panic the detective "y-you need to leave. Right now" she told him. The detective blinked.

"What, why? What's-" Celestia turned to him, her expression making a stone in the P.I's stomach drop.

"Please, Skulduggery, you need to go" she told him, standing from the bed and helping him rise, though it was more like she was pulling him off the bed. She dragged him towards the door, the IV and heart monitor coming loose as he did. Though he could still stand, the detective was still weak.

"Celestia, please, just tell me what's going on? What was with that message, the head?" The solar princess raised her hoof to stop him.

"Skulduggery, just please; go home, get some rest. You can't handle this in your current state-"

'I barely can.'

"-so just please…go home" she halfway begged of him. The detective took a deep breath before he nodded.

"Alright Celestia, you know where to find me" he reminded her. She nodded in gratitude as she watched him turn away.

"Skulduggery" she said, as though just remembering something. He gave a small 'hmm' and turned back, only for Celestia to lock her lips with his. He wasn't so taken aback this time, but it didn't change the mental conflict going on in his head. Eventually, he just gave another mental shrug and kissed back, feeling Celestia follow suit in a strange sense of urgency. She let it last a few seconds, not much caring who saw them, until they both pulled back. "I-if I don't make it through this…" She trailed off, turning away suddenly and shutting the door. Skulduggery was not settled by her request.

Inside her room, Celestia hung her head.

'Just when I wanted to see him again…'

She tensed her featured and glared, lifting her head and looking to the ceiling with a hard expression on her face.

"Alright Uncle Blood, if that's the way you want to play it" she told her empty room "I'm right here" she told the whole of Equestria.

---

"The die has already been cast" she heard his voice say.

It was the dead of night, the candles of Blood Moon's home having gone out to allow everypony to sleep. Twilight and Blood Moon had curled up on the couch together, just talking into the still of the night. She enjoyed being in the company of her coltfriend once more, and though she knew it would take time for everypony to warm up to him once more, specifically Fluttershy, she had faith in them. Mainly because neither Blood Moon nor Twilight wanted the dark stallion to cause a rift between her and her friends.

All long term events aside, Twilight had woken up, her throat dry, to find her lover missing. At first she'd assumed he'd gone to the bathroom or something along those lines, but then she'd seen the dim light coming from the door to the left of the entrance to the living room, alongside the faint voices in there. Of course, her first instinct had been to let Blood Moon have his quiet meeting, the business of assassins no place for a mare such as herself, but hot on its hooves had been pure, cat-killing curiosity, such was the path she'd set on to finding herself outside the office door, listening in on her coltfriend and his assassins.

"Are you serious" a voice she recognised as Leaf asked. She could taste her coltfriend's nod.

"I am. The pidgins have already been dispatched, sending the news across Equestria" he answered.

"Do you think they'll be enough of us, you know, to do this" a mare asked, Ember Spark.

"I do. So far, most attempts have been subtle, subterfuge. She's used to that now, has proper defences in place. Loud and proud however… She won't be expecting that."

"Why are we even doing this? I thought you and here were close once" the same mare retorted. Twilight sensed a shrug inbound.

"We were, but she's made this personal; me and Cadaver has history, a grudge to settle, and sending somepony as reckless as he is after me is just foalish."

"But she didn't know you've been hanging around with the girls" another voice argued.

"Oh, she knew Candle, trust me she did. She has her ways…Celestia knows pretty much everything" Twilight heard a small huff that could only accompany a smirk "not everything though" he said with a hint of smugness to his tone. "She sent Cadaver after me, likely under the orders of 'any means necessary.' Besides which, we're all assassins here; we're the blade, not the hoof that wields it" he reminded them.

"But boss, that doesn't mean she told him to go after the Elements-"

"Listen" the dark stallion cut off "I know you're all a little uneasy about this, but it is what it is. Celestia sent Cadaver after me for one reason, and one reason alone: hatred. If her hatred of me has gotten so deep she's willing to risk innocent ponies' lives to get to me, then she's just as bad as the rest of us. Worse, maybe, seeing as she's supposed to be protecting her citizens" he told them definitively. There was silence for a long while before the pony who'd been regaling Pinkie and the fillies with tales of pirates earlier spoke up.

"So…this is it then…" he said uneasily.

"Yes, Redwave. Tomorrow, Celestia dies."